Cracking the 7+ Puzzle: Why Are Older Children the Hardest Theatre Audience to Reach?

At Little Angel Theatre, we’ve been working in the 7+ age range for a long time, yet the challenge of drawing audiences remains as persistent as ever. Despite all of our creativity, energy, and experimentation, this audience segment continues to be one of the trickiest to reliably fill.

We keep testing different models. Right now, for example, we’re nearing the end of a 10-week run of Overheard in a Tower Block, a new show by Joseph Coelho, a poet whose work is widely studied on the curriculum, making this show particularly attractive to schools. We’ve deliberately programmed it in rep with one of our early years shows, reducing the number of shows per week and therefore making it more financially sustainable, with the early years programme (in theory) underpinning the older show.

It’s a smart model which is working for schools: indeed, all of our schools performances are sold out. That’s a rarity, because usually school shows are the harder sell (but that’s a whole different blog!) Where we’re struggling is in attracting weekend family audiences.

So why is this 7+ family space so challenging?

I have a few thoughts…

Firstly, the 7+ age range is a transitional zone. Many families with younger children are accustomed to attending theatre together as a family unit, but as children get older, they develop more independent tastes, and families may assume that children’s theatre is “for little kids.” I know this firsthand: when I ask my own kids (now 13 and 16) if they want to come to the theatre with me, they usually only agree if they’ve got nothing better to do. It’s not that they don’t enjoy it when they come (they do!), but they’re competing with other offers – from friends, sports, social media, and other weekend activities.

I’ve also noticed that older children are attuned to age cues. My own kids will look at a show and say, ‘If that’s for seven-year-olds, it’s too young for me,’ instantly disregarding the age recommendation being for everyone over the age of seven. There’s a real sensitivity around what feels ‘cool’ or age-appropriate, and once a child decides something isn’t for them, no amount of quality or artistic merit can win them back.

Secondly, the programming and marketing for this age group can be especially delicate to get right. Parents want assurance that the show will engage their older child without feeling babyish, but they also want something they can enjoy together as a family. Striking that balance in the marketing, communicating sophistication and appeal without alienating either children or adults, is tricky. Even excellent shows can get lost if parents aren’t convinced the experience is worth the family outing.

Finally, there’s a perception problem. Children’s theatre is still too often seen as a “starter” artform: something for the under-5s and/or something you “graduate out of.” But this overlooks the richness, complexity, and artistic innovation present in the best theatre for young audiences. Shows like Overheard in a Tower Block tackle complex themes, use inventive theatrical forms, and offer real emotional and intellectual engagement, but if families don’t know that, or assume it’s just another “children’s show,” they may stay away.

At Little Angel Theatre, we are committed to this age range. We know how vital it is to offer meaningful, high-quality work for older children, and we will keep adapting, experimenting, and refining how we deliver it. But one thing is clear: while great programming and smart financial models (like our rep approach) help sustain the work, they don’t guarantee audiences.

To do that, we need to keep pushing the conversation forward; challenging perceptions, making the case for why older children’s theatre matters, and ensuring families know that this isn’t just theatre they can attend but that it’s theatre they won’t want to miss. As Oliver Jones summed up his review of Overheard in a Tower Block for The Stage, “This is a rich, sophisticated exploration of the emotional turmoil of youth, featuring spoken and visual language that deserves to be enjoyed by as many people as possible.”  We couldn’t agree more because this is exactly the kind of work that proves just how powerful, necessary, and resonant theatre for older children can be!