David Lawson Lean
Performing Arts Services for Children

 

 

David Lawson Lean works extensively with children in the Performing Arts industry as an Acting Coach and Chaperone. He also provides drama workshops for schools. His workshops in schools for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Early Years are popular with both children and teachers. David also works in Secondary and Further Education as a Drama Specialist. 

 

David is the writer of a number of plays for young people, and has written the scripts for 11 children's musicals. You can hire a range of this material via this site. These are ideal for schools and Youth Theatres and other children's drama groups.

 

• Kingston Junior Drama Company will be doubling it's capacity in September 2010. The existing company will continue to run at the cornerHOUSE, Surbiton, on Wednesday evenings. A new company will open up in central Kingston on Tuesday evenings. The second company will be based at Tiffin Boys School. Tiffin School has specialist Performing Arts status. Kingston Junior Drama Company are delighted to be using this wonderful space for rehearsals and performances. There are a few places still available. Kingston Junior Drama Compay is open to boys and girls aged 10 - 14. See the KJDC page for more details.

• The 2010 International Youth Arts Festival took place in Kingston during July. Kingston Junior Drama Company's production of 'My Universe.' played to a full house on 7th July. David also led an Acting Workshop at The Rose Theatre, Kingston, for 11 - 14 year olds who are interested in an acting career.

• Kingston Junior Drama Company's production of 'Wishes' performed to a full house at the cornerHOUSE on Wednesday 31st March 2010.

• Congratulations to David's pupils Kc and Katie who performed alongside Dame Judi Dench, in Peter Hall's Production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' for 6 weeks in February and March. Congratulations also to all the other talented gilrs who made up the three teams of children performing in the production.

• Three of David's pupils took part in the U Speak Public Speaking Festival at the Rose Theatre in Kingston this weekend. All came away with top prizes. Lottie (17) was awarded First Prize in her Class, along with an adjudicator's choice cup, Molly (11) was awarded First Prize in her Class, and Katie (9) was awarded the Silver Medal for her class.

• David Lawson Lean is currently directing 'Mr Sandman', by Tanya Burley, for the One Act Play Festival at Surbiton's Cornerhouse Arts Centre. The Festival runs from 9th - 14th November. Box Office: 0208 296 9012. Website: www.thecornerhouse.org

• David will be once again adjudicating the Royal borough of Kingston's Primary School's Reading & Performing Arts Festival on Saturday 14th November 2009.

• Kingston Junior Drama Company's next performance will be 'The Runaways'. The production takes place at the cornerHouse in Surbiton on Wednesday 2nd December 2009.

The Runaways is the result of a writing collaboration between 11 year old Saskia Prabhavalkar and Kingston Junior Drama Company's director, David Lawson Lean. Loosely based on Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', the story is about three children who conspire to run away from their homes on Christmas Eve. Rebecca hates her mum's new boyfriend, Harvey cannot bear the attention that is heaped upon his younger sister and Millie is being bullied by her former best friend. In hiding each child is visited by a ghost who shows them their past, present and potential future.

The performance starts at 7.30pm and lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Tickets are £3.00. A Family Ticket can be purchased for £10.00 (2 Adults & 2 Concessions.)

Tickets can be reserved by email on kingstonjdc@aol.com

Follow this link to read Time and Leisure Magazine's recent article featuring Kingston Junior Drama Company http://www.timeandleisure.co.uk/editions/A1etmd/KINGSEPT09/resources/51.htm

• 2009 Holiday Workshops were a great success. Book early for next year because we had to turn people away this summer!

• Kingston Junior Drama Company's performed a new adaptation of Eve Garnett's 'The Family from One End Street' on 2nd & 3rd July at The Cornerhouse Theatre, Surbiton.

• Kingston Junior Drama Company performed 'The Fairyland Trials' at The Rose Theatre on November 22nd as part of the Hillcroft Gala. David also directed Kirsten and Libby in a scene from Jacqueline Wilson's 'Vicky Angel.'

• Holiday Workshop season was a great success. Two new musicals were produced this year, 'Spectrecal,' which had it's first performance in Weybridge over Easter, and 'Mission 39' which hit Cranleigh, Amersham and Weybridge this summer!

• Kingston Junior Drama Company performed 'Departures', a one act play about evacuees during an imagined Third World War, at the Cornerhouse Theatre in Surbiton on 2nd July. David runs the Kingston Junior Drama Company, for Kingston Music & Arts Service. Rehearsals run on Wednesday evenings from 5.00pm - 7.00pm at the theatre, and places are available to dedicated young actors aged 10 to 13 years. Places are limited. Call Kingston Music & Arts Service on 0208 3919248 to enrol.

• Two members of The Kingston Junior Drama Company recently made their professional debuts at The Rose Theatre in Kingston. Abbie and Adriana appeared in The Birmingham Stage Company's production of 'George's Marvelous Medicine' A third member, Lily, appeared in the musical 'The Ragged Child' produced by Kingston University for The Rose Theatre.

• Kingston Junior Drama Company performed 'Rediscovering Alice', a physical theatre version of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland,  on Wednesday 19th March, at The Cornerhouse Theatre in Surbiton. The company were proud to have actress Janina Faye record a voiceover for the production. Janina, a former member of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre Company, and star of films such as 'Day of the Triffids' and 'Dracula', attended the performance, and participated in a photoshoot with young actors from the company. An extract from 'Rediscovering Alice' was also be performed at The Kingston Gala, at The Rose Theatre, on Sunday 16th March.

• The Royal Borough of Kingston's annual Primary Schools' Reading & Performing Arts Festival took place on 10th November, and David was once again an adjudicator. There were some fantastic young performers, and the day was a great success.