************************* After the recent success of York Youth Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of The Trial, it will be the turn of the Theatre’s 14-16 year old group to showcase their talents, when they make a welcome return to The Studio with three rarely performed plays that are sure to thrill audiences and continue the Youth Theatre’s excellent reputation for producing high quality work. A double-bill, every night, from the three plays Mr Puntila and his Man Matti, Bonfire Night and Allotments, and finally The Children will be performed in The Studio from 30 November –2 December from 7.15pm. The Children, by Edward Bond, tells the story of a disturbed mother who sends her daughter on a bizarre errand which has fatal consequences. Leaving home she embarks on a journey with his friends. Encountering evil and destruction she is drawn into a world that is changed forever. The play is directed by York Youth Theatre’s new director, Owen Calvert-Lyons, who said about the play “The Children is one of those rare things, a great play that was written to be performed by young people. As ever with Edward Bond’s work, nothing is handed to you on a plate, so my cast has had to work hard to make sense of the strange world in which these events take place. The play is a dark and disturbing tale of a young girl who sets out on a journey on which she is forced to confront the evils of the world. It is a brutal tale, but ultimately, it’s tale of redemption.” The Children will be performed on the 30 November and 2 December. Claire Dowie’s two plays Bonfire Night and Allotments plunge headfirst into the depths of revenge, murder and anarchy. In Bonfire Night, a woman takes revenge on the world by shooting people under cover of November 5th. In Allotments, the inhabitants of a normal street find a point to life in self-sufficiency - not from political motives but just for fun. The plays are being directed by York’s Education Director Jill Adamson and will be performed on 30 November and 1st December. Finally York Theatre Royal’s Education Associate Julian Ollive will direct Lee Hall’s adaptation of Brecht’s classic play, Mr Puntila and his Matti. Puntila is a heavy drinker and suffers from a split personality. When drunk he is generous and friendly; when sober, however, he becomes selfish, cruel and rude. He causes mayhem in the lives of those close to him, his workers, his daughter and his loyal and sarcastic chauffeur Matti. Puntila engages in an ongoing battle about social change with Matti and the resulting clash of personalities is an expose of class politics where serious ideas are expressed in farcical terms. The play will be performed on the 1 and 2nd December. York Youth Theatre’s director, Owen Calvert-Lyons “These plays are rarely performed in this country, so for a youth theatre to perform them is a big challenge, but I think its important that we offer new experiences to York audiences. The plays are linked by the theme of social responsibility- Why do we chose to live the way that we live? Why don't we go around killing each other? And who is responsible for our actions? These are important questions for any audience.” Thursday 30 November from 7.15pm 7.15pm The Children 8.30pm Bonfire Night and Allotments FRIDAY 1ST DECEMBER from 7.15pm 7.15 Bonfire and Allotments 8.30pm Mr Puntila and his Man Matti SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER from 7.15pm 7.15pm Mr Puntila and his Man Matti 8.30pm The Children York Youth Theatre provides a weekly programme for people aged 5 to 25 years, with opportunities to perform both publicly and for invited audiences. Members also have the opportunity to watch productions, responding through discussion and drama work. Previous York Youth Theatre productions have included The Trial, Dictation, The Love of the Nightingale, The Selfish Giant, Multiplex, Shelter, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night and Discontented Winter/House Remix. Tickets are priced from £6.00 (Tickets for Under 25s and Students are £4.00) and can be purchased at the York Theatre Royal Box Office or by calling 01904 623568. Tickets are also available online at www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk Ends For further information or to arrange interviews please contact: Duncan Clarke, Public Relations Officer on 01904 550149 or email: duncan@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk **************************