Angus youngsters to take to the London stage as part of theatre festival

The Spotlights Community Youth Theatre has been selected to perform on the Dorfman stage at the National Theatre as part of its annual Connections Festival from June 25 – 29.

Spotlights is one of 10 groups which have been selected to represent the vast range of talent from across the UK. They will perform The Sad Club, by Luke Barnes with music by Adam Pleeth, which they first performed at Connections partner theatre Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

The youth theatre is a registered charity, started in 2018 and based in Forfar, that believes that drama and musical theatre should be for all young people, regardless of ability to pay or ability to perform.

Now in its 29th year, the Connections Festival is an annual nationwide youth theatre festival that champions the talent of young people aged 13-19 from across the UK.

More than 7500 young people from 250 companies from Plymouth to Pitlochry have taken part this year, performing 10 specially commissioned plays at one of 33 leading partner theatres this Spring.

The festival showcases new plays performed by youth groups nationwide, exploring a range of themes including neurodiversity, cancel culture and mental health.

And the Angus contingent are excited for their performance, which will be staged on June 29.

The group has been invited to not only perform on the Dorfman stage, but also work backstage, with a young person working on the sound design for their production.

Engaging in all levels of the theatre-making process, they will have the chance to develop new creative skills and learn more about backstage and offstage roles in the creative industry.

Marley Hunter, Spotlights Community Youth Theatre director, said: “This whole experience has been a fantastic one not just for the cast but for the whole company.

"Being asked to come to London to share our show is the most phenomenal privilege and honour.”

Writers of this year’s plays include Mojisola Adebayo (Stars), and Charlie Josephine (Cowbois) as well as Elgan Rhys (Llais / Voice) who, in collaboration with Leo Drayton, has written Connections’ first play offered in both English and Welsh language scripts. Their play, ‘Dy Enw Marw’ (‘Your Name is Dead’) will be performed by youth group Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr, from Swansea, in Welsh, making it the first full non-English play to be staged at the National Theatre.

Rufus Norris, director of the National Theatre said: “It is one of my favourite times of year when the National Theatre is buzzing with excitement as these ten youth groups flood the building for Connections Festival.

"Connections is such a brilliant opportunity for young people from every corner of the UK to stage new plays and develop skills through the world of theatre-making both on stage and off, firing imagination and creativity that lasts a lifetime.

“To have our first ever full non-English play just spotlights the talent and creativity of the young theatre-makers nationwide. I can’t wait to welcome them all to the National Theatre in June.”

For anyone wishing to see Spotlights’ performance in person, tickets are £5 per performance, or £8 for two performances in an evening, and are on sale now. To book tickets visit the National Theatre Website.

Applications for Connections 2025 are now open. To take part in the National Theatre’s annual nationwide youth theatre festival’s 30th anniversary, visit the National Theatre website.

Applications close on July 8 at midday.