CAN Young Artists develop a new piece of theatre – What’s Done is Done

For CAN Young Artists@HOME’s first production, developed from March 2016 onwards, the young people took a fresh and bold look at William Shakespeare’s Macbeth to create What’s Done Is Done.

Power, guilt, and the supernatural were explored through dance, music, movement and drama. CAN Young Artists@HOME asked the provocative question:

“How far would you go to get the respect of your peers?”

Trish is sick of being the outsider, looking down from her window watching all her schoolmates having fun, she decides to do something about it. As events take a gruesome turn for the worst, she is forced on a harrowing journey through the hell of her own making.

As she struggles to find normality she is helped and hindered by a loudmouth little brother, a demon drummer, a host of nightmare creatures, and a mystic in fluffy slippers.

What’s Done Is Done took audiences deep into a place of darkness, then guided them back into the light.

The group took part in workshops every Thursday evening at STUN’s studio at Z-Arts before moving to HOME to begin their rehearsals.

The group, aged 12 – 18, which included young people from seven Manchester neighbourhoods, took the play to the World Stages Festival, in association with the Young Vic, London and The Rep, Birmingham.

Young people from the Young Vic and The Rep developed parallel pieces of theatre inspired by Macbeth. As part of the project, CYA@HOME travelled to London to visit the Young Vic to see the work of their contemporaries.

The project was supported by BBC Children in Need.