Youth Theatre | Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

The buzz is electric – NAYD Young Critics Programme was an enlightening experience.

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

NAYD Young Critics 2014

As the Young Critics programme draws to a close for 2014, Emma Gallagher from Greise Youth Theatre reflects on her experiences as a Young Critic.

‘The buzz is electric’ Dublin Theatre Festival director Willie White told the Irish Independent, and I could say the same for our experience in The Young Critics Programme. It is frightening to think it was around Easter time that I set out for my very first Young Critics weekend.

Oscar Wilde, Anton Chekhov and Owen McCafferty were names I knew a little about. That was until we started the workshops. Working with Alan King and Karen Fricker was like working with two theatre knowledge generators and I mean that in the best way possible.

I was so surprised to how in depth we actually we went into critiquing a play. In only two weekends our knowledge of theatre and all its aspects had expanded immensely. It was a real eye opener, exploring each element that can make a production special. From lighting to sound, music, and set to costume design, performers, writers and directors, the collaborative work put into productions is truly unique.

I became aware of the different types of theatre, from classic and contemporary to immersive, all of which we got the pleasure to experience. These were fantastical productions that had my mind blooming with new ideas.

An Ideal Husband at The Gate Theatre was a real treat. I was astonished by the intricate detail and energy that had been put into this one show. It was a wondrous romantic comedy enriched in Wilde’s dark and delightful witticisms.

Being involved in The Young Critics Programme really opened my eyes to the different professions within the world of the creative arts. From listening to director Gavin Quinn speak about Pan Pan’s colourful and playground like production, The Seagull and Other Birds to the ever so sweet Marty Rae speak as openly and answer our questions about his experiences working as an actor.

Over the summer we were allocated the activity to bring each of our Youth Theatre’s to a new production in our own local venues.

Swing written by Steve Blount, Peter Daly, Gavin Kostick and Janet Moran, also directed by Peter Daly and starring Steve Blount and Janet Moran was a popular choice between The Young Critics participants. It received very positive feedback from a lot of the young people.

The Arts Centres kindly offered our Youth Theatre discounted tickets and NAYD organised a post-show chat with the cast of the production.

It was really interesting to hear how the show came into development and hear the actors speak about their character work in preparation for their roles.

Next was the video blog review of the play we chose to see. For the technophobes- I include myself in this category, this was a tricky challenge in which a few awkward techie problems occurred.

However, once I did manage to record a decent vlog, I actually felt I had really achieved something and it wasn’t half bad either. Having said that I won’t be the next Quentin Tarintino by any means but it was a very beneficial task and I think it will be of use in the future.

Spending two weekends with the young people from other Youth Theatres was splendid to say the very least. It was interesting to hear how different Youth Theatres’ work. We shared a lot of laughter and a couple of the members even shared a few tears during Ganesh Versus The Third Reich. It was a very touching production for a lot of people, so much so it received a standing ovation.

NAYD Young Critic Emma Gallagher Photo credit: Allen Kiely

On the 5th of October The Young Critic’s Panel was held in The Project Arts Centre in Dublin. We had butterflies as people working in the shows, theatre folk and even Willie White attended. At first it was scary speaking about our honest opinions as a critic of the productions but also liberating too. I find public speaking a struggle, but this experience of sharing your thoughts openly about something you genuinely love and interests you was a real stepping-stone for me.

The buzz is electric – in the presence of people who are passionate about their work, their energy radiates. As Anton Chekhov said ‘knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice’.

Young Critics inspires to create action in the world of the arts.

The Young Critics say goodbye for another year
Photo credit: Allen Kiely

[ Title of Review]- An NAYD Young Critic review of [Title of Show] by Bríd Nolan

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Over the last few weeks in the run up to NAYD’s Young Critics Panel, we’ve published a series of reviews from the Young Critics. With the Young Critics arriving today we publish our final review.

Over the summer months,we asked the Young Critics to attend some shows on their own. We asked them to make a short vlog review of their experience. We then asked a selection of them to turn these into written reviews. Dr. Karen Fricker offered some editorial advice.

Here Bríd Nolan reviews [Title of Show] by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell.

[Title of Show] by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, directed by Angeline Milne
Performed by Andy Carberry, Adam Tyrell, Ciara Ivie, Sarah Jane Williams, and Mark Cox
Viewed on 13^tAugust 2014 at the New Theatre, Dublin. Reviewed by Bríd Nolan

Going to see [Title of Show] is like watching a rehearsal for a play you’ve failed to get a part in. The cast members greet the audience laconically as they stroll on stage, and the fourth wall swiftly becomes an object of derision, one the cast members occasionally snipe at throughout the play.

[Title of Show] revolves around the lives and work of four struggling actors and a keyboardist. Two of the characters, Hunter and Jeff (based on the writer Hunter Bell and composer Jeff Bowen) decide to write a musical about their attempts to write a musical for the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

The effect is of a blurred, devised timeline of skits spliced by messages left on the voicemail at Hunter and Jeff’s apartment. The musical spans the time between the moment the characters decide the play must be written and shortly after the show’s premiere. The storyline relies heavily on self-parody to keep the audience entertained and in this lies both its appeal and its downfall. While the ironic humour sets the play firmly within the its characters’ lives and keeps things from becoming too abstract, the jokes become a little stale in the second half. It’s a pretty realistic, authentic look at human relationships, albeit one that spurns sincerity.

The set of four chairs, some bookshelves and a keyboard effectively evokes the setting of a modest New York apartment, with a background of exposed brick walls. It makes for a sparse and unforgiving staging which deflects little attention from the actors themselves. This contrasts with a typically lavish Broadway set and budget. This minimalistic approach is both in an attempt to draw attention to the production’s origins, and a reflection of the ethos of the producing group, Ill Advised Theatre, which was set up last year to bring contemporary musicals to Dublin on relatively shoestring budgets. They attempt to keep ticket prices low, and are partially financed by crowdfunding. Given its subject matter and origins, [Title of Show] was thus an apt choice for Ill Advised’s first full scale production. [Title of Show] also continues the New Theatre’s tradition of presenting innovative and unusual productions.

Musically, the cast is strong, especially Sarah Jane Williams as Heidi. The belivabilty of all the actors, especially Jeff (Andy Carberry), and Hunter (Adam Tyrell) is absolute. We are always aware of the dynamic between the pair, as their old friendship is threatened by the pressures of ambition and show business, but at the same time this is never overstated.

The gags occasionally grate and wear thin especially in the second half when the suspense dissolves as the eventual payoff (Broadway!) is reached. The meta-theatrical aspect of the show is intriguing but didn’t manage to hold the audience’s attention throughout. Nonetheless the production’s biggest accomplishment lies the timing and balance of its parody; it relies on a peculiarly self-aware humour and narrowly skirts the risk of of becoming self indulgent.

Bríd Nolan is a member of Cabinteely Youth Theatre and an NAYD Young Critic for 2014

Heartbreak House – A Review by NAYD’S Young Critics

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

In the run up to NAYD’s Young Critics Panel on Oct 5th as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, we continue to publish a series of reviews from the Young Critics.

So with less than a week to go to the Young Critic’s Panel, Catriona Quigley reviews Heartbreak House

Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Roisin McBrinn

Performed by Lisa Dwyer Hogg, Nick Dunning, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Brendan Conroy, Marcus Lamb, Mark Lambert, Aislin McGuckin, Chris McHallem, Don Wycherley, and Barbara Brennan

Sets by Alyson Cummins, lighting by Paul Keogan, Costumes by Niamh Lunny, music and sound design by Philip Stewart

Viewed on August 21^st 2014 at the Abbey Theatre

Reviewed by Caitriona Quigley

Heartbreak House: the name seems to imply anything but good-naturedness. At the same time, though, period dramas bring guilty pleasure for many, particularly now that Downton Abbey is so popular. And I’ve never studied George Bernard Shaw at all. Given all this, it was hard to know what to expect from the Abbey’s production – but I found myself sitting transfixed.

Shaw set his scene in 1914, just before the outbreak of the First World War, ensuring a plenitude of satirical jabs at the expense of the affluent upper classes who confined themselves to their trivial problems as the world changed around them.

Mark Lambert (Captain Shotover), Aislín McGuckin (Lady Ariadne Utterword), Kathy Kiera Clarke (Hesione Hushabye), Lisa Dwyer Hogg (Ellie Dunn) and Nick Dunning (Hector Hushabye) in Heartbreak House by Bernard Shaw, directed by Róisín McBrinn. Photo by Sarah Doyle.

The play concerns a colourful cast of characters who congregate for a country weekend at the dwelling of the surly yet outspoken Captain Shotover, played with appropriate gusto by Mark Lambert. Shotover has been estranged from his younger daughter Ariadne (Aislin McGuckin) for 23 years — yet she seethes when both the Captain and her eccentric sister Hesione (Kathy Keira Clarke) fail to recognize her. Hesione, meanwhile, has invited her friend, Ellie Dunn (the excellent Lisa Dwyer Hogg) to stay for the weekend. When Ellie arrives with her father and her fiancé in tow, she reveals that she’s had her head turned by a mysterious man, who as it transpires, may be a little too familiar to some of the guests…

I admired how Shaw deconstructs various archetypes often found in period dramas, such as the naïve young maiden, the crotchety patriarch, and the well-meaning best friend. The play’s central theme is deceit, and no character ended up to be as they appeared at the play’s outset. The characters and the audience are simultaneously strung along by this deceit, which paves the way for a literally explosive conclusion!

Aislín McGuckin (Lady Ariadne Utterword), Nick Dunning (Hector Hushabye) and Mark Lambert (Captain Shotover) in Heartbreak House by Bernard Shaw, directed by Róisín McBrinn. Photo by Sarah Doyle.

Heartbreak House, is, at times, an incredibly complex production to follow. I can’t count how many times my mum and I exchanged expressions of confusion about how the plot swerved in many directions, often with no prior warning. Yet, the dazzling set by Alyson Cummins, the actors’ impeccable comic timing and exquisite costumes by Niamh Lunny ensure that this production is, at its best, a genuinely enticing piece of theatre.

In conclusion, we found that Shaw’s razor-sharp wit and jovial banter made for insightful and pleasant viewing. Very highly recommended!

Catriona Quigley is a member of M.A.D Youth Theatre, Dundalk and an NAYD Young Critic for 2014

Ballyturk:a video review by Aifríc Ní Dhochartaigh

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

In the run up to NAYD’s Young Critics Panel on Oct 5th as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, we will be publishing a series of reviews from the Young Critics.

Over the summer months we asked the Young Critics to attend some shows in their own home venue. We asked them to make a short vlog review of the experience.

Here is a special vlog of Enda Walsh’s Ballyturk. With Ballyturk having it’s press night in London tonight at the National Theatre, we thought this would be a timely post.

Aifríc is a member of NAYD’s Young Critics for 2014

From left, Mikel Murfi, Enda Walsh , Cillian Murphy and Stephen Rea. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Well Worth Five Minutes Of Your Time

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

In the run up to NAYD’s Young Critics Panel on Oct 5th as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, we will be publishing a series of reviews from the Young Critics.

Over the summer months we asked the Young Critics to attend some shows in their own home venue. We asked them to make a short vlog review of the experience. We then asked a selection of them to turn these into written reviews. Dr. Karen Fricker offered some editorial advice.

With three weeks to go to the Young Critic’s Panel Andy McLoughlin reviews Five Minutes Later

5 Minutes Later, By Ellen Flynn, directed by Marc Atkinson
Performed by Bob Kelly, Nichola McEvilly, Manus Halligan, and Sophie Jo Wasson
Set and lighting design by Colm McNally
Sound Design by Osgar Dukes
Costume Design by Mary Sheehan
Viewed on August 30^th at The Lir
Review by Andy McLoughlin

Ellen Flynn’s Five Minutes Later, presented by Sugarglass Theatre Company

The plot of Ellen Flynn’s new play is certainly a familiar one: four twenty-something strangers meet at a speed-dating night and become entangled in a strange love quadrangle while struggling with fidelity, friendship and loyalty. Given all the familiar tropes and superficial philosophy associated with these kinds of plays, Flynn’s talent is in resisting those clichés. Rather than presenting us with archetypes and then subverting them, we’re shown complex characters who resist being reduced to archetypes in the first place. There are no good or bad people in these relationships, only ambiguous choices made by flawed people to ambiguous ends. The play attempts to show our collective social network for what it really is: normal people navigating a world that isn’t.

The difficult themes of vanity, objectification and secrecy are captured well by the design elements of the play. The set, which at times takes up the entire width of the already small stage, is comprised of four door-frame-sized two-way mirrors which move through the space on tracks. At the best of times they serve to frame the action of the play, surrounding the characters and forcing them to confront themselves or allowing them to judge each other from behind a reflective screen. Occasionally though, it seems there’s a tendency to manipulate these mirrors just so they don’t go to waste. This endless fluidity disorients and induces fatigue as often as it heightens the drama.

In some cases, the non-stop movement on stage fits nicely into the hectic and sometimes surreal nature of the play. As for the plot itself, things are a little more muddled. The lion’s share of the play is effectively a highlights reel of the four characters’ relationships as they go from strangers to lovers and back again. As the show’s title suggests, the concept of time is a loose one and we often see these relationships grow and change without any real indication of how much time has passed, which leads to some confusion. The plot is further convoluted by hectic dreamlike interludes and even in the most intimate moments, we’re distracted by the actors manipulating the set around them to change the space.

It’s in returning to the more real, albeit complicated interactions between these four friends/foes/lovers that Atkinson’s talent really shines through. With the help of a great cast of characters and actors (Nichola McEvilly being the MVP as a desperate housewife seeking escape), speed, distance and emotions are all explored in their fullest range to give a dizzying sense of drama in the lives of these characters. Whatever about surreal interludes and unpredictable plot pacing, this is ultimately a play that feels as strange and immediate to us in the audience as it does to those on stage. And that is no small feat.

Andy McLoughlin is a member of Droichead Youth Theatre and a participant on NAYD’s Young Critics Programme 2014

SWING SWUNG INTO ACTION FROM THE FIRST WORD

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

In the run up to NAYD’s Young Critics Panel on Oct 5th as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, we will be publishing a series of reviews from the Young Critics.

First up, Sophie Quin reviews Swing

Swing by Steve Blount, Peter Daly, Gavin Kostick and Janet Moran, directed by Peter Daly
Performed by Steve Blount and Janet Moran
The Source Arts Centre, Thurles, County Tipperary, performance viewed on 26 June 2014
Review by Sophie Quin

Janet Moran and Steve Blount in Swing by Fishamble Theatre Co.

“Is… Is this swing?”
And so from the first timid and engaging question put to the audience, Swing caught my attention as it danced into a familiar, yet new world. Not being a general admirer of dance shows (I find the lack of dialogue often compromises plot), I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
In a swing dance class May (Janet Moran) and Joe (Steve Blount) meet for the first time. Their lives have stalled and they can’t decide what to do next. The class offers them an escape from the ordinary, to move on from the past, and possibly to live their lives anew. Drawing on the familiar issues of recession, divorce, emigration, love, changing your mind, and the omnipresent risk of failure, Swing retained a deep-rooted and quintessentially Irish style, as it mixed the serious with the comical and used humour as a possible solution to life’s problems.

Throughout the class we’re introduced to an array of characters: moody dance instructors, terrorised beginners, old lovers, and veteran swing dancers, each bringing their own stories to the stage. The actors swop characters multiple times by yelling “change places,” often at awkward moments; with a gesture, voice or posture they become a different person before your eyes. At times the transitions were so rapid that it appeared that there were far more than two performers onstage. Each character retained their own personality, even if some were slightly stereotypical. For instance the “foreign girl” was definitely foreign, and it was obvious that another character was homosexual from the cliché way they spoke and moved. Yet this was easily carried and probably necessary since there was such a varied range of characters. Blount and Moran interpreted each character with great flair. The direction by Peter Daly ensured the performance was crisp and elegant, but could also incorporate the gut-wrenching awkwardness of an argument taken too far. The show was funny but not tactless: none of the gags were out of context.

Fishamble has once again shown that it is at the forefront of new playwriting in Ireland. Swing is part of the company’s Show in a Bag scheme, in which all props and costumes are required to be kept to a minimum so performances can be scaled up to fill a large venue, or down to fit into a small tightly-squeezed café. This economical design meant, in the case of Swing, that focus was on performance and not an overly distracting set, which consisted of two chairs, a bag, a bicycle helmet, water bottles, a disco ball, and the costumes.
Whether you interpret Swing as an analysis of who and what we are rihgt now in Ireland, or as a jovial comedy about ordinary lives and the beginnings of friendship, it is a play that showcases much that is exciting and innovative in performance today. When the disco ball flashed into life, reflecting across the venue, I too was swept up into this ordinary yet extraordinary world. If you get a chance swing along to see this great and effective piece of contemporary Irish theatre.

Sophie Quin is a member of Fracture Youth Theatre in Tipperary and an NAYD Young Critic for 2014

NAYD Young Critics Swing into Summer.

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

Janet Moran and Steve Blount in Swing by Fishamble Theatre Co.

With the Young Critics firmly established as a hugely popular and beneficial programme, we decided to pilot some new elements to the programme this summer.

Following on from Alan King’s trip to the Theatre Critics of Wales Awards in February we took on some ideas from Guy O’Donnell and are piloting them for 2014.
Guy is the Arts Development Officer for Bridgend Council in South Wales and runs a Young Critics Scheme there.

Over the summer months 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 local Arts Centres and venues, who will offer special youth theatre discounts to shows, the Young Critics will get to see more productions in their home communities.

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

The intention of this approach is to allow the Young Critics to take their own independent steps of choosing a show for their fellow youth theatre members to see. They can develop their own programming tastes using some of the learning from Karen Fricker and Alan from the first Young Critics weekend.

The uptake and support from the venues have already been really strong.

The New Theatre in Temple Bar are offering all members of Complex Youth Theatre and Cabinteely Youth Theatre special €10 tickets for all productions.

Fishamble Theatre Company’s production of Swing, is touring over the summer months and has proven a popular choice with the Young Critics.

Members of Fracture/ Play Youth Theatre in Tipperary have received a special two for one deal when it plays at the Source Arts Centre in Thurlas on June 26th. There will be a post show discussion facilitated by Young Critic Sophie Quin.

Meanwhile 30 members of Griese and Kildare Youth Theatres will catch Swing thanks to a very special low price youth theatre rate at the Riverbank Arts Centre, in Newbridge on July 11th. Young Critics Emma Gallagher and Kyle Walsh will get to meet the cast of Swing after the show.

The Garage Theatre is home to Monaghan Youth Theatre and already does a lot to support the work of the youth theatre. Again they are hosting Swing and Lisa McPhillips has chosen this as the show for the group to attend.

In Cork the Everyman is extending their special school rate to Activate, Lightbulb and CIT Cork School of Music YT members. Aimee Wallace from Lightbulb has programmed her group to go see God Bless The Child on its Opening Night.

An Grianán Theatre is home to Letterkenny Youth Theatre. They will continue to provide many opportunities for the members to see shows for free or at significantly reduced rates, as does the Droichead Arts Centre in Drogheda, who have also extended that offer to the members of M.A.D Youth Theatre in Dundalk.

The Roscommon Arts Centre has extended another youth theatre rate to the members of Roscommon County Youth Theatre.

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 than usual. We would hope to develop and establish these relationships between venues and our members over the coming years.

The content created on the video blog and reviews will find a home on the Young Critics blog so expect a lot of updates in August and September.

Those venues supporting the Young Critics for 2014 are:

The New Theatre, Dublin
The Everyman, Cork
The Garage Theatre, Monaghan
An Grianán Theatre, Letterkenny
Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda
The Source Arts Centre, Thurlas
The Riverbank, Newbridge
Roscommon Arts Centre.

We would like to thank all the venue managers and their staff who have helped support this new initiative.

About NAYD Young Critics

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Youth Theatre Ireland Young Critics

The Young Critics is a programme of the National Association for Youth Drama (NAYD) in Ireland.

NAYD is the development organisation for youth theatre and youth drama in Ireland. NAYD supports youth drama in practice and policy, and supports the sustained development of youth theatres in Ireland.

NAYD advocates the inherent value and the unique relationship between young people and theatre as an artform, and is committed to extending and enhancing young people’s understanding of theatre and raising the artistic standards of youth theatre across the country.

The Young Critics Programme is part of NAYD’s commitment to developing youth theatre members’ awareness and appreciation of the aesthetic of theatre.

The Young Critics Programme brings youth theatre members together to:

attend workshops in the critique of professional theatre;
attend professional performances at leading Irish festivals;
give their own critiques of the performances at the Young Critics Panel.

Young Critics 2014

NAYD Young Critics 2014 at Dublin Theatre Festival Oct 5th, Project Arts Centre

2014 saw several new strands to the Young Critics programme. As well as our two weekends attending theatre in Dublin,the Young Critics also progammed a theatre trip to their local venue. From here they recorded a video blog review and several were invited to write written reviews.

The reviews can be read here

This was a really great dimension to the Young Critics progarmme and one that allowed even more young people have the Young Critics experience.

This year the Young Critics went to see:

Quietly by Owen McCafferty at the Peacock

An Ideal Husband at The Gate Theatre

Frequency 783 (Brokentalkers) at Project Arts Centre

The Seagull and Other Birds ( Pan Pan) at Project Arts Centre

Ganesh Versus The Third Reich (Back to Back Theatre) at O’Reilly Theatre

The self programmed shows during the summer included Heartbreak House at the Abbey, Fishamble’s Swing, Ballyturk, Lambo, [Title of Show] at New Theatre.

Young Critics 2013

There are two separate strands to Young Critics 2013. The first strand are the Young Critics who meet for the two sessions over the year. This group met for the first time in March. On this weekend they were brought to see two productions. They were

I Malvolio , written and performed by Tim Crouch at the Peacock Theatre

King Lear by William Shakespeare directed by Selina Cartmell at the Abbey Theatre.

This group will come together again in October to view and discuss work as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival at the Young Critics Panel

https://dublintheatrefestival.com/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=D377A9F9-905A-49E3-B858-3D8CE8540AD3

Young Critics 2013 arrive for King Lear at The Abbey Theatre

The second strand of the programme was The Young Critics International Encounter / Talking Shop

This strand involved a different group of young people aged 14-16 coming together to watch and discuss work as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival. This group was made up of 9 young people from across Ireland, 4 from BiondekBühne Youth Theatre, Baden in Austria and 5 from Stamsund in the Lofoten Islands in Norway.

This group explored two different but complimentary models of working, that of the Young Critics alongside the Talking Shop Model.

Young Critics 2012

In 2012 we were delighted to announce an expanded Young Critics programme. In addition to two weekends in Dublin, participants would also attend performances at the Cork Midsummer Festival.

The dates and locations are:

April 13-15, Dublin
June 22-24, Cork Midsummer Festival
October 5-7, Dublin Theatre Festival

Participants will attend at least eight performances while on the programme. They will also participate in workshops and discussions with international theatre critic Dr. Karen Fricker and Alan King, NAYD’s Youth Theatre Officer. The final weekend in Dublin will feature the Young Critics Panel, a public panel discussion, organised as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.

It is an exciting opportunity for youth theatre members with an interest in theatre criticism. To quote a Young Critic from last year:

It has opened up a whole new world of different types of theatre, and different ways of looking at theatre.

The programme is open to members, aged 16 or over, from NAYD affiliated youth theatres. Participation is free of charge: the cost of travel, accommodation and food is covered.

The Young Critics Panel takes the form of a public discussion forum and has taken place in October for the last number of years, as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.

In this blog the Young Critics will be sharing their views on not only the productions they have seen but also their experiences of the whole Young Critics programme

Alan King

Youth Theatre Office

NAYD

http://www.nayd.ie