National Theatre Connections

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

Connections (also referred to as New Connections and formerly Shell Connections) is the National Theatre in London's annual youth theatre scheme.[1] Originally founded in 1995 and sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell this changed in 2007 when the Bank of America took over the sponsorship. The plays are also published by the National Theatre each year.

Scheme

The National Theatre annually commissions ten plays from established playwrights which are performed by youth theatre groups across the UK. Groups are invited to perform at Connections Festivals held at a professional theatre in their area. A random performance group from each play is then performed at the end of the Festival at the National Theatre itself.[2]

Professional Productions

Several of the specially commissioned Connection plays have been professionally produced at the National Theatre. In 1999 Sparkleshark was performed. In 2006 three were produced; Burn by Deborah Gearing, Chatroom by Enda Walsh and Citizenship by Mark Ravenhill were performed in 2006;[3] the latter two were revived in 2007 when they also toured.[4] In 2008 Baby Girl by Roy Williams, DNA by Dennis Kelly and The Miracle by Lin Coghlan also received professional productions in the Cottesloe.[5]

Commissioned Plays

2014

2013

2012

[6]

2011

2009

2008

  • Scenes From Family Life by Mark Ravenhill
  • A Vampire Story by Moira Buffini
  • Theatre of Debate: Blackout by Davey Anderson inspired by the stories of a young person from Barnardo's, Glasgow
  • He’s Talking by Nicholas Wright
  • My Face by Nigel Williams
  • Theatre of Debate: Big Hopes a verbatim play by Gary Owen inspired by an xl. group from The Princes Trust, Cardiff followed by Safe by Deborah Gearing inspired by Fairbridge Southampton
  • Arden City by Timberlake Wertenbaker
  • The Peach Child by Anna Furse and Little Angel Theatre Theatre of Debate directed and devised by Jeremy Weller with young people from Fairbridge Centres in Kennington and Hackney.
  • The Book of Everything by Peter Tabern based on a novel by Guus Kuijer in the English translation by John Nieuwenhuizen
  • Fugee by Abi Morgan.
  • It Snows by Bryony Lavery and Frantic Assembly
  • Burying Your Brother in the Pavement by Jack Thorne

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

  • The Boy Who Defines Immense - By Connor Scanlon

2000

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

1999

1998

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

1997

References