UK Update - Spring 2026

There is nothing like hearing directly from young people, teachers and parents about what a theatre visit can mean.

Thanks to our continuing partnership with Wicked, children from schools across the UK have experienced the excitement of a West End performance. You can feel their excitement in the following quotes: 

‘The show was amazing, it was the best thing I have ever seen, the singing, dancing and show itself was incredible. Thank you for this experience.’

Student, Baycroft School, Hampshire

‘It was an absolute joy to take some of our most disadvantaged students on this trip… for the majority this had been their first time in the theatre.’

Teacher of Music & Performing Arts, Co-op Academy, Stoke-on-Trent

‘He was so excited and happy when he came back from the Wicked trip, he bounced and danced around and into the house… He said the best bit was everything.’

Parent, Baycroft School, Hampshire

These are the moments that remind us why theatre works! exists. A theatre visit is not simply a few hours out of school. For many children, it is a first experience of live performance or a glimpse of the creative teamwork that produces great plays.

We are therefore delighted and deeply grateful that Wicked is renewing its support for theatre works! for a third year. This generous partnership has already opened the doors of one of the West End’s most loved productions to children who might otherwise never have had the chance to see it. 

As theatre works! approaches its fifth birthday milestone, there is much to celebrate. Since we began, more than 33,000 children and young people across the UK and US have attended live professional theatre through our grants. But the need is growing quickly. We now receive far more deserving applications than we can fund.

That is why the next stage of our work matters so much. From our next UK grants window, opening on Monday 11 May, every theatre works! grant will include an educational component alongside the theatre visit. We want children not only to see a performance, but to learn from it and connect it to their own lives.

We are delighted to welcome Sir Derek Jacobi as an Honorary Patron of theatre works!. His support is a wonderful encouragement as we look ahead to the next five years.

And finally, a personal note. The theatre bug appears to have been passed down a generation. Two of our grandchildren, Leo, aged 8, and Calina, aged 11, recently appeared in a Minneapolis community production of Winnie the Pooh - Leo as a bee and Calina as a deer. When asked what the best part was, Calina said: ‘Honestly, meeting new friends and expressing who you are.’

We could not have put it better ourselves.

With warmest wishes,

Sharon Studer
Chair & Co-founder
theatre works!

Wicked X theatre works! - The Partnership That Keeps Growing

We are delighted that Wicked is once again supporting theatre works! with another £10,000 of free tickets. This partnership has already helped hundreds of young people experience the magic of live theatre in the West End. 

The post-show Q&A sessions with Wicked’s cast and creative company give students the chance to hear from both performers and members of the backstage team. These conversations help young people understand that theatre is created by many different people, with many different skills. As a student said after a recent visit: 

‘One thing I enjoyed was talking about the jobs in theatre. The lesson made me think about how creative people can be in plays!’ 10 year-old student reacting to a theatre works! Education Hub lesson. Baycroft School.

This year’s Wicked support will help even more schools access this experience. We are hugely grateful to the Producers of Wicked for their continuing generosity and belief in the value of our work.

Sir Derek Jacobi Joins theatre works! as Honorary Patron

Headshot of Sir Derek Jacobi, tw! Honorary Patron.

We are honoured to welcome Sir Derek Jacobi as an Honorary Patron of theatre works!.

Sir Derek’s career has inspired generations of theatre-goers, and his support for theatre works! is a wonderful endorsement of our mission: to make live professional theatre accessible to children and young people who might otherwise miss out.

At its heart, theatre works! is built on the simple belief that a child’s first encounter with live theatre can be unforgettable. It can spark curiosity and open doors for young people to the wide range of careers available in theatre. 

We are deeply grateful to Sir Derek for lending his name and encouragement to our work as we enter our next stage of growth.

The Challenge Ahead: Meeting Growing Demand

Thanks to our supporters, we have provided grants enabling more than 33,000 children and young people to experience live professional theatre. Many of them came from schools where opportunities like this are rare, and many were attending theatre for the very first time.

The more difficult news is that demand for our grants is rising at exactly the moment when many charities are facing a tougher fundraising environment. We are now approaching a point where we can fund less than a quarter of the many deserving applications we receive.

That means saying no to schools and young people we would dearly like to support.

A gift of any size helps us say yes more often. A monthly donation is especially valuable because it allows us to plan ahead with greater confidence. Legacy commitments are also vital as we think about the long-term future of theatre works! and the children we hope to reach in the years ahead.

Please consider giving whatever you can at this time.

Education at the Heart of Every Visit

Education will sit even more firmly at the centre of the theatre works! model.

Our Education Hub already provides free resources for teachers, and we are continuing to develop materials that help students explore theatre before and after a performance. These resources are designed to be easy for busy teachers to use, while still encouraging thoughtful discussion, persuasive speaking, creative thinking, and curiosity about theatre careers.

Theatre can be thrilling in the moment and with the right educational support, it can also become part of a young person’s wider learning.

That is why every new applications is required to include an educational element.

Thank You

As we look ahead to our fifth birthday celebration, we are more grateful than ever to everyone who has helped theatre works! grow from an idea into a charity that has reached tens of thousands of children.

Your support has opened theatre doors for young people who might otherwise never have had that chance.

Thank you for being part of the story.