Author: Grace Coppin

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to announce that it has been shortlisted for London Theatre of the Year Award at The Stage Awards 2020.

It has been a transformational year for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. It has undertaken a £1 million facelift to refresh its front and back-of-house spaces, as well as created new accessible rehearsal, learning and research and development facilities – carrying out the entire project without closure.

Under the directorship of Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul and Executive Director Mathew Russell, the organisation’s on-stage programme and off-stage community and outreach work have a symbiotic relationship. In 2019, the theatre produced 14 shows, with an estimated 37% of audience members attending for the first time – in a borough that has the fourth lowest arts engagement in London.

Its landmark project, Essex on Stage, championed positive notions of Essex. Beginning with an acclaimed production of David Eldridge’s In Basildon in March 2019, it included talent development and new artistic work, with the commission of Sadie Hasler’s Stiletto Beach and the regional premiere of Romford-born playwright Luke Norris’ So Here We Are in Autumn 2019. 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.

Elsewhere, the theatre partnered with the National Theatre on the second iteration of the NT’s large-scale Public Acts programme – with an impressive participatory production of As You Like It – while co-producing partners have also included the New Wolsey in Ipswich, Derby Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre, Oldham Coliseum and Central School of Speech and Drama. At a time when theatres’ need to be open and accessible to all parts of their communities is at the top of the collective agenda, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is making this its raison d’être and proving that quality theatre and outreach can go hand in hand.

The Stage Awards launched in 2010 to highlight the achievements of theatre companies and individuals across the UK and globally. The winner of each category will be announced at the awards ceremony on January 31, 2020 at the Royal Opera House, London.

For a full list of the nominees, please visit www.thestage.co.uk/awards/#2020shortlist

Christmas is the most magical time of the year and the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will be getting into the festive spirit by hosting a Christmas Fayre fundraiser on Saturday 14 December from 10.30am to 7pm – a day of festive fun for the whole family.

Indulge in Christmas treats including luxury hot chocolate and warm cider as you browse round a variety of festive stalls and take part in festive games. There will be plenty of opportunities to get crafty including gingerbread icing and designing a Christmas cupcake. Don’t forget to leave a personalised message on the Christmas Tree!

The funds raised will go towards supporting and nurturing young talent, enabling the Theatre to continue to provide quality training and theatre experiences to young people for years to come. So come and get involved and help support the Queen’s Theatre!

A junior chorus is a staple of the modern panto, and Robin Hood at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is no different. Every year a group of young people from the local area are cast to play the villagers, minions and guards, singing and dancing to support of the production’s principal cast. This year, a call was put out and 30 children out of 141 auditionees, aged 9 to 16 were recruited to join the team of chorus members, who share 60 performances of Robin Hood during its run from 28 November 2019 – 5 January 2020.

Candidates were auditioned in June and auditionees had to be able to sing and dance to a high standard, as well as have some theatrical training. Recruited from Havering and the surrounding area, the chorus rehearsed on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturdays every week for three weeks.

The chorus are divided into three groups of ten: Team Oak, Team Willow and Team Sycamore, who rotate show to show.

Team Oak

(Top row, L-R) Selinah-Shallom Oloyede, Roni Stock, Kira McFaull, Alfie King, Alyssa-Isabella Ponton, Lucy Billington, 

(Bottom row, L-R) Vinnie Kidner, Lucy Norton, Inez Weronika Danielak, Sydney Crollie

 

 

Team Willow

(Top row, L-R) Molly Perry, Imogen Grock, Isabelle Rice, Priya Kaur, Aimee Lampart

(Bottom row, L-R) Alexander Castles, Daisy Oludipe, Charlotte Christiansen, Joshua Neal, Amelia Rice

 

 

Team Sycamore

(Top row, L-R) Zara Ludlow, Mollie Greene, Rebekah Durrant, Ruby Coyte

(Bottom row, L-R) Robyn Russell, Saffiah Kelly, Faye Taylor-Thomson, Alfie Sellers, Josh Brown

(not pictured) Victoria Ferreira

 

 

Approximately half the chorus had had previous experience in Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch pantos, with the more experienced members serving as mentors to the newer performers. The chorus worked with creatives on the show, Douglas Rintoul, the director of the production, choreographer Sundeep Saini and musical director Tom Self.

Sydney from Team Oak says ‘I love taking part in panto, it is an amazing experience and a great opportunity to try many new things.’

Inez from Team Oak says ‘Panto is amazing! It’s so fun to be able to perform on stage, and to see the smiles on people’s faces. It’s an experience like no other.’

 

The Junior Chorus have also received glowing reviews from press:

‘Great to see the young cast dovetailing with the professionals so smoothly’ – The Havering Daily

‘The cast is supported by a Junior Chorus, [who] sang and danced wonderfully, and those who had speaking parts delivered their lines flawlessly’ – London Theatre 1

‘The cast is supported by a very game chorus of youngsters, whose simple but well-choreographed dancing by Sundeep Saini is a high point.’ – The Stage

‘What really made this panto were the Junior Chorus: high levels of energy and some fantastically delivered choreography they took the show to another level’ – Theatre Life

Several members of past junior choruses have gone on to have successful theatrical careers, including choreographer for Robin Hood, Sundeep Saini, Billy Irving who has starred in the UK tour of War Horse, and Samuel Ward-Smith, who starred in ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2018.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s traditional panto spectacular, the heroic Robin Hood, opened on 30 November to glowing reviews.

London Theatre 1 called the production ‘a thoroughly enjoyable festive treat’, and TheatreLife said ‘It was a great night’s entertainment and we thoroughly enjoyed it all’.

Hornchurch Life said ‘The whole night is a lot of fun and it might be my favourite panto so far!’

John Barr, who garnered rave reviews for his turn as Dame Dotty Trott in 2018’s Jack and the Beanstalk, returns as Nanny Fanny, Maid Marian’s hilarious nurse, and is sure to delight audiences and critics alike. He says ‘I am overjoyed to be returning to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in Robin Hood, it’s a fantastic theatre and I can’t wait to see all the boys and girls, mums and dads, nannies and grandads again this Christmas!’

Written by Andrew Pollard and directed by Douglas Rintoul (the Queen’s Theatre’s Artistic Director), this actor-musician panto is twanging to the beats of pop hits from across the decades, traditional audience participation and laugh out loud family silliness.

Over 50% of the tickets are now sold, so audiences need to get their skates on to book for this Sheriff-busting Christmas adventure!

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is also overjoyed to announce Romford McDonalds as principal sponsor of this year’s pantomime, Robin Hood. This sponsorship will play a vital role in making Robin Hood an unforgettable show and spread the festive fun throughout Havering.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted that Emma Swan will be returning for this year’s production of, Sparky the Elf and the Secret Toyshop. This wonderful immersive children’s theatre piece will be playing from Thursday 5 December to Tuesday 24 December.

The show took place in a secret location in Romford’s Mercury Mall, and Sparky will be causing havoc again this year, this time somewhere hidden in Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch itself.

‘Just back from Sparky the Elf, what a fantastic and mesmerising production for young ones (and old too!!)… a truly magical afternoon!!’ – Audience comment from last year’s production.

Emma Swan returns as the eponymous Sparky, and is sure to delight audiences and critics alike. She says ‘I’m a huge Christmas fan and I’m delighted to be performing with the Queen’s Theatre again! It’s an immersive theatrical experience and it’s very special because it’s not quite like going to the theatre and watching a show. It will feel like you’re entering into the world of Sparky!’

Written and directed by Douglas Rintoul (the Queen’s Theatre’s Artistic Director), this unique experience is also from the team last year’s sell-out festive treat, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

2019 has been an exciting time for culture in Havering as local people, organisations and Havering Council have been working together to explore next steps for developing further the role culture plays in the borough.

Following a series of public workshops held in venues across the borough, one to one meetings with representatives of organisations, an online consultation which the public responded to, and meetings of a newly formed Cultural Stakeholders Advisory group, a three year culture strategy, providing a strategic context for culture to flourish, has been drafted and agreed as the basis for public consultation.

As a result of this fresh partnership working, Havering has already submitted a successful bid for Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places scheme, empowering local people in designing new arts offer in places of least engagement, and been one of only 12 places nationally to secure £1 million over 4 years to realise some exciting new ideas.

We’d love to get your feedback on the draft strategy. Draft Culture Strategy

Please let us know via this survey link the answers to the following questions:

1. Do you agree with the Five Aims of the Culture Strategy (see page 5) and the Objectives and Outcomes set out for achieving and resulting from each Aim (detailed from pages 13 to 18)?
2. If you don’t agree, please provide details of what you’d like to see changed – added, deleted or replaced etc?
3. Do you have any other comments about the draft Culture Strategy?

We’ll be seeking feedback on the draft strategy between 25 November 2019 until 20 December 2019.

If you’d like to discuss any of the draft strategy in person, please don’t hesitate to contact Mathew Russell (Mathew@queens-theatre.co.uk)

Thanks in advance for your time, interest, passion and ideas, and once agreed, we look forward to working closely with you on putting more of this new strategy into action.

Mathew Russell

On behalf of the Havering Cultural Stakeholders Advisory Group

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to announce that Georgina Field, who garnered rave reviews for her turn as Baroness Hardup in 2016’s Cinderella, will be returning for this year’s pantomime, Robin Hood. This heroic panto spectacular will be playing from Thursday 28 November to Sunday 5 January.

Field is a Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch regular, and has starred in classics such as Return To The Forbidden Planet, Twelfth Night, Godspell and Noises Off.

Baroness Hardup played by Georgina Field, was incredible, she fired up the audience to immediately get their backs up with her wickedness.’ BedrockFM on Cinderella

‘Georgina Field graces us with her presence as Anne Droid, she does well at representing the teenage longing for love and I particularly liked her rendition of ‘Teenager in Love’. Musical Theatre Review on Return to the Forbidden Planet

Georgina Field returns as the evil witch Morgana, and is sure to terrify and delight audiences and critics alike. She says ‘My first panto was at Queen’s Theatre, my sister Nic and I were in the junior chorus of David Wood’s Cinderella (you can still see the poster on the wall in the foyer now) when I was nine. I played saxophone in my band Rhythm Collision in the foyer when I was seventeen before I went to drama school. Then I became a part of The Cut to the Chase Company at Queens Theatre, beginning with the hugely successful Abigail’s Party directed by Matt Devitt. Since then I have been fortunate enough to play in numerous productions here throughout my career.  When I walk into the auditorium and breathe in the atmosphere I am inspired by all the shows I have ever seen or performed here.The Queens has had such a huge impact on my growth as an actor and a human being and given me so many precious memories. To be here entertaining families at Christmas time is the best present I could ask for’

Written by Andrew Pollard and directed by Douglas Rintoul (the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s Artistic Director), this family friendly actor-musician panto is twanging to the beats of pop hits from across the decades, filled with traditional audience participation and laugh out loud silliness.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, writer Gary Owen and director Rachel O’Riordan reunite following their critically acclaimed productions of Killology and Iphigenia in Splott – recently named by the Guardian as ‘one of the 50 Best Theatre Shows of the 21^st Century’ – on ROMEO AND JULIE a powerful, funny and poignant new play about the hope and heartbreak of two young people in Britain today.

A co-production between the National Theatre and Sherman Theatre, the production will tour to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 23 –27 June 2020.

Romeo is a teenage single dad hanging on tight. Julie is fighting to follow her dream of studying at Cambridge. Two working-class eighteen year-olds raised a few streets apart, but from entirely different worlds, crash into first love and are knocked off their feet.  But at this crossroads to the rest of their lives, both families fear the worst in a world of unequal opportunity.

Romeo and Julie is designed by Hayley Grindle, with lighting by Jack Knowles, and sound design by Gregory Clarke and puppetry design and direction by Finn Caldwell.

Writer Gary Owen said, ‘I’ve wanted for ages to write a story about a man who became a dad in far more difficult circumstances than me, but who would succeed, be a good parent, and be transformed for the better by what he’d been through.

‘Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a story about young love. It becomes a tragedy because of pressures the lovers face from outside their relationship. Well, raising a baby puts pressure on any relationship, no matter how stable. And so I had my play about a young man, Romeo, dad to four-month-old Niamh, who meets Julie, a girl from three streets away and an entirely different world.

‘This will be the fourth play I’ve made with Rachel. It’s fantastic to be working with her again. There’s a genuine trust.’

Director Rachel O’Riordan said, ‘I am very connected to Gary’s work; I feel that the way he writes, and what he writes about, resonate with me very strongly. I will always be interested in directing anything he writes; but this idea also foregrounds another real interest of mine, which is how classic plays can be radically reinvented. I am keen to see how far the interpretation can go, and how a great play can be reframed by a great contemporary playwright.’

Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre said, ‘Rachel O’Riordan directs Gary Owen’s new play Romeo and Julie, which takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s play to create a funny and poignant look at the hope and heartbreak of two working class teenagers. A co-production with Sherman Theatre, we’re delighted to be able to tour this production to four of the brilliant Theatre Nation Partnership venues that we have been working closely with to build audiences over the last three years.’

Priority booking
Queen’s Angels receive priority booking to all of our shows.
If you are already a Queen’s Angel, be sure to log-in to your account before trying to select your tickets.
To become a Queen’s Angel, and receive priority booking click here. Add the membership to your basket, before you select your show tickets.

General sale
Remaining tickets will go on general sale from 10am on Sat 16 Nov

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is overjoyed to be named one of Waitrose’s chosen fundraising causes for November as part of its Community Matters Project which distributes money to local projects.

As one of the groups on the shortlist, funds raised will be used towards work with young people and the community, investing in and nurturing artistic talent, making theatre accessible and developing new audiences. All of which builds self-confidence, teamwork and social awareness.

Voting is now open in Waitrose Upminster until Saturday 30 November. Customers can cast their vote using a green token available at the check-out in store each time they shop.

Tom Lowe, Relationships Officer at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch says, ‘We are delighted to be selected as a local charity as part of Waitrose’s Community Matters Project and encourage all to support and vote for us! This donation will support our engagement with so many local families and young people.’
For more information about the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, visit www.queens-theatre.co.uk