After being unable to travel to the UK for the past couple of years, due to the Covid pandemic, a group of teenage actors have their eyes set on a trip to York, to take part in a national UK theatre festival.

The youth drama group, from the Kensington Road Youth Arts Centre, are set to perform the play ‘Hunt’ at the UK National Theatre Connections festival, held at various venues across the UK in April.

And, before they travel, the team of 11 actors, all aged between 12 to 16 years of age, will present their play at the youth arts centre theatre next week, from Thursday, March 17, and Friday, 18, from 7pm, and Saturday 19, from 2pm and 6pm.

Each year, the festival commissions ten plays for more than 600 drama groups from around the British Isles of choose from, which are then performed at various theatres around the country.

The best version of each play will then be performed in London later in the year.

‘Hunt’ was chosen by director David Dawson and Kensington Arts coordinator Peter Shimmin.

Written by Irish playwright Fionnuala Kennedy, the play is based on a rough housing estate, where the children play their own take on hide and seek. They ‘borrow’ objects from their neighbours’ back gardens, and dump them without being caught, by either the officials or neighbours.

‘I though this one was very exciting play and one of the better ones that was written for the festival,’ said David.

‘It was funny, it was exciting and there is this level of threat, that gives it an extra dynamic edge.

‘It wasn’t a dark play though. We’ve done some very dark stuff in the past, but this one is more lighthearted and, after the whole Covid thing, it lets us have a bit of a laugh with it.

‘There are some deep themes here, but all done through comedy. The children talk, as they would do, about their family lives and it shows that the kids are dealing with things they shouldn’t have to deal with.

‘Through it all it shows that the children are so resilient and pro-active that it shows that they cope with a lot of things that comes their way, and they just get on with it.

This is the seventh year that the youth arts group have taken part in the festival, the largest of its kind in the UK.

Not only does it allow the actors to experience performing in front of a crowd of strangers, it also gives them the chance to watch other plays and to meet with fellow actors, attend workshops and talk with industry professionals.

‘Its been really good and it is a shame that some of the actors have missed out on that experience over the last couple of years,’ said David.

This year’s cast are great and have all come with no inhibitions, just with the attitude of “get on with it and give it our best”.

‘It’s been a big experience for some of them, as some are so new to it, but they have been great.’

‘Tickets are £10 for adults and £8 for children, available from kensingtonarts.im