ECHO THEATRE TAKES PART IN NATIONAL THEATRE CONNECTIONS 2026 WITH THE SYCAMORE GAP

We're absolutely thrilled to announce that Echo Theatre will be participating in National Theatre Connections 2026, performing The Sycamore Gap, a powerful new play that explores themes of heritage, community, and resilience. This is a huge opportunity for our students, and we couldn't be more excited to share what this means for them and for Echo Theatre.

What is National Theatre Connections?

National Theatre Connections is the UK's largest annual youth theatre festival. Now in its 31st year, it brings together over 250 youth theatre companies and 6,000 young people from across the UK. Each year, the National Theatre commissions ten brand new plays specifically written for young people to perform.

Groups perform their chosen play at their own venues first, then selected productions are invited to perform at regional partner theatres. The very best performances are showcased at the National Theatre itself in London. What makes Connections special is that it treats young people as serious theatre-makers, creating professional-quality theatre that tackles real themes and tells important stories.

Why This Matters for Echo Theatre Students

Taking part in National Theatre Connections offers our students something truly unique: an opportunity to work on brand new material that no one has performed before. Throughout the process, students receive masterclasses and mentoring from professional theatre-makers, covering everything from acting and directing to technical theatre.

Students will potentially perform at prestigious venues like Nottingham Playhouse, giving them real professional theatre experience. Working on a new play like The Sycamore Gap pushes them out of their comfort zones in the best way, building confidence in performance, problem-solving, and creative thinking. They'll also connect with young people from across the UK, building friendships that can last a lifetime.

About The Sycamore Gap

The Sycamore Gap takes its name from the iconic tree that once stood along Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. The play explores themes of heritage, resilience, and the connections between people and place, resonating with contemporary issues while drawing on historical significance. It's material that will stretch our students as performers and as people.

What Our Young Performers Stand to Gain

The benefits of participating in National Theatre Connections extend far beyond the stage:

Creative and Performance Skills: Students become creative problem-solvers, learning to interpret text, make bold choices, and bring characters to life without seeing how others have done it before. They'll experience professional technical rehearsals, work with industry-standard equipment, and discover what it means to work collaboratively where everyone's contribution matters.

Life Skills and Personal Growth: Time management, resilience, public speaking, self-discipline, taking feedback, and working under pressure all become part of their toolkit. Students learn to commit to something bigger than themselves, gaining a real sense of achievement from being part of a national festival. These skills will serve them well in any career path they choose.

Career Pathways: For students passionate about theatre, Connections can be a real eye-opener. Meeting professional theatre-makers and experiencing the professional theatre world can inspire career aspirations in acting, directing, stage management, technical theatre, or playwriting.

The Journey Ahead

Rehearsals for The Sycamore Gap are already underway. Our performance dates are set for spring 2026:

• March 28th: Technical rehearsal day at Lincoln Bishop University
• March 29th: Home performance at Lincoln Bishop University
• April 12th: Partner theatre performance at Nottingham Playhouse
• April 13th: Workshop day at Nottingham Playhouse

Visit our calendar page for more details and to add these events to your calendar.

We're incredibly proud of our students for taking on this challenge. National Theatre Connections 2026 represents a significant milestone for Echo Theatre, an opportunity to grow, learn, and be part of something truly special. We invite our community to support these talented young performers by coming to see the performances, helping with fundraising, or simply cheering them on. We can't wait to see where this journey takes them.