We The Young Strong

Inspired by the testimony of young women detained under emergency regulations during the Second World War, We The Young Strong is a bold new drama that follows unemployed teenager Flora Poole as she moves to London from the country seeking a better life. Increasingly frustrated by austerity, job insecurity and a lack of opportunity, she begins to find an outlet for her anger in Oswald Mosley’s newly formed British Union of Fascists, joining other young people on their crusade towards the ‘Greater Britain’. 
 
The performance will be accompanied by a panel discussion led by the UCL Urban Laboratory to interrogate the themes emerging from the story: from the economic and political marginalisation of young people; the impact of austerity on youth groups and public spaces; extremist radicalisation, street violence and fake news. These ideas will also be drawn out from an accompanying one-day ‘drama symposium’ with local youth groups and experts.
  
We The Young Strong has been supported by public funding from The National Lottery through Arts Council England, Criterion Theatre Trust, The Lowry and by private donors, and developed with Manchester Jewish Museum and Working Class Movement Library.
  
UCL alumna Nicola Baldwin is an award-winning playwright and scriptwriter commissioned or produced by the Royal Court, Manchester Royal Exchange, Sheffield Crucible, Bath Theatre Royal. She has created science-based drama for Theatre of Debate, Wellcome Genome Campus and UCL/Great Ormond Street Hospital. Radio plays include Abdication: The Crisis of Wallis Simpson. She is Research Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.

If you are interested in attending, please register your interest here and we will let you know as soon as tickets go on sale.

Image: British Union of Fascists Women's Drum Corps (credit: University of Sheffield Library)