EVERYONE knows your teenage years can be an emotional time.

Now young actors are set to appear in a play which tells the story of 10 teenagers as they attempt to make sense of themselves and their world.

Jack Hart, aged 16, from Horwich, is a member of the Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company, which will perform the challenging new play as part of NT Connections — a nationwide festival of new writing and young theatre talent.

I’m Spilling My Heart Out Here, by Stacey Gregg, is on at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, from tonight.

Jack said: “I auditoned in September for the production and got cast as Osh. We have been rehearsing every week since October, then we did extra rehearsals over Christmas.

“It’s a really great play. It’s about teenagers and the emotional struggle we all go through. Why people act the way they do, it’s really great to explore that side of people.

“The young company officially started in September.

“It’s great, I love it. Everyone is really lovely and the building is such an inspirational place.”

Jack has enjoyed acting since the age of six and has attended a number of amateur groups including St Philip’s AODS and Bolton Little Theatre.

He said: “I want to be an actor. I first started doing amateur dramatics and I never saw myself doing anything different.”

The former Rivington and Blackrod School pupil is planning to apply to leading drama schools such as the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

He has been involved with the Royal Exchange for about 18 months and is also studying for a BTEC in performing arts at Pendleton College, Salford.

The theatre’s Young Company is for 14 to 21-year-olds and gives them the chance to work alongside professionals and go behind the scenes with backstage tours and technical theatre training.

Speaking of NT Connections, Jack said: “The National Theatre gets 10 playwrights to write a play each and those 10 plays then get performed by several companies across the country.

“We’ve chosen I’m Spilling My Heart Out Here.

“In May, we are going to go and perform it at The Lowry and representatives from The National Theatre will come and watch.”

They will then choose one production of each of the 10 plays to be commissioned to celebrate the 50th year of the National Theatre, London.

The show is also presented in association with the Co-operative Foundation’s Truth about Youth programme which hopes to challenge and change negative perceptions of young people in the UK.

I’m Spilling My Heart Out Here is on at The Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, until Saturday.