Zigger Zagger

Zigger Zagger is a 1967 play by Peter Terson which was the first work to be commissioned by the National Youth Theatre who revived it at Wilton's Music Hall in 2017 for its 50th anniversary.

Impressed by Terson's non-patronising writing for young performers, Croft immediately commissioned him to pen the first play to be specially written for the NYT, stating only that the new work would have to include a large cast.

Croft wrote of the play: "Zigger Zagger showed the dismal prospect awaiting the average lad, the narrow limits of his opportunity, the tiredness and cynicism of the adults in authority over him."

[10][11] The play opened at the Strand Theatre in the West End in March 1968 with a professional cast which included Anthony May, Michael Cashman, Alun Lewis, Peter Denyer[12][13] and Esta Charkham but closed after two weeks.

When his girlfriend runs off with his team's centre-forward when he is transferred to a bigger and richer club, Harry realises that football is an empty sham and he takes up an apprenticeship.

Elizabeth Adare, Stephen Amiel, Robert Bailey, Stephen Boxer, Martin Chamberlain, Henry Chambers, Richard Cleveland, Derek Coates, Roderick Culbertson, Russell Dixon, Thomas Dmochowski, Sydney Dunn, Pearl England, Linda Fitzsimmons, Natalie Fleischer, Michael Ford, Michael Hadley, Peter Hall, Alan Hart, Stephen Hewitt, Peter Jones, Christopher Lacey, Kathleen Lee, Roderick Leyland, Kim Lewis-Lavender, Fergus Logan, Kathleen Lyall, Brian Marcus, James Milne, Barry McCarthy, Brian Payne, Timothy Pembridge, Joan Rees, Judith Riley, Michael Roberts, Nicholas Roth, Sally Sagoe, Lee Simmonds, Paul Spencer, Charles Sturridge, John Sweet, Alan Swift, Robert Thompson, Geoffrey Thorpe, Russell Thorpe, Albert Welling, Brian Wheeler, Stephen Yates.

Programme for the original 1967 production of Zigger Zagger by the National Youth Theatre