News

Lucy Benjamin, who is best known for playing Lisa Fowler in EastEnders and Maggie in Mackenzie Crook’s BBC Four series Detectorists, has been cast in the regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon.  This family drama will run at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 14 – 30 March. In Basildon sees the soap star return to her local Theatre after performing in Deadly Murder at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2015. She is currently performing in The Ruffian on the Stair at the Hope Theatre, Islington until 16 February. She will be joined by Peter Bray (Much Ado About Nothing, Rose Theatre Kingston); Patrick Driver (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, West End); Emily Houghton (Olivier nominated production The Lorax, Old Vic Theatre); Beverley Klein (Les Misérables, original cast, Royal Shakespeare Company) Peter Temple (Boy; Almeida Theatre) and Connie Walker (Trestle, Southwark Playhouse). Completing the cast are David Hemsted (White Gold, BBC Two) and Charlotte Law (Beauty and the Beast, Theatre Royal Stratford East) who were cast through the Queen’s Theatre’s open audition process to find local actors. Written by the award-winning Romford playwright David Eldridge (Market Boy, National Theatre; Beginning, West End) this explosively knotty drama is being brought back to its roots after a 2012 premiere at the Royal Court Theatre. The production will be directed by the Theatre’s Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul (Abigail’s Party, Rope, The Crucible), with design by Natasha Jenkins and lighting design by Alexandra Stafford.  In Basildon launches the Queen’s Theatre’s Essex on Stage programme, a new two year programme that champions the positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London. In Basildon runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 14 - 30 March. Tickets are £12.50 – £29 (plus an additional 65p QNew Transformation fee), with £8 tickets available for Under 26s (Tue – Thu & previews).