Introduction

There are many different types of children’s shows, depending on the setting, the age of the performers and the nature of the production. From organising a tiny preschool performance for excited parents, to a sold-out theatrical production of a full-scale children’s musical.

With seemingly infinite possibilities for various types of performance, it’s almost impossible to write any sort of definitive guide which covers all eventualities and circumstances. Instead, this document provides simple, general advice that will hopefully apply to most settings, particularly focusing on areas and issues that often get overlooked.

Organising a children’s performance can seem like a daunting prospect especially if it’s something you’ve never done before, but the key thing to remember is that it will only be as hard as you make it!

There may be occasions when you genuinely have the time, energy, budget and capacity to produce a stunning, award-winning show. If that’s you, then great. Go for it! However, in my personal experience, teachers, children’s workers and others who have been given the job of staging a show, want the simplest, easiest solution which cuts as many corners as possible!

Either way, before you do anything else, please be realistic about what you can achieve given the size of your cast and the age of your performers. You should also consider how much time and commitment you can really put in, and how much help you can get from parents and colleagues.

In the end, when the final curtain comes down, hopefully you’ll be able to look back and see that you helped the children create a piece of magic! Something, that they will never forget. That’s precious. So, however you decide to proceed, we truly wish you every success for your production.