The Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society’s latest offering is a homage to youth, in more ways than one.

Manuscript by Paul Grellong, opens at the Daylesford Theatre this month. The play is about a trio of college students and a mysterious manuscript.

The actors in the play are all college age, the lighting designer is a high school student, and there are several other young people involved. Producer Jen Osmond said it’s all part of BMDS’ master plan.

“We are trying to get younger people into the theatre and provide mentoring for them,” Ms Osmond said. “Sometimes, people say: ‘theatre ... oh, I don’t act’.

“But there are lots of different jobs in the theatre from Box Office to lighting. The only job we can’t give to someone under the age of 18 is bartending.”

Manuscript is set in the Brooklyn Heights bedroom of a freshman in an Ivy League school. It’s the winter vacation and some of his friends have come to party ahead of a fancy holiday ball.

David (Geoffrey Faiella) is the host and his visitors are his friend Chris (Travis Chambray) and Chris’ girlfriend Elizabeth (Paige Hallett). Elizabeth is a famous writer and Chris is an aspiring one.

Variety magazine has called Manuscript a “twisty dark comedy about ambition and ruthlessness with a Hitchcockian revenge plot up its sleeve”.

BMDS’ Carol Birch said she found the play while in New York City.

“I go up, now and again, to New York and go to the play festivals,” she said. “It is a great way of sourcing new shows for here.

“A lot of the plays in the play festival are staged in small theatres that are similar to our Daylesford Theatre. That is how I found Missing Celia Rose by Ian August.

“We put that on in 2009. We became great friends with the writer and he came down her and has worked with us.”

She said as soon as she saw Manuscript she knew it would be perfect for BMDS.

“It is very hard to say anything about it because there are so many twists and turns,” she said. “Just when you think you have worked out the plot it hits you in the back of the head.”

Ms Osmond said it was the type of play that would keep the audience debating with one another during intermission and even after.

“I advise people to see it twice,” said Ms Birch. “The first time for the shock value. The second time around it will seem like a totally different play.”

Manuscript will be on at the Daylesford Theatre on Dundonald Street from June 19 to 20 and June 26 to 28 at 8pm.

Tickets are $25 from the Daylesford from 5.30pm to 6.30pm, from www.bmds.bm, from 292-0848.

For more information e-mail bmds@jenno.ca.