Age is a Stage

Age is a Stage is back with its weekly creative and dramatic arts workshops for over-50s, running across Theatre Royal in Brighton and Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham. It's now in its eighth year, and the sessions are open to everyone, with no previous experience needed. The whole thing is built around the art of play and the idea of breaking the rules to reignite a creative spark, so it's more about having a go than getting it right.

The project was developed in association with Creative Learning at Theatre Royal, and the venue's general manager, John Baldock, describes it as a project that 'reignites the joy and wonderment that we often lose when we get older'. That's a fair way of putting it: the focus is on the process of making and playing rather than a polished end result, which makes it a good shout if you've never stepped foot on a stage before.

There are two separate groups to choose from. The Brighton sessions run on Fridays from 11am to 12.30pm at Theatre Royal, and the Shoreham sessions run on Tuesdays from 10.30am to 12 noon at Ropetackle Arts Centre, with those resuming on 8 September 2026. Both are weekly, so you can settle into a regular routine rather than just dropping in once. If you're in Brighton, the Friday morning slot works well; if you're closer to Shoreham, the Tuesday morning one is your best bet.

Price-wise, it's £12 a session at Theatre Royal in Brighton. Over at Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham, it's £11, with a reduced rate of £10 for the unwaged. Since it's a weekly thing, you can just commit to the one that fits your schedule best.