This year Kilkenny based Dreamstuff Youth Theatre will be 10 years old and to celebratewe are launching a year long programme that will all go under the title of Dreamstuff10. Formed by Mike Kelly in 2000 Dreamstuff Youth Theatre has gone from strengthto strength with at least 2 full scale productions every year. The recent successes ofthe Shakespeare In The House festival and our year round training programme havecemented our status as the premier youth theatre in Kilkenny.

The programme will be launched with a huge one night show on Saturday September 25thentitled Dreamstuff 10. A scene from all 20 Dreamstuff plays from the last 10 years willbe performed in the Watergate Theatre. The cast who will be reprising a whole load ofparts are: Trev Anderson, Angela Barrett, Philip Brennan, Alex Christle, StephenColfer, Ross Costigan, John Doran, Alan Doyle, Amy Dunne, Stacey Dunne, SeanHackett, Mairead Kiernan, Ken McGuire, John Morton, Aoibhin Murphy, MichaelMurphy, Sorcha O’Boyle, Suzanne O’Brien, Peter O’Connor, Jack O’Leary, PaddyO’Leary, David Thompson, Jessica Walsh.

The last of the plays will be our 20th production when it arrives in the Watergate Theatrefrom December 15th to 19th. Andersen’s Fairytales: The Adventures Of Hans ChristianAndersen will be our first theatrical sequel, following up our hugely successful 2004show Grimm’s Fairytales: The Adventures Of The Brother’s Grimm. The story willsee the famous Danish playwright pitched into a wild fairytale adventure with his owncreations. It is written by Hans Christian Andersen and adapted into English by JohnMorton. Our Artistic Director Angela Barrett will be taking the reins for it.

We will finish off 2010 with a reading of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol whichwill take place with a full choir and a few famous faces putting their voices to theclassic tale. The once off performance will be spreading festive cheer in December.

We are very proud to announce that we will be traveling abroad for the first time inSpring 2011 when we will take part in the National Theatre’s Connections programme.This will see us performing in the Wales Millennium Centre in April. The show itself isstill to be determined but we’ll be making an announcement soon.

June 2011 will then see us performing the fourth annual Shakespeare In The Housefestival. In a major first for us, we will be performing The Tempest for the first time,which is of course, the play Dreamstuff Youth Theatre was named after. For more onthe Dreamstuff 10 programme keep an eye on the website or visit us on Facebook!

If you like the sound of this and want to get involved with Dreamstuff or indeed YoungIrish Film Makers don’t hesitate to call the office to talk to Angela Barrett on (056)7764677.

Tomm is co-founder and creative director of Cartoon Saloon, a multi-award winning animation and illustration design studio based in Kilkenny.

Since founding the company in 1999 with Paul Young, Tomm has worked on numerous Cartoon Saloon productions in various capacities including directing and designing commercials for clients including Cadburys and the Irish Independent, illustrating graphic novels and children’s books and working as animation artist on several tv series and feature film productions.

Tomm’s first feature film “The Secret of Kells” was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2009 Academy Awards.

Read the transcript of the interview with Tomm Here

Stories were created from scratch each week with subjects ranging from ‘The Chair of Wonder’ (the story of a young girl who buys a chair that can do absolutely anyhting) to ‘The ‘H’ Factor’ (a heaven versus hell battle settled with an X Factor style dance off!).

The camps achieved what they set out to do which was to bring young people together to have lots of fun making making movies. Each week finished with a premiere style showing of the weeks work and in week three the hall in YIFM was turned into our very own cinema, complete with big screen, booming sound system, and popcorn for everyone!

So much was the success that there are plans in place to run a Halloween Film Camp in October this year with a scary movie theme to the week. So if you are up for some fake blood and spooky soundtracks, watch this space!

“The Usurpers”. The script tells the story of local band The Usurpers who will stop at nothing to win the music competition; The Bloodbath Of The Bands! The script was written by John Morton of Devious Theatre, Directed by Mike Kelly.

First Blood is Directed By: Brigid Belcher, produced by Alexandra Christle.

We hope to have the finish film up for you soon – watch this space!

The Mouse that Roared, I hear you ask, what’s that all about? Well, it’s actually about a mouse that roars, I reply. What? I hear you ask, that doesn’t tell us anything. OK, then, are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. THE MOUSE THAT ROARED is set in the Duchy of Grand Fenwick (What’s A Duchy? Shut up! Go look it up in Wikipaedia!) located somewhere in the middle of Europe, or France, or somewhere. Anyway, this tiny kingdom is only five miles by three miles wide (What’s a mile? It was what distance was before the Euro, ok?). Anyway, it was founded by Sir Roger Fenwick in 1370 and is currently ruled by the Grand Duchess Gloriana. (Enough history, already! What’s the play about???).

OK. Now concentrate. The people of Grand Fenwick live a very simple existence. Things are very much like they were in 1370. The Duchy has no natural resources, no coal, oil or precious metals. They don’t even have NAMA. However, they have developed a particularly fine wine called Pinot Grand Fenwick. Now enter the dastardly Americans (stage left)! They have developed a cheap plonk version of Pinot Grand Fenwick wine which destroys the market for the authentic Pinot Grand Fenwick. Shock! Horror! Sudden economic collapse of the Duchy! (and no NAMA to salvage the situation). What to do??? Time for a CUNNING PLAN!

The cunning plan is quite simple, bold, ruthless and bonkers. The Duchy of Grand Fenwick (the mouse) will declare WAR on the United States of America, shock and awe their asses with an armed invasion, and then (this is important!) the Grand Duchy will lose the war and get loads of money from America to rebuild their country. Simple? Yes. Brilliant. Er…no, actually. Why? Well, because, as in all wars, things go wrong, badly wrong, and…hey, I nearly told you the big plot twist! If you want to find out more you will have to see the play!

So, what else do you need to know? Well, it’s on in the Watergate Theatre starting on Wednesday 21^stto Saturday 24^th April at 8pm each night. Tickets cost €8 and you can book tickets on 056 7761674.

Did I mention that’s it the funniest play ever about a war? No? Well, it is. But don’t just take my word for it, go and see for yourself. Dreamstuff Youth Theatre – overlong plays stuffed to the brim with entertainment and stuff! Enjoy!