The Director’s Talk is ticketed but free to attend.
Book your seats for the show here.
Genre: QTH Production
Jack’s Bean Planting Party
Looking for something fun, free and creative to do this half term? Come along to Jack’s Bean Planting Party – a relaxed, drop-in afternoon of planting, crafting and panto-inspired fun for children and families, all themed around this year’s giant festive production of Jack and the Beanstalk! You can drop in any time between 2-4pm.
Join us in the QTH foyer, where tables will be set up for your little ones to explore their creativity and take home a little piece of the panto magic.
What to Expect
Bean Planting Table
Plant your very own magic bean in a pot to take home and grow – will yours reach the clouds like Jack’s?
Design a Dame Station
Create a dazzling costume for our fabulous Dame. Your artwork can be submitted as part of our Design a Dame competition, with some brilliant panto prizes to be won.
Colouring Corner
Choose from a selection of fun, fairy tale-themed colouring sheets – perfect for children who love to get arty.
Whether you drop in for ten minutes or stay for the full session, it’s a lovely, low-pressure way to enjoy a little theatre magic this school holiday.
Age guidance: Recommended for children aged 2–10, but all ages are welcome
Tickets are free, but booking is encouraged. Drop-ins are also welcome on the day (subject to space and materials).
Step 3 & QYC Showcase
You’re invited to Step 3 and QYC’s end-of-year show on the main stage at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, 9 Jul at 7.30pm.
The evening promises to be a wonderful celebration of our Young Company’s creativity and talent.
Step 3 Present: Midsummer Mechanistics!
Created by the students themselves, this laugh-out-loud comedy play follows a group of senior school pupils as they attempt to stage the Rude Mechanicals’ scenes from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Life imitates art, as behind-the-scenes mayhem ensues. Everyone wants to play Titania, nobody wants to play Wall and one actor wants to play just about every part there is going! Will their characters manage to pull the production together? One thing’s for certain, the performers of Step 3 will! With specially composed music by Andrew Linham, this is a brilliantly creative piece that’s not to be missed.
QYC Present Scenes from David Eldridge’s Market Boy
There’s an art to selling stilettos and you’d better grasp it. Learn a good wind-up, learn the pull of cash, and run wild with the market monkeys. Stay sharp in the ruthless world of Essex traders. Romford Market, 1985. This boy has everything to learn. A spectacular, savage, gorgeous yarn which brings a market jungle to the stage.
We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be an exciting and entertaining evening.
Step 1 & Step 2 Showcase
Queen’s Theatre Winter Fundraising Quiz Night
Filled with music, tricky questions and laughs you’ll be entertained throughout.
There will also be a raffle on the night with some great prizes donated by local businesses.
We have a selection of festive nibbles available, essential for any great quiz night! You’ll arrive to the delicious festive smell of hot pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and warm mince pies! Yum! These are available for pre order only, so get your order in when booking!
You can also save up to 10% on our pre bookable drink options!
Please note, only food & drink purchased at Queen’s Theatre may be consumed on the premises.
Tables are for 6-8 people (please note, if you are booked as a table of 5 persons or under you may be seated with other quizzers). There are beer and wine packages available, as well as winter nibbles, to purchase in addition to your tickets.
As a charity we rely on fundraising activities to enable the Theatre’s wide-ranging programme, particularly working with young people and the community, investing in and nurturing artistic talent, making theatre accessible and developing new audiences.
Noises Off
A Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, New Wolsey Theatre and Theatre by the Lake Production.
Follow a doomed theatre company as they desperately struggle to keep their show together as everything around them falls apart. The set won’t work, the cast can’t remember their lines, and company rifts are growing. Oh – and sardines… so many sardines.
From a frantic last-minute rehearsal, to a disastrously silent performance, all culminating in a spectacularly calamitous final show, it’s all just going wrong – but the show must go on!
Written by the multi-award-winning British novelist and playwright Michael Frayn, this is a new production of one of the greatest comedies ever written.
Age guidance: 12+
★★★★ “A jaw-dropping sensation” Broadway Baby
★★★★ “Audiences will laugh until they cry” Broadway World
★★★★ “A comic masterpiece” Theatre Cat
Handbagged – Directors Talk
Creative Directors will interview the production’s director and creative team. The Director’s Talk are ticketed but free to attend.
Whether you’ve already seen the show and are eager for more, or you’re yet to experience this razor-sharp political comedy, this is the perfect opportunity to gain behind-the-scenes insight. Hear directly from the creative minds behind the production and discover how history and humour come together on stage.
Book your seats for the show here.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ LondonTheatre1
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Southend Theatre Scene
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ArtsHub
Find out more about Handbagged here.
Keen to have even more of a theatre fix? Be a part of the magic with our Theatre Lab day on 19 Feb. Find out more here.
Outer Limits February 2025
Do you want to connect with fellow local artists? Whether you’re looking to network, co-work, or both, this is the perfect opportunity for you.
You might be an actor looking for a Director… You might be a composer looking for their next project… Anything is possible!
Join us for an afternoon in a dedicated space in our foyer.
We have free public Wi-Fi, so bring along your laptop or notebook and pen. Don’t forget your reusable cup to enjoy a discount at our café!
Jack and the Beanstalk
Join Jack and his mum in their family-run farm-shop, where business is down, the rent’s overdue, and there’s nothing left to do but sell Pat the Cow at Romford Market. Oh, and to top it off, there’s a giant in the sky above Hornchurch, terrorising the town!
But when some magic beans take root, an adventure starts to grow…
Will Jack find the courage to climb to Cloudland, outwit the ferocious Giant Blunderbore and save the town before it’s too late?
Expect laughter, toe-tapping tunes and a happy-ever-after in this GIGANTIC festive family pantomime. It’s the unmissable magical adventure you’ve all BEAN waiting for.
Oh yes it is!
We’re proud to offer a range of accessible performances, welcoming everyone to come and enjoy the magic of panto.
What to expect from our Panto
Panto is a fun, family-friendly theatre tradition in the UK, usually performed at Christmas. Based on fairy tales, it’s packed with comedy, music, and audience participation.
Key Features:
- The Dame – A comedic, larger-than-life character played by a man in exaggerated female costume and makeup, bringing slapstick and cheeky humour.
- Audience participation – Classic shout-outs like “It’s behind you!” and “Oh no it isn’t!” keep the crowd involved.
- Slapstick & Wordplay – Silly physical comedy, messy scenes, and jokes for both kids and innuendo for adults.
- Modern References – Pop culture jokes and improvisation make each show unique.
- Larger-Than-Life Characters – Expect a hero, a villain to boo, and a comedy sidekick.
- Live on stage music – We pride ourselves on our highly professional actor-musician casting for all roles, meaning all cast members play an instrument on stage (as well as act, sing, and dance)
- New writing – Each panto is brand new for us, it’s the classic fairy tale with a local spin.
Theatre Lab
An inspiring and exciting afternoon designed for those looking to network, develop their craft, and gain insight into the theatre industry. This free event offers exclusive access to a Page to Stage workshop, alongside Mini Matinees showcasing new writing by emerging creatives, and a special Creative Talk.
All three events will be BSL interpreted, as will the evening performance of Handbagged later that day.
2:00pm – 3:45pm:
Mini Matinees
New writing by emerging creatives, performed on our foyer stage.
Moira Buffini Writer’s Talk
Be the first to watch this exclusive screening of an interview with acclaimed playwright Moira Buffini, hosted by Alex Thorpe. They’ll explore what it takes to craft a fiercely comic play, dive into Moira’s journey as a playwright, and discuss everything Handbagged.
4:00pm – 5:30pm: Page to Stage Workshop
Removing the mystery of taking Handbagged from the Page to the Stage. This practical workshop provides insight into the director’s vision in creating some of the production’s most exciting moments. It is facilitated by Chani Merrell, who will be joined by members of the acting company and technical staff.
From rehearsal techniques and investigation with the actors and stage management, weaving in lighting, sound and music, this session unpacks the immense amount of talented people it takes to bring this epic and satirical production to life.
There will also be a chance for you to put your questions to the company.
Under 26? Why not book an £8 ticket for the evening production of Handbagged? Moira Buffini’s clever, funny, and charming comedy takes a fly-on-the-wall look at what might have happened when Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher came face-to-face in the privacy of the palace.
Over the course of a decade, did the Monarch and the Iron Lady ever find common ground, or did their stiff upper lips reign supreme?
This highly entertaining production is presented by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre Nation Partnerships.
