Forum Theatre Workshops
Interactive workplace drama where delegates direct the action without ever being put on the spot.
Most workplace training is forgettable. Forum theatre is not.
Our professional actors play out the realistic, high-stakes scenarios your managers face every day—from workplace banter that crosses the line to underperformance that nobody wants to address.
Instead of passively watching PowerPoint slides or enduring awkward delegate role-plays, your team gets to pause the action, interview the characters, and test alternative communication strategies in real time.
Over the past two decades, Resound has delivered forum theatre programmes for corporate organisations, NHS trusts, universities, and public bodies across the UK.
High psychological safety. Zero delegate anxiety.
In conventional training, asking managers to role-play with colleagues triggers immediate social anxiety and defensive reactions. People worry about looking foolish, so they either treat the exercise as a joke or freeze up completely.
Forum theatre completely removes this friction. Because our professional actors absorb all the social vulnerability, participants remain comfortably in their seats.
From the audience, delegates analyse the interpersonal dynamics objectively, debate the nuances with their colleagues, and instruct the actors on what to try next. They see the immediate behavioural ripple effects without any personal exposure.
"It brought the theory of the module to life in a way that was memorable, meaningful and incredibly practical. Delegates were able to interact directly with the characters and turn a non-productive conversation into a constructive one."Freya Wilcox, CNA Hardy Insurance
The Five Stages of a Forum Theatre Workshop
For teams that have never experienced forum theatre, this visual sequence shows how a session flows—from identifying your workplace challenge through to applying the learning back in your organisation.
Identify the Challenge
Understand the real workplace dilemma
We collaborate with your HR and leadership teams to identify the exact conversational friction points, unhelpful habits, or cultural tensions your people encounter every day.
Watch the Unfiltered Scenario
Actors bring the situation to life
Professional actors perform a realistic scene showing a difficult interaction going wrong—such as defensive pushback, subtle exclusion, or an avoided performance conversation.
Freeze & Question Characters
Unpack hidden motives & thoughts
The audience pauses the action. Working with our facilitator, delegates question the characters in-depth to discover what they are feeling, fearing, or withholding behind corporate politeness.
Direct the Action & Test Solutions
Replay the scene with new tactics
Delegates coach the actors, suggesting alternative phrasing, body language, and intervention strategies. The actors immediately replay the scene, revealing the ripple effects of different choices.
Apply the Learning at Work
Cements lasting behavioural change
Facilitators connect the dramatic breakthroughs to practical frameworks delegates take back to their desks—building lasting interpersonal confidence without anyone having had to role-play.
Key takeaway for participants: At no point in these five stages are delegates asked to stand up and act. The professional actors absorb all the vulnerability, enabling delegates to direct, experiment, and reflect in complete psychological safety.
Five Workshop Examples Built Around Real Dilemmas
Rather than generic course names, our forum theatre workshops use distinctive titles reflecting the actual phrases managers and employees hear every day.
“Oh! It was just banter...!”
Sexual Harassment Prevention & Bystander Intervention
When does workplace humour cross the line? Explore inappropriate behaviour, bystander responses, and manager responsibilities under the UK Worker Protection Act.
“Can we have a word...?”
Performance Management & Difficult Conversations
Why do managers delay tough conversations? Help leaders address dips in performance early, manage defensive pushback, and balance empathy with accountability using Resound's ECA framework.
“I didn't mean it like that...”
Everyday Inclusion, Microaggressions & Psychological Safety
Unpack how everyday conversational habits, subtle exclusion, and conversational blind spots undermine team trust—without defensiveness, finger-pointing, or guilt.
“It's not my job...”
Workplace Conflict, Defensiveness & Peer Collaboration
Bring competing priorities and unspoken frustration into the room, helping cross-functional colleagues navigate tension and rebuild collaborative working relationships.
“Everything is changing...”
Leading Teams Through Uncertainty & Restructuring
Equip leaders to communicate difficult organisational decisions with empathy and clarity, address employee anxiety, and navigate restructuring consultation with composure.
Need a specific scenario?
Bespoke Scenario Design
Have a unique operational challenge, disciplinary hearing process, or reorganization dilemma? We regularly write bespoke scenarios from scratch around your exact challenges.
“A week later and I'm still running things through my head. The actors were just amazing. I'm still kind of irritated at 'Bob'. Yesterday I was wondering how 'Sam' was getting on at work. The experience truly changes how you think.”
Red remembers the characters as real people, not simply actors in a training session. That is why forum theatre creates habits that stick.
Bespoke Forum Theatre: Built Around Your Operating Reality
Generic training solves generic problems. Bespoke forum theatre solves yours.
While our ready-to-run workshops address universal challenges like harassment, underperformance, and conflict, many organisations require scenarios that reflect their specific organisational structure, terminology, clinical protocols, or regulatory environments.
Our bespoke design process is rigorous and collaborative:
Discovery & Stakeholder Briefing
We interview your HR leads, operational managers, and senior sponsors to understand the real conversations taking place and what behaviours need to shift.
Script & Scenario Crafting
We write authentic, nuanced scenarios featuring multidimensional characters. The dialogue avoids caricatures and reflects genuine workplace dilemmas where there isn't a single easy answer.
Rehearsal & Facilitated Delivery
Our professional actors rehearse the scenario thoroughly, learning the character backstories and nuances so they can respond dynamically to whatever directions your delegates give.
Free 45-Minute Taster Session
The best way to evaluate forum theatre is to experience it. We offer complimentary 45-minute live taster sessions designed specifically for HR, L&D directors, and senior decision-makers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about forum theatre workshops and delivery options.
Related Learning Solutions
Actor-Led Corporate Training
Overview of how drama-based learning drives lasting organisational culture and leadership growth.
Sexual Harassment Prevention
Active bystander intervention and cultural compliance with the UK Worker Protection Act.
Performance Management
Empower managers to tackle underperformance early with Resound's ECA framework (Empathy, Care, Action).
Get in Touch with Resound
Book a Forum Theatre workshop or taster
Let us know what conversational challenges you would like your team to tackle.