Author: Grace Coppin

Mawa Theatre Company has announced the cast for Shakespeare-On-Sea, a short film project exploring Shakespeare’s maritime imagination through the gaze of Black female artists in Essex. The project will run as part of the Blueprint: a festival of new ideas at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 12 to 24 September 2022.

SHARON ROSE (‘HAMILTON’, ‘JINGLE JANGLE’) will play PROSPERO in THE TEMPEST, MIA JEROME (‘SQUAD GOALS’, ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’) will play ADRIANNA in THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, JOSEPHINE MELVILLE (‘LITTLE MISS JOSCELYN’ ‘EASTENDERS’) will play NURSE in ROMEO & JULIET.

The film will be directed by Mawa’s Artistic Director Maisey Bawden and Executive Director Danielle Kassaraté, their first collaboration with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch since they joined the creative leadership team this year.

Maisey Bawden says: “Following our first digital project last year, we are so excited to put Shakespeare on film once again, this time honouring some of the fantastic talent we have here in Essex. Making Shakespeare digestible and accessible is so important to us and we hope by giving our audiences free access to Shakespeare as it has never be seen before, in bite size chunks will inspire a new generation of theatre goers’

Sharon Rose says: “Having grown up deep in the heart of Essex and experiencing a drought of representation in the arts growing up, seeing and now being a part of Mawa Theatre Company is pure joy. It reminds me that I matter and that my stories matter and that I am not entirely invisible to the thing I love. Mawa Theatre Company is food for the soul. A safe space to refresh, replenish and spring forth.”

There’s free entry for Shakespeare-On-Sea but advanced booking is required. For more details and to book tickets, click here.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and the New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich have today announced the full cast and creative team for the first UK revival and regional premiere of the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical Kinky Boots. The production will also mark 10 years since the musical’s debut at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre in 2012.

The new production, which will be directed by Tim Jackson, will run at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich from 1 – 24 September (Press Night: 8 September) and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 28 September – 22 October (Press Night: 29 September).

Based on the Miramax motion picture, the musical adaptation features a Tony-Award nominated book by Harvey Fierstein and Tony and Grammy award-winning music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper.

Charlie Price has reluctantly inherited a struggling shoe business from his dad, which he’s desperate to save. He unexpectedly bumps into a larger than life drag queen Lola, who’s looking for some sturdy stilettos. They think they’ve nothing in common, but as the unlikely pair ruffle a few feathers, designing some fabulous footwear for the factory floor, perhaps they do…

The new production sees Tim Jackson reunite with the two theatres, having previously choregraphed their celebrated revival of Made in Dagenham. Tim Jackson has also previously worked with the New Wolsey Theatre as director and dramaturg of The Stage Debut Award-winning co-production of The Season (Royal and Derngate, New Wolsey).

The full cast announced today are: Jay Anderson (he/him) as Angel, Will Arundell (he/him, Queen of the Mist) as Harry/Bailey/Onstage Musical Director, Matt Corner (he/him, The Last Ship) as Charlie, Aruhan Galieva (she/her, Doctor Who) as Lauren, Keanu Adolphus Johnson (he/him, Never Lost At Home) as Lola, Josephine Lloyd-Welcome (she/her, Goldie’s Oldies) as Georgie, George Lynham (he/she/they) as Angel, Roddy Lynch (he/him) as Don, Cavan Malone (they/them) as Angel, Tim Parker (he/him, Once) as Mr Price, Anna Soden (she/her, Five Children And It) as Nicola, Lucy Elizabeth Thorburn (she/her) as Pat and Hiromi Toyooka (she/her) as Angel. Casting for Young Lola and Young Charlie will be announced at a later date.

The full creative team are: Daniel Denton (Misty) as Video Designer, Tony Gayle (Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical) as Sound Designer, Crystal Hantig as Choreographer, Charlie Ingles (Anyone Can Whistle) as Musical Supervisor & Arranger, Tim Jackson (The Season) as Director, Jamie Platt (The Last Five Years) as Lighting Designer, Amanda Stoodley (Bloody Elle) as Set & Costume Designer and Molly Wilsher (The Kitchen Sink) as Assistant Director.

Tim Jackson said of the new production, “I am thrilled to be collaborating with this incredible bunch of super-humans, within the acting company and the creative team alike. The casting process has been a real joy – we’ve met such talented folk and roared with laughter every day. Person after person has shared in their connection to the show and its wonderful characters, and I am thrilled to have found an ensemble of exceptional performers who all lead with kindness and heart. Each actor is bringing something special and individual to our rehearsal room, and there is a powerful collective desire to make this new production a beautiful celebration of self-love, individuality and acceptance. With a cast of 13, we can revel in the intimacy of the 2005 film on which the musical is based, and allow our audiences to feel part of the factory community. And when we need to let rip, we’ve got a company that can bring a spectacular, explosive, contemporary energy. Audiences should expect stellar actor-musicianship, killer vocals and dazzling, high-octane (high-heeled!) dancing, all packaged within a funny, empowering, heart warming story.”

There will be British Sign Language, Audio Described and Captioned performances available at both theatres. Tickets are now on sale, click here.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch today announces the full programme for its extraordinary fortnight of new and unusual theatre. Blueprint: a festival of new ideas runs at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 12 to 24 September 2022.

Mathew Russell, Chief Executive of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said: “We’re delighted to be confirming the full programme for Blueprint. The conversations we’ve been having with some brilliant artists about the festival over recent weeks have been so inspiring and we can’t wait ‎for you to experience theatre at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in some entirely different ways. Some of the work is designed for small numbers, so book now to avoid disappointment. Although they’ll be plenty of opportunities to discover some things nearer the time too.”

 The full programme is:

A Different Class by Kenny Emson

Tag’s out with the lads on his last night before he leaves to go to university. The car crawl in Southend. But the empty seat in the car where his mate Luke should be sitting in is playing on his mind. That and the fact they’ve agreed to an illegal race at midnight against a Cowboy in a Honda Civic.

An exploration of mental health, masculinity and working-class culture. With a drum and bass soundtrack that will blow the doors off the theatre – literally!

In addition, during Blueprint, Kenny Emson will be offering two free writing workshops.

Centre Stage

Join us for our very first ever Centre Stage event, showcasing the greatest of Essex/East London deaf/disabled and neuro-divergent talent in an evening of fun, community, and raffle prizes! We will have a headliner performance, food and drinks.

Final Farewell by Sudha Bhuchar

Final Farewell is a moving theatrical experience that captures the voices of individuals and a little black pug in four poignant audio stories from Tara Theatre. Each of these stories has been carefully crafted by writer Sudha Bhuchar, who has spoken and listened in depth to real people’s memories and accounts of their loved ones who were lost during Covid-19.

As you wander with friends and other community members, you’ll hear the imagined voices and stories of Shahin, Baby Han, Ann and Oberon in a truly immersive and unique experience. At the conclusion of the experience, we will gather at the tree installation where you will be able to take some time to reflect on your own memories of loved ones and commemorate their lives.

Food For Thought

A series of three micro plays from commissioned playwrights all from the Global Majority. Each play will feature two actors and after the performance there will be an open discussion with the audience. This is an opportunity to encourage new local talent and voices into the theatre we do not get to hear often.

Frostiana: A Sensory Experience by Kate Lovell

Take a trip back in time to London’s Little Ice Age when the Thames froze over, and Frost Fayres celebrated this once in an eon phenomenon. Join us in an icy grotto hidden within Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch for a frosty feast for the senses.

In This Smoking Chaos by Laura Ann Price

Experience the power of design-led performance with a profound exploration of life over 31 scenes. Audiences are invited to follow a solitary figure that shifts through time and space. In This Smoking Chaos combines both the physical and dynamic digital space with raw and intuitive forms of emotion. In This Smoking Chaos is a durational piece performed as one continuous transition – there will be no definitive beginning or end.

Rice and Peas

The first major production for Blouse & Skirt! is Rice & Peas – a three-course, three-act immersive dining experience. Come and celebrate the ten-year anniversary of local family restaurant, Fig & Oil, being open – and allow each course to transport you back in time to discover the heartache and courage it took so many to start a new life in Great Britain. Grenada, 1948. Figgy and Edith enjoy a meal the evening before Figgy boards The Empire Windrush, both blissfully unaware they will not see each other for two years. But when Edith arrives in London two years later, she carries a secret that threatens to tear apart their dreams of the Motherland. All of the food is prepared by Executive Chef, Jon Bentham. (Former head chef for Gary Rhodes).

Shakespeare-On-Sea by Mawa Theatre Company

A digital project by Mawa Theatre Company, exploring Shakespeare’s maritime imagination through the gaze of Black female artists in Essex.

The Empty Chair by Joe Lichtenstein

A personal theatrical experience for two audience members. Participants will be taken to a secret location within the theatre for an intimate otherworldly performance that’s punctuated by live music.

This Story Is True For Most Of Us by David Shearing

An invitation to join us at the table, to dine in a climate of food, art, and activism. Over the course of five mini tasting moments, this intimate setting allows us to see ourselves, each other, and our environment from a whole new perspective. This Story Is True For Most Of Us is part guided audio and part shared experience – it offers a space to consume some of the most challenging climate questions of our time, staged in a magical reflective setting. This design-led project is led by artist David Shearing with the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Environmental Responsibility Group. Together we propose a toast to a new future…

Through The Ages by the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Technical Team 

Travel through the ages and celebrate the remarkable history of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, with spectacular visuals bringing those memories back to life. Presented alongside a musical medley inspired by our previous shows, with lighting to light up the skies. Join us on the green as the sun goes down to witness this visual feast created by our very own creative Technical Team.

Wake Up People by John Webber

John Webber’s Wake Up People, commissioned by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, is a funny and ultimately heart-breaking look at how obsessions can tear apart a family already under pressure. Using stories from interviews, attending events and watching far too many YouTube videos, John’s play, set in Thurrock, will be presented by actors as a script-in-hand performance with video and sound projections to thrillingly show how the internet is enabling a new pandemic – conspiracy theories – to sweep through local communities.

In additional to the public programme, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will be hosting Boost!, a free residential training and developmental lab designed to upskill artists and choreographers/devisers working in contemporary dance or contemporary circus interested in extending their work to the outdoors/or developing their understanding of the outdoor touring sector.

With plenty of discussions and after parties to attend where there’s an opportunity to talk about what has been seen, and meet the makers of the work, festivalgoers won’t want to miss out on this thrilling festival of theatrical discoveries!

Tickets £5 | £3 concessions (unless otherwise stated), plus 65p QNext Fee. 

Festival Pass

(with the exception of Rice & Peas, The Story Is True For Most Of Us and Boost!)

Book 4 Blueprint events and get 50p off each ticket

Book 6 Blueprint events and get £1 off each ticket

For full details and to book, visit our What’s On page or call the Box Office on 01708 443333.

Twelve European performing arts institutions with a strong international component are working collaboratively in an exciting new partnership to discover the European narratives of tomorrow. Determined to better integrate marginalised, isolated and disengaged communities in their activities both on and off stage and acutely aware of the impact the pandemic has had on the next generation, the partners have set up an international research project to support the career and international development of emerging artists.

Over the course of 30 months, 15 artists selected through an international open call will participate in three research residencies in three different cities. Each host institution will offer the artists the opportunity to connect with local resources including research organisations, foundations, artists and members of their communities. During the research residencies, the artists will develop a concept idea for a production. This idea will be based on the most urgent issues they have identified around the larger theme of social inclusion and fed by new and missing narratives they feel need to be told on our stages tomorrow.

The twelve partners are:

Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Conde Duque Centro de Cultura Contemporanea, Madrid (Spain)
Cyclorama (France)
Queens Theatre Hornchurch (UK)
Théâtre de Liège (Belgium)
Staatstheater Mainz (Germany)
Nowy Teatr, Warsaw (Poland)
Teatrul Tineretului, Piatra Neamt (Romania)
Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa (Italy)
Teatro Municipal do Porto (Portugal)
La Comédie de Reims (France)
Théâtre National de Strasbourg (France)

The fifteen selected artists are:

Vera Boitcova (Finland)

She was born in St-Petersburg, Russia – 1988. She got a BA degree in Musical Theatre Directing, St-Petersburg. Directorial debut – Larson’s Rent in St-Petersburg, got censored (all LGBT topics were erased) – that made her immigrate. Boitcova got an MA degree in Theatre and Performance (but really, Live Art) at Queen Mary University of London – 2015. She then stayed in England for a few years – performed at numerous venues, including BAC, Camden People’s Theatre, Brighton Dome, etc. Mostly queer cabaret, drag, lipsync, live art, video performance. She worked at the Barbican Art Centre. Boitcova moved to Beijing, China where she worked as a Drama Teacher and directed shows with local students. She started Tales of Transformation project – an international communal trauma archive and got grants and awards for it. She moved back to Russia during the political activism phase and joined Eve’s Ribs (feminist) and Coming Out (queer) organisations. Curated festivals for both. She did a lot of protest- and community art (minorities, people with disabilities). She started writing plays and won awards for her first play Today My Cat Died. She then decided to focus on dramaturgy. She started her second double MA at Uniarts Helsinki and Goethe University Frankfurt and is currently writing her second play and working on a documentary queer show for MadHouse Helsinki.

Celine Camara (Luxembourg)

Celine was born in the suburbs of Paris. During her childhood, she trained as a ballet and modern jazz dancer at the Conservatoire de Creteil. After studying law in France and the UK, she moved to Luxembourg in 2012 where she started her office career as a jurist in academia. In pursuit of her true passion, she got involved in the local improv scene and started working with Valérie Bodson at the Conservatoire d’Esch-sur-Alzette. After a brief – and ultimately beneficial – existential crisis, she quit her legal career in 2018 and turned completely towards theater. Celine followed a one-year training in Forum Theater & Theater of the Oppressed techniques. She was in charge of the actor training for the collective creation Tous Migrants bringing on stage refugees and Luxemburgish residents. Since then, she has played in theater, improv and movie productions mainly in Luxembourg.

Lucile Saada Choquet (Belgium)

Lucile Saada Choquet (she/adopted – FR) is a decolonial artist based in Brussels. After studying performing arts in Normandy, she trained as an actress at Arts²/Ecole Supérieure des Arts (Belgium). Coming from an artistic formation anchored in a racist and eurocentric cultural heritage, she develops and questions her own artistic language. Defining herself as an artivist, Lucile Saada experiments in each of her gestures a decolonial practice of art (programming, play, dramaturgy). Preoccupied by the trace, she creates scenic devices -performance, installation- which put into play political bodies and rethink collective imaginary. With her first creation, JUSQUE DANS NOS LITS, she situates her work in the place of a collective repair of the colonial trauma. She makes radical artistic choices that embrace issues of representation in terms of gender, race and class. As an adoptee, in 2022 she will conduct an artistic inquiry into transracial and transnational adoption.

Nico Jongen (Spain)

Graduated in direction and dramaturgy at Institut del Teatre of Barcelonaand artistic director of Ça marche, a live arts company. Some of the company’s projects – focused on working with non-professional performers – are Cantus Gestualis (Festival Grec Barcelona ‘22), Los figurantes (2021, Festival TNT Terrassa, Teatre Lliure Barcelona, ​​Nau Ivanow Barcelona, Conde Duque Madrid) and Los figurantes (video installation) [2021]. In collaboration with the dance company Antes Collado, he created The cave sleeps (with that rock on top) in 2018. He has also teamed up as a dramaturge with La Veronal dance company in Après moi, le déluge (Festival 10 sentidos ’16 Valencia) and Ariadna (Stattsoper Wieswaden); and with Antes Collado in several projects (Festival Grec Barcelona, ​​Biennale Dansa Venezia, American Dance Festival). In the field of theatre, he worked as assistant director for Roger Bernat/FFF at Flam (Festival Grec ‘19, Teatre Lliure Barcelona).

Odete (Portugal)

Odete (1995, Porto) works in between writing, performance, music and visual arts. Her work intends to reveal the mechanics of historical writing, unveiling them as techniques of “truth”. She’s currently developing a methodology she calls “paranoid archaeology”, based on a psico-somatic, transgender research of historical documents. She studied theatre in ACE Porto and holds a BA in Philosophy from Universidade de Lisboa. She has presented her performance pieces throughout Portugal, alongside 3 music LPs and one book.

Anne Sophie Kapsner (Germany)

After studying Theatre Studies in Munich and Stockholm she moved to Frankfurt Main in 2014 to study Directing for Theatre at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. After directing given texts (i.e. Simon Stephens, Shakespeare) she started opening herself up to the field of performance. She started more and more doing research around certain topics, collecting texts and writing by herself. Anne Sophie Kapsner has always been interested in themes like social injustice and family dramas and during this time the topics feminism, queerness and gender became more important – in her private life but also her work. She started creating performances about that, i.e. OVARtorium – A holy TheatreCeremony and Fruit of Knowledge by Liv Strömquist. Kapsner also got part of the performance group “imaginary company” – creating mostly Audio-Walks for an All-In Audience. From 2020 till now she worked as a director’s assistent at Münchner Kammerspiele.

Carlota Matos (United Kingdom)

Hailing from Porto, Portugal, Carlota is a theatre maker, director and facilitator based in Bristol. She works with young people, communities and artists, focusing on inclusive practice, access and social change. With a background in physical theatre, her practice explores themes of migration, language, identity and mental health. Carlota is interested in making live  performance with people who are not necessarily trained actors and her work is often political, challenging conventions and broadening perspectives. She is dedicated to breaking down barriers and increasing representation in theatre, especially for migrants and disabled people. Carlota frequently works in socially-engaged projects with Bristol Old Vic, Travelling Light, Many Minds and Local Learning. She is passionate about engaging diverse communities in culture and the Arts. Carlota was recently commissioned by Projekt Europa to develop an idea for co-created work with local communities, in collaboration with Royal & Derngate. She has also been awarded a Developing Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England. Carlota is currently looking for opportunities to explore new international collaborations.

Sára Märc (Czech Republic)

In 2017, Märc completed her master’s degree at DAMU – Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, majoring in acting at the department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre. After graduation, she was employed in a children’s puppet theatre for two years and then became a freelance actress. Since then, she has collaborated with many Prague scenes and projects (National Theatre, Studio Hrdinů, Pomezí, Ufftenživot, X10…). Since 2021, Märc has been a curator at Cross Attic, focusing on the processes and practice of hybrid~performance~care. In the same year, she started working in the Prague asylum for homeless (trans)women, called Homelike. She focusses on producing and curating outdoor exhibitions, teaching yoga and taking care of her dog.

Ewa Mikuła (Poland)

Dramaturg, director, author based in Poland. A graduate of Theater Studies (specialisation: performative studies) at the Jagiellonian University and Theater Directing (specialisation: dramaturgy) at AST National Academy of Theater Arts in Kraków. The winner of the Creative Scholarship of the City of Kraków. In her directing works she focusses on intimate, small narrations, especially in documentary forms, drawing on techniques “verbatim” and “devised theatre”. She believes that small narrations can be a lens of larger processes.  Topics that she has undertaken in her works are: minority identity, faith of modern people, coming of age, Polish Sign Language, Silesia working class. As a dramaturg she collaborated with directors in state theaters as well as independent initiatives creating the texts and dramaturgy for plenty of shows among others: Work, work (2020), Dialog monthly, co-written with Piotr Froń; The Lost Years (2021) Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival; Tales of the Blocks of Flats (2022) dir. M. Streker, Wrocław Puppet Theater, Pustostan (2021) by K. Zdunek, National Stary Theater. She is a fan of languages, especially focused on how languages influence people’s perception.

Maurin Ollès (France)

Maurin Ollès joined the Marseille Conservatory in 2009. He joined the Superior School of Dramatic Art of the Comédie de Saint-Étienne in 2012. In 2015 he played in Un beau ténébreux directed by Matthieu Cruciani, Letzlove Portrait Foucault directed by Pierre Maillet, Truckstop, directed by Arnaud Meunier and presented in Festival d’Avignon 2016. His show Jusqu’ici tout va bien on the issue of juvenile justice, is scheduled in Avignon in 2016. In 2018, he worked again with Arnaud Meunier in J’ai pris mon père sur mes épaules by Fabrice Melquiot and he participated in the regional “culture and health” system coordinated by La Comédie de Saint-Etienne. In this context, he created the show Pour l’amour de quoi? and runs in about thirty health establishments in Loire department. The 2019/2020 season, he takes over Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s Saigon tour. His latest creation, Vers le Spectre is currently on tour.

Giulia Sangiorgio (Italy)

I studied Literature (degree mark 110/110 cum laude), Performing Arts and Multimedia Production (d. m. 110/110 cum laude) and Direction at Civica Scuola di Teatro Paolo Grassi (d. m. 110/110 cum laude). I worked for “Diaghilev”, a theatre production center and an artistic residence in Puglia as a director, assistant director, actress, production manager from 2014 to 2018. In 2019 I worked as assistant director in Teatro alla Scala for Gilbert Deflo’s “Rigoletto”. In 2022 I worked as a director for the Olivetti exhibition at the ADI museum in Milan and in the same year I directed and wrote, with the playwright Matilde Marras, a children’s musical opera, inspired by the life of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, that was staged at the Verdi Auditorium in Milan. At the moment I’m working as an assistant director for Piccolo Teatro in Milan and as a director for Salani Editore, in a project inspired by Jean Giono’s “The Man Who Planted Trees”, which reflects on the concepts of community, happiness and pacifism. I am in the process of founding my own company with a playwright, Eliana Rotella, and an organizer, Chiara Donadoni, with which I share a political, artistic and ethical views. With this company I’m directing two contemporary plays: one is “CORPORA” which deals with the theme of the difficulty of mourning in a society that has lost its rituals, the other one is about Hedy Lamarr, who made the invention of the century but wasn’t taken seriously because she was a woman, an artist and a foreigner. I’m the creator and project manager, with the team of Theatron 2.0, of “Omissis – Osservatorio Drammaturgico”, a free digital platform aimed at enhancing contemporary dramaturgy in Italy and networking between directors and playwrights (the platform has just been launched: https://webzine.theatronduepuntozero.it/omissis-osservatorio-drammaturgico/).

Elena Rabkina (Ukraine)

Elena Rabkina is Belarusian artist focused on photography and interactive art. Elena researches and documents the immaterial story of people, things and places, pays attention to the small real-life details and explores the current meaning of the mass culture. Her artworks have social commentary and reflect on agism, social inclusion, urbanism, ecology, mental health, migration, activism. Left Belarus in 2020 due to the political repressions, lived and worked in Odessa, Ukraine till the beginning of the war. Exhibited at National Center for Contemporary Arts (Belarus), SÜDBAHNHOF fotografische Werke (Germany), Mark Rothko Art Center (Latvia), Lviv Municipal Art Center (Ukraine), Dnipro Center for Contemporary Culture (Ukraine) and other places. Apart from being an artist, Elena is a social activist, co-organizer of urban and art festival Vulica Brasil and mentor for social and art projects

Simon Restino (France)

Simon Restino (b. 1991, France) lives in Strasbourg. He studied in London at Central Saint Martin’s College (2010-2013, 1st Degree Honor). From painting, his research unfolded in space and became installations, writing and performance. At Beaux-Arts de Paris-Cergy (2014-2016), he started a large project built around the enigmatic figure of Kaspar Hauser. He trained at École du TNS (Strasbourg) in the scenography section (2017-2020), which led him to conceive spaces, costumes and objects for Simon-Elie Galibert. He contributed to french school pavilion of the Prague Theatre Architecture and Design Quadrennial 2019, curated by artist Phillipe Quesne. As part of his personal project, he staged Kaspar Hauser 1828-1833 (TNS, 2019). He collaborated with Julien Gosselin (Dekalog, 2021) and designed scenography & costumes for director Blandine Savetier. He performed in Castellucci’s Bros (2021). He is currently working on personal projects including The Bros tapes, and (Kaspar Hauser).

Mateja Stanislava Rot (Slovenia)

Urban innovator, interdisciplinary artist and architect of peace. In 2018 she initiated Back on Track! – Gardens of Listening project listening labs along the heritage trainline Linha do Vale do Vouga in Portugal, were created. She was selected artist within Open Access – Experimenting with performing arts and transmedia. In 2018 she completed international summer school in sustainable/social architecture at Critical Concrete. She was Visiting Research Fellow at University of Brighton – Center for Digital Media Cultures, conducting research on serious games for urban planning and VR/AR innovation. She is Rotary Peace Fellow 2018, CEC Artslink International Fellow 2022 and (r)Evolutionary of Design Science Studio, run by habRitual and BFI. In 2022 she will be artist in residency at Valletta Design Cluster, Malta. Among her recent projects is PLAY:CES urban game which was featured at Fusion – Urban Games Festival Matera and Sprites of Meadowlands, featured at different festivals around the world, most recently at Regenaissance Salon: Art Inspiring Regenerative Future at Art Basel Miami 2021 and RABAN Urban games festival in Lodz. She co-authored Unseen Sacred Spaces, exhibited at Festival Ars Electronica 2020:  In Kepler’s Gardens.

Ruxandra Simion (Romania)

Born in 1995 in Bucharest, Ruxandra Simion is a Romanian cultural worker. Ruxandra studied anthropology at the University of Bucharest, as well as stage direction and dramatic writing at the University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest. She started working in the political theatre field in 2018 during the Summer School for Political Theatre at Macaz, where she was artist-in-residence, and directed her first play, Fuckulty. The play follows personal stories about the systemic harassment in arts universities, fat-shaming, and sexual abuse, a topic which had been until than tabu in Romania. Since 2018, she worked as a stage director, playwright, curator, workshop facilitator, and project manager. She studied and practiced the methods of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, she wrote opera librettos, designed a dramaturgical game about housing, worked with teenagers, wrote and published poetry and performative texts. In 2020-2021, she did her internship at Ison Theatre in Athens, the first Greek theatre and drama school for disabled artists. Ruxandra`s artistic work explores political and social issues, and it uses satire and musical theatre as favourite means. She is also interested in community theatre production, and the applied arts as tools of education and social reflection. Her work so far was focused on topics such as climate change, feminist empowerment, work and workers, reflection on her mental health, and the critique of capitalism.

THE NEXT STEPS
° 6-8 October 2022: Launch of the first Masterclass event in Liège
° Autumn 2022: Beginning of the research residencies
° Autumn 2023: Halfway Masterclass in Milan
° November 2024: Final Symposium in Luxembourg

Further information, visit www.futurelaboratory.eu

Co-funded by the European Union

This July, award-winning artist David Shearing, known for his immersive multimedia environments and spaces takes over the historic marketplace in Romford which celebrates its 775^th Anniversary this year, with a unique interactive piece of public art. The The Rising Sun will be a striking light-responsive installation, a structure designed in the shape of a pub which will stand proudly right in the centre of the square, in sight of the marketplaces’ three pubs.

Inside, visitors will be bathed in a haze of light that follows the movements of the sun. The magical and evocative space will be filled with the town’s familiar local voices, telling moving stories which map their life journeys of arrival, living, loving, and longing.

Romford-born Shearing, who is also a two-time winner of the World Stage Design awards for Installation (2013 and 2017) says: “The Rising Sun is a snapshot of everyday people, shining a light on hidden stories of the local community, not the stereotypes that are often portrayed in this unique and changing outer East London town. Pubs are at the heart of our communities and can serve as a place of conversation. I hope this piece of art will encourage debate about what’s possible in our town centres by building a sense of destination and pride.”

Shearing adds: “Inspiring and unusual art can animate our public spaces and help to bring us together. Like so many town centres, Romford is a different place following Covid, with the loss of many major retailers, and a different night-time economy landscape. I wanted to create accessible art that would inspire a sense placemaking.”

The installation has also been designed to explore and celebrate the complexities and changing identities of East London and Essex. The borough of Havering has the 4^th lowest level of public arts engagement in London, placing it firmly in the bottom third of places nationally, however this installation, which is commissioned in partnership with Romford Business Improvement District (BID), Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and is also supported by Havering Changing, a consortium of local organisations, is part of a wider progressive strategy being undertaken in the borough to trial radical new ideas to engage local people in arts and culture in different ways. The research impact of the project is supported by The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Mathew Russell, Queen Theatre Hornchurch’s Chief Executive comments: “It’s great to see work of this ambition in Havering. As a sub-regional producing theatre, ‎we’re increasingly interested in different forms theatre might take and how this can animate a variety of exciting locations, reaching new audiences. Romford High Street is dear to our heart, and it’s brilliant that an award-winning artist of David Shearing’s stature is creating work for an iconic public space in Havering for the very first time. It’s definitely going to be a highlight of this summer.”

Julie Frost, Romford’s BID director adds: “Town centres can no longer be conceived as merely places of economic exchange. Rather they must be understood as areas which are to provide an ‘experience.’ They are spaces into which the individual person can derive their own unique understanding and sense of fulfilment from what is on offer around them. The Rising Sun captures the very essence of this.”

Havering is also embarking on a £1billion regeneration scheme. As one of the fastest changing boroughs in the country it has been identified as having the highest predicted growth in 0-24 year olds in Greater London. While 25% of the population are from Minority Ethnic groups this jumps to 40% of young people at primary and secondary school age. The recent opening of the Elizabeth Line will further transform its shifting population and fortunes in the future.

The installation can also be experienced by a wider audience online via an interactive digital website in which viewers will be able to click on and ‘eavesdrop’ into the many captured voices. The online binaural soundscape has been built in partnership with artist/composer James Bulley and Rabbit Hole, a creative agency known for their leading digital work for Coldplay.

The Rising Sun can be experienced from Friday 15 July to Saturday 30 July, 8am – 8pm daily in Romford Market or online. Entrance is free and pre-booking is not required. For more details, visit https://therisingsun.variablematter.com/

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch are delighted to announce that it will be running a festival of new ideas this September. Blueprint will be an extraordinary fortnight, taking place from 12 – 24 September, of new and unusual theatre in different spaces inside and outside the amazing Grade II listed building.

With many ideas being tried out for the first time, audiences will be at the start of experiencing some amazing performances, up close and at a distance, intimate and epic. With plenty of opportunities for audiences to discuss what they have seen and meet the makers of the work, it will be a thrilling festival of theatrical discoveries.

Mathew Russell, Chief Executive of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said: “We’re thrilled to be announcing for the first time, Blueprint: ‎a festival of new ideas. We’re working with so many exciting Outer East London and Essex artists keen to make and explore different sorts of theatre in and outside an amazing building, and wanted to provide fresh opportunities for this exciting work to be seen by more people. We’re expecting audiences to have an amazing fortnight of theatrical treats and to be surprised, moved and delighted by what they see. We can’t wait to welcome you there.”

Highlights of the programme so far include:

Rice and Peas by Blouse & Skirt

Share three West Indian courses with Figgy and Edith, throughout their life, in this acclaimed immersive dining experience written by Mia Jerome. With a menu designed by Jon Bentham (former head chef for Gary Rhodes).

In This Smoking Chaos by Laura Ann Price

Experience the power of design led performance with a profound exploration of life shifting through time and space, over 31 scenes.

Shakespeare-On-Sea by Mawa Theatre Company

Delving into the world of Shakespeare, the sea and estuary – a digital project through the gaze of Black, female, local artists.

This Story Is True For Most Of Us by David Shearing

Dine in a climate of food, art and performance – only at this table, can were really see ourselves and our environment.

A Different Class by Kenny Emson

Exploring mental health, masculinity and working-class culture, with a drum and bass soundtrack that will blow the doors off the theatre. 

Wake Up People by John Webber

A reading with a difference: this is a funny and candid look at a new pandemic sweeping through working class Britain, conspiracy theories.

The Empty Chair by Joe Lichtenstein

A one-on-one play about an empty chair, you’ll be taken to a secret location within the theatre for an intimate personal performance.

Through the Ages by the Theatre’s Technical Team

A sound and light spectacular on the outside of the building, taking you on a journey from the past through to the present with a musical medley inspired by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch productions.

Final Farewell by Tara Theatre

A moving theatrical experience that captures the voices of individuals in four poignant stories. Explore these on a unique audio walk.

Boost! by Applause & Creative Estuary

A free two-day residential training and developmental lab upskilling artists working in contemporary dance and circus to tour rurally.

The full programme will be announced and tickets will go on sale this July. For more details, visit queens-theatre.co.uk and follow the Theatre on social media.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to announce that it has been listed Grade II by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on Historic England’s advice, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Theatre is one of six sites across the country to be listed and is the only site to be listed in London.

Ranging from a hotel and an archive to a church and markers on a major motorway, the listings aim to highlight some of the many important places from Her Majesty’s reign and to reflect the important social, technical and cultural changes which have taken place over the past 70 years.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is a quintessential 1970s modernist theatre, named after the Queen. The Theatre was opened in 1975 by Sir Peter Hall, Director of the National Theatre. It first occupied a site in Station Lane, Hornchurch from 1953, in a converted cinema building. The current purpose-built theatre building, designed by the London Borough of Havering architect R.W. Hallam and project architect Norman Brooks, was opened in 1975 on Billet Lane, Hornchurch. It is a distinctive and well-designed example of 1970s theatre design and remains relatively intact. The external features are clearly influenced by the work of renowned German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The Queen visited with the Duke of Edinburgh in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the theatre on its original site, which also coincided with the 50^th anniversary of Her Majesty’s coronation, the reason for its naming as Queen’s Theatre. The visit is commemorated with a plaque still held by the Theatre.

Mathew Russell, Chief Executive, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said “We’re so proud that Queen’s T‎heatre Hornchurch has been Grade II listed, and to celebrate such a very special occasion. The theatre is a much loved and well utilised asset, at the heart of a changing community. This is an amazing opportunity to recognise its rich heritage, and as we approach our 70th anniversary, to help ensure an extraordinary and special building can continue to be enjoyed and cherished by many more millions of people into the future.”

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England said “These new listings celebrate the diversity and richness of our heritage overseen by Her Majesty during her 70-year reign, showing how the fabric of the nation has changed and developed. These sites cover the length and breadth of the country – from All Saints’ Church near Birmingham, which she opened in 1955 when she was newly crowned, to the high-tech Hampshire Public Records Office, completed in 1993.”

Nigel Huddleston, Heritage Minister said “These historic sites provide a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how much life in the UK has changed during Her Majesty the Queen’s 70-year reign. Listing them as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations is a fitting way to pay tribute to the longevity of her service.”

The listings complement Historic England’s recently-launched educational online story map, which shows The Queen visiting heritage sites throughout the country as a celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.

The brand new fresh and joyful musical adaptation of Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ the Musical, book and lyrics by Jake Brunger with music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, has opened to rave reviews at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and has received an Offies Nomination for Performance Ensemble.  Make sure you catch it before it closes on 21 May.

What people are saying about the show;

★★★★ ‘Immensely uplifting…it is like being embraced with a warm hug after a long, hard day’ The Stage

★★★★ ‘In a world where we need an escape more than anything, this show is a blinding light’ West End Best Friend

★★★★ ‘It really is one of the funniest musicals I have seen for a long time’ Musical Theatre Review

★★★★ ‘The show is wonderfully charming and filled with nostalgia’ Box Office Radio

★★★★ ’Well received by young and old alike… left the audience smiling’ London Born and Breed

Based on Sue T‎ownsend’s best-selling book, this outrageously funny tale of teenage angst and unrequited love features one of the most endearing comedy characters of all time.  Life’s pretty hard when you’re a misunderstood and spotty teenager living in a cul-de-sac in 80s Leicester. Adrian’s life simply can’t get any worse – until new girl Pandora joins a class and captures his heart. But can Adrian win her love and escape from the school bully and his chaotic family life? 

The musical stars Sally Cheng Christmas Carol (Royal Shakespeare Company), Dominic Gee-Burch Footloose (UK & International Tour), James Hameed Be More Chill (West End), Lauryn Redding The Worst Witch (West End), Sioned Saunders Amelie (West End), Tom Self Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Steve Simmonds Love Letters (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Claire Storey Twelfth Night, (Rose Theatre, York), Luke Thornton Love Letters (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch) and Ben Williamson-Jones Spend, Spend, Spend! (Guildford School of Acting).

From the team behind Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Made in Dagenham, this new production of a hit West End musical, based on the classic novels which also inspired the iconic ITV sitcom, has an infectious score that will make you laugh whilst tugging at your heartstrings.

This show is the last production directed by Douglas Rintoul in his tenure as Artistic Director at the Queen’s who said;

 “I can’t think of a better way to end my time here at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. We’ve put together a top team, many who you will recognise from other hit musicals and pantos at the Queen’s who are stoked about bringing one of the UK’s best-loved comedy characters to life. It is a hugely enjoyable, hilarious, and quintessentially British musical and a great night out for all generations. We are delighted by our audience responses, hugely positive reviews and our award nomination so make sure you come down to see us’

Book now and find out more at www.queens-theatre.co.uk. The Theatre will also be providing an Audio Described performance on 14 May.

An exciting new community partnership to promote the arts and develop creative talent has been launched between New City College and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

The partnership will encourage collaboration and learning and will give students the chance to improve their creative practice through workshops and performances at the professional venue.

They will also be able to see first-hand how the Theatre works and gain an insight into the diverse roles within the performing industry. Some students are already reaping the rewards of the partnership having secured work experience and work placements in front-of-house and technician roles.

To celebrate the launch, on Tuesday 3 May, Performing Arts students from NCC’s Ardleigh Green campus took part in a day of inspiring acting workshops, led by the Theatre’s James Watson and Kerry Hunt. They were also taken on theatre tours and had a ‘meet the team’ Q&A session where they could find out about the different job opportunities within the industry.

After the fun-packed day, the students performed a dance showcase to an array of guests and VIPs to mark the special occasion.

The partnership, led by New City College Deputy Group Curriculum Director for Creative Arts Andy Greaves and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s Executive Director Mathew Russell, is an excellent example of the Theatre’s investment in the local community and commitment to inspire more young people to discover and love the arts. It will also add real value to the curriculum delivered at New City College.

Catherine Moggridge, Senior Curriculum Manager for Performing Arts at Ardleigh Green, said: “This partnership highlights what is at the heart of the Queen’s Theatre – collaboration and teamwork. The staff here have gone over and above to welcome us and meet our needs and I would like to thank each one of them. We look forward to continuing to build this rewarding relationship.”

The next phase of the collaboration will see an entire ‘takeover day’ of the Theatre on Tuesday 14 June, where students will participate in a range of roles, host workshops for local schools and take part in a performance on the main stage.

Special guests at the launch included NCC Group Principal and CEO Gerry McDonald; Principal of Ardleigh Green and Havering Sixth Form campuses Janet Smith; Ardleigh Green Deputy Principal Ian Budge; and Group Curriculum Director for Creative Arts, John Waite.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch staff James Watson, Head of Learning and Participation; Kerry Hunt, Education and Partnerships Producer; Christine Piper, Head of Production; and Peter Thorne, Head of Customer Services and Facilities, led workshops, tours and facilitated the launch event.