{"product_id":"9781350614291","title":"National Theatre Connections 2026 Eight Plays for Young Performers","description":"\u003ch3\u003ePlays for Young People\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch1\u003eNational Theatre Connections 2026\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eEight Plays for Young Performers\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAlexandra Wood | Helen Blakeman | Afsaneh Gray | Kirsty Housley | Florence Espeut-Nickless | Al Smith | Sean Buckley | Eve Leigh | The Royal National Theatre\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerforming Arts \/ Theater \/ Playwriting\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational Theatre Connections 2026 draws together eight new plays for young people to perform, from some of the UK's most exciting and popular playwrights.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese are plays for a generation of theatre-makers who want to ask questions, challenge assertions and test boundaries, and for those who love to invent and imagine a world of possibilities.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe plays offer young performers an engaging and diverse range of material to perform, read or study. Wrestling with themes like the Youth Custody Service, conspiracy, the climate crisis, exam pressure, grief and friendship, this collection lays bare a rich and complex terrain in which students can fully immerse themselves, explore and discover.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 2026 anthology represents the full set of eight plays offered by the National Theatre's 2026 programme, as well as comprehensive workshop notes that give insights and inspiration for building characters, running rehearsals and staging a production.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSean Buckley\u003c\/b\u003e is a British-Irish playwright and screenwriter from south London. His first play \u003ci\u003eMatches for Monkeys\u003c\/i\u003e was winner of the Verity Bargate Award and he was Pearson Writer in Residence with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Other plays include \u003ci\u003eBetween Dog and Wolf\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSmithereens \u003c\/i\u003e(both Paines Plough) and audio drama \u003ci\u003eStone Baby\u003c\/i\u003e (Radio 3) received a BBC New Writing Award. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlexandra Wood\u003c\/b\u003e is a playwright from London. Her plays include \u003ci\u003eThe Tyler Sisters\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Empty Quarter\u003c\/i\u003e (Hampstead Theatre); \u003ci\u003eNever Vera Blue\u003c\/i\u003e (Futures Theatre\/Edinburgh Fringe); \u003ci\u003eThe Initiate and The Human Ear\u003c\/i\u003e (Paines Plough); \u003ci\u003eAges \u003c\/i\u003e(Old Vic New Voices); a translation of Manfred Karge's \u003ci\u003eMan to Man\u003c\/i\u003e (Wales Millennium Centre); \u003ci\u003eMerit \u003c\/i\u003e(Plymouth Drum); \u003ci\u003eUnbroken\u003c\/i\u003e (Gate); and \u003ci\u003eThe Eleventh Capital\u003c\/i\u003e (Royal Court).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHelen Blakeman\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning writer for stage and screen, winning the George Devine Award for her debut play \u003ci\u003eCaravan\u003c\/i\u003e and a BAFTA award for her BBC adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's \u003ci\u003eDustbin Baby\u003c\/i\u003e, which also won an International Emmy Award.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAfsaneh Gray\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer for screen, stage and audio. She is the winner of the Brian Way Award with her play for young people,\u003ci\u003e The Border\u003c\/i\u003e. Her plays have been longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize and Women's Prize for Playwriting, and shortlisted for the Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Prize.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirsty Housley\u003c\/b\u003e is theatre maker working across direction, writing and dramaturgy. Awards include the OSBTT Award and The Stage award for Innovation. She was RSC digital fellow in 2022. Recent writing includes \u003ci\u003eMyth\u003c\/i\u003e (RSC) and \u003ci\u003eWoman\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eMachine\u003c\/i\u003e (Royal Opera House).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFlorence Espeut-Nickless\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning writer and actor from Wiltshire. Recent writing credits include; \u003ci\u003eLittle Red \u0026amp; Other Winter Tales\u003c\/i\u003e (Bristol Old Vic), \u003ci\u003eBernadette \u0026amp; Other Teenage Folk Tales\u003c\/i\u003e (Restoke), \u003ci\u003eThe Odyssey\u003c\/i\u003e (National Theatre \u0026amp; Trowbridge Town Hall), \u003ci\u003eDESTINY\u003c\/i\u003e (UK tour), \u003ci\u003eMiracle On 34 Seymour Street\u003c\/i\u003e (Trowbridge Town Hall).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAl Smith\u003c\/b\u003e's plays include \u003ci\u003eHarrogate \u003c\/i\u003e(HighTide\/Royal Court Theatre), \u003ci\u003eRare Earth Mettle\u003c\/i\u003e (Royal Court), \u003ci\u003eDiary of a Madman\u003c\/i\u003e (Traverse Theatre\/Gate Theatre), and\u003ci\u003e Radio \u003c\/i\u003e(Arcola\/Audible).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEve Leigh\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning, internationally recognised writer for performance. Residencies include National Theatre Studio attachment 2024, Royal Court 2019 and 2017, Experimental Stage of the National Theatre of Greece 2017, AIDF Teatr Polski Bydgoszcz 2016. Awards include Berlin Theatertreffen Stueckemarkt selection 2021, Sarah Award for Audio Fiction 2020, Jerwood\/Royal Court New Playwright Award 2019 (with Jasmine Lee-Jones), Women's Prize for Playwriting Finalist 2020, Bruntwood Prize shortlist 2019. Upcoming work includes commissions from Headlong, Unicorn Theatre, and the Javaad Alipoor Company.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 August 2026\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMethuen Drama\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9781350614291\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePaperback softback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e464\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18.56\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51669647720588,"sku":"9781350614291","price":27.86,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/getimage_d251c14f-2648-4b77-998a-513a9489a31a.jpg?v=1785203250","url":"https:\/\/lateknightbooks.com\/products\/9781350614291","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}