“Bold and varied showcase of talented performers and designers but a little unpolished at times”
Over the 25th-28th June, the National Theatre’s youth festival ‘Connections’ took place at the Lowry Theatre, Salford. This was the first time the festival has taken place outside of London in its 31-year history. As in previous years, the cast and crew of each piece were representing different drama schools and youth groups from across the UK, with plays being commissioned by the National Theatre. Playwrights are encouraged to ensure open casting to enable maximum participation.
On the 26th and 27th, the four plays performed were ‘Wildfire Road’ and ‘Cloud Busting’ on the first night, and ‘Fishville’ and ‘Britney’s Lock’ on the second. Despite the pieces initially seeming to revolve around a handful of related themes- climate change, exam worries, school life more generally- each was surprisingly unique. The performances, sound design, and costumes were a highlight of all four performances.
The set design of ‘Wildfire Road’ was beautiful and striking. The humorous PA introduction, where audiences were told to avoid using their phones during the flight, meant the unsettling atmosphere of the play felt a little jarring. Once the play got going, however, the combination of jokes and uneasiness worked really well to show the increasing panic of the passengers as they realised something was wrong. The chairs being moved around to switch from an airport lounge to plane aisles to a cockpit was impressive. However, the projections at the back of the stage could have been utilised more effectively.
The best parts were the scenes with only a couple of performers allowing the characterisation to shine, the romance storyline and the interactions between the hijackers and pilots in particular. The boldness of the design, the performances, and the script were balanced nicely against the ambiguity of certain elements, especially the ending.
The following play, ‘Cloud Busting’, had a totally different atmosphere, with its minimal aesthetic relying on the performances and school uniform costumes to convey the setting. The actors were impressive despite the unfocused script, which never went in depth enough to get into the characters’ mindsets in the short runtime, with the audience actually clapping along and cheering throughout.
‘Fishville’ explored anxieties around class and climate change in depth. Its thrillingly surreal energy was enhanced by the costumes,especially those of the performers anthropomorphising the sea. The apocalyptic tone was grounded by the subtly explored relationships between the young characters, all struggling to find themselves. The energy of the actors and the music, and the stunning use of shadowplay, all helped raise ‘Fishville’ to greatness.
Despite technical difficulties on the night, ‘Britney’s Lock’ by (Alexandra Wood) was absolutely brilliant- probably the best of the four pieces overall- with all of the performers’ confidence and talent shining through the piece’s bold but relatively simple aesthetic. It’s helped, of course, by the great music, but more importantly is fun and exciting while still possessing a deep emotional intelligence.
With each play having a distinct aesthetic and style, it would be hard for all of them to be enjoyed by any one person. Equally, there was definitely something for everyone. Even at its least polished, ‘Connections’ was at its best when it took risks, leant the hardest into the varied concepts and styles being used and explored, and let the unique aspects of each piece go wild. It’s clear that there are some really talented performers and designers on display throughout, and it’ll be exciting to see where they go next.
Connections ran 25th-28th June at the Lowry, Salford.