‘I dunno. Like…I think I just wanna do something different, I don’t wanna do things the way everyone else is doing them but I don’t know how and I don’t know what I even mean.’

It's the middle of the night, and Peebs and Epi are the only students left at school over half-term. At the end of their night out, former step-siblings Red and Jazz try to navigate their reunion. With only a couple of hours until morning, Jaffa tries to help Keesh finish an essay. As day breaks, Wolfie is getting up the courage to confess a secret to VJ at a party.

Their choices are small yet momentous. The hours are small but feel very, very long. And when the night finally ends, the future is waiting — every last bit of it.

Katherine Soper's play The Small Hours was written specifically for young people. It formed part of the 2019 National Theatre Connections Festival and was premiered by youth theatres across the UK. The play offers rich opportunities for a large cast of young performers.