BREWERY chief executive Sam Mason is determined to build relationships with educational establishments in South Lakeland. And to prove his point he's staging four school and college events at the Kendal arts centre over the next few months.

First in the spotlight is Casterton School's sixth form production of Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba, on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 21/22 (8pm).

Set in a remote Spanish village, it transcends its domestic setting becoming a piece about freedom and censorship, about self-expression and its opposites, fear and repression.

Lily Khambata plays Bernarda Alba in a powerful story following the family after the death of her husband.

Following the success of last year's Arts Evening, Kendal's Queen Katherine School returns with another entertaining showcase of music, dance and drama on Saturday, January 25 (7.30pm).

A diverse programme of music features many of the school's grade eight musicians including flautist Jo Ashcroft, pianists Rose Buckler and Ruth Leavett as well as outstanding young cellist Martin Davies playing Debussy's first Arabesque.

And for those who missed the school's fine jazz outfit Heatwave at the Christmas concert there's another opportunity to see them in full swing.

Drama plays its part too with students such as GCSE students performing an extract from a thought-provoking piece they devised for their GCSE assessment, based on suppression; A level students in theatrical mode in extracts from texts of The Shadow of a Gunman by Sean

O'Casey and A Midsummer Night's Dream; and year nine students take to the stage with short extracts from work developed in class.

Year 11 student Tim Oates has a crack at a comic monologue and Florence Curwen (year 12) demonstrates considerable ballet skills.

From 6.45pm onwards the school's stage band will perform in the Malt Room alongside an exhibition of students' artwork.

Meanwhile, Kirkbie Kendal music and drama teacher Jayne Crow has written a special version of Sleeping Beauty, presented by the school at the Brewery on Monday and Tuesday, January 27/28 (7.30pm).

Performed by a whole range of talent, KK youngsters from year seven to sixth form, the cast includes Jenny Parkinson in the title role and Freya Nichol as the Witch.

Jayne tells me rehearsals are going well with all involved "very excited about the opportunity to perform in a professional theatre space."

Directed by head of KS3 history Rachel Smedley, the set is created by man of all things artistic, teacher Geoff Cater.

"Surreal yet gritty" is how Kendal College drama lecturer Richard Lewis describes Vampyre the college's fresh bite at the gothic tale of Dracula playing at the Brewery on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 4/5 (8pm).

"It's not a spoofy production. We're trying to be true to the novel as much as we can, using movement, music and design ideas."

"It is an intense process, but it's an intense story," he adds.

Richard has penned the adaptation with fellow drama lecturer Camilla Bradshaw and student input. However, he's keen to point out that all areas of the Creative Arts Department are involved collaborating with students and staff from art and design, music courses and technical theatre.

Sam Sexton plays Dracula.

"The drama students were keen to do a serious rather than send up version of the story, and this makes the project a good teaching tool, as they have to get carried away by the extraordinary situations of the story, and play them as reality.

"The staff have followed their lead, and are putting together a production which will not look like a Hallowe'en party or a Gothic Punk convention.

"We try to reflect the atmospheric, surreal and weird qualities of the novel, with music and dance integrated into the action, while not losing sight of the gritty struggle of the ordinary men and women against Dracula and his cohorts of vampire brides."

Tickets for each of the four events are £5/ concessions £4 and are available at the box office on 01539-725133.

January 16, 2003 09:30