Talented Students from Habs Boys and Habs Girls Accepted into Sought-After National Youth Theatre (NYT) of Great Britain
‘Cream of the crop’: six students awarded places at the prestigious NYT having competed against thousands of other young people across the UK
30 June 2020, Hertfordshire, – Six students at leading independent schools, Habs Boys and Habs Girls, have secured sought-after places at the National Youth Theatre (NYT) this summer in recognition of their individual acting and performance ability. The NYT is notoriously difficult to get into, only a tiny minority get accepted and as such, the industry recognises membership as an indicator of genuine ability. All students attended an audition workshop to compete for a place nationally, on this year’s summer course and productions, before being fortunate enough to be accepted.
Each student undertook a series of self-recorded and live recall auditions, before being considered for one of the elite places available. They will each attend the summer training courses before they can become part of the wider NYT company.
Richard Weinman, Head of Performance Drama at Habs, commented, “This is an incredible achievement for our students, especially since over 6,000 young people between the ages of 14-26 auditioned this year. The NYT is a fantastic training ground, but most importantly it gives our students the opportunity to work with a group of amazingly diverse and talented young people.”
The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain is a registered charity in London. It is committed to the development of young people through the medium of creative arts, and aims to use theatre to aid in this objective. It was founded in 1956 as the world’s first youth theatre and has built a reputation for producing actors such as Daniel Craid, Daniel Day-Lewis, Timothy Dalton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Colin Firth, Ian McShane, Shaun Evans, Helen Mirren, Rosamund Pike and David Suchet, to name a few.
Every year, the National Youth Theatre holds acting auditions and technical theatre interviews around the United Kingdom; on average, it receives over 5,000 applicants. Currently, around 500 places are offered on summer intake acting and technical courses (in costume, lighting and sound, scenery and prop making, and stage management), which offer participants membership of the National Youth Theatre upon completion. Members are then eligible to audition for the company’s productions, which are staged in London’s West End, around the UK, and internationally.
Students at Habs accepted by the NYT, gave the following reactions:
Demi (Lower Sixth) said “I feel truly blessed to be given this opportunity.”
Arman (Lower Sixth) said “It is humbling to know that I have been accepted into such a prestigious institution.”
Abim (Year 11), “I am incredibly excited at being able to attend the same institution as incredible actors such as Daniel Craig and Benedict Cumberbatch.”
Senitha (Year 11), “I feel privileged to be part of NYT. Thanks to Habs and Mr Weinman in particular; the hard work has paid off.”
Jessica (Lower Sixth), “I feel so grateful to be accepted into the NYT as it puts a great emphasis on uplifting the younger generation.”
Avital (Year 11), “The NYT is an organisation that has inspired so many young people. I look forward to being a part of it.”
