What's happening at YTYT

Hello! My name is Eden and I have spent around 8 months at Yewtree now, so just short of a year! I cannot begin to put into words how grateful I am for Yewtree and how much they have helped me build my confidence and be the actor I have always wanted to be. Firstly, I shall talk about the reasons for the start of my time at Yewtree:   I started Yewtree as I wanted to act and express myself more than I do usually. I had always been nervous about acting in shows and plays in front of people like I had done previously in my primary school. There were two main inspirations for me to join Yewtree. The first was that my friend who goes to my school said how good it was and how much she enjoyed being an actor there at Yewtree. Having aspired to go into acting in some form already, I thought it would be fun to join a drama group that my friend goes to as I wouldn't be alone. The second reason is how inspired I was by all the small acts I was watching and how I realised that that was I...

First Ianthe share her 2025 When I look back on 2025 at Yew Tree, I feel a great sense of pride and joy. In January, I moved up to Gold Company and was absolutely terrified of the leap I thought I would have to make in my acting skills to even compare to the actors in that company. Little did I know that joining Gold Company would result in me meeting people that have made a lasting impact on me and my acting.   Gold Company’s first play this year was The Revenge of Eris, a play based on the Ancient Greek story of the Trojan War. I played Helen of Sparta and was mortified to find I would be playing the love interest for the protagonist. Helen’s character would end up allowing me to rekindle connections with past friends and develop my confidence. We also got to learn stage combat which was unbelievably fun as we had many battle scenes with swords! During these first six months in Gold Company, I became close with many of my fellow actors and I have made many memories with them that...

This year at Yew Tree has been yet again another filled with joy collaboration and many surprises. My year began with getting back to connections rehearsals for Mia and the fish in which I played the antagonist Paz alongside Alfie Cowburn a great friend and talented actor, through our rehearsals the play developed drastically, going from a story of struggle, climate action and companionship to something that we were proud to perform as our own piece.  It was also this year in which I took my grade 8 acting exam where I performed and answered questions on pieces from Comet, Henry V and Equus, a great challenge but one that I was proud to pass with distinction. In gold company it was a great pleasure to take part in the story of the Trojan war as long Priam, with many people in the company having only just joined or moving up to gold recently it was amazing to see people come into their own, overcome challenges and become part of the company. It was also at this time that I was grant...

This year at Yew Tree has been a WHIRLWIND. I performed in more shows than I usually do, worked with people who are now some of my closest friends, and learnt so much about both myself and other people. I think I’ve really found myself a lot more this year - 2025 has been so full of change, sudden endings, and new-beginnings that I can’t even begin to describe how different I feel now compared to the start of this year. However, despite it all, YTYT has always been there for me as one of the few unchanging factors of my current life. If you’ve ever thought about taking part in NT Connections and then doubted yourself, let me tell you that it was literally the highlight of my year. “Mia and the Fish” was genuinely the most amazing show I’ve ever worked on. It lasted from November 2024 until April 2025. I got cast as “Talia” who was such a fun character to play, and I really loved exploring and building character relationships during rehearsals. The process building up to the performance...

Last Christmas, I wrote a YewTree blog to recap 2024. I don't remember much about it, but what I do know is that it was quite extensive, and probably full of a lot of waffle. Here I am, on the 24th December 2025 (the date on which I am finishing the blog), writing another one. Hopefully this time it won't be as long, but knowing me i doubt I'll manage that. Trying to think back to the start of the year is like trying to remember your lines after briefly reading a script one time. The image of it you have in your head is definitely not what was written. Everything is completely different, especially me. I genuinely believe I am a different person now. And, since trying to remember that far back is difficult, I think I'll start closer to the end. In one recent Connections rehearsal, we explored a physical theatre exercise, and I made a comment that went something along the lines of "If I forget that I'm Fred in a room with other people that might be watching me, ...

Jacobe Sakels tells us of his YTYT year: What a brilliant year of yew tree! I want to start this by saying how delighted I am to spend yet another year of my life doing what I enjoy most, and 2025 has certainly made me fall even deeper in love with acting (which I never thought was possible!)   At the start of this year, I was buzzing after Hansel and Gretel and was ready for a new thing to keep me entertained! Luckily, I didn't have to wait, as we started work on a new play: In The Hands of The God's (Greek mythology), where I was Daedalus in the story of Icarus. I enjoyed this, and with many new people that had joined at the beginning of the year, it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know my new friends.  Alongside this play, I was also focused on my Grade 2 LAMDA devising. And after months and months of hard work, it all paid off with a wonderful distinction! Not only do I enjoy LAMDA, it's been proven to expand my skills and I wouldn't have become half the actor...

  What Oz Said: Lurking in the Background  Firstly, I want to get my sorry bow in early… I don’t normally write stuff…ever…That’s Sarah’s superpower and I try hard not to get involved. However, I suppose I have a unique perspective on YTYT having been there on the journey all the way from the beginning. I will try my best to be original and interesting but if this turns out to be all about how great Sarah is, I apologise.  Secondly, the other thing that those who know me will attest to is my sharp distaste for deference and anything that approaches it - so the idea of writing something as a 51 year old, privileged white male who has largely stood at the back of shows, turned lights on and clapped enthusiastically for 30 odd years… and then being taken seriously as a writer with some deep perspective… doesn’t sit terribly well.  I got involved with theatre at school. Actually, truth be told I was talking in a science class aged about 12/13 and got roped into helping s...