THE complex issues surrounding missing people will be explored by York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre's 11 to 14 age group in Here One Minute, a promenade performance at the National Railway Museum from tonight until Wednesday.

Three groups, Projects G, H and I, have devised the project, working in assorted spaces at the NRM, in Leeman Road, York, and looking at the wide variety of reasons why people go missing. In the promenade shows, the actors will present scenes that unravel the issues behind individual stories.

Here One Minute is directed by Matt Harper (Project G), Kate Plumb (Project H) and Nicolette Hobson (Project I), and each piece will be performed among the NRM collection: in train carriages, on bridges and in secret locations.

The opening scene for each performance has been choreographed by youth theatre assistant Fiona Baistow as part of her Gold Arts Award qualification.

"I wanted to portray the atmosphere of an early-morning platform in a contemporary style," she says. "The emptiness of the platform as it slowly gets busier until there's absolute chaos and you're not sure who's there one minute and who's not. All three groups have worked incredibly hard and it's been a pleasure to work with them all."

The theme of "missing" is a rich and varied one, according to co-director Matt Harper. "These performances are full of tales of hope and pain, new beginnings and lost opportunities," he says. "Our youth theatre groups have used their endless creativity to bring the stories to life, to cleverly intertwine the different stories and to explore a very current issue."

Here One Minute will be performed at 7pm and 8.30pm, tonight until Wednesday. Tickets are on sale on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk