Young Company

RABBLE Young Company is where we build theatre makers!

Young Company: Saturdays – 10am-1pm

Young Company LAMDA: Saturdays – 9:15am-10am

Mini Performers: 9:15am-10:30am

@ The Abbey School, Kendrick Rd, Reading

For ages 8-18

Hey there Young Company past and present!

We’ve launched a new system for booking your Young Company classes. Using this new system, you only need to insert your details once and they’ll be stored for all future bookings. You can book anywhere, anytime, on any device, when it’s convenient for you.

Once you find your class, select “info and booking” and follow the steps to create a ClassForKids account (if you don’t already have one). You’ll automatically be taken straight through to complete your booking and pay.

To get started, simply click the ‘Free trial’ button above. It really is that easy.

We are starting a new ‘Mini Performers’ class in the new year for 4-7 year olds so please spread the word and use the link above to book on for a FREE trial class.

“I like coming to Young Company because I can be myself”

Young Company student

What’s Young Company?

Come and join our fun classes to discover who you are, learn about the power of theatre and build friendships.

At Young Company, you’ll be part of exciting productions and you’ll learn how to devise scenes, sing, dance and improvise! You’ll even learn about stage management, plus we’ll introduce you to lighting and sound design.

Free trial

Oh, and did we mention our professional opportunities? As a member of Young Company, you’ll be eligible for our professional work experience, paid internships (18+) and child actor roles in our epic professional shows!

“She has definitely come out of her shell when it comes to being around people, talking to people and putting herself forward for things.”

Parent of Young Company student

On top of all that, we’ll also teach you how to speak confidently, to work in a team, to share ideas and support others in order to get the best out of a group.

We’d love to welcome you into the RABBLE.

*We created this brand in 2015 to embolden you, the inspiring creative people who fill this town with optimism and pride.

Meet the team

Emily Evans

Young Company Director

Emily trained as an Actor and is currently in the final stages of completing her training to be a stage combat instructor.

Emily has been a part of RABBLE since it was established. Firstly taking part in the first Young Company production back in 2012. After completing her Acting training Emily performed with RABBLE in productions; Twelfth Night, Off the Block, and Matilda the Empress. She also was assistant fight director on 2019’s production of Macbeth.

Alongside her acting career, her focus has been teaching young people and creating theatre. Emily has been teaching for RABBLE since 2017.

She is thrilled to be joining the team as Education Coordinator.

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.

Saffron Harrington

Saffron recently graduated from Arts University Bournemouth, where she obtained a first-class honours degree in BA Acting. Since then she has been trying to build her acting career, most recently performing as Alice in A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. She has a passion for movement, having choreographed for both dance and acting shows, using her previous studies in dance and contact improvisation.

Saffron is excited to be involved in RABBLE Young Company, as she sees the young performers as the future of Reading’s performance scene.

Martha Shrimpton

Martha Shrimpton is an actor-musician, theatre facilitator and presenter. After graduating from East 15 Acting School, she went on to perform a sell-out run of her début show Café Ruse at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This went on to tour Europe and the UK. Martha has written a two-woman show, Second Soprano, with her company Shrimpton & Rutledge which received five-star reviews at The Arts Theatre in the West End and around the UK. She has also performed in plays at Southwark Playhouse, Birmingham Rep. Theatre and works with many touring Theatre Companies.

Martha loves to encourage and inspire young people in the arts and is a drama and music practitioner for arts education organisations and community projects across the country. She loves directing the RABBLE Young Company and seeing the company members grow in skills and creative confidence each week.

Prices:

Young Company:

£19.50 per week (payable termly).

Performance fee: £30 (only payable by those taking part in the end of term show).

Young Company LAMDA Class:

@ The Abbey School, Reading

Saturdays 9:15am-10am

£9.50 per week (payable termly)

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

Bursaries for RABBLE Access Fund students

If you’re an Access Fund student, you can apply for a full 7 year bursary worth up to £271,530 at the world-renowned, arts-focused Christ’s Hospital School, paid for by The Worshipful Company of Grocers.

Contact us for more information.