Children and young people's theatre

News

Alexia starts Birmingham theatre’s online workshops

22 January 2021

Birmingham’s Alexia McIntosh has kicked off a series of digital masterclasses at the Hippodrome in the city: 25 online workshops for young people aged between 7 and 25.

Derby Theatre to stage Wheatle’s Home Girl

16 January 2021

A new stage adaptation of Alex Wheatle’s Home Girl is to be staged at Derby Theatre with Derby’s Cultural Education Partnership, professional writers, care-experienced young people and other young theatre-makers.

Snow Queen out of the shadows

15 January 2021

Lancaster-based theatre company Three Left Feet presents a shadow puppet theatrical retelling of The Snow Queen to watch online.

Creative sessions: The Courtyard goes online

Online courses at The Courtyard

7 January 2021

The Courtyard Hereford is to deliver a range of classes online, enabling participants to engage in creative sessions from the safety of their homes.

Home or away - at HOME!

19 December 2020

HOME’s Christmas shows are to go ahead despite the tiering announcement for Manchester.

Can Bubblegum save Santa?

18 December 2020

Northumberland Theatre Company has the answer.

Merry Christmas, Holly & Ivan

16 December 2020

A sister, her brother and a theatre unite to tell a Christmas story with Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre.

TV double bill for balletLORENT

15 December 2020

Two balletLORENT performances are to be release on Marquee TV and Sky Arts

A puppet school for Newcastle

14 December 2020

Kids and teens in Newcastle are invited to join an online puppet school next spring.

Rising to the challenge: the Hippodrome Education Network

Birmingham theatre raises £26,000 to support young people

11 December 2020

Donors have raise more than £26,000 to help Birmingham Hippodrome to expand its work with 5,000 young people in Birmingham and the West Midlands in 2021.

The NYT’s Rep company coming together for the first week of rehearsals for its 2021 productions

Northampton and National Youth Theatre unite for training

9 December 2020

Northampton’s Royal and Derngate and the National Youth Theatre's partnership will provide training for young people and has led to the commissioning of three new productions.

An animated Christmas from Northumberland

4 December 2020

Three Northumberland venues, a producer, a writer from Gateshead, a Newcastle songwriter and a South Shields animator combine to produce an animated Christmas show.

Derby Theatre moves Little Mermaid online

3 December 2020

All in-person performances of Mike Kenny’s The Little Mermaid at Derby Theatre have been cancelled as the city has entered tier three COVID restrictions.

Hereford Christmas show to have live stream

27 November 2020

The Courtyard Hereford’s annual children’s Christmas show is to go ahead with a difference, with a live stream of Hansel and Gretel from its main stage.

Santa to the rescue at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre

26 November 2020

Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre is to host live performances of Santa’s Christmas Rescue, the latest in an interactive series by Imagine Theatre aimed at children aged 2–7.

Hippodrome’s aim to raise £20,000 in a week

24 November 2020

Birmingham Hippodrome is to start a fundraising campaign to raise £20,000 in a week to bring confidence and creativity back to young people to combat the effects of COVID-19.

Hansel and Gretel go on tour

18 November 2020

Theatre Space North East is touring a performance in a tent throughout the region this Christmas.

A “mini magical experience”: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Festive show to be performed on Derby doorsteps

17 November 2020

People living within 10 kilometres of Derby Theatre can book a 15-minute performance of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas to experience from their own doorstep.

Another NE live show announced for Christmas

13 November 2020

Newcastle’s Gosforth Civic Theatre announces twelve performances of a Christmas show specially for children

Northern Stage reveals 2020 Christmas show

9 November 2020

An altogether revealing announcement from Northern Stage: its Christmas show will be The Emperor’s New Clothes.

A Christmas show for just one family

28 October 2020

Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre presents an immersive theatre experience for just one family or bubble at a time.

A children’s Christmas show in South Shields

28 October 2020

Walton-Gunn Productions presents A Christmas Story for the under-7s.

Community day and Christmas show at Curve

28 October 2020

Leicester's Curve has revealed the line-up for a community day as well as a Christmas show for families.

Worst Witch wins Olivier for Northampton theatre

26 October 2020

Royal and Derngate’s Made in Northampton co-production of The Worst Witch scooped the award for best family show at the 2020 Olivier Awards.

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.

Reviews

Pinocchio

Anna Ledwich, adapted from The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, musi...

Chichester Youth Theatre

Chichester Festival Theatre

16 December 2020–2 January 2021

Duckie

Le Gateau Chocolat and Tommy Bradson

HOME Manchester

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre

16 December 2020–3 January 2021

Christmas with the Hobs

Becci Sharrock, music by Bridie Jackson and animation by Sheila Graber

Alnwick Playhouse, Maltings (Berwick) and Queen’s Hall Arts (Hexham) with Car...

12–31 December 2020

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Devised by Mark Calvert, Hannah Goudie-Hunter, Laura Lindow and Bob Nicholson...

Kitchen Zoo and Northern Stage, video by Meerkat Films

12–31 December 2020

Arbuthnot and Dame Bella’s Christmas Adventure

Davey Hopper and Jen Stevens, with additional material by Ray Spencer, music ...

The Customs House, South Shields

Released 10 December 2020

The Magic of Christmas

Russell Beard and Elizabeth Newman, based on a short play by Elizabeth Newman...

Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Pitlochry Festival Theatre Garden

9–23 December 2020

The Elf Who Was Scared Of Christmas

Neil McDermott and Gina Beck

Danielle Tarento

Charing Cross Theatre

8–23 December 2020

The Aftermath

Anna Holmes and Sam Ford

The Piece Hall Trust, Northern Rascals and Northern Broadsides

The Piece Hall, Halifax

18 November–31 December 2020

The University of Wonder and Imagination

Paul Bosco McEneaney and Hugh W Brown

Cahoots NI

22 October–1 November 2020

The Girl of Ink and Stars

Satinder Chohan, based on the book by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Spark Arts for Children in association with Inspire Culture, Learning and...

From 19 October 2020