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First 70th Anniversary Projects Announced

Posted 17 Nov 2025

FIRST DETAILS OF 70TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

  • NYT’S FLAGSHIP INCLUSION PROGRAMME ASSEMBLE RECEIVES LANDMARK £2.36M UK FUND GRANT TO CREATE SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN RECRUITMENT OF DISABLED YOUNG CREATIVE TALENT, DELIVERED WITH CHAPTER ARTS CENTRE, CARDIFF; EXETER NORTHCOTT THEATRE; LOWRY, SALFORD; MAYFLOWER, SOUTHAMPTON, AND SHEFFIELD THEATRES

  • NYT REP 2026 PROJECTS ANNOUNCED INCLUDING DRACULA & A NEW FILM BY OMAR KHAN DIRECTED BY MILLI BHATIA, LAUNCHED WITH AN ANTI-VALENTINE’S DAY LOVE BITES SCREENING SUPPORTED BY HAMMER FILMS, PART OF JOHN GORE STUDIOS

  • SUSAN WOKOMA, BAFTA BREAKTHROUGH BRIT AND NYT ALUM, TO WRITE BOOK FOR HANDEL AND HENDRIX, A NEW MUSICAL DIRECTED BY PAUL ROSEBY, PRESENTED IN A CONCERT VERSION AT ST JAMES’S CHURCH PICCADILLY, WITH MUSIC BY NAOMI HAMMERTON

  • NEW FREE SCRIPT SCHOOL LAUNCHED TO SUPPORT NEXT GENERATION OF WRITERS FACING FINANCIAL BARRIERS

  • GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP WITH NETFLIX RENEWED FOR A THIRD YEAR OF BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ENTER THE CREATIVE WORLD

  • LONDON DATES ANNOUNCED OF DEBRIS STEVENSON’S MY BROTHER’S A GENIUS AT NYT’S WORKSHOP THEATRE AS PART OF UK TOUR IN 2026 CO-PRODUCED BY THEATRE CENTRE, SHEFFIELD THEATRES AND NYT

Paul Roseby OBE, CEO and Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre said: ‘As we turn 70 we are looking forwards and building on seven decades of storytelling. We are continuing our work to influence change, creating an industry that is accessible and open to all young people on stage, on screen and behind the scenes. As part of this change we are creating 270 new jobs for creative support workers and expanding our free training offer to get young talent job-ready. I’m grateful to our venue partners around the country collaborating with us as we audition and offer opportunities in more towns and cities than ever before. None of this work to empower young people would be possible without National Lottery players, the National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Sky, our new friends at Hammer Films and vital support from Netflix, the Kirby Laing Foundation, our President and Patrons, our trustees, our workforce and our hard working volunteers. Above all else, I'm thankful to audiences and the young storymakers who are driving this much needed change and helping keep our culture alive.’

Samira Ahmed, current NYT member, Assemble Assistant and Deaf performer said:

‘It’s so important that disabled people have access to theatre, because how can we have a truly representative society if we’re not hearing from them? Joining Assemble made me realise how powerful inclusion can be. For the first time, I walked into a space and didn’t have to hide who I was. For me, being a disabled young person in a leadership role shows our participants that if I can do it, so can they. Assemble made me realise how vital it is to create spaces where access isn’t an afterthought, it’s built in from the start. That’s how we make theatre, and society truly inclusive.”

John Gore, Chairman & CEO of Hammer Films, says “Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve been enchanted by the magic of Hammer Films. Today, as I stand at the helm of this iconic studio, my commitment is twofold: to celebrate and preserve the unmatched legacy of Hammer and to usher in a new era of storytelling that captivates audiences worldwide. I share National Youth Theatre's commitment to nurturing new storytellers and I'm excited that Hammer Films is sponsoring National Youth Theatre's new production of Dracula, bringing a new twist to this classic tale and new young audiences to the stories that Hammer tells so well.”

www.nyt.org.uk/assemble

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Now in its 12th year, The National Youth Theatre’s REP company, which offers a vital free alternative to formal training, will return with two productions in early 2026. This year 18 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 make up the NYT REP Company.

The first NYT REP production of 2026’s ‘Love Bites’ season will be Dracula, running at the NYT Workshop Theatre from 21 February - 13 March. This world premiere production is written by Tatty Hennessy, writer of the 2025 UK Theatre Award-winning and Olivier Award-nominated adaptation of Animal Farm, and directed by UK Theatre Award Best Director Nominee Atri Banerjee. Tickets are on sale now www.nyt.org.uk/whats-on

The REP Season will be launched at an anti-Valentine’s Day screening at ODEON Luxe Holloway, supported by Hammer Films, part of John Gore Studios, who today have announced new support for the world premiere production of Dracula. Hammer is an iconic British production company renowned for being a trailblazer in the Gothic Horror genre. In August 2023 Hammer was acquired by renowned theatre producer John Gore. Revitalised and reinvigorated, Hammer blends the nostalgic charm of its classic films with modern cinematic style and innovation. Preserving and respecting both its heritage and archive, Hammer is also actively planning an ongoing slate of new productions.

HANDEL AND HENDRIX

A concert version of a new ‘baroque and roll’ musical about two musical icons with a book by Susan Wokoma, BAFTA Breakthrough Brit and NYT alum, direction from NYT Artistic Director Paul Roseby and music from Naomi Hammerton, will premiere at St James’s Church this February. Music giants Handel and Hendrix lived next door to each other in London, separated only by time, and a very thin wall. When a young girl who has run away from home visits the current Handel and Hendrix Museum she decides to outstay her welcome. This is a story of finding your home, of being seen, and ultimately of letting go of the things that haunt us. Tickets are on sale now www.nyt.org.uk/whats-on

SCRIPT SCHOOL

Building on decades of nurturing and commissioning new writing talent, some of whom have gone on to become Britain’s leading dramatists, today NYT announces Script School, a new free accredited course for young writers facing financial barriers in partnership with United College Group. Led by industry-leading talent, the six week course for 19-30 year olds opens for applications today at www.nyt.org.uk/scriptschool. The course is a Level 2 Diploma in Performing Arts which we run alongside United Colleges Group and the exam board OCN, and complements NYT’s annual new writing festival StoryFest and open submission window StoryFirst, which in 2025 was supported by StudioCanal and Urban Myth Films. Leading writers who got an early commission from NYT include James Graham, Jack Thorne, Miriam Battye, Sarah Solemani and Lennie James.

IGNITE Your Creativity with NETFLIX

NYT and Netflix's IGNITE Your Creativity returns for a third year focusing on the Midlands, East of England and Scotland, with free courses in Coventry, the West of England and Glasgow.

In the first two years the NYT and Netflix have worked with 2650+ young people, inspiring them to pursue careers behind the scenes in TV, film and theatre. Through IGNITE we've delivered free workshops in schools and community groups in Newport in South Wales, Sunderland and Newcastle in the North East, Digbeth in the West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Dagenham. Participants have taken part in set visits to leading TV and film studios, backstage tours at theatres and been paired with industry mentors in their local areas or field of interest for one-to-one support to take their next steps into the industry.

MY BROTHER’S A GENIUS

After a successful work-in-progress presentation at the NYT’s new writing festival StoryFest in 2024, the NYT are delighted to present Debris Stevenson’s My Brother’s a Genius in a full touring production in spring 2026, in co-production with Theatre Centre and Sheffield Theatres. My Brother’s a Genius is a moving portrait of neurodiversity and family, embodying the forward-thinking and accessible approach of the Assemble programme. Poetry, grime and dance unite in Debris Stevenson’s explosive new play about learning to fall, fail and find our own ways to fly. Directed by Theatre Centre Artistic Director and NYT Associate Artist Eleanor Manners.

The tour will visit Sheffield from 28 January - 14 February, and Scarborough from 5 - 6 March, before a homecoming run at the NYT’s Workshop Theatre in north London from 19 - 21 March. The tour will also visit schools and other national venues to be announced.

Originally seed commissioned by the NYT, My Brother's a Genius has been commissioned for full production by Theatre Centre and further developed through the Theatre Centre’s acclaimed Future Makers process. Debris has worked with young people, NYT members and educators in schools across England to ensure the world of the play is rooted in the world of young people today. Tickets are on sale now www.nyt.org.uk/whats-on

The development of My Brother’s a Genius has been generously supported by Creative Crawley and Stanley Arts London.

AUDITIONS

Auditions to join National Youth Theatre in 2026 via schools auditions at 70+ schools nationwide and video auditions are open now. Free Open Auditions at a record 23+ venues in arts and community venues around the UK launch on 1 December. www.nyt.org.uk/auditions