National Theatre of Scotland: The Next Stage - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

The Next Stage comes to His Majesty's Theatre on Friday 30 October, a new pilot project from the National Theatre of Scotland. It's a bit of a different one: instead of a professional cast, the stage is handed over to S3 drama pupils from Aberdeen Grammar School, who've spent the last few weeks working with the National Theatre of Scotland's Creative Engagement team.

The whole thing grew out of the professional production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The pupils watched the show and then used it as a starting point to devise their own original pieces, which they'll now perform on the same set at His Majesty's. It's a first for the project, so what you'll see is the result of a few months of work rather than a polished professional run. The Creative Engagement team has been there throughout, supporting the pupils as they worked through themes and theatrical ideas, collaborating and refining their pieces before bringing them to the stage.

That's the core of it: taking the S3 drama curriculum out of the classroom and into a professional theatre. The project is delivered by the National Theatre of Scotland with support from Aberdeen Performing Arts and Aberdeen Grammar School, and the focus is as much on the process as the performance — building creativity, collaboration, and confidence along the way. The pieces they've come up with are shared with an invited audience, so it's a chance to see what happens when a group of school pupils gets to treat a professional set as their own playground.

It runs at 2:00pm on Friday 30 October at His Majesty's Theatre, and entry is free, though you'll need a promo code to book your place.