Theatretrain Stevenage

One thing I've learned over the years is that "nothing" usually means absolutely loads happened.

You pick them up after school or an activity and ask:
"What did you do today?"
"Nothing."
"I don't know."
"Can't remember."

Meanwhile they've somehow managed to fit a whole day's worth of friendships, conversations, games, lessons and drama into a few hours.

I've found the best chats often happen later.

In the car when you're halfway home.
At bedtime when you're trying to turn the light off.
While they're eating a snack.

Or completely out of the blue when you've stopped asking.

Sometimes children need a little while before they're ready to tell you about their day.
So if all you get is "nothing" at first, don't panic.

The interesting bits often come later.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲… 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿.

If they’re constantly singing…
Making up dances…
Creating shows in the living room…
Using the stairs as an entrance…

At some point you do start to think:
“Ok… maybe I should give this somewhere to go.”

Not because every child wants to be on the West End.

But because sometimes they clearly love it… and love needs somewhere to grow.

One of the biggest worries parents have is whether the class will feel overwhelming.

Walking into a new space
Not knowing what’s happening
Not knowing where to stand

That’s the part children feel first.

And it’s often the difference between joining in… or hanging back.

I’ve written this to explain what a performing arts class actually feels like for a child, and what helps them settle:
👉 https://theatretrain.co.uk/what-does-a-performing-arts-class-actually-feel-like-for-a-child/

We started Theatretrain because I want more shy kids to find their place in the world. As a shy kid myself, I know how hard it is to belong, feel comfortable in your own skin and find your people.

Since then, we’ve build 3 successful schools helping over 150 local kids find their place in the world and given them the opportunity to perform at The Royal Albert Hall!

Running a small business is hard work, but it means everything when people choose to support us.

That’s why Small Business Week matters.

If you’d like to support us this week, you can recommend us to someone who would benefit from our classes

Thank you for backing small businesses like ours.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that shy children rarely walk into a room and instantly become “confident”.

Most of the time, they hang back a little first.

They watch.
They assess.
They work out if the room feels safe.

I completely understand that because I’m exactly the same in new situations.

Sometimes parents worry because their child isn’t joining in fully within the first five minutes, but honestly, some children just need a moment to take everything in first.
And then something interesting usually happens.

A game starts.
Someone talks to them.
They laugh at something.
They realise nobody is expecting perfection.

And slowly they start stepping forward bit by bit.

Some of the children who now walk into Theatretrain chatting away to everyone were once the ones standing quietly at the side holding onto mum or dad.

Children often settle much faster once they stop feeling like they’re being watched and start feeling like they belong.

Happy Bare Foot Day!!

The second the sun comes out, the flip flops are back… and honestly, I won’t willingly wear a sock again until winter.

The problem is, teaching singing in flip flops isn’t exactly practical… especially with the amount I move around.

So more often than not, you’ll find me barefoot, charging around the room, teaching, demonstrating and generally forgetting shoes were ever an option.

So today, I’m fully celebrating everyone who prefers bare feet, fresh air and freedom over socks.

Once the sunshine arrives… shoes become optional.

There’s something about shared laughter in a theatre that’s hard to beat.

The kind where the whole audience laughs together at the same moment and, for a little while, everyone feels connected.

In this new blog, Theatretrain Artistic Director Kevin Dowsett reflects on why comedy and laughter matter so much in theatre, from Shakespeare right through to modern productions.

Because sometimes, after a difficult day or week, a good laugh really does make a difference.

You can read the full blog here:
https://theatretrain.co.uk/laughter-is-the-best-medicine-2/

I'm so excited about this years show on Saturday 11th July at the Gordon Craig.
This is no typical dance show, this is theatre!

Our show 'Input Required' is about a money grabbing producer who is creating a show but doesn't want to pay actors to perform so instead he hires a bunch of robots to perform his show as they are much cheaper.

Sadly the robot's are not able to portray human emotions so he sends them to a school for robots so they can learn.

Our Head of the Robot school is a purist, he believes Robots should be Robots and are not capable of anything else, but as the Robots begin to learn emotion, our Head Robot begins to see the value and finds it hard not to join our robots on their journey.

Our evil producer notices this change in the head robot and forms a plan to destroy all the robots after the show.

Will he succeed or will the power of human emotion win in the end?

Only way to find out is to book a ticket to see the show!!

https://everyonetheatres.com/book/?instanceId=569801&eventId=19085

Last few seats remaining!

Growing up… I often felt like the weird kid.

I moved around a lot.
I didn’t always fit in.
Making friends wasn’t always easy.
And sometimes, that can be really hard.

So I think part of why I care so much now… comes from that.

Because I know what it feels like to not quite feel like you belong.

And I never want children to feel they have to hide who they are.

I want them to have spaces where being creative is a good thing.

Where being energetic is okay.
Where being quiet is okay too.
Where they can grow into themselves without feeling judged.

Parents tell me all the time that Theatretrain has helped their child grow in confidence, find friendships, or simply feel happier.

And every time I hear that… it matters.

Because while every child is different, I truly believe the right environment can make such a difference.

I can’t promise Theatretrain is right for every child.

But I can promise this:
What matters to me has never just been performance.
It’s people.
It’s belonging.
It’s helping children feel seen.

And I think that can matter more than we sometimes realise 💙