1894. Watson is alone. His beloved wife Mary and the great Sherlock Holmes are both gone. But London seethes with false reports and rumour.
So Watson tells his tale… a tale of long buried secrets, betrayal and death. For there is a shadow in the gutters of London. A spider’s web of poisonous intrigue lies across the city. Someone is playing a long game and Holmes and Watson face their greatest ever challenge. But as Watson unravels the story, is the game really over?
‘Watson’ is performed by Tim Marriott (The Brittas Empire; Allo, Allo) and directed by Bert Coules (BBC’s The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; Cadfael; Rebus).
Rifco Theatre Company in association with Watford Palace Theatre
The Johals are celebrating Sunita’s birthday in Mum’s new kitchen, and you’re invited to the surprise party.
It’s not just the dhal that’s bubbling under the surface – with decades of unfinished business, everyone’s true selves start to burst out when they least expect it. And it’s up to the family to pick each other back up and celebrate themselves for who they truly are.
Unexpected guests, butter-free roti and skeletons in the cupboard aren’t enough to stop them busting out some classic Punjabi shapes in the kitchen! Join the Johal family for a wild ride that will leave you laughing, crying, and talking all the way home.
Put on your birthday party finery and get ready for a samosa saga.
Contains some adult language and mention and consumption of alcohol
A choreopoem written and directed by Sonny Nwachukwu
In ‘Eve and Cain’ we follow the journey of a mother and son as they transcend through understanding the intersectionalities of being black, gay and disabled in today’s world society and explore the complexities of trying to understand these aspects of identity.
‘Eve and Cain’ is an honest dialogue about stammering and offers a rare exploration of communication disabilities.
This research and development is supported by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Stamma, Graeae and was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Attendance is free and guests are welcome to book more than one ticket.
To guarantee your ticket(s), please book.
About Gateway Arts
Gateway Arts was founded in 2018 by Sonny Nwachukwu, its mission is to produce, empower and provoke artists from a range of backgrounds and abilities to create new and radical artistic works across text, theatre and live performance. It aims to be a means for accessing and achieving new work and projects created by (but not exclusively) Black, disabled or LGBTQ+ artists. In 2022 Gateway Arts was nominated for a British Black Theatre Award for the best dance production (Saturn Returns at Brixton House).
“Now, I want you all to listen. Most universities today are money making machines. Oxford not excluded from that; I warrant. But most will drop grade boundaries to allow for more uptake of students to allow for more intake of fees.
Their drive is money. They are built as businesses.
Our drive is education. We are built as a school.
And what do we have left if not our discriminations? Not in the modern sense of the word but, our tastes? Our violence of preference? A life without these – is idiocy. And candidates without these – this set – are idiots.”
Colloquium is a hilarious and moving new drama that pulls back the curtain on Britain’s oldest educational institutions. Will the desire for tradition reign, or the inevitability of progress sweep Oxford into becoming a new kind of university?
A Theatre Nation Partnerships production, produced by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
Sucker Punch by Roy Williams
Two best mates, Leon and Troy, have spent their youth growing up in a boxing gym, figuring out a place in the world, vying for the approval of Charlie, their trainer. Soon Leon and Becky, Charlie’s daughter, are trying to keep a big secret. In a ruthless world. But there can only be one winner, and it’s time everyone stepped into the ring to face up to who they really are…
This tender, bruising and funny play by leading British dramatist Roy Williams, brilliantly explores being young and black in the 80s.
Winning the Alfred Fagon Award, The Writers Guild Award for Best Play and nominated for an Olivier for Best New Play, it first opened in a sell-out production at London’s Royal Court.
A regional premiere of thrillingly staged event theatre, from an exciting partnership of theatres, touring nationally.
‘There was before the flood and after the flood…’
January 1953. A party. Swing dancing to the big band. Opening night of the War Memorial Hall, Canvey Island. The storm approaches. A group of friends will need to put aside secrets in order to survive…
January 2013. A ropey-looking buffet. 50s records. A tea and dance to remember. Friends who need each other more than ever. But will they realise before it’s too late…
January 2053. A chance to return to the Hall for one last time, despite danger, to make sense of what happened. Is the truth finally coming out, or is the past best left buried…
Based on real-life events, this world premiere production of an extraordinarily tender and timely play is about calling a place home – and what that really means.
We invite you to an exclusive artist-in-conversation talk with Khadija Raza, the brilliant designer behind the stunning production of The Flood. Joining them will be David Shearing from the Society of British Theatre Designers.
This one-hour conversation will delve into the intricacies of the design process and explore the creative decisions that brought this powerful production to life. It’s a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the inspiration and collaboration that shaped the design of this epic show. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain an exclusive insight into the world of theatre design.
A Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch production in association with Daniel Schumann and Lee Dean
Rebus: A Game Called Malice by By Ian Rankin and Simon Reade
A splendid dinner party concludes with a game created by the hostess. A murder in a stately home needs to be solved. Suspects, clues and red herrings await.
But the dinner-party guests have secrets of their own, threatened by the very game they are playing. And among them is Inspector John Rebus. True crime is his calling – is he playing an alternative game, one to which only he knows the rules?
There is danger with every twist and turn – and a shocking discovery will send this game called Malice hurtling towards a gasp-inducing conclusion.
