New Views Festival 2024
Booking and details
National Theatre
South Bank, London SE1 9PX
This event is fully booked.
New Views is the National Theatre’s nationwide in-school playwriting programme for students aged 14-19.
The New Views Festival consists of play readings, workshops and Archive tours.
Thursday 4 July
Shortlisted plays readings – 11am and 5pm
Archive tours – 11am-1pm
Workshop: Devising New Beginnings – 11am
Winning plays readings – 2pm
Friday 5 July
Shortlisted plays readings – 10.30am
Archive tours – 11am-1pm
Workshop: Devising New Beginnings – 11am
Winning plays readings – 2pm
Full details of the Festival activities below.
Find out more about New Views.
Performed 4 — 5 July 2024 in the National Theatre.
Winning plays
Photo by Emma Hare
Staged readings
Gorvy Rehearsal Room, National Theatre
Thursday 4 and Friday 5 July, 2-4.30pm
This year, two young writers have been selected as winners of New Views 2024. The winning plays House on Fire by Luke Fields (Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, Northern Ireland), and Teulu by Emyr Strudwick (The College, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales) will be presented as staged readings in the Gorvy Rehearsal Room at the National Theatre.
House on Fire follows recently elected head boy and girl Stephen and Caitlin as they are called to the headteacher’s office. Following their contentious rise to power, the school has broken into a riot, and they must decide what to do next. This is a comedy with a sophisticated comment on politics of today. The reading of House on Fire will be directed by Emily Burns, Associate of the National Theatre.
Teulu takes us into the world of Owen, a teenage boy dealing with the grief of losing his mother, as he reconnects with his father, Wyn. Set in Wales, this play is an eloquent portrayal of community, family and leaning on those who love you. Teulu will be directed by Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre.
Both plays will be presented in a double-bill on Thursday and Friday, followed by a post-show discussion with the young writers and creative teams.
Suitability
Age guidance 14+
Content warnings
House on Fire – strong language.
Teulu – strong language, violence, alcohol use.
Access
A BSL interpreter will be interpreting during the performances.
Shortlisted plays
Rehearsed readings
Clore Learning Centre, National Theatre
Thursday 4 July
11am-12.45pm
Sweetness by Mirabel Yeboah (Wanstead High School, Redbridge)
Broken Frames by Paradise Isiodu (The Henrietta Barnett School, Barnet)
5-6.30pm
Tonight’s Interview with Claire Harvey by Emma Levin (Highgate School, Haringey)
Invitation to Pantalone’s by Adeniola Adesanya (St Paul’s Academy, Greenwich)
Friday
10.30am-12.50pm
The Kids Are Smoking, Again by Clay Colman (Exeter College, Devon)
The Journey by Phoebe Land (Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, Kent)
Here To Help by Isobel Guyer (King’s Ely, Cambridgeshire)
The plays deal with a range of themes. For full details, please download the play synopses, content warnings and welfare support links (374KB).
Photo by Emma Hare
Workshops
Photo by Corey Ryan
Devising New Beginnings
Clore Learning Centre, National Theatre
Thursday 4 and Friday 5 July, 11am-1pm
As part of this year’s New Views festival, we offer a devising and playwriting workshop designed to encourage young aspiring playwrights and performers to consider how devising can be used to kick start the playwriting process.
A physically engaging and interactive workshop, young people will be invited to express themselves through storytelling, developing teamwork and devising skills which can be taken forwards into future theatre and playwriting work.
Workshop produced by the 2024 Young Producers placements.
Only available to schools and youth groups.
Tours
Explore the National Theatre Archive
NT Studio, The Cut
Available at various times between 11am and 1pm on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 July.
The National Theatre Archive tour gives you a chance to get hands-on with our history.
The tour includes an overview of what the Archive collects and what it does. There is also a chance to see our public research spaces and basement stores.
You will be taken around the Archive and will have the opportunity to take a closer look at some of the materials held there, guided by a member of our Archive team.
Only available to schools and youth groups.
Please note, these tours take place at the Archive located on The Cut, next to the Old Vic.
Photo by James Bellorini
Winning New Views last year was an emotional and rewarding time that I feel so fortunate to have experienced. Returning this year as a judge, and watching several young writers be presented with the same opportunities that validated and inspired my passion for writing and theatre further, is another privileged experience at the National I won’t forget.
– Keira Grierson, New Views Winner 2023
Our funders
New Views is supported by The Mohn Westlake Foundation, Buffini Chao Foundation, Old Possum’s Practical Trust, Kusuma Trust UK, Unwin Charitable Trust, Noël Coward Foundation, Chapman Charitable Trust and The Golsoncott Foundation
Audible is the Official Audio Partner of New Views.
The Mohn Westlake Foundation supports nationwide Learning programmes for young people. Nationwide learning is supported by Buffini Chao Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation, Tim & Sarah Bunting, MFPA Trust Fund for the Training of Disabled Children in the Arts, Behrens Foundation, Cleopatra Trust, and The Andor Charitable Trust.
