Ian Cheeseman reflects on the power of youth theatre to build confidence and resilience, as Tameside Youth Drama Group prepares to take the stage with Humpty Dumpty
I was only 17 years old when my Mum died. That’s a challenging age for everyone, I was in between “O” levels and “A” levels, as they were called back then, my hormones were racing and I was in between being a child and an adult. I was also painfully shy.
A friend of mine introduced me to a Methodist Church which also had a Youth Club. The Church helped me through the theological crisis I was going through and the Youth Club helped with confidence and mixing with my peers. I became quite a good table-tennis player too.

When I look around at society today, I see much less of that support network and the social groups that help youngsters out of isolation and through life’s challenges. There are exceptions though and Tameside Youth Drama Group are such an organisation.
Becci Alberti is one of the volunteer leaders, “I started here when I was about eight years old and I’ve pretty much never left. I’m involved in choreographing the dance routines, the admin, advertising, and marketing; a bit of everything really.
“I’m a teacher in a primary school in my day job. I’ve always loved drama and got my university degree in that subject too, so I love theatre, musicals and sharing those skills with the children. We have children from all sorts of backgrounds who come here. We have children with special needs and different kinds of social and emotional struggles and this is a safe haven for them. We help them create a really supportive group of friends and adults. That sense of community makes such a difference.
“We’ve had children who’ve gone on to work professionally in the industry but even those who have no aspirations in that direction benefit from increased confidence to be themselves in whatever direction life might take them. The best feeling we get is when a parent brings a child along and the first week they’re crying and clinging to their Mum or Dad and then by week three or four they’re shouting, See you later, and not evening looking back.”
I wouldn’t wish that any child would have suffer the loss I did as a teenager but we all have troubles and anxieties in our life and I think it’s wonderful that groups like Tameside Youth Drama Group exist to help youngsters gain self-esteem but just as importantly, as a huge fan of Musical Theatre, a passion for the stage.

Michael is 16 years old, I’ve met him before, and when I chatted to him ahead of the group’s latest production, their pantomime Humpty Dumpty, in which he plays King Eggbert, I could sense how much his confidence has grown. He told me, “There are a lot of lines to learn and it’s quite tricky for me because I’m in year eleven doing GCSEs so it’s quite a challenge when you’ve got two big things going on at the same time. There’s a lot of pressure on me but I’m really enjoying everything I’m doing right now.”
Tameside Youth Drama Group’s production of their pantomime Humpty Dumpty is at Hyde Festival Theatre from 23rd to 25th January with tickets costing £10 or £8 for concessions available from sparksem.co.uk
Adults and Children are welcome and you’ll be supporting a very worthwhile cause which is helping nurture the talented young adults they’ll no doubt become.
Tickets are available at: www.tamesideyouthdramagroup.co.uk