Landing a role is an exciting moment, but it’s just the beginning. Before audiences ever see a performance, the company usually spends weeks in rehearsals exploring their characters, learning choreography, testing ideas, and gradually building the show.
For emerging actors, understanding the rehearsal process can help you walk into a job with confidence.
Every production is different, but most theatre rehearsals follow a similar structure. Here’s what you can expect from the first read-through to opening night.
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Rehearsal is the period during which a cast and creative team work together to develop a production before it is performed in front of an audience. Much more than simply practising lines, rehearsals are where performances are shaped and refined.
Playwright and former actor Jordyn Fulcher has spent a lot of time in rehearsal rooms. Here is everything they wish they knew before the first time.
- Rehearsal lollies are a must. There’s something magical about dopamine front-loading a rehearsal. Having something small and sweet within reach can keep everyone going. Rehearsal is always a heavy head and cognitive process. You’re on your feet, taking direction, absorbing blocking, listening, adjusting, remembering notes, responding to other actors, and trying to keep the whole emotional world of the piece in your body at once. It’s a lot. A few cheeky bags of lollies near the stage manager is not just a snack, it’s morale.
- Attempting to learn the whole script before rehearsals start can backfire miserably, because then you’re learning it twice. If you learn the entire script alone before rehearsal begins, you can end up siloed inside your own interpretation and vision of it. You form rhythms, habits, and even these little performance tics that can become ingrained in your performance.
- Having an access rider, well-defined boundaries in terms of touch and stages of intimacy, and even communicating how you best receive notes will help a tonne.
The rehearsal period lasts four to six weeks for most mainstage or commercial theatre productions, while commercial musicals or productions with complex technical elements may require a longer preparatory period. Full-time rehearsals typically run six days a week with Sundays off. Expect eight-hour days, typically running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (while Saturday may only run for a half-day).
The rehearsal period for independent (or “indie”) theatre shows often varies depending on how much funding the production was able to obtain, but it typically runs between two and four weeks. Most will run full-time, but some indie shows may rehearse part-time over several weeks or months, and a fringe festival show may work around the team’s other work schedules.
“Six weeks is a normal rehearsal period in both independent and commercial or mainstage shows, but it really depends on the production,” says Australian theatre director Dean Drieberg, the resident director of Hamilton in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally and the resident director of The Lion King in Australia.
“I’ve also worked on indie musicals where there’ll be a vocal call with the cast, they give everyone their harmonies ahead of time, and then everyone arrives on day one knowing the music off-book and you just make the most of your time with staging. And that might be a two-week or one-week rehearsal process.”
Comparatively, film and television productions usually have much shorter rehearsal periods. Actors may only meet for a table read, camera blocking, or brief scene rehearsals before filming begins, because much of the work happens on set.
Mainstage theatre companies and commercial productions will budget to pay actors a full-time wage for the entire three to six weeks of full-time rehearsals they require. According to the Live Performance Award, the weekly rate should start at AU $35.34 per hour, or a weekly salary of about AU $1,340.
Independent theatre productions often pay their performers by profit share, an agreement in which cast members receive a percentage of a production’s net profits rather than an up-front salary. These shows typically rehearse differently, in four- to six-hour blocks around an average working week.
A production that demands full-time rehearsals – essentially prohibiting actors from taking on other work – should pay those actors an up-front fee.
1. Table work (or read-throughs)
The first day of rehearsals often begins with a read-through, during which the entire cast gathers around a table and reads the script aloud from start to finish. It’s the first opportunity for everyone to hear the play or musical as a whole, meet fellow cast members, and discuss the director’s vision.
Many productions also include table work, during which actors analyse the script scene by scene. It can involve discussing:
- Character objectives and motivations
- Relationships among characters
- Themes and symbolism
- Historical or social context
- Pronunciation and language
- Questions about the script
Careful script analysis helps actors make informed performance choices, rather than relying on instinct alone. Some directors spend several days on table work, while others move quickly into staging.
2. Blocking
Once everyone understands the script, rehearsals usually move into blocking. This is the process of setting out where actors move onstage and how those movements help to tell the story. Every entrance, exit, and position is carefully considered to support the narrative, while ensuring sightlines, safety, and practical staging.
During blocking rehearsals, actors learn:
- Entrances and exits
- Stage positions
- Movement between scenes
- Interactions with set pieces and props
- Choreography or fight sequences where required
Blocking isn’t simply about standing in the right place. Directors use movement to reveal relationships, status, and emotion. How long this stage takes depends entirely on the production.
As Drieberg explains, some directors tend to use “an hour of rehearsal to a page” as a rule of thumb, but that can vary widely depending on the complexity of the scene.
“I’ve had huge production numbers that take a full eight-hour day to stage,” Drieberg says. “Other scenes might only take an hour. It just depends how complicated the material is.”
In musical theatre and opera, rehearsals often begin with dedicated music rehearsals before choreography, staging, and live musicians are added. (Fun fact: The first rehearsal where the cast sings with the live orchestra is called the “sitzprobe.” During the sitzprobe, the acting and technical elements are set aside and the focus is entirely on blending the music and the singing.)
3. Scene work
Once blocking has been established, actors begin refining their performances through scene work. This is often the longest part of the rehearsal period. Directors pause frequently to adjust performances, experiment with different interpretations, and help actors develop truthful, consistent performances.
This is typically the stage in which actors are expected to perform without holding their script, commonly known as being “off-book.” But exactly when it happens varies from production to production. Some directors expect actors to arrive already off-book, particularly on productions with very short rehearsal periods.
“As a director, I’m happy for actors to have a script in their hands during table work,” Drieberg says. “Some actors’ process is that they don’t learn the lines until they learn the blocking so they connect the two, which means they’ll have a book in their hand until you start running the show. I’ve always said to actors that I’m happy for you to have a book in your hand, but when we get to running the scene you need to put the book down.”
4. Technical rehearsals
Once performances are taking shape, rehearsals move into the theatre itself for technical rehearsals – often shortened to “tech.”
This is when lighting, sound, projections, automation, scenery, and special effects are integrated with the performance. Technical rehearsals are typically slower than previous rehearsals because crews pause frequently to adjust cues and solve problems.
“The length of tech really depends,” Drieberg says. “An independent production might only get one day, while a big commercial musical could spend a week or more in technical rehearsals.”
Actors also become familiar with costume changes, microphones, backstage traffic, and working safely around moving scenery.
5. Dress rehearsals
The final stage before the show opens is the dress rehearsal. This is a complete performance under show conditions with costumes, makeup, lighting, sound, props, and scenery all used exactly as they will be during the run.
Many productions hold one or more dress rehearsals before inviting preview audiences.
“After a dress rehearsal, you’ll often have a notes session,” Drieberg says. “That might run for two to four hours, depending on what needs fixing.”
The goal of dress rehearsal isn’t perfection – it’s identifying the final adjustments before the audience arrives.
After dress rehearsals and before the official opening night, the production will also sell tickets for preview performances. (These tickets are often slightly cheaper than standard in-season tickets.)
Previews are sort of like the final test run. During this period, the production is still technically a work in progress, allowing the creative team to make adjustments based on audience reactions.
Big Broadway shows often have a preview period of four to six weeks, but productions in Australia are typically restricted by shorter seasons, so previews may run for as little as three days and up to three weeks.
Although most productions follow a similar path, no two rehearsal periods are identical. The important thing for actors is to remain flexible.
Come prepared, stay open to feedback, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Listening to direction and collaborating with your fellow cast members will always matter more than following one “correct” rehearsal method.
Rehearsals are when performances are built, not just memorised. Every rehearsal is an opportunity to discover something new about your character and become a stronger performer.
