Scotland’s oldest dedicated youth theatre, Perth Youth Theatre (PYT) has launched the career of many well-known theatre-makers, performers and broadcasters including Ewan McGregor, Colin McCredie, Michael Chakraverty and Stuart Cosgrove to name but a few.
And now, a new generation of actors are putting Perth Youth Theatre on the map, with not one, but two recent PYT alumni currently appearing in top-rated Netflix show The Witcher: Blood Origin.
Aron Dochard (25) and Ronan Doyle (25) who attended Perth Youth Theatre whilst at school, have both chosen to pursue an acting career inspired by the support they received and experience they gained in Perth Theatre.
Aron, who studied Actor Musicianship at Rose Bruford College, plays Grella the Greasy Elf, and Ronan, who studied Acting and Performance at North East Scotland College, plays Atta in the latest series in the global Netflix phenomenon which was released to a worldwide audience on Christmas Day.
Commenting on their success, Katie Mitchell, Outreach Producer for Perth Theatre and Concert Hall said:
“Its lovely for us to see our past participants doing so well in their acting careers. Perth Youth Theatre has a rich history of nurturing local talent and we are very proud of the work that Aron and Ronan are doing. It’s great for our current participants to see real successes in the industry and for their own work to be celebrated on our mainstage. Brainstorm has been a real collaboration effort with the youth theatre and the professional creative team. They have written elements of the script themselves, created ideas around marketing and contributed to the design of the set. We have some brilliant future talents in our youth theatre – so watch this space!”
Aron said:
“To have a safe space to express my creativity at such a key time in my life, was invaluable to me. I became the actor I am today at PYT and made some lifelong friendships along the way. PYT is something Perth should be proud of; I hope it continues to shape and inspire young people for generations to come.”
Ronan said:
"The role that PYT played in me becoming an actor is completely undeniable. The programme at Perth Theatre encouraged us as young people to see that acting did not necessarily have to be just a hobby or a pastime. It instilled to us a mindset that if you wanted to pursue a career in the arts then all doors were open to you. I truly loved my time at Perth, and I give it close to all the credit for me being an actor today (if not for one fantastic drama teacher!)."
Aron and Ronan travelled back to where it all started to meet the current members of Perth Youth Theatre as they rehearsed their production of Brainstorm in February 2023. Partly written and co-created by the group of talented young actors aged 12-18, Brainstorm is a unique theatrical investigation into how teenagers' brains work, and why they're designed by evolution to be the way they are.
Also nurturing the developing careers of the creative team behind it Brainstorm is directed by emerging director Fiona Mackinnon, designed by Christine Ting – Huan 挺歡 Urquhart and is the assistant directing debut for Youth Arts Bursary recipient Genna Allan, the Learning & Engagement trainee at Perth Theatre and Concert Hall.
Tuesday 28 February 2023