Welcome to our free Learning Resources pack for our 2026 touring production of War of the Worlds, a thrilling, audacious and timely retelling of H.G. Wells’ classic novel.

Here you’ll find a collection of resources that aims to shed further light on the show and encourage exploration of the story’s themes, history and our approaches to theatre-making, which for this show includes model worlds, live performance, projections and a mix of live and recorded footage.

These resources are intended for all appropriate ages to use (age guidance 14+), from KS3 and GCSE to higher education and adult learning. We hope you find them intriguing, engaging and a catalyst for further discussion and discovery.

If you have any questions about any of the resources, or would like to enquire about booking an education workshop with imitating the dog, please email ben@imitatingthedog.co.uk

For information on chargeable workshops, please see our Creative Engagement homepage

We will keep adding to this page and pack throughout the rehearsal process and production tour, so keep checking back to see what new items we produce. See below for what’s currently available and what’s to come!

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Bitesize Intro to imitating the dog

A brief background of imitating the dog (ITD for short), introducing learners to who we are as a company, what we do, and a little bit of our recent history.

Find out more here and check out our showreel below.

imitating the dog: Theatre Showreel

A snapshot, visual introduction to imitating the dog and who we are.

Curriculum Connections

War of the Worlds provides multiple opportunities for creative learning, deeper analysis, and enriched understanding at GCSE, AS/A-Level and undergraduate level across several subjects, including Drama/Theatre Studies, Film Studies, Media Studies, Art, Design, Technology, Sociology and more.

Here’s a guide sheet on how this production can be a vital learning tool, available at this page.

Wider reading/listening/watching list

Collated by our Artistic Directors and other members of the War of the Worlds team in the different stages of development of the production, this is a list of suggested materials that have influenced the making of our show.

What to look out for

Here are some suggestions for things to pay keen attention to to get the most of our watching our production, including prompts for before, during and after your trip.

Classroom Prompts

Co-Artistic Director and co-writer and director of War of the Worlds, Andrew Quick outlines some of the creative choices behind the production – with accompanying suggested questions for classroom discussion.

Setting the Scene: Designing War of the Worlds

An in-depth Q&A with War of the Worlds’ Set & Costume Designer Abby Clarke about her inspirations and process for designing the show, from accommodating the unique technical requirements of an imitating the dog show to reflecting the themes of the story. Find out more here.

Through Time and Space: The War of the Worlds’s Legacy

This short essay, which reflects on the impact and influence of H.G. Wells’s iconic novel, was written for the War of the Worlds digital programme. Read it in full here.

Directors’ Note

Featured in our digital show programme, the Directors’ Note – which was written during rehearsals – is a short reflective piece on the inspirations behind our retelling of War of the Worlds and how the process of bringing the show to life was playing out at that point. Find it here.