Across five nights this December, 19 young performers will be explaining the science of growing up when they take the stage to perform ground-breaking play, Brainstorm.

Combining the research of neuroscientists and the performers’ own life experiences, Brainstorm is an intimate piece of theatre that contextualizes the science operating inside young people’s brains.  

“A lot of the research on the adolescent brain is written for parents,” explains director and devisor Rachel Sears. “It’s directed at ‘understanding your teen’ and answering questions like ‘why won’t they get out of bed’ and we really wanted to reclaim that research. This is about young people, so why can’t young people present it and understand it themselves?”

This is the final production for the 2019 Court Youth Company, showcasing the talents of 19 performers aged 17 – 21 who have spent the year honing their theatrical abilities at The Court Theatre. 

Speaking about what makes Brainstorm special, performer and devisor Josiah Morgan says, “You see a lot of fully scripted shows and a lot of fully devised shows, but not many that combines both. People will have to see Brainstorm to experience that!”

“What we’ve been creating is completely different,” agrees fellow performer and devisor Stella Cheersmith. “Unlike fully scripted shows, it feels like there’s a lot more input from everyone individually in Brainstorm.”

With its innovative concept, this special piece of theatre offers up the rare chance to step inside the mind of not just one young person, but 19.

“It’s focused on a particular time in your life when you’re going through a lot,” explains Sears. “I think that audience members will enjoy experiencing the stories of the young people in our company.”   

Brainstorm runs from 10 – 14 December 2019. You can find out more and book tickets here.