The debut Take Part Festival will come to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch between April 3 and 7.

It features work performed by its youth theatre as well as other young people from the area including dance troupes and schools and community groups.

The festival begins with six youth companies presenting brand new work from April 3 to 5 as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival 2018. Each year the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people to perform, bringing together some of the UK’s most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow. The Queen’s Theatre is partnering with the festival for the third year running and will be welcoming five drama groups from across Essex to its stage.

On April 3 audiences will see two performances, St Bernard’s High School is performing The Free9 by In-Sook Chappell and Store Room Youth Theatre will be bringing Chris Thompson’s Dungeness to life.

The drama continues on April 4 with Outloud Productions performing Chris Bush’s The Changing Room and Green Shoes Arts get political by staging a performance of These Bridges by Phoebe Éclair Powell.

Finally, Big Deal Young Actors Company will be presenting a unique piece of theatre using [ Blank ] by Alice Birch and the Queen’s Theatre’s Cut2 Company will be performing The Free9 on April 5.

The 20th anniversary of the Queen’s Theatre’s dance showcase First Feat will take place on April 6 at 7pm. First Feat celebrates the creativity and diversity of young dancers in East London and Essex. This event enables dance groups aged 11 to 19 from different backgrounds with varying styles and interests to be united through a passion for dance. The Queen’s Theatre’s QDance group will be performing their new work, titled Boiling Point.

Take Part Festival concludes with the QYouth One Act Play Festival 2018 Twisted Tales on April 7 at 7pm. This celebratory evening features four one-act plays brilliantly performed by over 100 members of the Queen’s Theatre’s youth groups.

James Watson, learning and participation producer at the Queen’s Theatre, says: “We are so proud of all the young people we work with, and what better way to celebrate than a week jam-packed with young talent presenting powerful, vibrant and inspiring pieces of theatre.”

The Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1QT. Details: 01708 443333