Scottish Youth Theatre is delighted to announce that this year’s Summer Festival production will be His Dark Materials, an epic two part play adapted from the hugely successful Phillip Pullman trilogy. First performed at the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre, London on 3 January 2004 this production, performed and staged by young participants of Scottish Youth Theatre as the front piece for Summer Festival 2007, is the first time the adaptation has been produced in Scotland.

Based on the novels Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass and adapted by Nicolas Wright, His Dark Materials tells the story of Lyra and Will who find themselves embarking on a journey through worlds familiar and unknown. Encountering fantastical creatures in parallel worlds, rebellious angels, soul-eating Spectres, child-catching Gobblers, Armoured Bears and Witch clans of the Artic they must reach the Republic of Heaven through the Land of the Dead.

Mary McCluskey said: Now in our 30th year Scottish Youth Theatre is thrilled to be able to bring what was an enormous success in London to a theatre in Scotland. It offers young people between the ages of 14 and 21 the opportunity to take part in what is a significant piece of Scottish theatre history.

The staging of His Dark Materials will present an enormous challenge for both Scottish Youth Theatre and the participants involved in Summer Festival ’07. However, the results will no doubt confirm Scottish Youth Theatre’s aim to stretch the boundaries and redefine perceptions of what youth theatre is and what it can achieve.

The production will be directed by Scottish Youth Theatre’s Artistic Director, Mary McCluskey with Carter Ferguson and designed by the award-winning Kenny Miller, former associate director of the Citizens’
Theatre. At the end of 2006 both Carter Ferguson and Kenny Miller of were appointed as Associate Artists of Scottish Youth Theatre.

Summer Festival, Scottish Youth Theatre’s flagship annual event, takes place in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness with a five week performance and production course for 16 – 21 year olds, a three week performance course, which complements the five week course, for 14 – 16 year olds and a two week Foundation Course for 12 – 15 year olds

For more information on how to apply or for an application form for Summer Festival contact Scottish Youth Theatre on 0141 552 3988 or download an application form by logging on to www.scottishyouththeatre.org