What advice do teenagers wish they’d been given when they were still kids? Camp Phoenix, an all-new show from Zest Theatre, a company that exists to make space for young people to be heard, aims to find out. Developed through conversations with over 650 young people nationwide, 9-year-olds shared their worries, and those aged 16+ responded with expert wisdom. Camp Phoenix shares that wisdom with honesty, hope, and humour.
Written by Katie Greenall, Bush Theatre’s young company director, with new songs by loop artist Koko Brown, Camp Phoenix marks the return to making and touring theatre by Zest Theatre and is their first national theatre tour since becoming an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation.
Camp Phoenix follows the journey of 17-year-old Zia. When they arrive at Camp Phoenix for a compulsory weeklong residential, they aren’t sure if it’s for them. The camp helps young people emerge from the dust of their younger selves, just like a phoenix. Through regulated activities, young people develop the skills to rise into the next phase of their lives to become great citizens and employees.
But not everything goes to plan. When Zia and their newfound friends realise that the camp’s values don’t include everyone, they discover that the most valuable lessons are those learnt from the people around them.
Commissioned by Lincoln Arts Centre, Barnsley Civic and Arc, Stockton, Zest Theatre travelled the country to research this new show, meeting children and young people from Lincoln, Stockton-on-Tees, Canterbury, Barnsley, and Lewisham.
By facilitating workshops for Key Stage 2 pupils, they were able to share their thoughts, questions, and concerns about growing up and their transition to Secondary School. Then, post-16 performing arts students responded with the advice they wished they’d received before they started secondary school, spending time with the Zest team to develop creative content, which is now the crux of this brand-new show.
Featuring a company of professional actors and youth cast members, including the local post-16 performers Zest Theatre met during the workshop and development period, this new production will joyfully share the wisdom and lived experience of those aged 16-18, to support and inspire audiences of 10–12-year-olds when they need it most.
Director Toby Ealden said: “At a time when young people continue to face a mental health crisis and remain unheard in broader society, productions like Camp Phoenix are vital. A moment to make space for each other, share their wisdom and have fun through creativity at venues right in the heart of the places they call home.”
Opening precisely four years since our last public theatre performance of Youthquake closed in Teeside weeks before the lockdown began, this new production feels like an exciting reset for the company. Camp Phoenix is our first national theatre tour since the pandemic and our first as a brand-new Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation. It’s serendipitous for us, that we premiere this show back on Teeside before returning home to Lincoln and touring to our other partner venues.
We’re excited to have given Katie Greenall and Koko Brown their first professional commissions as Writer and Songwriter, respectively. Working with young people across the country, they have crafted an energetic script and set of new songs that beautifully capture the hopes and fears of the young people we met in communities across the country.”
Camp Phoenix will open at ARC Stockton on 1st February 2024 before visiting Lincoln Arts Centre, Canterbury’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre, Barnsley Civic and Deptford’s The Albany. To find out more about the show and about Zest Theatre, please visit www.zesttheatre.com.
