They were treated like visiting gods - partly because the assessors' reports would also be used to help determine which productions would be invited to perform in the regional showcases, and finally in the National's showcase.The writers were also involved. Lucinda Coxon was struck by how open and articulate the actors were about the difficulties of working on The Ice Palace; "They were genuinely appreciative of the chance to work on something so slippery and ambiguous. Some of them asked me what the 'secret' was in the play; but they each had their own different answers."All the actors say the greatest thrills are performing premires of brand new work written especially for them, and the chance to act on a proper stage in a prestigious theatre The ability and confidence of the acting is astonishing. For Paul Godfrey, whose play A Bucket of Eels is part of the festival, this proves that young actors can tackle sophisticated new texts; "People say the strength of youth theatre is in movement and music, not text. This scheme has proved there's a phenomenal validity in this kind of work which is usually thought too difficult for kids." One young actor at the Cheltenham festival told me what a relief if was to do something really up-to-date rather than Aladdin or Annie: "I love the theatricality of Stone Moon, as much as the chance to say 'fuck' in the Bedbug on stage."Belfast's two-week festival at the Lyric showcased every play in the repertoire at least once - School Journey and The Dark Tower by Ulster poet Louis MacNeice three times each. The middle weekend was turned into an extensive series of workshops covering everything from stage management to mask-work. The Lyric's David Grant created an event that gathered an enormous momentum.

One actress commented: "This is really important because it coincides with the hope for a lasting peace." It became clear that this was also a turning-point for the identity of youth drama in the North as it seemed to discover a remarkable new boldness, confidence and sense of community.Five more festivals will take place during the coming months (Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh, Leicester and London); altogether nearly 200 youth theatre groups will have performed the latest work by some of the best young writers in the country. Young actors' appetites for new plays have been whetted, and, as one put it, "we won't settle for Oliver! again".n The best productions from BT National Connections will be showcased at the National Theatre, London, from 30 June to 5 July (0171-298 2252). The Counting of Years Young Vic Studio, London Pete Brooks' and Ruth Ben-Tovim's latest work is a confident, mature piece of theatre, a welcome reminder that non-linear drama can be as tautly accessible, as charged with suspense and humour as the conventional narrative play. Alice Purcell's superb multi-level set gives us an X-ray view of a hotel interior. Here sits Harry the night porter, fielding guests' demands and anonymous phonecalls and swallowing the odd vodka in an attempt to get a grip on the spiralling sex and violence within the hotel and the war-torn wasteland beyond it. One guest in particular obsesses him - a woman with red hair - who offers an ironic commentary on the major events of the 20th century She invites him to bed, then later commits suicide.

The work's major themes - the conflict arising from man's dogged need to extract meaning from a chaotic universe and the primacy of fiction over fact - emerge in their conversations.Though the themes are not in themselves particularly original, the dramatic structure of the piece lends them energy and resonance. Scenes are deconstructed, replayed and telescoped reflecting the unreliability of fact and our penchant for re-ordering. This device yields a wealth of humour and dramatic tension - it's far from being a dry aesthetic exercise. Neil Starr's soundtrack and Nigel Edwards's lighting are compelling and Nick Sutton as the long- suffering Harry stands out in a strong, committed ensemble.Ellen Cranitch.