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The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to be able to reopen its doors to the public on Thursday 3 September. The Theatre invites audiences to pop in to pick up its brand new Welcome Back leaflet, have a chat with the Box Office team about upcoming productions in our Autumn season, and enjoy a cup of tea and a cake in the re-opened Café!

While the building has been closed to the public for the last five and a half months, extensive work has continued behind closed doors to complete the Theatre’s QNew Transformation, 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 works include:

• A larger fully accessible stage in the foyer with ramp access either side. Over the stage hangs a pink neon sign with the new name for the space, The Other Stage.
• A complete revamp of the existing box office, including a lowered counter, has made the space more accessible for both customers and staff.
• Extensive changes to the Green Room, including wider door frames and lowered counters and appliances, to improve accessibility.
• The conversion of existing backstage toilets to make them gender neutral and more accessible.
• New furniture and seating areas throughout the foyer area.
• Installation of air conditioning in the foyer to maintain a comfortable temperature all year round.
• A Community Library commissioned and built by the Young Changemakers in the foyer, stocked with playtexts and scripts available to the public.
• A brand new Sennheiser radio frequency hearing system, replacing the previous infra-red version, for D/deaf or hearing impaired, and blind or visually impaired, patrons.
• New modular radio mics to complement our existing system.
• Improvement works to the roof, utilising foam technology to increase thermal performance, replacing broken skylights to protect the building from the weather and provide fresh air to backstage areas, and re-slating part of the auditorium walls to help protect against the elements.
• The replacement of old outdoor lighting with new LED lighting, providing increased light levels, new working light in the dock area and improving energy efficiency.
• The installation of new windows in all dressing rooms and offices – increasing the energy efficiency of the building, and the refurbishment of the foyer window frames – treating the aluminium to protect it from degrading, and coating the exterior in black to match the aesthetic of the building and provide enhanced protection against the elements.

The Theatre is immensely proud of the continued work undertaken during the building’s closure, and is thrilled to welcome its audiences back to a newly modernised space. The QNew project has been made possible by generous contributions from Arts Council England, London Borough of Havering, Veolia Maintenance Trust, City Bridge Trust, Ian McKellen On Stage, The Theatre Trust, Equity Charitable Trust, Tesco Bags of Help, McDonalds Romford, Fowler, Smith & Jones Charities, Rotary Club of Brentwood á Becket.

The QNew Transformation Fee has played an extraordinary part in giving the Theatre a refreshing facelift for artists, participants and audiences alike. The Theatre would like to thank each and every audience member who has donated since September 2018, which has raised over £100,000 for the QNew Transformation.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will be further launching its Autumn 2020 Season on Tuesday 1 September.

Today four of the biggest pantomimes in London announce their postponement to 2021. Hackney Empire, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre Royal Stratford East will not be producing their annual pantos this year due to the continued uncertainty of government guidelines for restarting public performances.

All four theatres have a long tradition of producing high quality and community driven Pantos, last year their four pantos were enjoyed by over 145,000 people, including over 40,500 schoolchildren, many of whom would have been experiencing theatre for the first time. Each Panto is created uniquely for the theatre and its community working with some of the UK’s most talented artists and providing opportunities for new talent to make their professional debuts. These four Pantos typically employ over 285 freelance artists, including writers, directors, designers, actors, technicians, stage management and many more, demonstrating the financial impact Panto has not only for a theatre, but across the theatre industry. The production process for such a large-scale show as Panto would have begun at the start of August. Without an announced date from the Government on when theatre performances can resume without social distancing, making doing a Panto economically viable, these theatres have now had to take the hard decision to postpone to 2021.

Yamin Choudury, Artistic Director and Jo Hemmant, Executive Director, Hackney Empire said: “Firstly we want to thank everybody for their passionate and tireless support, particularly over the last five months, the donations and messages of love and encouragement we have received have given us the strength we need to keep pushing forward in increasingly punishing circumstances. It makes decisions like today’s even more difficult. Everyone involved in bringing our world famous pantomime to Hackney is devastated, but we know that we have to make any decision necessary, however unimaginable a few months ago, to ensure that Hackney Empire can remain this incredible and singular sanctuary of creativity and togetherness for another 120 years and more.

Pantomimes are long and expensive to plan and produce, monopolising the minds, efforts and generosity of hundreds of people in the process. Writers, directors, composers and performers, designers, builders, technicians and stage managers, box office and front of house staff who greet you every single night for over 60 performances, the list goes on and despite potential government funding for some – to be confirmed at a later date – the numbers just don’t add up while uncertainty remains on reopening timing and restrictions.  We need to stay strong until we can welcome audiences back when it is safe to do so. This doesn’t mean that nothing will be happening at Hackney Empire over the holidays. We are working on a festive programme (stay tuned…) for our audience to enjoy this December. It will be on a smaller scale to our usual offering, but it will be just as magical; maybe fewer custard pies, but even more fairy dust!”

Rachel O’Riordan, Artistic Director and Sian Alexander, Executive Director, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre said: “We are desperately sad to be postponing the Lyric’s 2020 Panto Aladdin to 2021. It was a very hard decision but one we had to make to ensure the future of our theatre and manage the unprecedented levels of risk during this difficult and uncertain time. We have a long history of Panto at the Lyric; our first was in 1897. It is a magical time of year for our theatre, the artists we work with and our community – we love seeing many generations of families coming together to experience the joy of Panto. Economically Panto is massively important to the theatre industry, it is also for many their first experience of live theatre and for others the first opportunity to work professionally. We are incredibly proud of the talent that has come through our Panto Ensemble, which provides a pathway into our industry for many young people who go on to have incredible careers in theatre. We are committed to Panto being back in its rightful place on our stage in the heart of Hammersmith and delighting our audiences in 2021.”

Douglas Rintoul, Artistic Director and Mathew Russell, Executive Director, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said: “Whilst we’re excited that audiences will still get to see our latest pantomime Aladdin in 2021, fingers tightly crossed, we’re incredibly sad that this is the first time since 1953 that Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch won’t be producing a pantomime. It’s the highlight of everyone’s year – for audiences of all ages and the team at the Theatre too – celebrating togetherness through a riot of silliness and spectacle. The experience is so important for huge numbers – for children enjoying the magic of their first theatre visit, those who go to the theatre once a year and our most loyal followers, who’ve been enjoying Hornchurch pantos for a long time. The impact on the charity’s finances will be pretty dreadful too, and we’ll be seeking and needing lots of extra support to get us through the rest of 2020 without it. In the meantime, we’re hopeful that they’ll be a different and smaller but still very special alternative festive offering, which bookers can read more about on our website.”

Nadia Fall, Artistic Director and Eleanor Lang, Executive Director, Theatre Royal Stratford East said: “Panto has been part of the Stratford East Christmas since 1884 and so it’s with a heavy heart that we have to postpone Red Riding Hood. So many people tell us that the Stratford East panto is the first thing they saw as a child, and so many families come every year as their Christmas tradition, and each year over 11,000 school children come to our panto too. It’s also our biggest show; employing a wide range of freelancers, who may now have no work over the Christmas period. Panto means so much to our audiences, the artists and freelancers that put it together and to us as a building. Despite the disappointment for this year, we are determined that we will have a brilliant panto in the making by Carl Miller and Robert Hyman next year and we can’t wait to share Red Riding Hood with our audiences in 2021.”

The customers for each Panto will be contacted by the theatre they have booked with moving their booking to the equivalent performance in 2021. The theatres thank their customers for their continued patience and support through this process.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is launching a programme of digital and in-person holiday activity for young people of all ages, Summer Unlocked. The programme sits alongside the Summer Inside-Out project, for which the Theatre received funding from the London Community Response Fund, administered by City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder.

These summer activities are designed to help offer safe and inclusive spaces for young people to develop friendships, grow confidence and most of all have fun learning and developing their skills as theatre makers with support from professional tutors.

It is also an opportunity for the theatre to support local professional artists and put them in a position to inspire young people, create exciting new work and share some top industry tips.

James Watson, Head of Learning and Participation, says ‘Now more than ever it is so important we help young people re-engage with each other, continue to build social skills, and re-gain confidence as they prepare to return to school in September after nearly five months at home. We are working hard to respond quickly to new ways of working safely and are excited to be welcoming young people back into the building for our biggest ever summer holiday programme.’

All workshops are limited to 15 young people and have been designed to adhere to the latest government guidelines for COVID-19 Secure working and social distancing.

LISTINGS

Digital Summer School – Song Writing with Andrew Linham

Please note, these sessions will be hosted on Zoom.

Mon 3 – Fri 7 Aug | Ages 7-11 | 1pm-3:30pm | £45 per child

Mon 10 – Fri 14 Aug | Ages 12-18 | 1pm-4pm | £45 per child

Join local musician Andrew Linham to learn about the art of song writing! Group based and individual exercises will explore styles of music and lyrics, with additional tasks set to complete outside of the sessions, guiding you through the process of writing your own song by the end of the week. No singing ability required!

Summer School Week 1 – Creative Connections with Tom Mangan

On the Main Stage at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

Mon 10 – Fri 14 Aug | Ages 10-13 | 10am-4:00pm | £85 per child

Join local Theatre Maker and QYouth Tutor Tom Mangan to devise a play every day for 5 days and discover more about yourself and how you connect with the changing world around you. Explore devising and storytelling techniques while building on your performance skills.

Summer School Week 2 – Acting Boot Camp with Danielle Kassaraté

On the Main Stage at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

Mon 17 – Fri 21 Aug | Ages 13-18 | 10am-4:00pm | £85 per student

Work alongside professional actor Danielle Kassaraté for a week’s work-out of your acting muscles. Explore professional acting exercises, develop your performance skills and learn some top industry tips along the way.

Summer School Week 3 – Silent Movies with Francesca Bailey

On the Main Stage at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

Mon 24 – Fri 28 Aug | Ages 6-10 | 10am-3:30pm | £85 per child

Join professional actor and QYouth Tutor Francesca Bailey to explore the art of silent movies. Devise and film your own silent move to show to friends and family at the end of the week.

For further information please email the Learning and Participation Team: learning@queens-theatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01708 443333.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is today announcing it has this week commissioned four Outer East London and Essex writers to work collaboratively with Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul. The writers will together create a special new play, celebrating the very best of Essex resilience and spirit, as an epic, humorous and celebratory antidote to lockdown stories, to be performed later in Autumn 2020.

The project is being developed in such a way that it can be flexibly made, rehearsed, performed and shared with audiences, in person and online, in a COVID-19 Secure way. Further details will be announced when tickets go on sale in August.

Three of the four writers have not been commissioned by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch before:

• Anne Odeke, a Southend actress who is currently rehearsing with the RSC for their 2020 season (The Winter’s Tale, RSC; Bartholomew Fair, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Globe Theatre)
• Guleraana Mir, (Coconut, Ovalhouse), Hornchurch-based playwright and one half of female-led theatre company The Thelmas
• Kenny Emson, award-winning Essex playwright (Rust, Terrorism, Bush Theatre; Plastic, Mercury Theatre Colchester)

The fourth, Sadie Hasler, co-founder of Southend theatre company Old Trunk, wrote the highly acclaimed Stiletto Beach for the Theatre, as part of the 2019 Essex Girls and Boys season.

Anne Odeke says ‘You’re asking me how it feels as a creative from Essex to be commissioned by the incredible Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch? The honest answer? Terrifyingly exciting! I’m a great fan of the other writers; they all come with their own style. It will be fantastic to share our thoughts and experiences of the remarkable county of Essex – it’s going to be a great night.’

Guleraana Mir says ‘It means a lot to be commissioned by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch as part of Essex on Stage. The Queen’s is my local theatre, and I’ve lived on its doorstep all my life, so it’ll be wonderful to see my work on its stage.’ 

Kenny Emson says ‘In these uncertain times it’s fantastic that Queens Theatre Hornchurch is committing to commissioning and producing new work. I grew up in Essex and believe passionately that if the stages of our theatres are populated by the voices of the people that live in their communities, they will always find an audience.’

Sadie Hasler says ‘I’m absolutely ruddy thrilled to be a part of Queen’s amazing ongoing Essex on Stage project. I never thought as a female writer I’d get a job celebrating Essex, but writing Stiletto Beach opened my eyes, and heart, to the importance of pride in where you live. It was one of the most inspiring affirming times of my life. Since then I’ve been lit up like a glow stick with defiant love for the brilliant people of Essex.’

Epic Essex is part of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s Essex on Stage project. Essex on Stage has been made possible by the generous support of The Clothworkers’ Foundation. Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is the recipient of the 2018 Clothworkers’ Theatre Award, a competitive annual prize given to a regional producing theatre, that has only ever been awarded five times.

Queens Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to announce today (Wednesday 8 July) that it has received funding from the London Community Response Fund administered by City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, to run a programme of community outreach and artist development projects throughout the Summer. The theatre is turning themselves ‘inside-out’ to provide creative opportunities digitally, streamed live into homes across the borough.

The funds will allow the theatre to deliver their Summer Inside-Out programme – a collection of exciting free-to-access projects and workshops focusing on three key areas;

The first strand aims to provide open access to creative activities to the public, encouraging wellbeing, shared experiences and social interaction for all. In addition to continuing its successful Seated Dance Sessions with choreographer Sundeep Saini and Musical Theatre Sing-a-Longs with musician Andrew Linham, the Theatre is also launching Tiny Plays, an initiative which invites members of the public to explore play-making exercises with theatre director Jules Tipton. The exercises will then form an anthology of mini-plays performed by local actors.

The second strand will develop existing partnership projects to further support communities in need, connecting with looked after children and vulnerable young people. The Theatre will be curating digital activities to provide a positive safe place for young people to connect with each other and offer a creative focus to prepare students for their return to school in September. Participants will work towards an Arts Award qualification to recognise their achievements.

The third strand continues work already established by the Theatre’s successful Outer Limits Online programme, which brings together local performers and performance makers and offers signposting to emergency funds, and up-skilling to achieve sustainability after lockdown. In addition, the programme also offers employment opportunities for local freelance artists and practitioners at a time of real precarity for freelance work. Artists from the Outer Limits network will also work with the Young Changemakers, the Theatre’s youth council made up of five local 18-25 year olds, supporting them to curate an online programme of work for young people, requested, developed and delivered by young people addressing real and current needs.

James Watson, Head of Learning and Participation for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, says ‘Over the last few months we’ve seen the power the arts hold to ignite moments of joy even amongst difficult circumstances as we’ve created new ways to connect with our wider community at home. We are thrilled to receive this funding to support an extended summer programme of activity, recognising the value of arts and culture in people’s lives, health and well-being and the significant part the theatre plays in supporting communities.’

More information on the London Community Response Fund is available online at www.londoncommunityresponsefund.org.uk

RESCHEDULED DATE: Friday 2nd October 2020 at Thameside Theatre, Grays

Calling all performers and performance-makers in Thurrock

This festival of performance and expert industry advice will be a fantastic opportunity for performers and performance-makers across Thurrock. They can connect with the people in their own communities who can guide, inspire and provide future opportunities for development and work.   

Any theatre-maker, playwright, performer, poet, dance-maker or singer/songwriter who lives in or is connected to Thurrock is invited to send in a submission for inclusion in Outer Limits Thurrock. Scratch* performances can be up to 15 minutes in length and expenses up to £100 will be paid. Ready to go performances can be between 30-60 minutes in length and depending on the scale of the piece, will receive a performance fee up to £500. The theatre’s technical staff will be available to support performances.  Now is the time to create that piece of work that has always been lurking at the back of your mind. There’ll be lots more news nearer the time for those who’d like to come along and network, but don’t wish to bring work.

The deadline for submissions has been extended to Wednesday 29th July at 5pm. All submissions will be considered by the Outer Limits Thurrock steering group made up of industry professionals. To find out more and request a form, email qthouterlimits@queens-theatre.co.uk

Outer Limits is part of the two-year Essex on Stage programme, which champions positive ideas about Essex, celebrates performance made by working-class people and raises aspirations artists from Essex and Outer East London. Essex on Stage is supported by The Clothworkers’ Foundation.

Outer Limits Thurrock Application Form

For the last month, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has been asking its audiences‎ about their experience of lockdown. The Theatre has received over 1,000 responses – online and by phone – each of them by turn, surprising, funny, moving and ultimately full of hope.

Now the Theatre is placing those stories firmly centre stage in its empty auditorium, reflecting them back in a loving patchwork of encounters that share the collective voice of an extraordinary community.

Superstitions about ghostlights allow echoes of former actors to perform in a theatre that’s closed, where the stage is empty. But what happens when one such ghost has been waiting for her much loved audience to return? Join us and see…

Attend the Theatre online on one of three evenings only‎, for a special and unique short event – at 7.30pm on Wednesday 24, Thursday 25 or Friday 26 June.

If joining the event, please consider making a minimum donation of £10, by text, online or phone, more if you feel able. Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will be using those donations to enable future creative and community projects when the doors re-open – and the theatre ghosts move on!

To donate to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, visit www.queens-theatre.co.uk, or make a donation by text:

QTH 10 to 70085 to donate £10

QTH 15 to 70085 to donate £15

QTH 20 to 70085 to donate £20

UK networks only. Texts cost donation amount plus one standard rate message.

Here I Am

Live online at 7.30pm on Wednesday 24, Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June only

The event will last 35 minutes and can be accessed via Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch YouTube channel. On Friday 25 June at 8.30pm, a pre-recorded and captioned version will be available via YouTube too.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Hull Truck Theatre and Oldham Coliseum Theatre have today (10 June) announced that they will be streaming their epic and landmark 2019 revival of The Hired Man to raise vital funds for current and future creative projects, which together reach over 380,000 people a year, while their theatres are closed to the public.

This much loved actor-musician revival played to national critical acclaim across the country, securing three Offie Award nominations and with Lauryn Redding a finalist for Best Female Performance in a Musical. Glowing reviews included:

★★★★ ‘They play Goodall’s glorious folk-based score as if it’s pouring from their very souls.’ Sunday Express

 ‘A gorgeous, resonant new production…Wrenching and wonderful’ Mark Shenton

★★★★★ ‘This is theatre to relish and cherish’ – North West End

★★★★ ‘One of the most well-crafted British Musicals of all time’ – Upstaged Manchester

Based on the stirring novel by Melvyn Bragg first published in 1969, The Hired Man was turned into a musical in 1984. The production features a superb score of rousing foot stomping rhythms and soaring choruses by the award-winning composer Howard Goodall (Bend It Like Beckham, Love Story).

With the support of The Really Useful Group Ltd, the premiere of the streaming will take place on Monday 15 June 2020 at 7.30pm, and will then be available for one week on the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch YouTube channel and via each of three theatres websites.

To donate to the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, click here, or make a donation by text:

QTH 10 to 70085 to donate £10

QTH 15 to 70085 to donate £15

QTH 20 to 70085 to donate £20

UK networks only. Texts cost donation amount plus one standard rate message.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to announce that it has received funding from Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, to continue its offering of two strands of free digital classes. The classes are aimed at connecting audiences from their own homes while in lock-down, streaming live from the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch Facebook page each week. Initially commissioned for six weeks from 20 April – 31 May, these sessions have proven to be hugely beneficial in offering positive engagement to people of all ages, racking up over 12,000 views in the first 3 weeks alone.

Thanks to the funding received from Clarion Futures, the classes will recommence twice weekly beginning Tuesday 9 June providing a creative offering for our shared local community. Previous sessions are also available to catch-up via the Theatre’s Youtube and Facebook pages.

One strand features seated dance lessons led by Choreographer and Movement Director Sundeep Saini from her living room every Tuesday, with a brand new dance routine to try out each week. These sessions will be delivered seated to support access and mobility needs, subtitled, and audio described in delivery. Each session goes live on the Theatre’s Facebook page at 11am on a Tuesday.

The other strand is a musical theatre sing-a-long session with local musician and Musical Director Andrew Linham every Thursday at 11am. Andrew will lead a warm up session followed by the chance to learn a classic musical theatre number each week.

At the start of the week the Theatre will put a poll on their Facebook page where audiences can vote for one of three musical theatre songs to learn. (Audiences can also leave suggestions in the comments of songs for inclusion in future weeks.) The one with the highest votes by mid-day on Wednesday will be taught by Andrew in a Facebook Live session at 11am that Thursday.

Clarion Futures  has previously funded the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s participation work though regular dance and drama workshops at the Orchard Village estate. Clarion Futures is also a member of the Havering Changing consortium, a partnership of 8 local organisations that will seek radical new ideas to engage local communities in arts and culture, support local decision makers and share learnings, led by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

The digital classes have been made possible thanks to a grant from Clarion Futures’ Emergency Support Fund which has been created to offer direct financial support to some of its longstanding partners during the coronavirus outbreak.

James Watson, Head of Learning and Participation at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, said ‘We are grateful for the continued support of Clarion Futures in recognising the value of the arts in building communities and promoting personal wellbeing. We hope these digital sessions will continue to benefit our local and wider communities during this period of isolation’

Matt Parsonage, Head of Communities at Clarion Futures, said: ‘We’re delighted to be supporting these online classes which, we hope, will bring the community together and provide a way for people to enjoy themselves and express their creativity – something that is particularly important during these difficult times’

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has announced a call out to its audiences in Outer East London and Essex for a response to questions about their experience of the lockdown. The answers will inspire a unique new project.

We miss you and haven’t had the chance to talk with you about what’s going on. The pandemic has impacted all of our lives. We’ve seen the big news stories, but here at the Theatre we want to know (and tell) your story. Members of our staff: are home schooling their kids, miss seeing family, have given up wearing stilettos, have volunteered at a food bank, go for long walks, worry about the future. One hugged a tree for the first time and another secretly delivered Easter eggs to people’s houses!

We want to know what’s happened to you during lockdown so that we can share our collective stories in a special new project.

1. What is new about your daily routine in lockdown? Has anything become more or less important to you during this time?
2. Has anything changed for you forever?
3. What moment, event or image of this time will be the one thing that stays with you?
4. Is there something you have missed over the last few weeks? What do you long for?
5. What is your hope for the future?”

The Theatre will place its audiences’ stories centre stage for what will be the most important project it will make this year.

The general public can answer the questions online (https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LockdownStories), by email via boxoffice@queens-theatre.co.uk or by calling the Queen’s Theatre and speaking to a member of the friendly box office team (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm on 01708 443333).