Budding young actors have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Rosamund Pike, Rafe Spall and Zawe Ashton by joining the National Youth Theatre (NYT) when the company hosts free nationwide auditions across 14 UK cities.
Auditions will be held in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Glasgow, London, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Perth, Poole and Sheffield, with Welsh dates to be announced.
The auditions are open to all young people aged 14-25 and disabled and neurodivergent young people up to the age of 30.
Auditions in London will take place at the National Youth Theatre’s home in Holloway on January 11 & 12, and February 15. Previous NYT London members include Pike, Spall, Ashton, Joe Cole, Paapa Essiedu, Adeel Akhtar and William Gao.
Belfast auditions will take place on February 16 at the Lyric Belfast; Birmingham auditions will take place on February 10 at Birmingham BOA Stage and Screen Academy; auditions in Bristol will take place on February 22 at Bristol Grammar School; Exeter auditions take place on February 15 at the Barnfield Theatre; Glasgow auditions will be on February 22 at The Boardwalk; Leeds auditions will be on March 9; Liverpool auditions will take place on March 15 at LIPA; Manchester auditions are on March 15 & 22 at Contact Theatre; Newcastle auditions are on March 8 at Northern Stage; Perth auditions take place on March 1; Poole auditions will be on February 19; and Sheffield on March 1. Dates for Welsh auditions will be announced soon at nyt.org.uk.
Young people can also audition by online, by recording a video of themselves performing a monologue and answering a series of questions listed on the NYT website – visit nyt.org.uk/auditions/digital. More than 50 schools will also be participating in school auditions across the nation.
For the first time this year, an Audition Choice Award will see two young people from each location selected to receive a free course of study with the NYT and free accommodation on over 18 courses where accommodation is offered during their learning time. There will also be two recipients selected from online auditionees and a school with stand out talent will also be recognised.
Established in 1956 as the world’s first youth theatre, NYT produces ambitious theatrical productions in local communities, on leading global stages and in unusual spaces across the UK and beyond.