The National Theatre Connections Festival 2023 is coming to the Crucible this month.

On Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 March, take part in online workshops, ‘in conversations’ with theatre professionals and watch talented young theatre makers and actors in action.

On day one of Connections Festival, West Yorkshire Academy will be performing Innocent Creatures by Leo Butler.

‘Soon, very soon, Big Ben will be underwater, surrounded by ice floes.

Enid and Mia wait to be rescued from the rising floodwaters and taken to a Holiday Inn to be reprogrammed. In this world, robots are in charge and Mia and Enid must decide whether they too want to live forever or take their chances in the icy waters.

Will they decide that Earth’s last sunset is worth hanging around for thousands of years to see?’

On day two of Connections Festival, Yew Tree Youth Theatre will perform The Heights by Lisa McGee.

‘Lillie lives on the Heights Estate; a place where nothing ever happens, except in Lillie’s head.

Lillie’s not like most people. For starters, she never goes out, but sits in her bedroom window on the sixth floor of her tower block, watching the world and the people in it go by. As she sits, she makes up stories: some sad, some happy, some funny. But they are just stories, aren’t they?’

Schools Outreach Day

This year we will also be delivering our first ever Schools Outreach Day on Tuesday 21 March. This exciting new offer for local schools will consist of a half day of free workshops, exploring a range of disciplines. Designed to provide a taste of the kinds of skills- building opportunities that NT Connections has to offer, the following workshops will be delivered:

Workshop 1 – Technical Theatre Skills - Allowing students to experiment with lighting, sound, AV, and stage management to understand how the theatre works behind the scene.

Workshop 2 – National Theatre Connections plays – Reading and exploring extracts of previous connections plays with a Director or Writer to demystify the playwriting process and experience some of the stories previously told.

Workshop 3 – Stage Combat – Exploring the craft of fight sequences on stage and how to stay safe whilst looking dramatic! This workshop will highlight the types of upskilling an NT Connections play might call for and how theatres can support this.

For more information, please email d.richmond-gordon@sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.