AN emotional audience left the Hub Theatre last Saturday after watching Theatre for Life’s first ever Youth Theatre production, Burying Your Brother in the Pavement, by Jack Thorne.

The actors boldly took on this coming of age play under the direction of Artistic Director Michelle Smith.

The cast were fearless on stage successfully communicating hard hitting themes such as sexuality, male suicide and grief which left their audience members empathetic and moved by the storyline.

Playwright and audience member Mark Wheeller said: "A big well done to Michelle Smith for the performance this afternoon.

"Burying Your Brother in the Pavement has a surprising twist the cast did well to keep quiet about!

"Rosie Mellet as Tilly was outstanding, Freya Todd was also superb, wonderful singing voice too. Well done Ollie Pope on the amazing lights/technical.

"Brilliantly directed and incredibly visual, the underscore and technical support was WOW!

Lead actress Rosie Mellet who played Tilly was outstanding, Rosie kept the audience engaged throughout the whole play through her skilful storytelling and emotional investment.

William Reynolds and Hiva Kallaveh were equally engaging on stage, communicating their relationship as lovers who felt unable to conform under the pressures of society. William as the brother performed a heartfelt and emotive monologue at the end of the play revealing his reasons behind his final suicide.

Alongside these talented lead characters, the ensemble performed high energy physical theatre sequences and choral work which supported the surreal world of Tilly’s imagination effortlessly. Audience members were introduced to mystical characters such as creeping wall monkeys and elephant pavements.

This was a total piece of theatre that not only displayed high quality acting and directorial work, but technical elements such as mask work, costumes, composition work, choreography sound and media work.

Theatre for Life CIC is a Performing Arts Company which creates activities for Young People who cannot afford participation in the Performing Arts. Theatre for Life CIC has been working in the local community running a free Youth Theatre company for disadvantaged teenagers aged between 14-19 yrs old in the Southampton area.