It’s that time of the year again! Oh yes, it is!

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry are delighted to be commencing their search for the Junior Chorus of this year’s pantomime, Beauty and the Beast. On Sunday 21 June, kids aged 9-16 from across Coventry and Warwickshire are invited to audition to be part of the Belgrade panto. A total of 32 children will be selected to be part of the show, with the region’s most talented young performers making up three teams of eight, plus one full team of reserves.

Parents of young hopefuls are asked to bring their children to the Belgrade Theatre foyer for registration at 9.30am on Sunday 21 June. From 10am, children will be taught a dance routine by the show’s choreographer, which they’ll then be asked to perform in front of writer, director and Dame, Iain Lauchlan.

Initial auditions will take place in the morning, with successful candidates recalled for a second round during the afternoon. No prior experience of performing is necessary, but auditionees will need lots of energy and enthusiasm.

Auditionees must wear comfortable clothing and shoes that are easy to move and dance in. At least one parent or guardian must wait on-site with each child throughout the audition process. Unaccompanied children will not be eligible to audition.

Those who are chosen for the Junior Chorus and their parents/guardians will be asked to stay after the audition sessions for a talk on licensing, panto guidelines and also to be measured for costumes. Expected to finish no later than 7pm.

Writer, director and pantomime dame Iain Lauchlan said “Once again I am calling on the amazing talent of our young performers from the area. The junior chorus make such a fantastic addition to our show every year. Our audition day on the 21st June is a real mix of emotions for me. I am excited to see the wonderful talent we have in Coventry but also anxious because I know I will have to turn down so many as I only have 24 places in the panto. All I can say is, please come and show me what you can do and enjoy the day.  You know how amazing you are.”

All Junior Chorus members will be committed to up to 6 rehearsals a week, weekday evenings and weekend days, from Mon 26 Oct. There will also be some daytime rehearsals during w/c 9 Nov (which does mean missing school). The show runs from 18 Nov 2026 – 2 Jan 2027 inclusive. There are 60 performances scheduled in the run, which will be divided between the three teams.

All Junior Chorus members MUST be available for the duration as no rehearsal or performances can be missed.

Pre-registration is not essential, but parents are encouraged to fill in a registration form in advance and bring it along with them to auditions. 

Registration form available to download HERE
More information on this year's Junior Chorus can be found HERE