EVENT THEATRE TRAINING
BIRMINGHAM
Retinue Training Nights
One evening. One focus. Two hours.
Train for the unexpected.
Practical event theatre training for actors who want to develop their character, improvisation, audience interaction and storytelling skills.
Come to one. Come to several. Keep developing.
Birmingham City Centre · Monday evenings · 18+
Some acting experience required. Event theatre experience optional.
WHY TRAINING NIGHTS?
There isn't always an answer in the script.
In event theatre, there is no fourth wall to hide behind.
The audience can interrupt you. Ask questions nobody prepared for. Misunderstand something. Discover information too early. Or take a conversation somewhere completely unexpected.
There may not be another line waiting for you on the page.
Retinue Training Nights are where we practise what happens next.
Each standalone session focuses on a particular event theatre skill through practical exercises, character work, improvisation and performance scenarios.
You don't have to sign up for a course.
Choose the nights that interest you. Come back when you want to develop another skill.
CHARACTER FIRST. STORY ALWAYS.
UPCOMING TRAINING
November training nights.
Four standalone evenings. Choose one or train across all four.
Birmingham City Centre · Mondays · 6:30–8:30pm
MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER
CHARACTER BEYOND THE SCRIPT
Who are you when nobody has written the answer?
Build a character strong enough to survive beyond scripted dialogue.
Explore objectives, relationships and secrets before putting that character under pressure when the questions you weren't expecting begin.
6:30–8:30pm · Birmingham City Centre
£30
MONDAY 7 NOVEMBER
THINK LIKE YOUR
CHARACTER
Stop planning the next line.
Learn to respond from inside the character rather than searching for something clever to say.
Work with objectives, relationships and circumstances to make spontaneous choices that remain believable and keep the scene alive.
6:30–8:30pm · Birmingham City Centre
£30
MONDAY 16 NOVEMBER
WORKING WITH THE
AUDIENCE
The audience can talk back.
Explore how to approach, engage and respond to an audience while staying firmly inside your character.
Practise handling questions, interruptions and unexpected behaviour without losing the story — or the person you're playing.
6:30–8:30pm · Birmingham City Centre
£30
MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER
KEEP THE STORY
ALIVE
When anything can happen, the story still has somewhere to go.
Bring the skills together in practical scenarios where characters, audiences and stories collide.
Respond to new information, support other performers and make spontaneous choices while keeping the developing story moving.
6:30–8:30pm · Birmingham City Centre
£30
WANT THE FULL EXPERIENCE?
Train across all four nights.
Each Training Night works as a standalone session, so you can simply choose the ones that interest you.
But the four November sessions have also been designed to build on each other.
Start by creating a character that can exist beyond the script. Learn to think and respond as that character. Put them face-to-face with an unpredictable audience. Then bring everything together as you work to keep a developing story alive.
Four Monday evenings. Eight hours of training.
ALL FOUR NIGHTS - £99
Save £21 compared with booking separately.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Two hours.
Plenty can happen.
01.
WARM UP
Get moving, listening and responding. Fast exercises designed to get the company working together.
02.
THE SKILL
Explore the night's focus through practical exercises, character work and improvisation.
03.
PUT IT INTO PLAY
Take the skill into scenes and scenarios where other performers - and sometimes the audience - can change what happens.
04.
THE UNEXPECTED
Finish by putting your character under pressure. New information. Unplanned questions. Something you weren't expecting.
No scripts to learn. No performance to prepare beforehand. Come ready to work, play and make choices.
KNOW THE STORY. KNOW YOUR CHARACTER. THEN LET GO.
WHO'S IT FOR?
You already know how to act.
Now take away the safety net.
Retinue Training Nights are for adults with some acting or performance experience who want to explore a different way of working.
You might be an amateur performer, drama student, returning actor or working professional.
You don't need experience of immersive theatre, murder mystery or improvisation.
That's what the training is for.
THE PRACTICAL STUFF
Age
18+
Experience
Some acting or performance experience required. Event theatre experience optional.
Location
Birmingham City Centre
Time
Monday evenings · 6:30–8:30pm
Price
£30 per Training Night
£99 for all four November nights
What to bring
Comfortable clothes you can move in. Everything else you need will be provided.
Questions before you book?
Get in touch and we'll be happy to help.