Frantic Assembly

What Frantic Assembly does

Frantic Assembly is a UK-based physical theatre company founded in 1994 by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, operating from London under the legal entity Frantic Theatre Company Ltd, a company limited by guarantee and registered charity (no. 1113716). The company creates and tours original theatre productions built around a proprietary movement-based devising methodology known as the Frantic Method, and has produced 30 shows since inception, including Beautiful Burnout, Things I Know To Be True, Fatherland, The Unreturning, I Think We Are Alone, Othello, Metamorphosis, and Lost Atoms. Its core audiences are UK regional theatre ticket-buyers, with notable institutional reach: the company provided movement direction for the National Theatre's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The company's product surface extends well beyond live performance. It operates the Ignition programme, a free nationwide talent development initiative for 18-24 year-olds that has engaged over 10,000 people since 2008 and costs £75k per year to deliver. It runs 800+ hours of workshops annually supporting 9,000+ GCSE and A Level students, charges £500 per 2-hour school workshop, and offers public training courses for professional artists both in the UK and internationally (USA via California State University Long Beach; New Zealand via Out East Creative). Digital products include Frantic Assembly Studio, a subscription platform with 21+ hours of teaching materials for schools, and Frantic Digital, a free resource platform with behind-the-scenes content and resource packs. The e-commerce shop sells playtexts, merchandise (hoodies £35, t-shirts £15, tote bags £14, notebooks £19.50), and bundled packages.

The business model is a hybrid charity/earned-revenue structure. Arts Council England NPO funding contributes £225,250 per year (~21% of turnover); the remaining 79% is derived from touring co-productions with venue partners (Curve Leicester, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Lyric Hammersmith, MAST Mayflower Studios, Manchester International Festival, National Theatre of Scotland, State Theatre Company South Australia, among others), workshop fees, training courses, merchandise sales, and donations. Long-tenured co-production relationships — some spanning 20+ years and described by partners as 'one of the most fulfilling and enduring' in their histories — form the operational backbone. Go-to-market is event-driven (touring productions) supplemented by a community-led pipeline via Ignition, with digital distribution extending reach between performance windows.

Name

Frantic Assembly

Legal name

Frantic Theatre Company Ltd

Website

https://franticassembly.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Frantic Assembly is a UK physical theatre company, founded in 1994, that creates touring productions, delivers school and artist workshops, runs the free Ignition talent programme for 18-24 year-olds, and operates digital education platforms for schools and the arts sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Theatre Services

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Improvisational Theatre (MPAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Technical Production Management & Crew (MPAGAKAH), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Physical theatre
• Devising theatre
• Theatre workshops
• Drama education
• Theatre training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Arts Council England Funding: Core NPO (National Portfolio Organisation) funding from Arts Council England at £225,250 per year, representing approximately 21% of annual turnover.
2. Theatre Productions and Touring: Earned income from touring productions, reaching combined audiences of 100,000+ for Othello and Metamorphosis since 2022. Revenue from ticket sales and co-production arrangements with theatre partners.
3. Workshops and Training Courses: Public training courses engage hundreds of artists, practitioners and teachers worldwide. Ignition programme costs £75k per year to deliver. Revenue from workshop fees for schools (£500 per 2hr workshop for up to 48 students).
4. E-commerce (Shop): Online shop selling playtexts (£8.50), books (£34.99), merchandise including hoodies (£35), t-shirts (£15), tote bags (£14), notebooks (£19.50), and various bundles (£55-£82).
5. Frantic Assembly Studio Subscription: Digital subscription platform providing 24/7 access to over 21 hours of teaching materials for schools supporting the study of contemporary theatre-making.
6. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations and Trust/Foundation grants. Currently only 1% of income comes from raised or donated funds. Easy fundraising partnership available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Frantic Assembly is a UK-based physical theatre company founded in 1994 that creates touring theatre productions, delivers educational drama workshops (including a subscription learning platform for schools), and runs professional training courses for theatre practitioners. The company operates a digital learning platform and runs programmes aimed at developing the next generation of theatre makers.

Product overview

Frantic Assembly is a UK-based physical theatre company founded in 1994, offering a portfolio of theatre productions, educational resources, digital platforms, and training programmes. The core products include: touring theatre productions (such as Beautiful Burnout, Things I Know To Be True, Fatherland, The Unreturning, I Think We Are Alone, Metamorphosis, Othello, and Lost Atoms); Frantic Assembly Studio, a digital subscription platform for schools with teaching materials; Frantic Digital, a free digital resource platform with behind-the-scenes content; The Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre (third edition), a published guide to their methodology; playtexts and resource packs for various productions; and The Ignition Programme, a talent development initiative for young people. The company also offers merchandise including apparel, notebooks, and various bundled packages combining publications and resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ignition: A free nationwide talent development programme for young people aged 18-24, providing intensive training and career development in the creative arts. Engaged over 10,000 people since 2008.
• Frantic Digital
• Frantic Assembly Studio

Products and services

• Touring Theatre Productions Original physical theatre productions devised and toured nationally and internationally, performed for general theatre audiences in partnership with venues and co-producers.
• Educational Drama Workshops
• Frantic Assembly Studio (Digital Learning Platform)
• Professional Training Courses
• Ignition Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 100,000+ audience members with Othello and Metamorphosis productions (2022-2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Out East CreativeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023New Zealand partner for public workshops in Auckland and Christchurch (April 2023), marking Frantic Assembly's first public workshops in New Zealand.
• California State University Long BeachminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Partnership for USA Train & Create courses in Los Angeles, running five-day intensive programmes for professional artists to learn the Frantic Method.
• LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-produced Fatherland (2018) with Frantic Assembly, presenting the production at Lyric Hammersmith as part of LiFT 2018.
• Manchester International FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Commissioning and producing partner for Fatherland (2017), which premiered as part of Manchester International Festival. The festival supported the initial development of the production.
• Royal Exchange TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Commissioning and producing partner for Fatherland (2017), supporting the development and premiere of the production.
• National Youth TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Presented Frantic Assembly's Othello in London's West End as part of NYT REP season in 2017, engaging brilliant young NYT ensemble and providing training opportunity for performers.
• Curve LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Othello (2022) and Lost Atoms (2025/26) productions. Curve has collaborated with Frantic Assembly on multiple productions over 20+ years, describing the creative collaboration as 'one of the most fulfilling and enduring' in their history.
• Theatre Royal PlymouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing co-production partner with over 12 co-productions including The Unreturning (2018), I Think We Are Alone (2020), Metamorphosis (2023), and Lost Atoms (2025). Described as having 'one of the most fulfilling and enduring' creative collaborations with Frantic Assembly.
• Lyric Hammersmith TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Fatherland (2018), Metamorphosis (2023/24), and Lost Atoms (2025/26). Worked with Frantic Assembly on the development of the original Othello production.
• MAST Mayflower StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Metamorphosis (2023) and Lost Atoms (2025/26), hosting productions in Southampton as part of UK tours.
• National Theatre of ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Beautiful Burnout (2010, 2012), a celebrated production exploring boxing and its complexities that toured extensively including Australia and New Zealand.
• State Theatre Company South AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Things I Know To Be True (2016, 2017), first performed at Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide. This was an international collaboration with Australian director Geordie Brookman.
• Warwick Arts CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Things I Know To Be True (2016/17) in association with Chichester Festival Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith.
• National TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrantic Assembly provided movement direction for the National Theatre's production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, establishing the company as leaders in physical theatre movement direction.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Out of Joint: UK touring theatre company focused on new writing and co-productions with regional theatres. Comparable in scale, touring model, and reliance on co-production partnerships across the UK.
• DV8 Physical Theatre: Pioneering UK physical theatre company creating devised, movement-driven productions with international touring. Direct overlap on the physical theatre methodology and touring business model.
• Punchdrunk: UK immersive and physical theatre producer with international profile and a strong education/community engagement arm. Comparable on physical performance and education-side programming.
• Kneehigh Theatre: UK-based touring theatre company known for visually innovative, physical performance and a similar co-production model with regional venues. Comparable in scale, UK touring distribution, and emphasis on physical devising approaches.
• Told by an Idiot: UK physical theatre company with a comparable size, devising methodology, and touring model. Highly comparable as a small-to-mid scale devised/physical theatre company.
• Gecko Theatre: UK physical theatre company creating devised, movement-led touring productions. Direct peer on the physical/devising methodology dimension with overlapping international touring and education work.
• Complicité: Internationally renowned UK devised theatre company; Steven Hoggett (Frantic co-founder) was a long-time associate movement director. Direct peer on devised, ensemble-led touring theatre with global reach.
• Headlong: UK touring theatre company producing contemporary work across major regional venues with a comparable touring, co-production, and education footprint. Most directly comparable as a UK-based producing theatre with similar scale, NPO funding profile, and a remit to engage new audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Court Theatre: Leading UK new-write theatre and a frequent commissioner of contemporary work. Adjacent/incumbent comparison given its commissioning and NPO role in the UK theatre ecosystem that Frantic Assembly tours within.
• National Theatre: Largest UK publicly funded producing theatre; Frantic Assembly has provided movement direction for National Theatre productions. Broad incumbent that overlaps on the producing-theatre and education sides at far larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/franticassembly/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/franticassembly
• Instagraminstagram.com/frantic_assembly
• Xx.com/franticassembly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frantic Assembly