Author: Grace Coppin

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted that its regional premiere of Romford-born playwright David Eldridge’s critically acclaimed drama In Basildon, has received a nomination in the Off West End Theatre Awards.

Assessors from The Offies (Off West End Theatre Awards) have nominated Patrick Driver for Best Male Performance in a Play.

The OffWestEnd.com website, which champions London’s independent theatres, launched the annual awards – also known as The Offies – in 2010 to celebrate excellence in productions outside the West End. The Queen’s Theatre is one of over 80 participating venues across the capital.

This explosively knotty drama premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2012 and is directed by the Queen’s Theatre’s Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul. This sharply funny play charts an East End family’s history from the homelands of Hackney, via Romford, to Basildon and beyond.

★★★★ ‘Punchy and immensely enjoyable’ Evening Standard

★★★★ ‘Hilarious’  BritishTheatre.com

★★★★ ‘A spirited and fascinating production’ London Theatre 1

‘Strongly performed revival of David Eldridge’s Essex family drama’ The Stage

In Basildon runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch until Saturday 30 March. For more information about the show call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or click here.

Celebrations are in full flow as the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch experienced a momentous weekend of achievements, including the launch of its glamorous new Q Bar at the opening of its regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon on Saturday (16 March) and staff limbered up to run in the Brentwood Half marathon on Sunday (17 March).

The stylish new Q Bar opened on the ground floor, making it more accessible for visitors to use. Once the ribbon was cut pronouncing the bar open, drinks and conversations flowed whilst guests enjoyed a range of new bar snacks, including crisps, popcorn, mixed sweets, mixed olives and cheese and biscuits.  

Q Bar is part of the Theatre’s QNew Transformation Programme. QNew is an exciting programme of building improvements which will allow the Theatre to make high quality theatre in developed spaces, work with more young people and community groups, offer an increasingly comfortable experience to audiences, be more open and accessible to D/deaf and disabled people, and keep the Theatre alive as a safe and environmentally friendly community hub, well into the future.

Douglas Rintoul (Artistic Director), Tom Lowe (Relationships Officer), Ellie Hutley (Front of House Assistant and former Youth Theatre member) completed the Brentwood Half Marathon on Sunday, with Elaine Darran (Head of Finance) running in the 5k race, to raise funds for the Theatre’s brilliant Learning & Participation department. Their legs may ache, but the team has successfully raised over £1,800, which will go towards creating opportunities for local people of all ages and backgrounds. Their target is £2,500, so if anyone would like to donate please visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/QueensTheatreRunners2019  or call the Queen’s Theatre’s Box Office on 01708 443333.

Donations received will contribute towards continuing this work that promotes creativity, helps build confidence and enables participants to develop new skills and make like-minded new friends.

Outer Limits: Call Out

At the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, it is a priority for us to encourage the development of emerging artists based in East London and Essex.  As such, we are opening up the opportunity for local artists and companies to propose small-scale productions to be performed on our Foyer stage this Autumn.

We have a number of slots from late August through to January 2019 and preference will be given to shows that have already been created, already touring and/or booked for any festivals.

Technical information: The Foyer stage sound desk can handle 12 sound inputs including mics, iPod and laptops.  As well as the sound desk, a production on the foyer stage will have access to 5 microphones, a cd player and two PA speakers and an FX unit for microphone reverbs. Lighting is 4 stage lights (Par Cans) in a warm white colour. These are at a constant level throughout.

To apply, please complete the application form and email to our Programming and Producer Co-ordinator, Tom Hurley, at artistcallout@queens-theatre.co.uk

Closing date for application is 10am Monday 8 April.

‘Forget friendship… this is business.’

Ishy Din’s new razor-sharp drama Approaching Empty comes to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 2 – 6 April as part of a national UK tour. The production is produced by Kiln Theatre, Tamasha and Live Theatre, with direction from Pooja Ghai.

In a scruffy minicab office, Mansha decides it’s time to create his own destiny and offers to buy a business from his lifelong friend Raf. As the realities of the state of the business slowly unravel, these two best friends must confront the difficulties of going into business with those closest to them.

Set in North East England, this compelling drama by award-winning playwright Ishy Din, lays bare the everyday struggles of a post-industrial age where manual labour is no longer plentiful.

★★★★ ‘Strongly performed’ The Stage

★★★★ ‘An entertaining, well‑crafted drama’ Britishtheatre.com

★★★★ ‘Fascinating’ London Theatre 1

The cast includes Kammy Darweish (All My Sons, Nottingham Playhouse), Karan Gill (The Lovely Bones, UK Tour), Nicholas Khan (The Kite Runner, Wyndham’s Theatre/UK tour), Rina Fatania (Love N Stuff, Theatre Royal, Stratford East), Nicholas Prasad (Much Ado About Nothing, Rose Theatre Kingston) and Maanuv Thiara (Hamlet, Almeida Theatre).

Ishy Din’s theatre work includes Snookered (Tamasha, Oldham Coliseum and Bush Theatre) and Beats North (Edinburgh Fringe). He was the 2012 Pearson Writer in Residence at the Manchester Royal Exchange and in 2013 Snookered won Best New Play at the Manchester Theatre Awards. For television, his work includes Ackley Bridge, Taxi Tales and Doughnuts; for film, Fraud, Perfume and Our Lad; and for radio John Barnes Saved My Life.

A Sign Language Interpreted performance will take place on Wednesday 3 April at 7.30pm.

Approaching Empty runs at the Queen’s Theatre from 2 – 6 April. Tickets are £16 – £18 (plus 65p QNew Transformation fee) and can be purchased by calling the Box Office on 01708 443333, in person at the theatre or online here.

[ENDS]

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is set to launch its innovative Essex on Stage programme on Saturday 23 March with the regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon and play readings by three exciting Essex playwrights Sadie Hasler, Kelly Jones and Dan Murphy.

Essex on Stage is an ambitious new two year programme led by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, championing positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London. It includes commissioning new plays, establishing a network of venues, touring drama about Essex across Essex for new audiences, organising local events to develop talent and making life changing projects with communities.

The day begins with a rehearsed reading of Tammy by Kelly Jones at 11.30am on the Queen’s Theatre stage, followed by a Q&A. Set in Dagenham, Tammy is a play about female sexuality, family secrets and the fractured relationship between mother and daughter. The play won the Wales Drama Award (BBC Writersroom and National Theatre of Wales) in 2014.

Audiences will then be transported to London’s East End with Dan Murphy’s Legacy at 2.45pm, which will be performed in the Queen’s Theatre’s newly built Rehearsal Space, followed by a Q&A. Legacy follows a group of builders working on the 20th floor of a luxury apartment block in Stratford, overlooking the Olympic Stadium on ‘Super Saturday’ 2012. As the world is glued to Britain’s greatest sporting day, the builders watch on as the place they call home becomes unrecognisable.

The final play reading is Stiletto Beach by Sadie Hasler at 5.30pm on the Queen’s Theatre stage, followed by a Q&A. When a beach is left burning, fingers are pointed at a gang of Essex girls. In this piece, Hasler questions what is an Essex girl anyway?

The day also includes two performances of David Eldridge’s critically acclaimed family drama In Basildon, at 2.30pm and 8pm. This is the first revival since the production premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2012.

Tickets are £5 per play reading, £10 for all three play readings as purchased as a package or £25 for all three play readings and a performance of In Basildon (on Saturday 23 March only). Under 26s can see all three Essex on Stage readings and the evening performance of David Eldridge’s In Basildon for just £18.

Essex on Stage has been made possible by the generous support of The Clothworkers’ Foundation. Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is the recipient of the 2018 Clothworkers’ Theatre Award, a competitive annual prize given to a regional producing theatre, that has only ever been awarded five times.

For more information about Essex on Stage click here.

Some of those involved in improving cultural activity in Havering are keen to find out more about what the residents of Havering get up to in their spare time locally, would ideally like to do and what would help local people to do more.

There’ll be a chance for anyone to find out more and give their feedback at a series of informal drop-in sessions throughout the borough – do pop along if you can:

Alternatively, you can complete a short questionnaire by clicking here.

We look forward to hearing your ideas!

 

The Culture in Havering project is being managed by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. Personal information provided is protected by the Data Protection Act 2018. Any data you provide about yourself will only be used for the purposes of the Culture in Havering project and to contact you about the Culture Strategy, Creative People and Places funding bid and establishing a Local Cultural Education Partnership. Your data will never be shared without your permission and you can withdraw your permission at any time by emailing CultureinHavering@queens-theatre.co.uk