Youngest Age - Any child wishing to audition must have turned 9 and be in year 4 before 01/11/25. If a child has not turned 9 by 1/11/25, they are too young to audition.
Oldest Age - Children must be be no older than 16 and in year 11 throughout the whole panto run. If young people are in year 12, they are too old to audition. If the audition date takes place before the end of the summer term (i.e. in June or July), and a child is in year 11 at that point, going into year 12 in September, they are too old to audition.

Scotland:

Youngest Age - Any child wishing to audition must have turned 9 and be in P5 before 01/11/25. If a child has not turned 9 by 1/11/25 they are too young to audition.
Oldest Age - Children must be no older than 16 and in S4 throughout the whole panto run. If a young person is older than this or in a higher school year, they are too old to audition.

what to prepare before the audition day

With the exception of the roles of John and Michael in Peter Pan, please note that our junior ensemble auditions are for dance only. We will not be auditioning for acting or singing. Young people will be taught a dance routine on the day, so no preparation is required in advance.

To apply, please visit the webpage of the venue you/your child is interested in (via the links above) or via our Panto Season Overview page. Once available, you will be able to download the application form. Please complete this form and bring it with you on the day of the audition. Unless specifically specified, forms do not need to be submitted in advance.

Each pantomime will also have its own Audition Information Document, which includes:

Full details of how the audition day will run
What to bring and what to wear
Rehearsal and performance dates
Age restrictions for that production

This document can be found on the relevant production page which can be found from our Panto Season Overview and may not be uploaded until a few days before the audition (as details can change), so please check back regularly.

Important Notes:

Please respect the listed age restrictions – we check every application form and meet each responsible adult on arrival. Any child who is outside the specified age range, or who does not have a responsible adult present, will unfortunately be turned away.
A responsible adult must remain with their child throughout the audition day. We do not provide chaperones and cannot take responsibility for children left unattended. This is not a drop-off audition.
Audition dates may change due to staff or venue availability, so please check the dates online frequently.

the audition day itself

What to Bring on Audition Day

Clothing & Footwear: Please ensure young people wear age-appropriate clothing and shoes suitable for dancing. Please avoid nude or beige coloured tops.
Drinks: Bring a bottle of water (no fizzy drinks, please).
Snacks & Meals:
- Audition days can be long, with periods of waiting. Please bring healthy snacks such as bananas or granola bars for energy.
- If your child is recalled for the afternoon session, they will also need a slow-energy-release lunch (e.g. sandwich, pasta, jacket potato). Please avoid fast food or sugary drinks, as these provide a short burst of energy but won’t sustain them through a long afternoon of dancing.
Something to Do: As there will be some waiting between sessions, your child may wish to bring a quiet activity to help pass the time.

You can also watch a short video of one of our previous audition days - click here, - which gives an overview of how the process works.

Important Reminder:
A responsible adult must remain with each young person throughout the audition day. We do not provide chaperones and cannot take responsibility for children left unattended. This is not an audition where you can drop your child off and return later.

Finding out more through our podcast

🎧 Just Imagine Podcast – Helpful Episodes for Audition Days

Imagine Theatre’s podcast, Just Imagine, has two dedicated episodes about children’s audition days that you may find useful to listen to before attending.

Episode 54 – All About the Junior Ensemble
Our host, Martin Ballard, explores three different perspectives on Junior Ensembles in panto:

Sarah O’Gleby – who started in Leicester’s Junior Ensemble before going on to perform and choreograph in the West End and on Broadway.
Holly Boden and Alexia Mousakitis – who each performed in six Junior Ensembles and are now undertaking their professional training at Arts Ed and Urdang respectively.
Beth Pearson – Imagine Theatre’s former Head of Children’s Licensing, who explains how performance licences are obtained and what happens once a young person is offered a place.

👉 [Listen on Spotify] | [Listen on Apple Podcasts]

Episode 33 – Behind the Scenes of Audition Day
Recorded at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester Junior Ensemble auditions (10th July 2022), this episode takes you behind the scenes of a real audition day. The process is the same for all of our auditions, so it’s well worth a listen if you’re preparing to attend. The episode also covers the children’s licensing process, helping you understand what happens next if your child is successful.

👉 [Listen on Spotify] | [Listen on Apple Podcasts]

What if my child gets into the pantomime?

Rehearsals & Performances

Rehearsal Period: Rehearsals take place during the fortnight before the show opens, including the weekend two weeks prior to opening night.
Team Rotations: Depending on the scale of the production, there may be two, three, or even four teams sharing performances. This means successful young people are called to all rehearsals and once into the performance run, will be called in regularly but will not perform every show.
Availability: Young people must be available for the entire rehearsal and performance period. No absences are permitted for any reason, including holidays, school events, festivals, or dance shows. Please only bring your child to audition if they can commit fully – otherwise, they will be replaced by a reserve, which can be very disappointing and upsetting for them.
School Absence: Rehearsals and daytime schools’ performances mean that successful young people will need to be educationally able to miss some school.

Audition Outcomes

Casting decisions are made at the end of the audition day.
Each venue holds one audition day only – unfortunately, we are unable to offer alternative dates.

Licensing & Paperwork

Rehearsal and performance schedules are provided to successful applicants on the day.
Shortly afterwards, you will be contacted by a member of the Imagine team to begin the performance licence application process.
Imagine manages most of the licensing paperwork, but some support will still be required from the responsible adult.
All reserves are licensed as well, in case they are later called upon.

Footwear Requirement
Children are required to have both black and tan slip-on, split-sole jazz shoes for rehearsals and performances.

What if my child is put into the reserve team?

In addition to the main Junior Ensemble teams, we also cast a team of reserves at each venue. These reserves may be called upon if a member of the main team is unable to continue for any reason.

Rehearsals: Reserves do not attend rehearsals unless they are officially called in to replace someone in the main team.
When They May Be Called:
- Reserves can be called in at any time from the audition day up to five days into rehearsals.
- Some productions have seen us pull in the entire reserve team, while in others no reserves have been called at all — it is impossible to predict in advance.
- We do not usually call in reserves after the middle of the first week of rehearsals.
Licensing: All reserves are licensed in advance, as they may be called at short notice (including after rehearsals have begun). This means the necessary paperwork will still need to be completed, even if a reserve is not ultimately used.

If my child gets into the show, Can I work on the production?

Yes! If you already hold a chaperone licence, or would be willing to obtain one, we would love to hear from you.

Imagine Theatre provides licensed chaperones for all rehearsals and performances, and we are always looking for new people to join our team.

If you are interested in becoming a chaperone, please send your CV and relevant information to: admin@imaginetheatre.co.uk

Please note that all dates are subject to change so keep a regular eye on our website.

Ever wanted to be part of one of our panto Junior Ensembles, but not sure what the audition entails?

If you’re looking to audition for our 2025 season, watch the video below to find out more:

Please see our privacy policy for how we handle data received at these auditions.

CHAPERONES

We are always looking for licensed chaperones to work with our children for future seasons. Please apply by sending your CV and relevant information to admin@imaginetheatre.co.uk.

Children & Chaperones

Junior Ensemble & Chaperones

Junior Ensemble AUDITIONS

2025 Season

Here is some information about how our Junior Ensemble Audition Days Work and the requirements involved for those who get accepted…

Age restrictions