Arts University Bournemouth (AUB)’s Palace Court Theatre hosted three performances of Vita Nova’s Christmas pantomime, Wizard of Boz, to audiences from local treatment centres, the YMCA, Poverty Truth, the recovery community, and the general public at the beginning of December.
The Christmas pantomime is a popular tradition for Vita Nova, a Boscombe-based arts charity for those in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.
Performed by the Vita Nova community, Wizard of Boz was a light-hearted, quirky recovery-themed panto where Dorothy and her friends searched for what they thought they lacked – intelligence, a heart, and courage.
“Access to theatre is vital," says Dr Sharon Coyne, Artistic Director at Vita Nova. "Many people believe that such institutions are not for them. The Palace Court Theatre has a fantastic ethos of inclusion and Vita Nova are very happy to be recipients of their generosity.
“Often the lead-up to Christmas can be challenging for some people in recovery. What the production offers is purpose and community.
Sharon says she wrote Wizard of Boz as a recovery story, with the main characters all searching for something that they realise, by the end of the story, they had all along, "but just didn’t have the self-confidence and self-belief to believe they did."
“Life can be a very hard for some people, and the arts can go some way to heal. Having the courage to be on stage, having the intellect to navigate unpredictable situations and the heart to give of yourself to your fellow actors and audience is what theatre is all about.”
Colin, a volunteer with Vita Nova who joined just over a year ago, came to the Palace Court Theatre to watch AUB’s production Still Here back in June, and commented at the time, "This is the first time I have ever been in a proper theatre and it’s brilliant."
Six months later, he joined the cast of Wizard of Boz and performed on that same stage.
“The Palace Court Theatre gave us a higher level of production than Vita Nova is used to. As a consequence, it brought out some brilliant performances from the cast, great interaction with the audience and a great time was had all round. The whole experience increased my confidence in my stagecraft as well personal confidence and self-esteem.”
Another Vita Nova volunteer, Dionne, played Aunt Em and the Junior Wicked Witch of the West. She says, “Vita Nova family, I’d like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for believing in me, having faith in me, and supporting me in finding the courage to get up on stage and perform.
“It was a mixture between deep anxiety and nerves but also feeling on top of the world! A totally amazing feeling. I never thought I would ever be able to do something like Boz, the experience was just awesome!”
Nicola Cartlidge, Theatre and Venues Manager at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), comments, “We were delighted to support the fantastic work of Vita Nova, offering people a shared collective experience that was uplifting and joyful. So many people that attended had never been to the theatre before, through these partnerships we are opening up the theatre and showing that creativity benefits everyone.”
Vita Nova’s growing partnership with AUB and its popular town centre theatre also saw some students supporting the show by designing and running the lighting, as well as stewarding.
