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Playbox Theatre
The Dream Factory
Stratford Road
Warwick CV34 6LE
United Kingdom​

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Theatre

Whether you are looking for an after school musical activity for your children to develop confidence, explore their creativity and make friends, or aspiring young musical theatre performers craving high-level training and performance opportunities, the Playbox experience caters for everyone.

Home | Musical Theatre

Musical Theatre is one of the most advanced and popular programmes that we run. It is an exciting and intensive course which introduces young people to the excitement and rigours of musicals. Based in the main theatre at The Dream Factory, this is a performance programme, regular working towards presentations.

As a performance course, Musical Theatre emulates a rehearsal process. Members will train in singing, acting and choreography, led by a Stage Director and Musical Director.

Each season, fresh material is selected and members will experience a full rehearsal schedule, leading towards a presentation in the main theatre at the end of the season, with all family and friends invited.

Material is carefully chosen from across the musical theatre spectrum, with regular input from members. Our recent work has included contemporary musicals, lesser-known work, Broadway hits and the classic favourites!

Members of this course experience high-level training, as well as the benefits of improved fitness, stamina and breath control. 

Would you like to know more?

As a performance course, Musical Theatre emulates a rehearsal process. Members will train in singing, acting and choreography, led by a Stage Director and Musical Director.

Each season, fresh material is selected and members will experience a full rehearsal schedule, leading towards a presentation in the main theatre at the end of the season, with all family and friends invited.

Material is carefully chosen from across the musical theatre spectrum, with regular input from members. Our recent work has included contemporary musicals, lesser-known work, Broadway hits and the classic favourites!

Members of this course experience high-level training, as well as the benefits of improved fitness, stamina and breath control. 

Musical Theatre membership includes:

  • Weekly training workshop
  • Discount to attend Playbox Holiday Schools
  • Discount on tickets for Playbox productions (except Christmas show)
  • Opportunity to audition for major musical productions
  • Chance to participate in annual Starry Nights showcase
  • Eligible to audition for Playbox Agency
  • Access to attend range of masterclasses throughout the year

To find out more about this high-energy, fun-filled, course, please visit our FAQ page.

Workshop Schedule

Warwick
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Session Age Day Time
Musical Theatre 1 8-10 yrs Monday 18.00-19.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 1 8-10 yrs Wednesday 16.30-17.30 Apply
Musical Theatre 1 8-13 yrs Saturday 09.00-11.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 2 11-13 yrs Wednesday 17.30-19.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 2 14-19 yrs Saturday 11.00-13.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 3 14-19 yrs Wednesday 19.00-20.30 Apply

Location

Main Theatre, The Dream Factory, Warwick

Membership Fees

Season (school term)
2 hour workshops:
£210
1 hour 30min workshops:
£170
1 hour workshops:
£135
(discounts apply for Playbox members attending multiple workshops)

Membership of
Playbox includes: -

  • A place in your designated Playbox Theatre Workshop
  • Eligibility to attend appropriate Playbox Theatre auditions
  • Eligibility to participate in annual Starry Night Productions
  • Discounts on Playbox Theatre Holiday Projects
  • Tickets for Playbox Theatre productions (excluding Christmas production)
  • Discounts for special Master Classes
  • Priority information regarding all Playbox Theatre events
  • Twice yearly Arena Magazine and so much More!
Session Age Day Time
Musical Theatre 1 8-10 yrs Monday 18.00-19.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 1 8-10 yrs Wednesday 16.30-17.30 Apply
Musical Theatre 1 8-13 yrs Saturday 09.00-11.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 2 11-13 yrs Wednesday 17.30-19.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 2 14-19 yrs Saturday 11.00-13.00 Apply
Musical Theatre 3 14-19 yrs Wednesday 19.00-20.30 Apply

Location

Main Theatre, The Dream Factory, Warwick

Membership Fees

Season (school term)
2 hour workshops:
£210
1 hour 30min workshops:
£170
1 hour workshops:
£135
(discounts apply for Playbox members attending multiple workshops)

Membership of
Playbox includes: -

  • A place in your designated Playbox Theatre Workshop
  • Eligibility to attend appropriate Playbox Theatre auditions
  • Eligibility to participate in annual Starry Night Productions
  • Discounts on Playbox Theatre Holiday Projects
  • Tickets for Playbox Theatre productions (excluding Christmas production)
  • Discounts for special Master Classes
  • Priority information regarding all Playbox Theatre events
  • Twice yearly Arena Magazine and so much More!

A truly magical space where William can excel at being William”
Becci Arbuckle

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Musical Theatre FAQs

POPULAR QUESTIONS

Who are the directors of the workshop – how can I find out more about them?

Juliet Vankay is the director of Musical Theatre, with Richard Norris being the Music Director. Every member of the department is a professional practitioner and has vast experience as both performers and directors of theatre and musical theatre. If you’d like to know more about their training and their experience, have a look at their biographies on the Team page of the website.

What space do we work in?

Musical Theatre trains in the main theatre at The Dream Factory.

What should I wear to my Musical Theatre workshop?

What you dress in is very important! You must wear comfortable and practical clothing that you can move freely and dance in, as well as trainers or dance shoes. If you do not arrive wearing appropriate clothing, you may not be admitted to the workshop.

Do I need to bring anything with me to my workshop?

Yes, you must always bring a pencil to make notes on your music (not a pen, as you will often need to amend what you’ve written)…and you should always bring a bottle of water as you will need to keep yourself fresh and hydrated.

Do I need to be able to read to join this course?

Yes, members of Musical Theatre must be fluent readers as there will be lots of lyrics to learn, and these are distributed as text.

Do I need to be able to read music?

No, although we will sometimes give you sheet music to take home so you can tackle any complex harmonies, for those that find it useful.

I don’t have any previous Musical Theatre experience…will I be able to cope?

Absolutely! You don’t need any previous experience to join this programme…although if you do have some, this is also super! Our directors are highly trained and are able to accommodate young people of all backgrounds and experiences. You will quickly be welcomed into the team and brought up to speed.

Will I have the chance to perform, as part of this workshop?

YES! Usually at the end of every season we stage an open presentation for family and friends to come and share. Occasionally, if we are working on a really big and complex musical we might work on this over two seasons and, if this happens, we invite parents to come in at the end of the first season to watch part of your rehearsals so they can see what you are working on. The presentation is an opportunity to celebrate the work that you’ve been doing, and to share the results with your family and friends. Usually the presentation will be on the main stage at The Dream Factory, other times it might be on our outdoor stage, or even in the front of house space as entertainment for people relaxing in the foyer! Members of Musical Theatre are eligible to audition for any musical productions that Playbox Theatre presents, although success is never guaranteed.

How much acting, singing and dancing is involved – I enjoy all three?!

Within Musical Theatre, the focus is primarily on singing, with musical ‘staging’. This sometimes includes choreography, but is all dependent upon the musical that we are exploring. In terms of ‘acting’ – on this course, the acting is tackled through your singing, where we will focus on the emotional interpretation, vocal and facial expression and your characterisation. If you want to explore acting in more detail, you should aim to be a member of one of the Theatre Training Programmes instead, or in addition, to Musical Theatre.

What’s a typical session like?

Although our weekly workshops will vary depending upon the specific challenges of the day, we will always start with a vocal warm up around the piano, before working through the ‘numbers’ from the musical we are focussing on. We always work on the singing first and then start to add staging and choreography second, once you have conquered the basics of the music. There can be a lot of tough harmony work at the beginning with lots of note bashing and repetition – it is VERY important to understand that you need to work through this in order to be able to get stuck into the staging. As a musical theatre performer you have to be good at multi-tasking and you have to be hard-working and patient! We pride ourselves on achieving very high standards in the Musical Theatre department and you will be driven hard to achieve highly. This is not a ‘quick satisfaction’ workshop and you will need to put in a lot of intense work at the beginning of exploring a new musical, before you have the chance to start staging it (which is when the fun really begins!).

What sort of material does Musical Theatre explore?

All sorts! We aim to programme an eclectic and far-reaching programme of material, so that our members are constantly challenged and able to expand their musical theatre knowledge. We will explore musicals from Les Miserables to Hamilton, from Billy Elliot to Into the Woods. We choose work that will challenge our young people in different ways each season, so if one musical has lots of complex harmonies we will use that as the focus for one season, but then next time, we might chose a musical that is simpler to sing, but with trickier choreography. That being said, we always try to select musicals that are fun to work on and often our members will put in requests for what they’d like to look at next season…where possible we will incorporate these ideas.

I’m really experienced…can I move up to the next group early?

No you can’t. The material that we explore with each age group is very carefully selected and is appropriate to the range of ages in that workshop. We have members taking part across a wide range of experiences…some who are complete newcomers with a passion for singing…others who have played ‘Matilda’ in The West End! Our directors will ensure that every member is well-looked after, challenged, stimulated and developing in the group that is appropriate for their age.

Do I have to do homework between my workshops?

Yes, you will need to learn song lyrics in between sessions and this is really important – it is always difficult to move onto staging when you have a script in your hand, so you need to support this process. The more effort you put in between workshops, the more you will get out of the workshop.

What happens if I can’t make a session?

We do ask Musical Theatre members to attend every workshop if at all possible, as we are constantly working towards a presentation. If you are absent, this really impacts on the rest of the ensemble and can have a big impact upon progress. However, if you really can’t make a session, we ask you to let us know in advance and we will endeavour to take you through everything you missed the following week. We can also send you the material you have missed via email, so you can familiarise yourself with the songs. It would be your responsibility to request the material and your job to get on top of it before your next session!

Can I audition for all Playbox productions if I only attend Musical Theatre?

If you only attend this specialist course, then you are only eligible to attend auditions for Playbox’s musicals (usually one is staged per year). If you would like to attend auditions across the range of work that Playbox stages, then you will need to also be a member of one of the Theatre Training workshops. Our Membership Team will be able to talk to you about availability and where the Theatre Training workshops take place. Drop us an email membership@playboxtheatre.com

How much does it cost to join the workshop?

For our 2-hour weekly workshops on Saturdays, the fee is, £200 per season (same as school term), so costs more than the Theatre Training session. If you also attend a Theatre Training workshop as well as Musical Theatre, the fee is £190 per season.

For our 90 minute workshops on a Wednesday evening, the fee is £165 and for our hour long workshops the fee is £130.

I like the sound of this…how do I apply to join Musical Theatre?

We would love to welcome you to our wonderful Musical Theatre department! Spaces are very limited and some of the groups have long waiting lists, so you now need to contact the Membership Team on 01926 419 555 or email membership@playboxtheatre.com We will offer you a place as soon as possible!