National Youth Theatre

Step 1—Auditions (next round will be held in 2022)

The first round of auditions takes place in regional centres and take the form of a workshop rather than a traditional ‘audition’ format. Approximately 40 people are invited to return for a second round of auditions where there is a greater focus on traditional casting.

Step 2—Company Residential, Development Week, and Skills Days

The NYT Ensemble participates in a five-day residential in Dublin during the October school break to give everyone—the full NYT Ensemble, the director, the playwright and the team—the opportunity to get to know each other.

The NYT Ensemble comes together again in Dublin during the February school break. During this week, the ensemble members develop skills and work with the professional creative team to begin work on the NYT production. Design and Technical Theatre ensemble members will begin to work more directly on these aspects under the guidance of an assigned mentor.

In addition, there are two skills days between April and June 2021.

Step 3—Rehearsals

The NYT Ensemble comes together for an intensive rehearsal and creation period between mid-July and the end of August. This period sees the NYT Ensemble working, living, and playing together on a full-time residential basis in Dublin for the four-week period prior to performance.

Step 4—Performance!

The final stage of the National Youth Theatre journey is a production/performance week in which the Ensemble presents a professional-level production of a new contemporary play that has been commissioned especially for the National Youth Theatre and is presented in a major professional theatre venue.