What's happening at YTYT

 13 year old me walked into the Cluntergate Centre 5 years ago absolutely terrified of starting something completely alien where I knew no one and didn't know what to expect. I'd picked drama as one of my gcse options and thought I should try give it ago outside of school to give myself a bit more experience. However, I hated trying new things, and going in blind was incredibly daunting. I went in, sat down, and proceeded to stare at the floor whilst everyone did their best and worsts, determined not to make eye contact with anyone because I was so scared. But then as we went round the circle I realised with utter (and probably more intense than was necessary) joy that I actually knew two of the people that were there from school. This was good for two reasons; one, it meant I didn't have to start any friendships completely from scratch, which was a big win for me back then, and two, it made me feel less scared that I was trying something new because Penny had only just joi...

First review is from Amani A little review since I got to watch an older-ensemble-company’s play for once as I’m usually in them ahahaha: Tonight’s show was INSANELY GOOD. I really liked the use of the push-pull method at the start of the play, and the flocking around characters (such as Gee) really personified and embodied the animals themselves. The masks were intricate and really quite fascinating to look at during the ensemble sequences, and they definitely added to the actors’ performances. The boxes were also perfect for this performance. The classroom environment flowed nicely which demonstrates the clear depth of the thought that had been put into each character. Two of the actors that stood out to me were Amelia as her performance as Gee about halfway through the play genuinely made me want to run onto the stage and hug her, and Ben as his performance as Zane showcased such a wide range of emotions. Everyone’s performances made me forget that I know them in real life as they e...

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...

I have so many memories from Yew Tree - it’s hard to single out a specific one. I’ve been hoping if I waited long enough, one would pop into my brain.  Recently I was working from home, and I put on some background music. Working in silence seems to shorten my attention span, but I get too easily distracted if I know any lyrics.  I popped on an old playlist called ‘Original Scores’. I made it whilst at uni so I could listen to music from films to fuel my concentration through all the chapters of required reading.  Its first two albums are Yann Tiersen’s score Amelie (2001) and Hans Zimmer’s score The Holiday (2006). They’re both there because we used them in Yew Tree productions. Each time I hear the songs we used, it takes me right back to the rehearsal rooms. Song: Comptine d’un autre été, l’aprés-midi  Date: March 2016  Place: Unity Hall, Wakefield This song was used for a companion piece we devised for our Connections production of Eclipse by Simon Armitage....

For almost a decade, I have had the privilege of being a part of a community of people that not only shaped my journey in theatre but also helped me become the person I am today. At the ripe age of 6,   Yew Tree Youth Theatre   quickly became my second home and – as it is in its 30 th   year – I have a reasonable excuse to write about it. 30 years is a remarkable milestone for any organisation, however for many people who start an originally small drama company it seems near impossible. Yet  Yew Tree  made it happen! The legacy of what is now the youth theatre we know and love today has been built upon years, and years, and years of hard work – both from the actors and the behind-the-scenes crew. Reaching three decades of  Yew Tree Youth Theatre ’s existence is insane, and to say I’ve been a part of nearly a third of it?! However,  Yew Tree  isn’t just a drama company: it’s a community, a family, a place where people come together to create. In ea...

I’m certain that of the many Yew Tree histories submitted as part of these anniversary celebrations, mine is a little unusual. I didn’t start young, nor am I from an especially theatrical background (I am, somehow, my own fault), nor did I feel particularly called to the stage. Rather, I was 17 and in need of something constructive to do. Turned out to be quite good fun, so I stuck around for a good 18 months before swanning off to uni. Yet probably the distinguishing feature of my Yew Tree experience is that a few years and one global pandemic later, being at a similarly loose end, I popped back in. I’ve been volunteering with Sarah and the youth theatre now for about twice as long as I ever attended in the first place. This has been in any number of capacities: running warm-up games, assistant directing, occasionally fetching coffee, now by contributing to this zine. And it makes sense to me to predicate my contribution on the unusual perspective I might have, having been on both sid...

Youth theatre has a hugely important part to play in amateur theatre and as NODA North East Youth Co-ordinator and District 13 representative I am doubly blessed to have Yew Tree Youth Theatre (YTYT) as part of the district. In addition to performance skills young people can gain so many benefits from being involved in youth theatre including building confidence, communication skills, creativity, teamwork, and emotional development.  YTYT provides a safe and supportive environment for self-expression, social interaction, and personal growth, which will ultimately boost self-esteem and well-being.  Through watching the YTYT productions I can see how youth theatre helps young people overcome stage fright, develop self-assurance, and believe in their own abilities.  Improving communication skills is achieved through participating in activities and it also enhances verbal and non-verbal communication, including clear articulation, active listening, and effective exp...

I’m not an actor. I’m a university lecturer. My experience demonstrates that being in a theatre group doesn’t mean you have to work in theatre in the future. I’d like to explain how the skills that I developed from being part of YTYT 20 years ago have been transformative and shaped who I am today. Communication  Performance is a form of communication. As a lecturer and leader in higher education, I “perform” regularly as have to speak publicly and articulate my message clearly. One of my strong beliefs as an educator is that it is my job to make my audience understand my point; it’s not the audience’s job to decipher my meaning. I also bring a human approach to my lecturers by being expressive when I speak and actively listening to my students. Before being a lecturer, I taught English abroad for several years which meant that I was often communicating across language barriers. The use of non-verbal and paralinguistic features of communication (body language, gestures, facial expre...

It was either a Thursday or a Friday night, depending on the year. That detail may seem small, but for me, it defined an entire chapter of my life. Fridays were for Gold Company. Thursdays, Black Company. Both were part of Yew Tree Youth Theatre, a place that helped shape the person I became.   I joined at 15, unsure of myself, full of awkward energy and curiosity. At first, it was just something to do after school or work, a creative outlet, a chance to meet new people. But it quickly became more than that. So much more. Yew Tree didn’t just teach me how to act. It taught me how to exist. How to show up. How to be seen.   Gold Company on Friday nights was where it all began. Those early years were full of discovery. We laughed a lot, we stumbled through scenes, we figured out how to speak from our stomachs instead of our throats. It was raw, chaotic, joyful. We were kids, playing at storytelling, but there was so much honesty in it. It was a space where we could try, fail, gr...