Students from the Northern Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) are preparing to take to the stage at Hull Truck Theatre this month with a powerful new production of Jekyll & Hyde.
The dramatic musical production marks another major milestone in NAPA’s long-running partnership with the theatre, bringing together students from the academy’s newly launched Professional Diploma 18+ course and performers from its Extended Diploma 16+ programme.
Based on the classic gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, Jekyll & Hyde promises audiences an intense and emotionally charged theatrical experience, featuring a sweeping musical score, striking performances and the dark battle between good and evil at the heart of the story.
For more than 12 years, NAPA’s annual Hull Truck productions have become a key part of the academy’s calendar, giving hundreds of students the opportunity to perform on a professional stage in front of live audiences.
Many former NAPA students who once performed in these productions have since gone on to successful careers in theatre, television and film. Alumni include Dean Makowski Clayton, who appeared in NAPA’s Thoroughly Modern Millie before securing a role in The Devil Wears Prada in London’s West End, and Esme Kingdom, who starred in Hello, Dolly! and subsequently achieved film and television success in Netflix’s My Oxford Year.
Jacob Butler is another NAPA alumnus who performed in The Phantom of the Opera and Sweeney Todd and has since appeared in the TV shows It’s a Sin, The Bay and Ladhood. He said: “Those big show weeks spent at Hull Truck are some of the most memorable weeks of my entire time at NAPA.
“The opportunity to perform in a show with a cast that size, with a professional set, on a professional stage with a professional creative team surrounding you, it was magical. It gives you such a leg up when you move onto the next stage of your training, having already had those experiences.”
This year’s production also reflects a significant new chapter for NAPA following the introduction of its Professional Diploma 18+ qualification, delivered in partnership with Wilberforce Sixth Form College and the University of the Arts London.
The intensive one-year programme has been designed to help aspiring performers study full-time close to home and free of charge, developing the skills needed to secure places at some of the country’s leading drama schools and conservatoires.
The current cohort has already enjoyed significant success during audition season, with students reaching final rounds or receiving offers from prestigious institutions that include LAMDA, RADA, Arts Educational Schools, Royal Welsh, Guildford School of Acting, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and more.
Andrew Siddle, NAPA’s Musical Director and a former student of the academy, said: “These students really are the future of the industry and their dedication and passion shines in everything they do.
“NAPA College is such a unique offer. Not only does it deliver tried and tested training, but it also teaches students that a career in the arts is achievable, empowering them to aim for the top-rated drama schools in the country. Just because we’re in one of the most deprived cities in the UK doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aim big. NAPA has always taught aspiration and to aim for the top.”
The production has also benefited from the expertise of theatre director and educator Sally Rapier, who will officially join NAPA full-time in September.
Katie Wright, NAPA’s Director of Education, said: “We’re thrilled that NAPA has been able to attract and recruit someone of Sally’s calibre. She has brought a fresh approach to how we deliver this level of training and the students have got so much from her experience.
“It’s such a rare opportunity for students in this area to be regularly taught by someone who has directed and lectured in theatre internationally.”
NAPA’s production of Jekyll & Hyde will be performed at 7:30pm from Wednesday 27th to Saturday 30th May, with additional matinees at 2pm on the Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are £17.50 and available from the Hull Truck Theatre website or by calling the box office on 01482 323638.