After a break of three years, Shetland Youth Theatre will perform a production as part of National Theatre Connections, presented by Shetland Arts. The production, entitled Remote is by Stef Smith and will be performed at the Garrison Theatre on the 19 -21 February. Tickets go on sale this Friday (16 January) via Shetland Box Office.
NT Connections is the biggest youth theatre festival in the world, organised by the National Theatre of Great Britain and featuring over 250 youth groups from across the UK and beyond. Each year, National Theatre commissions ten leading playwrights to create a new piece of work especially for youth groups to perform, and participating companies select one of the scripts to be presented in their home location. This time, Shetland Youth Theatre has chosen to perform Remote by Stef Smith.
Remote is a play about protest, power and protecting yourself. In the play a girl called Antler steps out of her front door and throws her phone on the ground. She stamps on it. She then climbs the tallest tree in the park. She doesn’t want to be found, not by anyone. 7 teenagers’ lives all intertwine over the course of a single evening as they make their way through the park on a seemingly normal Autumn night. Remote is recommended for ages 13+.
In previous years the Shetland Youth Theatre has performed a wide variety of shows both in Shetland and in Edinburgh. The company has also performed on the main Olivier stage in London.
Stef Smith studied Drama and Theatre Arts at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. She is best known for the critically acclaimed and sell-out show RoadKill (Edinburgh Festival 2010, 2011) which won a Laurence Olivier Award in 2012. Stef has also been on attachment with the National Theatre of Scotland and was part of the National Writers Group at the Royal Court Theatre in London.
Director John Haswell said: “We have a company of over 20 young people who are excited about being part of the Connections Festival. Because we have not taken part for three years due to our involvement in other projects (primarily Ignition with the National Theatre of Scotland), this will be a new venture for most of the company.”
He added: “It is always exciting to work on a brand new text and the opportunity to view the work of other youth theatres has always been an important element in the learning process that is at the core of our work. Make sure to book your tickets when they go on sale this Friday.”
Booking is via Shetland Box Office in Mareel & Islesburgh, over the phone on 01595 745 555, or online at shetlandboxoffice.org
