Royal & Derngate will host a National Youth Theatre (NYT) Audition Open Day at the theatre in Northampton on Saturday 19 February 2022. This free workshop will give young people audition advice and introduce them to the NYT ethos and the world of theatre making, providing a great preparation for anyone interested in joining the NYT.

The Open Day workshop explores self-taping for auditions, ideal for those who have not experienced self-taping before or who want to further explore their approach. Following the workshop there will be a Q&A where participants can learn from National Youth Theatre Associate Artists and Ambassadors about upcoming opportunities and what to expect as a National Youth Theatre Member.

National Youth Theatre auditions advice from NYT Patron and Alumnus Matt Smith: “Pick a speech that you like, work as hard as you can and try your absolute best, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you don’t get in this year there’s always next year. It’s a great company and if you work hard, apply yourself and bring the right spirit, it’s a place where you can really learn and develop and a company that will nurture you.”

National Youth Theatre Auditions Open Days are ideal for young people aged 13-25 who are interested in taking part in auditions to join the charity in 2022. Successful auditionees can go on to appear in high-profile NYT productions around the country, which in 2021 included critically acclaimed productions of Animal Farm and Othello at Royal & Derngate. This year’s auditions take place online via the National Youth Theatre Hub. You can sign up for the Hub Subscription here for just £2-a-month and free bursary places are available. Over 5,500 young people have subscribed to the NYT Hub since it was launched in November 2020 in response to the pandemic. 

The Hub gives subscribers access to over 24 online interactive workshops and talks a year with industry leaders and NYT alumni. Recent guests have included NYT Patron Ian McKellen and Daisy Edgar-Jones(Normal People). Subscribers can also access online resources including a self-tape masterclass with alumnus and Patron Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Die Another Day). On top of this, the scheme includes the opportunity to audition to become an Acting member, to interview to become a Backstage Member and the chance to take part in Creative Leadership training with no extra cost.

The charity’s alumni includes some of the world’s most celebrated theatrical and performing talent including Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rosamund Pike, David Oyelowo, Daniel Day Lewis, Andrea Riseborough, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Ed Sheeran, Colin Firth, Derek Jacobi, Zawe Ashton, Hugh Bonneville, Matt Lucas, David Harewood and Orlando Bloom. NYT’s Backstage alumni include award-winning talent working globally at leading theatres and stadiums and include fashion designer Gareth Pugh, Olympic Ceremony Technical Director Piers Shepperd, former Unicorn Theatre Artistic Director Purni Morell, lighting designer Howard Harrison and designer Rob Howell. It also includes cultural leaders Rob Hastie (Artistic Director Sheffield Theatres), Lynette Linton (Artistic Director Bush Theatre), Gbolahan Obisesan (Artistic Director Brixton House), Laurie Sansom (Artistic Director Northern Broadsides and formerly Royal & Derngate) and Michelle Terry (Artistic Director Globe Theatre).

The NYT Audition Open Day in Northampton will take place at Royal & Derngate on Saturday 19 February with a choice of a morning session at 10am and an afternoon session at 2pm. More details and the opportunity to register can be found here:  https://www.nyt.org.uk/whats-on/free-auditions-open-day-northampton. Information can also be found on Royal & Derngate’s website at www.royalandderngate.co.uk/nyt-auditions-2022/

National Youth Theatre is a pioneering youth arts charity which has nurtured the talent of hundreds of thousands of young creative people over the past 65 years. Since the 2020 lockdown the charity has supported over 20,000 young people, reached over 10million online audience members and engaged over 400 freelance artists. In 2021 the charity will tour major venues and iconic sites around the UK with young talent centre stage, launch a new inclusive practice collective bringing in-school drama to hundreds of disabled young people and employing 60 creative 18-24-year-olds on universal credit and open a transformed accessible Production House for Young People in north London. The charity’s alumni includes some of the world’s most celebrated acting talent and award-winning backstage talent working globally at leading theatres, stadiums and events. For more, see https://www.nyt.org.uk/

More information about the NYT Hub:

The Hub gives subscribers access to over 24 online interactive workshops and talks a-year with industry leaders and NYT alumni. Recent guests have included NYT Patron Ian McKellen, Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People), Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù (Gangs of London) and Emma Rice (Wise Children). Subscribers can also access online resources including a self-tape masterclass with alumnus and Patron Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Die Another Day), a writing workshop with playwright and screenwriter James Graham (Quiz, Labour of Love) and a directing workshop with Prasanna Puwanarajah (Ballywalter). On top of this, the scheme includes the opportunity to audition to become an Acting member, to interview to become a Backstage Member and the chance to take part in Creative Leadership training with no extra cost. The Hub platform allows subscribers to connectwith a nationwide network of young creatives, accesscommunity courses and events and unlockdiscounts for masterclasses and merchandise. Hundreds of young people around the UK auditioning at their schools also gain access to NYT’s Hub. Young people aged 11-26 can subscribe to the NYT Hub, with 14-25-year-olds eligible to audition or interview for acting or backstage membership.

An update on NYT’s new headquarters:

National Youth Theatre’s (NYT) recently completed a major redevelopment of the north London home with architecture practice DSDHA, transforming the building’s visibility and accessibility from the street and doubling its capacity for professional studio space. Conceived as a national ‘Creative Production House’ for young people, the work will allow the NYT to deliver on its ‘open door’ policy and vastly expand its existing track record of enriching the local community and beyond by providing cultural and social value, as well as enabling the charity’s long-term sustainability. The work also introduces a 250-seat Workshop Theatre to the building for the first time, enabling NYT to welcome audiences from the local community and beyond.