Children and young people's theatre

News

Ideas wanted for Mansfield project for looked-after children

23 October 2020

Mansfield Palace Theatre is keen to hear ideas for a project to provide opportunities specifically for looked-after children.

Live Tales moves online

23 October 2020

Winter Tales, an online version of Live Theatre’s Live Tales, will be available to KS2 teachers in November and December.

ENB School partners with bbodance

20 October 2020

English National Ballet School has formed a new partnership with bbodance as it returns to face-to-face training.

Belgrade to host The Snail and the Whale

16 October 2020

Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre is to host its second virtual theatre tour, with Tall Stories bringing the tale of The Snail and the Whale to life on stage.

Half-term delights in Lancaster

13 October 2020

Families can experience classic furry-tail Puss in Boots at The Dukes in Lancaster October 24

“Fit for purpose on digital platforms”: *untitled

Zest airs views of young people during pandemic

11 October 2020

Lincoln-based Zest Theatre has reunited young people who toured a 2019 production to come up with *untitled, a “virtual EP”, to première on YouTube.

Two more NE shows cancelled

30 September 2020

NE company Walton-Gunn Productions has cancelled two upcoming productions.

New play gives voice to Mansfield’s young women

30 September 2020

Mansfield Palace Theatre is to support local theatre makers to develop SHEWOLVES, a new play about “young women’s voices in an increasingly complex world”.

Lowry forges ahead with two seasonal shows

24 September 2020

The Lowry in Salford plans not one, but two 'socially-distanced' shows in November and December.

Derby Theatre pays tribute to youth theatre member Lewis

24 September 2020

Derby Theatre is to pay tribute to former youth theatre member Lewis Sewell, who died aged 18 in summer 2020 from a rare cancer, by sharing a recording of a production in which he appeared.

Students and staff return to Elmhurst

19 September 2020

After five months of lockdown, students and staff are to return to Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham.

Heartbreak turns children’s lockdown stories into films

18 September 2020

Heartbreak Productions has completed “possibly the most ambitious creative project to be see in the UK for the past seven months”: a series of short films with children aged from 8 to 14.

Choreographic challenge from NYB

11 September 2020

A new choreographic challenge for autumn from National Youth Ballet invites young dancers to explore how it feels to re-emerge and engage with the world around them as lockdown eases.

An immersive sound journey with Mortal Fools

5 September 2020

NE-based Mortal Fools has launched an immersive audio theatre experience to “help drown out the noise of the modern world”.

REP man completes walk from Birmingham to London

1 September 2020

Birmingham REP associate director Steve Ball raised more than £3,700 by walking 116 miles from the theatre to London’s Leicester Square in seven days.

NYDC dancers back in Sadler’s Wells

25 August 2020

The National Youth Dance Company 2019/20 cohort and Guest Artistic Director Russell Maliphant will reunite at Sadler’s Wells to complete their year, culminating in a set of private COVID-secure 'sharings' for friends and family.

Steve Ball ready to start his walk from Birmingham REP

REP man’s fundraising walk from Birmingham to London

19 August 2020

Birmingham REP associate director Steve Ball is to walk the 116 miles from the theatre to London's Leicester Square over seven days to raise funds for the REP's work with young people.

Darlington youth project in line for national cash prize

17 August 2020

The Darlington Hippodrome-based In2 Project is on the shortlist to win a share of Persimmon Homes’ Building Futures £1 million pot supporting under-18s nationwide.

Action required...

14 August 2020

Action Transport Theatre in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire is after an experienced community arts practitioner.

Theatre at home for youngsters

7 August 2020

The Dukes in Lancaster and Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield have devised a theatrical experience for 7- to 12-year-olds to enjoy at home.

Elmhurst Ballet School dance masterclasses

29 July 2020

Elmhurst Ballet School, the vocational school in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, will move its annual summer school online this August with its Back to Dance Masterclasses.

ENB at HOME: youth dance course

25 July 2020

This summer, English National Ballet will run a course of free online classes for young dancers aged 14–19 years.

Summer schools to go ahead in Birmingham

23 July 2020

Birmingham REP is to host two summer schools, with those attending five-day workshops able to choose between in-person tuition in the theatre’s rehearsal rooms or online classes.

Lowry advanced dance training open for applications

7 July 2020

The Lowry Centre for Advanced Training in Dance has opened applications for the next year of its annual scheme starting September 2020, open to young people from the North West aged 11–16.

Sir David Bintley coaching students in Birmingham

Bintley to judge BRB lockdown Choreography Challenge

1 July 2020

Choreographer and former Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Sir David Bintley will judge an online Choreography Challenge for students together with its creator, Brandon Lawrence.

RSC playmaking festival for schools goes online

25 June 2020

More than 100 young people from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s associate schools programme are to share a series of original digital responses to Shakespeare’s plays.

Deptford and Stockton commission children’s shows for 2021 and 2022

23 June 2020

The Albany, Deptford, and ARC Stockton have co-commissioned two children’s shows for Christmas 2021 and 2022.

Darcey Bussell confirmed for U.Dance festival

21 June 2020

Dame Darcey Bussell, Strictly Come Dancing’s Aljaž Skorjanec and Janette Manrara, Boy Blue’s Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy, The Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae and West End star Layton Williams are confirmed in the line-up for U.Dance Digital 2020.

Youngsters to take part in digital festival

19 June 2020

Independent production studio China Plate and Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre are to stage a digital festival which has been programmed by, with and for 16- to 21-year-olds.

New online kids’ play commissioned by Nottingham Playhouse

6 June 2020

Nottingham Playhouse has commissioned Noah and the Peacock, a new form of live, at-home theatre written and created especially for Zoom by Jeff James.

Families in Wales invited to join new Theatr Iolo project

17 May 2020

Specialist in theatre for young people, Theatr Iolo, asks families to help create Twenty20: Experiences of an Extraordinary Year.

One Dance UK digital youth dance festival summer 2020

16 May 2020

One Dance UK is moving its U.Dance National Festival online this year for a weekend of streamed dance masterclasses, showcases, careers talks and information sessions for young people.

Young people reimagine the future in Derby

15 May 2020

Young people in Derby are being provided with a professional online platform to share their ideas of a reimagined future beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working with young people during lockdown

7 May 2020

How Northumberland-based Mortal Fools has continued its work with young people and in professional development in spite of the lockdown.

Chichester Midnight Gang and Beauty and the Beast online

3 May 2020

David Walliams's The Midnight Gang and the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre production of Beauty and the Beast will be the next productions to be streamed online from Chichester Festival Theatre.

Tackling Shakespeare’s language: RSC artists give tips

27 April 2020

Artists from the Royal Shakespeare Company who are unable to rehearse or perform will help to unlock Shakespeare for thousands of children and young people studying at home.

Video from Elmhurst Ballet School and English National Ballet School

Two ballet schools share message of solidarity and hope

26 April 2020

Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham and English National Ballet School in London have united to share a message of hope and support in footage filmed by students dancing at home edited by BalletBoyz.

Reviews

The University of Wonder and Imagination

Paul Bosco McEneaney and Hugh W Brown

Cahoots NI

22 October–1 November 2020

Cinderella

Philip Pullman

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

5 October 2020–21 February 2021

The Devil With The Three Golden Hairs

Philip Pullman

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

5 October 2020–21 February 2021

The Boy Who Left Home To Find Out About The Shivers

Philip Pullman

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

5 October 2020–21 February 2021

The Brave Little Tailor

Philip Pullman

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

5 October 2020–21 February 2021

Rumpelstiltskin

Philip Pullman

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

5 October 2020–21 February 2021

Hansel and Gretel

Philip Pullman

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

5 October 2020–21 February 2021

I shall not live in vain

Ruth Morris Gray based on Emily Dickinson

Welsh National Opera youth groups

From 24 September 2020

Drama Menu at a Distance

Glyn Trefor-Jones

Nick Hern Books

Released 10 September 2020

Bright. Young. Things.

Georgia Christou

Nick Hern Books

Released 2 July 2020

Heavy Weather

Lizzie Nunnery

Nick Hern Books

Released 2 July 2020

Noah and the Peacock

Jeff James

Nottingham Playhouse

Nottingham Playhouse Digital Playhouse

19–21 June 2020

Anansi and the Pot of Wisdom

Justin Audibert

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

Unicorn Theatre on YouTube and The Guardian web site

13 June–4 July 2020

Anansi the Spider Re-spun 2: Anansi and the Two Dinners

Justin Audibert

Unicorn Theatre and Illuminations

Unicorn Theatre on YouTube and The Guardian

6 June–4 July 2020

A Monster Calls

Patrick Ness

Bristol Old Vic At Home and Your Old Vic

Old Vic Theatre

5–11 June 2020

Anansi the Spider Re-spun: Brother Anansi and Brother Snake

Justin Audibert

Unicorn Theatre

Unicorn Theatre on YouTube and The Guardian

30 May–4 July 2020

We Found a Hat

Jon Klassen

Little Angel Theatre

24 May–30 June 2020

Stories from Home

Ines Sampaio, David Parkin, Tia Chand-Corey

Spark Arts for Children

6 May–17 June 2020

This Is Not My Hat

Jon Klassen

Little Angel Theatre

3 May–30 June 2020