Thank you for registering your school’s interest
for Nottingham Playhouse Schools Shakespeare Festival 2026
Nottingham Playhouse Schools Shakespeare Festival is a unique large-scale performance and CPD opportunity for Nottingham Schools to bring a class of Key Stage 2 or 3 children to perform on the main stage at Nottingham Playhouse in front of a live audience of 770 people.
A class of up to 35 students from each school will work with their teacher and a Nottingham Playhouse director to prepare a scene from a famous Shakesperian play.
Next year, each school will be working on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
A movement director will also work with your students to work with a chorus of mystical forest spirits to perform in your scenes. These sections will all come together to make a full show, along with live piano, theatre lights, set and props.
Each participating school will receive:
- A 2-hour twilight CPD session for up to 5 staff at the Playhouse, led by our expert practitioners, on helping young people understand and enjoy Shakespeare. We will also outline how you can support your students for performing on the Main Stage.
- 4 x 2-hour rehearsals in school led by a Nottingham Playhouse Director. One of the rehearsals to include a visit from the Movement Director.
- Ongoing support from the Playhouse team in rehearsing and preparing the scene for performance.
- A full school day at the Playhouse for the young people to practice on the stage and experience in a technical rehearsal.
- A second school day to participate in a dress rehearsal then perform to the live audience.
The fee for taking part in the Nottingham Playhouse Schools Shakespeare Festival is £900 + VAT
Key Dates:
• Applications close: 31 December 2025
• Applications shortlisted: 12 January 2026
• Interviews/notifications: w/c 19 January 2026
• CPD & Intro Day @ NP: Monday 23 March 2026, 4:00-5.30pm, at Nottingham Playhouse (attendance is essential)
• Rehearsals: Four rehearsal sessions will take place in school during May and June on days and times that work best for the school, with all school rehearsals being two hours in length.
• Tech Day: Monday 15 June at Nottingham Playhouse (attendance is essential)
• Performance Day: Tuesday 16 June at Nottingham Playhouse (attendance is essential)
Rehearsals schedule:
| Rehearsal 1 |
w/c 5th May 2026 |
In school |
| Rehearsal 2 |
w/c 12th May 2026 |
In school |
| Rehearsal 3 |
w/c 19th May 2026 |
In school |
| Rehearsal 4 |
w/c 30th May 2026 |
In school |
| (Spare week) |
w/c 9th June 2026 |
In school |
If you have any questions, please contact us at participation@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
We look forward to seeing your school at the Nottingham Playhouse Schools Shakespeare Festival 2026