Directory: PERFORMING ARTS

 
     _{THEATRE PRODUCTION:}

::  Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre Company - Stoke's long-established company, putting on everything from Shakespeare to light comedy. Based near Stoke rail station.

::  Reveal Theatre Company is a professional company producing live theatre in Stoke-on-Trent and the wider Midlands, as well as in London & Edinburgh. Established in 1997 by Robert Marsden, Reveal is based in Stone. Recent productions include Godber's Teechers, Poliakoff's Hitting Town and Cartwright's Two. Reveal's aim is to employ Midlands-based creatives.

::  The Porthill Players.

::  The Newcastle Players.

::  Daneside Theatre - based in Congleton.

::  Keele University Drama Society.

::  The Chesterton Players.

::  Stoke Youth Musical Theatre Company.

::  Five Towns Theatre (Stoke-on-Trent),

::  Longsdon Amateur Dramatic Society (Staffs Moorlands),

::  Stone Little Theatre.

::  Cheadle Theatrical Society (CATS).

::  Centre Stage Theatre Group - based in Leek.

::  Stone Little Theatre - a long established theatre company based in Stone.

::  Congleton Community Theatre - a 300-seat venue in Congleton, home to a variety of troupes.

::  Day-Star Theatre - a small professional company that tours canals and works in education.

::  Black Cat Theatre - a 'Theatre in Education' theatre company based in Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Heart Productions.

::  North Staffs Drama Association,

     _{THEATRE PRODUCTION: Opera & musicals}

::  North Staffordshire Operatic Society.

::  Congleton Operatic Society.

::  Newcastle Operatic Society.

 Five Towns Theatre.  Based in Stoke.

     _{THEATRE PRODUCTION: Youth}

::  Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre Company has a thriving Young Rep section.

::  Jude Theatre Company - a youth theatre based in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The group meets on Tuesdays in Crossheath.

::  GEMS Youth Theatre Company - based in Stone. This company of 8 to 18 year-olds stages musicals three times a year; either touring to theatres, or at their own Rooftop Studios theatre in Stone. GEMS welcome new members, and entry is via a short audition. (Creative Stoke has a photo-gallery of their performance of Dazzle.)

::  The Regent Theatre and The Victoria Hall - run ongoing programmes of participatory arts activity (dance, drama, opera) for children and young people. At Nov 2009 Jo Blagg at the Regent/Victoria is also the Lead Manager for the new Creative and Media Diploma in Stoke-on-Trent High Schools.

::   Capoeira Art Brasil is a Stoke-on-Trent -based group that promotes Brazilian arts and culture, and runs weekly classes in capoeira and music.

::  Urban Burn Dance School - based in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent.

 New People's Theatre - a drama society for the over 10's which puts on full-length plays. Meets in Burslem.

 Burslem Summer School - a major summer-school youth theatre workshop which brings top-quality professional directors to work with young people in Burslem, Stoke.

 Mow Cop Players have Junior & Youth troupes.

     _{THEATRE: commercial venues}

::  New Victoria Theatre, Newcastle-under Lyme. The New Vic also offers practical drama workshops for adults. Also has: a small art gallery; regular crafts fairs held in association with the North Staffordshire Guild of Craftsmen; and New Vic Borderlines, their strong community-arts programme of workshops and touring performance.

::  Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent. The Victoria Hall reportedly has... "the second-best acoustics in the country". The Regent regularly welcomes opera and productions from Glyndebourne. The Regent also has: a Dance Artist in Residence; public workshops; events for schools, and school-holiday creative activities.

::  The Mitchell Memorial Youth Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Stoke-on-Trent Repertory Theatre. Purpose-build modern theatre, in Stoke.

::  Clonter Opera Theatre - the famous 400-seat opera venue, eleven miles from Stoke, in the countryside near Congleton. Their musical director is Anthony Legge, director of opera at the Royal Academy of Music.

::  The Queen's Theatre, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. This Grade II listed building is the only purpose-built theatre for a 40-mile radius. Re-opened after a comprehensive refurbishment in 2004, with a production of Cinderella. As well as theatre the new private owners stage mid-range concerts (The Levellers in Nov 2004), and a commercial daytime nursery/creche.

     _{DANCE: Modern}

::  Axis Arts Centre - probably the best local venue to see touring modern dance.

::  FRONTLINEdance - six-member dance company which runs education projects bringing together disabled and non-disabled dancers. Based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Fusion Performance Arts offers weekly training in singing, dance and drama skills at ages 5 to 15 years, each week in Stoke-on-Trent, including training for Trinity Guildhall / LAMDA examinations.

::  Shaftesbury Dance - based at Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Carol Howard.

::  Urban Dance Crew - based in Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Urban Burn Dance School - based in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Evo Dance Studio - based in Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Fahrenheit Dance Studios - based in Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Defy Gravity - based in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, and offering a variety of classes in different dance forms.

::  List of IDTA Dance Schools in Staffordshire.

::   Ziggy Youth Dance - based in Trentham, this group for 11-25 year-olds has performed all over the world.

::   Staffordshire Youth Dance

::  Staffordshire Dance Collective.

 Staffordshire Youth Ballet.

See also: Cheshire Dance.

     _{DANCE: Folk}

::  Black Dog Molly Dancers - the main traditional folk dance group in North Staffordshire.

::  Shannon Irish Dancers - an acclaimed troupe of traditional Irish dancers, whose members hail from Kidsgrove and South Cheshire.

::   Focus Pocus a folk dance duo based in Hanford, Stoke-on-Trent.

::   Carol Howard - teaches belly-dancing.

 Six Towns Morris. Traditional folk dancers.

 Blythe Bridge Folk Dance Club.

 Stoke-on-Trent Pagans - they meet on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in Burslem, Stoke.

  Hindu Cultural Centre - based at The Dudson Centre, Hanley. They sometimes put on evenings of traditional Hindu music & dance.

 Stoke Irish Club - at the Sacred Heart Centre, off Regent Road, Hanley - organises regular Irish dancing events.

     _{DANCE: Ballroom}

 Litchfield's Ballroom.  Based in Longton, Stoke. "Competitive coaching for beginners to international championship standard. Social dance classes in Ballroom, Latin, Sequence & Freestyle."

     _{PERFORMING: Carnival arts and production}

::  Asha Tank - a performance artist based in Stoke-on-Trent.

::  The Cultural Sisters - experts in carnival crafts & related workshops. (Warning: loading this site will re-size your browser window).

For comprehensive links to local Festivals & Carnivals, see the foot of the Creative Stoke Events page.

     _{PERFORMING: stand-up comedy / performance poetry}

::  The Trent Vale Poet.

     _{PERFORMING: Circus & puppetry, children's entertainment}

::  World of Puppets are a local puppet theatre company, producing shows for schools and clubs. Their scripts are all written by the company, they make all the puppets themselves.

::  Penguins Puppets.

::  Funtastic Entertainments.

 Dragon Community Circus - based in Stoke-on-Trent.

 Clough Hall School Circus Club - based in Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent.

     _{PERFORMING: Singing}

::  Steven Harper - based in Stoke-on-Trent, Steve offers a wide range of musical services including piano lessons, singing lessons, wedding pianist and wedding singing.

     _{PERFORMING: magicians & illusionists}

::  Van Buren - highly accomplished illusionist, magician, juggler - and television's plate-spinning expert.

     _{LIVE ROLE-PLAY & EDUCATIONAL RE-ENACTMENT}

::  The Viking Experience - based in Stoke-on-Trent.

     _{LIGHTING & SOUND}

::  Living Design - sound & acoustics design. Based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

::  Slick Systems - based in Leek. Modular stage systems for exhibitions and events. Also rigging & lighting.

     _{COSTUMING, MAKE-UP & FX}

::  Charlie Crow - specialising in costumes for younger children. Winner of a government-backed e-commerce award in 2002. Based in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.

(See also: Creative Stoke's Fashion page)

     _CASTING

::  Circuit Personal Management - an actor's co-operative agency based in Stoke-on-Trent

::  Alive Entertainment Network - entertainment agency based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

     _{SCRIPTWRITING}

::  The University of Keele's Dept. of Continuing & Professional Education runs short courses in 'Scriptwriting for Stage, Screen and Radio'.

     _{VOICE COACHING}

::  Sally Rivers - a highly experienced vocal and singing coach, based in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent.

     _{COURSES & SUPPORT}

::  Staffordshire County Council: Performing Arts.