Storyhouse Young Company have written, produced and will be performing a brand new production, #IsItMe, on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 July.

Storyhouse Young Company is for 14-25 year olds with an interest in theatre. Two groups (14-16 year olds and 17-25 year olds) engage in workshops and sessions at Storyhouse to learn about and experience every aspect of theatre, from acting to lighting, stage management to sound, marketing to producing, directing to design and more. The group develop their own production and the programme culminates in a performance at Storyhouse.

Storyhouse’s current 17-25 Young Company group have been developing #IsItMe since September 2017. The production is focused on teenage relationship abuse. As part of their research, they have spoken to a Detective Inspector from Cheshire Police, and have worked closely with a Young Person’s Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Samantha Brookfield, as well as a host of charities and organisations, including:

• Savera UK (a charity challenging domestic abuse and honour-based violence)
• Cheshire West and Chester Council Domestic Abuse Family Safety Unit and Youth Service
• Family Caseworkers for Cheshire West and Chester’s Integrated Early Support
• IRIS (a domestic abuse training support and referral programme)

They then wrote a script based on real life stories and using excerpts from real-life conversations and have been developing and rehearsing the production since January. As part of the Young Company programme, they have learnt about lighting, sound and stage management, and will be running the production (including all technical elements) entirely themselves.

#IsItMe will be premiering in Storyhouse’s Garret Theatre on Thursday 5 July (1pm, 8pm) and Friday 6 July (1pm, 8pm). Tickets are £7, and £5 for Under 26s.

Book tickets here.

Find out more about Storyhouse Young Company 16-18 age group’s upcoming production, The Boy Preference.