Stage Management

Public booking opens at 11am, Thursday 28 November. Join our mailing list before Monday 25 November to receive priority booking.

Ages 16+

Course Dates & Times

Course 1

Monday 21 – Friday 25 July 2025
10am–5pm

Course 2

Monday 28 July – Friday 1 August 2025
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

£595

Public booking opens at 11am, Thursday 28 November. Join our mailing list before Monday 25 November to receive priority booking.

Participation Bursaries are available for this course. Please note the application deadline for Participation Bursaries is 28 April 2025.

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 taught 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.