- Macbeth, co-production of a Shakespeare classic with Derby Theatre, followed by a national tour
- World premiere of Maggie May by award winning theatre, TV and radio writer Frances Poet, co-produced with Leeds Playhouse
- World premiere of a brand new musical by Douglas Rintoul, Love Letters, celebrating the very best of Essex, followed by a national tour
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has today announced its
Spring 2020 season, which will include a revival of Shakespeare’s bloodiest thriller,
Macbeth. The revival continues the Theatre’s tradition of quality, classic drama and will be directed by
Douglas Rintoul, following his acclaimed productions of
Much Ado About Nothing and UK tour of
The Crucible. Most recently, Douglas has directed this Summer’s highlight musical adaptation of
As You Like It; a European premiere in partnership with the
National Theatre. This co-production with
Derby Theatre follows successful collaborations on
Abigail’s Party,
Abi and
One Man, Two Guvnors. The show will then go on a national tour, with the Theatre making its first visit to
Perth Theatre, and returning to long-term partner
New Wolsey Theatre. The production is in response to the feedback from a ‘Learning Lounge’, where local teachers made suggestions about which plays on the secondary school curriculum they would like to see performed. After the huge success of Spring 2019’s production of
DNA by Dennis Kelly, which was attended by 39 schools coming from as far as Leeds,
Macbeth has already secured thousands of bookings from 23 schools.
The Theatre teams up with
Leeds Playhouse for the very first time to produce the world premiere of
Maggie May. This heart-warming drama by award-winning theatre, TV and radio writer Frances Poet is a warm, humorous and uplifting story, infused with familiar music, all about enduring love.
Finally, a brand new musical written and directed by
Douglas Rintoul, Love Letters, tells the story of an unposted love letter meant to be sent between a passionate young couple dating, only to be delivered many years later. With a raft of brilliant songs from Essex's very best, with hits ranging from the 60s to today, this funny and popular working class love story promises to be an uplifting night out for everyone proudly calling Essex their home. The production marks the next step in the Theatre’s
Essex On Stage programme, going on to tour to
Towngate Theatre in Basildon and
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.
The season launch was delivered from the Theatre’s brand new
QLearning Space, opening today, 24 October. This new space was created as part of the
QNew project; a renovation of the Theatre’s iconic building for artists, participants and audiences alike. The
QLearning Space is a new and energising dedicated space for the Theatre’s expanding range of learning and participatory work with young people and the local community, situated in the heart of the theatre and easily accessible to everyone. Further
QNew developments include a new LED lighting system in the auditorium and foyer, which will help towards a 70% reduction in energy, and renovation of the old education room into the
QArtist Space. This space will be dedicated to developing new theatre, and will be available to artists throughout the year for research and development, readings and sharings. This is an important step in increasing the support the Theatre can offer to emerging theatre companies and local talent and the ambitions recognised in the
Outer Limits programme.
The
QNew project has been made possible by contributions from
Arts Council England,
London Borough of Havering,
Veolia Maintenance Trust,
Ian McKellen On Stage,
The Theatre Trust, Equity Charitable Trust, Tesco Bags of Help, McDonalds Romford, Fowler, Smith & Jones, Rotary Club of Brentwood á Becket and money raised from the
QNew Transformation Fee.
