National Theatre Connections – ‘Normalised’ and ‘The Company of Trees’
*includes booking fees but exclusive of any per transaction, collection, or delivery fees.
Overview
Connections is the National Theatre’s annual, nationwide youth theatre festival, celebrating 30 years of championing young talent from across the UK. Each year, The National Theatre commission ten new plays for young people to perform, pairing some of the UK’s most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow.
Blackpool Grand Theatre is proud to be hosting the National Theatre Connections Festival, with five local Young Theatre groups taking part, including our very own Grand Young Company young actors.
Tue 22 Apr performances
Normalised by Amanda Verlaque
How do you protect a memory against a homophobic bully, when the bully is your own brother? When an environmental campaign is the catalyst for protecting an LGBTQIA+ shrine, a group of friends must confront what comes first – friends, or family. And as the stakes rise, the battle lines are drawn between being loyal, being an ally, and what does “normal” really mean anyway?
Content warnings:
– Strong language
– References to the death of a character (unseen, prior to the play starting) in a car accident, and themes of grief
– References to and depictions of homophobia
– Depictions of bullying
– One character gets beaten-up (offstage, unseen) and returns bruised
followed by
The Company of Trees by Jane Bodie
When new girl Willow moves into town, the popular gang at school don’t welcome her. But when gang leader, Taylor, has a spectacular gymnastic accident, leaving her bed-bound, her once loyal gang, begin to drop away. Enter Willow, to share Taylor’s solitude, teach her about trees and poems that don’t rhyme and Taylor begins to heal. A play about bullying, bravery, the power of nature, finding friendship, loneliness and Hanoi the giant tortoise.
Content warnings:
– Strong language
– Themes of bullying
– References to physical injury
– References to the loss of a parent
OTHER PERFORMANCE DATES