Connections (also referred to as New Connections and formerly Shell Connections and BT Connections) is the Royal National Theatre in London's annual youth theatre festival. It was founded in 1995 and sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell until 2007 when the Bank of America took over the sponsorship. The plays are also published by the National Theatre each year.
Scheme
The National Theatre annually commissions ten plays from established playwrights which are performed by youth theatre groups across the UK. Groups are invited to perform at Connections Festivals held at a professional theatre in their area. A random performance group from each play is then performed at the end of the Festival at the National Theatre.
Professional productions
Several of the specially commissioned Connection plays have been professionally produced at the National Theatre. In 1999 Sparkleshark was performed. In 2006 three were produced; Burn by Deborah Gearing, Chatroom by Enda Walsh and Citizenship by Mark Ravenhill were performed in 2006; the latter two were revived in 2007 when they also toured. In 2008 Baby Girl by Roy Williams, DNA by Dennis Kelly and The Miracle by Lin Coghlan also received professional productions in the Cottesloe.
Commissioned plays
2024
- Back in the Day by Yasmeen Khan
- Orchestra by Charlie Josephine
- Kiss/Marry/Push Off Cliff by Josh Azouz
- Shout by Alexis Zegerman
- Age is Revolting by Abi Zakarian
- The Periodicals by Siân Owen
- Replica by Titas Halder
- Dy Enw Marw (Your Name is Dead) by Elgan Rhys
- The Sad Club by Luke Barnes and Adam Pleeth
- Wind/Rush Generation(s) by Mojisola Adebayo
2023
- (Circle Dreams Around) The Terrible, Terrible Past by Simon Longman
- Old Times by Molly Taylor
- Is This Good Enough? by Avaes Mohammad
- The Heights by Lisa McGee
- Tuesday by Alison Carr
- Innocent creatures by Leo Butler
- Model Behaviour by Jon Brittain
- Samphire by Shamser Sinha
- Strangers Like Me by Ed Harris
- Is My Microphone On? by Jordan Tannahill
2022
- Cable Street by Lisa Goldman
- Chat Back by David Judge
- Find a Partner! by Miriam Battye
- Hunt by Fionnuala Kennedy
- Like There's No Tomorrow, created by the Belgrade Young Company with Justine Themen, Claire Procter and Liz Mytton
- The Ramayana Reset by Ayeesha Menon, with choreography by Hofesh Shechter, in association with Hofesh Shechter Company
- Remote by Stef Smith
- Superglue by Tim Crouch
- Variations by Katie Hims
- You don't need to make a Big Song and Dance out of it by Abbey Wright, Shireen Mula and Matt Regan, in association with Tackroom Theatre
2019
Source -
2018
Source -
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2009
2008
- Scenes From Family Life by Mark Ravenhill
- A Vampire Story by Moira Buffini
- Theatre of Debate: Blackout by Davey Anderson inspired by the stories of a young person from Barnardo's, Glasgow
- He's Talking by Nicholas Wright
- My Face by Nigel Williams
- Theatre of Debate: Big Hopes a verbatim play by Gary Owen inspired by an xl. group from The Princes Trust, Cardiff followed by Safe by Deborah Gearing inspired by Fairbridge Southampton
- Arden City by Timberlake Wertenbaker
- The Peach Child by Anna Furse and Little Angel Theatre
- Theatre of Debate directed and devised by Jeremy Weller with young people from Fairbridge Centres in Kennington and Hackney.
- The Book of Everything by Peter Tabern based on a novel by Guus Kuijer in the English translation by John Nieuwenhuizen
- Fugee by Abi Morgan.
- It Snows by Bryony Lavery and Frantic Assembly
- Burying Your Brother in the Pavement by Jack Thorne
DNA
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
- After Juliet by Sharman Macdonald
- Electric Halos by Helen Adams
- Emperors and Clowns by Chris Barton
- Happy Endings devised by Danny Parker and Nigel Williams
- Human Puppets devised by Theatre Royal Bath Young People's Theatre company
- Kids are from Mars devised by the London Bubble company
- Lagna by Jez Simons
- Les Juifs de Salonique...
- A Peasant of El Salvador by Peter Gould, Stephen Stearns, adapted by Mick Fitzmaurice
- Sunnyside by Neill Morton
- Ticking by Mari Binnie
- Time on Fire by Timothy Mason
- Too Too Tight devised by the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre Street Art Company
2000
1999
1998
1997
References