Review by Poppy Kennedy, Darlington College journalism student

Surrounded by Durham Johnston students, as part of Durham’s Festival of Culture, the audience stepped through the red door into the bustling house of number 5, putting on their wireless headphones to gatecrash Sam’s 17th ‘small’ birthday gathering.

Zest Theatre’s exciting and interactive production invited the audience to step into a teenage house party filled with (fake) alcohol, flirting, betrayal, friendship, selfies, sibling rivalry and a hamster called Sentry.

Through the use of wireless headphones, with two interchangeable channels, members of the audience were able to project themselves into different parts of the production, creating an individual experience for each. This innovative concept allowed the audience to choose which plotline they wanted to follow.

By performing in school, the cast are encouraging young people to get involved in theatre. Writer and director, Toby Ealden, said: “The purpose of this is to get young people, who maybe have never been to theatre before to come and for it to be totally different to their normal expectation of what theatre is like.”

Durham Johnston student, Omar Mawson, 14, said: “The actors were realistic, it felt as though I was an extra in a movie.”

Although the production is aimed at a younger audience, it appealed to a wide age range. Luke Vernon, who plays Jonno, said: “I had a full on dance with a 79 year old woman, who wrote a comment afterwards, and she loved it, she absolutely loved it.”

Gatecrash is not just a theatre production filled with teenage drama but an inclusive experience that should not be missed.

*For more information visit http://www.zesttheatre.com