Our next show is:
8th – 11th April 2026
You can find our more here
Want to get involved in our next show? We’ll be starting rehearsals in November at Middlesbrough Scout Headquarters on Tollesby Road. You can contact us for more info!
Cast Member
Middlesbrough Gang Show gives Scouts and Guides the opportunity to perform on stage in front of an audience. You don’t need to have any stage experience – everyone is welcome! We perform songs, sketches and dances, but these are set to suit every ability!
Gang Show is open to Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Brownies (aged 8 for the show), Guides, Rangers and Leaders. You must be able to attend rehearsals on a Saturday night. We also have rehearsals for the song and dance numbers on a Monday, as well as the sketches and front line numbers on a Thursday. Rehearsals are held at Middlesbrough Scouts Head Quarters on Tollesby Road.
Rehearsals
Full cast rehearsals are held on Saturday nights and everyone must be able to attend these. The junior members of the cast rehearse their numbers earlier on, followed by everyone when we rehearse the opening, finale and first act finale with the full cast. We then set the adult numbers later on. These are typically the bigger numbers that have a singing and dancing in them.
Monday nights: Mondays are when most of the “dancing” is set. There’s always a range of levels, so make sure you let us know if you have some dance experience! We love when we have young people with skills they can show off! There’ll typically be some more intricate choreography for those with experience, but mostly the choreography is very easy for anyone to pick up and you don’t need any experience.
Thursday nights: Thursdays are when we set our sketches and front line numbers. These are smaller groups of cast members. Front line numbers are usually a song or a skit that is performed in between the larger numbers, so typically will be only a 6-10 people in each one. To be in a front line number you may need to be confident singing on your own or in a pair. Sketches also only involve a few people. You don’t need to be an expert actor, but you’ll need to be confident speaking and be able to remember some lines.
Other Roles
Not the stagey type? We rely on lots of volunteers to put on the show! We appreciate help in any form, from fundraising, to helping out in wardrobe, making the tea, helping in dressing rooms…. There are all sorts of ways to get involved, whether you are a leader, young person or parent!
Wardrobe
We always need help in wardrobe! You don’t need to be an expert in dressmaking. The wardrobe team typically attend Saturday rehearsals to gradually work through making sure all the cast have costumes that fit. During show week, a they help out in the dressing rooms, ensuring everyone is wearing what they should be (and hanging costumes back up when they have been thrown on the floor!)
Front of House
On show week, we have a group of volunteers front of house. They sell programmes, sell raffle tickets and help show people to their seats. If you’d like to be involved, contact Ian Railton.
Back stage
We do most of the back stage work ourselves. We make and paint the scenery on a Saturday morning in the lead up to the show.
During show week, our back stage crew do all the scenery changes, ensure props are handed out and collected in and ensure the curtains are opened and closed when they should be.
You can get involved with back stage crew by contacting Bob Hodgson.
Dressing rooms
During show week, we have “dressers” in each dressing room. They are there to supervise the young people and ensure that they are wearing the right costumes at the right times. They are also amazing at reuniting children with lost socks and t-shirts and ensuring that costumes are all hung up at the end of the show ready for the next night. We rely on parents for this, and work on a rotation so that everyone also gets the chance to see the show.
Please note – if you are not already a Scout leader, you will will need to complete an enhanced DBS check for most of these roles, so please let us know in January 2026 if you are interested as we will need to ensure that this is completed in time for the show!
Middlesbrough Gang Show 