Isobel Chipp, 18, assistant director 

What has it been like working on Sanctuary? 

“It’s been brilliant because I’m  normally on the acting side of things, so to have my first opportunity to help direct  something straight from college is really great. It’s been so beneficial to see how the side of theatre works. It’s a brilliant first project to work on – it’s got such a  great group of people, and has such a strong message. It’s just been really  educational.” 

What have you learned? 

“In my first week Cheryl gave me the chance to do some  directing which I’d never done and it was a bit daunting, but it was also really good  because that’s how you learn. I got good feedback from the direction I’d given them and that was really affirmative because you think ‘yes, I can do this.’ So that was a  real confidence boost.” 

Has this experience changed what you might want to do in this industry? 

“It’s shown me that acting is what I love and want to do. It’s also given me an  appreciation that directing and writing is something I’d like to go into in the future. I  think it has made me love acting even more, because I’m learning how to act better  by telling actors how to do things differently.” 

What have you gained from working on a professional production like this and  collaborating with a theatre company like Red Ladder? 

“It’s given me confidence  when it comes to the next opportunities because I’ll have this under my belt. Also just seeing the inner workings of a theatre company. I’d seen pieces by Red Ladder  before doing this and I always thought ‘wow, it looks so cool and polished.’ And now  I’ve seen it in the beginning when it’s not polished and you see how it gets to that  finished stage. It’s made me really trust the process of what I’m doing.” 

Zac Worstenholme, 17, company manager 

What has it been like working on Sanctuary? 

“It’s been really good for me  because I’m just going into my second year at college and I’ve found a real love for  the production side of theatre. When I was given this opportunity I couldn’t have  been more thankful because it’s just what I need to get a real insight into the  industry. It’s a privilege to not only be involved in a musical but the first works of a  musical where the scripts are being edited and it’s nice to experience that.” 

What have you learned? 

“I’ve learned a lot. I don’t think I realised how much a  company manager has to deal with, from printing the scripts off and helping out with  social media to taking loads of rehearsal shots and making sure all the cast is there  on time and that they’re all ok.” 

How has it changed your perceptions of what’s involved in putting a production like this together? 

“I don’t think people realise how much work goes into something like this. There’s a lot more to the offstage roles than I think I’d realised.” 

Has it changed what you might want to do in this industry? 

“From a young age I  wanted to act and be a musical theatre performer, but during these past few weeks  it’s made me love being a company manager and I think it’s what I’ve got my mind  set on now. I really believe this is what I want to do when I leave college.” 

What have you gained from working on a professional production like this and  collaborating with a theatre company like Red Ladder? 

“It’s made me feel like I’ll  be in a good position afterwards. Red Ladder’s really well respected and to have a  company like them, and a show like Sanctuary, on your CV at just 17 years old is a  really big step.” 

Ellie Klemm, 17, Sanctuary chorus member 

What’s it like being part of this production? 

“It’s been really good. I haven’t  worked with a professional company before so it’s been really interesting to see how  they work and what’s expected of us. There are high expectations of us in college  but I didn’t think going into year two at college we’d be doing something like this.” 

Getting to go on tour must be very exciting? 

“A lot of us are quite experienced  and we’ve done a lot of shows and performances since we were little, but going on a  tour is something very different and going to all these different venues and theatres  is really exciting for all of us.” 

What are you most excited about? 

“I’m looking forward to being able to experience  places in the UK that we haven’t been to. Me and Matilda live near Huddersfield so  the LBT (Lawrence Batley Theatre) is our theatre, it’s where we grew up and we’ve  done so many shows there when we were little, so it’s really exciting to be going on  tour near where we live.” 

What have you learned from an acting point of view? 

“It’s been really good for  our acting skills because the script’s been in development. I’ve never done a show  where the script is subject to change. Normally you have a script and learn your lines  and that’s what you do. But here, the actors have asked questions about some of the  lines and sometimes it might get cut because the actor has said ‘I don’t think my  character would say this.’ I didn’t think you could do that with a script and it’s  teaching us to speak up if we have something to say about our character. I think  we’ve learned that we can use our voice.” 

How has it changed your perception of working in the theatre industry?

“I grew  up doing shows and theatre so it’s always been a dream to do it professionally and  now it’s becoming a reality. This has given me a taste of it and made me want to do it  even more.” 

Matilda Simons, 17, Sanctuary chorus member

What’s it like being part of this production?

“We get a call sheet each night to see  what we’re doing the next day. It’s very structured so we can prepare ourselves well  for the next day. We might be doing a lot of movement work so you can check the  call sheet and you know what you’re going into the next day.”  

Getting to go on tour must be very exciting?

“It’s really exciting and being able to  say ‘I’ve performed at Hull Truck’ is just mad. I never thought I’d get to say that.” 

What have you learned from an acting point of view and has it changed your  perception of what’s involved? 

“Being part of this production we’ve seen how  professional actors interact with directors and stage managers. Some of the actors  ask questions about the motivations of their character, while others focus more on  the feelings of their character. So it's been really interesting to see these different  approaches.” 

How has it changed your perception of working in the theatre industry? 

“It’s  definitely still made me want to be a performer. I want to do musical theatre and it’s  made me lean into my acting more. It’s also made us respect the behind the scenes  roles more.” 

Eloise Degenhart, 17, Sanctuary chorus member 

What has it been like being part of this production? 

“Because we’re at an arts college we’re used to being part of a show but not really creating the show, the ins and outs of the script and the songs. The fact we’ve been able to say things like ‘this harmony might be better for this song’, that’s quite cool – to feel like you’re part of  the creative process. Coming into this I thought it would be very strict but they have a  laugh and they know when to be serious. It’s calmed my nerves about going into the  industry.” 

What have you learned about acting? 

“We’re working with professional actors who  have gone through all the years of training and seeing how they work together and  figure things out, like changing the script, has been really interesting. Seeing how  connected they are to their character and what their character would say has been  really cool to see.” 

Has this experience made you want to be an actor even more? 

“It’s made me  realise I can just be myself and I don’t have to put on this façade. I can have a laugh  but also get my work done. I’m proud of myself but also so grateful for the  opportunity. I mean how many 17-year-olds get to go on tour!” 

Erin Hall, 17, Sanctuary chorus member 

What has it been like being part of this production? 

“It’s an original musical and  we’re building it together, so it feels really cool to be part of that. It feels like you’re always involved in some way.”

What have you learned about acting? 

“I’ve never been involved in a professional  production before so seeing how the main cast do it has been really helpful.” 

Has this experience made you want to be an actor even more? 

“I definitely know  that I want to perform and this has helped me a lot to realise this. You get to see the  whole process and you’re always learning something new.”

Come and See the CAPA Students in Sanctuary on 9th October at The Dukes! 

Book Your Tickets Here!