News

£1 tickets are up for grabs to watch Made in Dagenham: The Musical  – for Havering residents who have never been to the Queen’s.   As part of the Queen’s Theatre’s Good Neighbour Scheme, an inventive new drive to make the performing arts as accessible as possible for everyone, £1 tickets are on offer to residents of the Borough who are new to the Queen’s Theatre for the 4pm matinee this coming Bank Holiday Monday 29 August.   “We believe that everyone living in Havering should visit the Queen’s Theatre at least once in their lifetime,” says Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul, who launches his debut season with the smash hit musical Made in Dagenham, which he directs.   Especially keen that the Queen’s reaches out to more people in the community than ever before, Douglas adds: “This is a truly unbeatable bargain! We very much hope many people who have never been to the theatre in Hornchurch before will take it up, have a wonderful afternoon and be infected by the magic of live performance. It’s all about making the arts as accessible as possible and to involve as many residents as possible in the vibrant, busy life of their local theatre.”   Anyone interested should call the Box Office on 01708 443333 and quote ‘Good Neighbour Scheme’. This is a limited offer so customers are urged to book very soon.   The Queen’s Theatre is excited to present the regional premiere of Made in Dagenham: The Musical, running from 26 August – 17 September – bringing this wonderful musical home to its East London roots after its West End triumph. This fantastic actor-musician show, a co-production with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, features the largest Queen’s Theatre cast – a company of 27 super-talented performers. It is inspired by the true story of the sewing machinists’ strike at the Ford Dagenham factory, which eventually led to the Equal Pay Act.   About the show: Dagenham, 1968. Rita’s a busy mum, loving wife and hard-working Ford factory employee. But something’s very wrong. Rita and her female colleagues find themselves working long hours sewing car seats for far less money than the men. And they’ve had enough. Finding a voice she never knew she had, Rita leads the women on a trailblazing battle for equal pay, taking on the unions, Ford’s top brass and the Government. As the pressure mounts, Rita struggles to keep up the fight and the happy home she’s worked so hard for.   Made in Dagenham – The Musical has a book by Richard Bean, music is by David Arnold and lyrics by Richard Thomas. Based on the Woolley/Karlsen/Number 9 Motion Picture. This production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited. For more details about the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, visit queens-theatre.co.uk.