University-Wide Companies
Durham Opera Ensemble
DOE is Durham University’s internationally award-winning opera society. We stage two to three productions each year, from our fully staged Epiphany term production to smaller-scale performances including concert operas, operettas, and cabaret-style concerts. There are also opportunities to take part in masterclasses, outreach projects, and tours. The society is passionate about making opera more accessible for students and audience members alike, giving as many people as possible the opportunity to engage with the artform. We choose repertoire that is appropriate for young voices, largely perform in English, and don't require any prior experience. DOE has performed in many of Durham's most prestigious venues, including the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle's Great Hall, and the Gala Theatre.
Whether through roles in the cast, orchestra or creative and production team, there are plenty of opportunities with DOE for anyone looking to develop their skills and be part of the wonderful community of opera!
President: Mathilda Ketterer
Email: [email protected]
Durham University Audio Drama Society
At DUADS, we tell high-quality stories which are heard in Durham and around the world. Our content spans all audio storytelling, including but not limited to serialised drama, radio plays, audio adaptations, audiobook narration and experimental sound creation. From writing, production opportunities, voice acting, working with a variety of recording equipment, learning how to edit audio, and even opportunities to compose your own soundtrack, there’s something in DUADS for everyone!
President: Corinion Moroney-Lewis
Email: [email protected]
Durham University Classical Theatre
DUCT is committed to producing high quality productions of plays written or set over a hundred years ago. We aim to be a reliable platform for budding talent in Durham to get involved in classical theatre at all levels - irrespective of whether you have been involved with it before. Recent productions have included ‘Antigone’, ‘Julius Caesar’, and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’.
DUCT also host an annual Classical Acting Showcase in Michaelmas judged by industry professionals; this is an excellent opportunity for those looking to study for a Masters in Acting to work one-on-one with a director on a classical piece.
Presidents: Cillian Knowles
Email: [email protected]
DULOG
DULOG (Durham University Light Opera Group) is the oldest and largest of Durham’s musical theatre societies. We stage three shows each year, and specialise in big-budget, blockbuster musicals – including our annual production in Durham’s professional, 500-seat Gala Theatre, involving a team of almost a hundred students! Recent productions include ‘Anything Goes’, ‘Crazy For You’ and ‘Grease’ (at the Gala) and ‘Legally Blonde’, ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ and ‘Sweeney Todd’ (at the Assembly Rooms Theatre). We encourage applications and auditions from everyone – whether you’re interested in chorus singing or choreography, producing or pit-band playing, stage management or sound design, please get in touch and get involved!
President: Michael Nevin
Email: [email protected]
The Durham Revue
The Durham Revue is Durham University's premier sketch troupe. Every year the troupe write and perform their own sketches across different venues in the university and also visit other universities such as Cambridge and Leeds. Every year they also go to the Edinburgh Fringe for the month of August where their hour-long original sketch show is reviewed by professional companies. Notable alumni include Ed Gamble, Nish Kumar, Stevie Martin, Ambika Mod and Jeremy Vine.
Presidents: Miranda Pharoah, Ollie Painter, Isaac Slater
Email: [email protected]
First Theatre Company
1TC aims to provide support and opportunities for first-time directors and production team members in Durham by providing funding, advice and training.
Our main goal to help new directors put on their first show in Durham, yet the company also works with first time production teams to expand DST’s pool of talent, and is looking to expand further to work with first time actors. We pride ourselves on our inclusivity and receptiveness to new and exciting ideas, and are open to pitches from students!
Presidents:
Email: [email protected]
Fourth Wall
Fourth Wall is dedicated to staging high-quality fringe style contemporary theatre. We take anything that is fresh and exciting! We aim to be bold, innovative but above all entertaining.
For the previous two years, we’ve had shows selected for the National Student Drama Festival (NSDF), both killology and Beats epitomised what we as a company strive to create – provocative, slick and the talk of the (Durham) town!
President: River Blatch
Email: [email protected]
Ooook! Productions
Ooook! is a friendly and outreaching theatre company, specialising in comedy productions. We aim to involve new talent alongside an experienced cast and crew, resulting in high quality shows that prove popular with the large and diverse audiences they consistently attract. Our calendar’s highlight is an annual performance of Terry Pratchett’s novels. Past shows include Soul Music, Monstrous Regiment, and Night Watch. Another Ooook! tradition is our summer sitcom, which has included iconic classics Blackadder, The IT Crowd, Yes, Prime Minister and Fawlty Towers. Ooook! donates profits from all shows, and has raised over £17,000 for charity.
Presidents: River Blatch
Email: [email protected]
Pitch Productions
Pitch Productions provides an inclusive, friendly platform for upcoming theatre makers and emerging writers alike to share their work. Pitch us your production, it’s as simple as that.
Established in 2015 with the hope to make it easier for DST members to put on shows, Pitch Productions is constantly expanding. Whilst continuing to be an avenue for those not on executive committees to pitch scripted works, we have become a place for student theatre makers to pitch their own work and see it performed at one of Durham’s many venues. Further, our termly artist nights provide a space for Durham creatives of all disciplines, be it music, poetry, prose, theatre or even magic to share their work in front of an engaged and supportive audience.
We choose our termly shows on the merit of the application and have often worked with writers and directors on their debut production to great success. Our recent productions have included a range of student writing, such as I Can’t Stop The Loneliness by Horatio Holloway (July 2026), and scripted works like Things I Know To Be True by Andrew Bovell (Nov 2026). Further, several of our student-written productions have been programmed at national fringe festivals in Durham, Camden and Edinburgh. We always endeavour to ensure that all shows programmed and events coordinated by pitch are greatly enjoyable for the participants and are well supported by our lovely executive committee.
President: Rhiannon Morgan, Harvey Hill
Email: [email protected]
Polloi Productions
We are Polloi Productions, your local classical theatre company: small but mighty, we specialise in ancient Greek and Roman plays, bringing the theatre of the past to life.
We pride ourselves on being a point of accessibility to theatre in Durham. We are excited to involve anyone who auditions for our plays. There is a place for you in our productions, be it cast or tech team, whether you have years of experience or none at all!
We want to cultivate a friendly and welcoming community, offering opportunities for people to contribute to the Durham theatre scene, to develop their experience or to simply nurture an existing love for theatre.
Every year we run three plays, including a double-bill opener in Michaelmas, a play in Epiphany, and our largest production in Easter term - such as last year’s success: ‘Medea’.
Come join the classics!
President: Matteo Fronduti
Email: [email protected]
Roots Theatre Company
Roots Theatre Company, more affectionately known as Roots is dedicated to uplifting the powerful, talented voices of People of Colour (POC). We bring 3 multifaceted productions to life that bring authentic representation to the fore. Productions in our first year were: Othello and For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy (Easter 2026)
To represent POC as fearless, passionate, nuanced and complex is to further the change we wish to see in British theatre. POC are not one size fits all, and we are extremely confident in our vision of showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of each culture rather than merely casting a handful of POC roles for the sake of it. Most of our productions and cultural showcases offer opportunities beyond the DST community, as we collaborate with other socio-political Durham societies on some of our projects (such as Afro-Carribbean society). We are committed to illuminating the experiences of minorities - from heavy cultural taboos to obstacles set against POC trying to grow and express themselves in society. Our mission is to ensure this level of inclusion and understanding across every aspect of the DST community.
President: Amaya Uppal
Email: [email protected]
The Stand
The Stand Society stands for a lot. We stand for regular stand-up nights featuring new and experienced student comics. We stand for developing new talent with professional writing and performing workshops. We stand for sidesplittingly funny Pro Nights where we bring the best of the UK stand-up scene to DH1, and socials at comedy clubs in Newcastle. We stand for a great night out, whichever side of the mic you stand on.
Fancy a laugh? Come check us out.
President:
Email: [email protected]
Third Space Theatre Company
Third Space Theatre Company is a now independent theatre company that focuses on political and provocative theatre. We aim to use the stage to spark conversations about contemporary and unspotlighted issues, with an emphasis on intersectional feminism.
President: Tilly Horsfield
Email: [email protected]
Tone Deaf Theatre Company
Tone Deaf Theatre Company is Durham’s go-to for contemporary musical theatre with a small cast, bringing powerful, intimate performances to life with casts of up to 10. Known for our recent productions—Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, and Bonnie and Clyde!—we’re committed to delivering high-quality theatre that resonates with modern audiences. Each year, we also stage an annual showcase in the latter part of the year, which can range from themed performances to song cycles, giving our members an opportunity to explore a range of musical styles and narratives. In collaboration with DULOG, we proudly co-manage the Durham University Musical Theatre Troupe, expanding opportunities for students to engage in and experience musical theatre at its best.
Presidents: Georgia Hitchcock, Elena Pesciarelli
Email: [email protected]
Walkabout Productions
Walkabout is Durham’s immersive student theatre company. We innovate untraditional spaces to create experiences that make the audience a part of the show. Our approach builds from breaking creative boundaries and inspiring the cutting-edge of Durham’s cultural scene, scrapping the passive and making performance personal. We perform a variety of adapted plays, such as Antony and Cleopatra, A Christmas Carol and Dracula, as well as fully student written plays, including our summer 2026 show Quantum Entanglement. If you are looking for a performance that allows for maximum audience engagement and creative freedom, keep an eye out for our next show.
President: Charlie Breay
Email: [email protected]
Wrong Tree
Wrong Tree theatre is a collaborative theatre company that focuses on storytelling through devised physical theatre. Our shows invite creative talent seeking to produce contemporary, compelling theatre whether that be fully scripted or plotted, or devised from zero. Our emphasis on physical theatre means that our shows normally at least have some aspect of focused movement whether that be continuously throughout, or just certain scenes.
We also pride ourselves on taking at least one Wrong Tree show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every year, meaning our company has the chance to showcase its work to people from all over the world!
With Wrong Tree, every year remains excitingly new as we build on our existing legacy.
President: Beau Singleton
Email: [email protected]