Students shine in Connections Festival performance

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 (Circle Dreams Around) The Terrible, Terrible Past by Simon Longman.

The play explores expectations of life and the idea that human existence goes forever on in circles. The audience and actors experience a surreal, recurring dream together, with no apparent way out.

Over 300 youth theatre companies from every corner of the UK are performing in partner theatres as part of the Connections Festival. 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. 

One production of each play will then be selected to transfer to the NT Festival in London, the National Theatre’s annual, nationwide youth theatre festival. When selecting groups to take part, the National Theatre team look for clarity and audibility, clear story-telling, conviction and energy. Judges like to see productions that have observed and realised the writer’s intentions for the play. They are also interested in how groups respond to feedback from the Connections mentor director when transferring their play to the Partner Theatre Festival.

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