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The Young VicThe Young Vic is a theatre in the South Bank area of central London, which specialises in giving opportunities to young actors and directors. The theatre is publicly subsidised and has a high artistic reputation. The Young Vic's name derives from the nearby Old Vic, long one of the most celebrated of London's theatres, which was the first home of the National Theatre. In the period after World War II a "Young Vic Company" was formed as an offshoot of the "Old Vic Theatre School" for the purpose of performing classic plays for audiences aged nine to fifteen. This was later discontinued, but in 1970 the present "Young Vic Company" was established. In the words of Laurence Olivier, then director of the National Theatre, "Here we think to develop plays for young audiences, an experimental workshop for authors, actors and producers. The aim was to create an accessible theatre which offered high quality at low cost, in an informal environment. The aim was to appeal to young audiences, but this time not specifically to children. A venue was constructed out of a former butcher's shop and a neighbouring bomb-site. It was intended to last for five years, but has become permanent. The auditorium has a capacity of around 500, varying somewhat depending on the configuration of the stage for each production, and a thrust stage. The audience sits on unreserved bench seating very close to the actors. There is also a studio space with a capacity of around 90. In 2003 the Young Vic launched a campaign to raise 12.5 million for a major reconstruction of its building. The auditorium will be left intact, but refurbished and technically enhanced, the butcher's shop will change its function from foyer to box office, and everything else will be replaced. There will be new foyers, new dressing rooms, a 130 seat studio theatre, and a workshop space, something which is not presently available on site. An award of 5 million has been received from the Arts Council of England, and as of April 2005, the Young Vic's official site states that there is 1 million still to be raised. The Young Vic primarily performs classic plays, but often in innovative productions. Well-known actors who have worked at the Young Vic include Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Timothy Dalton, Ian McKellen, Willard White, Clive Owen, and Jude Law. External link Official site Young Vic
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