Join an amateur theatre company
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Amateur theatre groups stage everything from pantomimes to musicals, in venues that run from small village halls to large theatres. A production needs directors and technicians as well as performers, so there is a part to play whether or not you want to be on stage.
ModerateUnder £100 / $130MonthsIndoorsWith othersUK and US
How to start
- Search the NODA groups directory in the UK, or find your state association through the American Association of Community Theatre.
- Contact a group near you and ask when it next holds auditions or needs backstage help.
- Go to a rehearsal or a show to meet the company before you commit to a production.
Where to go
- NODA groups directory (National Operatic and Dramatic Association, UK) UK
- NODA home page UK
- American Association of Community Theatre list of state theatre associations US
We opened these links on 8 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Projects run over months and stall without a rhythm, so the plan sets milestones you can see.
Read next
Toasters, fans and a red vacuum: the Cincinnati volunteers who have mended nearly 1,400 cast-offs
Cincinnati's Tinker Team has restored nearly 1,400 household electronics in a year and a half, with no budget for parts and no experience needed to join. What they fix, why repair is worth learning, and how to find a repair event near you.
Pub to pub from John o'Groats to Land's End: Gary McKee's 900-mile run for hospitality workers
Gary McKee of Cleator Moor ran about 900 miles from John o'Groats to Land's End in 30 days for the Licensed Trade Charity, with more than 83,000 people taking part online. What a national survey says volunteers get back, and how to turn your own miles into a team fundraiser.
More like this
Moderate
Help run a Scout group for a term
Moderate
Become a school governor
Moderate
Join the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Moderate
Foster a rescue animal