Category: Queen’s news

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to be able to reopen its doors to the public on Monday 17 May 2021 (subject to the Government’s Roadmap).

The new season of produced work at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch gets underway with a new production of Tim Firth’s hit comedy Neville’s Island, from 20 May – 12 June and 22 June – 3 July 2021 (socially distanced seating will remain in place at least throughout May and June).

Four out-of-condition clueless middle managers are forced on the outdoor awayday from hell. Shipwrecked, wrapped in thick fog and cut off from civilisation with one cold sausage between them, Gordon, Angus, Roy and the hapless Neville‎ are about to experience the misadventure of their lives…

From the critically acclaimed Tim Firth, writer of Calendar Girls, The Band and Our House. This fresh new production of an award nominated West End comedy, is the perfect entertainment to welcome audiences safely back to live theatre, on their doorstep this summer.

From 30 July – 21 August 2021, the main stage will be filled with all the best of Essex pop throughout the heart of the summer as the postponed premiere of Love Letters, a brand-new jukebox musical, promises audiences an unmissable post Lockdown treat. It is the next step in the Theatre’s Essex on Stage programme, an ambitious new two year programme led by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and made possible by the generous support of The Clothworkers’ Foundation, championing positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London.

In early autumn 2021, Romford-born David Eldridge (In Basildon) returns home with a ‘gorgeous new play’ (Independent) that takes a touching look at the first fragile moments of risking your heart and taking a chance. This tender‎ and funny critically acclaimed smash hit received its world premiere at the National Theatre before transferring to the West End. Beginning is being revived and relaunched by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 3 – 18 September 2021.

Details of the rest of the Autumn 2021 season of productions, including a newly commissioned play, will be unveiled in late June 2021.

Finally, tickets are on sale for our traditional family pantomime Aladdin returning to Hornchurch this Christmas.

The Theatre is also offering a range of socially distanced comedy, dance and family guest shows throughout May and June 2021. Acts such as comedy favourites Scared Scriptless, Bring the Laughter, Queen’s Theatre Comedy Club and Shake It Up Theatre – the improvised Shakespeare show. Children aged 4 – 13 can join the Mad Science team for an exciting journey through the world of Chemistry! For dance enthusiasts the Theatre are hosting Ballet Central – the renowned company of young graduate dancers. The annual National Theatre Connections Festival, celebrating young people and theatre-making also takes to the main stage. Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will be showcasing new work from local artist Maria Ferguson with Essex Girl as part of its Outer Limits programme on its newly renamed The Other Stage, as well as continuing the sing-a-long musical for people living with dementia and their carers, Down Memory Lane.

The popular community Café will reopen, and the Theatre’s impressive learning and participation programme continues with a range of online and in-person activities.

We are pleased to be partnering with Metta Theatre – one of the UK’s leading production companies devoted to British musical theatre – to announce the release of a film of a brand-new musical, Cells, written, developed and recorded entirely during lockdown by the award-winning writer/director P Burton-Morgan and composer Ben Glasstone and starring Metta’s recently announced Patron, the Olivier award-winning Clive Rowe alongside rising star Lem Knights.

A university science lab. A kebab shop at 2am. An online gaming forum. Two strangers’ lives become intertwined. Alan Bennett meets The Streets in this tender and uplifting new work, giving voice to the lives of two everyday blokes.

Metta are partnering with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and two other major regional venues – Royal & Derngate in Northampton and the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough – and we will being hosting episodes of the film on our websites. The first episode will be launched on Monday 19 April, with subsequent episodes released daily, and the full film will be available on Monday 26 April, along with the album to be released on Spotify and other digital platforms.

The film, in episode form and then in its entirety will be free to all to access via YouTube with a suggested donation (£3 per episode, £10 for the whole film) – all of which will go to the three theatres to help support their recovery.

Cells is written and directed by P Burton-Morgan (Madam Butterfly UK tour, In the Willows, UK tour, Jungle Book UK & International Tour), with music by Ben Glasstone, mixed and mastered by Simon Small and the Musical Director is Phil Cornwell. The Director of Photography is Jon Dickinson, the films are edited by Will Reynolds. Phil Cornwell plays keys and double bass and Curtis Volp is on guitar.

P Burton-Morgan, who in 2020 won the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for musical theatre book writing for In the Willows explains, ‘I’ve been talking to Clive about writing something specifically for him ever since we met 4 years ago, so I’m thrilled to have this opportunity. It’s been a wild adventure creating a music video musical for this brave new world of ‘digital theatre’ in which we find ourselves. Hopefully we’ve succeeded in taking the best of both theatre and film to create something intimate and unique.’

Douglas Rintoul, Artistic Director at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said, ‘Musicals are at the heart of our programme here at QTH, and so we’re thrilled to be supporting this innovative digital project from our exceptionally talented colleagues at Metta.’

Calling out for directors, designers, choreographers, musical directors, composers, performers and stage managers, all living in South Essex

This summer, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is leading an exciting new collaborative project, a Creative Estuary Co-commission, stretching in impact across South Essex.

Together we’ll be creating a new piece of place making theatre that’s accessible and cross generational, touring to community venues, and reaching under served and under represented audiences.

We want to ‎make this with a diverse range of artists all living in the area itself, so it’s truly South Essex in its roots, helping build a regional community of creative practitioners, and fostering further relationships into the future.

So if you’re an artist living in South Essex – in the districts of Thurrock, Castlepoint, Southend on Sea and Basildon, plus the south of Brentwood district – and would like to find out more, please contact douglas@queens-theatre.co.uk with ‘Creative Estuary project callout’ in the subject line, explaining why you’d love to make collaborative work about the area in which you live, attaching your CV.

So we can consider your interest, please be in touch by Wednesday 31 March 2021

 About Creative Estuary Co-commissions

Creative Estuary Co-commissions is an ambitious creative programme taking place along the length of the Thames Estuary in Kent and Essex. The Co-commissions will support creative practitioners and organisations to make and present new work. These co-commissions will be delivered through a network of partners and at a range of scales, responding to local contexts and communities. From grassroots organisations to established cultural venues, as well as smaller-scale commissions working directly with local artists and collectives, the Co-commissions will create opportunities for creative innovation and new cultural production throughout 2021 & 2022.

CREATIVE ESTUARY has a vision to forge a new future founded on creative energy and innovation, along the length of the Thames Estuary. The project is supported by The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and led by a consortium of public sector and cultural organisations. They include the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), Kent and Essex County Councils, the Greater London Authority, 11 local authority areas represented by Thames Gateway Kent Partnership and opportunity South Essex, South East Creative Economy Network (SECEN), University of Kent, University of Essex, Locate in Kent and cultural organisations Metal and Cement Fields. In early 2019 the University of Kent was awarded £4.3m from the DCMS Cultural Development Fund on behalf of the partners. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport funds the Cultural Development Fund which is administered by Arts Council England.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is today delighted to be announcing the appointment of five new Board members, and a new Fundraising Board member too.

These new trustees join this vibrant and ambitious producing theatre, working in Outer East London, Essex and beyond, at an important time where the theatre is playing an ever increasing role at the heart of a changing community, as well as providing important leadership culturally across the sub region.‎ QTH was recently awarded London Theatre of the Year 2020 (The Stage awards), the first Outer London theatre to receive this prestigious award.

The new Board members are:

• Andrea Cunningham – Assistant Regional Director at Metal in Southend, with a background in learning in national museums and galleries
• Dominic Hedges – a theatre maker from East Ham, with over ten years experience creating work with children and young people
• Dr Neha Issar-Brown‎ – director at one of the UK’s biggest medical research charities, and a Havering resident, who’s voluntary work reflects a broad commitment to diversity
• Sonja Lahiff – an experienced fundraiser, working at English Heritage, living in Hornchurch, who has worked in the arts and culture sector for ten years
• ‎George Morgan – a drama teacher, actor and writer, living in Basildon, with a passion for inclusivity amongst young people in the arts

And joining the Fundraising Board, is Natalie Chan, an arts fundraiser and producer from Hong Kong, currently working for Creative Youth and The Bread and Roses Theatre.

These appointments follow Claire Gevaux stepping down as Chair in December, after four years of successfully steering the charity through significant change, alongside retiring Trustees Asma Hussain and Steve Moffitt. Sara Thompson, Deputy Chair, has taken on the role of Chair on an interim basis, and David Shearing the role of Deputy Chair.

The Theatre is currently undertaking the search for a new Chair.

Sara Thompson said: ‘The existing trustees and I are delighted to be working with Andrea, Dominic, Neha, Sonja, George and Natalie, and pleased that the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Board has members from an increasingly diverse range of backgrounds and lived experience. Despite the challenges of the last year, the Theatre has an impressive range of plans for the future, which as trustees we’re looking forward to playing our part in. We’re also exceptionally grateful to Claire, Asma and Steve for their considerable insight, support and dedication over the last four years.’

For more details about our board, click here.

Full casting has been announced for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s upcoming production of Sharon ‘n’ Barry do ‘Romeo & Juliet’, a new everyday comedy, on Zoom from 25 February – 6 March 2021.

The cast is: East London actor David Nellist (BBC One’s Sherlock and Macbeth, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch) and Southend-on-Sea actor Joanne Seymour (BBC One’s Eastenders and The Killing of Sister George, Palace Theatre Southend). Completing the cast are Jessica Rothon and Jack Scannell-Wood, from Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s QYouth programme, alternating as Sharon and Barry’s niece/nephew. 

Sharon and Barry are done with baking, Joe Wicks & Netflix and have stumbled upon Sharon’s old battered school text of Romeo & Juliet in their loft. After a bit of a read and a watch of the classic, the couple’s been inspired to have a crack at the play themselves… 

They’ve hacked out the boring bits, worked out playing all the parts, and the props have just arrived from Amazon! 

So, join them live from their living room for this inadvertently hilarious, but surprisingly touching, take on Shakespeare’s most romantic story.

The play will be performed live online via a private link and is directed by Douglas Rintoul, the Theatre’s Artistic Director (Christmas Allsorts; Misfits; As You Like It; In Basildon; and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch).

This new work builds on a year of digital innovation at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2020, with the international streaming of co-production The Hired Man, live streamed community response piece Here I Am and world premiere of award nominated digital theatre piece Misfits.

Sharon ‘n’ Barry do ‘Romeo & Juliet‘ will be performed on Zoom from 25 February – 6 March 2021. Tickets cost £8 plus 65p QRenew Fee, suitable for all ages 7+. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.

The magic of live theatre direct to your home… but with comfy sofa seating, shorter queues for the loo and cheaper snacks.

Join The Changemakers Network!

Our Young Changemakers are excited to launch The Changemakers Network to connect and champion creative young people.

Sign up and be first to receive the upcoming Young Changemakers Podcast, seed commissions for young artists and invitations to live events later in 2021. Joining is free and easy, click here!

The network is open to anyone who wants to get involved, with most opportunities focussed at 18-25 year olds from across Outer East London and Essex.

With thanks to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their support of our Learning and Participation programme.

 

 

Let’s Make Havering Happy

We want to know your creative ideas and projects that will help spread some joy and put a smile on someone’s face who may be experiencing loneliness during this lockdown.

Havering Changing is looking to work with artists, craft makers and community groups to spread some creative happiness at this time and are welcoming applications as part of an open call.

Ideas should inspire people to engage in creative activities, make them feel valued, and lift their mood to help their mental health and general wellbeing.

The projects should all be activities that people can do at home and do not require an internet connection or mobile phone to connect to.

Even if you do not have a creative idea, but want to help or know a person or group who would benefit from some creativity at this time, please get in touch.

Find out more here.

 

 

Romford Winter Garden

From Monday 1 February, Havering Changing launches their Winter Garden Project, in partnership with artist Carlos Cortes.

The Winter Garden will be bringing to the streets and houses of Romford a large kaleidoscope of colours and natural forms. Local people can get involved and use their creative flair to make colourful flowers, plants, and display them in the windows of their homes creating a collective Winter Garden.

Winter Garden workshops will be delivered through online tutorials and creative packs that residents can request or pick up in selected shops in Romford, Rush Green and Collier Row when doing their essential shopping.

Find out more here

 

 

Coven celebrates using our Artist Space 

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Associate Artist, Rebecca Brewer, talks about being back in the Theatre:

‘We feel really lucky to be able to come into the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch to do some work on COVEN next week.

A lot of planning has gone in to the rehearsal to make sure that we are COVID-19 secure; we have people zoom-ing in for rehearsals as well as a handful of people coming into the space, as well as lots of masks, temperature checks and sanitiser!

We’ll be exploring the music and script further, but also exploring some shadow puppetry, movement and even some moments of magic! We hope that we will be able to share COVEN again with you as soon as time allows, but in the meantime, take care and you can find us on Twitter @COVENtheshow’

If you’re a local performer or performance-maker and would like to use the Artist Space, please email douglas@queens-theatre.co.uk

Find out more here.

 

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to announce the world premiere of a new everyday comedy, Sharon ‘n’ Barry do ‘Romeo & Juliet’, on Zoom from 25 February – 6 March 2021. 

Sharon and Barry are done with baking, Joe Wicks & Netflix and have stumbled upon Sharon’s old battered school text of Romeo & Juliet in their loft. After a bit of a read and a watch of the classic, the couple’s been inspired to have a crack at the play themselves…

They’ve hacked out the boring bits, worked out playing all the parts, and the props have just arrived from Amazon!

So, join them live from their living room for this inadvertently hilarious, but surprisingly touching, take on Shakespeare’s most romantic story.

The play will be performed live in real time online via a private link and is directed by Douglas Rintoul, the Theatre’s Artistic Director (Christmas Allsorts; Misfits; As You Like It; In Basildon; and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch).

This new work builds on a year of digital innovation at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2020, with the international streaming of co-production The Hired Man, live streamed community response piece Here I Am and world premiere of award nominated digital theatre piece Misfits.

Rintoul says ‘Once again we’re heading into rehearsals during a lockdown to bring audiences some live theatre. We were desperate to make something fun and joyous, so I am chuffed that today we’re announcing details of our new comedy, Sharon ‘n’ Barry do ‘Romeo & Juliet’. It’s something daft and beautiful that we hope will brighten up these last winter weeks.’ 

Sharon ‘n’ Barry do ‘Romeo & Juliet‘ will be performed on Zoom from 25 February – 6 March 2021. Tickets cost £8 plus 65p QRenew Fee, suitable for all ages 7+. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Happy New Year!

We hope that you’re all safe and well. We’re working hard behind the scenes and are delighted to let you know about some of the exciting activities launching this month.

We can’t wait to fling open our doors again. In the meantime, if you’re able to donate, we would love that. Your support during this difficult time has meant so much to us.

Look after yourself, stay strong, hang out with us on social media, and look out for our weekly updates as we reveal plans for this hopeful New Year!

With best wishes,

All at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

 

Phizzical in association with Belgrade Theatre Coventry and Vivacity Key Theatre, Peterborough, present: Bring on the Bollywood free digital stream

The masters of Bollywood experiences Phizzical, debuted Bring on the Bollywood at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in June 2017.

In celebration of India Republic Day next week, our friends at Phizzical share this fantastic romantic comedy with us for FREE!

Take a break from Netflix and make an evening of it.

‘A must-see for all the family as well as Bollywood and theatre fans alike’ British Bindi.com

Festooned in a kaleidoscope of colourful costumes and melodious music, Bring on the Bollywood is a glitzy theatrical experience inspired by real stories of love.

Best Theatre Award finalist at Asian Media Awards in association with ITV.

Watch Bring on the Bollywood here for free.

 

 

Havering Changing has many opportunities for you to be creative at home and in your community in 2021

Havering Changing is all about YOU driving and deciding what creative activity YOU want to see on your doorstep. If you are from Harold Hill, Orchard Village, Rainham or Romford and want to help decide what happens in your community, Havering Changing want to hear from you!

If you have a creative idea that helps get more people taking part in amazing creative experiences, we together can support and fund you to make it happen.

And, if you love talking about what’s happening in Havering and have a passion for helping others, there are opportunities to volunteer as a Creative Champion. All positions will be supported by an induction and training by Havering Volunteer Centre.

If you would like to get involved or find out more, email hello@haveringchanging.org

 

 

Launch of QYouth Connect Sessions 

This week we have launched our new youth theatre ‘Connect’ sessions via Zoom helping young people stay connected with each other and the Theatre during this third national lockdown while we are unable to run our regular weekly classes.

All current QYouth members have been invited to join these weekly sessions which feature a different special guest every week!

 

 

Spring 2021 shows on sale now

We can’t wait to welcome you back.

Some of our spring season productions are already on sale and soon we’ll have news of more.

Up-coming highlights include the world premiere of our new Essex Musical Love Letters. In association with the National Theatre, we’ll be bringing David Eldridge’s ‘gorgeous new play’ (Independent) Beginning home to its roots and there’s plenty of live music, new writing and comedy to suit all tastes.

Click here for our full ‘What’s On’ guide

 

 

Throughout summer 2020 Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch ran a highly successful online initiative called Ten Tiny Plays. They invited members of the public to explore play-making exercises with local theatre director Jules Tipton.

On Wednesday 27 January, the Theatre is delighted to reimagine these free playmaking workshops delivered by telephone, especially for people with limited or no digital access. Participants can join Jules Tipton on a group phone call every Wednesday afternoon for a playful introduction to some easy storytelling activities designed to help unleash their creativity. No experience is necessary, and the project is open to everyone!

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will choose some of the Tiny Plays created in these workshops to be rehearsed and performed by professional actors. These plays will then be shared back as a brand-new telephone play.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch have partnered on Ten Tiny Telephone Plays with the Havering Asian Social Welfare Association (HASWA) and DABD. This is a continuation of their existing partnership work to support older and isolated individuals who would most benefit from the opportunities.

If you know someone who would enjoy getting involved or would like to participate yourself, please email the Learning Team on learning@queens-theatre.co.uk .

Full casting has today been announced for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s traditional seasonal special Christmas Allsorts.

The Theatre is excited to be welcoming back actors who are no strangers to its stage. They include Lauryn Redding, who was in The Hired Man and last seen in the West End show The Worst Witch, and Alex Tomkins, who was in Made in Dagenham and Cinderella. Alex finished his run at the beginning of the year as the first cover for the lead in the hit West-End musical School of Rock.

The pair are joined by talented actor-musicians Sioned Saunders and Tom Self. They have had successful careers with roles in hit Queen’s Theatre musicals and pantomimes The Hired Man, Priscilla – Queen of the Desert, Made in Dagenham, Robin Hood and Cinderella.

Audiences will be treated to a delightfully traditional family variety show, wrapped up in tinsel, with a bit of everything loved about the very best time of the year. This glamorous and brightly coloured selection box of music, dance and comedy includes yuletide tunes from films and musicals, as well as much-loved Christmas pop, alongside classic and new comedy sketches.

Christmas Allsorts will be rehearsed and performed in a socially distanced environment. It will be directed by the Queen’s Theatre’s Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul (As You Like It, The Hired Man, Priscilla – Queen of the Desert, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch). With musical direction by Tom Self, lighting design by Stephen Pemble and choreography by Sundeep Saini.

Director Douglas Rintoul says ‘It’s fantastic to have a cast of familiar faces return to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. The cast are amazingly talented actor-musicians coming from smash-hit shows and they’re going to make Christmas Allsorts an absolutely unmissable family treat.’

Christmas Allsorts will enjoy a strictly limited run from 11 December – 3 January, with only 200 tickets available per performance in a socially distanced auditorium. Aimed at audiences of all ages, aged 8+. Tickets are £6.50 – £26.50 (plus 65p QRenew Fee).