Ukrainian refugee's ordeal inspires him to write play

Alan and his family have found a home on Teesside after fleeing the Russia's invasion of Ukraine

A teenage refugee has used the war in Ukraine as the inspiration for a play which has been shortlisted for performance at the National Theatre.

Alan Tarkil, who previously appeared in one of Ukraine's most popular TV dramas, relocated to Teesside with his family following the Russian invasion.

A script by the 18-year-old, who is studying acting at a local college, has recently been chosen as part of a competition highlighting young writers.

He describes it as "a big honour".

His script was shortlisted from among more than 450 entries submitted to the National Theatre's New Views competition, which is open to 14 to 19-year-olds.

The winning play will be given a staged reading in front of an audience in London.

'From my heart'

Before the war, Alan - who had a fledgling career as a children's presenter - had landed a role in Ukrainian drama Love in Chains, and further television work was in the pipeline.

However, his acting ambitions were put on hold following the outbreak of war last year, which saw his family "under occupation" by invading Russian forces.

"Every night there were tanks and bombs," says Alan. "You would see children with no families because their parents were killed."

The teenager and his family fled to the UK, where they settled on Teesside, and Alan once again turned his attention to acting.

He describes Stockton Riverside College, where he is studying, as his "safe space".

Alan is studying acting at Stockton Riverside College

His play, called Snowdrop, looks at life in Ukraine during the war, and the journey to safety which many Ukrainians, like Alan, have had to make.

"This story is something from deep inside of me," he says. "It's from my heart.

"It's the right way to honour everyone who has lost their life; [it's] for everyone who has lost someone they love.

"This war is not just about the military, it's about ordinary people."

Kelly Fairhurst, a lecturer at the college, says it was a "huge achievement" for Alan to have his play shortlisted.

"This was the first time Alan had written a script. We went through some basic training - and he took to it like a duck to water considering English is not his first language.

"I couldn't have asked for any more."