This week, the Dorfman Stage at the National Theatre comes alive again with the vibrant energy of young performers as it reopens for the 30th anniversary of the Connections Festival. Recently closed for eight months for capital works, the Dorfman welcomes ten youth theatre groups from across the UK, who will perform new plays nightly at 7pm and 8.30pm, culminating in a closing night on Saturday, 28 June.
Connections, the National Theatre’s flagship youth theatre festival, celebrates the creativity and talent of young people, pairing them with some of the UK’s most exciting contemporary playwrights. This year has been one of the festival’s largest yet, with over 5,000 young people participating and more than 270 youth theatre groups and schools performing at venues across the country—from Plymouth to Pitlochry. Groups selected for this week’s finale in London represent all four nations of the UK, with participants travelling from Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, Kent, Nottingham, and beyond.
Over its three-decade history, the festival has had a profound impact, providing young people with hands-on experience in all aspects of theatre-making. Past participants include well-known stars like Keira Knightley, David Oyelowo, Rose Ayling-Ellis, and Callum Scott Howells. Connections has also premiered works by acclaimed writers such as Alice Birch, James Graham, and Lenny Henry. Its influence extends globally, having inspired similar festivals in countries spanning three continents.
The 30th-anniversary celebrations highlight the programme’s enduring legacy, with over 125,000 participants since its inception. Connections has not only nurtured future performers but also supported pathways into other careers, demonstrating the wide-reaching value of youth theatre.
Tickets to this year’s Connections Festival are available on the National Theatre Website. Applications to take place Connections 2026 are open until 7 July via the National Theatre Website.
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 PaulSirett? Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School, Ramsgate, Kent? Saturday 28 June? 8.30pm? YOU 2.0 by Alys Metcalf? Everyman Youth Theatre, Cardiff, Wales