National Theatre Connections Festival 2026

National Theatre Connections Festival 2026

For the past 31 years The National Theatre Connections Festival has been a celebration of young people, theatre and the importance of access to the arts. Each year the National Theatre commissions a collection of new plays for young people to perform, uniting some of the most exciting UK playwrights of today with the theatre-makers of tomorrow.

Royal and Derngate are proud to host the largest and most diverse of the regional Connections festivals in the country, and we are thrilled to be welcoming hundreds of young people to Northampton again in April 2026 for what promises to be an exciting week of new writing packed with young talent.

School groups and Youth theatres from across the region will perform in compelling new plays including Cloud Busting by Helen Blakeman, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth by Kirsty Housley, Sycamore Gap by Al Smith, Wildfire Road by Eve Leigh, The Animals by Sean Buckley, Fishville by Afsaneh Gray, and Royal & Derngate’s own Young Company will take part in the festival performing Britney’s Lock by Alexandra Wood

Tuesday 21^ April

Sycamore Gap
St Peter’s Catholic School
12pm in The Royal

Wildfire Road
Halesowen College
2pm in The Underground

Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth
Kettering Science Academy
5.30pm in The Royal

Wednesday 22 April

Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth
Ousedale
11.30am in The Royal

Sycamore Gap
Alderbrook School
1pm in Underground

Wildfire Road
Muliplicity
5:15pm in The Royal

Fishville
Roundwood Park
6:45pm in The Underground

Thursday 23 April

The Animals
Hatton Youth Theatre
11.30am in The Royal

Wildfire Road
Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts (CSVP)
1pm in Underground

Cloud Busting
Northampton School for Boys
5.15pm in The Royal

Wildfire Road
Wollaston School
6.45pm in Underground

Friday 24 April

Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth
Rushden Academy
12pm in The Royal

The Animals
Kingsthorpe
4.45pm in The Royal

Saturday 25 April

Cloud Busting
Pegasus Performing Arts
12pm in The Royal

Fishville
NMPAT
2pm in Underground

Britney’s Lock
Ratzcool
5.30pm in The Royal

Sunday 26 April

Sycamore Gap
Dreams Youth Theatre
12.15pm in The Royal

Britney’s Lock
Royal & Derngate Young Company
5pm in The Royal