Ten youth theatre companies and school groups from across the UK will be staging new plays at the 2022 National Theatre Connections Festival, which takes place in the Dorfman Theatre from 28th June – 2nd July.
Now in its 27th year, Connections champions the talent of young people across the UK, with ten new plays by established and emerging contemporary playwrights exclusively commissioned for young people to stage and perform.
Over 5,400 young people participating from 228 youth groups have had the opportunity to stage their production at one of 28 leading partner theatres nationwide, from Aberystwyth Arts Centre to Theatre Royal Plymouth. Ten companies are selected to perform at the NT to represent the range of exciting work being produced nationwide.
The portfolio of plays explores topics from climate change to class and relationships, and aims to challenge young people to experience life in someone else’s shoes and tell stories about a wide range of experiences. Participants are involved with every aspect of creating and staging the play and take on a variety of backstage and off-stage roles, from operating lights and sound to set and costume design and stage management.
Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre said, “It is fantastic that young people have been performing in theatres right across the UK as part of Connections over the past few months and we are so excited to have the NT building buzzing with their talent in June for the culmination of the nationwide festival. We know how resilient and enthusiastic our participants have been over the past year and we’re thrilled to be able to come together to celebrate these emerging theatre-makers at the NT”.
