Author: andy

The Queen’s Theatre is over the moon with two five-star reviews and the wide critical acclaim for the musical Made in Dagenham.

 

London Theatre 1‘s glowing write-up pronounces the production “A stunning and sensational show manufactured to a superb standard.”

 

The Musical Theatre Review is bursting with praise for the show’s skilful portrayal of an inspirational piece of local history and how wonderfully it weaves together comedy and emotion.

 

And The Guardian has selected the production to sit amongst its exclusive list of top tickets to get this week!

 

The 27-strong actor-musician production is also gathering enormous acclaim from critics across the board. Here’s what they’re saying:

 

“It wins us over — in its rousing calls to arms, its salute to solidarity and sheer gutsiness.”

The Times

 

FOUR STARS “This musical…has made a triumphant homecoming with a feisty new production…Essex audiences are loving it”

Daily Mail

 

FOUR STARS “Douglas Rintoul’s lovely, lively production bubbles with ebullient good humour, but isn’t afraid to let the bad times have their moments too”

Evening Standard

 

FOUR STARS “So heartfelt and sincere… Terrific cast”

The Stage

 

FOUR STARS “An entertaining, heart-warming reminder of an important battle in the struggle for women’s rights”

Reviews Hub

 

“Go for the songs, the jokes and a thoroughly brilliant night of entertainment”

Romford Recorder

 

“Incredibly funny… fabulous songs, witty and heart-wrenching…An empowering play for everyone”

East London Enquirer

 

“Hilarious, heartfelt, passionate and uplifting…simply outstanding…buying tickets to see it again”

Phoenix FM

 

“Dazzlingly good”

Reviews Gate

 

“Perfect balance of humour, emotion and the serious message of equality and a fight for justice that remains significant today.”

Yellow Advertiser

 

“The best show I’ve seen at the Queen’s Theatre”

Hornchurch Life

 

“Full of fantastic voices and phenomenal performances”

West End Wilma

 

Read reviews in full here. 

 

Made in Dagenham – The Musical runs until 17 September. Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online.

£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.

Strum your stuff and join the fun at D’Ukes Fest 2016, an all-day ukulele extravaganza in the Queen’s Theatre Foyer this Sunday.

 

Led by D’Ukes – fast becoming one of the country’s top ukulele bands – the mammoth fesivities start at 12 noon, with FREE daytime events and entertainment continuing long into the night!

Once considered a novelty, the modest ukulele is enjoying a surge in popularity and D’Ukes invite everyone to celebrate this small but perfectly-formed, four-stringed, 200-year-old instrument!

 

Starting from midday, the Foyer will buzz with musical fun. Highlights include brilliant performances by various ukulele acts from all over the region and stalls selling musical items and crafts. D’Ukes teach basic chords and strumming in Ukulele Workshops for all abilities ending in a Massive Ukulele Jam at 5pm. So, if you play the uke, want to play, or want to see what all the fuss is about, just turn up and join in!

 

The good times don’t end there… Come sunset, D’Ukes take over and show everyone how it’s done with a fun-filled Evening Concert at 8pm. This six-strong band take the ukulele to new levels of performance – playing popular hits as you’ve never heard them before! Expect anything from ‘60s pop to current favourites, from Amy Winehouse to the Zutons, Cash to Coldplay, Disney to Deep Purple. If it’s a good song, D’Ukes will take it apart, rebuild it and uke it up!

 

Formed in 2009, D’Ukes are a mad mix of singers, ukulele maestros and percussionists and hail from around the east London and Essex areas. They’ve played in venues and festivals all over the south east and London, recently even touring the Czech Republic and appearing on TV and radio.

 

With great vocals, slick solos, tight harmonies, excellent song arrangements and a repertoire that keeps the audience guessing what’s coming next – D’Ukes Fest is not to be missed! Bursting with fun and surprises, this fantastic all-dayer will appeal to all musical tastes and is guaranteed to get everyone singing, dancing and smiling!

 

Entry to the afternoon events from 12 – 5pm is FREE. Tickets for the D’Ukes Evening Concert at 8pm are £10.50. Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online.

Voting has begun to find the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre 2016 in Association with Smooth Radio and the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is in the running.

The winners of this year’s award will be decided by a public vote between 12:00 on Tuesday 9 August and 12:00 on Monday 19 September 2016.  Votes can be cast at uktheatre.org/vote.

This year there are 241 venues across the country competing to take home the coveted title. The 12 Regional and National winners of the vote will be announced on 29 September 2016. The overall winner of the award will be announced at the UK Theatre Awards on Sunday 9 October.

In 2015 the winner was the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, and in 2014 the winner was the Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter.

This is an opportunity for audiences to celebrate their local theatre and all they do for their local communities.

The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide Awards to honour outstanding achievement in theatre throughout the United Kingdom. This year’s ceremony will again take place at London’s historic Guildhall.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive, UK Theatre, said:

“Theatres throughout the UK play a crucial role in the heart of our communities and continue to thrive despite a challenging financial climate. This award gives audiences the chance to show how much their venue means to them.”

For more information on the UK Theatre Awards and to book tickets visit www.uktheatre.org/awards

The UK Theatre Awards are supported by Smooth Radio, UK Theatre Insurance, White Light, Theatre Tokens, John Good and Harbottle & Lewis.

The cast of the Queen’s Theatre’s major upcoming production Made in Dagenham were thrilled to meet the original Ford Dagenham strikers – on whom the musical is based.

 

The 21 actor-musicians – the largest ever Queen’s Theatre cast – were thoroughly honoured to be given the golden opportunity on Tuesday to be introduced to Eileen Pullen and Gwen Davis, two of the pioneering women who helped lead the historical sewing machinists’ pay strike in 1968.

 

Based on the hit film, Made in Dagenham – The Musical is inspired by the story of this famous walk-out, which eventually led to the establishment of the Equal Pay Act in 1970. This Queen’s Theatre production will be the first ever revival of the musical since its West End triumph.

 

Earlier that morning, the Queen’s Theatre held the production’s official photo shoot featuring female cast members costumed in blue factory overalls. Eileen, 87, and Gwen, 84, joined the company, meeting for tea in the Theatre café before posing for photos and chatting with the ladies over lunch.

 

Eileen and Gwen joined director Douglas Rintoul and the full company for rehearsals in the afternoon, and were delighted to talk and answer questions about their time at Ford and their fight against discrimination. They also enjoyed watching a selection of short routines from the show.

 

Eileen says: “Back in 1968, we had no idea we were starting something that would become so important. It was lovely meeting everyone at the Queen’s Theatre. We never get tired of speaking about this special time in our lives.”

 
“It was amazing for us to meet the ladies,” beams lead actress Daniella Bowen. “They were very generous with their time. They gave us so many valuable stories and it was lovely to hear them talk so fondly of their time at Ford.”

 

Made in Dagenham – The Musical is a co-production with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich and launches Douglas Rintoul’s debut season in Hornchurch.

 

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.

The cast includes: Angela Bain, Daniella Bowen, Daniel Carter-Hope, Dan de Cruz, Sophie-May Feek, Jeffrey Harmer, Callum Harrower, Joey Hickman, Anthony Hunt, Martina Isibor, Graham Kent, Claire Machin, Wendy Morgan, Jamie Noar, Loren O’Dair, Elizabeth Rowe, Sioned Saunders, Sarah Scowen, Steve Simmonds, Thomas Sutcliffe and Alex Tomkins. Musical Direction is by Ben Goddard, Choreography by Tim Jackson, Design by Hayley Grindle, Lighting Design by Paul Anderson, Sound Design by Emma Laxton, Voice Coaching by Charmian Hoare and Matthew Dewsbury is Casting Director.

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. The show runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 26 August – 17 September. Tickets are from £12.50 – £30. Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online.

The Queen’s Theatre’s Community Musical Our House opened to thunderous applause and great reviews yesterday evening.

Audiences sang out loud and tapped their feet along to the many iconic pop and ska melodies in this wonderful musical celebrating the hits of the band Madness.

The cast of nearly 50 – all from the local community – danced and acted their hearts out whilst belting out nearly 30 fantastic musical numbers.

The media were also full of praise for the show. Here’s what they’re saying:

Popular theatre website Reviews Hub is full of praise for the show: “Plenty of energy, excellent staging, rapturous applause… every member of the company makes a unique contribution to the success of Our House.”

Hornchurch Life adds: “The cast and band were exceptional… a fantastic night.”

“The buzz was amazing!” smiled cast member Lesley Dunn, who plays a nun in the production. “We gave it our all and the audience were joining in too, what a feeling!”

Our House is a raucous London love story filled with heartbreak, hope and hilarity set in Camden Town.

It’s Joe Casey’s sixteenth birthday and he’s treating his girlfriend Sarah to an evening in a brand new luxury apartment – the only problem is they have to break in. When the police turn up, Joe has to decide – run away, or face the music – a choice that will set the course of his life, and his love, forever.

The Queen’s Community Musical, held every two years, aims to get residents involved in the life of their local theatre. Our House’s enormous cast includes residents from all over Havering as well as across East London and Essex. After a day of open auditions during the spring, rehearsals are now in full swing for this wonderful musical directed by Ros Philips and written by Tim Firth, writer of several smash hits including Kinky Boots and Calendar Girls.

Audiences can sing and dance along to some of the best-loved hits of all time, all performed live by the Queen’s Community Company in this wonderfully uplifting show – It Must Be Love, Baggy Trousers, My Girl, Embarrassment, Driving in My Car, The Wings of a Dove, Night Boat to Cairo and of course the all-time foot-stomping dance-floor anthem Our House!

Our House will run at the Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch until Sunday 31 July. Performances are at 7.30pm each night until Saturday, with 2.30pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are £10, £12.50 and £15.

Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online here

A cast of 21 has been confirmed for Made in Dagenham as the musical returns to its East London roots from 26 August – 17 September at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

 

Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul, who directs, launches his debut season with the first revival of this hit musical, a co-production with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich. The cast in this actor-musician production is the theatre’s largest yet, bolstered further by six members of the Queen’s Youth Theatre. The run continues at the New Wolsey Theatre from 21 September – 15 October.

 

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.

 

Based on the hit film, Made in Dagenham – The Musical is inspired by the true story of the sewing machinists’ strike at the Ford Dagenham factory, which eventually led to the Equal Pay Act. Daniella Bowen stars as Rita. Her many impressive credits include the West End’s Dreamboats and Petticoats as well as tours of Mamma Mia and Our House.

“This is a real home-coming,” says Douglas. “A wonderful chance for us to relive a truly momentous piece of our area’s history. After its West End success, the play will now have its regional premiere in the most fitting location – a producing theatre just a few miles away from the Ford plant in which it is set. It’s a brilliant way to open our autumn season – with a fantastically large-scale, uplifting musical filling our stage, featuring wonderful actor-musicianship and choreography, and celebrating the achievements of local people.”

 

Aptly, several members of the company are locally based: Dan de Cruz, from Hornchurch; Steve Simmonds, from Dagenham; Sarah Scowen, from Grays; and Wendy Morgan, from Westcliff.

 

The full cast includes: Angela Bain, Daniella Bowen, Daniel Carter-Hope, Dan de Cruz, Sophie-May Feek, Jeffrey Harmer, Callum Harrower, Joey Hickman, Anthony Hunt, Martina Isibor, Graham Kent, Claire Machin, Wendy Morgan, Jamie Noar, Loren O’Dair, Elizabeth Rowe, Sioned Saunders, Sarah Scowen, Steve Simmonds, Thomas Sutcliffe and Alex Tomkins.

 

Credits include West End musicals such as The Commitments and The Lion King, work with numerous high-profile companies such as the National Theatre, Regent’s Park and the Rude Mechanicals as well as TV roles on Wire in the Blood, Dalziel and Pascoe and Coronation Street.

 

Musical Direction is by Ben Goddard, Choreography by Tim Jackson, Design by Hayley Grindle, Lighting Design by Paul Anderson, Sound Design by Emma Laxton, Voice Coaching by Charmian Hoare and Matthew Dewsbury is Casting Director.

 

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. Tickets are from £12.50 – £30. Call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or book online.

This autumn, Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul presents his first season at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch – which launches with the first ever revival of the hit musical Made in Dagenham.

 

Heralding a new era of creative collaborations with some of the UK’s best theatre companies, autumn begins with Made in Dagenham – The Musical, a partnership with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich; followed by Bob Larbey’s comedy A Month of Sundays; and Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime, a Tommy & Tuppence thriller, presented by the Queen’s and Eleanor Lloyd Productions in association with The Watermill Theatre.

 

With the Queen’s super-affordable Jump the Q Season Ticket scheme, audiences can enjoy all three in-house productions from just £12.50 per show – a saving of up to 45% on top-price tickets. The Queen’s has also been undergoing a period of exciting image refreshment – with a bold, colourful look for its brand new website and season brochure – both of which have now been officially launched this week.  Brochures can be dowloaded and print copies are also available.

 

Douglas Rintoul directs the regional premiere of Made in Dagenham – The Musical, with a book by Richard Bean, music by David Arnold and lyrics by Richard Thomas, playing from 26 August – 17 September. Based on the Woolley/Karlsen/Number 9 Motion Picture, this production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited.

 

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 are working long hours sewing car seats for far less money than the men. They’ve had enough. Finding a voice she never knew she had, Rita leads a trailblazing battle for equal pay, taking on the unions, Ford’s top brass and the Government. An inspirational look at how ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

 

From 23 September – 15 October, the Queen’s is excited to present the first major revival of the award-winning A Month of Sundays. This funny and tender masterpiece about growing old is by the celebrated Bob Larbey, writer of iconic TV hits The Good Life and As Time Goes By. In his pleasant nursing home, Cooper rails against his ageing body but remains proud of not having ‘lost his marbles’. But Aylott, his friend, is increasingly concerned about losing his. Humour keeps their worries at bay: Cooper flirts with pretty nurses while both men fantasise about escaping to the Swiss Alps. But if the laughter runs out, where do they go from here? Russell Bolam directs.

 

The wonderfully gripping thriller, Partners in Crime, will be performed from 28 October – 19 November. 1920s London. Tommy and Tuppence are home from the War. Broke and jobless, our intrepid heroes embark on a daring business scheme, ‘The Young Adventurers Limited’. Willing to go anywhere and do anything, their first task plunges them into a perilous world of political intrigue, criminal conspiracy, murder and mayhem. Partners in Crime is an inventive adaptation by Sarah Punshon and Johann Hari of Agatha Christie’s The Secret Adversary, originally produced by The Watermill Theatre in February 2015. This unmissable season finale is shot through with fast-paced action, comedy, live music and a dash of romance.

 

For more information about the forthcoming season at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and the Jump the Q Season Ticket, call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or click here.

 

 

Notes:

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is a vibrant producing theatre that entertains audiences in East London, Essex and beyond. As the cultural hub of the region, over 200,000 people enjoy the theatre’s programme every year, including the best in home-produced theatre, visiting live entertainment and inspiring Learning and Participation projects. Behind the scenes our sets and costumes are all lovingly created on-site by our highly skilled carpentry workshop, scenic artists and wardrobe department. The Queen’s receives regular funding from the London Borough of Havering and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. This helps us put theatre at the heart of the cultural life of our community.

 

New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich

With a 400 seater main auditorium, and 100 seater studio space, the New Wolsey Theatre is nationally renowned for its producing work both as a sole producer and in collaboration with a diverse range of UK artists and companies and has a particular reputation for musical work, often employing actor-musicians. It is increasingly acknowledged as a leading player in the development of new musicals staging the world premieres of It’s A Wonderful Life, 20th Century Boy and Mods & Rox. In 2013, they produced a national tour of the Tim Firth and Madness musical Our House, using the same actor-musician formation; in 2014 they co-produced Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera alongside Graeae Theatre Company, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and West Yorkshire Playhouse, and in 2015 produced the blockbuster hit Sweet Charity. They have recently joined forces with 6 midscale venues and a consulting partner to create Ramps on the Moon, an Arts Council funded strategic touring project with the aim to increase awareness and participation of D/deaf and disabled actors, artists and audiences.

 

Eleanor Lloyd Productions

Eleanor Lloyd Productions is an independent theatre production company. Current and recent productions include: 1984 (Playhouse Theatre), Nell Gwynn (Apollo Theatre) Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, My Night with Reg (Apollo Theatre), Handbagged (Vaudeville Theatre), Jeeves & Wooster (Associate Producer, Duke of York’s Theatre), Butley (Duchess Theatre) and Alex with Robert Bathurst (Arts Theatre/International tour).