Pegasus’ creative director tells Katherine MacAlister about an interactive instead of bums-on-seats approach to theatre

Instead of predicting what young people want in a festival, Pegasus Theatre asked them directly. They then put them to work creating it. The result is this weekend’s youth festival aptly called Outside The Box which is made for, and by, our local 11 to 18 year olds.

With the full backing of the Pegasus team behind them, this weekend’s Outside The Box is colourful, imaginative, ambitious, fun and exciting.

It features the amazing performance poet Steven Camden (aka Polarbear), graffiti artist Tim Vee, silent theatre (with headphones) production Boy Meets Girl, below, from Zest Theatre, plus headliner and patron Philip Pullman, right. There’s loads of workshops including improv, stage combat and street dance as well as live performances of music, pop-up theatre and surprise screenings.

Hester Bond, Pegasus’ creative director says: “Outside The Box is really interactive so that instead of bums-on-seats there is stuff going on all over the theatre, inside and out, from graffiti murals to plays, story-telling to live music, all performed by and with young people.

“It’s a new spin of what theatre can be, to encourage this age group to give it a go, especially those who haven’t been to Pegasus or anyone who doesn’t usually visit the theatre.”

“We are really proud of all the weird and wonderful events going on here, culminating with our headliner and world famous author Philip Pullman, who will be talking about why the arts are worth fighting for and inspiring his audience to give them a go and take part.

“So there really will be something for everyone. We just hope people get involved by coming along and trying it out.”

Hester is also massively impressed by her young team’s ambitions for the two-day festival. “They wanted something really diverse, and their ideas have been brilliant. This is just a re-imagining of their ideas. They wanted exciting interactive theatre and that is what they have got.”

SEE IT
Out Of The Box at Pegasus from July 25-26.
Box office at 01865 812150 or pegasustheatre.org.uk