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Lyric life

Not the Usual Suspects

Nicholai La Barrie, our Director of Young People, tells us about Lyric Ensemble 2.

We have picked our second Lyric Ensemble. 15 emerging performers that will work with director Holly Race Roughan for the next nine months to make a show.

First, if you don’t know the wild genius that is Holly Race Roughan go find out. Use Google that’s what it’s for. She is one of the best minds working in theatre and we are super smiling that she is working with the ensemble.

Second picking a company like this is not easy because what we are looking for is mix of loud and quiet, passion and purpose, talent raw and unformed, talent honed and sharp. Lots and lots of things that might not go together or might seem to be at odds with each other.

It’s a balancing act of creating a company that will push each other and bring the best out of each other. But will also grow over the next nine months and come out of the other side different artists that will go on to have great careers.

So we choose 15 individuals with fire, heart, quiet resolve (at times) and each with their own unique political voice.

They have only this week started to work together. So it’s early days but I think we have company that has magic in its DNA. It might turn out the show that they make might be rubbish. (It’s possible/ it happens / get over it) I don’t think it will be though. I think this group will do wonders. And I know that whatever happens in nine months we will have 15 performers peaked and ready to take on the world.

I am excited to see what they do. They are up next. These will be the ones to watch out for. This group of not the usual suspects.

The Lyric Ensemble are: Johnson Adebayo, Bashiie Baptiste, Wesley Bozonga, Ella Dacres, Marvell Fayose, Kane Feagan, Niamh Granville, Savaş Hutchison-Fuat, Gavin Joseph, Ele Mc Kenzie, Roseanne Musgrove, Priyanka Patel, Kamran Vahabi, Joseph Vaiana and Danielle Tama.

NLB

Find out more about Next Generation, our programme to support young artists entering the theatre industry, here.