Following a successful first edition, the National Youth Theatre’s new writing festival StoryFest returns this July to the National Youth Theatre’s RIBA award-winning headquarters in North London. StoryFest is a month-long festival that demonstrates the NYT’s commitment to championing new work from emerging talent, many of whom are alumni of the NYT themselves.
Launched in 2024 in response to a 80% decline in scratch nights for writers to stage new stories in development, StoryFest 2024 premiered 6 new plays and featured 100 young creatives. Several of the 2024 plays have gone on to further development, including My Brother’s a Genius by Debris Stevenson, which will tour the UK in Spring 2026 in a new co-production with Theatre Centre, Sheffield Theatres and NYT.
The 2025 event will be sponsored by STUDIOCANAL and Urban Myth Films – whose support will enable over 100 young creatives to have their voices heard in a boost for the next generation of British writing talent. Urban Myth Films previously supported, and were instrumental in delivering, NYT’s free Write to Shine new writing programme, which developed exciting new writers for stage and screen, many of whom are now working professionally. For the CANAL+ group this new partnership is another part of its strategy for content responsibility, boosting the industry and bringing out more diverse voices in all of its territories.
Many of Britain’s leading dramatists have been commissioned at the start of their careers by NYT. They include James Graham (Sherwood), whose first paid commission was from the company, Jack Thorne (Adolescence) whose first play was developed and staged with NYT, 2025 BAFTA winner Lennie James (Save Me) who won a NYT playwriting competition when he was 16, Sarah Solemani (Chivalry), Miriam Battye (Succession) and Zawe Ashton (Character Breakdown).
Alongside producing their own critically acclaimed productions, commissions from the pioneering youth arts charity are often programmed by leading venues. The NYT commissioned adaptation of Animal Farm by Tatty Hennessy was recently staged by Leeds Playhouse and Theatre Royal Stratford East and nominated for an Olivier Award and Evan Placey’s adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde toured nationally with the National Theatre.
NYT Artistic Director and CEO Paul Roseby OBE said: ‘StoryFest is our response to the 80% drop in scratch nights for new writers and 30% decline in stories on our stages over the last 10 years. This July we’re celebrating ten fresh voices, including six current members, selected from over 150 StoryFirst submissions. Featuring a comic teen coming of age story on skates, a humorous journey into the darkest corners of the femosphere on a Birmingham bin truck, a commission in response to last year’s riots, and sex, racism and daddy issues at Oxford. Come and support new stories performed by Britain’s best young storytellers.’
M-K Kennedy, Executive Managing Director of STUDIOCANAL WORLDWIDE TELEVISION said:
‘We’re honoured to partner with the National Youth Theatre on StoryFest. As a studio deeply invested in the future of storytelling, we believe it’s vital to create meaningful opportunities for diverse new voices to emerge, particularly at a time of such rapid change in our industry. Initiatives like this create vital pathways for emerging writers to build the skills and confidence to succeed, and this partnership reflects Studiocanal’s long-term ambition to foster exceptional, original talent for the next wave of scripted television’.
Johnny Capps, Joint CEO and Founder at Urban Myth Films and NYT alumnus, said: ‘Urban Myth Films are so pleased to be working with National Youth Theatre again to build on the success of Write to Shine, our previous new writing collaboration, which produced an array of excellent writers. Working hand in hand with our partners at STUDIOCANAL and NYT, we’re excited to discover and support bold new original voices from across the UK.’
StoryFest commissions include: Bin Girl by Lauren O’Rourke and directed by Matt Harrison, both NYT Alum, is set against the backdrop of the 2025 Birmingham bin strikes and explores the limits to female solidarity, developed in Birmingham with local NYT Members. Hinge meets Jane Austen in NYT member Gracie Oddie-James’ playful and comic debut F*cking White Boys. Directed by NYT REP alum Jessica Enemokwu and set at Oxford University, the play explores sex, privilege and who’s fetishising who.
The Flip Side is a coming-of-age story taking an unblinking look at the bizarre customs and brutal rituals of growing up in London today. Written by Shireen Mula and directed by Eleanor Henderson, the play will be created with and star breakout talent from National Youth Theatre and its associate company Compass Collective, a charity who support the integration of young refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK through the arts.
Compass Collective said: ‘Collaboration is at the heart of what we do and we are extremely proud to be an Associate Company of NYT. Working in partnership with organisations like NYT enables us to provide our young people with access to a range of high-quality opportunities and renowned platforms for cultural sharing and celebration. We believe in the power of theatre, and of creating new work, to share the stories and amplify the voices which deserve to be heard. The Flip Side will be our first commissioned work.’
THUNDER THIGHS is a teen comedy-drama set against the backdrop of roller derby, an energetic sport played on roller skates that prides itself on being inclusive. Written by TV writer and performance artist Krishna Istha (Sex Education) and directed by NYT alum and Co-Founder and Creative Associate at Mischief Theatre Nancy Zamit.
F*cking White Boys
Written by Gracie Oddie-James
Directed by Jessica Enemokwu
Dates: Thu 10, Fri 11, Sat 12 July
The Flip Side
Written by Shireen Mula
Directed by Eleanor Henderson
Co-produced by Compass Collective
Dates: Wed 16 & Thu 17 July
Captioned Performance Thu 17 July
THUNDER THIGHS
Written by Krishna Istha
Directed by Nancy Zamit
Dates: Mon 21 & Tue 22 July
Bin Girl
Written by Lauren O’Rourke
Directed by Matt Harrison
Dates: Wed 23 & Thu 24 July
StoryFuture
Curated by James Northcote
Date: Fri 25 July
StoryFirst
NYT Member Writers to be announced
14th, 18th, 26th July
StoryFest runs from Thursday 10 July to Saturday 26 July and Pay What You Decide tickets are on sale now at www.nyt.org.uk/StoryFest.
Images (c) Helen Murray
