Dynamo News

Newsletters (PDF)
3	Summer 2008
2	April 2008
1	November 2007

21/10/08 ** Matthew Kenny wins photography prize.

Well done. Read about it here

27/9/08 ** Dynamo basks in autumn sunshine …..

Click picture to enlarge

On Saturday 27th September Dynamo Youth Theatre gave two performances as part of the highly successful Havant Literary Festival.

Directed on this occasion by Fiona Fairhurst, an ex-DYT member, the group performed a medley of songs from musicals that DYT have performed in recent years. The company attracted good crowds in their prime location next to St. Faith's Church in the centre of Havant on a busy shopping day. Blessed by wonderful sunshine the performances were marked by a particularly moving rendition of the DYT signature song "One Pride One People" performed in the afternoon before a crowd that included the song's composer, John Gleadall.

13/8/08 ** Prize singer has them all bowled over
By Elise Brewerton - The News

A young baritone has been named young person of the year for his outstanding singing talent.

Jay Jupe has wowed audiences when taking to the stage to perform the kind of songs reserved for older and much more experienced singers.

The 14-year-old Park Community School pupil, from Leigh Park, had already earned a reputation for being a complete professional. But when members of Havant Rotary Club saw him perform at last year's More Music Madness concert they were bowled over.

The club has now made him its inaugural winner of The Lamont Young Person of the Year Award. Jay said: 'I was absolutely gobsmacked when I heard I had got this award. It's very honouring to be named young person of the year by the Rotary club.' John Gleadall, director of music at Jay's school, said: 'Jay was a shy and retiring pupil who has blossomed through the medium of singing.' His singing coach regards Jay as a once-in-a-life-time pupil; he has the singer's gift but also works very hard.'

Recently Jay has appeared on stage at Chichester Festival Theatre in the critically acclaimed first performance of Bombed Out and as Officer Krupke in West Side Story performed at the Havant Arts Centre.

It was at last November's More Music Madness in the Kings Theatre, Southsea, that he first came to the eye of Havant Rotary Club. Rotary member Eve Fuller said: 'The young, confident Jay commanded the stage and moved the audience with the maturity and depth of his baritone voice. It was indeed a moving occasion, and we wish him every success for the future. We are delighted Jay is the inaugural recipient of The Lamont Young Person of the Year Award.'

Jay is no stranger to winning top awards and wowing judges. Earlier this year he won the Chairman's Cup for his performance of Old Man River at Portsmouth Music Festival. And, along with a group of classmates, he was highly commended in the BBC Schools Report Scheme award, and their work was shown on BBC News 24.

August 08 ** Sam Gibbs - fundraiser

Sam Gibbs enlisted the help of his mother and aunt to raise money for Dynamo. They collected stuff from friends and took a stall at the Lawns Car Boot Sale in Waterloville. They withstood the rain and raised £40. Well done!!

3/8/08 ** Member at Edinburgh Fringe

DYT member Fiona Hayward performs with Portsmouth High School: report in The News

19/6/08 ** Fundraising in the Himalayas

More fundraising by Dynamo members, this time as Sea Scounts. Ben Rigsby and Jake Elsbury are mountaineering and raising funds for the Royal British Legion. They return to U.K. on 29th July. Read The News article

May 2008 ** London trips recalled

Yasmin Langley recounts her experiences of Trips to London with Dynamo

19/4/08 ** Dynamo contributes to successful fundraising ....

Ross Cobbold repeated his success last year in this year's Spotlight fundraising show, contributing with Alice Mayhead and Abi Jeffery.

17/4/08 **The Set for 'Alice' Takes Shape

Nick, Ivor and Bruce discuss practicalities while
Steve paints a tree stump.

Some of the construction team:-
Steve, Nick, Ivor, Terry, Phil, Bruce

24/12/07 ** Item from The News

Spray-away time as performers get set

By Jenny Haworth

YOUNGSTERS aren't usually encouraged to go wild with graffiti but the cast of a new play had a good excuse.

Children at Dynamo Youth Theatre were told to set their imaginations free as their painted the set for their new play West Side Story.

Sixty children are involved in the production, and they will put on the show at the Havant Arts Centre, East Street, from January 3.

Director Andrew Bowker, who is also a teacher at Bosmere Junior School in Havant, set them a tough rehearsal schedule, giving them just Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day off over the festive break.

He said: "We are very excited to do West Side Story this year. It's the 50th anniversary of the play being written. It's a timeless play based loosely on Romeo and Juliet. We are modernising it and making it relevant so it fits in with knife crime and all the modern issues. That's the beauty of this show - it stays relevant."

He was full of praise for the cast, and said many of them have aspirations to get into professional theatre.

"We are very proud of them," he said. "We just turn out cracklingly responsible citizens."

Dynamo Youth Theatre, a charity, is now in its 27th year. It currently takes children aged 11 to 18, after they have had an audition.

Mr Bowker said Dynamo would like to expand to take anyone aged seven to 25 but currently needs some more space.

The young performers practise in Havant Arts Centre, but due to high demand for the facility they can only meet once a week. It is also too cramped for the large number of members of the group.

Mr Bowker added: "This is our big issue now. We have got such a big waiting list for members. The stage at the arts centre is just too small. We need a bigger performance space, and we are really looking for a new headquarters. We are looking for any building that we can transform into two rehearsal rooms."

The News, Portsmouth: 24 December 2007

3/7/07 ** Presentation

Sheena Steps Down

After serving for more than twelve years on the Dynamo Committee, almost three of them as Chair, Sheena Jefferis has resigned in order attend to family commitments. She was presented with a crystal vase on 3rd September. We wish her well.

Video of 'Bizarre'

A DVD recording of 'Bizarre' is available to members and helpers. It is a single fixed-camera view of the whole show (no close-ups), providing a record for the participants. A charge of £3 covers costs. If you are interested please contact Joe Wilcox on web@dyt.org.uk Recordings of some other recent productions are also available.

21/4/07 ** Dynamo contributes to successful fundraising ....

19/4/07 ** Laura's Big Run

Ex-Dynamo member Laura Briggs has recently been in the news, not, this time, for anything to do with the theatre, but because she undertook the mammoth task of running a six-day Marathon across the Sahara Desert.