Grand Final

20th Sep 2026
Usher Hall, Edinburgh

KEY INFORMATION

Welcome to Edinburgh’s iconic Usher Hall for this year’s main event, where we’ll see the best of the best from our qualifiers. We’ll kick off at 09:00 and finish at 21:00. Our judges – Annette Tanner, Matt Cole, and James Pearson – will be making the call on who will be our overall winners for 2026! The final is made even more exciting by the attendance of industry scouts, from educational institutes to casting teams, looking for exceptional talent. Many will be awarding prize scholarships and opportunities to those who stand out.

THE VENUE

Situated on Lothian Road in the West End, the Usher Hall is Edinburgh’s premier concert hall and a Grade A listed landmark. Famous for its stunning Beaux-Arts architecture and incredible five-star acoustics, it has been a cultural icon since opening in 1914. With a capacity of approximately 2,200 seats and a massive concert platform measuring around 19m wide, it provides a truly grand and prestigious setting for our finalists to perform on the very same stage to have hosted some of the world’s biggest stars and the Edinburgh International Festival.

DIRECTIONS

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EA

Walking There

Situated in the heart of the West End, the Usher Hall is extremely central. It’s located on Lothian Road, next to the Lyceum Theatre and the Traverse Theatre. It’s a short walk from Princes Street Gardens and the Castle area.

Public Transport

This is one of the best-connected spots in the city. The West End tram stop is just a few minutes away on foot. If arriving by train, it’s a ten-minute walk from Haymarket Station or about fifteen minutes from Waverley Station. A vast number of Lothian Buses (including the 1, 10, 11, 24, and 34) stop almost directly outside the venue.

Car & Parking

There is no on-site parking at the Usher Hall. The most convenient options for drivers are the multi-storey car parks at Castle Terrace (NCP) or Capital Square, both of which are just a few minutes' walk from the venue entrance.

MEET THE JUDGES

Annette Tanner
Casting Consultant & Founder of Broadway Dreams
Annette Tanner
Casting Consultant & Founder of Broadway Dreams
Annette Tanner founded Broadway Dreams in 2006 and has since built a distinguished international career in arts management.
Originally from New Zealand, she has served independently as a casting director on several major films, television shows, and commercials; as an agent at Richard Kent Management in Sydney, Australia; and as the General Manager for the United Kingdom division of Australia’s largest photography studio.
Beyond her leadership of Broadway Dreams, Annette has maintained her work as a casting director for projects such as the pre-Broadway workshops of The Me Nobody Knows, the revised Zanna, Don’t, and The Preacher's Wife. She also served as an associate for select New York projects including Annie, Mary Poppins, and Altar Boyz, and was the casting director for Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You show at New York’s Beacon Theatre.
Matt Cole
Award-Winning Choreographer & Principal of Laine Theatre Arts
Matt Cole
Award-Winning Choreographer & Principal of Laine Theatre Arts
Matt is the Principal and Artistic Director of Laine Theatre Arts and a highly acclaimed creative in the industry. He is the 2023 winner of the Gillian Lynne Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for his work on Newsies in London, a production for which he also received the WhatsOnStage Award and the BroadwayWorld Award.
He was previously nominated for an Olivier Award for Fiddler on the Roof and won the Off West End Award for Police Cops.
His extensive choreography credits include A Knight’s Tale (Manchester Opera House), Here and Now (Birmingham Alexandra/UK Tour), The Baker’s Wife and Jerry’s Girls (Menier Chocolate Factory), Roman Holiday (Bath Theatre Royal), Identical, Fisherman’s Friends (UK Tour & World Premiere), Berlin Berlin (Germany), Lovesick (Theatre J, Washington DC),Parade and The Beautiful Game (NYMT), Oklahoma!(Chichester Festival Theatre), Amour (Charing Cross Theatre), Flashdance, Footloose,Little Shop of Horrors, The Night Pirates (UK Tours), and The Producers (China & Asian Tour).
His directing credits include serving as Associate Director on Carmen La Cubana (Sadler’s Wells) and Resident Director on The Railway Children (King’s Cross Theatre) and West Side Story (UK Tour).
James Pearson
International Casting Director
James Pearson
International Casting Director
James Pearson is the co-founder of Pearson Casting, a multi-award-winning international casting house based in London and New York which he runs with his wife, Rosie Pearson.
Working across theatre, film, TV, commercials, and live performance, James has been instrumental in casting some of the most exciting productions in recent years.
Notable UK theatre credits include the Olivier Award-winning Operation Mincemeat (Fortune Theatre London/Golden Theatre New York), the Olivier Award-winning Titanique (Criterion Theatre/Lido 2 Paris), the Olivier Award-nominated SIX The Musical (Vaudeville Theatre/UK & International Tours), Bluey's Big Play (UK Tour), Play On! for Talawa Theatre Company, and the Olivier Award-nominated revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express (Troubadour Wembley Park).
His recent North American casting work includes the US National Tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical, the AEA US tour of Clue, and both Beetlejuice: The Musical and SIX for Norwegian Cruise Line.

MEET THE SCOUTS

Institute of the Arts, Barcelona
We are thrilled to welcome the Institute of the Arts, Barcelona to our Grand Final. They will be actively scouting talent for potential audition invites, course offers, and scholarships for suitable candidates. We are also incredibly excited to announce that they will be awarding a scholarship to their Summer School 2027. Additionally, they will be hosting a 45-minute Q&A session for anyone interested in full-time training.
Brighton Academy
We are also delighted to have The Brighton Academy joining us for the Grand Final. Their team will be on the lookout for standout performers, with potential audition invites, course offers, and scholarships available for suitable candidates. They are also offering a fantastic scholarship to their 2027 Summer School. For those thinking about full-time training, they will be running a 45-minute Q&A session to answer all your questions.
Sam Archer
We are incredibly honoured to welcome Sam Archer, the Choreographic Associate for the hit West End production ofOliver!. Sam will be scouting for potential talent throughout the Grand Final, with a particular eye on our younger performers. This is a massive opportunity for our rising stars to be seen by a leading creative from a major current West End show.