FREE Falling by name, Madani Younis's new play for Red Ladder at York Theatre Royal is free falling by nature too.

"My last play that came to York, Silent Cry, was in the socio-political genre of theatre that people like Edgar, Brenton and Wesker had brought to the fore, with a safe and set structure," he says. "With Free Falling, I've sought to step out of that framework and not be restricted by a previous model. This play is risk-taking and it's a piece that reflects the young people we've worked with."

From January to March, Madani and Red Ladder worked with three groups: young Afro-Caribbean poets in Chapeltown; 14 to 17 year olds at a school in Batley; and a predominantly Asian all-girls school in Batley.

"It was a really interesting mix socially and economically; each group had very different backgrounds and very different concerns," says Madani.

The resulting play - a tale of teenage friendship, dares, disputes and break-ups in a disused skate park - was inspired by the urban sport of free running (or le Parkour) and uses "multi-media, hip beats, cool moves and inspirational words to challenge young audiences".

"I didn't start getting into theatre until I was 17 or 18 because I'd felt somehow distanced from it as a medium of expression, as nothing had spoken to me. It didn't work for me and I didn't feel inspired by it, so I felt a pressure when writing Free Falling," Madani says. "I began to ask myself what kind of theatre are we going to create that's not patronising? The thing that stood out was we all go through the same experiences, but the context changes."

Free Falling, Red Ladder Theatre Company, The Studio, York Theatre Royal, Tuesday, Wednesday, 7.45pm. Box office: 01904 623568. Suitable for 13 plus.

Updated: 09:06 Friday, July 08, 2005