National Theatre Connections is an annual festival which brings new
plays for young people to schools and youth theatres across the UK and
Ireland. Commissioning exciting work from leading playwrights, the
festival exposes actors aged 13-19 to the world of professional
theatre-making, giving them full control of a theatrical production -
from costume and set design to stage management and marketing campaigns.
NT Connections have published over 150 original plays and regularly
works with 500 theatre companies and 10,000 young people each year.
This anthology brings together 10 new plays by some of the UK's most
prolific and current writers and artists alongside notes on each of the
texts exploring performance for schools and youth groups.
**
Salt**
Life is never plain sailing, but when a new government initiative comes
into place offering young people the chance to train and learn skills
overseas, droves of teens jump at the chance to secure their future.
Once on board the transport ship, the promises of the glossy advert seem
a far cry from what lies ahead. A play about generations, choices and
hope.
Class
It's school election time and while most of the school is busy enjoying
their lunch break, a deadlock is taking place amongst the members of the
school council. Bitter rivalries, secret alliances and false promises
are laid bare. As a ruthless battle ensues, who will win and does anyone
really care? A play about politics, populism and the 'ping' of a text
message.
The Sad Club
This is a musical about depression and anxiety. It's a collection of
monologues, songs and duologues from all over time and space exploring
what about living in this world stops us from being happy and how we
might go about tackling those problems.
Chaos
A girl is locked in a room. A boy brings another boy flowers. A girl has
tied herself to a railing. A boy doesn't know who he is. A girl worries
about impending catastrophe. A woman jumps in front of a train. A boy's
heart falls out his chest. A butterfly has a broken wing.
Stuff
Vinny's organising a surprise birthday party for his mate, Anita. It's
not going well: his choice of venue is a bit misguided, Anita's not keen
on leaving the house, and everyone else has their own stuff going on.
Maybe a surprise party wasn't the best idea? A play about trying (but
not really managing) to help.
Flesh
A group of teenagers wake up in a forest with no clue how they got
there. They find themselves separated into two different teams but have
no idea what game they are expected to play. With no food, no water and
seemingly no chance of escape, it's only a matter of time before things
start to get drastic. But whose side are people on and how far will they
go to survive?
Ageless
In a not too distant future, Temples pharmaceutical corporation has
quite literally changed the face of ageing. Their miracle drug keeps its
users looking perpetually teenage. With an ever youthful population, how
can society support those who are genuinely young?
The Small Hours
It's the middle of the night and Peebs and Epi are the only students
left at school over half-term. At the end of their night out, former
step-siblings Red and Jazz try to navigate their reunion. With only a
couple of hours until morning, Jaffa tries to help Keesh finish an
essay. As day breaks, Wolfie is getting up the courage to confess a
secret to VJ at a party.
Their choices are small yet momentous. The hours are small but feel
very, very long. And when the night finally ends, the future is
waiting - all of it.
terra
A group of classmates is torn apart by the opportunity to perform their
own dance. As they disagree and bicker, two distinct physical groups
emerge and separate into opposing teams. When a strange outsider
appears - out of step with everyone else - the divide is disrupted. A
contemporary narrative dance piece about individuality, community and
heritage.
Variations
Thirteen-year-old Alice wishes her life was completely different. She
wakes up one morning to find that her life is different. In fact, it's
so different that all she wants to do is get back to normality. But how
does she do that?
