2 Boards And A Passion - Putting Life Info Drama

2 Boards and a Passion - putting life into drama

is a Theatre Company set up in 2007 by Colin CGN Ward and Kathryn Penton. The two met after appearing on stage together in a local theatre production, and now teach together at the Next Generation Youth Theatre in Mossley, teaching children from Mossley, but also as far afield as Stockport, Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and New Mills.

Kathryn and Colin decided to bring their experience of working with children and love of theatre together to form a new company, bringing high quality theatre performances, workshops, and teacher training into schools, and drawing on their experiences of primary teaching and performing. Colin and Kathryn work together to devise, write and perform the pieces, which can be tailor-made to suit your school’s needs.

Colin has been a performing arts practitioner for the last 30 years. His experience spans from playing in rock groups (including working alongside Mick Hucknall) and singing backing vocals on the Sad Café hit ‘Everyday Hurts’ to appearing in ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Brookside’ and ‘A Touch of Frost’ to name just a few.

Over the last twenty years Colin has been involved with many Youth Theatres in the local area and worked in schools and colleges teaching Performing Arts. In 1996 he took over the running of the now highly successful Next Generation Youth Theatre in Mossley, which has its own premises and over 150 members ranging in age from 6 to 21 years.

He has plied his trade over the past 10 years as a successful professional Actor/Writer/Director and Facilitator, working with companies whose portfolios include Theatre-In-Education (T.I.E.), Issue-Based Theatre and diversity and equality training.

Alongside his professional career Colin has been seen in principal roles in amateur productions for many local Societies, in such shows as ‘Godspell’, ‘The Wiz’, ‘The Music Man’, ‘Blood Brothers’ and ‘Children of a Lesser God’ along with many others.

Kathryn earned a degree in Drama with Education from the University of Warwick before going on to teach in primary schools in Bolton and Tameside. During this time she also worked as a Leading Behaviour Teacher in Tameside, working alongside and providing support for teachers dealing with serious behavioural issues within the classroom. As a teacher Kathryn ran drama and music clubs in schools.

Kathryn is responsible for the primary age workshops at the Next Generation Youth Theatre in Mossley, and is currently preparing the children for performances of two plays and a musical to be performed in Spring 2009. She is also developing a new drama curriculum to improve planning and teaching of workshops within the Youth Theatre and to ensure continuity across the various sessions.

Kathryn has appeared on stage in plays and musicals for over 15 years, and has recently been nominated for 3 awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at both the National Operatic & Dramatic Association (NODA) North West Awards, and at the Manchester Musical Awards, for her roles as Charity Barnum in “Barnum”, and Tzeitel in “Fiddler on the Roof”. Kathryn also directed the winner of the "Best Play" Award in the Junior secion at the Hale One Act Play Festival in 2008.