Big Mouth Theatre

What Big Mouth Theatre does

Big Mouth Theatre is a private UK children's drama and performing arts education business operating in the Hampshire/Southampton region. It was founded by Holly and Adrian and serves primary-school-age children through three core product lines: Saturday Sessions priced at £65 per month with 36 sessions per year and two annual productions, After School Clubs delivered via primary school partnerships at £36 per half-term, and holiday Drama Camps at £95 per booking. The company runs across at least five Hampshire locations — Totton, Southampton, Eastleigh, Fareham, and Portsmouth — and accepts childcare vouchers, a channel enabled by Ofsted registration.

The business model is predominantly subscription-based, with recurring term and monthly fees from individual families supplemented by one-off holiday camp revenue. Customer acquisition combines direct online booking, digital marketing through GrooveMail-led email automation, free information packs and guides, and a school-partnership channel that lowers friction for parent enrollment. The company positions itself around child safeguarding, mental health awareness (MHFA England certification), and a structured production-based curriculum rather than ad-hoc drama classes.

The growth surface is built on a franchise model (signaled by BFA Emerging Member status), expanding the geographic footprint beyond company-operated locations, and bundling seasonal events (Summer Smash, Big Sleepover, Jingle Mingle) on top of recurring subscriptions. There is no disclosed external funding, no revenue figure, and no indication of any AI/ML capability; the technology stack is limited to standard booking and email-marketing tooling. Asset-light operating economics and founders with prior Disney, Celebrity Cruises, and NHS experience support the brand positioning, but the absence of disclosed financial metrics, headcount, or franchisee uptake materially limits visibility into the underlying business performance.

Name

Big Mouth Theatre

Legal name

Big Mouth Theatre Ltd

Website

https://bigmouththeatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Mouth Theatre is a UK children's drama and performing arts education provider serving primary-school-age children in Hampshire through Saturday Sessions, After School Clubs, and holiday Drama Camps, with a franchise-ready model and Ofsted registration enabling childcare voucher acceptance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Children's drama education
• After school drama clubs
• Performing arts classes
• Theatre workshops for kids
• Holiday drama camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Weekend Theatre Sessions (Big Mouth): Monthly subscription model for weekend theatre sessions. Children aged 6-16 attend Saturday sessions and perform 2 full-scale productions per year. The service includes 36 face-to-face sessions annually, free masterclasses, uniform, social events, and virtual holiday sessions.
2. After School Drama Clubs: Per half-term payment model for weekly after-school drama club sessions at partnered primary schools. Sessions are 1 hour per week directly after school during term time.
3. Drama Camps / Holiday Workshops: One-time payment model for holiday drama camps. Parents pay a deposit to secure a place, with the final balance (£95) due 2 weeks before the camp. Sibling discounts of 25% are offered.
4. Childcare Vouchers and Government Schemes: As an Ofsted-registered provider, Big Mouth Theatre accepts childcare vouchers and government tax-free childcare schemes, providing additional payment options for parents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Big Mouth Theatre delivers in-person children's drama education through Saturday theatre sessions where children aged 6-16 co-create and perform two full-scale productions per year, weekly after-school drama clubs at partnered primary schools for ages 5-11, and 5-day holiday drama camps. The offering is intentionally non-competitive, with every child receiving a named character role with lines, and is delivered by DBS-certified coaches in a supervised environment. Programs are priced as recurring subscriptions or per-term fees and are supported by free taster sessions and a money-back guarantee.

Product overview

Big Mouth Theatre is a children's drama education company offering a portfolio of non-competitive performing arts programs. The core offerings include Saturday theatre sessions (Big Mouth Theatre), After School Clubs, and Drama Camps, complemented by seasonal events (Summer Smash, The BIG Sleepover, Jingle Mingle) and free downloadable guides. All programs share a non-competitive, inclusive philosophy focused on building confidence and self-belief in children aged 5-16. The company operates as a franchise model with Ofsted registration enabling childcare voucher acceptance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Big Mouth Theatre (Saturday Sessions)

Quantifiable outcome

• Children develop confidence and self-belief through drama participation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Franchise Association (BFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBig Mouth Theatre is an emerging member of the British Franchise Association, demonstrating commitment to ethical franchise practices and business standards.
• Mental Health First Aid EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff trained and certified in Mental Health First Aid through MHFA England program, supporting child wellbeing and safeguarding practices.
• Children's Activities AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Children's Activities Association, providing quality assurance and industry recognition for children's activity providers.
• Primary Schools in Totton, Southampton, Eastleigh, Fareham & PortsmouthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchools host after-school drama clubs on their premises. Big Mouth operates as a self-sufficient service requiring no extra admin work from school staff. Schools receive free optional class-sized workshops per term in lieu of rental costs.
• Paultons ParkminorOthersHeavily discounted organized trips to local venues throughout the year, including Paultons Park for members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sylvia Young Theatre School: Sylvia Young is a renowned London-based full-time performing arts school for school-age children. It represents the higher-end, more selective end of youth theatre training, providing an incumbent benchmark for what Big Mouth's Mighty Mouths cohort could aspire to.
• Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts: Italia Conti is a long-established London-based performing arts institution offering full-time and part-time training for children and teens. While its core model is full-time vocational training, it competes at the upper end of Big Mouth's 11-16 age range for serious aspiring performers.
• National Youth Theatre: The National Youth Theatre is a high-profile UK institution delivering acting training and productions for young people aged 14-25. While more selective and audition-based than Big Mouth, it competes indirectly at the older end of Big Mouth's age range for talented aspiring performers in the South of England.

Direct peers

• Stagecoach Performing Arts: Stagecoach is the UK's largest and most established children's performing arts franchise, offering part-time drama, dance, and singing classes for ages 4-18 through a nationwide franchise network. It is the closest direct competitor to Big Mouth Theatre given its franchise model, age range, and curriculum-based delivery.
• Perform (Perform UK): Perform runs weekly drama, dance, and singing classes for children aged 4-12 across the UK, with a focus on confidence-building and imaginative play. Its curriculum-driven, non-audition approach aligns closely with Big Mouth's non-competitive philosophy and weekly session model.
• Razzamataz Theatre Schools: Razzamataz is a UK-wide franchise network of part-time theatre schools for children and teens, offering singing, dancing, and drama classes. Like Big Mouth, it operates a franchise model targeting parents of school-age children, with comparable weekly session formats and termly pricing.
• Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA): PQA is a UK-wide franchise network offering Saturday performing arts classes in acting, comedy, musical theatre, and film for children aged 4-18. Its Saturday-only format and franchise structure closely mirror Big Mouth Theatre's core weekend offering.
• Helen O'Grady Drama Academy: Helen O'Grady is an international children's drama academy franchise running weekly developmental drama classes for ages 5-17 in schools and dedicated venues. It is highly comparable to Big Mouth's after-school clubs and weekend sessions in structure, age targeting, and franchise-led delivery.

Regional players

• YMCA Theatre School (YMCA Southampton): The YMCA operates youth theatre and performing arts programmes in the Southampton/Hampshire region, overlapping directly with Big Mouth Theatre's geographic catchment. While not a franchise, it competes for the same parent segment with structured weekly drama activities.
• Prime Theatre (Swindon): Prime Theatre is a regional youth theatre company in southern England producing full-scale productions and offering training for children and young people. It overlaps with Big Mouth in its emphasis on producing complete theatrical productions with children, though its model is more production-focused than subscription-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bigmouththeatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-mouth-theatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigmouththeatre
• Xx.com/bigmouththeatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Big Mouth Theatre