Fraser Corfield, Australian Theatre for Young People's (ATYP) new Artistic Director, has launched the company's exciting 2010 program.

Australia’s leading theatre company dedicated to people under 26, its season includes five bold plays that put young people centre stage - the company’s driving vision.

Fraser's debut directorial season kicks off with international phenomenon 'The Laramie Project' by Moises Kaufman. This poignant ensemble piece transports audiences to Laramie, Wyoming, circa 1998, which witnessed the hateful murder of an openly gay 21 year old university student. This disarmingly simple piece of theatrical journalism investigates not so much the crime itself, or any one person, but rather the ethos of a place.

August sees a collaboration with Sydney Theatre Company (STC) bring English sensation Polly Stenham's 'Tusk Tusk' to life. A co-production between ATYP and STC as part of the Next Stage program, 'Tusk Tusk' takes viewers inside the fortress of siblings Elliot, Maggie and Finn. As they avoid the unwanted attention of prying adults; joke, tease, bicker and laugh, they wait. Wait for the phone to ring. Because she'll be calling soon. She's never left them alone for this long.

The appetite of older audiences will be sated by the iconic Australian grunge offering 'Rio Saki and Other Falling Debris.' Shaun Charles' play is at once brutal, offensive, tender and uplifting, as it rips the lid off the lives of six young adults counting down to the end of the world. Though 'Rio Saki's language and themes come with a warning, this production is an unmissable exploration of love's ability to generate meaning and comfort in this modern world.

The 2010 season will also host 'House on Fire', a new play from Australia's leading writer for teenage audiences Debra Oswald, and a commission from award-winning 22-year-old playwright Maxine Mellor, 'Desiree Dinn and the Red Forest'.

But wait- there's more! The new year also sees the return of Fresh Ink, Australia's most comprehensive development program for young playwrights; a selection of indigenous productions from as far afield as Tennant Creek and Palm Island; and the introduction of Under the Wharf, a new program designed to help emerging artists stage independent productions in the heart of the city.

"We’re incredibly excited about 2010; a huge year has been planned. The Wharf is one of Australia’s leading arts precincts and we’re delighted to be providing a space exclusively for young people as artists and audiences," Corfield said.

"We are putting young people centre stage to tell interesting and sophisticated stories. Our program is not about educating our youth or telling cautionary tales, it’s about staging great theatre driven by young artists."

Australian Theatre for Young People is one of Australia’s oldest theatre companies, developing work for and by young people since 1963. The company’s alumni include, among many others, the artistic directors of Queensland and South Australian theatre companies, Michael Gow and Adam Cook; TV personalities Rebel Wilson and Chris Lilley; and actors Rose Byrne, Nicole Kidman and Toni Collette.

For more information on Australian Theatre for Young People's 2010 season, visit www.atyp.com.au or phone (02) 9251 3900.