Curtain Up!

This comprehensive, hands-on guide to making theatre - perfect for any school, college, youth group or amateur-theatre company - gives you the knowledge you need to take your productions to the next level. Curtain Up! is packed with invaluable advice and practical tips on every aspect of putting on your show, including: - Direction: from choosing your project to casting, rehearsals and opening night - Vocal Direction: give your singers and actors the confidence to deliver great performances - Choreography: step-by-step advice on bringing your choreography to life - Production Design: use set, costumes and more to realise your vision innovatively (and come in on budget) - Puppets & Props: inject some practical magic into your production - and how to make your own puppets - Scriptwriting: beat the blank page and pen your own original show - Lighting Design: maximise your resources to create a whole world on stage - Publicity: identify your audience, reach them and get those bums on seats Each section is written by an experienced theatre professional, laying out the essentials of every role and offering creative, practical ideas to breathe new life into your own theatre projects. Also included is a section on planning, with tips and worksheets to assist with everything from budgeting to selecting your production team. Wherever and however you make theatre, this inspiring, empowering and highly accessible manual will help make your next production your best yet! 'An extremely useful starting point for anyone wanting to put on a school or amateur theatre production... Lots of really useful ideas for where to begin when putting on a show but also contains a variety of useful tips for use in the classroom' - Drama & Theatre Magazine

Charon Williams-Ros is a writer, teacher and multi-award-winning actor. She established the Williams-Ros voice-training studios in 1992, where she trained a host of talented singers. Later, she formed an agency to promote them, and began to write and direct musical revues to showcase that talent. The Williams-Ros alumni have gone on to win Idols, excel in Musical Theatre and solo Pop careers, or become teachers and lecturers themselves. Charon has written over fifty musical revues and musical events. She devised the Williams-Ros Foundation Music Course and wrote the popular Howard & Thandi Performing Arts book series for children. She is the editor of Curtain Up!: How to Stage Great Youth Productions (Nick Hern Books, 2023).