Central Youth Theatre from Wolverhampton have been selected to perform at the National Theatre Connections Festival, celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Central Youth Theatre is one of ten groups invited to take part in this major event that marks the reopening of the Dorfman Theatre, which has been closed for government funded capital works since November 2024.

Central Youth Theatre will perform their version of Saba's Swim by Danusia Samal on the Dorfman stage at the National Theatre on Thursday 26 June 8.30pm, having first performed it at Worcester Theatres.

Central Youth Theatre is Wolverhampton’s longest running youth theatre, having worked artistically with young people from across the city for the last 42 years. Their mission is to inspire young people aged 4-25 to explore and connect with the changing world around them through imaginative storytelling onstage, in film and within the local community.

Connections is the National Theatre’s annual nationwide youth theatre festival that champions the talent of young people across the UK celebrating the power of youth theatre. For the past three months, over 5,000 young people from more than 270 companies and schools have performed at home venues and on one of 33 professional stages across the country to celebrate this anniversary year.

Showcasing incredible talent, Central Youth Theatre is one of ten youth theatre groups from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland invited to bring their unique interpretations of one of this year’s plays to the stage at the National Theatre from 24-28 June.

From developing new ideas to the final curtain call, young people are diving into every part of the theatre making process, gaining hands-on experience, building new creative skills, and exploring the exciting world of backstage and offstage roles. Across the ten selected groups young people have also taken on roles to bring their productions to life behind the scenes, from costume, lighting and sound design, to directing and score composing.

Holly Parry, Producer of Central Youth Theatre, said “We are absolutely thrilled to have been selected to perform Danusia Samal’s Saba’s Swim at the National Theatre Connections Festival. This is not only a dream come true for our young people but for the entire company. Many members of the cast have never been to the National Theatre before, with some having never visited London, so this is such a huge achievement for them. This opportunity is a life changing experience that will live long in the memory as a milestone moment of their youth. We couldn’t be prouder!”

Lily-May, a young participant aged 13, said “Being part of National Theatre Connections has made me build so much confidence and I’ve also built great bonds and relationships with the whole of the cast and directors. This production has been such an amazing experience and I’m so glad I was a part of it.”

Tickets are £5 per performance, or £8 for two performances in an evening. To book tickets and learn more about Connections 2025, visit the National Theatre's website.