Oasis Youth Theatre is open to young people in the Southampton area aged predominantly between 10 and 25 depending on the project. This age boundary is not a restriction, we have had productions where 8 year olds have participated and continue to have members who choose to stay in OYT beyond the upper age band. We generally work on specific performance based projects which are mostly original. OYT has an international reputation for their Documentary Plays telling stories to our community about our community in the widest possible sense. In addition to the long running and succesful OYT there is now a new Oasis Juniors Youth Theatre (see below).
OYT has developed an enviable reputation over the last twenty years when it was founded by current Artistic Director Mark Wheeller. Formerly known as Oaklands Youth Theatre, the sponsors of the new Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill were keen for it to continue being called OYT (Oasis Youth Theatre). The audiences OYT attracts are well beyond the traditional Youth Theatre audience of parents and relations. People from the wider community watch OYT because they know the quality of the theatre they produce. Increasingly our productions are being filmed on DVD and their more recent productions are now available commercially.
OYT were selected to perform in the very first Lloyds Bank National Theatre Challenge on the Oliver Stage at the Royal National Theatre in London (Hard To Swallow 1989). They have also performed at the prestigious National Student Drama Festival (Chunnel of Love, Scarborough 1993) where Drama Schools and University Drama groups make up the majoiority of the Festival program. OYT toured Hard To Swallow and Too Much Punch For Judy to schools in USA (Houston 1990) and Chunnel of Love to schools in France 1993. In 2008 they were finalists in the All England Theatre Festival One Act Play Competition with the play Graham – World’s Fastest Blind Runner, 2008. Two years later they won this Festival and represented England at the British One Act Play Festival Final with One Million to STOP THE TRAFFIK. OYT have participated three times in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. They fare well in local Drama Festivals where they appear nearly every year and have won many awards and two nominations for Production of the Year in the Daily Echo Curtain Call Awards (2000 & 2008). They have ambitions to tour their forthcoming show Jack internationally.
Acting is not the only theatre discipline undertaken at the theatre by youth members. Opportunities also exist for those interested in sound, lighting, scenery and production with our professional technician at hand to lead OYT members through the reality of a production in our well equipped Theatre and other venues when we tour.
The high standard of Oasis Youth Theatre’s work is not accidental; it is the result of intensely hard work and long periods of preparation. The OYT motto is “Participate in Youth Theatre for the fun of doing it seriously”. Some young people who join OYT aspire to pursue a career in the performing arts (see our alumni page) and we offer them every encouragement to fulfil their ambitions.
Please click here to see a list of Past Productions since 1987 and here to see Awards received
A video link of their award winning production Graham can be seen if you click here and a clip of their production of Dan Nolan if you click here
If you would like to read comments made by former OYT members about their time with OYT please click here
Nicky Chapman was a valued member of OYT who was tragically killed in a car accident in 2005 aged just 20 years. Nicky's Mum and Dad set up this award in her name. For more infomation about this award and to see previous winners click here
If you would like to see some of the exciting things former members of OYT are now doing with their lives click here
JACK.
Freely adapted by OYT from Andrew Lang's original 1807 publication of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Thursday 8th March 2012 and Saturday 10th March 2012. 7.30pm
Tickets on sale now! Please call the Academy on 023 8039 3660.
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