Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama returns to the Young Vic with NEW ’25, its annual festival of new writing…
The Young Vic Theatre welcomes the return of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama‘s acclaimed annual festival of new writing, NEW ’25, which will see four new commissions from some of the UK’s most exciting playwrights presented in the Young Vic Maria Theatre from 11 – 21 June, following their world premieres in Cardiff.
Nadia Fall, Artistic Director and CEO of the Young Vic:
‘We are incredibly excited to be hosting the RWCMD’s festival: the ingenious combination of some of the UKs most exciting directors and playwrights working together with the colleges talented young actors promises to be a dynamite collaboration and I’m certain we’re going to witness some very powerful new theatre as a result.’
First launched in 2014, this writing festival unites leading writers and directors with students to create new plays commissioned by the College in association with companies such as Paines Plough and the Sherman Theatre. Over the past two decades over 40 new plays have been commissioned and presented as part of the festival. Each year NEW is created in collaboration with the College’s Richard Burton Company, made up of graduating actors, as well as the Design for Performance and Stage Management courses.
The four commissions which make up NEW ’25 speak to the world today, focusing on human endeavour versus political challenges. The commissions are:
An Armed Robbery in a Petrol Station off the A38 by Samuel Bailey, whose debut sell-out play, ‘Shook’, won The Times Breakthrough Award in 2021. The play shows the struggles of everyday life when the unexpected occurs. Director Ned Bennett, returns to NEW having directed one of the festival’s first plays in 2014.
Into the Light is by the award-winning playwright Vivienne Franzmann, who has worked as a Resident Playwright in women’s prisons, secure mental health and community settings. Directed by Lucy Morrison (previously Associate Director at the Royal Court), Into the Light interweaves a series of vignettes into a patchwork of contemporary stories.
Children of the West by playwright, poet and filmmaker Dipo Baruwa-Etti is a grounded dystopian drama, exploring love, parenthood, and free will. The play will be directed by Zoë Templeman-Young a former Jerwood Assistant Director at the Young Vic, , and produced in partnership with Paines Plough. Both Dipo and Zoë are current shortlisted directors for the 2025 JMK Award celebrating enterprise, vision and inspiration.
And finally, Salem, in collaboration with the Sherman Theatre , written by playwright, screenwriter and audio writer Lisa Parr and directed by Sara Lloyd, former Associate Director at Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. The play dramatises a true Welsh story, exploring the decolonisation of Welsh art, and underlines the question: can we prescribe a work of art’s meaning?
Jonathan Munby, RWCMD’s Director of Drama Performance:
‘I couldn’t be more proud of the season this year, which builds on the success of our new partnership with the Young Vic, and continues to be a unique initiative in the industry. Since its inception ten years ago, NEW has brought together RWCMD’s exceptional acting, design and technical students with some of the most exciting writers and directors in British theatre. It’s a unique collaboration that has launched powerful new work into the world—including Alistair McDowall’s Pomona, which began its life as part of the season.
‘NEW ’25 continues this proud tradition, offering an extraordinary learning opportunity for emerging artists while giving established practitioners a supported, creatively open space to explore new ideas. Expect fresh voices, thrilling stories, and the future of theatre—now. ‘
Following NEW ’25 Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama will present their exhibition Balance in the Young Vic’s Maria and Clare Theatres from 1 – 4 July. Balance showcases the work of graduating designers and stage management students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, featuring designs created in the last two years for productions, projects and films made at the College. Following its opening in Cardiff, Balance transfers to the Young Vic bringing with it the work of both the individual creative design practitioner and the collaborative artist.
Full listings can be seen on the next page…
