Members of our Theatre Academy are delighted to be taking part once again in National Theatre Connections, the UK’s biggest youth theatre festival, celebrating the creativity and talent of young people across the UK.
Each year, Connections commissions 10 brand new plays for young performers, working with some of the UK’s most inspiring playwrights. Now in its 31st year, the programme has a proud history of empowering the next generation of theatre-makers.
Following the success of this year’s production of No Regrets, we are thrilled to return to Connections with a new cast of talented young people drawn from our Theatre Academy. The performance will premiere at Taunton Brewhouse in spring 2026, before transferring to a regional partner theatre as part of the nationwide festival.
Theatre Academy is at the heart of our Youth Theatre programme, running weekly sessions for ages 5–19. The Academy offers something for everyone: younger members are introduced to the world of theatre through fun games, creativity, and play; those in the middle age groups begin exploring their imagination, building confidence, and trying their hand at different styles from musical theatre to comedy; while the older groups are given the chance to develop their craft more seriously, with opportunities to audition for our annual Christmas production, as well as National Theatre Connections itself.
Across all five groups, Theatre Academy members benefit from exclusive ticket offers, discounted workshops, and regular opportunities to perform on stage. It’s the perfect space for young people to make friends, grow in confidence, and discover their creativity.
Speaking about the return of Connections, Youth Theatre Coordinator Abbie Riddell said: “We’re very excited to be able to offer participants of Theatre Academy the opportunity to get involved with National Theatre Connections again in 2026. Our previous productions as part of this project have been excellent fun and so valuable for the young performers.”
She added: “Theatre Academy is a core part of our work and seeing the success, growth, and enjoyment of our participants’ experience is simply joyous. We learn something new from the young people on a frequent basis and know that they’ll make excellent arts professionals in the future.”
National Theatre Connections returns in spring 2026. To find out more about Theatre Academy, please click here or contact the Box Office on 01823 283244 (open weekdays from 10am – 4pm).
