Author: Grace Coppin

‘Fancy a little top up?’ The homecoming revival of Mike Leigh’s timeless comedy Abigail’s Party has received plenty of wonderful praise since it opened at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch earlier this month. Critics and audiences have enjoyed their trip down memory lane, complete with gin and tonics and cheesy-pineapple ones all round!

Co-produced with Derby Theatre, Wiltshire Creative and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, ActDrop applauded the production with five stars and described the show as ‘Excruciatingly funny and truly unmissable’. 

Another four star review came from The Guardian who commended the performances as ‘cringing brilliance’, stating ‘Melanie Gutteridge plays Bev with such pitch perfection that the character feels, finally, freed from Alison Steadman’s formidable legacy.’

Broadwaybaby also awarded the production with four stars and said ‘Leigh coined the phrase ‘theoretical Romford’ to describe the play’s location, so where better to see in than in the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’.

Here’s what other critics have been saying:

★★★★ ‘The greatest appeal of Abigail’s Party is its comedy, and this is plentiful under Rintoul’s direction’  BritishTheatre.com

★★★★ ‘Classic comedy of suburban manners’ Remote Goat

★★★★ ‘A lively and dynamic production’ LondonTheatre1

★★★★ ‘Slick and sharp‘ TimeFM

‘Unique’ A Younger Theatre

‘Lee Newby’s lavish set captures the questionable aesthetics of the era down to the last detail’ The Stage

‘A lively revival’ thespyinthestalls

‘Brutally funny’ There Ought to be Clowns

‘I thoroughly enjoyed watching this production’ Hornchurch Life

‘A very enjoyable evening’ TheatreLife

‘Marvellous revival’ Brentwood Gazette

‘Wonderful’ GatewayFM

‘A show worth seeing’ Polka-dot pages

‘Great writing, direction and a top cast’ Bedrock FM

Abigail’s Party runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch until Saturday 22 September. The production will then tour to Derby Theatre (26 September – 20 October), Salisbury Playhouse (30 October – 17 November) and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (27 – 29 November).

For more information about the show call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or click here 

The world premiere of Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s uplifting comedy drama Dishoom! comes to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch later this month (25 – 29 September) as part of a national UK tour. The production stars 17-year-old Bilal Khan, from Ilford, who makes his professional stage debut in the lead role of Simon.

Featuring music and playful re-enactments from the smash hit Bollywood film Sholay, this new play about friendship and courage set in 1970s Britain is co-produced by Rifco Theatre Company and Watford Palace Theatre with Oldham Coliseum Theatre (Miss Meena & the Masala Queens, The Deranged Marriage and Britain’s Got Bhangra).

Bilal Khan himself was born with cerebral palsy and will be taking on the role of a young man with a disability who is struggling to find his place in the world around him. He says, ‘I can’t wait to start my first professional acting journey with this leading British Asian theatre company. The team have been really supportive throughout this opportunity from assisting with my touring needs to professional development workshops. I am honoured to be involved with this brilliant piece of new writing.’

Khan will be joined by Elijah Baker (On the Middle Day, The Old Vic); Seema Bowri (My Country, National Theatre); Georgia Burnell (professional debut), Omar Ibrahi (Ricky Whittington; New Diorama Theatre); Gurkiran Kaur (The Test, Southwark Playhouse) and James Mace (Desperate Measures, Jermyn Street Theatre).

The story follows Simon and his friends; they should be looking forward to leaving school, but the National Front are on the streets, Simon’s Bibi is ashamed of him and his Dad spends his life hiding in the pub. When Simon’s cousin Baljit comes to stay, she introduces him to the Bollywood classic, Sholay. Inspired by the film’s dynamic duo, Jai and Veeru, Simon and Baljit find their inner superheroes and set out to change their world forever.

A  Dementia Friendly performance of Dishoom! will take place on Thursday 27 September at 1.30pm in addition to an Audio Described performance on Saturday 29 September at 2.30pm

Dishoom! runs at the Queen’s Theatre from 25 – 29 September. Tickets are £12 – £22 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office on 01708 443333, in person at the theatre or online here.

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted that its homecoming revival of Abigail’s Party, co-produced with Derby Theatre, Wiltshire Creative and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, has received four nominations in the prestigious Off West End Theatre Awards.

Assessors from The Offies (Off West End Theatre Awards) have nominated Abigail’s Party for Best Production, Melanie Gutteridge for Best Female Performance, Susie Emmett for Best Female Performance in a Supporting Role and Lee Newby for Best Set Design.

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 and a final shortlist of nominees will come out early next year.

The fresh and faithful look at Mike Leigh’s iconic classic is directed by the Queen’s Theatre’s Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul. Set in seventies Romford, with Demis Roussos top of the hit parade and adults behaving disgracefully, it’s social awkwardness at its best at the drinks party from hell!

Abigail’s Party runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch until Saturday 22 September. The production will then tour to Derby Theatre (26 September – 20 October), Salisbury Playhouse (30 October – 17 November) and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (27 – 29 November). For more information about the show call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or click here.

To celebrate the Theatre’s 65^th birthday, the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has unveiled its fundraising plans to innovate and renovate the iconic building for artists, participants and audiences alike as part of its QNew project. This refreshing facelift will help the venue make better theatre, 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.

The Theatre can only make this possible with the support from its valued customers, so the venue will be introducing a 65p QNew Transformation fee per ticket, which will come into effect on its 65^th birthday, Friday 21 September. Once this fee comes into use, the current £1 fee transaction charge for tickets will be abolished. The ability to print your tickets at home will also be introduced for the convenience of those who want to.

The funds raised will contribute towards supporting a number of exciting projects throughout 2019. These include:

• Equipping a new dedicated rehearsal facility on site for the first time in the Theatre’s history
• Dedicating a bespoke new space for the Theatre’s expanding range of learning and participatory work with the local community
• Creating a special room for local and regional artists to try out new ideas
• Building a new look ground floor Bar to complement the busy Café
• Making front of house and backstage much more accessible to D/deaf and disabled people
• Replacing outdated equipment so that it’s cheaper and safer to run
• Installing better air conditioning in the foyer so everyone can be comfortable all year round
• Ensuring the roof and exterior of the Theatre are weather proofed for the future

Further information about QNew and the QNew Transformation fee is available here.

Audiences can also speak to the theatre’s Box Office staff on 01708 443333 if they have any questions or can pick up a leaflet from the theatre in person.

Don’t miss your chance to see three fantastic productions this autumn at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch for just £45! With the theatre’s cost-effective Jump the Q season ticket, you can enjoy three wonderful in-house shows – Abigail’s Party, Once and Haunting Julia – that’s just £15 per show and a saving of up to £37 per person! But hurry, this offer ends on Saturday 22 September.

You’ll be treated to the homecoming revival of Mike Leigh’s timeless comedy Abigail’s Party, which plays until 22 September, and is co-produced by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Derby Theatre, Wiltshire Creative and Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg.

From 3 – 20 October, you’ll not want to miss the UK regional premiere of the multi-award-winning musical Once. Based on the Academy Award-winning film, this smash-hit romance will feature an ensemble of actor-musicians is co-produced with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich (Made in Dagenham, Rope).

Finally, the Queen’s Theatre is producing the chilling ghost story Haunting Julia from 1 – 17 November. This hauntingly tense study of grief and the supernatural is punctuated with trademark wit from Alan Ayckbourn, one of the world’s most popular and prolific playwrights.

Audiences can choose between a Saver ticket for £45 (Tuesday – Thursday, previews or Saturday matinee) or upgrade to a Premium ticket for £52 which offers savings of up to £38 on top-priced tickets.

Click here to book your Jump the Q season ticket or call our Box Office on 01708 443333

Single tickets for all three shows can also be purchased online, by phone or in person.

Life today as a teenager can be painstakingly difficult, especially in a world where pressures of wearing the right clothes, having the right group of friends and listening to the right music are rife. And not forgetting the obsessions with instant messaging 24-7, taking daily selfies, experimenting with fun filters on Snapchat and documenting everyday life on Instagram.

This digital life of millennials is brilliantly captured in Abi, a fresh new play jointly commissioned by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Derby Theatre. This vibrant one-woman show explores how a fiery 15-year-old girl experiences modern society by delving into her realm of boys, family, partying, ambitions and social media, with wit and flair.

Abi plays at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 4 – 22 September and transfers to Derby Theatre from 29 September – 20 October. It is written by one of Britain’s most exciting new female writers, Atiha Sen Gupta. Her credits include the TV British teen drama series Skins, What Fatima Did, her debut play which premiered at the Hampstead Theatre to critical acclaim in 2009 and Counting Stars which played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Playing Abi is Safiyya Ingar who has recently finished filming with the BBC in Stephen Poliakoff’s period drama Summer of Rockets. Her stage credits include LAVA (Nottingham Playhouse) and Growth UK Tour (Paines Plough).

Sarah Brigham, Artistic Director at Derby Theatre is directing Abi and said, ‘Atiha is one of the most exciting new playwrights in the country and I know Safiyya will deliver a powerhouse of a performance in this one woman show which explores the heartache of growing up.’

Abi was commissioned as a contemporary response to Mike Leigh’s classic comedy, Abigail’s Party, from an original idea by Sarah Brigham. Abi runs for approximately 45 minutes and can be seen as a stand-alone piece or as a companion piece directly before a performance Abigail’s Party  (4.30pm or 5.30pm) or after at 9.30pm at the Queen’s Theatre. Tickets for Abi are £12 but discounts are available for audiences wishing to see the two productions together. £8 tickets are available for Under 26s to any performance of Abi.

Audiences can book tickets for Abi by calling the Queen’s Theatre Box Office on 01708 443333 or online at https://queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/abi/  The production contains some strong language and has an age guidance of 14+.

Calling all local actors!

On Monday 17 September, our Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul will be hosting an open casting event for upcoming productions for local actors with an interest in the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

Actors should originate from or be based in Havering, Barking & Dagenham, Redbridge or South Essex and should have professional training or credits.

Please send a CV and a short paragraph or a video outlining your connection to the area to artistcallout@queens-theatre.co.uk with the subject header ‘Open Call Submission’ no later than Monday 10 September. Successful applicants will be given more details about what to prepare and a time slot on Monday 17 September. If you would prefer an evening meeting, please let us know.

If you have any questions please include them in your email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is one of more than 175 venues across the country competing to win the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre award in association with Smooth Radio. The theatre was thrilled to be crowned with this title in 2016 & 2017 and would be elated to win the award for the third year running.

Voting will be decided by an online public vote which opens from Tuesday 7 August and closes at 12 noon on Tuesday 18 September at uktheatre.org/vote

Every person that votes will be able to opt-in for the chance to win up to £250 in Theatre Tokens.

The 12 Regional and National winners of the vote will be announced late September. The overall winner of the award will be announced at the UK Theatre Awards on Sunday 14 October at London’s historic Guildhall. The UK Theatre Awards are supported by White Light, Q-Park, Theatre Tokens, John Good, Harbottle & Lewis and Integro in association with Chubb.

The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide awards to honour outstanding achievement in theatre throughout the UK. There are many aspects that help shape a person’s experience when visiting the Queen’s Theatre; from a friendly chat with Box Office staff and enjoying a delicious coffee in the café to feeling part of the local community. This public vote gives audiences the chance to celebrate their local theatre and all it does to welcome them.

On winning the award last year, Mathew Russell, Executive Director at the Queen’s Theatre said, ‘We are overjoyed to have retained our title as the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre in the East. Thank you to everyone who voted for us and to all the staff at the Queen’s Theatre, whose continuing dedication and professionalism has earned us this award. We’re making great developments to our rich programme of work, offering an increasingly diverse and affordable programme of quality entertainment all year round to appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.’

Audiences that have had a positive and memorable experience can vote for the Queen’s Theatre online at uktheatre.org/vote.

10 Minute Musicals are looking for fresh innovative voices who are willing to push boundaries and play with form; creatives with a passion for the continued development of their practice.

10 Minute Musicals want you to have an openness to play, to be willing to try new approaches to develop the skills which will enable collaboration on a larger scale.

You will need to commit to 3 workshop dates attached to the project, which will culminate in a sharing of your work at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

About:

10 Minute Musicals is an innovative development programme to support musical theatre professional in Wales and beyond. Leeway Productions are visiting the Queen’s Theatre for the first time having had a successful two years of collaborations elsewhere.

Organised and delivered by Leeway Productions in partnership with Wales Millennium Centre, this development project is held 3 times a year.

Angharad Lee, Artistic Director of Leeway Productions said: ‘10 Minute Musicals includes networking, development and examining of current practice and will provide the support artists need when evolving, progressing and advancing their writing skills for this genre. We encourage a continued conversation with creatives and believe that this creative development project is a great springboard towards casting a new light on how you usually work,‘ she added.

A writer and a composer will be chosen and paired and will develop a brand new 10 Minute Musical of their own.

Leeway Productions will provide mentorship support throughout the process and will support artists as they find their way through what could seem like a daunting task.

Timeline:

Workshops 1,2 and 3: These 3 workshops will happen at allocated dates throughout September.

Sharing of you work at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch: Tuesday 2 October | 8pm

How to apply?

Expressions of interest can be submitted as an individual artist and you will be matched with another artist OR as an existing writer/composer team. Please send a short example of your work along with a CV / Biography or a little about yourself and what you wish to gain from this opportunity to: artistcallout@queens-theatre.co.uk Applicants must register their interest by Wednesday 22 August. 

Please include your name, a contact email address and phone number. If you have any questions, these can also be sent to artistcallout@queens-theatre.co.uk