Stage Management
This five-day course will give you an introduction into the world of stage management and the skills required, including the art of blocking and cueing to music.
Key information:
- Course dates:
- Course 1: Mon 20 – Fri 24 Jul 2026 | Course 2: Mon 27 – Fri 31 Jul 2026
- Course times:
- 10am–5pm
- Age:
- 16+
- Art form:
- Production Arts
- Fees:
- £625
- Deadline:
- Bookings will close at 5pm on Friday 3 July 2026 or when the course reaches full capacity
- Level of study:
- Short Courses & Summer Schools (ages 18+) | Short Courses & Summer Schools, Workshops & Saturday Centres (under 18)
- Mode of study:
- In-person
- Venue:
- Guildhall School of Music & Drama
- When:
- Summer Schools (July–August)
Course info
Public booking opens at 11am, Monday 1 December. Join our mailing list before Friday 28 November to receive priority booking.
Ages 16+
Course Dates & Times
Course 1
Monday 20 – Friday 24 July 2026
10am–5pm
Course 2
Monday 27 – Friday 31 July 2026
10am–5pm
About Stage Management
This five-day course will give you an introduction into the world of stage management and the skills required, including the art of blocking and cueing to music.
Stage Management teams are at the centre of any production or event and without them, live performances would not be able to happen successfully. Skills required include communication, coordination and organisation.
Who is the course for?
Anyone aged 16 and over with an interest in production arts in theatre or related industries. If you love communicating, organising and being part of the central hub of a production or event, then this course is for you.
What can I expect?
During the week you will:
- Develop an understanding of the different roles within stage management
- Develop basic prop making and prop sourcing skills
- Learn about the processes required in managing a production
- Learn the art of blocking
- Learn the art of cueing a drama production
- Learn the art of cueing to music
- Gain an understanding of the essential elements required in stage management paperwork
- Develop an understanding of the creative process
At the end of the week, you will put the skills you gained to practice in a staged project.
Do I need anything for the course?
- A4 ring binder
- Pencil and rubber (or mechanical pencil with rubber, see example here)
- Ruler
Course Fee
£625
Public booking opens at 11am, Monday 1 December. Join our mailing list before Friday 28 November to receive priority booking.
Participation Bursaries are available for this course. Please note the application deadline for Participation Bursaries is 27 April 2026.
Eligibility
- We welcome participants from all ages 16 and over
- Participants must have sufficient English language skills in order to fully engage with the course
About the Course Tutor
This course is led by Helen Barratt, Head of Stage Management at Guildhall School.
Helen completed a BA in English and Drama at Sheffield University before training in technical theatre / stage management at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She went on to work in several regional theatres including Sheffield Crucible and Liverpool Everyman before moving to London to be ASM/ Book Cover on Miss Saigon. Since then, she has worked at the National Theatre, several West End theatres, toured both nationally and internationally, group managed a ceremony team at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and production coordinated anniversary concerts for Les Misérables at the O2 and Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall.
After ten years as a Deputy Stage Manager, she moved into Company Managing and spent fifteen years working on a variety of productions including Wicked, Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, Curious Incident, Return of the Jedi for Secret Cinema and a highly acclaimed version of Sweeney Todd in a pie shop.
She moved into education in 2018 at Mountview to find a new challenge and joined Guildhall in 2022.
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