National Youth Theatre at the Finborough Theatre

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2016, the National Youth Theatre for the first time in its history, presents a season of new writing at London’s Finborough Theatre. The season is to include world premiere productions from two Olivier Award-winning playwrights and the first ever stage production of Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Founded in 1956 the NYT is the pioneering force for youth theatre around the world and is recognised as the leading provider of free alternatives to formal theatre training, with alumni including Dame Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Chiwetel Ejiofor CBE and Sir Daniel Day Lewis. Since being founded the world’s leading youth arts charity has nurtured the talent of over 100,000 young people.

The Fall by Olivier Award-nominated playwright James Fritz (Four Minutes Twelve Seconds, Ross and Rachel) The will be directed by Bryan Forbes Director Bursary Recipient Matthew Harrison (NYT REP Bryan Forbes Bursary Director 2014).The Fall is a miniature epic spanning a lifetime. It takes a funny, moving and candid look at young people’s relationship to the old, confronting the frightening prospect of ageing in a country undergoing a crisis of care.

Bitches is a two hander about running a YouTube channel by Olivier Award winning playwright Bola Agbaje (Gone Too Far!), directed by NYT REP 2013 Assistant Director Valentina Ceschi. Bitches follows teenage friends Funke and Cleo as they set up ‘Sons of Bitches’ with the hopes of getting rich quick but everything starts to fall apart when a meme of Funke’s mum goes viral.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist will be the first ever stage production of Mohsin Hamid’s Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel and Hollywood blockbuster film. The production looks at the ironies of prejudice and representation in a post 9/11 New York and Pakistan. It follows Pakistani native Changez’s disenchantment with the West and his journey back to Lahore. The production has been adapted for stage by Stephanie Street (Sisters) and will be directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah (Moth).

More information at www.nyt.org.uk.