National Youth Theatre Pioneers AI in Live Performance
At the BETT25 education technology show, the National Youth Theatre (NYT) showcased how they’re harnessing the power of AI to revolutionize the creative process. Bringing together performers and leaders, the NYT demonstrated how AI can be a powerful catalyst for innovation in the world of theatre. The NYT’s appearance at the show highlighted an exciting, collaborative effort that bridges art and technology.
In 1956, two pivotal developments quietly began, one in the arts and the other in technology. This was the year the National Youth Theatre (NYT) was established, giving young performers a platform to shape the future of theatre. Simultaneously, John McCarthy at Dartmouth organized a workshop that helped to formalize ideas about thinking machines, and coined the term Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Fast forward nearly 70 years, and these two worlds collided at the world’s biggest education technology exhibition, Bett 2025, in London. The NYT, in partnership with Microsoft, took the stage to explore AI’s role in live performance. The focus was not on replacing artists, but on using AI as a creative tool and partner for its troupe.
Paul Roseby OBE, NYT’s CEO and Artistic Director, reflected that joining NYT had given him “a voice, a space to create, and a belief that storytelling could shape the world.” He emphasized that young people need to be “fearless” when embracing new technology. Performers today are using their skills, and also AI, immersive technology, and other digital tools to push creativity even further. Roseby explained, “AI doesn’t create – people do. Technology is hungry for human input; it craves our leadership, our curiosity, our imagination. It’s not here to take over, but to amplify and support us.”
The Future Stage
James Northcote, actor and NYT alumnus, introduced a cast of young performers and unveiled a new creative collaborator: Microsoft’s Generative AI tool, Copilot. He demonstrated how Copilot could support actors in their improvisations by generating scene prompts and character backgrounds.
The first scene featured two friends meeting at an airport. However, Northcote pushed the digital co-star further. Suddenly, the cast became rival treasure hunters in an airport lounge, scheming and competing. Copilot didn’t just suggest ideas; it responded and adapted, supporting the creative process. It provided on-the-fly script generation, allowing actors to edit lines and explore different emotions in real time. It improvised games and challenges, giving the performers unpredictable twists, which easily transported the performers and audience to various settings such as futuristic cityscapes, wizarding castles or haunted houses.
NYT performer Sanya shared her surprise at how natural the experience felt. She initially worried that the AI would take away from the spontaneity of performing, but instead, she says, “it gave me something to bounce off – like a creative partner throwing out unexpected prompts. For an actor, having that extra source of ideas can be a huge advantage.” Another NYT performer added, “We’re using AI as a collaborator, not a crutch. It challenges us. It pushes us to be more inventive.”
Roberta Zuric, Director and NYT Associate Artist, explained that the program has been “pushing their understanding of what tech is and how to use young people to experiment and explore what the future of performance and live performance is with integrated tech.” Northcote emphasized that the purpose of AI wasn’t to replace writers or actors, but to “enhance our storytelling; to make creative thinking more dynamic and accessible.” This wasn’t just an improv performance. It was a glimpse into the future of theater and live performance.
Beyond the Script
Through Microsoft and the National Youth Theatre’s Digital Accelerator Programme, young artists are experimenting with AI-powered tools to create immersive theatre experiences, combining storytelling, technology, and live performance to open new creative areas without diminishing the human core of theatre. A recent production even transported audiences to the North Pole through fully realised virtual worlds using VR.
Paul Roseby said that they want to make sure young people aren’t just reacting to technology; “We want them to shape it.” Northcote is excited about the role AI can play in the creative arts, stating, “AI is shaping entirely new creative roles. In the near future, we won’t just have actors and lighting designers; we’ll have AI-assisted dramaturgs, projection-mapping specialists, and interactive experience designers.” He added, “The next generation of theatre-makers will need to understand how to use AI, not just as a gimmick, but as a fundamental part of their creative toolkit.”
While some may be wary of AI, Northcote insists that it can “open new doors, enable new forms of expression, and reveal new ways to engage audiences.” Copilot proved to be a convincing villain in the improv games demonstrated by NYT at Bett25, but Northcote, Roseby, and the cast made it clear that AI is more of a supporting character, a writing partner, an improvisation coach and an artistic co-pilot. It is giving young creators the tools to confidently experiment. As one NYT actor expressed it: “It doesn’t replace our creativity. It fuels it.”
