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theatre · Monday 13 July 2026 · 10:00am 
Theatre Camp
At Backstage Theatre · Flancare Park, Longford, Co. Longford
At Backstage Theatre · Flancare Park, Longford, Co. Longford
A week at Backstage Theatre doing theatre camp is one of the better ways a child aged 7 to 12 can spend a summer in the Irish Midlands. From Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm, kids work through the full range of what theatre actually involves - not just performing, but writing, directing, lighting design, and improvisation. The aim is confidence as much as craft, and the format keeps things moving with plenty of energy and laughter. It is the kind of programme that tends to surprise parents when they see what their child has picked up by Friday afternoon.
Each day runs from 10am to 2pm, giving a solid four-hour block of activity without being too long for younger participants. The camp covers multiple disciplines: children get hands-on time with acting and improvisation, but also with the less visible side of theatre - writing scenes, thinking about how to direct them, and understanding how lighting shapes a performance. The approach is practical and participatory rather than sitting and watching. The professional team at Backstage Theatre leads sessions, and the venue itself - a proper producing theatre with a main stage and full technical facilities - means the children are working in a real theatrical environment, not a school hall. Bring a packed lunch each day and, according to Backstage themselves, “a taste for fun.” Booking is first-come, first-served and demand fills places quickly, so early booking is strongly advisable.
Longford town is roughly midway between Dublin and Galway, sitting just off the N4/M4 motorway. From Dublin it is around 90 minutes by car; from Galway, about the same. Longford railway station is a stop on the Dublin Heuston to Westport/Ballina line, with several services daily. The station is a short walk or a two-minute taxi from Flancare Park. Backstage Theatre is at Flancare Park in Longford town - there is parking available at and around the venue, and the surrounding streets are generally straightforward during the week.
Longford town has a compact centre with the Royal Canal running close by - worth a walk after drop-off or pickup. The wider county has some genuinely underrated spots including Lough Ree, Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre (a 2,000-year-old wooden road raised from the bog), and the village of Granard with its commanding views. There is more to see in Longford and across Co. Longford.
Heading to Backstage Theatre in Longford? Longford has plenty more to see. Read the Longford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.