Year 9 Drama – The Theatre Project: Page to Stage Production Challenge (6 Lessons)

A fully resourced Year 9 Drama unit where students work as a professional theatre company to develop and pitch their own production. This engaging project explores theatre production roles, budgeting, design and marketing, culminating in a Dragon’s Den–style pitch presentation.

Year 9 - The Theatre Project

Students work in teams to adapt a classic story into a modern touring production for schools, learning how theatre productions are developed from concept to pitch. Each student takes on a professional role within the company, developing leadership, creativity and collaboration skills.

What’s Included

Ready-to-teach PowerPoints for every lesson

Standard worksheets and SEN-friendly differentiated worksheets

Role planner and production team planning sheets

Budget planning and theatre production tasks

Pitch preparation resources and assessment criteria

Production Roles Students Explore

Director – leads the creative vision and adaptation of the story

Set Designer – designs the stage environment and visual style

Costume Designer – plans costumes and character appearance

Technical Manager – plans sound, lighting and technical elements

Marketing Manager – creates promotional material and posters

Budget Manager – manages the production budget and spending

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

Understand how theatre productions are developed from idea to performance

Explore professional roles in theatre production

Plan set, costume, sound, lighting and marketing designs

Manage a £5,000 production budget

Develop teamwork, organisation and creative decision-making skills

Present and justify their ideas through a professional pitch

Final Outcome

Students deliver a 3–5 minute group pitch for their theatre production, including:

A modern adaptation of a classic story

Set and costume designs

Sound and lighting ideas

Marketing materials

A detailed budget plan

Perfect For

Year 9 / KS3 Drama or Performing Arts

Teaching theatre production and backstage roles

Developing teamwork, creativity and presentation skills

This practical and career-focused unit helps students understand how theatre productions are created behind the scenes, while building confidence in creative planning, design and pitching ideas.