insideKENT Magazine Issue 39 - June 2015 | Page 33

EVENTS
LOCAL SHOW HITS THE WEST END

Exciting future ahead for young local performers
A LOCAL CAST WILL BE TAKING TO THE WEST END STAGE WHEN NEW MUSICAL THE DREAMERS
MAKES ITS LONDON DEBUT AT ST. JAMES THEATRE, WESTMINSTER, THIS SUMMER.
The cast is made up of 21 young
men and women from Kent and
Sussex who had dreams of working
in theatre. Among them are three
local schoolchildren: Harvey
Young, 12; Freya Vidal, 12; and
Kiah Spurle, 8.
Based on the true story of a
local WWI hero, Captain David
'Reggie' Salomons, The Dreamers
premiered at the Assembly Hall
Theatre, Tunbridge Wells, last
October, where it moved many to
tears and brought audiences of all
ages to their feet.
The show was written by
Tunbridge Wells' writers, James
Beeny and Gina Georgio, and tells
the story of the Great War through
the eyes of the soldiers and the
families that they left behind.
While Kiah and Freya play two
little girls whose fathers have been

sent to war, Harvey takes on the
role of a boy soldier who has lied
about his age, not wanting to be
left out of the 'great adventure'.
Harvey said: "I wear a soldier's
uniform on stage and this helps me
to imagine what it would be like
going to war. When I found out that
some of the boys who fought, and
died, were around my age I was
really shocked. They never really
had the chance to live."
The cast are joined on stage
by six-piece band, Virgin Soldiers,
and there are on-screen
appearances from narrators,
including Amanda Redman,
Christopher Beeny, Tim Rice, Philip
Glenister and others.
At a time when people all over
the world are commemorating the
events of 100 years ago, the overall
message of this thought-provoking
production is one of remembrance.

Harvey Young with The Dreamers cast

The Dreamers, 30 June – 11 July.
Tickets can be booked on the St. James Theatre
website, www.stjamestheatre.co.uk, or by calling the Box Office on
0844 264 2140.
@TheDreamersUK

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/TheDreamersUK