Six theatres have announced a joint commission to create a piece of new writing for, with and about young people.
Scottish-born theatre director, writer and composer Andy McGregor has been chosen to create a “socially and politically resonant” piece of theatre which will performed by young people at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate, Dundee Rep, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Northern Stage, Derby Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse in summer 2019.
McGregor will visit each venue and will collaborate with young people on the piece. In October, four young people from each venue will get together for a residential weekend to work on the first full draft of the play.
McGregor said, “as an avid supporter of youth theatre I’m absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity to write a play for so many young people around the UK.
“I’m excited about bringing a vibrant, fun and celebratory piece to the stage highlighting the adventures and challenges of being young in Britain today. I’m particularly looking forward to working with the young people on developing my script, allowing them to shape it and influence wherever it goes.”
Royal and Derngate artistic director James Dacre added, “we’re thrilled to be working with Andy for this co-commission. This is a really exciting project to be part of, giving young people across the country the chance to be involved through the whole creative process of developing a play from start to finish. I can’t wait to see the result.”
After the development process, up to 30 young people aged from 14 to 21 at each venue will perform their own interpretation of the play, resulting in audiences seeing it performed by more than 150 people in six different versions.
This new commission follows three previous successful collaborations among the producing theatres with pieces including Girls Like That by Evan Placey, Immune by Oladipo Agboluaje and The Blue Road by Laura Lomas.