National Youth Theatre

NYT 2013

NYT is back! The 2013 production will be directed by Conall Morrison and will be on stage in the Peacock Theatre from 25 -31 August.

The first round of audtions have already taken place with 42 youth theatre members attending call-back auditions at the end of May. Thank you to all the youth theatre members who auditioned in Dublin, Cork and Sligo. The auditions illustrated the good work being done by member youth theatres all over the country and it was extremely difficult to make a decision on who would receive a call back.

Watch this space for NYT news including details of the final cast and the chosen play!

NYT Review

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the National Youth Theatre Review. There was a tremendous response to the online survey. Thank you to all those who participated in meetings or focus groups and to those who attended the National Youth Theatre Discussion Forum on 25 August.

The Discussion Forum proved to be a great event. Among those present were youth theatre members and leaders, former NYT participants, theatre practitioners and representatives from other youth and arts organisations.

The panel discussion featured former participants from four different National Youth Theatres - Philip McMahon, Noelle Brown, Julie Maguire and Daniel Thomson and was chaired by Ray Yeates (Dublin City Council Arts Officer and director of the 1989 NYT production). Each panelist gave the audience an insight into the impact participation has had on their life.

Ciarda Tobin, who is carrying out the review, gave a presentation of the main trends so far. This was followed by group discussions on various aspects of NYT. There was no doubt that the National Youth Theatre is of huge importance to all present. There were  many valuable and insightful contributions.

We will keep you updated on future NYT developments!

NYT and Young People

The NYT surrounds the young actors with a professional team, with the focus on creating a strong group ensemble; the young people respond by committing to the process, working together as a group of actors towards creating great theatre.

The young actors take the process very seriously. They already have a solid grounding in drama and theatre skills through their participation in their own youth theatre. They understand the workshop process, feel comfortable with devising and developing new work, and respect theatre as an art form.

Step 1 - Auditions

NAYD holds open auditions for young people from youth theatres affiliated to NAYD. The young people must be aged over 16 years of age. Auditions take place in regional centres and take the form of a workshop rather than a traditional 'audition' format.

Step 2 - Rehearsals

The successful actors then come together for a 3-4 week rehearsal period on a full-time residential basis, usually during the summer on a university campus. This intense rehearsal period sees them work all day every day, unwinding in the evenings with an entertainment programme.

Step 3 - Performance!

The final stage of an NYT is a production/performance week; this is based in the venue so that the young people feel comfortable with the stage and set. The run is normally for 7 performances, and always sells out!

Step 4 - Finale

In short, an NYT is a wonderful experience for the young actors involved. It is also NAYD's opportunity to showcase all that is great about youth theatre. The model of youth theatre in Ireland has developed over the last 25 years, and the work of NAYD is unique across the world.

Irish youth drama has its own distinct place in the spectrum of theatre - and the National Youth Theatre is an opportunity to show it off!

Previous NYTs