Your upbeat musical to celebrate the very best of Essex this Summer opens soon!

We’re just a couple of weeks away from the first preview show of our brand new musical, Love Letters. We hope that you’re just as excited as us to finally be able to see this world premiere and we’re looking forward to welcoming you to the Theatre to celebrate the very best of Essex.

With the Government Covid 19 guidelines relaxing on the 19 July, we wanted to let you know that we’ve made the decision to continue with socially distanced seating throughout the run of Love Letters.

We will be keeping other safety measures in place including the provision of hand sanitisers within all areas of the theatre. We will strongly recommend and kindly request that customers continue to wear face coverings, and to keep a safe distance from others. The very popular At Seat Service app, where food and drink orders are taken and delivered to your seat, will also continue. We will maintain our non contact temperature checks for anyone entering the theatre as well as cashless payments, e-tickets and an enhanced cleaning rota. All of these measures are to ensure that both our audiences and staff can feel safe and confident as they return to our venue.

There may be some instances where we need to reconfigure the seating arrangements. If this is the case, we will contact you if needed, but do please get in touch with the Box Office by emailing or calling 01708 443333 if you have any questions about your booking.

Thank you for your continued support.

We can’t wait to welcome you back to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch soon!

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch have announced today that they will be streaming their new epic play that tells the story of five lives colliding on a single day along the banks of the river Thames, free to view.

Tales from the Thames is currently touring to sold out venues across South Essex where theatre is rarely, if ever, staged. From a village hall in West Tilbury to a historic pub on Canvey Island, a Heritage Barn in the Wat Tyler Country Park to a Leisure Centre in Pitsea, Tales from the Thames is charting its way along the Estuary, visiting ten diverse, intimate community locations over 13 performances.

The online premiere will take place on Monday 12 July 2021 at 7.30pm and will then be available for one week on the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch YouTube channel and via their website.

Tales from the Thames is the first of a new series of exciting Creative Estuary Co-commissions – the initiative which aims to showcase 60 miles of the North Kent and South Essex region as one of the UK’s most dynamic and creative areas in the whole of the UK – working on this occasion with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (QTH).

Written by QTH Associate Artist Rebecca Brewer and playwright Vickie Donoghue, both from Thurrock, with Southend-based songwriter M G Boulter, Tales from the Thames begins as the sun rises over the river, and everything’s coming to life. The soundtrack of the Estuary is heard, from the dawn chorus of birds to engines starting, front doors closing and metal containers being loading onto waiting ships; across South Essex journeys are about to be made.

But today is different…

After Rebecca, Vickie and M G had written the script and music, the job of creating the show was undertaken by Rebecca as co-director, working alongside QTH’s Artistic Director, Douglas Rintoul. The set and costumes were designed by Southend’s Rachel Dingle with choreography by Nikki Watson, from Gray’s CoDa Dance Company. Southend – on – Sea based Harry Fitzpatrick is Assistant Director, while Michael Bennett, Romford, created the sound design and Josh Mead, Upminster, designed the lighting for the show. M G Boulter is Musical Director.

The cast includes Colchester’s Tim Freeman (A View from the Bridge, Protocol Productions), Southend-on-Sea’s Mia Jerome (Lost Lending Library, Punchdrunk), Chafford Hundred’s Tom Mangan is the co-artistic director of multi-award winning theatre company Rendered Retina and Southend-on-Sea’s Lisa Wright (Sunny Afternoon, UK Tour).

Featuring live music and songs by M G Boulter – whose new album Clifftown, has contributions from musicians in bands such as Bellowhead and Spiritualized – this newly commissioned piece is deeply inspired by the Essex Thames Estuary and is made for and by the people who live and work alongside it.

When audiences were asked their opinions about the show, responses included “Enlightened and entertained”, “Funny, engaging and awesome”, “Different, amusing and relevant”, “Lively, interesting and funny”.

Tracey Luck, Chief Officer and Co-founder of St Stephen’s Community Trust said “Monday was great! Everyone we spoke to really enjoyed the show – lots of positive feedback about how the show lifted spirits after such a stressful year. Well done to you all.”

Emma Wilcox, Creative Estuary Project Director says: “I was lucky enough to see the performance in Pitsea and I’m delighted that now even more people will now be able to experience the show.”

For more information about the production, visit www.queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/tales-from-the-thames

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to announce the cast for its summer musical Love Letters, a brand new world premiere production written and directed by Douglas Rintoul. Love Letters runs 30 July – 21 August 2021.

Lucy Benjamin, who is best known for playing Lisa Fowler in EastEnders and Maggie in the BAFTA award-winning BBC Four series Detectorists, has been cast in Love Letters.

Love Letters sees the former EastEnders actress return to her local Theatre after performing in In Basildon in 2019 and Deadly Murder at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2015.

Lucy will be joined by Holly Ashton (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 ¾, Menier Chocolate Factory), Kit Esuruoso (West Side Story, Royal Exchange Theatre), Dannie Harris (Christmas Carol Casebook: Away in a Danger, Lichfield Garrick Theatre), Mike Lloyd (Dreamboats and Petticoats, UK Tour), Hannah Price (Buddy, UK Tour), Steve Simmonds (Tommy, Ramps on the Moon and New Wolsey Theatre) and Luke Thornton (Footloose, UK Tour).

The production will be directed by Douglas Rintoul, the Theatre’s Artistic Director, with design by Jess Curtis, lighting design by Mark Dymock, sound design by Chris Murray, musical direction from Adam Gerber, choreography by Tara Young and fight direction by Haruka Kuroda.

Love Letters tells the story of an unposted love letter meant to be sent between a passionate young couple‎ dating, only to be delivered sixteen years later. With a raft of brilliant songs from Essex’s very best‎, and hits ranging from the 60s to today, this funny and popular working class love story promises to be an uplifting night out for everyone proudly calling Essex their home. Music featured is by Alison Moyet, Billy Bragg, Billy Ocean, Blur, David Woodcock, Depeche Mode, Jessie J, Olly Murs, Sandie Shaw and The Tremeloes. 

This production is a highlight of the Theatre’s Essex On Stage programme, made possible by the generous support of The Clothworkers’ Foundation.

Tickets to Love Letters cost £13.50 – £30 plus 65p QRenew Fee, tickets for under 26s are just £8 Mon -Thu. To book, visit queens-theatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01708 443333.

This summer, to help the artistic community recover from the pandemic that all but closed down the performing arts industry, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, supported by the Culture Recovery Fund, called out for submissions from local artists for projects that had a value between £1 and £500 which:

– help them move their practice or career forward post-pandemic
– that signify crossing a new frontier

– involves them coming and taking the theatre up on free rehearsal space and performance opportunities
– involves them interacting in real life with a new person in their community

All that the Theatre asked was that all of the artists:

– live in Outer East London or South Essex
– define themselves as ‘professional’

After an overwhelming response from the Outer East London and South Essex creative community, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch have supported 15 professional local artists to create 13 separate projects.  All of those who were not successful have been offered on-going in-kind support for their project from Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s Associate Producer, including rehearsal space, performance opportunities and careers and advice sessions.

THE NEW FRONTIERS: CATALYST COMMISSION ARTISTS are:

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is pleased to announce the cast of Tales from the Thames, touring to community venues in South Essex from 26 June to 10 July 2021.

The cast includes Tim Freeman (A View from the Bridge, Protocol Productions), Mia Jerome (Lost Lending Library, Punchdrunk), Tom Mangan is the co-artistic director of multi-award winning theatre company Rendered Retina and Lisa Wright (Sunny Afternoon, UK Tour).

Tales from the Thames is a Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Creative Estuary co-commission.

Five lives collide one day along the banks of the Thames, and their future is changed forever.

The sun rises over the river, and everything’s coming to life. Dawn chorus plays, jobs are started, engines turned on, containers crashed onto ships and journeys made. But today is different…

Can fractured relationships and fears of the future be overcome by stopping for a moment, taking in the vista and listening to the water as it brings stories and memories to the shore?

This is an epic story of the majestic Thames and its community. It’s about the power of coming together. And about winning a pop quiz…

With live music and songs written by MG Boulter, this newly commissioned piece is deeply inspired by the Essex Thames Estuary and is made for and by the people who live and work alongside it.

Tales from the Thames is free to attend for everyone – tickets available from Monday 7 June 2021.

The venues and dates of performances of Tales from the Thames are:

• Saturday 26 June at 7pm – West Tilbury Village Hall
• Monday 28 June at 7pm – St Stephen’s Community Trust, Purfleet
• Tuesday 29 June at 7pm – The Place, Pitsea Leisure Centre
• Thursday 1 July at 7.30pm – The Corringham Hall
• Friday 2 July at 6pm – Aveley Community Hub
• Saturday 3 July at 2pm – Wat Tyler Centre, Pitsea, Basildon
• Sunday 4 July at 6.30pm – St Edmunds Community Hall, Southend-on-Sea
• Tuesday 6 July at 7pm – Tyrrells Hall Working Men’s Club, Grays
• Thursday 8 July at 7pm – The Lobster Smack Pub, Canvey Island
• Saturday 10 July at 7pm – South Ockendon Royal British Legion

The show goes on for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, as it receives a £100,000 grant from Havering Council to help the cultural landmark recover from Covid 19 restrictions.

A new play will bring live theatre to parts of South Essex where it is rarely, if ever, staged. From a village hall in West Tilbury to a historic pub on Canvey Island, a Heritage Barn in the Wat Tyler Country Park to a Leisure Centre in Pitsea, Tales from the Thames charts its way along the Estuary, visiting ten diverse, intimate community locations and telling the epic story of five lives colliding on a single day along the banks of the river, and their futures changing forever.

The production is the first of a new series of exciting Creative Estuary Co-commissions – the initiative which aims to showcase 60 miles of the North Kent and South Essex region as one of the UK’s most dynamic and creative areas in the whole of the UK – working on this occasion with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (QTH).

Written by QTH Associate Artist Rebecca Brewer and playwright Vickie Donoghue, both from Thurrock, with Southend-based songwriter M G Boulter, Tales from the Thames begins as the sun rises over the river, and everything’s coming to life. The soundtrack of the Estuary is heard, from the dawn chorus of birds to engines starting, front doors closing and metal containers being loading onto waiting ships; across South Essex journeys are about to be made.

But today is different…

As the play develops, the audience is confronted with the emerging philosophical question: Can fractured relationships and fears of the future be overcome by stopping for a moment, taking in the view and listening to the water as it brings stories and memories to the shore?

“This is an epic story of the majestic Thames and its community. It’s about the power of coming together. And about winning a pop quiz,” teases Douglas Rintoul, Artistic Director, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

Featuring live music and songs by M G Boulter – whose new album Clifftown, has contributions from musicians in bands such as Bellowhead and Spiritualized – this newly commissioned piece is deeply inspired by the Essex Thames Estuary and is made for and by the people who live and work alongside it.

Mathew Russell, Executive Director for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch says “We’re taking it to ten community venues across South Essex and Tales from the Thames will be free to attend for everyone. The venues and locations have been chosen as places where local people rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to see live theatre performed. They’re all intimate settings, so the atmosphere will be electric.”

The venues and dates of performances of Tales from the Thames are:

• Saturday 26 June at 7pm – West Tilbury Village Hall
• Monday 28 June at 7pm – St Stephen’s Community Trust, Purfleet
• Tuesday 29 June at 7pm – The Place, Pitsea Leisure Centre
• Thursday 1 July at 7.30pm – The Corringham Hall
• Friday 2 July at 6pm – Aveley Community Hub
• Saturday 3 July at 2pm – Wat Tyler Centre, Pitsea, Basildon
• Sunday 4 July at 6.30pm – St Edmunds Community Hall, Southend-on-Sea
• Tuesday 6 July at 7pm – Tyrrells Hall Working Men’s Club, Grays
• Thursday 8 July at 7pm – The Lobster Smack Pub, Canvey Island
• Saturday 10 July at 7pm – South Ockendon Royal British Legion

The free tickets, for any of the performances mentioned above, will be available from Monday 7 June from Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s website www.queens-theatre.co.uk or by calling their Box Office on 01708 443333.

The production of Tales from the Thames brings together writers, performers, musicians and technicians from South Essex, co-ordinated by Creative Estuary and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. The team was brought together via a widely publicised Open Call for creative practitioners to get involved in the project.

After Rebecca, Vickie and M G had written the script and music, the job of creating the show is being undertaken by Rebecca as co-director, working alongside QTH’s Artistic Director, Douglas Rintoul. The set and costumes are being designed by Southend’s Rachel Dingle with choreography by Nikki Watson, from Gray’s CoDa Dance Company. Southend – on – Sea based Harry Fitzpatrick is Assistant Director, while Michael Bennett, Romford, is creating the sound design and Ed Guest, Dagenham, is lighting the show. M G Boulter is Musical Director.

Emma Wilcox, Creative Estuary Project Director says: “As we grow the Thames Estuary’s potential as a cultural and creative hub, we are committed to supporting our local artists and engaging our communities to contribute to their creative identity. In everything we do for the Estuary, we want to capture imagination and provide opportunities.  Tales from the Thames is fantastic project to kick off two years of Estuary Co-commissions – a new collaborative piece of place making theatre that’s accessible and cross generational, touring to community venues, and reaching under served and underrepresented audiences across our region.”

For more information about Creative Estuary, visit www.creativeestuary.com,  Twitter @creativeestuary / Linkedin / creative-estuary / Instagram @creativeestuary

Creative Estuary has a vision to forge a new future founded on creative energy and innovation, along the length of the Thames Estuary. Our ambition is clear: To transform 60 miles of the Thames Estuary across South Essex and North Kent into one of the most exciting creative clusters in the world. We’re going to do this by developing the places where the creative industries can build a vibrant and prosperous future, enriching communities and strengthening the region. The creative and cultural industries contribute more than £100bn per year to the UK economy, helping to attract investment, catalyse innovation, and enhance distinctive places and communities.  The £6.5m Creative Estuary programme will transform the visibility, identity and future of the region’s creative production infrastructure, supporting more than 400 new jobs, delivering new skills, qualifications, and apprenticeships across an area of 1.5million people, providing skills and training for more than 500 people. By using culture as the catalyst for growth, the Thames Estuary will provide much-needed space for expanding creative businesses and provide the scale of services, skills and infrastructure sought by both UK organisations and international creative producers. The success of Creative Estuary will contribute to wider national programmes to generate investment, jobs and creative industry opportunities for the whole Thames Estuary, making it one of the most attractive places to live and work in the UK. Creative Estuary is supported by The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and led by a consortium of public sector and cultural organisations. The project is led by the University of Kent on behalf of 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 Essex, Locate in Kent and cultural organisations Metal and Cement Fields.

Creative Estuary Co-commissions will support a wide range of cultural projects with new commissions for Estuary-based producers and artists, from activity for emerging cultural activists to large scale commissions with a diverse mix of partners.  Creative Estuary Co-commissions will raise widespread awareness of existing creative talent across the region and support creative practitioners and organisations to make and present new work. We are committed to helping all our creative practitioners and engaging our local communities to contribute to their creative identity and will give artists, organisations and creative practitioners opportunities and support to help them realise their creative ambitions. The Co-commissions will create opportunities for creative innovation and new cultural production – we want to capture imagination and provide opportunities for greater collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Queens Theatre Hornchurch (QTH) is a vibrant producing theatre, working in outer East London, Essex and beyond. As a cultural hub, over 210,000 people enjoy the programme each year. Audiences are guaranteed a warm welcome from a three-year winner of UK Theatre’s Most Welcoming Theatre (2016 – 2018) and London Theatre of the Year 2020 (The Stage Awards), the first Greater London theatre to receive this prestigious award.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, INTERVIEWS AND IMAGES

Sarah Soliman, Marketing Manager, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch sarahs@queens-theatre.co.uk

It feels almost like tempting fate but is that the sound of the world switching back on we hear?

It has been a ridiculously tough 15 months for everyone.  Whether it has been felt in small or large ways we don’t think any of us are quite the same as we were in March 2020.  As artists the pandemic has affected our world and work profoundly, taking away our audience, our community and our ability to share the beautiful things we make, live.

But, as the world begins to wake up again, QTH want to offer a little support where we can for Outer East London or South Essex based artists to set out on this new chapter with a sense of possibility and potential.

We are inviting proposals from any artist, in any medium, that:
– help you move you practice or career forward post-pandemic
– that signify crossing a new frontier to you.  That might be doing something in a new way, reaching out to a new audience or learning a new skill to help your career.  Anything. Just new to you.
If you don’t want to, you don’t have to make anything new.  This is not about commissioning you to make work, though you can if you want.  It is about commissioning you to do something to move yourself forward.

We only ask for four things:
– that you live in Outer East London or South Essex
– that you define yourself as a ‘professional’ artist
– that your proposal involves taking us up on one of our resources, offered below
– That your proposal involves you interacting in real life with a new person in your community (don’t think too hard about this; it could be us, it could be a local printer, just someone.)

RESOURCES WE CAN OFFER TO YOUR PROJECT IN KIND
– Creative information, advice and guidance sessions with our Associate Producer and other members of staff where available
– Desk space to write that application, re-draft that play, finish editing that piece of music or whatever you might need it for* with access to unlimited hot drinks**
– Use of our Artist Space rehearsal and workshop studio*
– Performance, scratch or public facing time, including at:
– Outer Limits Scratch Night
– Havering Changing’s Big Summer Of Outdoor Arts
– Outer Limits Thurrock

Please submit a proposal of no longer than 250 words with a CV to matthews@queens-theatre.co.uk detailing what you want to spend the money on to move yourself forward across a new frontier.  Commission amounts will be between £1 and £500 with the actual amount given being at the discretion of QTH.  Deadline for proposals is 10am Monday 7th June and decisions will be communicated by 6pm Friday 11th June.

*availability dependent
**slight exaggeration but there is definitely some

Throughout the spring, local participants have been dialling in for our Tiny Telephone Plays workshops exploring creative writing, led by director Jules Tipton.

10 Tiny Telephone Plays have been selected for an audio performance by professional actors, and you can be among the first to hear these brand new audio plays…

Ten Tiny Telephone Plays is a live audio experience, both charming and thought provoking it spotlights moments of joy, hope and discovery experienced throughout the last year.

Can Dave find his bus pass? How important is a hat? What do a wonky cabinet and a couple’s marriage vows have in common? Who is Bodacious Bachelor Bart? Where is the ‘Happy Place’ and will it help us to treasure what we have around us…?

You will hear warming moments of connection as stories are shared that somehow bring us together, giving audience members a unique and moving theatre experience in their own homes at a time when live theatre performance is less accessible.

Written by Harry Cope-Prior, John Dunn, Lesley Dunn, Rodney Eborn, Andi Gaywood, Beena Khan, Christine Kite, Bobby Rolfe, David Savage, and Claude Thomas; performed by Mia Jerome and Martin Johnston; and directed by Jules Tipton.

Audio Performances: Wednesday 12 May, 2021 at 12:00 mid-day | 1:00pm | 2:30pm | 3:00pm | 4:00pm

The show is 20 minutes long and is performed live over the phone to a small group of audience members at a time. Audience members hear the performance from the comfort and safety of home.

Performances are FREE to attend, but spaces are limited and must be booked in advance in order to receive a unique telephone access code.

This project has been made possible thanks to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation‘s support of our Learning and Participation work.

For further details and to book a performance time, email learning@queens-theatre.co.uk or call 01708 443333.

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

The Theatre has commissioned two writers, Rebecca Brewer and Vickie Donoghue, and composer M G Boulter, all from or living in South Essex, to write the piece.

Rebecca Brewer is an actress, writer and theatre maker living in Thurrock. She is an Associate Artist at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and has worked at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court, Almeida Theatre, and many times in the West End as well as on television, radio and film. Last year Rebecca was commissioned by Thurrock CVS to create At Least We’ve Got This Place, an audio-visual piece about life on her local allotment in Thurrock throughout the pandemic.

Vickie Donoghue is an Essex playwright and writer for TV and radio living in Thurrock. Her work and artistic practice is socially engaged and always focuses on the regions of south east Essex. She has worked at The Bush, the High Tide Festival, New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, the Royal Court and Sheffield’s Crucible. Vickie is Paines Plough’s playwright Fellow 20/21. Her 10-part Podcast drama The Piper, co-written with fellow playwright Natalie Mitchell and produced by Somethin Else for BBC Sounds, was broadcast in November 2020. It starred Tamsin Outhwaite and Kacey Ainsworth.

M G Boulter is a singer songwriter living on the Thames coast in Essex. His song writing has been described as ‘Gorgeous, in a word’ by Uncut and ‘Highly Recommended’ by the Independent on Sunday. His second full length album With Wolves the Lamb Will Lie was listed as one of the ‘Best Folk Albums of 2016’ by the Daily Telegraph. M G has been a member of Blue Rose Code, Emily Portman’s Coracle Band and The Lucky Strikes and was a touring member of US groups The Duke and the King and the Simone Felice Group. His recent album, Clifftown, takes an observant look at the British Seaside and is accompanied by The Clifftown Podcast project which seeks to uncover the hidden histories, culture and people of Southend-on-Sea

Together they will be writing a new piece of place making theatre that is accessible and cross generational, touring to community venues, and reaching under served and underrepresented audiences in South Essex.

More announcements about this project will be made next month.