Old Vic New Voices

[2] OVNV offers emerging theatre makers space and funding for creative projects, ongoing professional development and invaluable networking opportunities with peer and industry mentors.

[3] The OVNV Workrooms is a rehearsal facility open six days a week, and designed to be a place to meet, devise, chat and collaborate free of charge.

The workshops are delivered by carefully trained professional theatre facilitators and prepare the students for each play by exploring the characters, plot and themes, as well as developing confidence and interpersonal skills.

In addition to working intensively with 10 Stage Business Ambassadors from each school and organisation, workshops are supported by a comprehensive online programme of learning.

Participants get the opportunity to watch one of the productions, shadow various members of Front of House staff and take on important roles welcoming patrons to The Old Vic Theatre.

David Watson’s epic tale, based on the testimonies of over 200 Londoners, was a response to the mounting housing crisis and asked what it means to find some space in a city that’s squeezing you out.

[11] Written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, the production was the culmination of 18 months of research including one-on-one interviews, group workshops, creative writing sessions, and community events.

It focused on the character of Marlon, who needs help from a system he doesn't trust and runs away to find answers; the musical featured 10 new songs.

The script for Platform was created from 200 hours of interviews by writers Duncan Macmillan and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, themselves part of OVNV's emerging talent programme.

[16] Kevin Spacey said of the project: "I'm delighted we're doing our third community show and have managed to pull off something as remarkable and crazily ambitious as a 120-strong acting company.

[16] OVNV’s second community production, Branded, was written by Simon Bent, and staged at The Old Vic from 1–3 May 2008, for five performances, all free of charge.

[17] The piece, commissioned as part of OVNV’s Go for Green outreach and community project, featured a cast and crew of 50, aged from 16 to 60, selected through a series of London-wide open auditions.

[18] The play used a diverse selection of skills including; free-running, poetry, dance and physical theatre, to tell the story of the launch of an environmentally-friendly range of training shoes.