The central research of this thesis concerns the translation of literary works written specifically for young people into the language of theatre. A further layer of analysis is added by a research interest in the different ways in which the age group of the audience frames and directs creative practice. The thesis records and is the result of my work as a theatre practitioner working specifically with material designed for young audiences. In particular, the research at the centre of this PhD project related to my adaptation and subsequent production of two novels that deal with trauma for young adults. The thesis records not just the creative practice associated with these productions but also the critical analysis and research that has informed my work in the theatre. At the centre of this thesis stands my original theatrical adaptations of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness / Siobhan Dowd and Orphalina by Zsigmond Móricz. The second half of the thesis presents the material (design work, draft scripts, and final production script) and productions (high-quality video recordings) relating to this adaptation work. The first section of the thesis provides an overview of theatre for young audiences (TYA) and its dynamically changing place among theatre genres of the recent period. The research here focuses on the importance of age classifications within the genre and the inseparable educational and teaching labels of TYA. Subsequently, the thesis examines the strong relationship between children’s literature and TYA, touching on aspects such as the role of taboo and censorship. Developing the analysis of the nature of this relation, the thesis thereafter offers an exploration of the established healing effect of literature and the arts, with particular regard to children’s literature. Finally, in this section of the thesis, there is an analysis of adaptation theories and the key proposal that transmedia adaptation should be considered at least as original as the source work due to the unavoidable and inherent change of artistic expression. Finally, the thesis weaves together my research findings with the aspects that arose during the process of adapting A Monster Calls and Orphalina, focusing on the possibilities and the challenges of creation.