Coventry kids aged 9-16 are invited to open auditions for this year's panto, Beauty and the Beast on Sun 21 Jun.
It’s that time of the year again! Oh yes it is!
After last year’s smashing success with Sleeping Beauty, we’re delighted to be commencing our search for the Junior Chorus of this year’s pantomime, Beauty and the Beast.
On Sun 21 Jun, kids aged 9-16 from across Coventry and Warwickshire are invited to audition to be part of the legendary Belgrade panto.
A total of 32 children will be selected to be part of the show, with the region’s most talented young performers making up three teams of eight, plus one full team of reserves.
Parents of young hopefuls are asked to bring their children to the Belgrade Theatre foyer for registration at 9.30am on Sun 21 Jun. From 10am, children will be taught a dance routine by the show’s choreographer, which they’ll then be asked to perform in front of writer, director and Dame, Iain Lauchlan.
Initial auditions will take place in the morning, with successful candidates recalled for a second round during the afternoon. No prior experience of performing is necessary, but auditionees will need lots of energy and enthusiasm.
Auditionees must wear comfortable clothing and shoes that are easy to move and dance in.
At least one parent or guardian must wait on-site with each child throughout the audition process. Unaccompanied children will not be eligible to audition.
Those who are chosen for the Junior Chorus and their parents/guardians will be asked to stay after the audition sessions for a talk on licensing, panto guidelines and also to be measured for costumes. We expect this to finish by 7pm at the latest.
All Junior Chorus members will be committed to up to 6 rehearsals a week, weekday evenings and weekend days, from Mon 26 Oct. There will also be some daytime rehearsals during w/c 9 Nov (which does mean missing school). The show runs from 18 Nov 2026 – 2 Jan 2027 inclusive. There are 60 performances scheduled in the run, which will be divided between the three teams.
All Junior Chorus members MUST be available for the duration as no rehearsal or performances can be missed.
Pre-registration is not essential, but parents are encouraged to fill in a registration form in advance and bring it along with them to auditions.
Please fill in this quick survey so we know how many children to expect on the day.
Download the registration form here:
Registration Form Junior Chorus Auditions 2026 PDF
Registration Form Junior Chorus Auditions 2026 Word
Full details about auditions can be found in our information pack available to download here:
Audition Day Information 2026
Beauty and the Beast runs at the Belgrade Theatre from Wed 18 Nov 2026 – Sat 2 Jan 2027. Tickets are selling fast, so book yours now!