Billions of neurons are fizzing and firing in the Brainstorm rehearsal room as the young cast prepare to share their exciting tornado of a show in our Barber Studio on 10-12 July.
The teenage brain has 86 billion neurons connecting and colliding to produce a stage of life that is chaotic, exhilarating and, at times, frustrating. Brainstorm explores how adolescent brains work, why they’re designed by evolution to be the way they are, and how they affect young people’s relationships with the grown-ups in their lives.
Co-created and performed by Leeds Playhouse Youth Theatre members and directed by Eleanor Manners (Associate Director on Oliver!, the Playhouse’s smash hit festive show in 2024), this mind-boggling show is devised from an original collaboration between Company Three and neuroscientists Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Dr Kate Mills.
Director Eleanor Manners said: “We have been working on this show with the young people since October, devising our version of the script and crafting the production. The young people have all been absolutely invested from the beginning. They bring such energy and creativity to the process, showing what it truly means to be a young person today.
“I’m always so surprised and impressed by them – especially when you consider that most of them have been doing exams while working on the play. The skills they are learning and the experiences they are gaining as part of this process will stay with them forever.”
Designed to be performed by teenagers, Brainstorm draws on personal experiences. The end result is a tumultuous exploration of what it means to be a teenager today.
