Royal and Derngate youth members show how important Northampton theatre is with passionate video

Members of the Royal and Derngate's youth company have got behind the campaign to save the theatre by talking about just how much it means to them.

The Youth Theatre wanted to do something to raise awareness of everything the Northampton institution does for the community and give the staff a boost at a difficult time.

So they recorded themselves talking about the impact the theatre has had on their lives and how important it is that it survives the coronavirus crisis.

Youth Theatre member Oskar White put them all together and sent the video to the management, who he said were delighted by it.

"It's all come from the heart, no one from the theatre was involved, it was all done by us and I think it's definitely made a difference," he said.

The Royal and Derngate has launched a fundraising appeal to get through the lack of business during the Covid-19 lockdown, with more staff being put on furlough too.

The different groups in the Youth Theatre have also been affected by the pandemic, with a big production of the Wizard of Oz postponed from July to November.

The members decided to create the video talking about their experiences and the difference the theatre has made to them to show why the community should support it.

Oskar said: "The Royal and Derngate does a lot for young people so it was kind of our way of giving back and saying 'thank you' to the theatre and hopefully they will be able to save money and reopen."

The members talk about how the Youth Theatre has helped their careers, made life-long friendships and been something to look forward to for many years.

The Royal and Derngate posted the video on its Facebook page, saying: "It is amazing to hear the impact that our work has on young people in our community."