New Stage
In 2008 NAYD launched a major new writing initiative for Irish Youth Theatre. Very often groups find it difficult to find suitable plays for performance. To address this situation NAYD has commissioned acclaimed writers to create work that is interesting and relevant to youth theatres in this country. Other elements to the project include festivals to showcase the work produced and residential weekends for participating directors.
New plays for Irish Youth Theatres
New Stage 2013 has been officially launched.
New Stage is NAYD's writing initiative for Irish youth theatres. Every year, we make a series of high quality plays available to our affiliated youth theatres, free of charge. These scripts are available exclusively to affiliated youth theatres for a twelve-month period. The range of plays offers diverse production possibilities for our members.
Following an open call for submissions, we are delighted to announce that all three plays for New Stage 2013 have come directly through our affiliated youth theatres.
The New Stage plays for 2013 are:
Don't Shoot the Messenger by John Morton, devised with Kilkenny Youth Theatre
The Leaving, by Tom Swift, based on material devised by Kildare Youth Theatre.
Kohl, devised by Droichead Youth Theatre with Sharon Cromwell.
These plays were originally devised and successfully performed by young people in our member groups. This is an opportunity for these diverse, well-written and interesting plays to be remounted by other other youth theatres, nationwide.
Congratulations to the youth theatres who presented scenes from the plays, at the recent New Stage Launch in the Axis Arts Centre, Ballymun, Dublin. They were Dublin Youth Theatre, Kilkenny Youth Theatre and Stagecraft Youth Theatre, Clonmel.
We have also added some new plays to Playshare. Playshare is a collection of plays suitable for youth drama and theatre groups, made available through NAYD. All Playshare scripts have been written specially for, or commissioned by/for young people. They vary in length, content and style, but all have been performed by young people at least once.
Order the New Stage plays
To order the plays or find out more about New Stage, contact Alan King, Youth Theatre Officer, on 01-8781301 or
New Stage 2012
New Stage 2012 is open for business!
Last year's call for plays revealed the riches of original work that has been created by our member youth theatres. This year's selection of plays have all been performed sucessfully by young people and were chosen to reflect the diverse needs of member groups. They are:
- In Quest of a Play devised by Physically Phishy Youth Theatre and scripted by Geraldine O'Neill
- It Only Ever Happens In The Movies devised by Mikel Murfi and John Taite along with the cast of the National Youth Theatre 2011
- On Track by Ursula de Brun
These plays will be available exclusively to NAYD member youth theatres for a twelve month period. To order a copy of any of the plays or to find out more about New Stage, contact Alan King by phone on 01-8781301 or
A huge thank you and congratulations to all the youth theatres who participated in the New Stage 2012 launch in the Lir Dublin on 19 November. Three wonderful performances brought the plays to life and inspired some great discusssion.
The youth theatres were Activate Youth Theatre (Cork), Monaghan Youth Theatre and Clondalkin Youth Theatre (Dublin).
