Young Playwrights Theatr Iolo

Young Playwrights’ Audio Plays | Theatr Iolo

Theatr Iolo has transformed original scripts by the winners of their Young Playwrights competition into online audio plays.

The winners of Theatr Iolo’s Young Playwrights competition have had their plays read by professional actors and turned into audio plays to be released on the 11th of March. The competition, which took place during summer 2020, was created by Theatr Iolo to provide a creative activity for children and young people whilst theatres were closed.

The winning plays are The Wakey-Wake-Amatic by Esme (age 10), Home from War by Lauren (age 14), Two Worlds, One Meal by Faaris (age 13) and Cer i Ffwrdd by Rhiana (age 15).

The children and young people’s theatre company were originally set to stage the winning productions at the Sherman Theatre but, as theatres around the country remain closed, the four winning scripts are now set to be released as audio plays that can be listened to at home or in schools on the Theatr Iolo podcast channel.

Young Playwrights Theatr Iolo
Two Worlds, One Meal by Faaris (age 13)

The plays were recorded over a series of video calls, in which the winning playwrights had an opportunity to share their inspiration with the actors and directors and watch their plays being recorded. The plays were directed by Lee Lyford and Sion Pritchard and performed by Mali Ann Rees, Sion Pritchard, Sara Lloyd, Kyle Lima and Connor Allen.

“The experience has really opened my eyes to all the different levels there are to creating a performance and it’s been so interesting for me to go through the process step by step and experience it as if I were working professionally,” said Lauren, one of the winning Young Playwrights.

Alongside the plays, the young playwrights have also recorded an interview with Theatr Iolo’s Artistic Director, Lee Lyford and actor and director, Sion Pritchard. The interview explores what inspired them to write their scripts and what it was like to work with professional actors. It is hoped that the plays will help to inspire the next generation of playwrights in Wales.

“The Young Playwrights competition offers us a unique opportunity to listen directly to young people and for them to freely express their passions, beliefs and interests,” said Lyford. “By providing opportunities for young people to write for their peers, we hope to create work that represents the wide range of subject matters that interest young people today, as well as inspire and develop the theatrical voices of the future.”

The plays will be available to listen to for free through Theatr Iolo’s podcast channel from Thursday the 11th of March. They can also be read, along with the other competition entries, on Theatr Iolo’s website from this date. Interviews with the young playwrights can be watched on Theatr Iolo’s YouTube channel and listened to through their podcast channel. The interviews will also be made available with subtitles.

To keep up to date with Theatr Iolo, visit their website here and follow @theatriolo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.


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Georgia Winstone is a regular contributor to Wales Arts Review.