Students make a big song and dance about it in the Connections Festival

Performing Arts students from Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) recently took to the stage at Derby Theatre to perform as part of the National Theatre’s Connections Festival.

Over 30 students from Level 3 Acting and Musical Theatre courses joined forces to give a performance of ‘You Don't Need to Make a Big Song and Dance out of it’ by Abbey Wright, Shireen Mula and Matt Regan, in association with Tackroom Theatre. 

The play is about young people's attitudes towards, experiences of, access to, feelings about and opinions on pornography, love and connection. Taken from the actual words drawn from interviews of 10,000 young people from across the UK, this is a verbatim musical, that tries to simply be honest and out in the open about what is often considered to be a taboo subject, set to a collection of catchy tunes.

Each year the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people to perform, bringing together some of the UK's most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. When selecting groups to take part, the National Theatre team look for clarity and audibility, clear story-telling, conviction and energy. 

Over 300 youth theatre companies from every corner of the UK are performing in partner theatres as part of the Connections Festival. There are 10 scripts to choose from and judges will now choose their favourite performance of each play to be performed at the National Theatre in London.

Catherine Palfreyman, Performing Arts tutor at BSDC said: “The festival has been a great opportunity for students to put on a show and perform at a professional venue. Taking part in professional projects like this one give students valuable experience and contacts for their future careers in the performing arts industry.”