Review: CONNECTIONS, National Theatre

Each year the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people to perform, bringing together some of the UK's most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. Some 260 youth theatre companies and over 5,000 young people from every corner of the UK are producing a Connections play this year. Ten companies have come to the NT's Dorfman Stage.

Want by Barney Norris

Performed by St Brendan's Sixth Form College, Bristol.

Barney Norris's play tells the stories of young people undergoing long exchanges, perpetuating a charged existence as they attempt to work out what life has in store for them.

Ross wants Jenny, but Jenny wants more excitement. Heather wants Claire to heal, whilst Claire just wants to be normal. Gabby has to escape her area, but worries about what she'll leave behind. And Mark and Chris just need something to do - anything to take them out their mundane way of living.

The only set utilised is a couple of wooden boxes, which the cast move and assemble into different shapes, creating different worlds throughout.

They sit, lean and hang off them; we're transported to a hospital, an abandoned car park, an estate and even a Costa Coffee. There's a lovely simplicity to the production where the cast are enough to tell the story.

And they communicate it very well. It's clear that there's a real love for performance and the group's spirit radiates from the stage.

Coming from it is lots of joy, which brings to the play a sense of adventure. The piece moves at a steady pace and the energy is never allowed to drop.

Norris's play is a brilliant text for a young company; it talks about teen development and how we find our place in a world that's already pretty full. St Brendan's Sixth Form seem totally at ease on the Dorfman stage, and Belinda Day's direction allows multi-dimensional characters to surface.

It's a funny and sweet piece, which shows these students in a really positive light.

The Sweetness of a Sting by Chinonyerem Odimba

Performed by Haggerston School, Hackney.

If you're looking for a humorous and slightly wacky ensemble play, with a beautiful and moving message concealed within, then this is the one.

Chinonyerem Odimba's story looks at identity in the most curious of ways. Badger's parents want to go home to Nigeria, meaning he'd be leaving all his friends behind. In an attempt to run away he finds himself embarking on a mystical journey of fantasy and learning.

Very Alice in Wonderland-esque, Badger goes into a magical world inhabited by talking spiders, militarised ants and sassy ladybirds. It's a land of illustrious riddles; one occupied by wonder and imagination. Odimba's play is a beautiful exploration of youth, family and our disconnection with nature.

It's wonderful to see such a large cast of young people on the Dorfman stage. In total there are 26 talented actors who all bring something totally unique to the piece. There's a great sense of ensemble that is celebrated throughout, and the group seem completely at ease in their roles.

Their performances are playful and it's clear that they're having fun. This lack of seriousness is exactly what the story needs. There's a lot of choral work; buzzes, hisses, tapping are all underscored by a drumbeat - making this one-hour story an exciting sensory experience.

What needs to be said is that the play's 'lead' Jass Beki (who portrays Badger) is brilliant. He has no problem taking his time, cracking jokes and milking the moments where the audience are in the palm of his hands.

It's a great performance, one that sees him onstage for the entire hour. But he never drops the ball, and his exuberant energy seems to make everyone else up their game.

Haggerston School's work here is creative, confident, engaging and polished. It's a really great job.

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The National Theatre are currently looking for 300 youth theatre companies and schools/colleges to apply to take part in next year's 2019 Connections Festival. The deadline is on 9 July. For more info and how to apply, see here.

Photos courtesy of the National Theatre

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