Individuals aged between 11 and 25-years-old will take over the Tricycle Theatre later this year for the inaugural Tricycle Takeover, a seven day festival that sees young people get involved in every aspect of theatre, from performing and programming to designing and directing.
From 30 March to 5 April, the Kilburn venue will become a hub of youthful creativity, with highlights including a new piece commissioned by Cuckoo and Pigeons playwright Suhayla El-Bushra and National Theatre Connections, the NT’s annual new writing festival that asks 10 writers to create plays for young people around the UK.
“Young people are at the Tricycle’s heart and the Takeover Festival shows how, through their creativity and ingenuity, they are making this theatre THEIR theatre,” the venue’s Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham said.
Commissioned by the Tricycle Young Company and performed by the Tricycle Young Company 19-25 Ensemble, El-Bushra’s The Kilburn Passion explores the daily lives of young adults on Kilburn High Road and will play at the Tricycle from 3 to 5 April.
Three double bills, which are performed by young individuals hoping to gain their place at the NT’s Connections Festival in July, will play as part of National Theatre Connections.
Firstly, Hearts & Pronoun, Luke Norris’ knockabout comedy about romance and football, and Evan Placey’s love story about transition, testosterone and James Dean – both of which are suitable for audience members aged 15 and older – will be performed by 360 Youth Theatre and Arts Educational School respectively on 30 March.
Angels & Heritage, the first a tale of young strangers on a community projects and the second a story about a group of misfit children, will be performed at the Tricycle by two London schools on 31 March and are suitable for individuals aged 13 and older.
Suitable for ages 15 and older, the final double bill, The Wardrobe & Tomorrow, which will be presented by the Tricycle Young Company 19-25 Ensemble and Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, tell their tales of a closet where children seek refuge and the politics of the last day of school respectively on 1 April.
Other shows, which will be performed outside of the theatre’s main auditorium, include We Think It’s Extraordinary (And Now We’ll Tell You Why (30 March), an investigation of unicycles, semi-aquatic mammals and all the extraordinary things in life playing at the Baldwin Studio, and Dream Neasden (2 April), a piece that asks you to join a group of young people as they embark on a guided tour of their dream, which will take place at Press Road Community Centre.
The festival will also include a series of cinema screenings and events led by writers and actors including Handbagged playwright Moira Buffini, The Amen Corner’s Lucian Msamati and Cecilia Noble, and Evening Standard Award-winning playwright Roy Williams, all of whom will be on hand to give advice about the creative processes that happen behind the scenes.
For full details of the Tricycle Takeover programme and to find out more about the additional workshops and events on offer, visit the Tricycle Theatre website.