Young People Take Over the Lyric
Local schools part of National Theatre's Connections Festival
From April 16 - 18, The Lyric Hammersmith will be presenting seven different plays by 14 different youth theatre groups and schools, including some local schools as part of the National Theatre’s Connections Festival.
Every year ten brand new plays are written exclusively for Connections by some of the most influential British playwrights, giving young people aged 13 – 19 all over the country access to the best new writing for theatre.
Connections, which takes place in theatres across the country, celebrates great new writing for the stage and the energy, commitment and talent of young theatre-makers.
The seven plays confirmed at the Lyric are:
360 Youth Theatre presents Ailie and the Alien by Morna Pearson
Things suddenly start going right for Ailie when she befriends Finn, an alien who crash lands on earth. But when Finn is summoned to return home everything begins to unravel.
Whitmore High School, Brentford School for Girls and The Lyric Young Company each present their production of Mobile Phone Show by Jim Cartwright
A communication cacophony, a fully charged-up chorus line of chaos in a rhapsody of rap, text, tweet and gabble.
Glenthorne High School presents What are they Like? by Lucinda Coxon
Adolescence: You’ve got mood swings, fashion fiascos, terrifying physical changes, never enough money, and that’s just the parents. How well do you know yours?
West Thames College presents Forty Five Minutes by Anya Reiss
The deadline was wrong so now there’s forty five minutes till the bell goes and the UCAS forms must be sent and futures secured.
Fulham Cross Girls’ School, SL5 – St George’s Ascot and the Bridge Academy, Beachcroft School and Latimer Education Centre each present their production of We Lost Elijah by Ryan Craig
Elijah’s older brother and two friends were charged with getting him home safely while the riots were raging. Somehow though, something’s happened and they didn’t make it home together.
The Langley Academy and Sacred Heart High School each present their production of Don’t Feed the Animals by Jemma Kennedy
With almost all hope lost of saving their family circus business, twins Zack and Missy set out on a mission to train an unruly group of young volunteers in circus skills. But will it be enough to fill the houses and stop the business going under?
Arts Ed High School presents Tomorrow I'll Be Happy by Jonathan Harvey
When a stranger arrives in a seaside town searching for his missing friend, secrets quickly begin to spill out and all is not quite as it first seems.
The shows will take place in both The Lyric's Main House and Studio, with each theatrehosting two shows each evening over three days.
April 17 will see two local schools take over the Studio, with Fulham Cross Girls' School performing We Lost Elijah at 6pm and Hammersmith's Sacred Heart High School presenting Don't Feed The Animals at 8pm.
On April 18, also in the Studio, Fulham's Bridge Academy, plus Westminster's Beachcroft School and Kensington's Latimer Education Centre will perform We Lost Elijah as part of a Tri Borough collaboration at 8pm.
You can see the festival's full schedule on The Lyric's website. Tickets for every performance cost £5 and you can book online on by calling the box office on 020 8741 6850.
April 4, 2013
