5Ways Productions — Pitch
Curtain Up!
A mockumentary set backstage at a prestigious London theatre, following an oddball group of ushers turned family as they navigate the bizarre world of showbiz — and their own lives — one shift at a time.
Created by Kitti Wells & Athanasie Munyaneza
In association with Àkàndá Productions & Pit Village Princess
01 Synopsis
The Office, but for theatre geeks.
A documentary film crew follows the day-to-day — and often raucous — escapades of an oddball group of ushers at a prestigious theatre in London. Curtain Up! is a mockumentary / mock-reality TV hybrid set backstage at the iconic Ember Theatre. Frequented by celebs, theatre heavyweights and Hollywood stars making their return to the stage, we follow this oddball group of employees-turned-family as they encounter the bizarre goings-on of showbiz while navigating their own careers.
25 min
Runtime
6 episodes
Series one
Mockumentary
Format
Young Vic
Waterloo, London
02 Format
A British ensemble comedy, built to run.
Six 25-minute episodes, shot mockumentary / mock-reality style, with an ensemble cast drawn from a genuine cross-section of UK society. There's scope for high-profile actors to guest feature as audience members and visiting talent at the Ember Theatre — and shooting is already confirmed on location at the Young Vic, Waterloo.
03 Tone & look
Handheld & unpredictable
Steady and handheld cameras follow the usher team through the moments they're ready for the camera, and the moments they'd rather not televise — creating an unpredictable flow to the series.
The confessional
Characters conceal, divulge and bitch in booth-style confessionals — Big Brother's addictive hook, with the awkward close-up DNA of Abbott Elementary, a reference point both tonally and visually.
A real theatre
The action is set at the fictional Ember Theatre — shot on location at the Young Vic in South Bank, the building and people that inspired the show in the first place.
04 Key comps
The Office
The Office, but for theatre geeks. Bizarre characters and dry humour are a key feature of both shows.
Superstore
The mundane setting of a supermarket paired with a strong ensemble feel makes Superstore a key comparison.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Known for larger-than-life, often absurd drama — and for characters with distinct on- and off-screen personas, a feature borrowed for the Curtain Up! script.
05 Why now
A comfort watch for a divided moment.
Society is currently very divided — Curtain Up! highlights the bonds and "family" that form in unlikely places like the workplace, bringing together people of all different backgrounds and generations. The UK TV landscape is missing a British ensemble comedy comfort-viewing show, and this one is built on unpolished, relatable characters and the everyday struggles audiences can root for.
The live arts sector is under real pressure — National Theatre executive director Kate Varah declared the industry at "breaking point" in April 2025, and we see that pressure affect the lives of the ushers in the series in a very real way. Curtain Up! is also about what the arts give back: the power of live performance to help us endure, on stage and behind the curtain, the way it did through the COVID-19 pandemic.
06 Who it's for
Comfort comedy, for anyone.
Curtain Up! has broad appeal across the UK streaming and terrestrial landscape, and worldwide. It's the kind of show you can watch with your gran, your housemates or your partner — with a distinctive, heterogeneous ensemble cast that gives audiences characters to bond over, and the fun, chaotic, unpredictable life of the Ember Theatre crew to invest in.
07 Team & contact
Curtain Up! is created by Athanasie (Taz Munyaneza) and Kitti Wells, in association with Co-Producers Daniel Oluwasayo Olabode (Àkàndá Productions) and Jessica Tyler (Pit Village Princess).