Writer of A Fox on the Fairway, Ken Ludwig is a two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright whose work is performed throughout the world in more than thirty countries and over twenty languages. He has written twenty-four plays and musicals, with six Broadway productions and seven in London’s West End. His Tony-winning play Lend Me A Tenor, was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. His other plays and musicals include Crazy For You (5 years on Broadway, Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical), Moon Over Buffalo (Broadway and West End), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Broadway), Treasure Island (West End) and Twentieth Century (Broadway).

He recently revealed more about what audiences can expect from the British premiere of his farcical comedy, A Fox on the Fairway at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

1) For those that don’t know the play, what is A Fox on the Fairway about?
The play is about a rivalry between two nearby golf courses. But what it’s really about is love, frustration, friendship, competition, sex, anger, joy, second chances, youth, middle age and all the insanity that goes into finding and living with the right person in life.

2) What can people expect from this farce?
I hope they can see their own lives and concerns ramped up into the frantic pace of a stage farce. Life is full of triumphs and tragedies and all of us try to enjoy the triumphs and get the tragedies behind us. In a stage farce, these highs and lows are exaggerated to create the fizz of art. All art tries to create a sort of fizz of recognition. We know when a piece of art is working when we get that little pop of joy at the right time. Maybe it’s a line of dialogue that feels just right. Or an entrance we were waiting for. Or an entrance that just surprises us. Whatever causes it, the hoped-for result is a sort of frisson of recognition. What I’m hoping is that A Fox on the Fairway creates at least a few of those wonderful moments.

3) What was your inspiration behind writing the play?
I love all plays when they make me sit on the edge of my seat; and I especially love stage comedies. I read them, see them and think about them all the time. My immediate inspiration for this play was a moment when I was playing golf. Confession: I am truly one of the worst golfers in the world. Not just in my city, mind you. In the  world. So I was playing golf with one of my best friends and telling him that I had just finished writing my latest play and was casting around for ideas for a new one, and he foozled a chip shot, joining me in a sand trap where I was about to play my 8th or 9th shot on that hole. At that moment he said “What about setting a play at this club. Golf is funny if you don’t kill yourself trying to play it.” And I thought, “What a good idea!”

4) You say that A Fox on the Fairway is a tribute to the great English farce tradition that began in the 1880s and grew in popularity in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Who are some of your influences?
My influences in the world of stage comedy start with Shakespeare, of course. So much for God. Then Goldsmith (She Stoops to Conquer), Sheridan (The Rivals), Farquhar, Wilde, Shaw, Coward, and on it goes. But for this particular kind of comedy – I like to call it muscular comedy (I never liked the word farce very much), my favourite writers are from the 1880s to the 1940s and include Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (Dandy Dick, The Magistrate, The Schoolmistress), Ben Travers (Plunder, A Cuckoo in the Nest, Rookery Nook, Thark), Coward (Hay Fever, Blithe Spirit), Philip King (See How They Run) Hecht and MacArthur (The Front Page) and Kaufman and Hart (Once in a Lifetime). In the world of prose comedy, I’m also always inspired by P.G. Wodehouse. In addition to his sublime novels and short stories about Jeeves and Wooster, and the Earl of Emsworth and his prize pig, he wrote two volumes of short stories about golf. One is entitled The Clicking of Cuthbert and the other is entitled The Heart of a Goof. In some ways, I’d love this play to feel like one of his golf stories come to life.

5) Many of your plays are set in the past, but this production has a very modern feel to it. What themes were you able to explore by doing this?
Sex, of course, is at the center of the play. Sex and golf – and what could be better? At the same time, I’ve tried to retain in the play a kind of dramatic innocence, which the setting and milieu demands. It is meant to be a light comedy in the tradition of Travers, Coward and Kauffman and Hart, so it would feel inappropriate, at least to me, to make it explicit in any way. So while the play is set modern, I hope there’s a feel of comic timelessness about it.

A Fox on the Fairway runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 25 Aug – 16 Sep. For more information and tickets click here.

Are you hoping to grab yourself a bargain on your next theatre trip? Look no further, we’ve got some awesome discounts available on our autumn season opening show, A Fox on the Fairway!

Preview tickets from just £12.50

Be one of the first people to watch the British premiere of this hilarious farce and pay as little as £12.50 at the show’s three preview performances. You can even secure top-price seats for just £19 – that’s a saving of up to £10 compared to Friday and Saturday nights and £7 for midweek performances!

Preview performances are on Fri 25 and Sat 26 Aug at 8pm and Mon 28 Aug at 7.30pm. To book tickets call our Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit https://queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/a-fox-on-the-fairway/

Tickets for previews are selling fast so don’t delay!

Limited £1 tickets up for grabs

If you live in Havering and have never been to the Queen’s Theatre before, you can access £1 tickets to any of the preview shows.

To purchase a ticket, call the Box Office on 01708 443333 and quote ‘First Timer’ offer. This is a limited offer so customers are urged to book very soon.

Midweek concessions (Mon – Thu evenings & Thu matinees only)

Come to one of our midweek performances and save up to £3.50 on your ticket. Plus we’ve got some awesome discounted tickets available:

Over 60s | £3.50 off full-price tickets

Groups of 8+ | £4 off full-price tickets

Schools & Colleges | £7 full-price tickets (plus 1 in 10 seats free)

Registered Deaf and Disabled People | £14.50 tickets (£12.50 at previews)

To take advantage of these offers call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit the theatre in person.

Under 26s – listen up!

We’re offering you an even cheekier bargain – sit anywhere in the house for just £10 on preview nights – Fri 25 and Sat 26 Aug at 8pm and Mon 28 Aug at 7.30pm or at any matinee or midweek performance (Mon – Thu).

To secure these discounts call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit the theatre in person.

About A Fox on the Fairway:

This summer we’ll be transporting you into the world of a private country golf club that’s gloriously preposterous and filled with extravagant antics.

Written by Ken Ludwig, one of America’s most performed playwrights, this hilarious farce is packed with slapstick, quick-fire wit and tongue-in-cheek humour. Expect breakups and make-ups, love affairs, revealed family secrets and lots of madcap comedy.

If you enjoyed our production of Lend Me a Tenor in 2014, you’ll love this show!

This British premiere runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 25 August – 16 September.

For more information about the production visit  https://queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/a-fox-on-the-fairway/

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to be presenting the British premiere of two-time Olivier Award-winning Ken Ludwig’s critically acclaimed farce, A Fox on the Fairway. The season’s opening show runs at the theatre from 25 August – 16 September.

Ken Ludwig is America’s second most performed playwright who has written twenty-four plays and musicals, with six Broadway productions and seven in London’s West End. After a successful production of Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor in 2014, the Queen’s Theatre is excited to be bringing this gloriously preposterous comedy to British audiences for the first time. Ludwig’s other productions include Crazy For You (5 years on Broadway, Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical).

This hilarious romp takes audiences on a charmingly whacky adventure about love, life and a man’s eternal affair with… golf. The shenanigans in the clubhouse are packed full of slapstick, quick-fire wit and tongue-in-cheek humour. Expect breakups and make-ups, love affairs, revealed family secrets and lots of madcap comedy.

It’s the day of the annual golf tournament between rival country clubs. Bingham, president of Quail Valley, discovers that his star player has switched sides. Wagering his wife’s antique shop on the outcome now seems like less of a sure bet. Fortunately, he discovers that his new young assistant is a phenomenally good golfer.

Bad weather, the lead lost, the shop is under threat, and Bingham’s wife catches him too close to his stunning sex-starved vice-president!

What else could possibly go wrong…? Golfing has never been so outrageous!

It stars Damien Matthews (The Woman in Black, Tour & West End), Natalie Walter (Noises Off, National Theatre), Romayne Andrews (Hamlet, Royal Shakespeare Company), Simon Lloyd (The 39 Steps, West End), Sarah Quist (Travesties, West End) and Ottilie Mackintosh who recently appeared as Young Jo in Joanna Lumley’s Little Cracker (Sky 1). Philip Wilson is directing (previous Artistic Director at Salisbury Playhouse); his credits include the recent immersive staging of Grimm Tales and acclaimed The Three Lions.

‘Ken Ludwig has a wicked sense of comedic anarchy, giving his characters such zany idiosyncrasies that they soar to dizzying heights!’ The Washington Examiner

A Fox on the Fairway runs from 25 August – 16 September at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. Tickets are from £12.50 – £29 with £10 tickets available for Under 26s at certain performances. Audiences can see this show and two more Queen’s Theatre productions (The Ladykillers and The Invisible Man) for just £14 each with a Jump the Q season ticket. For more details and to book, call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or click here.

We’re hosting a Family Fun Weekend on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July to celebrate 25 years of our vibrant youth theatre, QYouth, and you’re all invited! Join us for fun, games and activities that the whole family can enjoy between 10.30am and 7.30pm.

While you’re here why not treat yourself to a tasty afternoon tea at 3.30pm on Saturday 8 July or watch a musical version of the family favourite, The Wind in the Willows, featuring an incredible cast of over 120 young performers? Performances are at 7pm both days and 2pm on the Sunday.

This event celebrates the fantastic work created by members of QYouth over the last 25 years and gives former members the opportunity to return and be part of ‘The Big 25^th Moment’ reunion photo at 5pm on Sunday 9 July. Since 1992, our youth theatre has provided over 95,000 engagement opportunities for young people aged 7 – 18 in Havering.

The funds raised will go towards supporting and nurturing young talent, enabling us to continue to provide quality training and theatre experiences to young people for years to come. So come and get involved and help support your local theatre!

Tickets for the afternoon tea and The Wind in the Willows can be purchased online at queens-theatre.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01708 443333. Entry to the family fun weekend is free.

Here’s a breakdown of the key events happening over the weekend:

Saturday 8 July

10.30am – 7.30pm – Join us for fun and games in our foyer. Activities include a cake sale, cake decorating, a raffle, a book sale, crafts and more.

3.30pm – In the theme of Ratty’s picnic on the river, join us for a tasty afternoon tea with a selection of sandwiches, cake and scones served with traditional tea and a glass of Prosecco (For more information and tickets click here.)

7pm –The Wind in the Willows performance (For more information and tickets click here.)

Sunday 9 July

10.30am – 7.30pm – Join us for fun and games in our foyer. Activities include a cake sale, cake decorating, a raffle, a book sale, crafts and more.

2pm – The Wind in the Willows performance. (For more information and tickets click here.)

5pm – ‘The Big 25th Moment’ reunion photo

7pm – The Wind in the Willows performance (For more information and tickets click here.)

Were you were one of the original members of QYouth with founder Terry Abbott and Lea Madlin in 1992? The Queen’s Theatre wants to hear from you!

We’re appealing to past members of our dynamic youth theatre, QYouth, to reunite for our 25^th anniversary.

This July marks 25 years of our youth theatre, QYouth and to celebrate we’re inviting former members to come back and reminisce in the memories of their time here as well as reconnect with old friends. We’ll be capturing ‘The Big 25^th Moment’ in the form of a reunion photograph on Sunday 9 July at 5pm. The meeting point for the photograph is by the foyer stage. We’re encouraging as many people as possible to return to the theatre and be part of this fantastic piece of history. Former members will also be able to leave their mark by writing about their memories and stories alongside a display of production photos over the last 25 years in the foyer.

The Queen’s Theatre is celebrating QYouth’s 25 year anniversary by hosting a family fundraising gala over the weekend of 8 – 9 July. Families throughout Essex and East London are invited to join in the celebrations and can expect a range of fun games, stalls and workshops in the theatre’s foyer from 10am – 7.30pm on both days.

A cast of over 120 young people from QYouth will be providing the entertainment, treating audiences to a world premiere of the family favourite, The Wind In The Willows. Performances start at 7pm on 8 & 9 July, with a 2pm matinee on 9 July.

Over the last 25 years, our Youth Theatre has provided over 95,000 engagement opportunities for young people aged 7-18 in Havering. QYouth has grown from just 8 members in 1992 with founder Terry Abbott, to accommodating 150 young people every week across 7 groups. The QYouth programme offers young people opportunities in drama, dance and technical theatre, enabling them to develop their creativity in the arts, unlock potential, gain confidence and have fun through the power of theatre. Graduates of QYouth include Lloyd Warbey (Disney’s Art Attack), Gemma Salter (TV and West End performer) and Billy Irving who will be appearing in the upcoming UK tour of War Horse.

Learning & Participation producer James Watson says, ‘We want to celebrate these 25 incredible years with all those who have been a part of it, whether for a short period or as a long standing member. QYouth has been a remarkable springboard for so many young people, whether or not they have followed a performing arts route in later life, and we are excited to get back in touch with past members, and see where their journeys have taken them.’

Come celebrate in style with live entertainment, catch up with old friends, share stories and be part of history in this fantastic fundraising event to support QYouth so it can continue to grow and enrich the lives of young people for another 25 years.

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is delighted to be celebrating 25 years of nurturing and showcasing young talent in the form of our dynamic youth theatre, QYouth this July.

To mark this brilliant achievement, we’re inviting you to join us on 8 – 9 July as we host a celebratory fundraising weekend suitable for the whole family! It will be a fantastic opportunity for the local community to come together and celebrate the success and development of our youth theatre, QYouth; as well as fundraise so we can continue to grow and enrich the lives of young people for the next 25 years.

We’re encouraging families throughout Essex and East London to join in the celebrations. You can expect a range of fun games, stalls and workshops in the theatre’s foyer from 10am – 7.30pm on both days. A free exhibition celebrating QYouth’s history will also be in held in the café.

A cast of over 120 young people from our QYouth will be providing the entertainment, treating you to a world premiere of the family favourite, The Wind in the Willows. This production has been specially adapted by James Watson and Andrew Linham to mark this fantastic milestone. Performances are at 7pm on 8 & 9 July, with an additional 2pm show on 9 July. This production is sponsored by East Thames and supported by the Queen’s Theatre’s very own Theatre Club.

Over the last 25 years, our youth theatre has provided over 95,000 engagement opportunities for young people aged 7-18 in Havering. The QYouth programme offers young people opportunities in drama, dance and technical theatre, enabling them to develop their creativity in the arts, unlock potential, gain confidence and have fun through the power of theatre. Graduates of QYouth include Lloyd Warbey (Disney’s Art Attack), Gemma Salter (TV and West End performer) and Billy Irving who will be appearing in the upcoming UK tour of War Horse.

So join in this fantastic weekend of games, theatre and fun in support of the Queen’s Theatre’s vibrant youth theatre. It’s been at the heart of the community for thousands of young people and the funds raised will go towards continuing to support young people passionate about the arts for years to come.

To book tickets for The Wind in the Willows please call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit: https://queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/the-wind-in-the-willows/

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is excited to announce its new season of superb comedy and thrilling drama to provide audiences with the very best in live entertainment.

The season opens with a British premiere of the farcical comedy A Fox On The Fairway, written by Ken Ludwig, one of America’s most performed playwrights. This hilarious romp about love, life and a man’s eternal love affair with… golf is filled with headlong humour, exuberant personalities and romantic entanglements. It runs from 25 August – 16 September.

The madcap comedy continues with The Ladykillers from 3 – 21 October. Celebrated television writer Graham Linehan (Father Ted, The IT Crowd) has adapted the Ealing classic which tells the story of how an old lady discovers the room she has let out to a string quintet is infact a hardened gang of criminals planning the great Kings Cross Train Robbery! The theatre is delighted to again be co-producing with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich and Salisbury Playhouse on this humorous tale.

Finally, audiences will not want to miss the thrilling new adaptation of H.G.Wells’ iconic science-fiction novella, The Invisible Man. Filled with live music, illusion and adventure, this world premier arrives on the stage in this suspenseful escapade by award-winning theatre maker Clem Garritty. It runs from 27 October – 18 November.

Tickets for the theatre’s cost-effective jump the Q season ticket go on sale on 13 May. By purchasing this season ticket, theatregoers can enjoy all three in-house productions from just £14 per show. It’s the most affordable way for audiences to their get theatre fix this autumn!

A jump the Q season ticket provides savings of up to nearly 45% on the best seats for all three Queen’s Theatre shows. Choose between a super-flexible Premium ticket for £52 or a super-affordable Saver for just £42 for the whole season! Book by 16 September 2017.

Individual tickets for these three productions go on sale on 27 May. For further information about jump the Q and to book tickets, call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit https://queens-theatre.co.uk/join-support/jump-the-q/

On Sunday 21 May, a feast of dance styles will come together as young people from across East London and Essex showcase their talents in the Queen’s Theatre’s annual dance festival, First Feat.

It is a fantastic festival of creativity enabling local dance groups aged 11 – 19 from different backgrounds with varying styles and interests to be united by a passion for dance.

Audiences will see 13 dynamic performances from Essex Dance Theatre, Hotsteps Dance, Apogee Stars Stage School, Lose Control, Beverly Marks Stage School, East London Youth Dance Company, Jam Company and the Queen’s Theatre’s very own youth dance company, QDance.

Now in its 19^th year, First Feat has been a major platform for celebrating local talent, involving thousands of young people over the years. Hosting this year’s event is choreographer and dancer for Boy Blue Entertainment, Tyrone Isaac-Stuart. He says, ‘You should come to First Feat and realise that it’s not impossible to want to dance. Be inspired, challenged and entertained. You’ll see some great performers and support dancers at all levels and abilities. Movement should reflect cultural diversity and seeing the youth perform (and their approach to dance) is really exciting. There are so many types of dance being showcased and it’s hard to find that variety being presented elsewhere. Opportunities and events like this don’t happen frequently enough in the dance world and certainly not at this level and quality – it’s a great performance space being shared by some fantastic groups.’

Young people aged 12 – 18 inspired by the event can develop their dance technique in a variety of styles by joining the theatre’s QDance company from September. For more information email learning@queens-theatre.co.uk

First Feat runs at the Queen’s Theatre on Sunday 21 May at 7pm. Tickets are £7.50 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office on 01708 443333, in person at the theatre or online at https://queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/first-feat-2017/

The Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch has launched a new ‘pay what you think it’s worth’ initiative for two specially commissioned plays by two of the UK’s most exciting emerging playwrights.

A talented cast from the renowned East 15 Acting School’s BA Acting course are set to stage a season of world premieres featuring two fantastic productions inspired by historical events. These brand new plays explore the current issues of sexuality, gender politics, migration and cultural identity and will be performed for the first time on the Queen’s Theatre’s stage.

The theatre is offering theatregoers an amazing opportunity to see two brand new pieces of work at no cost, but is asking for a donation to be made at the end of the performance which reflects what they thought of the piece.

Celebrated Camden writer Ché Walker’s (Royal Court and National Theatre) newly commissioned play, Anne Bonny and Mary Read takes its cue from the lives of the notorious 18th-century pirates and cross-dressing lesbian lovers. The cast of Anne Bonny and Mary Read will bring an epic historical canvas to life with burning modern questions.

Playwright Samantha Ellis (Arcola, Birmingham Rep, Hamstead Theatre) tells the extraordinary tale of Dom Marco Raphael, who was supposedly the only Jew in England at the time of Henry VIII, picking his way through a murky world of court intrigue, racism and prejudice. With scintillating wit and piercing compassion The Only Jew in England brings to life a world of music, glamour, flirtation and gripping political tension.

East 15 Acting School has produced actors, directors, theatre practitioners and technicians for the international stage, TV, film and radio including Alison Steadman (Pride and Prejudice, Gavin & Stacey) who has endorsed the drama school. She said,

‘As a graduate of East 15, I am delighted to say that it is one of the most innovative drama schools in the country. I attribute the training and opportunities I experienced here hugely to my success as an actress. With two of the country’s most exciting playwrights heralding these brand new productions, I encourage you to see these sensational pieces of quality theatre. It’s a chance for you to see the stars of tomorrow; I have no doubt they will go on to have a bright and long-lasting future.’

Other graduates of East 15 include Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners) Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot the Musical) and Ann Mitchell (Eastenders).

Anne Bonny and Mary Read runs at the Queen’s Theatre from 17 – 20 May and The Only Jew in England runs from 18 – 20 May. To reserve a seat call the Box Office on 01708 443333, visit in person at the theatre or online at:

https://queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/play-1/

https://queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/play-2/

(online reservations include a non-refundable £1 administration charge).