Youngsters part of a town’s performing arts group are stepping into the spotlight as part of the UK’s biggest youth theatre festival with the National Theatre.

The group of eight from The Workshop in Lynn will be performing Cloud Busting, one of ten new commissioned plays designed for young casts aged 13-18.

The cast will debut their performance at their Lynn home first, currently on New Conduit Street, but looks set to move at some point next year to Lynn’s Carnegie Library in April 2026.

The Workshop opened it’s doors in 2019 and has since been offering a “range of creative opportunities” for all ages, but has a particular focus on young people with challenging circumstances.

The Workshop has just launched a new “pay what you can” scheme, allowing families to choose how much they can contribute to weekly clubs.

The initiative aims to “break down barriers to keep opportunities accessible, affordable and inclusive”.

As part of the new production, there will be a visit from an Associate Director of the National Theatre who will help shape their performance and a trip to London by their director, Ben Martin, for professional training and creative development.

It will culminate in a partner performance at The Garage Norwich, where youth groups from across the region will come together to celebrate their “shared creativity, collaboration, and growth” through the National Theatre’s connections programme.

“Many of our young people have spoken about bullying in their schools, which has sadly become more prevalent in recent years. This play gives them a voice – it inspires them to explore themes of independence, acceptance and inclusion,” Ben said.

One young performer shared their excitement and said: “I’m just so excited to take part, I love being at The Workshop with the people in my group.”

The programme has also opened doors for young volunteer Mikey, who joined through Lynn’s standguide team and is pursuing a future in directing and filmmaking.

“I’ve already learned so much,” Mikey said.

“Seeing the cast bring this play to life with such energy and passion – that’s exactly why I want to do this.”