Putting on a School Production

Be it a Christmas play, a leavers’ musical or whole-school extravaganza, putting on a school production can be an exciting and rewarding experience for both staff and students alike. It requires careful planning, collaboration and creativity to ensure a successful and enjoyable event for all involved. Here are the key elements to consider when planning a school production.
 

Script and Cast

Firstly, you need to determine the size of your cast, which will then help you choose your script. You may have a large cohort, but will they all want to be on stage? Find this out early on, and then if some children change their minds, you can always split up lines or give children chances to work backstage. 

Once you know how everyone wants to be involved, look at what kind of personalities and abilities you have available. If have lots of dancers and singers, then a full-blown musical for schools with original songs could work. If you have budding comedians, then a pantomime-style script might suit the group better.

Searching online for ‘playscripts for schools’ brings up a plethora of options. Some feature big-name shows, while others have been written specifically for younger children. Playscripts will often let you know the ideal cast size, as well as the minimum cast size when roles are doubled up or omitted. Most websites will give you a sample of the script, although on others you can buy a digital copy of the whole script straight away.

When choosing your script, it’s also important to think about the ‘appropriateness’ of the production. Make sure that the content and themes of the show align with the values and ethos of the school.
 

Venue

Selecting the right venue for your school production is crucial to create the desired atmosphere and accommodate the needs of the cast and audience. Seating capacity which adheres to health and safety guidelines, accessibility and availability for rehearsals are all major things to take into account when picking a venue. If you only have limited seating, you might want to limit the number of tickets per child or perform the show a few times over a number of nights.

If you are using a school hall, it may be worth hiring a stage so that the audience can see all the performers. However, you also need to consider backstage space. If you are in a space with a stage already set up, have a record of the stage measurements. This means that when you rehearse elsewhere, you’ll know exactly how large your performance space is.
 

Budget and Fundraising

Establishing a budget early on will help in managing costs effectively throughout the production process. Budget considerations should include expenses such as costumes, props, set design, technical equipment, venue hire, marketing materials and any additional resources required. Don’t forget about the little things such as paint and paper that you’ll need for prop-making. It’s not always possible to simply raid the art cupboard, as other classes may have to use those resources for their lessons.

Schools might have some money in place already for productions or you may need to fundraise, but make sure you keep a record of what you spend. If you’re selling tickets for a show that you didn’t write yourself, make sure to check with the production company’s policies as to whether you need to pay them a percentage of the ticket sales.

Available Creative Help

Engage with other teachers, as well as parents and external professionals who can provide creative input and expertise in areas such as directing, choreography, music composition, costume and set design. It’s often useful to get a second opinion, so don’t be afraid to ask!

Many production companies provide some choreography videos with their script packages that children can learn in their PE lessons, at home or in the classroom. You could also reach out to local dance schools — or why not hand it over to the cast themselves to see what they can come up with?
 

Technology

Utilise available technology to enhance the production value of the show. This may include sound and lighting systems, projection equipment, recording devices or even online ticket platforms.

Good lighting can really make a show, so if you are investing in a lighting system or an engineer to light your show, make sure your performance space can be blacked out, so you can see the full effect. If you don’t have access to backgrounds to paint on, make use of a projector and a white sheet and project a slide show onto it. Some production websites even have background projections available.

Most production companies will have backing tracks for songs and sound effects that will need playing on good quality systems. There can be a slight delay between pressing play on a phone or laptop and the sound coming out, so make sure to rehearse this a lot and find a ‘cue’ word in the script so that whoever’s in charge of sound knows when to press play.
 

Photographers and Videographers

Photos and videos of the performance are always popular ways to memorialise the event. If you are hiring an external photographer or videographer, make sure they have experience working with drama productions and look to see if they can sell their media from their online shop or if you’ll need to arrange that. See if your photographer can come during a dress rehearsal and get your cast to freeze at certain points so that you can get that perfect shot!

If you know that parents and carers want to film the performance, it’s crucial to get permission for all of the children to be photographed or filmed. You may also want to ask that nobody posts any footage on social media, as this can conflict with safeguarding issues. Alternatively, you could ask that parents and carers only take pictures of their own children after the show — this also means that nobody has to watch the performance surrounded by phones and tablets!
 

Rehearsals

Rehearsals could be once a week after school over a period of a few months, every day for four weeks or even take place in class time — it’s whatever suits you. Make sure that you have run the entire show at least four or five times before opening night. Ideally, you’d want to do two more run-throughs in full costume. Depending on your production, you might also need to factor in a tech rehearsal before opening night. You don’t want the first time the children perform with microphones to be the first show!
 

Extra Tips

• Have double-sided clothing tape available for those last-minute costume rips.
• Have a prop table set up with masking tape labels that show exactly where each prop goes. Make sure all the props are returned to their specific spot each time they’re used.
• Have the cast keep their costumes in clearly labelled boxes instead of bags. Boxes are easier to store, and bags can rip.
• School shows can create some of the strongest memories of school, so don’t panic about how slick the production is or if the children don’t remember all the words — the most important lesson is to take part and have fun!

I have been a teacher for nearly 12 years, working in South East London primary schools. For the last 6 years, I’ve worked in an independent prep school in Kent. I’ve taught all the way from EYFS to Year 6, as well as teaching music and drama. Before teaching, I worked in London’s West End as a sound technician in shows like The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia and The Lion King. I’ve also performed in smaller local productions, most recently in Legally Blonde. As well as full time teaching, I also direct and choreograph my school’s annual Year 6 Leavers’ Show to sell-out crowds, combining my two passions: musical theatre and teaching!