The National Youth Theatre is a registered charity in London, United Kingdom that is committed to creative, personal and social development of young people through the medium of creative arts,^[1] and aims to use theatre to help in the personal and social development of young people. It is a member of National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).^[2]

The National Youth Theatre offers a series of acting courses with an emphasis on ensemble playing. The acting courses for new members generally take place in August and are of 12 days duration. During that time, up to thirty young people on each course improvise, devise and perform under the guidance of directors and tutors, developing an understanding of performance and learning skills and disciplines. The courses culminate in a performance which is presented to other course members. These performances are closed to the public.

In addition to the National Youth Theatre acting courses, the company also offers technical courses for new and existing members to gain practical training and experience in the technical approach to theatre production. Applicants for the four main technical departments are interviewed, and if successful, join one of the departments to be given training in their respective fields. Under supervision by theatre practitioners, the technical members form the production teams for all of the National Youth Theatre productions.^[3]

History[link]

The National Youth Theatre was founded in 1956 by Michael Croft, aided by Kenneth Spring.^[4] Croft had been responsible for producing a number of school plays at Alleyn's Boys' School and following his departure, he was approached by a number of pupils from the school to continue working together on productions in school holidays.

The first production of Henry V created something of a stir. At the time, it was unusual for young actors to be performing Shakespeare and this innovative venture attracted the attention of a curious public. Amongst the first audiences were Richard Burton and Ralph Richardson and being so taken by the achievement, Ralph Richardson immediately agreed to become the company's first President. The organisation evolved rapidly throughout the UK involving young people on a National basis.

Michael Croft died in 1986 and was succeeded by Edward Wilson as Director. Building on Croft's successful vision, Wilson took the company forward into new territory, increasing its range of activities and reinforcing its approach to technical production values. Wilson also recognised the opportunity to extend the organisation to more disadvantaged young people and started the first Outreach department in 1989, working initially with young offenders and gradually widening the opportunities to other socially excluded groups. Wilson also secured the organisation's current Headquarters building in North London, which now houses all of its production facilities including rehearsal rooms, scenery and costume workshops, sound studio, photographic dark room and administration.

Edward Wilson left the company in 2004 when Sid Higgins (Executive Director), John Hoggarth and Paul Roseby (Artistic Directors) took over. Since then, they have built on the legacy inherited from Michael Croft and Edward Wilson, and the organisation has continued to evolve, expanding its opportunities to young people from a more diverse background through a wider range of theatrical projects and collaborations.

John Hoggarth stepped down in 2007 and Paul Roseby continues as the organisation's Artistic Director.^[5]

In 2010 National Youth Theatre moved administrative offices from Holloway Road to the Woolyard on Bermondsey Street and Sid Higgins stepped down as Executive Director and was replaced by James Mackenzie-Blackman.^[6]

Alumni[link]

Former National Youth Theatre members include:^[7]

Productions[link]

Traditionally, National Youth Theatre have done most of their work with their members in the summer months, but increasingly this is changing. Creative events and performances take place throughout the year, courses take place in the Easter holidays and the company continues to expand its work with young people from all areas of the community.

2009[link]

The theme of National Youth Theatre's 2009 season was 'First Timers'^[8] which included the following productions:

• Tits/Teeth^[9] - two young girls caught up in a body obsessed world – one comically and one much less so – from disco mania to body dysmorphia, bulimia and Japanese man bras. Written by Michael Wynne.
• Foot/Mouth^[10] - a night of black comedy from dismembered washed up feet to a world governed by a control of language. Written by John Nicholson and Steven Cann.
• Eye/Balls^[11] - the tale of a young student’s attempt at paying off her loan by joining the sex trade, and for sloppy seconds the author is grabbing the subject of young men away on a Stag night by the balls! Written by Sarah Solemani, who was something of a first timer herself as this was be her writing debut.
• Fathers Inside^[12] - based on true stories from inside male prisons. Following on from the Child’s Play programme using active theatre techniques to explore the challenges faced by young fathers in Rochester Young Offenders Institute, the National Youth Theatre mounted a scratch performance of Father’s Inside at the Soho Theatre studio in 2008 with a mixed cast of NYT members and participants from the social inclusion programme.
• Skunk^[13] - explores the effects that smoking the hydroponic weed ‘Skunk’ has on young people, how their families are affected and why this is becoming a bigger and bigger issue today. Loosely based on Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’.

National Youth Theatre's 2009 intake members performed a 'Stadium Arts' show outside the Laban Dance Centre in Deptford, south-east London. The performances lasted approximately 25 minutes and consisted of a combination of all the course cohorts work to create an ensemble physical theatre performance.

2010[link]

The theme of National Youth Theatre's 2010 season was 'The Five Elements'^[14] which included the following productions:

• Living The Dream^[15] - a re-working of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Shanghai Expo.
• Ghost Office^[16] – 'Empty Buildings Filled with Stories’ a site-specific devised piece exploring the impact of unemployment in the West Midlands caused by the recession.
• S’warm^[17] - a 500-strong cast of young actors swarming around London from Battersea Power Station to Canary Wharf in a new style of street spectacle.
• Casino 52^[18] - an online drama produced by the National Youth Theatre in association with IdeasTap.
• Relish^[19] - a new play about the superstar Victorian chef Alexis Soyer at the Tramshed in the heart of buzzing Shoreditch. Written by James Graham.
• Stars Over Kabul^[20] – a tale of modern love and loss set against ‘Afghan Star’ the TV talent show that swept the nation. Written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz.

2010's intake members again performed their 'stadium arts' presentations at the Laban Centre. The theme this year was "The Foreigner".

You can watch the National Youth Theatre's 2010 showreel here

2011[link]

The theme of National Youth Theatre's 2011 season was 'The F Word; Fear, Faith and Fundamentalism'^[21] which included the following productions:

• Our Days of Rage^[22] - a production that saw young actors and writers responding to past riots and protests in North Africa, the Middle East and in London at The Old Vic Tunnels.
• Orpheus and Eurydice^[23] - Molly Davies's reimagining of the Greek myth set at The Old Vic Tunnels.
• Slick^[24] - a cast of 250 young actors continuing the three-part environmental trilogy at Sheffield's Park Hill estate.
• Ghost Office^[25] - A site specific piece of interactive theatre written by Rachel Clive that takes its audience on a journey through redundant spaces bringing them and their stories to life in the Lighthouse building in Glasgow.

National Youth Theatre's 2011 intake members performed at the Watch This Space Festival outside the National Theatre. This was the first time the Stadium Arts courses work was open to the public. The theme was "Welcoming the World".

You can watch the National Youth Theatre's 2011 showreel here

2012[link]

National Youth Theatre's 2012 season will see 150 members staging the London 2012 Team Welcome Ceremony.^[26]

Another show was planned titled 'Flood', the culmination of their Environmental Trilogy (following 2010's 'S'warm' and 2011's 'Slick'). This would use a cast of 400 members in Salford Quays, but in April it was announced that the production had been postponed.

See also[link]

• National Youth Music Theatre
• IdeasTap

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• IdeasTap page
• National Youth Theatre, Registered Charity no. 306075 at the Charity Commission
• The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS)