Get Up On Stage
Get Up On Stage is our supportive, high-quality and fun acting school for adults. You will work with RABBLE’s professional directors, fight choreographers, voice specialists and actors, learning about the skills needed in theatre.
Mondays – 7pm – 9:30pm
@ The Abbey School, Kendrick Rd, Reading
Ready to step into the spotlight? RABBLE Theatre’s Get Up on Stage is the perfect place to get out of your head and onto the stage, live life bolder, rediscover playtime, build confidence, and have a lot of fun making new friends along the way.
We are delighted to announce The Flintoff Term for spring 2026. Beth Flintoff is RABBLE’s Associate Writer, a dramaturg, theatre maker, as well as Associate Playwright & Young Writers Associate at The Royal Court.
She has written countless plays for RABBLE (Matilda, Henry I, Henry II, The Last Abbott of Reading, William the Conqueror, just to name a few!), and her play The Ballad of Maria Marten, published by Nick Hern Books, was their second most frequently performed play around the world in 2024.
During the term we’ll be working on monologues from her countless works and isn’t one to be missed!
Whether you’re a seasoned performer or completely new to the stage, you’ll learn new skills and be part of an exciting term.
Come and join us for a free trial – we’d love to have you there!
A place of friendship, learning, self-confidence, expression and community.
GUOS is a community of adults who wish to learn about theatre and the associated skills that it offers. It is a safe space where people of all abilities work together to create memorable, life-affirming, cultural projects. Attendees are aged 18 – 81, with backgrounds from across the globe and a range of financial positions.
We aim to create a space for fun learning, where mothers, fathers, grandparents, students and professionals work together on aspects of theatre that they could not otherwise access. Stanislavski’s emotional memory, Laban, Le Coq, Devising, writing, storytelling, directing, stand up, spoken word poetry, audiobook recording, self-taping, movement, devising, stage combat and technical theatre are taught by highly-qualified, professional theatre practitioners, led by a regular core team.
At Get Up On Stage, we are pleased to welcome some of the most innovative, exciting and central figures in the theatre industry. Here’s what Matt Dewsbury from the RSC had to say about RABBLE’s adult classes, after he’d come to Reading to run a Masterclass in casting for theatre and Shakespeare.
“Great fun delivering a casting workshop to RABBLE Theatre’s adult acting school – Get Up On Stage – in Reading. Such a fantastic range of people all helping to create a very welcoming, creative atmosphere. I was impressed!”
Matthew Dewsbury, Royal Shakespeare Company, Casting Director
“Honestly, I was very nervous about joining Get Up On Stage – It was totally out of my comfort zone. But it’s proved to be one of my best decisions. Everyone is so kind, friendly and supportive. It’s a totally safe space to learn and have fun without judgement. It’s helping me rebuild my confidence in so many ways and particularly about speaking in public. I’m loving every minute of it.”
Claire, March 2022
“What RABBLE are doing for the community is so so sick. GUOS is supporting all sorts of people to get involved in the arts here in Reading.”
Caleb Obediah – Bridgerton
The company of adults are a vital part of the development of our professional productions, from seed idea all the way to performance. GUOS research, develop and devise the content of our professional large-scale history plays, working with our professional writers and directors. This work informs the professional work, giving them a real sense of autonomy over the productions. They are then offered the opportunity to get involved in the final professional performances. in 2021 we had a community chorus of 13 monks and nuns, all made up of Get Up On Stage Members.
Get Up On Stage is a welcoming community, but it’s also an integral part of the RABBLE employment pipeline. Students graduate to top UK drama schools and at every production our students are given the opportunity to audition for paid and unpaid acting and backstage RABBLE internships, at which they’re allocated a professional mentor, fully integrated into the professional company and given smaller speaking roles in the production.
George Prove – Former GUOS student
After studying English at Edinburgh University, George found getting into drama school trickier than he’d hoped. He enrolled at GUOS and immediately benefited from our professionally led workshops, focusing on Movement, Acting Technique and Script Work. One year later, George successfully acquired a place at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“I just wanted to get in touch to let you know I’ve been offered a place on the MA Acting course at RCS in Glasgow and wanted to thank you for all your support over the last few years!
GUOS has been a real pleasure to attend. I’ve absolutely loved getting to know everyone at the weekly sessions and have been very grateful for the creative outlet, so thank you.”
Joining Get Up On Stage is easy!
You can either book a single session, or sign straight up. Just click the link below, find GUOS, select “Info and Booking” and follow the steps.
(It’s usually used for children’s classes but we are all just big kids! Simply add your details as both the parent and the ‘child’. You will only need to do this once.)
To get started, simply click the ‘Book Now’ button below.
Anushka Samarasinghe
Anushka had wanted to chase her dream of being a professional actor for many years but had never managed to find the motivation or the guidance of how to go about it. She came to GUOS full of raw talent and, a year later, made the move.
“I was eternally grateful for having GUOS to be a part of whilst I was at home. I loved it and definitely wouldn’t have had the courage to move to London without it.”
Charlie Lloyd – GUOS work experience participant
Charlie had a traditional career and wanted out. He joined GUOS and worked with us to develop his core skills; devising, vocal technique, auditioning and improvising. He also auditioned for our actor-intern programme and was awarded a small role in The Last Abbot of Reading, allocated a mentor and invited into the entire professional production process. Charlie then auditioned for Drama School and acquired a place at East 15 Drama School.
“For me, the most incredible part of it was being given the opportunity to work with a professional theatre company on a live production. It gave me a more holistic sense of what the world of theatre entails. We got to have a go at altering costumes, painting the set and then, once the show opened, helping backstage. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I will treasure it forever.”
Meet The Team
Mark Middleton
Mark graduated as a Stage Combat Instructor in 2012 with the Academy of Performance Combat, one of three organisations professionally recognised by Equity. Since then he has Choreographed and Fight Directed a number of shows including Princess Mononoke for Whole Hog Theatre Company and Romeo & Juliet, Henry I for RBL along with Dani Davies.
Mark teaches regularly for West End Workshops, and has taught exam courses at Northampton University and Oxford School of Drama. He also teaches on the Freelance Workshops Residential Summer Course and workshop days and courses for numerous Professional and Amateur Schools and Societies.
Sabina Netherclift
Sabina is a teacher, director, movement director and actor. She trained with Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She runs Filament Theatre with composer Osnat Schmool, creating work which fuses multi-part vocal performance with devised physical performance. As a director/movement director she has worked with Redcape Theatre, Greenwich Theatre, London Bubble and for Voices Now at the Roundhouse, London amongst others. She teaches mask, mime and movement skills at Guildford School of Acting and has run workshops and lead projects for a wide variety of organisations including Opera North, ENO Baylis, Royal Opera House Education, Turtle Key Arts (particularly leading workshops for children and adults with ASC), Central, Arts Ed, Mountview, Birmingham School of Acting. She is External Examiner for the Acting and Contemporary Theatre Course at East 15.
Toby Davies
Toby Davies is RABBLE’s Artistic Director and has appeared as Thomas Becket in Henry II, Henry I in Henry I of England, Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and Andy in Off the Block 2015.
He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (Acting) & St Andrews University (English lit.)
Toby’s other theatre credits include Raife Clutch in The Great British Bump Off, Hexagon; Macduff in Macbeth China Plat/Warwick Theatre tour; Giles Ralston in The Mousetrap West End; Alphabetical Order Bath Theatre Royal tour; Balmoral Hampstead Theatre tour, Stepan in The Department of Smelling Pistakes Publick Transport/Tobacco Factory tour; The Guard in Frozen Fresh Glory tour; The Draper in Moll Flanders Southwark Playhouse.
Toby’s Film and TV credits include The Firm Nick Love; The Bent Penny Darrel J. Butlin; Return as Faulty Leftheris Eleftheriou; King to Castle Rahdy Elwan; Lab Rats Sam Washington. Le Creuset & Sky TV commercials.
Jack Norris
Jack trained as an actor at Drama St Mary’s on the Physical Theatre BA course. Since graduating in 2019 he has worked with some of the UK’s leading physical theatre companies; as both a performer and movement director.
Jack’s professional credits include: Waiting for Godot by David Glass Ensemble (UK Tour), Memories of The Marshland by ZooCo (Jacksons Lane), From Here On by Gecko (European Tour) Requiem by Michelle Brøndum (Channel 4) and Bossy (UK Tour/ Lyric Hammersmith).
Since training, Jack has taught across the UK at many levels of education – ranging from Primary, all the way up to Undergraduate. Jack sees teaching as a privilege; and a way to serve others whilst developing his own craft.
Jack is currently working as a creative associate of both the David Glass Ensemble and Gecko Theatre. Alongside facilitating with RABBLE.
Prices
£18.00 per class.
Performance fees if applicable to the term: £35
(only payable by those taking part in the end-of-term show).
For ages 18-80
RABBLE Access Fund
Want to get involved but don't have the funds?
If you are thinking I’d love to experience that, but you need help with some or all of the fees, then why not apply to the RABBLE Access Fund? The aim of the Access Fund is to make sure that everyone can access our work. You may want to send your child to our Saturday School, or you yourself might fancy a term of Get Up On Stage. Perhaps you want your community group or school to come to a production. Whatever it is, you can apply to us and we’ll see if we can help. You can apply for 50% of 100% of the cost of your ticket(s)/fees.
To apply, either send us a video or write us an email, explaining who you are, why you want to attend and a little about your situation. Don’t worry, all your information is completely confidential and the benefactors are never revealed (unless they really want to be).
If you are interested in applying to the fund for all or part of your fees, please state so on your enrolment form. There is no cash equivalent.
“My entire education – school, a year abroad, university and drama school – was funded through bursaries, so it feels pretty amazing to now be involved in a charity that’s enabling others to gain skills and get more involved with the community.” Toby Davies, RABBLE Theatre’s Artistic Director
Term Dates
Autumn Term 2025:
On mondays 15th September – 1st December (11 wks)
Tech & Dress Rehearsal Tuesday 2nd December
End of term show – Wednesday 3rd December
(No session on Monday 27th October)
Spring Term 2026:
5th January – 23rd March
No classes – 16th February
Amy Gough – Former GUOS student
“GUOS is such a joyful, fun and supportive environment that welcomes everybody of all levels. It propelled me back into the professional performing world and reignited my creativity! There are always things to learn and grow as a performer and I am thankful for my time with the RABBLE team.’’
Help an adult Get Up On Stage
We work with people from all over Reading, many of whom are restricted financially. Help a local adult join us here at Get Up On Stage.