For the first time Crooked House Theatre Company brings all of the youth theatres in County Kildare together to showcase their brand new plays for the NT Connections 2017 season, and to take part in workshops and masterclasses for the weekend.

Friday 10^th March

8.00pm         Double Bill

Griese Youth Theatre, Ballitore: Zero for the Young Dudes! by Alistair McDowall. Directed by Dee Burke, this is a play about revolution, tyranny, and summer camps by an exciting new writer whose work has appeared in the Royal Court and National Theatres in London.

Kildare Youth Theatre: Extremism by Anders Lustgarten. Directed by Peter Hussey, this provocative new work explores how we are taught to police each other in an age of terror threats and radicalisation. Anders Lustgarten is an internationally renowned political theatre maker from the UK. [Not suitable for children]

Saturday 11th March

2.00pm      Single Show

Ardclough Youth Theatre present The Snow Dragons by Lizzie Nunnery.

Raggi and his friends spend their free time in the woods and mountains around their sleepy fjord town playing games of Vikings, dragons and war. When soldiers occupy the town, they watch from their hut in the mountains: their friends and families beaten, silenced, abducted. Let down by the adult world they form The Snow Dragons, ‘the last line of resistance’ and they carry out sabotage missions. But this is no game, and true courage requires great sacrifice. Directed by Phoebe O’ Leary. [Suitable for all ages].

7.00pm          Double Bill

PlayActing Youth Theatre, Celbridge present FOMO by Suhayla El-Bushra. FOMO – fear of missing out – describes a world of constant social media interactions. Directed by Geraldine O’ Brien, this play questions what is real and virtual. It centres on the romance of Dani and Josh which may not be as perfect as it seems.

Griese Youth Theatre, Ballitore: Zero for the Young Dudes! by Alistair McDowall. Directed by Dee Burke, this is a play about revolution, tyranny, and summer camps by an exciting new writer whose work has appeared in the Royal Court and National Theatres in London.

Sunday 12th March

2.00pm         Single Show

Ardclough Youth Theatre: The Snow Dragons by Lizzie Nunnery.

6.00pm          Double Bill

PlayActing Youth Theatre, Celbridge present FOMO by Suhayla El-Bushra. FOMO – fear of missing out – describes a world of constant social media interactions. Directed by Geraldine O’ Brien, this play questions what is real and virtual. It centres on the romance of Dani and Josh which may not be as perfect as it seems.

Kildare Youth Theatre: Extremism by Anders Lustgarten. Directed by Peter Hussey, this provocative new work explores how we are taught to police each other in an age of terror threats and radicalisation. Anders Lustgarten is an internationally renowned political theatre maker from the UK. [Not suitable for children]

All plays are open to members of the public. Check with venue for age suitability.

This festival is part of Crooked House’s Wellbeing & Identity programme (funded by the HSE). The festival has also received generous support from Riverbank Arts Centre. Workshops running throughout the festival weekend are primarily for the members of the 4 youth theatres, but we welcome applications from teenagers interested in theatre (please contact Crooked House or a youth theatre near you for further details. www.kildareyouththeatre.com)