Our September to November printed edition focuses on South Norwood - Past and Future. September's online edition features the longer form CYTO article and video with Andrew McPherson, Artistic Director, CYTO and Kristian Swaby, CYTO Actor who recently had the starring role in their production of Othello.
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September 2026
FEATURED ARTICLE
CYTO
Andrew McPherson, Artistic Director, CYTO
Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation is the longest running youth theatre in the Borough. Established in 1965, they provide young people with a youth-led programme of the full theatre experience and the chance to appear in productions.
Andrew McPherson, Artistic Director, who joined in January 2022, briefly took us through the last few years, culminating in CYTO recently being awarded funding from the GLA which paid for much needed repairs to the building including an upgrade of the security system and fire doors and alarms. They’ve also received help from the council for capacity building and are working towards obtaining £2.2 million to properly refurbish the theatre and building.
Asked what his biggest joy at CYTO was, he said, “watching young people start to believe in and be themselves”. He feels that giving them space to find out who they are and what they want to be is invaluable and sets them on course to make the right decisions in adulthood. The theatre also provides a safe haven for children who otherwise might feel out of place in the world, a peer group and theatre experience and skills they can use in future.
He cites a key difference between learning drama at school and a facility like CYTO – “School prepares children for conformity. CYTO gives children the freedom to both learn how to be themselves and how to express themselves.”
His (and CYTO’s) approach is working well. In 2022, there were around 40 kids attending the theatre– in 2026, there are 120 children learning theatre craft there.
One of these is young actor, Kristian Swaby. He’s just finished the lead in Othello, one of CYTO’s most ambitious productions to date. I comment on the dichotomy of children and teenagers producing a complex play with such adult themes. “Yes”, he said, “it was a complete challenge for me which is why I had to do it. My Mum was worried that it would be too much alongside school and my other projects but I insisted. I understood the value of what I was doing.”
“I found the intimacy a challenge – you can be confident kissing 500 people but when you get on stage and have to do it in front of people – that’s another matter entirely” he laughs.
Kristian has been at CYTO for 3 years and 11 months. He was in the drama club at his old school and his drama teacher suggested CYTO as a place he could continue to grow. He agrees that having access to a wide range of theatre experiences including scriptwriting, theatre lighting, set design, costume and event planning as well as acting has made him a much better actor overall. He believes key here is understanding the value of the work and the value in the Arts.
I ask what’s next for him – he’s approaching the upper age limit of 19 for CYTO - “definitely more education and probably drama school”.
More here: www.youtube.com/shorts/wwzuN9K567c
CYTO is based at The Shoestring Theatre, Oakley Road, South Norwood, SE25 4XG.
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