Centre Stage NI
About Us
Curtains up… And drum roll, please!
Hello and welcome to Centre Stage, Northern Ireland’s premier touring theatre company.
With four decades in the business, we are theatrical specialists that provide a range of activities in NI and on tour; from a sheer wealth of experience spanning over 60 years.
Centre Stage NI
Who We Are
Our entire business foundations were set on the undeniable passion and talent that runs deep in the veins of our founding members. As a family-run organisation, the sheer enthusiasm is set in the heart of Centre Stage – performance and theatrics is in our blood. Roma Tomelty and Colin Carnegie are our proud founders, but that’s not where our story begins…
Our legacy started with the late Joseph Tomelty, (Roma’s father) an accredited Irish actor, novelist, short-story writer, playwright and theatre manager. Having quite the multi-talented father, this enabled little Roma to really live and feel the magic of storytelling, seeing first-hand inspiring plays being written and produced.
It is no surprise she went on to become an actress, playwright and director herself. Roma and her husband Colin took an innovative lead by opening the doors to Centre Stage in 1983 with their residential “Summer Drama” holiday scheme, productions and drama classes to the citizens of Belfast.
Centre Stage NI
What We Do
Professional theatre, touring and workshops isn’t all we have to offer… Centre Stage developed NI’s first successful “Summer Drama” residential scheme for young people. From 1983, it continues to have the exclusivity of being the sole drama residential scheme available in this country to this very day. In its history, it has seen successive generations of children from all social and religious backgrounds attend.
Centre Stage NI
We are Worldwide
In more recent years we have attracted international students to discover drama and the arts in Northern Ireland, helping children across the water develop their skills as well as helping increase tourism to our beautiful country.
We have many students travelling from Europe for our residential scheme that have really enjoyed their Centre Stage experience. If you live outside NI & Ireland and would like you or your child to join us, please get in touch with any queries by clicking the button below to find out more and start your journey with us to becoming a professional performing artist.