What this is

This is a one-off, 60-minute external consultation focused on your school production as it currently stands.

The session is designed to provide an independent perspective early in the process — before decisions harden and momentum makes change more difficult. It is not instruction or evaluation, and there is no ongoing commitment.

About the reviewer

Matthew Aris has worked in school theatre and production contexts for over 20 years, directing and producing more than 20 school productions himself. In recent years, he has been involved in supporting the staging of over 120 school productions nationally, working across a wide range of venues, budgets, timelines, and school contexts.

This work has included close collaboration with teachers, students, volunteers, and industry professionals, as well as published research on effective education–industry partnerships. The focus of this review draws directly on that experience — identifying patterns early and helping schools make practical decisions that hold up under real production conditions.

Why schools use this

School productions involve many moving parts, often coordinated within tight timeframes and alongside regular teaching responsibilities.

An external review provides a brief opportunity to step outside the school context and look across the work with some distance — while there is still scope to adjust direction if needed.

Following the session, you’ll receive a written summary highlighting key observations and practical next steps discussed.

Testimonials

“Matt understands high school theatre — the pressures, the timelines, and the reality of working in schools, not just the ideal version of how things should run. Having him look over our process felt like a second set of calm, experienced eyes, and it reduced stress almost immediately.”

— Kathleen Cocks, Head of Drama, Ascham School

What the review covers

Each review is tailored to the specific realities of your school and your production. The focus is always on practical, achievable adjustments rather than wholesale change. Each review is tailored to the specific realities of your school and production.

• Show choice and suitability for your student cohort and school context

• Clarifying production leadership roles and responsibilities

• Budget planning and prioritisation

• Managing student expectations and rehearsal culture

• Rehearsal scheduling that is realistic and sustainable

• Working in professional or shared venues and understanding venue constraints

• Technical aspects of production (sound, lighting, staging, technical requirements)

• Set design and set acquisition (build, hire, or simplified alternatives)

• Working effectively with volunteers and school-based production teams

• Engaging industry professionals and external providers — when and how

• Risk considerations and required risk assessments