English Heritage

Step 1

Cut out the five templates to make up the base of your theatre. Glue them together with strong glue or sticky tape. You might need to ask a grown up to help you with this step.

Step 2

Glue all of the template sheets onto thin card, then cut out the stage floor. Glue this on top of the base you have just made. It should fit exactly! Use a Pritt Stick or double-sided tape.

Step 3

Cut out the two theatre wings from card. Score along the dotted lines using something pointed (like the tip of a pen lid). Fold the tabs outwards and glue in place onto the stage floor – matching up the numbers.

Step 4

Glue on the other side to the stage floor, giving you two sides.

Step 5

Cut out the back of the theatre and support bar from card. Glue the back panel onto the theatre wings at tab 1.  There is an outline of the tabs on the back panel which indicates where you need to stick. You might like to add some tape at the back of the back panel and the stage floor for extra strength.

Step 6

Fold the tabs of the support bar over and attach onto the top of the theatre wings. There is a square at the top of the wings that indicates where you should stick. This is the stage section complete!

Step 7

Now to make the auditorium! Cut out the stage front. Leave the white area around the curtains to stick the surrounding features to. Cut out the two boxes. Fold the tab on the short vertical edge backwards and the tab on the long vertical edge forwards. Line the short vertical edges up with the sides of the stage front and glue on. 

Step 8

Cut out the ceiling. Fold the two long tabs on the horizontal backwards, and the two short vertical tabs forwards.  Wrap the two short tabs around the outside of the boxes and glue on to the top of the stage front.

Step 9

To add strength, cut out the front wall, and stick in between the two boxes. 

Step 10

Now let’s make the façade. Cut out the roof, two gargoyles and two pillars. Stick the gargoyles behind the roof at the top.

Step 11

Attach the two pillars onto the tabs on the roof.  This is the façade finished!

Step 12

Stick the façade onto the long tabs on the boxes and ceiling to enclose the auditorium behind your Victorian theatre façade.

Step 13

Stick this onto the wings to complete your theatre! Line up the bottom of the stage front with the bottom of the base.

Step 14

Cut out the scenery and hook into the grooves in the wings, then drop the backdrop in.

Step 15

Cut out the characters and fold the triangular stands but don’t stick them down just yet. Cut a thin strip of card (around 1cm wide) and stick onto the back of the character on the first folded section (this will be the bottom). Can you guess which character we’re making?

Step 16

It’s Queen Victoria! Finally, stick the tab of the stand onto the back of the character to make them stand up. Now repeat with the rest of the characters.

Step 17

You’re now ready for your first performance. Have fun bringing a real Victorian Christmas back to Osborne!