NT Connections Festival 2025

Connections is the National Theatre's annual youth theatre festival, bringing youth companies from across the UK together to perform 10 new plays. Each year the National Theatre commission ten plays exclusively for the festival, giving talented young people the opportunity to step out onto the stage in a professional environment. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Connections champions the talent of over 7,500 young people who will have the chance to perform at one of the 33 leading regional partner theatres, including the Swan Theatre.

Worcester Theatres is thrilled to be hosting the Connections festival for the third year in a row, and we can't wait to welcome young people aged 13-19 from all over the midlands to perform on our stage.

From Fri 11 - Sun 13 April, we will have performances from SHS Acting Company, TDMS Collective, Stagedoor Learning, Halesowen College, Bournside Ensemble, Central Youth Theatre, Perfect Circle Youth Theatre, The Courtyard Youth Theatre, Evolve Performance Hub and Worcester Theatres’ very own Young Rep Company.

With so much to see, make sure to come along and show your support for these brilliant theatre makers of the future.

To find out more about the festival please see the relevant links below:

Ticket Information Performance Timetable Show descriptions Technical Training Programme

Tickets

Under 25s - £5 

standard ticket - £10

Coming to see more than one show a day? Make the most of our Festival Pass - £15 (per day)

Performance Timetable

Here is a timetable of the performances happening each day and the companies performing:

Show Descriptions

Brain Play by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor and Paul Sirett

When Mia’s dad suffers a traumatic brain injury and struggles to leave the house, she makes it her mission to find the cure for his symptoms. Delving deeper and deeper into the world of neuroscience, Mia is desperate to make him better, but first she must contend with her own brain.

Fresh Air by Vickie Donaghue 

Students from a Pupil Referral group are made to go orienteering in what they discover is England’s most haunted woods. Stalked by eery ghost children determined to keep them there forever, they must learn to confront the here and now to unlock the key to their futures.

No Regrets by Gary McNair 

Over the course of five years, playwright Gary McNair spoke to people at all stages and in all walks of life on the subject of regret. This play marks the results of those conversations. A collection of scenes from the silly to the profound, that charts our relationship with the things we should have done but didn’t and the things we shouldn’t have done, but did.

Normalised by Amanda Verlaque

How do you protect a memory against a homophobic bully, when the bully is your own brother? When an environmental campaign is the catalyst for protecting an LGBTQIA+ shrine, a group of friends must confront what comes first – friends, or family. And as the stakes rise, the battle lines are drawn between being loyal, being an ally, and what does “normal” really mean anyway?

Ravers by Rikki Beadle-Blair

A rag tag group of self-described ‘neeks’ (nerds and geeks) gather at midnight in a local park, to hold a ‘dry rave’. (no intoxicants). Will they succeed in redefining ‘cool’? Or will the powers that be succeed in shutting down the neek revolution?

Saba’s Swim by Danusia Samal

Seven months ago, Saba walked out of her GCSE mocks and didn’t come back. Her friends don’t understand why. Now, on prom night, Saba’s finally made contact, challenging her friends to track her down via a series of cryptic clues. But when the friends are finally reunited, Saba is different. The way she sees the world has changed. And what she’s asking of her friends... is it more than they can give?

Their Name is Joy by May Sumbwanyambe

Set in the summer of 2019, on a spring onion farm in Lincolnshire, Their Name Is Joy is a bittersweet coming of age drama that explores a terrifying loss of childhood innocence, as experienced by a group of young British casual labourers when they come face to face with the reality of modern day slavery.

YOU 2.0 by Alys Metcalf

Strangers Martha and Isaac find themselves forced into playing YOU 2.0, a new therapy video game designed to help players access their better selves. As they tackle the levels in two player mode, the pair form an unlikely friendship behind the anonymity of their gaming avatars, but their impact on each other’s lives goes much deeper than the game. 

Technical Training Programme

Are you interested in technical roles in the theatre industry and what happens behind the scenes? Learn what it takes to be a Theatre Technician by working with us on our Connections Festival!

Sign up to be one of our Technical Placements and you will:

• Gain experience in all aspects of staging a production
• Develop a variety of technical skills
• Work in an established theatre alongside skilled professionals
• PLUS expenses for your travel, food and time will be covered

This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone who would like to learn more about production roles in the theatre! No experience is necessary, just an enthusiastic attitude.

For full details please read the document linked below, which also has the application form:

Technical Placement info pack & Application Form

UPDATE: The application deadline is Friday 7th March.

If you have any questions regarding our Techincal Training Programme please don't hesitate to contact our team at [email protected].