Our Associates include some of the UK’s leading companies. We work closely with them to give local people the best opportunities to connect and offer exciting and innovative programmes.
ASSOCIATE COMPANIES
With ambition burning in abundance, Burnt Lemon Theatre are a multi-award winning, female-led company who give rise to innovative new musical theatre forms. From riotous gig-theatre to electrifying musicals, they tackle sensitive stories with tenderness, punch and precision.
Fat Rascal Theatre have quickly established themselves as a home for new musical theatre, having produced 7 brand-new musicals and counting. They are a company run by women whose origins go back to youth theatre in Southampton; and they challenge the constraints of being a female within the industry, and discuss social and political issues through an accessible and appealing format to engage a wider audience.
Frantic Assembly is one of the UK’s most influential and best-loved theatre companies. They are committed to making brave and bold theatre, telling stories in voices we don’t always hear and finding talent in places we don’t always look. Their ethos is one of collaboration, of empowerment and of the constant desire to improve.

Opera UpClose is an ambitious, Olivier Award-winning opera company, producing innovatively staged, unintimidating, affordable and - crucially - high quality chamber re-imaginings of well-known works and premieres of new operas. They are an associate company of Soho Theatre and co-produce with the Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Tricycle Theatre, Kings Place and Malmö Opera (Sweden).

Tangle is an award winning touring theatre company championing African and Caribbean artistic excellence. Since founding in 2009 their work has changed the landscape for African Caribbean people. They have enabled over 100 isolated and disenfranchised communities and more than 2,000 professionals access to top quality arts and training, promoting cultural cohesion and tolerance.
ZooNation was founded by Southampton born Kate Prince in 2002 and is best known for its work in theatre, creating full-length narrative dance productions strongly influenced by hip hop culture and music. ZooNation delivers an extensive programme of engagement and talent development, working with different communities and young artists to increase their skills, knowledge and confidence.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Having adapted and directed the highly successful Peter Pan; An Awfully Big Musical Adventure at MAST last Christmas Jacquelyn Ockwell will be developing the MAST 2022 Christmas production. With a wealth of experience creating work with and for young people Jacquelyn’s empowering style celebrates her casts’ energy and outlook while enhancing their skills as performers. Jacquelyn has delivered an impressive programme of large and small cast productions for Mayflower Theatre for many years and will continue to develop ideas at Mayflower Studios as we move through 2022.