KDC Theatre - Central London based amateur theatre group – Maker of theatre: creating, experimenting, learning, performing.

Masterclasses & Workshops

In addition to stage shows, KDC Theatre also offers a programme of masterclasses and workshops. The programme evolves regularly so keep checking back on the schedule below, sign up for our Showdown newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter , or Instagram.

Programme for 2025

Stepping Into Directing

What does a director actually do?
How do they pick and research a play, run auditions and plan rehearsals?
What does it mean to direct a show for KDC, or elsewhere?

This masterclass will offer budding directors practical skills and approaches to the art of directing for the stage. Come along to hear from Saskia van ’t Hoff, KDC’s Artistic Director, and Stephen Reimer, director of KDC’s “The Bus” (Spring 2023) and “W;t” (Autumn 2024), as they take you step-by-step through the journey from creative vision to opening night. Experienced directors interested in brushing up on their skills and/or learning more about directing for KDC are also welcomed to attend.

Spaces are limited so book now! Please book your slot HERE.

Date: Tuesday 25 March 2025
Time: 7-9pm
Location: Cockpit Theatre, Gateforth St, London NW8 8EH
Fee: £15 / £13.50 for KDC Theatre members

Previous workshops:

Audition prep

Auditions do not have to be scary, anxiety-inducing events – no, really! With the right preparation it becomes a lot more fun and relaxing. Our Audition Prep workshop takes you through what you can expect during auditions, what the (casting) directors are expecting from you and what they will be looking for, and how to come prepared to make your experience not only more fun but (hopefully) also more successful!

We will explain how auditions work, we will let you experience some exercises and directions that are commonly used during auditions, and we will share many tips & tricks to be as prepared as you can and stand out from the rest. Join us for a confident boost for your next audition!

Spaces are limited so book now! Please book your slot HERE.

Date: Wednesday 15 January 2025
Time: 7-9.30pm
Location: Theatre Deli, Leadenhall
Tickets: £15 / £13.50 for KDC Theatre members

Date: Wednesday 13 December 2023
Time: 7-9.30pm
Location: Theatre Deli, Leadenhall
Tickets: £15 / £13.50 for KDC members

Acting for Beginners

Join our Artistic Director in exploring the fundamentals of acting: reading and understanding scripts, how to create your character, and what method of acting suits you best. We’ll explore these topics through exercises, example texts, and sharing experiences. This masterclass gives you the foundation to get up on stage and be the best Hamlet, Hamilton, or Hemione you can be!

This masterclass is targeted at beginners with no or little experience in acting, but is open to everyone. Please wear comfortable clothing you can move around in.

Date: 24 October 2023
Time: 7-9.30pm
Location: Cockpit Theatre
Tickets: £15 / £13.50 for KDC members

Stage combat

Have you ever wondered how actors fight on stage without hurting each other? This masterclass will reveal all the secrets! How to grab someone by the hair, punch a person in the face, fight another person hand-to-hand, and how to be on the receiving end of it convincingly. Performance Combat Instructor & Coordinator Katy Treble will walk you through stage combat step by step so you can put on an amazing stage fight in your next production.

This masterclass is open to everyone with an interest in stage combat; directors, actors, choreographers, writers, and everyone else. Please wear comfortable clothing you can move around in.

Date: Friday 03 November 2023
Time: 7-9.30pm
Location: Theatre Deli, Leadenhall
Tickets: £20 / £18 for KDC members

Apply to be KDC Theatre’s new Artistic Director

KDC Theatre is looking for a new Artistic Director – if you’re potentially interested, please review the role responsibilities and person specification below and apply here before 3 April 2025.

Artistic Director

Role responsibilities

The Artistic Director works alongside and is supported by the KDC Chair, Trustees and volunteer committee members. KDC Theatre is fully run by volunteers, so this is a hands-on role that gets involved in not just the artistic vision of the company, but also the production of our shows and our community of actors, directors, writers, and backstage crew.

Develop artistic and creative formats and activities to support the charity’s objectives and KDC Theatre’s growth and mission
Set the artistic goals for the year ahead and communicate those at various official meetings and events
Work with other Trustees to meet the requirements of the Charity Commission and ensure the charity is effectively managed
Review pitches by directors, interview directors, and pick the shows for the upcoming year
Present at season launches to announce plays, directors, and other events to attending guests
Attend regular committee meetings, season launches, and AGMs
Actively represent KDC Theatre, hands-on, during show seasons for directors, actors, crew, and writers
Function as committee liaison for some shows and events
Other such duties as needed to support the management of the charity.

Person specification

Good communication and leadership skills
Analytical and evaluation skills to assess artistic and creative value of pitches, and understand how decisions impact the company’s revenue and reputation
Artistic vision and the ability to put that vision into practical actions
Some experience making theatre in any capacity and understanding of the way theatre is made
Ability to combine creativity and business skills, and understanding of how business and creativity come together in a company or charity
Ability to review creative pitches on artistic and business merit
Some experience of creating low-budget productions, preferably in theatre but any creative field is acceptable
Strong feeling of responsibility and accountability
Comfortable speaking in front of people to share artistic vision and plans
Experience working with people, in the creative industry is a plus
Understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship. For further information, visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whats-involved

The time expectation for this role can be flexible, and as a volunteer-led organisation all committee members and Trustees balance their time against other commitments. The Artistic Director should expect to attend monthly committee meetings (held in the evening) and to commit 2-3 hours a week on average to fulfil the role.

Applications are open until 3 April 2025: Apply here

About KDC

KDC Theatre is a London-based charity dedicated to providing amateurs and resting professionals with an opportunity to create theatre.

Our charitable objective is to advance the arts for the public benefit, in particular by producing and presenting amateur theatre performances in Greater London. We are a registered charity, and our constitution can be viewed here.

To find out more about KDC Theatre, head to kdctheatre.com and sign up for our newsletter. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Do You Feel Anger?

KDC Theatre presents “Do You Feel Anger?” by Mara Nelson-Greenberg
Directed by Anna Markland and Dean Reilly

1 – 5 April 2025
at Barons Court Theatre
Tickets: £16.50 (KDC members £12)

click here to buy tickets

About

Written during Donald Trump’s first term in office, Do You Feel Anger? is a surreal dark comedy exploring whether you can achieve compromise, without compromising your values.

Sofia is an empathy coach, hired to help a debt collection agency stop screaming at people on the phone. Whilst dealing with her own family difficulties, she is determined to teach the employees emotions beyond anger, hunger and horn. But the longer she struggles to make change happen, the more she finds herself drawn into the dangerous absurdity of what passes for normal.

Cast:
Sofia: Arianna Kozloski
Eva: Rhiannon Lewis
Howie: Simon Berry
Jordan: Sarmed Hyder
Jon: Martin Peacock
Janie / Sofia’s mum: Jenni Wredden
Rafalgore: Bernard O’Sullivan

Creative team:
Directors: Anna Markland and Dean Reilly

Breathing Room

KDC Theatre presents “Breathing Room”
Directed by Carl Fletcher

8 – 12 April 2025
at Drayton Arms Theatre
Tickets: £16.50 (KDC members £12)

click here to buy tickets

About

At 25, Emily insists her city life is perfect – or so she tells herself and anyone who will listen!

A sudden phone call pulls her back to her rural hometown, forcing her to face old friends, family, and the unsettling question: what now? When life stops giving you a roadmap, is a Quarter Life Crisis inevitable?

Breathing Room is a new devised ensemble play about the messiness of adulthood.

Cast:
Clare McKervey
Elisa Benham
Harmony Chan
Matt Hoisch
Nikos Kipouros
Phoebe Vasconcellos
Sarah Jost

Creative team:
Director: Carl Fletcher
Assistant Director: Freddie Wride
Lighting Design: Flick Hemming

Content warnings: Mild discussions of bullying, infertility

Spring season 2025 auditions

Announcing auditions for actors for our spring 2025 productions!

We have two shows in spring 2025, and you can audition for both on the same day!

Do You Feel Anger?
Written by Mara Nelson-Greenberg
Directed by Anna Markland and Dean Reilly
Staged at Barons Court Theatre from 1 to 5 April 2025
Audition notice

The Quarter-Life Crisis
To be devised by the cast
Directed by Carl Fletcher
Staged at Drayton Arms Theatre from 8 to 12 April 2025
Audition notice

Auditions are free and open to all. Please pick one of the dates to attend and read the audition notices carefully to prepare.

Don’t forget to fill out the audition form before you audition!

Dates: Mon 20 or Wed 22 January 2025 (please choose one of these dates to attend)
Time: 6.45pm welcome and registration to ~10pm
Location: Theatre Deli Leadenhall, 107 Leadenhall Street, EC3A 4AF, London

Recalls by invitation are Sat 25 January 2025, 12-6pm at Theatre Deli Leadenhall.

If you’d like to hear the directors speak about their productions and ask them any questions, you can meet them at the KDC Spring Season Launch on Wednesday 8 January 2025, 7.30pm at the Theatre Deli Leadenhall bar. You can also talk to them about getting involved in other backstage ways.

To help us manage numbers, if you’re planning to come to our Season Launch, please RSVP at the link here.

We look forward to seeing you at auditions soon!

Good Time

Join Us for Good Time!

Get ready for an unforgettable evening brought to you by KDC Theatre! We’re thrilled to announce Good Time, a vibrant, one-night-only event on 7th December 2024 that’s all about celebrating creativity and the incredible talents of the KDC community.

🎭 What’s in store? A lively showcase of original performances, monologues, music, stand-up comedy, and unique acts from KDC’s best creatives. This variety-filled evening will highlight the extraordinary range of talent within our community — and promises to leave you energized, inspired, and thoroughly entertained.

🎉 One Big Party After the performances, join us for a fantastic party to celebrate the creative energy of our community! It’s the perfect way to kick off the holiday season with friends, fellow theatre lovers, and good vibes.

Saturday 7 December 2024, 19:30-22:30
The Castle, E1 1LN
Tickets: £14 (KDC members £12)

buy tickets here

Good Time auditions

KDC Theatre presents…Good Time!

Calling all creatives…

We at KDC Theatre are proud and excited to unveil our new night for creatives and party people!

A one night event, mid-December 2024, showcasing the breadth of talent the KDC community and beyond has culminating in one big party to see it off.

For performers…

We’d like to see your monologue, poem, musical brilliance, circus skills, stand-up routine, or another talent you would like to showcase.

To audition, sign up to the main Autumn 2024 auditions, and we will see you at a special Good Time audition on Saturday 21 September. You can also hear more at the season launch event on Monday 9 September.

For writers…

Send your submission of a monologue, duologue, scene, poem lasting no longer than 4 pages, and needing no more than 3 actors by Friday 27 September. The chosen pieces will be staged as part of the evening.

As it is our inaugural Good Time we would love to see creatives inspired by our namesake! What sparks in your mind, what gets you going, what’s your reaction when you want a GOOD TIME? Let’s have fun with it and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

As this is an 18+ event, we will be accepting submissions from any person over the age of 18. Please only submit one piece of work, using this link.

Download the good time poster here

Autumn season 2024 auditions

Announcing auditions for actors for our autumn 2024 productions!

We have two shows in autumn 2024, and you can audition for both on the same day.

W;t
Written by Margaret Edson
Directed by Stephen Reimer
Staged at Hen & Chickens Theatre from 19 to 23 November 2024
Audition notice

Goats
Written by Liwaa Yazji, translated by Katherine Halls
Directed by Ram Noureddine
Staged at Barons Court Theatre from 26 to 30 November 2024
Audition notice

Auditions are free and open to all. Please pick one of the dates to attend and read the audition notices carefully to prepare.

Don’t forget to fill out the audition form before you audition!

Dates: Mon 16 or Wed 18 September 2024 (please choose one of these dates to attend)
Time: 6.45pm welcome and registration to ~10pm
Location: Theatre Deli Leadenhall, 107 Leadenhall Street, EC3A 4AF, London

Recalls by invitation are Sat 21 September 2024, 2-6pm at Theatre Deli Leadenhall.

If you’d like to hear the directors speak about their productions and ask them any questions, you can meet them at the KDC Autumn Season Launch on Monday 9 September 2024, 7.30pm at the Theatre Deli Leadenhall bar. You can also talk to them about getting involved in other backstage ways.

To help us manage numbers, please let us know if you’re coming to the Autumn Season Launch.

Good Time

At our auditions this season there will be another chance to get involved with a brand new KDC event – Good Time, an eclectic showcase of all kinds of creative talent from the KDC community and beyond for one night only in December at a venue to be confirmed.

As a performer, there will be two ways to get involved – be part of something devised by someone else, or bring your own talent that could work as a solo performance. So, if you’re an actor-musician, actor-poet, actor-acrobat or multi-hyphenate of any kind… there could be a role in this for you!

The Good Time team will be on hand at the first auditions to tell you a bit more about it, and recruiting performers from our auditionees.

For now though, if we’ve got you interested, just tick the box on the audition form and tell us what you’d want to share.

Goats

KDC Theatre presents “Goats” by Liwaa Yazji, translated by Katherine Halls
Directed by Ram Noureddine

26 – 30 November 2024
at Barons Court Theatre
Tickets: £16.50 (KDC members £12)

click here to buy tickets

About

“Goats” is set in a small Syrian town brainwashed by ongoing propaganda to fight a civil war. Martyrs are considered heroes in the eyes of many, and grieving families are given goats as part of the local party leader, Abu Al Tayyib’s compensation scheme.

Revisit “Goats” seven years after it premiered in London, but this time through a reimagining of the characters and the space. Ram Noureddine’s play adaptation tackles the absurdity of war and the hypocrisy that follows corruption. We will be introduced again to the original story through the martyr’s father, Abu Firas, and his journey to seek the truth about his son. This production focuses on the idea that war is indistinctive for people’s culture, ethnicity and race, portrayed by the diverse cast members.

“War can reach anyone and everyone.” – Ram Noureddine, Adaptor and Director.

Cast:
Abu Al Tayyib – Fahad Salman
Abu Firas – Samir Chitnavis
Adnan – Charlie Morel
Imm Al Tayyib – Nelena Paparisva
Imm Ghassan – Jenni Wredden
Imm Nabil – Ann Andic
Presenter – Peadar Donnelly
Zahra – Alessandra Lupo
Abu Karim / Ensemble – Ham Hossain
Fadi / Ensemble – Denisa MaTea
Jude / Ensemble – Marnie Ashbridge
Mudar / Ensemble – Dominic Short
Sami / Ensemble – Yen-yen Loke
Ensemble – Angelika Wloch
Ensemble – Lilian Kazdekian Mora
Ensemble – Rafail-Dimitros Igkiempor

Crew:
Director, adaptor, choreographer, sound designer: Ram Noureddine
Stage manager: Connor Brown
Producer: Delaney Conway
Lighting designer: Saskia Van ‘t Hoff
Tech operator/Assistant stage manager: Janina Enrile

Poster designs by Ragheed Zaky