What does it mean to be a young person today? A pre-show discussion about the hopes, pressures, pains and joys of growing up in 2026.
This discussion is inspired by our production of a new adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves, which explores the lives of six friends who navigate the highs and lows of life as they grow up together.
Sharon Gewirtz
Sharon is a sociologist based at King’s College London, where she researches and teaches about issues of equality, social justice and cultures of care in education and the workplace. For the last six years she has been part of a team researching young people's lived experiences of inequality in education, training and employment. The research has a particular focus on the experiences of the 50 percent of young people in England who don’t go to university and how their school-to-work transitions can be better supported.
Maya Kincaid
Maya is a socially engaged artist and producer working across co-creation, care, and conversation. Her practice spans sculpture, drawing, storytelling, movement, video, and community-led live work. She is experienced working with young people and collaborates with intergenerational groups in contexts shaped by social inequality, migration, displacement, marginalisation, and systemic injustice—always prioritising a trauma-informed, relational approach rooted in care, consent, and context.
Adrian Gardner
Adrian is a London-based Filmmaker and Creative Producer, working across theatre, film, poetry, visual arts, and more. He is currently Young Talent Producer at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. He is drawn to socially engaged work that aims to disrupt outdated narratives in creative ways, especially surrounding anti-racism, spirituality, sexuality, gender and radical self-love.