The New Theatre Dublin | Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Fern Kealy talks about her Young Critics Experience with Youth Theatre Ireland

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Fern Kealy is one of Youth Theatre Ireland’s Young Critics for 2019.

Fern recalls an action-packed first weekend spent with fellow Young Critics in Dublin from April 12-14th.

Fern Kealy is a member of Kilkenny Youth Theatre

Our Young Critics 2019 are:

Kevin Aylward- Limerick Youth Theatre

Maeve Bartley – Co.Limerick Youth Theatre

Clodagh Boyce- Dublin Youth Theatre

Ruth Corrigan – Mayo Youth Theatre

Susie Dooley – County Carlow Youth Theatre

Adam Dwyer – County Carlow Youth Theatre

Leah Farrell – Backstage Youth Theatre, Longford

Jesse Flynn – Dublin Youth Theatre

Fern Kealy – Kilkenny Youth Theatre

Seán Loughrey – Droichead Youth Theatre, Drogheda, Co.Louth

Jeanette Michalopoulou – Sligo Youth Theatre

Sinéad Mooney – Kildare Youth Theatre

Aisling O’Leary –Act Out Youth Theatre, Navan, Co.Meath

Grace Sheehan – Activate Youth Theatre, Cork

Holly Roynane –Act Out Youth Theatre, Navan, Co.Meath

Oisín Tiernan – WACT Youth Theatre, Wexford

A Class of Its Own by Molly Foley

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

During the Dublin Theatre Festival, the Young Critics paid a visit to the New Theatre to see a performance of Class by David Horan and Iseult Golden.

Class will be returning to the Peacock Stage in January and Molly Foley from Activate Youth Theatre has this review from its October showing.

This new play, written and directed by Iseult Golden and David Horan is in many ways quite simple. The set is realistic and the plot is a straightforward narrative, with only three actors playing the five characters established in the piece. Despite this, Class is one of the most engaging, enjoyable and thematically-rich plays I’ve seen in a long time.

The story is that of two working-class parents, Brian (Stephen Jones) and Donna (Sarah Morris), who are called in to their son, Jayden’s school to talk with his middle-class teacher, Ray McCafferty (Will O’Connell). The parent-teacher meeting that unfolds is broken up with scenes of Mr. McCafferty’s interactions with Jayden and another student in his class during which Jones and Morris seamlessly take on the roles of the two children. These relationships develop and change as these characters deal with internal resentments and face a variety of issues that arise through the play.

Stephen Jones and Sarah Morris in Class. Photo Credit: Ros Kavanagh

The play manages do deal with issues of social class and notions of status subtly without hammering in an established opinion or belief. Instead, it is a perfect example of ‘show don’t tell’, starting a conversation through real, flawed and relatable characters, each with valid motivations, opinions and outlooks. It does not paint characters as ‘good or ‘bad’ and doesn’t depict anyone as in the right or the wrong. Those decisions are left in the hands of the audience and I believe that by the end of the 75 minutes, most viewers will have had at least one moment of sympathy and/or identification with each character in the play.

Class feels like a very down to earth play that knows what it is setting out to do and does it well without any self-importance. Although the plot develops in very unexpected and extreme ways, it never feels like it is being dramatic for drama’s sake.

At its heart this show is an exercise in empathy, not asking for audiences to choose or change sides, but just to listen and perhaps to briefly find themselves in the shoes of others.

I would consider this show a must see. With a sharp, well written script and stunning performances, this show is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. Five stars.

Molly Foley is a member of Activate Youth Theatre and a Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critic for 2017.

Molly Foley, Activate Youth Theatre

Class returns to the Abbey Theatre for a limited run from January 24th 2018.

Local Arts Centres and Venues Support NAYD’s Young Critics

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Hello Venue Managers,

As you probably know the Young Critics is one of NAYD’s most popular programmes. Every year sixteen young people from across Ireland are selected to take part in the programme. Typically this involves two residential weekends each year in which the Young Critics get to see up to five professional theatre productions, participate in many workshops around the art of criticism and then take part in a public panel discussion as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. NAYD fully subsidises all costs for the participants.

Last year we piloted some new and exciting angles to the Young Critics Programme and were able to expand the Young Critics programme beyond those lucky sixteen that get to take part.

Through a partnership approach we are involving more young people in their local communities, developing stronger relationships between venues and youth theatres and helping to build and sustain local audiences for theatre in that community.

NAYD Young Critics 2014

We are approaching local Arts Centres and venues to come on board to help support the development of the Young Critics.

Between now and the end of May we are asking the Young Critics to become programmers and select one professional production that they feel they and their fellow youth theatre members might enjoy. With the support of their youth theatre leader they will then organize a theatre trip to a professional production in their local Arts Centre or venue.

We are asking venues to include their local Young Critics on their mailing lists and also offer them two complimentary tickets to a suitable professional production in their venue between now and then.

It is also hoped that the venue could offer each youth theatre a Special Youth Theatre Group Rate to that performance. You probably already have this in place anyway it is the perfect opportunity to introduce one.

The Young Critics will then do a short video blog on the piece they saw and submit it to NAYD. From here, four of them will be invited to write reviews for the Young Critics Blog.

These reviews will then be published and freely available to all.

The benefits are huge for all involved. The venues will be building new audiences and all the young people will get to see even more quality theatre at discount prices. This should encourage them to go and see more theatre and broaden their love and knowledge of the art form. As cost is one of the biggest factors in not attending theatre we believe that once the spark is ignited, and there is an added incentive to attend, they will choose to go to more and more performances over the coming years. This will also have a very a major positive impact on how they make their own theatre.

All partner venues will be fully credited on the NAYD website and will be thanked in person on the day of the Young Critics Panel during the Dublin Theatre Festival.

If you had any insights on how we could make this offer more attractive or any other insights you might have we would welcome your input.

This has already proven to be a really worthwhile departure for the programme and one that we would hope to develop and establish over the coming years.

We look forward to working with you this year.

Update

The response from venues has been amazing. We are adding to it daily. So far the venues that have come on board to support the initiative are:

The Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare

Project Arts Centre, Dublin

The Dock, Carrick On Shannon, Co. Leitrim

Civic Theatre Tallaght, Dublin

Backstage Theatre, Longford

Axis Ballymun, Dublin

Friars’ Gate Theatre & Arts, Kilmallock, Co.Limerick

The New Theatre, Dublin

Visual Centre For Contemporary Art & The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow