"On the edge of their seats listening to every word" - the highlights of touring with Ensemble Young Company

Ensemble Young Company member Eloise shares her highlights of touring Brainstorm. 

Touring a full-length performance is a real highlight of our Ensemble Young Company programme and a great opportunity for our members to gain real world theatre experience and have fun expressing themselves to our wonderful, diverse audiences across the North East. It was wonderful to go on tour once again last month with Brainstorm!

Brainstorm was a honest, funny, and thought-provoking theatre show diving into the messy mechanics of the teenage brain! Our group were given a blueprint script and asked to play themselves, highlighting their own experiences and showing what it’s really like being a teenager today.

Photo of Eloise and another performer in Brainstorm at Newbiggin Sports and Community Hub. Photography by Von Fox Promotions.

We wanted to find out what it’s like touring as part of Ensemble Young Company from the perspective of one of our members, so we asked Eloise, who played an important role in the Brainstorm show.  

She has been involved in our Youth Theatre or Ensemble Young Company since 2020 and we’ve seen her really come into herself over the years, slowly taking on more responsibilities and growing her self-confidence. She’s volunteered with us and has taken on paid work as an Assistant Practitioner, supporting younger groups to run games and activities, and ensuring everyone gets the most out of the session.

Brainstorm was her last performance with us, so it feels really special to hear her thoughts!

Check out the full interview below:

Photo of Ensemble Young Company session. Eloise on the left, Elspeth on the right. Photography by Von Fox Promotions.

In your own words, describe your ‘character’ and part in the Brainstorm show?
In Brainstorm 2025, I played the role of the oldest character, who is the calm and collected guide of the group. This was an amazing challenge to take on, giving me a real opportunity to lead and have a lot more responsibility. I got to interact with the audience, which was a lovely opportunity to connect with the people who were there to hear our message. An unexpected ‘hello’ from an audience member at the start of our Newbiggin show convinced us that we had them hooked!

You took on a really important role this year, which required you to open the show, introduce the characters and coordinate much of the action whilst also playing yourself and your mam! What was it like taking on such a prominent role?
I have always said that performing as yourself is one of the most difficult things to do, but this show has really changed my perspective on that. Being able to step out of my comfort zone was exciting, and through the process, I realised it’s just being natural, and the work we did on characters and scene work was incredibly beneficial.

We’ve had a really lovely mix of new Ensemble Young Company members and returning members this year. What’s it been like touring and performing with the cast?
We’ve had quite a few new and younger members of Ensemble Young Company, and it has been a really great experience watching everyone come out of their shells and work together to create a great piece of theatre. Everyone this year has genuinely worked so hard to create that Ensemble feel both on and off-stage. 
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Brainstorm is a brilliant show for educating people about the teenage brain in a fun and relatable way. Why do you think it’s important for people to learn about and understand the teenage brain?
I believe that it is incredibly important for people to be educated about the teenage brain, as everyone is a teenager at some point! I think that everyone deserves to be respected and understood in society, and I truly believe this message is shown in Brainstorm. 

Brainstorm at Newbiggin Sports and Community Hub. Photography by Von Fox Promotions.

​We’ve had amazing feedback on the show! What has it been like seeing the audience's reaction?
Every single one of our audience members seemed so comfortable in the space and were genuinely so welcoming to us as performers, spending most of their time on the edge of their seats listening to every word! The audiences genuinely made this show what it was - they engaged with the message of the show, and their interactions brought so much energy to the performances. 

What’s your number one highlight of the tour?
I have to say my number one highlight of the tour was all the wonderful responses from audience members after finishing the shows, especially meeting Emily Lim (one of the writers of the Brainstorm blueprint script), and hearing how much she had enjoyed our version of the show - that meant a lot from somebody working in the industry! 

You've worked really hard over the last few months! How has working on Brainstorm helped you develop your skills?
This year, I have been able to develop my skills in directly engaging with an audience, which has been a new challenge, especially as in rehearsals we haven’t had an audience! It has been so beneficial to try things out of my comfort zone, as well as having the opportunity to show off skills I have previously developed across my time with Mortal Fools. 

Brainstorm at Newbiggin Sports and Community Hub. Photography by Von Fox Promotions.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about joining Ensemble Young Company?
I would undoubtedly encourage anyone who has come to see Brainstorm and is considering signing up for Ensemble Young Company or Youth Theatre to go for it. This opportunity isn’t available anywhere else in the North East. It allows anyone who wants to tell a story to reach an audience and get a boost of adrenaline you can’t find anywhere else. 

What are your plans for the future?
Sadly, Brainstorm marks my final show with Ensemble, which is mad! I’m hopefully going to study at the Royal Central School for Speech and Drama in September, which feels like a ridiculously big step but I know it's right.

I hope to continue to use my skills in performance, writing, devising and facilitation through my degree and in my future career. I have Mortal Fools and Ensemble Young Company to thank for setting me up with the confidence in these skills and for helping me discover a whole new avenue of the theatre industry, that if I had not started at Mortal Fools, I may never have found. 

One thing I love about Brainstorm is the final line. ‘You don’t know this yet, but you will’. I think that is such a beautifully full circle way to look back and keep in mind that the future is fluid, and anything can happen! 

Brainstorm at Newbiggin Sports and Community Hub. Photography by Von Fox Promotions.

Thanks Eloise! We’re so proud of how she has developed as a confident and kind performer and person over her time with us, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.
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If you’re feeling inspired to join Ensemble Young Company or you know someone who would love getting involved, we are currently planning some fun taster sessions over the summer. This is a chance to try out some drama games and activities, meet like-minded young people and find out more about Ensemble Young Company.

Email [email protected] to learn more.