On Wednesday 20 May, Birmingham Hippodrome welcomed over 1000 young people, their teachers and carers, through our doors for Mamma Mia! Unlocked.

This specially curated performance of the smash-hit musical, attended by groups from across our Hippodrome Education Network (HEN) and other community engagement programmes, was aimed at young people who face significant barriers to accessing theatre. The performance was subsidised by Birmingham Hippodrome and producers Nick Grace Management to ensure tickets were affordable.

Watching this joyous musical proved transformative for an audience who rarely get the chance to attend live theatre. 100% of those who answered our post-show survey ‘definitely’ want to see more theatre and 88% want to take part in more theatre following their Mamma Mia! Unlocked visit. As the final note of ‘Voulez-Vous’ rang out into the auditorium air, the atmosphere was electric.

The show was followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew who discussed the exciting range of careers available in the theatre industry. One teacher spoke of the impression this discussion left on pupils: “Our group of young people absolutely loved it and felt inspired. One young man, in particular, is now inspired to be a drummer in theatre productions.”

Young audiences were then immersed in a captivating behind-the-scenes experience led by the Mamma Mia! stage crew. The make-up, costume and wigs teams revealed the secrets behind the show’s glamourous outfits while the technical team demonstrated how lighting, sound and automation come together to bring a story to life. The enthusiasm in the room was palpable and reflected in our post-show survey, with 91% of respondents confident that they would consider a career in theatre after seeing the show.

Jen Burrows, Head of Organisational Strategy at Birmingham Hippodrome stressed the importance of bringing young people closer to the inner workings of theatre: “Everyone should have the opportunity to experience the magic of live theatre. By opening our doors and taking young people behind the scenes of a world-class production, we hope we’ve inspired not only future audiences, but the performers, musicians, technicians and creatives of tomorrow.”

It’s clear that for young people drawn to the arts, an Unlocked visit could be the first step on a life-long journey of creativity and confidence-building. As one young audience member told our survey: “It made me feel like I was the only person in the world in front of the stage, saying: this is what I want to do, this is where I wanna be!”

Our Unlocked initiative is just one of the many ways we encourage young people from across the region to confidently access the thrilling ‘goosebumps’ moments unique to live theatre.

You can learn more about HEN and the work that we do with young people and communities here.