NAYD boasted an expanded Young Critics programme in 2008 with a group of youth theatre members meeting up three times and seeing 7 shows in total. One of the participants, Chris Fenlon from Celbridge Youth Drama, has kindly agreed to share his experience with us.

Critiquing plays, now that was definitely not what I thought I would be doing this year. But I have to say I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I already had an interest in drama, being a member of Celbridge Youth Drama, but it had been more from the point of view of being on stage or backstage, not sitting in the audience. The programme truly made me appreciate drama from the audience’s point of view.

The weekends were great; we would meet up on the Friday evening and stay in Dublin till the Sunday afternoon. We usually saw two or three plays and had 3 or 4 workshops, where we discussed what we had seen or what we were going to see. We were talking about what we got from the plays and what worked in the performance and what didn’t. We had to write our own reviews and were thought the tricks of the trade by our great leaders Karen and Sarah. The great thing was they were there to help us the whole time and if we needed a bit of advice or to clear something up about what we can and cant say when critiquing plays. It was really friendly and nobody was put down when opinions differed, as they often did I might add. We stayed over in a hostel in Dublin and besides the odd leaking ceiling, flying boot and headache for Laura it was great fun!

We saw 7 plays over the three weekends; Ross O Carroll-Kelly Last Days of the Celtic Tiger, Burial At Thebes, The Weir, The Three Sisters, Blackwatch, Dodgems and That Night Follows Day

The panel was the highlight of the whole year; there was a really friendly atmosphere and I thoroughly enjoyed it, Karen lead the discussion and helped us along and really made it so much easier and less intimidating for us. Even one of the writers in the audience didn’t take away from the enjoyment and satisfaction I got from doing it!

The whole experience opened up a new part of drama to me and I plan to keep it up, at the moment just writing about plays I see but who knows maybe someday ill try and get something printed.
I’d just like to wrap it all up by thanking everyone from NAYD, Sarah and Karen in particular and Laura, Diane and Orla (0ur Welfare Leaders) for putting up with us in the hostel and of course to all those working behind the scenes at NAYD, who we didn’t see all that much of, but it would never have happened with out you guys and last but by no means least to all my fellow young critics for all the laughs, discussions and good times.

                                    Chris

Keep checking out the Young Critics’ page for details of future programmes

The 10th, better than ever, edition of Youth Drama Ireland made its way out to almost 1,000 people nationally and internationally last month!

YDI 2007/2008 covers a wide range of topics from an overview of what youth theatres around Ireland were up to in 2007 to an interview with ex-Dublin Youth Theatre member and star of The Wire, Aiden Gillen, who talks, among other things, about his first experience on stage:  “I played a robot, I didn’t have any lines and wore a cardboard outfit.  I didn’t turn up every night.”

Main features include:

-Key extracts from Jonothan Neelands address at NAYD’s AGM in May 2008, in which he talks about what for him are the essential, core qualities of youth theatre.  Jonothan Neelands makes a number of points including: the need for ensemble in youth theatre; the necessity to create youth theatre with “the very highest, very best artistic production values” and the need for action, “youth theatre ought to be about doing things, on and off stage”.
-Willie White in conversation with John McGrath, Artistic Director of Contact, an award-winning space in Manchester dedicated to bringing work to new and diverse audiences.  John McGrath speaks about creating a community and environment in which young people from 13-30 can watch, learn about and create theatre.
-The Critical Moment, a feature on NAYD’s Young Critics Programme, which has grown and expanded since it was piloted during Dublin Theatre Festival in 2004, defying recent claims by one Irish Independent journalist that, “Theatrical virgins do not good critics make.”
-Journey to the Caucasus, an account the experiences of those who were part of the National Youth Theatre production of Caucasian Chalk Circle in 2007.  NAYD are delighted that the National Youth Theatre is now part of our annual programme, so there’ll be more on that in the next edition of YDI!

This year’s Youth Drama Ireland also features reviews of new writing for young people, a workshop by Veronica Coburn on Midsummer Night’s Dream, details of some new additions to NAYD’s Playshare and more!

If you already received your copy of YDI, we hope you enjoyed it.  If you would like to request a copy you can contact us at NAYD.

Happy reading!
Jody O’Neill

Ps The full versions of the Jonothan Neelands address and Willie White interviewing John McGrath of Contact are now available to download in the Reading Room section