Taking place from Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April 2026, the programme runs daily from 10:00am until approximately 3:00pm and offers students aged 14–18 an engaging and practical insight into the many careers that exist behind the scenes in theatre.

This will be a fun and inspiring week hosted across various theatres in the West End. Across the four days, students will explore key areas of theatre-making including:

The programme provides hands-on workshops, industry insight, and the opportunity to meet professionals working across the creative industries.

As part of the experience, students will also have the opportunity to see Paddington The Musical on the Thursday afternoon, following their participation in the weeks sessions, offering a valuable chance to connect their learning with a live West End production.

This programme is ideal for students interested in Drama, Performing Arts, Design, Technical Theatre, or those curious about creative industry career pathways beyond performing.

Course fees start at £120.

This demanding and highly practical course will help you to develop and craft your audition skills.

The course is aimed at all experience levels, particularly those thinking about applying to drama school, but may also be of interest to those who want to explore a specific piece of performance text.

Course Content

This three-day course is designed to train and prepare you for acting auditions. Over the three days you will:

Please head to the opportunity link to read more about how to prepare and any materials you need to bring along to the course.

We have a limited number of £15 tickets available for Marie & Rosetta at @sohoplace theatre.

Tickets are available from 2 - 4 March and 9 March at 7.30pm.

Click the link below to access up to 2 tickets.

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the roof-raising ‘godmother of rock ‘n’ roll’, influenced countless musicians from Elvis to Johnny Cash. This sparkling, intimate portrait of Rosetta and her beloved singing partner, Marie Knight, restores these forgotten musical heroines to the spotlight as one of the most remarkable and revolutionary duos in music history.

Mississippi, 1946. Sister Rosetta has changed the face of gospel music with her exuberant, electric guitar-playing style. Shunned by straitlaced church folk for performing in nightclubs and glorying in rhythm and blues, she’s persuaded the saintly young singer Marie to join her on a tour of the segregated southern States. But first she has to convert Marie’s pure Sunday sound into something that has just a little more swing…

Featuring a wealth of joyous rock and gospel hits including Didn’t It Rain and Peace in the Valley, the show will feature live musicians accompanying Olivier Award-winning West End star Beverley Knight (Memphis, The Drifters Girl, Sylvia, Sister Act) as Rosetta Tharpe.

Joining Beverley Knight is Ntombizodwa Ndlovu as Marie Knight. Her recent theatre credits include Cat On a Hot Tin RoofThe Space Between Us, Mixtape, Nothing, and The Mountain Top (Royal Exchange Theatre).

Age Guidance: 12+

Running Time: 2 hours (approx, including an interval)

Content/Production Warnings: This production contains infrequent discriminatory language reflective of the period, and themes of racism, domestic abuse and bereavement. The production also contains haze and a full blackout for 20 seconds.

Discover your skills as a storyteller and explore the world of Theatre Making!
Whether you're interested in writing scripts, directing a scene or devising from a stimulus, this course will allow you to develop your collaboration skills and enhance your creativity.

General FAQs
Is there any level of skill or experience required?
Unless specified, none of our courses or sessions require any prior knowledge or experience, and are welcome to all, from beginners to experts.

I haven’t received any information since booking, is this a problem?
You should receive a confirmation email after booking the course, if you do not have this, please contact the Box Office by calling 01635 46044 or email boxoffice@watermill.org.uk. You will then receive more thorough information from the Outreach team in the days before the course starting.

What do I need to bring with me?
Please wear comfortable clothes that are easy to move in and will keep you covered during any physical movement. Bring water in a clearly labelled or colourful bottle. You may also want to bring something to take notes with. If you have any medication you may need to take, please bring them in a clearly labelled bag and ensure we are aware by completing our Outreach booking form.

Where will the course take place?
Most of our sessions and courses take place on-site in our rehearsal room or studio at the Watermill Theatre. Our studio is the door with white to the far right of the car park. There some signs pointing towards it around the car park. Some sessions and courses may take place elsewhere, but this will be specified in your welcome email.

Who will be running the sessions/course?
Our Get Involved activities are run by a variety of professional theatre makers. This varies from freelance facilitators to members of the production crew or cast of our productions. All will have great experience and expertise in the content of the sessions and will be familiar with The Watermill’s safeguarding policies.

Auditions:

Friday 20 March - Cardiff (Evening) 

Saturday 21 March - Carmarthen PM 

Sunday 22 March - Aberystwyth PM 

Saturday 28 March - Wrexham AM 

Saturday 28 March - Mold PM 

Sunday 29 March - Llandrindod Wells PM 

Tuesday 31 March - Bangor (Evening)  

Thursday 2 April - Newport AM 

Thursday 2 April - Merthyr Tydfil PM 

Saturday 4 April - Cardiff AM + PM 

Tuesday 7 April - Swansea AM + PM 

Wednesday 8 April - Cardiff AM 

Wednesday 8 April - Treorchy PM

Head over to the opportunity link to read more about the requirements and take a look through the FAQs.

We have a limited number of £10 tickets available for DRACULA at the National Youth Theatre.

Tickets are available from 21 February - 13 March at various times.

Click the link below to access up to 2 tickets.

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Fear makes us all monsters

Tatty Hennessy, writer of the UK Theatre Award-winning and Olivier Award-nominated adaptation of Animal Farm, retells the classic horror story Dracula in a world premiere for the prestigious NYT REP Company in 2026. Directed by Atri Banerjee, UK Theatre Award Best Director Nominee, and starring Britain’s best young acting talent, Dracula will play for a 3 week run only at NYT’s North London Workshop Theatre.

All performances of Dracula are Relaxed.

Get Technical! offers the chance to hear from members of the production’s backstage and technical teams, watch live on-stage demonstrations and learn more about what goes into the making of the West End’s leading musical Moulin Rouge!


From wigs to wardrobe to sound to stage management, the event aims to motivate and inspire young people to consider a career in backstage positions in the performing arts industry. Attendees will be shown how the different technical departments work together to create the production and be given a sneak peek of some of the stage secrets and magic behind the show.

Backstage and technical team members will also share stories from their own career journeys and give tips for getting into the industry.

This intensive Foundation Course in Acting is designed to prepare you for rigorous degree-level training. Tailored for passionate emerging artists aged 18 and above, this course builds the essential tools of the actor: voice, movement, imagination, and presence.

The course fosters creativity, discipline, and collaboration, ensuring you are fully equipped to meet the demands of professional training and beyond.

The Foundation Course in Acting at OSD has been running for over 25 years, with the majority of graduates are now pursuing successful careers on the stage and screen.

The course lasts two terms. Entry is by audition only.

Description
The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

The Royal Opera House describes the place we work, not who we are. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts - we may be a House, but three quarters of our audiences experience what we do outside this building. While our Covent Garden theatre is the nerve centre, the impact and influence of the organisation can be felt in every corner of the country, and around the world.

Apprenticeship Scheme, Fixed Term Contract (2 years)
Creative Venue Technician Apprentice (3 Vacancies)
Sound, Video and Broadcast Technician Apprentice (1 Vacancy)
Starting September 2026
Salary: £25,336.80 for 42.5hrs per week
Based in: Covent Garden, London

We are one of the busiest theatres in the world, delivering more than 400 performances each year and our backstage teams are some of the best theatre craftspeople in the world.

We want to encourage fresh, passionate new talent into the building and our apprenticeship scheme plays a big part in that!

An apprenticeship gives you the practical skills and knowledge that will underpin your professional development and access to a network of people who can guide and support you during your career.

What our apprentices say:
"It has taught me invaluable on-the-job experience to start my career in a unique job role."

The role is on a fixed-term contract for 2 years, full-time (42.5 hours per week) and based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

During the Apprenticeship you will work at RBO and study alongside with the College Training Provider, Creative Alliance. You will study for a Level 3 Production Technician Apprenticeship Standard on either the Creative Venue Technician or Live Event Technician pathway.

Candidates recruited into this programme will be screened into the roles of either Creative Venue Technician Apprentice or Sound Video and Broadcast Technician Apprentice based on their experience and aptitude demonstrated in application and during interviews.

Will I be paid?
Yes! You will earn National Living Wage which will increase by 2.5% after successfully completing the first year. Apprentices are expected to use this to pay for their own travel to work and college. College fees will also be paid by the Royal Ballet and Opera.

A paid summer work and cultural exchange opportunity for creatives aged 18+.

Camp America offers a paid summer opportunity to live and work at an American summer camp for 9–12 weeks, with performing arts and creative roles available across camps in the USA. This is more than just work experience - it’s a chance to use your creative skills while living the full summer camp life!

Creatives from all backgrounds are placed in roles where they can teach, lead and inspire young people through acting, singing, dance, music, technical theatre and production, while also being part of a wider camp community. Alongside your role, you’ll take part in classic camp activities, build international friendships and experience everyday life in the USA. While we work with specialist theatre and performing arts camps, performing arts roles are available across many different camps, not just specialist ones.

This opportunity is ideal for those who:

Camps generally run from mid-Jun to mid-August – but this can vary by camp and location.

Read me aloud