At Watford Palace Theatre, we make the future.

We celebrate the creativity of local children and young people with a range of opportunities to develop skills and make new friends, in a fun, inclusive, and supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Contact the Take Part team

Palace Youth Theatre (PYT) meets weekly during term time and consists of 3 professionally-led youth theatre groups split by age category. Groups work on a variety of projects, with opportunities and access to behind the scenes at the theatre, with performances for friends and family at the end of the term.

No audition is required to join, and new members can try a free taster session before committing to the term fees.

PYT 7-11s

Our PYT 7-11s focuses on confidence building, developing communication skills, and nurturing imagination through storytelling and drama games.

PYT 11-14s

Our PYT 11-14s works to develop creativity and core drama and theatre-making skills, in a fun, supportive environment. Members develop their confidence, self-expression, and teamwork.

PYT 14-16s

Our PYT 14-16s is a creative and social space for young people to develop skills in theatre, filmmaking, and outdoor arts. The group work with professional creatives, gaining the benefit of their knowledge and expertise.

Recent projects that our PYT 14-16s have been involved in include performances at Imagine Watford, National Theatre Connections Festival, and screenings at the Watford Young Filmmakers Festival (now Hertfordshire Film Festival). Members have the exciting opportunity to work with professional artists and theatre practitioners, gaining the benefit of their knowledge and expertise.

Key information

PYT 7-11s is on Saturdays during term time, between 9:45am – 11:30am.

PYT 11-14s is on Saturdays during term time, between 11:45am – 1:30pm.

PYT 14-16s meet on Tuesdays during term time, between 6.30pm – 8.30pm.

The cost for each term is below:

Standard fee £80

Reduced fee (for those who would find it helpful at this time) £60

Pay-It-Forward fee (for those able to pay a bit extra) £100

To express interest in joining PYT, please email us using the button below, adding ‘PYT’ (+the age group you are interested in)  in the subject line.

I'm interested in PYTPYT Welcome PackTerm Dates 2023-24

Our Young Orbital youth theatre group is free to 11–17-year-olds living in the WD25 postcode.

Meeting weekly during term time, the Young Orbital group develop confidence, team building and performance skills, in a fun, supportive environment with a focus on mentoring and wellbeing. Drama games and exercises are used to help nurture the imaginations of our Young Orbital members, with an end of term show for friends and family.

No audition is required to join, and refreshments are provided (at the in-person sessions).

Young Orbital is delivered in partnership with One YMCA.

Key information

Young Orbital takes places on Wednesdays during term time between 5pm – 7pm. The group is led by Megan Breen.

Location: Orbital Community Centre, Haines Way, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7QU.

Young Orbital is free to those aged 11-17 living in the WD25 postcode.

Register interest in Young Orbital

Youth Advisory Board

Excited to know more about theatre and the arts? Want to develop skills in leadership, mentoring and decision-making? Ready to be a changemaker and gain valuable volunteering experience with a charity?

If you’re aged between 18-30, Watford Palace Theatre needs your voice to help guide and shape our future direction.

“Being a part of the Youth Advisory Board is an amazing opportunity for young people to express their creativity and get the chance to make real changes for such a special organisation!”

– Khadijah, Chair of the Youth Advisory Board

“Having joined the Youth Advisory Board, I have come to find the importance of bringing together diverse, skilled and passionate individuals looking to support their local theatre – because every act, every voice and every backstage moment matters.”

– Raffaella, Vice-Chair of the Youth Advisory Board

To find out how to apply to become a member, hit the download button below.

We’re looking for young people aged 16-25 and local to the Watford and the Three Counties areas of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, to join our Palace Young Company (PYC). PYC offers collaborative opportunities to work alongside our professional theatre team, creating productions and performing on our stage, and beyond!

If you’re looking for a pathway into the creative industries, keen to develop your creative practice, learn new skills and find networking opportunities, then PYC could be right up your street!

Click here for more information

The SpongeBob Musical Auditions

Celebrating the next generation of filmmaking talent, Hertfordshire Film Festival is an annual opportunity to create a film and see it showcased on the big screen at Watford Palace Theatre, alongside talks with leading film and TV industry experts for ages 11-17 and 18-25.

Hertfordshire Film Festival will be returning in April 2025.

Produced in partnership with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the University of Hertfordshire and CathARTic Art. 

Visit the Hertfordshire Film Festival website

How do the taster sessions work? Should I bring anything?

It’s simply a normal PYT session that your young person can attend to help them decide if they like the class, before you commit to paying the terms fees.

How does the waiting list work?

If any of our groups are full, we’ll add your young person to a waiting list. We’ll contact you by email or phone, inviting your young person to a taster session as soon as a place becomes available at the beginning of the term.

 

My child behaves much older/younger than their age, can they go into a different group?

We recommend your young person stays in a group with others their own age. However, our groups all overlap by one year to allow for a small amount of flexibility when wanting to stay in a group with friends.

 

My young person has a Birthday during the term which will push them into the next PYT age bracket, how does that work?

We operate our age brackets based on the academic year the young person is in. For example, if they’re in Year 9, they’ll be 13-14 during this academic year and therefore will stay in the 11-14s group and, if they’re in Year 10, they’re 14-15 during this academic year, so they’ll be in the 14-16s group. This applies to all age brackets. Once they’re old enough, most members move up groups at the start of the new academic year in September.

 

My young person has special needs, will PYT be suitable for them?

Please refer to our Access and Inclusion statement.

 

How do I pay for the term?

Once you’ve registered for PYT or if you’re an existing member, you can book online or contact the Box Office via the details below.

 

What if I can’t afford PYT?

Please refer to our Access and Inclusion statement.

 

What's Young Orbital and how's it different to PYT?

Please visit our Young Orbital page for more information.