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 Stage and Playshare Together!!

Would you believe that between 2006 and 2009 youth theatres in Ireland have written, devised and produced almost 90 new pieces of theatre!! NAYD is seeking to rejuvenate its Playshare collection through the addition to some of this work. If your youth theatre has produced work that fits into this category and you feel is suitable for performance by youth theatres today, we would love to get our hands on it!!

What happens next?

NAYD will launch the updated Playshare, including any selected additions from this call,  in November with a full day of events including readings and discussions as part of New Stage 2010.

To submit work.....

Please submit an up to date, typed, clean hard copy to Alan King, NAYD's Youth Theatre Officer, NAYD. 7 North Great George's Street, Dublin 1. Please ensure the name of the author is clearly stated on the script along with current contact details for them. If you have any background notes for the play including production and technical challenges or reflective responses you or members may have on the script please include them too. If a hard copy doesn’t exist emailed word docs or pdfs can be sent to Alan by email.

Contact Alan for more information.

New Stage 09 plays

Rehearsed readings of this year's New Stage plays took place in early October. A huge thank you to Cabinteely Youth Theatre, Dublin Youth Theatre and Celbridge Youth Drama who did such a fine job in bringing the plays off the page.

The plays are now available exclusively to youth theatres affiliated to NAYD for production. They are:

 Elizabeth and Mr Darcy? Discuss. by Veronica Coburn

Elizabeth & Mr Darcy? Discuss. …is a choral play about love. It’s also about the Junior Cert and the Leaving Cert and that first exciting/terrifying step beyond second level education. Set against one cycle of the seasons it is choral in form to reflect that which we have in common. We may have much in common but there is also lots to set us apart, so there are individual stories of flirtation, expectation and examination melt down; the individual threads within the collective chorus. Elizabeth & Mr Darcy? Discuss. is particularly suitable for choreographic production.

Pranked by Ciaran Gray

A new town, new school and new friends, hopefully. That’s what faces Fran when she arrives in Kildeglin, not knowing anybody and hoping to fit in. Her wish seems to have come true when she immediately finds herself ‘in’ with the likeable and popular Phil, who eases her into the social scene. But doubts about her new friend begin to creep in when Debra, an annoying but harmless eejit, comes into the picture. In figuring out the difference between practical jokes and mental cruelty, Fran is forced to decide where her loyalties lie and maybe risk sacrificing her new found friendships.

X-Factory by Tom Swift

Kylie dreams of becoming a TV talent show star and escaping her manic mother, crazy father, mean sisters and the hell of scrubbing dishes in the family restaurant where chips are the only thing on the menu.
Then along comes mysterious reality TV host Kidd Young Jr, offering fame and fortune. With Kidd’s help Kylie assumes the alter-ego “Cindy” and before you know it she’s the winner of X-Factory. But things get strange when Kidd forces Kylie to take part in “Get this Celebrity out of here”. It’s a reality show where stars live with ordinary families - only this time it’s her own! Now Kylie’s faced with a choice between fame and family.

To get a copy of any of the plays or to find out more, contact Jody on 01-8781301 or by email.

2008 Plays

The plays commissioned in '08 are

Understanding Marcus by Veronica Coburn

A group of teenagers take the Dart everyday to Summer School. With the arrival of a strange young man, their lives are turned upside down with tragic consequences.

The Terrace by David Parnell

The lives of a group of young people unfold around the dramas of their local team in a small Irish town.

Two For Joy by Raymond Scannell

In the wake of her death in a joyriding accident, part-time dealer and small time hood Joanna Foley tries to piece together her final hours amongst Cork City's Boy Racers.

All three plays are now available through NAYD's PlayShare scheme.

New Stage '08 Participants

Eleven Youth Theatres participated in New Stage '08. They were:

  • Cabinteely Youth Theatre, Dublin
  • Clondalkin Youth Theatre, Dublin
  • Co. Limerick Youth Theatre
  • Co. Roscommon Youth Theatre
  • CSM Youth Theatre, Cork
  • Griese Youth Theatre, Kildare
  • Independent Youth Theatre, Dublin
  • Lightbulb Youth Theatre, Cork
  • Manorhamilton Youth Theatre(MyTH), Leitrim
  • Portlaoise Youth Theatre
  • Roundabout Youth Theatre, Dublin

 Two festivals took place as part of the '08 programme. This gave youth theatres the opportunity to perform the New Stage plays for each other but participants also took place in skills-based workshops including clowning, stage combat and movement.

You can view photos of the festivals on our Bebo page.