Category: Queen’s news

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to announce it has been awarded a £5,000 capital funding grant from the Equity Charitable Trust towards upgrading its green room facilities as part of its QNew Transformation Programme. These funds will be combined with the £5,000 grant the Theatre received in February from Theatre Trusts’ London Small Theatres Grants Scheme to make the space more accessible.

With rehearsals now taking place for the Queen’s Theatre’s produced work in its newly built rehearsal space on-site, the Theatre is striving to encourage D/deaf and disabled persons to be better represented on its main stage. This investment towards making the green room more accessible and suited to their needs will play a vital role in making users feel welcome and offer them a practical space to relax and socialise with others. This will involve purchasing new equipment and making adaptions to its current kitchen layout with adjustable fittings and appliances to accommodate everyone’s needs.

Milton Johns, Chairman at Equity Charitable Trust says, ‘I played the Queen’s Theatre back in the sixties and I am delighted it is still going strong and that we at the Equity Charitable Trust are able to help with this admirable work.’

Mathew Russell, Executive Director at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch says, ‘We’d like to say a massive thank you to the Equity Charitable Trust for this generous grant. The funds will make an important contribution towards improving the accessibility of our green room for actors, creatives and staff to enjoy for years to come.’

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.

In addition to its newly built rehearsal space, the project has delivered a stylish new Q Bar on the ground level, offering better accessibility for audiences, a number of urgent and essential backstage improvements as well as developments towards the creation of a new Learning & Participation Space in the lower foyer.

For more information about QNew click here.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will be hosting a Cake & A Cuppa Day in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch on Thursday 13 June, between 12pm and 2pm in its foyer.

On the day, Fairlytes Choir will be performing some memorable songs with participants from the Alzheimer’s Society’s Singing for the Brain group, which uses singing and activities to bring together people with dementia or memory loss. There will of course be plenty of cake and many pots of tea!

The Alzheimer’s Society is the only UK charity that campaigns for change, funds research to find a cure and supports people living with dementia today. Their wide range of support services ensures nobody has to face dementia alone. People with dementia have mentioned how difficult it is to find out who to turn to or where to go for information and support.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch aims to ensure a positive experience for everyone that comes to the Theatre – whether it is to see a show, use its café or participate in one of its many drama workshops or community projects. The Theatre creates numerous projects aimed at people with dementia to enable them to continue enjoying and participating in the arts.

The event is free to attend and donations very much appreciated. All funds raised are being equally split between the two charities with match funding from Barclays Hornchurch.

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has released details of the latest developments it has experienced under its QNew Transformation programme including more capital funding and upgraded equipment.

Back in January and February this year, the Theatre campaigned to bag a capital grant from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative together with Groundwork London towards its Q Access strand of the £1 million pound QNew Transformation project. Voted by customers in the local area, the Theatre is delighted to have been awarded the top prize of £4,000. This grant will be used towards refurbishing its two disabled toilets and the installation of a push button powered operated door. These essential changes will ensure all visitors have better access to facilities that accommodate their needs.

Alec Brown, Tesco’s Head of Community, said: ‘Bags of Help has been a fantastic success and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from customers, who get to decide how the money will be spent in their community.’

Alex Forrester, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Groundwork London: ‘It’s always fantastic to see projects being given the chance to make a real difference within their local communities through Bags of Help. We’re proud to play a part in this scheme in partnership with Tesco to help community projects get the opportunities they deserve to develop and flourish.’

Groundwork London is a social and environmental charity who help the capital’s local communities build resilience. Groundwork is administering the Bags of Help programme in partnership with Tesco.

New sprung oak floorboard effect flooring has been laid in the Theatre’s new rehearsal space to provide a degree of bounce that flexes under impact. Performers need a floor to absorb the shock of repeated impact to their joints and reduce injury from falls. This follows the recent installation of new windows, a curtain rail and mirror curtains, cork boards, coat hooks and wifi, which have helped make the space more practical and stimulating for actors and creatives to work in.

A new washing machine has been installed in the Theatre’s laundry room which will provide the Wardrobe Manager with better facilities to maintain costumes. The Theatre has its own Wardrobe Department where costumes are lovingly created on-site for its produced productions. The Theatre’s workshop has also had its paint bridge refurbished to increase its longevity, which enables its scenic artists to paint cloths and scenery at height safely. The paint bridge is an asset to the Theatre as there are not many paint bridges left in London.

The Theatre has been fundraising towards innovating the iconic building since September with contributions coming from capital grants, donations and the Theatre’s introduction of a 65p QNew Transformation fee. This came into effect on the Theatre’s 65th birthday, Friday 21 September 2018. Since then, customers have already helped the Theatre raise a public contribution towards QNew of £48899.30.

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.

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s young company will be participating for their sixth year in the biggest youth festival in the UK and Ireland with Laura Lomas’ thought-provoking new play, Chaos.

The NT Connections festival is a celebration of young people, theatre-making and the importance of access to the arts. Each year, the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people to perform, bringing together some of the most exciting emerging playwrights with the theatre-makers of tomorrow.

A girl is locked in a room. A boy brings another boy flowers. A girl protests against injustice. A boy doesn’t know who he is. A girl worries about impending catastrophe. A woman jumps in front of a train. A boy’s heart falls out of his chest. A butterfly has a broken wing.

Directed by Will Hudson, this topical piece of new writing brings Lomas’ characters to life in their search for meaning in a complicated and unstable world.

Performances will take place at 7pm and 8.30pm on Friday 22 March and Saturday 23 March in the Queen’s Theatre’s newly built Rehearsal Space. The show runs for an hour with no interval and contains some strong language.

Speaking about the production, writer Laura Lomas said, ‘I wanted to write something that embraced chaos, that celebrated it, in all its strange unpredictable energy, in all its trouble, and its beauty. I didn’t want it to always make sense, but I did want it to feel very alive – all the ways I remember feeling as a teenager.’

Tickets are £10 (plus QNew Transformation fee) and can be purchased by calling the Queen’s Theatre’s Box Office on 01708 443333 or online at queens-theatre.co.uk

Staff of the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch are currently training for the Brentwood Half Marathon to raise money for its wide-reaching Learning and Participation projects.

Running the Brentwood Half-Marathon on Sunday 17 March are Douglas Rintoul (Artistic Director), Tom Lowe (Relationships Officer) and Ellie Hutley (Front of House Assistant and a former Youth Theatre Member). Participating in the 5k fun run on the same day will be Elaine Darran (Head of Finance). The group have set a target of £2,000.

The Queen’s Theatre offers a variety of programmes that enables everyone the chance to discover and nurture their performing arts talents across Havering, East London and Essex with people of all ages and backgrounds.

This includes producing high quality productions involving the local community, training young people in theatre skills both on stage and behind the scenes and assisting schools in delivering the curriculum in an innovative way.

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.

To donate please visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/QueensTheatreRunners2019  or call the Queen’s Theatre’s Box Office on 01708 443333.

 

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch experienced a significant moment in the Theatre’s 65 year history this week, as Sir Ian McKellen graced its stage for two consecutive evenings to raise funds for the Theatre’s QNew Transformation programme. The Theatre is delighted to have raised an incredible £46,000 and sends a special thank you to everyone who shared this landmark moment with them for their generous donations.  

Regarded as one of Britain’s greatest screen and stage actors, and quite rightly a national treasure, Ian McKellen is best known for his history of Shakespeare stage roles as well as starring in films such as X-Men and Lord of the Rings. He performed his warm and humorous new solo show on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 February, as part of his Ian McKellen On Stage tour to celebrate his 80^th birthday.

Ian McKellen presented a highly entertaining evening talking about his experiences on film sets, acting a selection of famous Shakespeare speeches and even performing a sketch as a panto Dame. He then generously helped with a bucket collection post-show and spent time meeting with fans and taking selfies.

Executive Director Mathew Russell at the Queen’s Theatre said, ‘It was one of the highlights of the theatre’s illustrious history as Ian McKellen took to our stage to raise funds for QNew, and celebrate our last 65 years. We’re so proud that Ian chose us as a venue to perform his once in a lifetime event, but even prouder that he came back to do the whole thing over again!’

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.

For more information about QNew click here.

ACS Dance Centre, also known as Anthony Clifford Studios is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year; husband and wife team and ex-professional dancers Diana and Mark started the school with just three students. They are now a registered charity as well as having their own impressive multi-studio dance premises in Albert Road, Romford.

This February they are joining forces with the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in their new production about the competitive world of Ballroom dancing Kiss Me Quickstep. Seven ACS students will form part of the show’s community chorus. They are Jack Burchell, Jessica Moores, Ella Nelson, Sue Smith, Elzbieta Szatkowska, Tomasz Szatkowski and Mieko Wertheim.

Joint Principal Diana Clifford said ‘We are so proud of our school, and all its pupils both children and our many adult members who may start to dance much later in life.  I truly believe dance is for everyone and its benefits for health and happiness are immense, even for those who do not want to take it up professionally. This new collaboration with the Queen’s Theatre is very exciting as it is promoting just this message!’

The school’s accomplishments speak for themselves, with many students going on to professional careers in all forms of dance, theatre and acting, even performing lead roles in the West-End and across the world.

Unusually for a dance school however, the Ballroom and Latin genre is equally well regarded as their theatre side and ACS excels in Ballroom, winning at National Blackpool grand finals and competing worldwide. The school has also been awarded the annual IDS Vocational Dance School of the Year four times, chosen from many thousands of applications from across the country and overseas by judges from the Royal Ballet school and the Editor of the Dancing Times, presented by Angela Rippon and Wayne Sleep. Diana is delighted to have recently been accepted as a Chance to Dance- Associate Artist of the Royal Opera House and teaches special classes on their behalf as part of the Royal Opera House’s Outreach program, with ACS and the Opera House offering selected children scholarship places at the school.

Kiss Me Quickstep plays at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 22 February to 9 March. Co-produced with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, this sequin-studded ballroom drama by Amanda Whittington reveals the backstage stories behind the fabulous frocks, fixed smiles and fake tan, looking at the lives of those for whom dancing is everything. Tickets are £12.50 – £29 (plus an additional 65p QNew Transformation fee), with £8 tickets available for Under 26s (Tue – Thu & previews). Audiences can see this show and two more Queen’s Theatre productions (In Basildon and The Hired Man) from just £15 each with a Jump the Q season ticket. Offer ends 9 March.

For information about classes for adults and children in Ballroom, Latin, Ballet, Tap, Modern and Freestyle see acsdance.uk or call 01708 783576.

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is one of five London Theatres to be awarded £5,000 from the Theatre Trusts’ London Small Theatres Grants Scheme for meaningful projects that address viability and accessibility and improve the theatre-going experience.

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will use this grant to complete a package of accessibility works front and back of house to better support audiences, participants and performers, as part of its QNew Transformation programme.

Tom Stickland, Theatres Adviser at the Theatres Trust said: ‘London is rich in all sorts of theatre, not just the West End in all its opulence, but tiny spaces that have made their homes in converted spaces and in communities throughout the capital. We launched this scheme following a GLA report into the challenges faced by small theatres and as you can see from our recent awards it is the smallest of those spaces that stand to benefit the most from some investment in their buildings; ensuring high quality experiences for theatre-goers, staff and performers.’

Mathew Russell, Executive Director at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch says, ‘We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Theatres Trust. This grant will make an important contribution towards improving the accessibility of our Theatre for audiences and artists to enjoy for years to come.’

The Omnibus in Clapham, Islington charity The Big House, The Tower Theatre in Hackney and Soho Theatre were the other organisations to also receive a £5,000 grant.

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.

For more information about QNew click here.

Developments are underway at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch as part of the Theatre’s QNew Transformation programme. The Theatre has been fundraising towards innovating the iconic building since September and is delighted the first phase of building improvements is underway.

The Theatre’s new Rehearsal Space has now been installed with windows, a curtain rail and mirror curtains, cork boards, coat hooks and wifi, which have helped make the space more practical and stimulating for actors and creatives to work in. Daniel Haynes, a freelance Company Stage Manager who works regularly for the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch says, ‘The improvement works made to the new rehearsal space has allowed the room to feel bigger and more open, with the new windows allowing in natural light and fresh air. The addition of mirrors, curtains and pin boards allow the room to be more functional for directors, creatives and the acting company.’

These improvements wouldn’t have been possible without a generous donation from Gerry Byrne, Franchisee Owner of McDonalds Romford as well as contributions from the Theatre’s introduction of a 65p QNew Transformation fee. This came into effect on the Theatre’s 65th birthday, Friday 21 September. Since then, customers have already helped the Theatre raise a public contribution towards QNew of £31,522.90.

Douglas Rintoul, Artistic Director at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said, ‘We’d like to say a huge thank you to McDonalds Romford and to all our loyal customers for their generous support for this important QNew project. By investing into the building, this support will ensure we keep producing the very best work we can, whilst encouraging members of our community to take part or see some of our upcoming productions.’

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.

For more information about QNew click here.

Lucy Benjamin, who is best known for playing Lisa Fowler in EastEnders and Maggie in Mackenzie Crook’s BBC Four series Detectorists, has been cast in the regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon.  This family drama will run at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 14 – 30 March.

In Basildon sees the soap star return to her local Theatre after performing in Deadly Murder at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2015. She is currently performing in The Ruffian on the Stair at the Hope Theatre, Islington until 16 February.

She will be joined by Peter Bray (Much Ado About Nothing, Rose Theatre Kingston); Patrick Driver (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, West End); Emily Houghton (Olivier nominated production The Lorax, Old Vic Theatre); Beverley Klein (Les Misérables, original cast, Royal Shakespeare Company) Peter Temple (Boy; Almeida Theatre) and Connie Walker (Trestle, Southwark Playhouse). Completing the cast are David Hemsted (White Gold, BBC Two) and Charlotte Law (Beauty and the Beast, Theatre Royal Stratford East) who were cast through the Queen’s Theatre’s open audition process to find local actors.

Written by the award-winning Romford playwright David Eldridge (Market Boy, National Theatre; Beginning, West End) this explosively knotty drama is being brought back to its roots after a 2012 premiere at the Royal Court Theatre.

The production will be directed by the Theatre’s Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul (Abigail’s Party, Rope, The Crucible), with design by Natasha Jenkins and lighting design by Alexandra Stafford. 

In Basildon launches the Queen’s Theatre’s Essex on Stage programme, a new two year programme that champions the positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London.

In Basildon runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 14 – 30 March. Tickets are £12.50 – £29 (plus an additional 65p QNew Transformation fee), with £8 tickets available for Under 26s (Tue – Thu & previews).