National Youth Theatre

18/08/2026

👏Congratulations to the LIVERPOOL Juniors for completing your NYT Summer Intake course

We were super excited to be back in Liverpool for a second year led by NYT Associate Simon Joseph and Alum Dan Regan

❤️ Thank you to Liverpool Lighthouse for hosting us

Drop some ❤️ in the comments for Liverpool!

📸 Tessa Carroll

18/08/2026

“Letters to My Younger and Future Self brings together current NYT members, alumni who’ve been doing this work for a long time, friends of NYT, and other surprise guests yet to be announced. And they’ all writing letters that reflect their past, present or future."

"We’re looking at it as a bit like a box of chocolates, where you get loads of different stories, experiences and feelings. I’m excited to hear all those different stories and voices together, because everyone’s coming at it from completely different lived experiences. What’s amazing is hearing people tell a story in their own voices and being able to facilitate that. You might get to hear perspectives like yours, but you might also get to hear perspectives you’ve never heard.”

Dramaturg Krishna Istha on Letters to My Younger Future Self
Sunday 20 September, Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall
Tix from £26

Read more on Substack: https://nationalyouththeatre.substack.com/p/writer-krishna-istha-on-letters-to?r=1tj8va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Beatrice Updegraff catches up with writer Krishna Istha, dramaturg on Letters to My Younger Future Self - our major 70th celebration at the Southbank Centre on Sunday 20 September.

17/08/2026

MORE stars announced for Letters to My Younger Future Self at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 20 Sept, supported by Netflix

Chart-topper Sophie Ellis-Bextor, BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes), leading Dramatist James Graham (Dear England), Daniel Ings (The Gentlemen), Calam Lynch (Rings of Power), Fay Ripley (Cold Feet), Rhea Norwood (Heartstopper) and Megan Bolton (TikTok Comedian) join the lineup of performers with more letters written by NYT Patron Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joanna Lumley, Dame Joan Collins, Richard E. Grant and Matt Lucas.

Tickets from £26 - book now: www.nyt.org.uk/letters

17/08/2026

Today we're announcing the second wave of stars appearing in Letters to My Younger Future Self at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall on Sunday 20 September, supported by Netflix.

Stars joining us for a very special 70th anniversary celebration will include NYT Patron Sophie Ellis-Bextor, BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Susan Wokoma, leading dramatist James Graham (Dear England), Daniel Ings (The Gentlemen), Calam Lynch (Rings of Power), Fay Ripley (Cold Feet), Rhea Norwood (Heartstopper) and Megan Bolton. They join the lineup of performers with more letters written by NYT Patron Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joanna Lumley, Dame Joan Collins, Richard E. Grant and Matt Lucas.

They join previously announced BAFTA winner and NYT Patron Adeel Akhtar, India Amarteifio (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story), Fehinti Balogun (Down Cemetery Road), Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones), Rob Rinder (Judge Rinder), Takunda Muzondiwa (Roundhouse Poetry Slam winner 2026) and Jack Thorne (Adolescence.)

Tickets on sale now at www.nyt.org.uk/letters

Read more in an exclusive in Variety https://variety.com/2026/theater/news/rhea-norwood-susan-wokoma-james-graham-national-youth-theatre-1236835453/

Rhea Norwood, Susan Wokoma and James Graham join National Youth Theatre's 70th anniversary show, 'Letters to My Younger Future Self.'

06/08/2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 GLASGOW, YOU WERE INCREDIBLE!

Glasgow kicked off our summer courses this year and marked a first for us, with junior and senior courses in the city for the very first time 🎭

Two weeks of new friendships, brave choices and boundary-pushing work, all building to this: our Glasgow sharing. Swipe through to catch the moment our newest members took to the stage. 👏

To every young person who walked through the doors this summer, welcome to the NYT family 💛

📸 Captured by NYT alum Jassy Earl Creative

03/08/2026

A look back at Mankind Forever from StoryFest 2026 By James Fritz
Directed by Matt Harrison and Richard

A huge congratulations to everyone involved in the show and NYT Members both on stage and backstage

This could be you next summer!

📸 CHARLIE LYNE

28/07/2026

“If I was writing a letter to my younger self, I’d say, ‘Don’t try so hard. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all going to be okay.’ But writing to my future self feels different – it feels like asking questions. ‘Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing to have fun? What does the world look like now?’ It’s interesting because writing to your younger self becomes about reassurance, while writing to your future self becomes about curiosity.”

Josie Daxter, director of Letters to My Younger Future Self, our major 70th anniversary event supported by Netflix, on the show, her NYT journey, the importance of access to drama for young people.

Read our full interview: https://open.substack.com/pub/nationalyouththeatre/p/director-josie-daxter-on-letters?r=1tj8va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Photo and words Someone I Met Today

Ahead of our major 70th celebration at the Southbank Centre on 20 September, Beatrice Updegraff caught up with director Josie Daxter on her NYT journey

28/07/2026

‘“If I was writing a letter to my younger self, I’d say, ‘Don’t try so hard. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all going to be okay.’ But writing to my future self feels different – it feels like asking questions. ‘Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing to have fun? What does the world look like now?’ It’s interesting because writing to your younger self becomes about reassurance, while writing to your future self becomes about curiosity.”

Josie Daxter, director of Letters to My Younger Future Self, our major 70th anniversary event supported by Netflix, on the show, her NYT journey, the importance of access to drama for young people.

Link in bio to read more on our Substack

Photo and words Beatrice Updegraff