National Youth Theatre

The National Youth Theatre is a registered charity in London, United Kingdom that is committed to creative, personal and social development of young people through the medium of creative arts, and aims to use theatre to help in the personal and social development of young people. It is a member of National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).

The National Youth Theatre offers a series of acting courses with an emphasis on ensemble playing. The acting courses for new members generally take place in August and are of 12 days duration. During that time, up to thirty young people on each course improvise, devise and perform under the guidance of directors and tutors, developing an understanding of performance and learning skills and disciplines. The courses culminate in a performance which is presented to other course members. These performances are closed to the public.

In addition to the National Youth Theatre acting courses, the company also offers technical courses for new and existing members to gain practical training and experience in the technical approach to theatre production. Applicants for the four main technical departments are interviewed, and if successful, join one of the departments to be given training in their respective fields. Under supervision by theatre practitioners, the technical members form the production teams for all of the National Youth Theatre productions.