Re-igniting the radical legacy in Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA): How the work of David Johnston and Theatre Centre in the 1980s can inform current practice

In this article Danny Braverman considers the legacy of his late mentor David Johnston, the pioneering producer of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). Prompted by a symposium at Derby Theatre in February 2018, he reflects on how Johnston’s innovations as Artistic Director of the TYA company Theatre Centre (1977-1986) can inform current debates about professional theatre in schools. Through analysis of a re-discovered 1986 documentary film about Theatre Centre and a re-examination of David Holman’s influential play Peacemaker (1982), Braverman argues that the TYA theatre-makers of the ‘80s were part of a radical, democratic movement that can inform the creation of an alternative to current neoliberal practices. Finally, in recognition that Johnston’s central talent was to apply democratic principles to fluctuating contexts, the author proposes some recommendations for current UK TYA in his spirit