National Youth Theatre

NYT 2010

The National Youth Theatre is over for another year. A Dream Play by August Strindberg, in a new version by Caryl Churchill, was a huge success.

A massive congratulations to the cast, director Jimmy Fay, all the artistic team and production crew. NAYD would also like to thank the youth theatres who came along to support the production.

The run was a sell-out. Feedback on the production was overwhelmingly positive and it attracted an unprecedented level of publicity including features on RTE's Nine O'Clock news and in The Irish Times.

The Reviews.......

…Churchill’s version is slimmer and more lucid [than Strindberg’s original], with licks of irony that temper the original’s deep melancholy. The NYT ensemble follows that delicate balance, serving both as the dream’s interpreters and its conspirators… Fay resists the temptation to treat such sentiments as adolescent miserabilism, his 16 young performers leavening it instead with stabs of humour, artful stage devices and an occasional Joy Division freak out...The production is nowhere stronger, though, than when the entire company is present, gliding together in Liz Roche’s darkly entrancing choreography or performing exquisitely arranged versions of Jacques Brel and The Smiths under Philip Stewart’s musical direction...It’s a testament to the success of the NYT that the theatre remains a place to learn, to play, perchance to dream.
Peter Crawley, The Irish Times

A few furry spectators mark their territory as the audience file in to watch the National Youth Theatre’s production in the Peacock theatre. The humanoid bunnies fill a few seats, and eventually kick off the performance by eyeballing us from the gallery…this quirky conceit nicely sets the tone for a drama that confounds the distinction between reality and fantasy…
…a production that suitably challenges its performers, and rewards the audience with the results.
Fintan Walsh, Irish Theatre Magazine

Visit NYT on Facebook

You can view photos and read about the cast's experience on the NYT Facebook page.

Cast and Play announced

The play for this year's National Youth Theatre production will be A Dream Play by August Strindberg, in a version by Caryl Churchill.

The Cast

The cast is taken from over 120 youth theatre members who auditioned from youth theatres all over the country. A massive well done to everyone who auditioned. The standard was amazing and after much deliberation, the cast for NYT 2010 has been chosen.

Hilary Bowen-Walsh - Co. Sligo Youth Theatre
Tadhg Buckley - CSM Youth Theatre (Cork)
Darragh Cooney - Backstage Youth Theatre (Longford)
Jemma Curran - Dublin Youth Theatre
Gene Holland - Lightbulb Youth Theatre (Cork)
Janna Kemperman - Independent Youth Theatre (Dublin)
Ronan MacDevitt - Letterkenny Youth Theatre (Donegal)
Ailish McCarthy - Independent Youth Theatre (Dublin)
Alex Moloney - Dublin Youth Theatre
Emily Matthews - Fracture Youth Theatre (Tipperary)
Leah Minto - Dublin Youth Theatre
Ben Naughton - Boolabus Youth Theatre (Dublin)
Jack O'Donoghue - Boolabus Youth Theatre (Dublin)
Claire O'Reilly - Independent Youth Theatre (Dublin)
Joseph Ryan - Dublin Youth Theatre
Daniel Thomson - Droichead Youth Theatre (Louth)

The Artistic Team

Director: Jimmy Fay
Set and Costume Design: Ferdia Murphy
Sound: Philip Stewart
Choreography: Liz Roche
Lighting Design: Eamon Fox
Assistant Director: John Taite

Previous National Youth Theatres

1984  Our Town by Thornton Wilder, directed by Ben Barnes
1986  Young Europeans written and directed by Gerard Stembridge
1987   The Crucible by Arthur Miller, directed by Ben Barnes
1988   Parents directed by Tom McArdle and Richie Ball
1989   Celebration written by John McArdle, directed by Ray Yates
1996   Strawberries in December by Antoine O'Flathartha, directed by Brian Brady
2001   The Old Lady Says No! by Denis Johnston, directed by John White
2007   The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht, adapted by Frank McGuinness, directed by György Vidovszky
2008    A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by György        Vidovszky
2009 The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, in a version by Martin Crimp, directed by Wayne Jordan

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!