A YOUTH theatre has wowed judges of a one-act play festival - beating off competition from other youth and adult groups for a spot in the semi-final.

Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal Youth Theatre picked up four awards at the northern heat of the All England Theatre Festival at the Richmond theatre earlier this month, including the Zetland Cup for best overall production which propelled the group through to the next round.

The youth theatre, which will perform in the semi-finals of the national competition in May, also won awards for best technical achievement and stage management, best set design, and best youth theatre for their production of Chatroom, a play by Edna Walsh tackling issues of teenage life.

Tracey Lacey, a youth theatre team leader, said she and the group of youngsters were thrilled.

“It’s a very powerful one-act play – the characters only interact online, but it involves one boy who is vulnerable and two others who are very manipulative and try to convince him to commit suicide,” she said.

“Fortunately he doesn’t and works through his demons with another chatroom member.”

Cast members Lewis Hayes, Hollie Kingston, India Wilson, Owen Prescott, Chloe Wood and Alex Rowe, and fellow youth theatre member Max Ferguson as director, impressed independent judge Jan Palmer Sayer, an award-winning regional theatre actor and director.

They will perform the play again at Knaresborough’s Frazer Theatre at the All England Theatre Festival semi-final on May 2 and 3.

Ms Lacey added: “We knew the group were strong contenders because they had worked so hard but we are thrilled for them. They have won trophies in the past but never got this far in the competition.”

The Georgian Theatre Royal Youth Theatre currently has 180 students with classes in Richmond, Leyburn and Colburn for ages six to 18 years.

For information call 01748-823710 or visit www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk.