'I could never have a back up plan, me'

The pandemic was a bad time for creative teens with big stage dreams and boundless energy. We spoke to them about nerves, lockdowns and their hopes for the future

Dear readers — welcome to this week’s first members-only edition of The Post.

If you missed our Monday briefing yesterday, you can find an online version of it here. A warm welcome to the handful of new members who joined after reading that, it’s wonderful to have so many patrons this early on.

With today’s story, we’re returning to a theme we reported on last week — the experiences and lives of young people. But this time we’re focusing on a different cohort: 16 and 17 year olds who have won places at two of Liverpool’s most competitive schools for theatre and dance.

We asked Mollie to go and meet these kids because the creative arts scene is one of the real strengths of this city, and these young people represent the future. The teenagers she spoke to come from the Wirral, Bootle and Kirkby, and they have some really interesting things to say about their theatrical dreams and what it’s been like as a teenager during the pandemic.

Before that, we have our usual mini-briefing. If you hav…