York Settlement Community Players present Drums In The Night, Friargate Theatre, York, April 30 to May 2

George Stagnell and Emma Dubruel, both 20, will star in Drums In The Night, an equally young Brecht's Expressionist drama that focuses on the personal and political effects of the First World War as it follows a returning soldier, Stagnell's Andreas Kragler, through the streets and bars of a Berlin in post-war turmoil.

Kragler has been thought dead for the past four years, but comes home to find his fiancée, Dubruel's Anna Balicke, engaged instead to the war profiteer Friedrich Murk (James Witchwood). Giving up hope of a life with her, Kragler is drawn into Berlin’s backstreets, where he joins the Spartacist Uprising. When the final drums sound, and he is torn between his desire for Anna and his new-found politics, will he fight for the revolution or for the girl he loves?

Written between 1919 and 1920, Drums In The Night was Brecht’s second play, marked by the universal themes of love, betrayal, jealousy and disaffection with politics that would come to define him.

For George and Emma, Claire Morley's production is their first stage encounter with Brecht. "At school, we just had a quick look at Brecht, very briefly at his 'alienation technique', but then it was a 'business and enterprise school'!" says George, who attended Tadcaster Grammar School.

"It was more Steven Berkoff than Brecht for us," says Emma, who took a Theatre Studies A-level at All Saints RC School in York. "We did, though, go through the different theories of playwrights, and with Brecht it was about breaking down the fourth wall, but we did spend more time on Berkoff."

Both George, from Copmanthorpe, and Emma, from Skelton, have made frequent appearances in diverse York productions since leaving school, George most recently starring in Pick Me Up Theatre's February staging of Alan Bennett's The History Boys, after his York Stage Musicals (YSP), Stage Experience, York Light Opera, York Light Youth and Grand Opera House pantomime roles.

Emma, meanwhile, has taken roles in Mike Kenny's street play Blood + Chocolate and YSP, Four Shadows Theatre, Piggyback Theatre Company and Script Factor shows.

Both are making their Settlement Players debut, having performed alongside director Claire Morley in YSP's Measure For Measure in December 2013. "I did a Script Factor play-reading for Claire's play Elevator Doors, which came second in the competition," says Emma.

Performing in plays aplenty while also working as an usherette at the Grand Opera House and on the King's Square candle stall has paid dividends for Emma, who has gained a place to study drama, acting and creative writing at the University of the West of England in Bristol from September. "Drums In The Night will probably my last acting commitment in York before going to uni, which makes it an exciting challenge, and it's nice to be doing the play with Claire, who's one of my favourite directors to work with, along with John Topping, who directed YSP's Hamlet in 2013," she says.

"Claire brings the best out of the production, always making notes, giving us feedback and tips too," says George. "She's using a traverse set design, and it's really interesting doing a traverse show [with the audience on either side] for the first time, though we had experimented with it at school too. The audience will be so close up, you can be more natural with your acting."

Emma played Juliet on a traverse stage in All Saints' production of Romeo And Juliet in February 2013. "That was a bigger stage; this is much closer, and closer up is more emotional," she says.

"In the studio setting, you can let yourself go with the emotions...and the great thing with Brecht's play is that not one character is wholly good," says George. "Everyone has their faults, which is only human."

The love triangle brings out the contrasts between Stagnell's Kragler and Witchwood's Murk and their impact on Dubruel's Anna. "I've said from the beginning that is a Great Gastby tale, in that Anna has waited [for Kragler], after being forced into a marriage for practical reasons, almost like a business arrangement," says Emma.

"The contrast is between the spiritual and the carnal," suggests George, before Emma rejoins: "Anna is like two different people when she's with each of them. It's like puppy love with Kragler, but she's more like a sexy beast with Murk. Things come along, things change; people change."

Bristol calls Emma from this autumn, while George will strive once again to gain a place at drama school. "I'm hoping for third time lucky," he says. "It's what I want to do, but it's precarious getting into these schools. I had recalls for Bristol Old Vic and Guildhall, and I'm just going to keep going. You can't let it get you down. I've only tried twice."

In the meantime George will combine his day job for Innserve with "doing as much acting as I can". "I'm always striving to improve," he says. "I feel I've done a diversity of roles in musicals but acting is my true passion, so I'm definitely getting involved in more straight plays."

Emma applied for drama schools too before finding her ideal course at the University of the West of England, as her persistence paid off. "I knew I wanted to get out of York to broaden my experiences, though I love the theatre community in York, but I knew I was ready to do what I'll be doing now and maybe making more contacts," she says.

"I always liked the academic side, studying the plays and the playwrights and the history behind them, and UWE will be perfect, where it's 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent discussions."

Like Emma, George urges the young actors of York to make the most of the opportunities in the city. "Get on Facebook, so you can find out what's going on," she says.

"And just audition," says George. "It's not intimidating, it's fun, and once you're in, you get to know everyone. So just get on with it! Find things out for yourself!"

York Settlement Community Players present Drums In The Night, Friargate Theatre, York, April 30 to May 2, 7.30pm and 2pm Saturday matinee. Tickets: £10 on 01904 613000 or ridinglights.org