Paddington Star Hugh Bonneville issues Radio 4 appeal as NYT hits 70

Downton Abbey and Paddington star Hugh Bonneville delivers a poignant BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal on behalf of the National Youth Theatre.

Listen to Bonneville, an alumnus and Patron of the charity, on BBC Radio 4 what being part of National Youth Theatre gave him and call for much-needed support.

'Without you, we can’t make these stories possible, and a whole generation will miss out on the opportunity that I had' Hugh Bonneville

The appeal marks a major milestone in the NYT’s 70th anniversary celebrations and comes at a critical juncture for young creative people, with a 40% decline in young people studying GCSE drama in schools in England since 2010.

Bonneville will also share Samira's story, one of the thousands of young people who benefit every year from access to inclusive creative opportunities from National Youth Theatre around the UK.

It costs the National Youth Theatre £70 to create a free day of industry training for a young person.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

Repeated live on Radio 4 at 3.27pm on Thursday 30 April.