A BRIDPORT cast and Bridport director will be taking their bows at a national festival this month.

Bridport Arts Centre’s BACStage youth theatre will be performing at Salisbury Playhouse’s Salberg Theatre on May 10 as part of the annual Connections Festival.

The group of 12 to 18-year-olds, will be performing a new black comedy called Heritage by Dafydd James.

Niki McCretton from the Lyric Theatre in Bridport will be directing the play, which tells the story of a group of misfit youngsters who are gathered together to sing for their village’s May Day festival.

As the play progresses, they realise they have been brought together for a far darker purpose.

The play, which the group first performed at the arts centre in March, is one of ten new pieces commissioned specially for Connections.

The Connections Festival is one of the largest youth theatre festivals in the world.

Each year the National Theatre commission 10 new plays which are then performed by 230 youth theatre companies across the UK.

In addition to their local performances, each company also has the opportunity to perform at a partner Regional Theatre – in BACStage’s case, the Salberg Theatre.

Kate Wilson, Bridport Arts Centre’s learning co-ordinator said: “We are delighted BACStage is taking part in the Connections Festival at Salisbury.

“The group has worked incredibly hard over the past few months and the play is fantastic.”