As their first production at Seven Dials Playhouse, London Youth Theatre will present katzenmusik, a darkly comic story about social inequality and upheaval on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th April.
Told in reverse, katzenmusik sees the increasing income gap between rich and poor push the residents of Burnside Town to breaking point. Seven Dials Playhouse is the group’s first theatre home, placing London Youth Theatre (LYT) in the heart of London’s West End and specifically in a venue that has an ethos of collaborating with and developing new artists.
Tom Fowler’s timely play was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in August 2017 by the Royal Court Youth Theatre. katzenmusik is directed by Sammy Glover, a theatre director, facilitator and educator specialising in working with young people across the UK. Glover’s work is focused on platforming young people’s experiences, staging unheard or marginalised voices and improving access in the arts through form, interrogation and site-specific theatre. They have worked across schools, theatres, pupil referral units and educational settings including as Associate Director of the Big House (2017-2018), Resident Director at The Almeida Theatre (2019-2020), Targeted Work Associate Director at The Lyric Hammersmith (2020-2021) and as an NT Connections Mentor Director (2021-present).
Isobel Jacob is the London Youth Theatre 2023 Resident Assistant Director. She has recently directed with Pomona Theatre, Burning Attic Theatre Company and at Whitgift School. Jacob’s passions are creating work that is urgent, radical, and holds accessibility, inclusivity and community at its core, as well as pushing the typical expectations of what youth theatre can be.
The LYT 2023 Company is made up of young people aged 13-23. Participants are from all over London and the home counties, including many boroughs considered to be especially low in arts engagement. 50% of LYT members participate completely free of charge and the company is committed to improving access to the arts for young people in the capital.
With alumni including Maya Britto (Hamilton, West End), Max Alexander-Taylor (The Lion, Southwark Playhouse and US Tour) and Baker Mukasa (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, The Crucible and National Theatre), London Youth Theatre’s impressive track record proves that there is a gap in the capital for financially accessible youth theatre. This new partnership will aim to provide a safe space in the West End where talent can be nurtured.
Katie Pesskin and Tom Foskett-Barnes, Co-Artistic Directors of London Youth Theatre comment, We are thrilled to present LYT’s inaugural production of katzenmusik by Tom Fowler. It’s been a privilege getting to know our brilliant 2023 cohort and we’re excited to see what they bring to the stage in their first performance of the year. Tackling themes of social injustice and discontent, katzenmusik has a strong, timely connection to our 2023 season theme of ‘Fury’ and feels incredibly relevant to the climate in which we live. We hope it will be a cathartic experience for both audience and participants alike. This show also marks our first with our partners at Seven Dials Playhouse. It’s taken only a few months for Seven Dials to feel like our home away from home. We’d like to thank the Seven Dials Playhouse team for making us feel so welcome.
Seven Dials Playhouse Chief Executive Amanda Davey comments, We are honoured to be the home of London Youth Theatre and to play our part in nurturing the next generation of creative talent, and to provide a safe space to support young people and their careers in the heart of the West End. We cannot wait to see their debut play katzenmusik, which presents a comical yet urgent social commentary that feels particularly timely.
More information can be found here
