Cameron Mackintosh Limited is delighted to offer a technical demonstration from Lionel Bart’s musical masterpiece, Oliver! Join the company at the Gielgud Theatre where you will take your seat in the auditorium and get to see how all the technical elements are combined to produce a scene. This session will showcase sound, lighting, automation and stage management in perfect harmony!
The demonstration will be followed by a Q&A where you will get the opportunity to ask the company questions about any technical aspects of the show.
This session will be hosted by the Oliver! production team, presented by Cameron Mackintosh LTD
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Ever wondered how the magical moments in shows like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and The Worst Witch were designed and directed? In this session, join seasoned Illusion Designer and Director, John Bulleid, to learn exactly that! This session will take a Q&A format following a short presentation about John’s work in the industry. Attendees will even learn an illusion to take away and impress friends and & relatives.
This session will be hosted by John Bulleid, Illusion Designer and Director
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Join award-winning puppetry company Talk to the Hand Puppets, the puppetry directors from Avenue Q, to explore the world of puppetry for the stage. Try your hand at bringing Avenue Q style puppets to life. Then join co founders Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath to discuss the different uses of puppetry in live performance, and the different career paths within theatre puppetry. Andy and Iestyn will be sharing insights from their 28 years in the industry from Doctor Dolittle to Avenue Q, via Star Wars.
This session will be hosted by Iestyn Events & Andy Heath – Co-founders of Talk to the Hand Puppets
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Join producer and theatre owner Nica Burns CBE as she shares her journey from Edinburgh Fringe to multi award-winning theatre powerhouse, building the first new West End theatre in 50 years along the way.
As well as discussing her career journey, Nica, Chief Executive and co-owner of the Nimax Theatres group, will share insights into creating the beautiful @sohoplace, including how artists and audiences influenced the space, and how it responds to the current London theatre landscape.
Expect sharp industry expertise from one of UK theatre’s most influential individuals, plus plenty of entertaining stories from her long career in the industry. There will be time at the end of the Masterclass for audience questions.
This session will be hosted by Nica Burns, Co-Owner of Nimax Theatres Group
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Inside the first new West End theatre in over 50 years. The department heads of Stage and Electrics at @sohoplace will take you on a fascinating journey through the challenges, innovations and triumphs of bringing this groundbreaking venue to life. In this exclusive session, they’ll share:
Whether you’re a theatre professional, student or just curious about what it takes to run a state-of-the-art venue, this is your chance to hear directly from the team making it happen.
This workshop will be hosted by Tony Priestley, Geoff Grint and @sohoplace team.
Key Information:
How to Book:
Bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
To find out how to book, sign up to the TheatreCraft 2026 mailing list using the ‘Stay up to date’ pop-up in the bottom-left corner of this page.
Subscribers will receive booking information and instructions on Friday 16 October, followed by the link to book when bookings open at 12pm on Monday 19 October.
Already signed up? You don’t need to do anything – we’ll email you everything you need to know.
In-Person Waiting List:
If you aren’t able to book a place in advance, you can join the ‘on the day’ waiting list at the workshop venue. This is for any places that become available due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows.
Simply come to the specified venue and a volunteer will direct you to the waiting list queue. Places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and joining the waiting list does not guarantee entry.
For more information and to sign up to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Join award-winning producer, writer and co-founder of the Women's Prize for Playwriting, Ellie Keel, as she offers insights into how to enjoy a successful career in theatre, even in a cultural climate where artistic opportunities can seem fewer in number and more competitive when they do exist.
In a world where artists need to be entrepreneurs as well as creatives, we'll explore how to maintain vision and volition, through a mix of identifying gaps in the market, creating opportunities, building relationships, and taking strategic risks with the reward of making the work you want to make.
This Masterclass will reveal how to start new ways of working, how to sustain yourself both commercially and creatively, and how to find the support you need to make things happen. Ellie will share her experiences of engaging and retaining stakeholders, garnering support, and – whether staging a play or starting a prize competition which evolves into a registered charity – learning the skill of effective fundraising.
This Masterclass, aimed at early- to mid-career theatre-makers, will equip participants with practical tools, fresh insights and clearer ideas about what they will make next.
Key Information:
For more information and to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Please note: This event has been fully booked. Join the waitlist for the chance to secure a place!
Do you have a story to tell? Can you imagine it performed live, by actors on a stage? It’s time to start your playwriting journey!
The Royal Court Young Playwrights Award is a free, open-access competition for anyone aged 13-18 in the UK. All entrants receive personal feedback, and winners will have their plays professionally performed in London and published by Nick Hern Books.
This free workshop, led by award-winning playwright Tife Kusoro, will help you get started coming up with ideas and writing scenes for your play.
About Tife Kusoro:
Tife’s debut play, G, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in August 2024, and won the George Devine Award for most promising new playwright. Her work has also received the Playwrights '73 Award and the Lynne Gagliano Writers' Award, and been shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Poetry, the Women's Prize for Playwriting, the Verity Bargate Award, and the Alfred Fagon Award.
Key Information:
For more information and to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Have an exciting idea, a new project, or a show you'd love to develop? Looking for time, space, and support to help bring your work to life? ORIGIN 8 supports artists and companies at different stages of their creative journey!
Providing tailored guidance, development opportunities and practical support to help transform ideas into the next stage of their life. Whether you’re nurturing the seed of a new idea, developing an existing project, preparing for funding applications, or looking for support to take your work further, we’d love to hear from you.
ORIGIN8 offers support in three stages:
These are all tailored specifically for each artist and company we work with depending on their needs!
Following completion of the programme, artists and companies become part of the ORIGIN8 Alumni Community, with opportunities to stay connected and continue engaging with our creative network.
Key Information:
For more information and to apply, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Are you aged 18–24 and interested in a career in theatre, live events or backstage production? This is your chance to go behind the scenes at one of Brighton’s most iconic venues and discover the wide range of opportunities available in the creative industries.
Situated in the Royal Pavilion Estate at the heart of the city, The Brighton Dome is an arts charity, three historic contemporary live arts venues, a music education service across the region - Create Music - and the biggest curated cross-arts festival in England. Our purpose is to enable extraordinary experiences where people can come together to enjoy, imagine, create and change. Discover where a career in theatre and live events could take you!
What to expect:
Whether you're interested in the technical side of theatre, working behind the scenes or helping bring live events to life, this is a great opportunity to explore the possibilities and learn from people working in the industry.
Key information:
For more information and to sign up, click the Opportunity Info link below!
Why do some stories work while others fall flat? What makes a story compelling, and how can understanding its structure help you become a better storyteller?
Join John Yorke, award-winning television drama executive and bestselling author of Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them, for a live online masterclass exploring the fundamental principles of dramatic storytelling.
Drawing on decades of experience developing acclaimed television drama, John will examine why story structure exists, where it comes from and how writers and other creative professionals can use it to develop stronger stories.
What you'll explore:
About John Yorke:
John is the former Controller of BBC Drama Production, Head of Channel 4 Drama and Managing Director of Company Pictures. His credits include Shameless and Wolf Hall.
He founded the BBC Writers' Academy and is the author of Into the Woods, which has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, and Trip to the Moon: Understanding the True Power of Story (2026).
Who is this for?
Playwrights, screenwriters, directors, actors, dramaturgs, aspiring writers and anyone interested in developing their storytelling skills. The session is relevant to both emerging and established creative professionals.
Key information:
For more information and to book, click the Opportunity Info link below!
