EVERYMAN Youth Theatre from Cardiff have been selected to perform at the National Theatre Connections Festival, celebrating its 30th anniversary. Everyman Youth Theatre is one of ten groups invited to take part in this major event that marks the reopening of the Dorfman Theatre, which has been closed for government funded capital works since November 2024.
Everyman Youth Theatre will perform their version of ‘YOU 2.0’ by Alys Metcalf on the Dorfman stage at the National Theatre on Saturday 28 June 8.30pm, having first performed it at Bristol Old Vic.
Everyman Youth Theatre in Cardiff, created in 1995, focuses on working collaboratively with the young people within the community of South Wales, with empowerment of its members at the core of its work.
Connections is the National Theatre’s annual nationwide youth theatre festival that champions the talent of young people across the UK celebrating the power of youth theatre. For the past three months, over 5,000 young people from more than 270 companies and schools have performed at home venues and on one of 33 professional stages across the country to celebrate this anniversary year.
Showcasing incredible talent, Everyman Youth Theatre is one of ten youth theatre groups from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland invited to bring their unique interpretations of one of this year’s plays to the stage at the National Theatre from June 24-28.
From developing new ideas to the final curtain call, young people are diving into every part of the theatre making process, gaining hands-on experience, building new creative skills, and exploring the exciting world of backstage and offstage roles. Across the ten selected groups young people have also taken on roles to bring their productions to life behind the scenes, from costume, lighting and sound design, to directing and score composing.
Amelie, a young participant aged 14, said: “Being a part of Connections has been absolutely amazing! Every second spent in rehearsals, workshops, and performing on different stages has been genuinely such a wonderful experience.
“As this is my first time really being a part of Connections, I’m so grateful that our group has been given the opportunity to perform at the National Theatre. Honestly, they should never stop because of what they’ve done for so many young people across the UK.
“I am and forever will be so grateful and lucky to have worked with such brilliant people.”
Indhu Rubasingham, Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre, said: “I am really pleased to welcome ten youth groups from all corners of the UK to the NT for this landmark anniversary festival of Connections.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to experience the power of theatre-making. I look forward to celebrating the extraordinary energy and creative vision these young performers will bring to our stages this June.”
Over 30 years, Connections has offered 125,000 young people across the UK firsthand experience in all aspects of staging and performing new plays. The programme has helped shape the early paths of many career routes from teachers to doctors, as well as standout performers, including Rose Ayling-Ellis, Keira Knightley, David Oyelowo, and Callum Scott Howells.
Each year ten brand-new plays are commissioned that explore contemporary themes relevant to young people, adding to the growing canon of over 235 scripts specifically for young people to perform. Previous playwrights include trailblazing voices such as Alice Birch, Chris Bush, James Graham and Lenny Henry. Connections has also inspired international versions, with festivals lighting up stages in seven countries across three continents from Brazil to India.
The full Connections Festival schedule is:
| Date | Time | Play | Performed by |
| Tuesday 24 June | 7pm | Fresh Air by Vickie Donoghue | Central Foundation Boys’ School, Islington, London |
| Tuesday 24 June | 8.30pm | Ravers by Rikki Beadle-Blair | HOME Young Company, Manchester |
| Wednesday 25 June | 7pm | Mia and the Fish by Satinder Chohan | Abbey Grange Academy, Leeds, Yorkshire |
| Wednesday 25 June | 8.30pm | The Company of Trees by Jane Bodie | Hamilton District Youth Theatre, Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Thursday 26 June | 7pm | Their Name is Joy by May Sumbwanyambe | Nottingham Girls Academy Theatre Company, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire |
| Thursday 26 June | 8.30pm | Saba’s Swim by Danusia Samal | Central Youth Theatre, Wolverhampton, West Midlands |
| Friday 27 June | 7pm | Normalised by Amanda Verlaque | Brassneck Youth, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Friday 27 June | 8.30pm | No Regrets by Gary McNair | Glasgow Acting Academy, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Saturday 28 June | 7pm | Brain Play by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor and Paul Sirett | Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School, Ramsgate, Kent |
| Saturday 28 June | 8.30pm | YOU 2.0 by Alys Metcalf | Everyman Youth Theatre, Cardiff, Wales |
Tickets are £5 per performance, or £8 for two performances in an evening, and go on sale on Tuesday, May 20. All performances will be captioned. To book tickets and learn more about Connections 2025, visit the National Theatre’s website.
Applications to be one of the 250 groups for Connections 2026 are now open. Connections 2026 aims to reach a new audience across the UK by hosting the final summer festival at Lowry in Salford. To take part visit the National Theatre’s website. Applications close on Monday, July 7 at 12pm.
