The National Theatre are planning to celebrate 30 years of National Theatre Connections with 5,500 young people performing from over 270 youth theatre companies and schools across the UK.
National Theatre Connections, one of the theatre’s flagship educational initiatives, is a nationwide youth theatre festival that sees youth groups performing news plays on stage in numerous locations in the UK.
This year, in April and May, young people are performing one of ten new plays specially commissioned with youth performers in mind at one of 33 regional theatre locations, including Theatre Royal Plymouth, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Lyric Belfast Theatre. Of the 270 youth theatre companies, ten groups will be selected to perform their play on the Dorfman stage as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival in June.
‘I really enjoyed working alongside others that I wasn’t used to,’ said a student of NT Connections in 2024. ‘Not only did we perform something with a strong message, but throughout the process I was able to build friendships and connections.’
Connections is open to any company of young people aged 13-19, and up to age 26 for groups with additional needs. Since the initiative started 30 years ago, over 125,000 people have participated. Alumni of Connections include Rose Ayling-Ellis, Keira Knightley and Lenny Henry.
The choice of Connections plays is compiled through discussions and workshops with young people across the country, and aims to explore themes that inspire those who will perform them, as well as focusing on stories that matter to them.
The Connections 2025 plays are:
Mia and the Fish by Satinder Chohan
The Company of Trees by Jane Bodie
Ravers by Rikki Beadle-Blair
YOU 2.0 by Alys Metcalf
Fresh Air by Vickie Donoghue
No Regrets by Gary McNair
Their Name is Joy by May Sumbwanyambe
Normalised by Amanda Verlaque
Saba’s Swim by Danusia Samal
Brain Play by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor and Paul Sirett.