Chichester Care Home Residents ‘Enchanted’ By Young Actors’ Visit
Teen actors brought seasonal cheer to care home residents in Chichester with a sneak preview of action from classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.
Ten cast members from Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s Christmas production walked over to nearby Wellington Grange to sing and act in an intimate performance in the residents’ lounge.
The visit was the latest in an ongoing partnership between the Theatre and Colten Care home designed to bring the joy of live drama directly to residents.
Kay Vevers, Companionship Team Leader at Wellington Grange, said: “When these young actors came in, they looked quite shy and quiet like teenagers sometimes do, but my goodness when they started to sing they had such a burst of enthusiasm and such lovely strong voices. The residents were thrilled and found it all very exciting and enchanting.”
After their show, the visitors held a question and answer session talking about how they got into acting and singing.
One lady resident said: “I used to sing in choirs and act in shows when I was younger. I was interested to hear how things have changed since then and how young actors these days juggle their performances with school work. The whole visit was fantastic and they came over as so professional.”
In other inter-generational activities, Wellington Grange is this month welcoming carol-singing visits from children at West Dean Primary School and Oakwood School. Toddlers from Co-op Nursery are also coming in for an afternoon tea date.
