An emotionally-charged play about teenage identity left audiences both thrilled and in tears, following a run of performances in Douglas.

A cast of young actors from the Isle of Man Youth Arts Centre Theatre Group staged its version of the play ’Dungeness’ at the Kensington Road venue over three nights last week.

The play centred around a hostel which proved a safe house for LGBTQ teenagers who had been forced to leave their homes by their parent’s refusal to accept them for who they are.

The group hear about an atrocity carried out against the gay community elsewhere in the world, and decide that they should do something to protest about it and mark the event.

This led to tensions and arguments between the teenagers, some of whom want to remain hidden in the safe house, and those who want to confront society and stand up for themselves.

The play starred Joe Locke as Orson, who vied for the leadership of the group with youth worker Birdie, played by Gracel Delos Santos.

Margo McGowan played Adira, who was forced from her strict Muslim household when she came out as gay, and Oliver Sykes as the flamboyant but deeply insecure Jotham.

Naimh Page’s portrayal of Caia, dressed in an over-the-top Ronald McDonald costume contrasted well with Eva Petrova’s silent resilience displayed by her character of Franny, and the scornful resentment of Tana, the straight visitor to the group, played by Evie Skillicorn was mirrored by the sullen Jen, played by Alice Gibson.

Each of the eight actors gave strong and powerful performances as young people who are trying to work out who they are and how to live their own lives in the moving play which had as many well-crafted moments of comedy as it did moving and touching scenes.

The group were giving the premier of their version of play before they travel to the Theatre on the Lake, in Keswick to perform it as part of the National Theatre Connections festival, during the second week in March.

The youth festival features groups from across the UK who perform one of 10 plays selected by the festival.

The best adaptation out of each play will then be invited to perform in London later in the year.

Director David Dawson said that he was delighted with the reaction and that it gave the group a big boost in confidence ahead of their trip to England.

’We saw three nights of terrific performances from the cast, and each night had the audience in tears,’ said David.

’We also welcomed the representative from the Connections festival who said that she felt the play was good enough to go to London, which is an amazing thing to hear. We have been close before, so fingers crossed it will happen this time.

Afterward each play, there was a screening of footage of the Manx gay rights campaigner Alan Shea, shown to highlight how the issues addressed in the play relate to the Isle of Man.