Firstbyte Theatre Company to perform Blood Brothers at Burnley Youth to fund Edinburgh Fringe Festival trip

When Willy Russelll’s iconic play ‘Blood Brothers’ is performed on Saturday, February 8th, young people from Firstbyte Theatre Company will have been responsible for every aspect of the performance, including direction, marketing, costume, set design, tech and production.

Proceeds from the show will help to fund the group’s trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Eighteen-year-old A-Level drama student Anna Vassey, who will direct the play, said: “What makes Blood Brothers so special, and why it's the show l've been most proud to be a part of, is the fact that it has been made completely by us young people.

“It's definitely not something that I’ve seen happen before at many organisations, and hopefully it can help show people how great the collaborative potential of young people can be when given the chance.”

Fellow teenager Tessa Worden (16) currently studying for her GCSE drama qualification at Unity College, said she was honoured to be given the role of ‘Linda’ in the show.

“Blood Brothers is a commonly studied text in both English and Drama GCSE,” she said. “Because of this, it is the team’s hope that Year 10 and 11 students from the local area will form a large part of our audience. If this performance is sold out the show will be renewed for a second night.”

Tessa performed alongside six other youngsters from Burnley Youth Theatre’s Firstbyte group at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe in “Everything Something Nothing”, a hard-hitting play about toxic masculinity.