Forward to Victory! Visit WWI-era York with YTR Youth Theatre

Next month, York Castle Museum’s recreated Victorian street, Kirkgate, will host a unique and immersive promenade performance of Forward to Victory, a YTR Youth Theatre production focusing on five York lads during the First World War. In anticipation, we caught up with York Theatre Royal’s Julian Ollive for a chat about propaganda, zeppelins, and the power of youth theatre… 

In Forward to Victory, five local lads dream of heading off to the Front. Why were so many young people drawn to the conflict? 

In 1917, the narrative of war was set by the government. It was only propaganda and hearsay. I think the idea of propaganda posters and ‘doing your bit’ is quite an important part of the play, with young boys thinking that it’s exciting to go to war, whereas the reality is very different. 

What makes the show so unique to our city, and how does it tie in with the York Castle Museum exhibition ‘1914 – When the World Changed Forever’?

It’s a play that couldn’t really be done elsewhere – it’s very York-specific in terms of its references. It’s very much linked to its local context, from the Rowntree family, and the Cocoa Works, and zeppelin attacks in York, to local quakers and conscientious objectors. The writer, Rachel Barnett-Jones, spent a lot of time at the exhibition and the museum’s extensive archive, so it’s very much influenced by ‘1914 – When the World Changed Forever’.

The play will be performed by the 11-14 Youth Theatre group. What does theatre have to offer to young people?

What drama does is ask you to step into other people’s shoes and see things from other people’s perspectives. In today’s world, understanding, compassion and empathy are key life skills, which drama inherently does – it gets you working together as a team and asks you to consider other points of view. Also, it’s just a very playful and fun environment. Being social and interacting with other young people is really crucial, and that’s something we are really passionate about. 

It’s become even more important post-COVID, and we’re still building our Youth Theatre back from that time. I think there are still a lot of young people who feel a little bit nervous about coming out and interacting with others.

What can young Yorkies expect from YTR Youth Theatre?  

We very much want our young people to feel a sense of community and togetherness, as a group of people working towards a shared goal, with a shared love of theatre. We want to provide an opportunity for our young people to live creative lives!

Forward to Victory runs from 9-11 July. Visit www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/forward-to-victory/ to book. Visit www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/exhibition/1914-when-the-world-changed-forever/ to find out more about the ‘1914 – When the World Changed Forever’ exhibition. Visit www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/be-part-of-it/children-and-young-people/youth-theatre/ to learn more about YTR Youth Theatre.