Lewisham Youth Theatre has been delivering theatre projects for young people across Lewisham borough since 1987. We started as Electric Theatre Company at our base at the old Ladywell Hospital. Electric created theatre for audiences across Lewisham.
We were approached by the Council and asked to run Youth Theatre in the Downham area. This work soon grew and we found ourselves working with young people from all over Lewisham.
The development of LYT was driven by the demand from the young people we were working with and the passion for high quality from the actors & directors.
Since 1987 we have worked with thousands of young people, many of whom have gone on to study theatre or have careers in the arts.
Lewisham Youth Theatre archive of shows
Senior Youth Theatre Productions
2023 Confession Challenge created by the Senior Acting Company and Helen Stanley, from original script by Sophie Ellerby
2023 Tales from the Lewisham Arms a series of scratch performances writen by the Senior Devising Company
2022 Time to Act 3 work-in progress performances developed with the Junior & Senior Youth Theatre Companies
2021 #ConfessionChallenge (Work-In-Progress) – video of live streamed performance
2020 Summer of Zoom – Films created as part of our LYT Remote season
2019 Story of My Life created by the Senior Acting Company with playwright Dani Moseley, and Secrets created by the Senior Workshop Company
2018 Twelve by Pia Ashberry, adapted from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Much To Do by Sophie Ellerby, adapted from Much Ado About Nothing
2017 30 Short Scenes About Love – including a new commission by Dani Moseley and scenes from LYT’s previous productions
2016 Three Little Words devised by Senior Youth Theatre Acting Company &Indefinite Aliendevised by Senior Youth Theatre Workshop Group
2015 Catford Tales – a promenade, verbatim community performance
2014 Catford Tales – Scratch performance
2013 Chuggers, a new commission by Steven Bloomer performed by Senior Youth Theatre Acting company & Viral Spiral devised by the Senior Youth Theatre Workshop Company
2012 Seeing Red a Senior Youth Theatre 18 plus devised response to the play The Quick by Stephanie Jacob. In collaboration with Diverse City, Clean Break Theatre Company and National Youth Theatre
2012 Metamorphoses by Marian Zimmerman, performed by Senior Youth Theatre Acting Company in collaboration with Irie! Dance Theatre & Rose Bruford College; and One Dream Between devised by the Senior Youth Theatre Workshop Company
2011 Past Tense intergenerational theatre performance devised by Senior Youth Theatre Acting Company and East End Tales by Fin Kennedy performed by Senior Youth Theatre Workshop Company
2010 School Ties devised by Senior Youth Theatre scripted by Arjunan Manuelpillai part of Platform 11+ European Theatre Project
2010 Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca
2009 Burn by Debbie Gearing
2008 My Life collaboration with Lightwork Theatre Company and Secrets – A collection of scenes
2007 Six Lives of Somebody devised by the Graduate Company and The Miracle by Lyn Coghlan
2006 Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht in collaboration with Forest Hill School music department
2004 Breaking the Glass Box collaboration withProject Phakamaat Horniman Museum
2003 Starstone by Christian Martin part ofNational Theatre Connections
2002 Hater film funded by New Cross Gate New Deal for Communities
2001 Twelve commissioned work by Pia Ashberry
2000 Hand Me Down commissioned work, by Christopher Rodriguez
1999 The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Step Up Young Company Forum Theatre Tours
2023 Live it Down By Helen Stanley & Company
2022 Live it Down By Helen Stanley & Company
2019 Stacked
2018 Follow The Leader
2017 Divided By
2016 #Filtered
2015 Breaking Rhythm
2014 Say Nothing
2013 All Change
2012 Dylan’s Story by Jen Camillin
Junior Youth Theatre 2 Productions
2023 MyLife Now adapted from the 2009 performance My Life, developed by the Junior Performance Company
2022 Time to Act 3 work-in progress performances developed with the Junior & Senior Youth Theatre Companies
2022 Wildfire! Developed with the help of SMASHfestUK, the Junior Youth Company, Phoenix Community Housing, Middlesex University and Copper Candle.
2022 Parched Lands By Helen Stanley and Company, original idea by Pia Ashberry, as part of Youth Voices 2022
2021 Parched Lands (Work-In-Progress) – video of live streamed performance
2020 Playing My Part – Filmed performances as part of our LYT Remote season
2019 Off The Map – Scenes from teen life in one school day
2018 The Play’s The Thing: ‘Love Fooled’ – Shakespeare in original text, translation and adaptation
2017 Showcase of Scenes
2016 Teenage Dreams a collection of scenes
2014 Truth and Lies a collection of scenes performed as part of Bronze Arts Award 2014
2013 Ruckus In the Garden by David Farr as part of Bronze Arts Award 2013
2012 Goodbye School! Hello Summer! A collection of scenes performed as part of Bronze Arts Award
2010 School Ties devised by Senior Youth Theatre & scripted by Arjunan Manuelpillai as part of Platform 11+ European Theatre Project
2009 Legends of the Amazon in collaboration with Stone Crabs Theatre Company
2008 Gizmo by Alan Ayckbourn & The Exam by Andy Hamilton
2006 Totally Over You by Mark Ravenhill
2005 Grimms Tales by Carol Ann Duffy
Junior Youth Theatre 1 Productions
2023 Space Girl By Helen Stanley and performances by the Junior Performance Company
2022 Stories From A Playground by Helen Stanley & the company as part of Youth Voices 2022
2021 Stories From A Playground (Work-In-Progress) – video of live streamed performance
2020 Cosimo and Space Girl – Filmed performances as part of our LYT Remote season
2019 New adaptations of stories from around the world: A World of Stories by Helen Stanley
2018 New adaptation of Shakespeare’s Stories: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest
2017 Superheroes by Ian McWethy & Monster Munch by Jack Sanderson-Thwaite
2016 Our Teacher’s a Troll by Dennis Kelly & The Last Word by Christine Castling.
2015 Porridge by Craig Hawes & Of the Terrifying Events on the Hamelin Estate by Philip Osment
2014 Clear as Mud by David Lane & The Bourbons and Other Crackers by Sue Gordon.
2013 Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Stories by John Glore & The Giraffe, the Pelly & Me by Roald Dahl.
2012 Sideways Stories from Wayside Town – collection of stories from a Readers Theatre anthology, devised by the Junior Youth Theatre Company & Forty Fortunes by Aaron Shepard.
2011 Ananse’s School Journey based on the tales of Ananse the spider and devised by the Junior Youth Theatre companies
2010 Friendly Matches & Three Cheers for Mrs Butler by Allan Ahlberg
2009 Magic Pillow of Oxumare in collaboration with Stone Crabs Theatre Company
2008 The Firebird by Neil Duffield & The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson
2007 Parched Lands by Pia Ashberry & The Witches by Roald Dahl
2006 Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations by Alan Ayckbourn
2005 Grimms Tales by Carol Ann Duffy
2006 School Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Ken and Daisy Campbell
Graduate Theatre Company
Radio Plays for Reprezent Radio December 2012 & April 2013.
Productions 1989 to 1998
The Visit at Deptford Church
Piaf
Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare at Horniman Gardens
The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht
Almost Grown
Two by Jim Cartwright
Bog Boy part of the National Theatre Connections
Project Phakama South Africa Exchange Project
Amen Corner by James Baldwin
Roar! Children’s Theatre Project
From 2006 to 2010 we programmed 100 children’s theatre companies in the Broadway Studio Theatre.
Over the four years of the project 8000 children and their parents came to see top quality shows at affordable prices on Saturday mornings.
This project started our work with under 8s and families.
Today we run our storytelling work across the borough and 500 children take part in our interactive sessions. Click here to find out more about this project.