The latest production by Shetland Youth Theatre is part of the largest youth theatre festival in the world, organised by the National Theatre of Great Britain.
Remote, by Stef Smith, is a play about protest, power and protecting yourself. A girl steps out of her front door, throws her phone on the ground and stamps on it. She then climbs the tallest tree in the park, not wanting to be found by anyone. In the unfolding story, seven teenagers" lives intertwine over the course of a single evening as they make their way through the park on a seemingly normal Autumn night.
Director John Haswell of Shetland Arts, who has led many innovative and challenging productions, said that the style of this drama was a new departure for most members of the company. However, “they are tackling it with all their usual flair and enthusiasm.”
NT Connections is the biggest youth theatre festival in the world and features over 250 youth groups from across the UK and beyond. Each year, the National Theatre commissions ten leading playwrights to create a new piece of work especially for youth groups to perform, and participating companies select one of the scripts to be presented in their home location. Remote was Shetland Youth Theatre's choice.