Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch are delighted to announce that it will be running a festival of new ideas this September. Blueprint will be an extraordinary fortnight, taking place from 12 – 24 September, of new and unusual theatre in different spaces inside and outside the amazing Grade II listed building.

With many ideas being tried out for the first time, audiences will be at the start of experiencing some amazing performances, up close and at a distance, intimate and epic. With plenty of opportunities for audiences to discuss what they have seen and meet the makers of the work, it will be a thrilling festival of theatrical discoveries.

Mathew Russell, Chief Executive of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said: “We’re thrilled to be announcing for the first time, Blueprint: ‎a festival of new ideas. We’re working with so many exciting Outer East London and Essex artists keen to make and explore different sorts of theatre in and outside an amazing building, and wanted to provide fresh opportunities for this exciting work to be seen by more people. We’re expecting audiences to have an amazing fortnight of theatrical treats and to be surprised, moved and delighted by what they see. We can’t wait to welcome you there.”

Highlights of the programme so far include:

Rice and Peas by Blouse & Skirt

Share three West Indian courses with Figgy and Edith, throughout their life, in this acclaimed immersive dining experience written by Mia Jerome. With a menu designed by Jon Bentham (former head chef for Gary Rhodes).

In This Smoking Chaos by Laura Ann Price

Experience the power of design led performance with a profound exploration of life shifting through time and space, over 31 scenes.

Shakespeare-On-Sea by Mawa Theatre Company

Delving into the world of Shakespeare, the sea and estuary – a digital project through the gaze of Black, female, local artists.

This Story Is True For Most Of Us by David Shearing

Dine in a climate of food, art and performance – only at this table, can were really see ourselves and our environment.

A Different Class by Kenny Emson

Exploring mental health, masculinity and working-class culture, with a drum and bass soundtrack that will blow the doors off the theatre. 

Wake Up People by John Webber

A reading with a difference: this is a funny and candid look at a new pandemic sweeping through working class Britain, conspiracy theories.

The Empty Chair by Joe Lichtenstein

A one-on-one play about an empty chair, you’ll be taken to a secret location within the theatre for an intimate personal performance.

Through the Ages by the Theatre’s Technical Team

A sound and light spectacular on the outside of the building, taking you on a journey from the past through to the present with a musical medley inspired by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch productions.

Final Farewell by Tara Theatre

A moving theatrical experience that captures the voices of individuals in four poignant stories. Explore these on a unique audio walk.

Boost! by Applause & Creative Estuary

A free two-day residential training and developmental lab upskilling artists working in contemporary dance and circus to tour rurally.

The full programme will be announced and tickets will go on sale this July. For more details, visit queens-theatre.co.uk and follow the Theatre on social media.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to announce that it has been listed Grade II by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on Historic England’s advice, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Theatre is one of six sites across the country to be listed and is the only site to be listed in London.

Ranging from a hotel and an archive to a church and markers on a major motorway, the listings aim to highlight some of the many important places from Her Majesty’s reign and to reflect the important social, technical and cultural changes which have taken place over the past 70 years.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is a quintessential 1970s modernist theatre, named after the Queen. The Theatre was opened in 1975 by Sir Peter Hall, Director of the National Theatre. It first occupied a site in Station Lane, Hornchurch from 1953, in a converted cinema building. The current purpose-built theatre building, designed by the London Borough of Havering architect R.W. Hallam and project architect Norman Brooks, was opened in 1975 on Billet Lane, Hornchurch. It is a distinctive and well-designed example of 1970s theatre design and remains relatively intact. The external features are clearly influenced by the work of renowned German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The Queen visited with the Duke of Edinburgh in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the theatre on its original site, which also coincided with the 50^th anniversary of Her Majesty’s coronation, the reason for its naming as Queen’s Theatre. The visit is commemorated with a plaque still held by the Theatre.

Mathew Russell, Chief Executive, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch said “We’re so proud that Queen’s T‎heatre Hornchurch has been Grade II listed, and to celebrate such a very special occasion. The theatre is a much loved and well utilised asset, at the heart of a changing community. This is an amazing opportunity to recognise its rich heritage, and as we approach our 70th anniversary, to help ensure an extraordinary and special building can continue to be enjoyed and cherished by many more millions of people into the future.”

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England said “These new listings celebrate the diversity and richness of our heritage overseen by Her Majesty during her 70-year reign, showing how the fabric of the nation has changed and developed. These sites cover the length and breadth of the country – from All Saints’ Church near Birmingham, which she opened in 1955 when she was newly crowned, to the high-tech Hampshire Public Records Office, completed in 1993.”

Nigel Huddleston, Heritage Minister said “These historic sites provide a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how much life in the UK has changed during Her Majesty the Queen’s 70-year reign. Listing them as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations is a fitting way to pay tribute to the longevity of her service.”

The listings complement Historic England’s recently-launched educational online story map, which shows The Queen visiting heritage sites throughout the country as a celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.

The brand new fresh and joyful musical adaptation of Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ the Musical, book and lyrics by Jake Brunger with music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, has opened to rave reviews at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and has received an Offies Nomination for Performance Ensemble.  Make sure you catch it before it closes on 21 May.

What people are saying about the show;

★★★★ ‘Immensely uplifting…it is like being embraced with a warm hug after a long, hard day’ The Stage

★★★★ ‘In a world where we need an escape more than anything, this show is a blinding light’ West End Best Friend

★★★★ ‘It really is one of the funniest musicals I have seen for a long time’ Musical Theatre Review

★★★★ ‘The show is wonderfully charming and filled with nostalgia’ Box Office Radio

★★★★ ’Well received by young and old alike… left the audience smiling’ London Born and Breed

Based on Sue T‎ownsend’s best-selling book, this outrageously funny tale of teenage angst and unrequited love features one of the most endearing comedy characters of all time.  Life’s pretty hard when you’re a misunderstood and spotty teenager living in a cul-de-sac in 80s Leicester. Adrian’s life simply can’t get any worse – until new girl Pandora joins a class and captures his heart. But can Adrian win her love and escape from the school bully and his chaotic family life? 

The musical stars Sally Cheng Christmas Carol (Royal Shakespeare Company), Dominic Gee-Burch Footloose (UK & International Tour), James Hameed Be More Chill (West End), Lauryn Redding The Worst Witch (West End), Sioned Saunders Amelie (West End), Tom Self Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Steve Simmonds Love Letters (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Claire Storey Twelfth Night, (Rose Theatre, York), Luke Thornton Love Letters (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch) and Ben Williamson-Jones Spend, Spend, Spend! (Guildford School of Acting).

From the team behind Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Made in Dagenham, this new production of a hit West End musical, based on the classic novels which also inspired the iconic ITV sitcom, has an infectious score that will make you laugh whilst tugging at your heartstrings.

This show is the last production directed by Douglas Rintoul in his tenure as Artistic Director at the Queen’s who said;

 “I can’t think of a better way to end my time here at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. We’ve put together a top team, many who you will recognise from other hit musicals and pantos at the Queen’s who are stoked about bringing one of the UK’s best-loved comedy characters to life. It is a hugely enjoyable, hilarious, and quintessentially British musical and a great night out for all generations. We are delighted by our audience responses, hugely positive reviews and our award nomination so make sure you come down to see us’

Book now and find out more at www.queens-theatre.co.uk. The Theatre will also be providing an Audio Described performance on 14 May.

An exciting new community partnership to promote the arts and develop creative talent has been launched between New City College and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

The partnership will encourage collaboration and learning and will give students the chance to improve their creative practice through workshops and performances at the professional venue.

They will also be able to see first-hand how the Theatre works and gain an insight into the diverse roles within the performing industry. Some students are already reaping the rewards of the partnership having secured work experience and work placements in front-of-house and technician roles.

To celebrate the launch, on Tuesday 3 May, Performing Arts students from NCC’s Ardleigh Green campus took part in a day of inspiring acting workshops, led by the Theatre’s James Watson and Kerry Hunt. They were also taken on theatre tours and had a ‘meet the team’ Q&A session where they could find out about the different job opportunities within the industry.

After the fun-packed day, the students performed a dance showcase to an array of guests and VIPs to mark the special occasion.

The partnership, led by New City College Deputy Group Curriculum Director for Creative Arts Andy Greaves and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s Executive Director Mathew Russell, is an excellent example of the Theatre’s investment in the local community and commitment to inspire more young people to discover and love the arts. It will also add real value to the curriculum delivered at New City College.

Catherine Moggridge, Senior Curriculum Manager for Performing Arts at Ardleigh Green, said: “This partnership highlights what is at the heart of the Queen’s Theatre – collaboration and teamwork. The staff here have gone over and above to welcome us and meet our needs and I would like to thank each one of them. We look forward to continuing to build this rewarding relationship.”

The next phase of the collaboration will see an entire ‘takeover day’ of the Theatre on Tuesday 14 June, where students will participate in a range of roles, host workshops for local schools and take part in a performance on the main stage.

Special guests at the launch included NCC Group Principal and CEO Gerry McDonald; Principal of Ardleigh Green and Havering Sixth Form campuses Janet Smith; Ardleigh Green Deputy Principal Ian Budge; and Group Curriculum Director for Creative Arts, John Waite.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch staff James Watson, Head of Learning and Participation; Kerry Hunt, Education and Partnerships Producer; Christine Piper, Head of Production; and Peter Thorne, Head of Customer Services and Facilities, led workshops, tours and facilitated the launch event.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch are proud to announce they are one of twelve European performing arts institutions, who are working collaboratively in an exciting new partnership to discover the European narratives of tomorrow.

Determined to better integrate marginalised, isolated and disengaged communities in their activities both on and off stage. Acutely aware of the impact the pandemic has had on the next generation, the partners have set up an international research project to support the careers and international development of emerging artists.

Over the course of 30 months, 15 artists selected through an international open call will participate in three research residencies in three different cities. Each host institution will offer the artists the opportunity to connect with local resources including research organisations, foundations, artists and members of their communities.

During the research residencies, the artists will develop a concept idea for a production. This idea will be based on the most urgent issues they have identified around the larger theme of social inclusion and fed by new and missing narratives they feel need to be told on our stages tomorrow.

The twelve partners are:

• Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
• Théâtre de Liège (Belgium)
• Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa (Italy)
• Conde Duque Centro de Cultura Contemporanea, Madrid (Spain)
• Teatrul Tineretului, Piatra Neamt (Romania)
• Teatro Municipal do Porto (Portugal)
• Nowy Teatr, Warsaw (Poland)
• Théâtre National de Strasbourg (France)
• Cyclorama (France)
• Staatstheater Mainz (Germany)
• Comédie de Reims (France)
• Queens Theatre Hornchurch (United Kingdom)

For more details and for the open call application form, visit www.futurelaboratory.eu

The deadline to apply is 20 May 2022, the announcement of the pre-selected artists will be on 13 June 2022, and the announcement of the selected artists will be on 8 July 2022.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch are proud to announce that Mathew Russell, the Executive Director of the Theatre, has been awarded a Mayor’s Civic Award in recognition of his services to the community.

For many years the Mayors of the London Borough of Havering have, at their discretion, recognised certain citizens in the Borough whom it was felt had distinguished themselves by service to the community.

The presentation ceremony took place last Friday at Havering Town Hall, and Mathew was presented the award by Councillor John Mylod, Mayor of the London Borough of Havering. It was a fascinating, and often moving occasion, hearing about the efforts and achievements of a range of brilliant leaders, workers and volunteers.

“In accepting any such award, I very much did so on behalf of all the‎ extraordinary achievements of our staff, casuals and freelancers, the wisdom of our wonderful Board, the colleagues I work alongside as part of Havering Changing, the support of our stakeholders and donors, and of everyone who uses the Theatre, as audience member, artist or participant. 

‎What was very heartening about the occasion was the number of people who came up to me to speak about the Theatre after the ceremony, and the many lovely stories told.‎ It was another sign of how much admiration the charity is held in by many people. And the pride shone through as the citation described our role in putting the borough firmly in the spotlight. It’s always so great to see local authorities recognising the vital part culture plays in placemaking.” Mathew Russell, Executive Director – Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to announce the cast for the upcoming script-in-hand performance of Maryland, written by Lucy Kirkwood and directed by Polina Kalinina. Maryland will be performed on Sunday 1 May 2022 at 7.30pm.

Claudia Jessie, who is best known for playing Eloise Bridgerton in both seasons of the smash hit NETFLIX show Bridgerton, has been cast in Maryland.

Claudia’s past work includes Vanity Fair (Amazon Studios), Their Finest (BBC Films) Doctor Who, Detectorists and Line of Duty (BBC).

Claudia will be joined by Karise Yansen (Wolf, Focus Features/Universal Pictures: Death in Paradise, BBC: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, UK Tour); David Fynn (The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, ITV: The Pembrokeshire Murders, ITV: Vanity Fair, Amazon Studios: Game of Thrones, HBO: Doctor Who, Sherlock, BBC: School of Rock, West End); and Rebecca Tubridy (Ascending Ages, Idle Discourse: Hamlet and Twelfth Night, Young Shakespeare Company.)

Dagenham-born Sally Oliver (Demon Headmaster, CBBC: Holby City, Doctors, BBC: Emmerdale, ITV, Deep Blue Sea, RNT) is honoured to be producing this event as well as performing in it alongside: Kate Ellis, Naomi Ellis, Sian McLeod, Nicole Acquah and Rachael Reshma, alongside female students from Havering Sixth Form college.

The production will be directed by Polina Kalinina.

Maryland was written in response to the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa and originally performed at the Royal Court in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs in October 2021.

Since it’s sell out run at the Royal Court the play has been performed up and down the country, the Maryland performance script has been offered for free to any theatre company or drama training organisation in the UK interested in staging their own script-in-hand reading.

“The play was for many years a private conversation with myself. The horrific murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa galvinised me into making it public… It is simply a howl, a way of expressing what I feel about a culture of violence against women, but I am sharing it because I wonder if it might express a little of what other people feel about it too.” Playwright, Lucy Kirkwood

Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Rape Crisis UK. Audiences are encouraged to make a donation to the charity when the book their ticket.

Tickets to Maryland cost £5.00 plus 65p QNext Fee. To book, click here.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch is thrilled to be celebrating 30 years of nurturing and showcasing young talent through its dynamic youth theatre, QYouth this July.

To mark this brilliant achievement, the Theatre has specially commissioned James Watson and Andrew Linham to write a brand-new musical, Never Never, which will be performed on the Theatre’s main stage between 28 – 30 July 2022.

Set to be Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s biggest youth theatre production to date, the show will feature 180 young people aged 6 – 18, representing every ward of the borough. This world premiere continues the Theatre’s legacy of large scale youth and community productions, including most notably the Public Acts community partnerships with the National Theatre.

Never Never gives a 1960’s twist on a well-loved tale. This brand-new journey to Neverland promises all the fun of the fair, where life is one big game of adventure, and you never never want to grow up. But time is ticking for our radio pirates as an all-new generation battle for the beaches of Neverland in this summer’s awfully big musical adventure.

Powered by the summer of 1964, this groovy new musical, inspired by J.M. Barrie’s novel Peter Pan and Wendy, celebrates a heart-warming story of fun, friendship, and youth culture through a 60’s mash up of rock ‘n’ roll, soul and pop.

James Watson, Head of Learning and Participation, says “Never Never is a glorious celebration of youth culture and young people – a truly special way to mark the 30^th anniversary of our youth theatre programme. We’ve had a brilliant time developing this work with members of all ages over the last few years, and to finally be sharing it with audiences on the main stage this summer is really special. This bold new musical takes a familiar story of never wanting to grow up and reimagines a Neverland at the heart of the vibrant music world of the 1960’s, complete with radio pirates and our take on the Mods and Rockers beach battles at Southend. Now, more than ever, we see the importance of creativity, self-expression and escapism for young people as they navigate the rapidly changing world around them and projects like this create life affirming experiences to be proud of.” 

Andrew Linham, Composer/Musical Director, says “We’re so excited to finally bring Never Never to the stage this July. It’s a big, brassy show exploring the music of the 50’s and 60’s with massive ensemble numbers showcasing the whole of the youth theatre (and what a talented bunch they are!). This is a toe tapping, heartfelt musical about finding yourself, telling a story that we all feel – after all, who actually wants to grow up?”

With choreography and movement direction by Sundeep Saini and supported by a team of local creatives including: Francesca Bailey, Shanise Garner, Tom Mangan, Amy Mellows and Jules Tipton.

This commission follows the success of previous high-quality large-scale collaborations with QYouth including Seussical the musical (2015), and previous commission, The Wind in the Willows – a musical adventure (2017).

Performances of Never Never are at 7pm on 28, 29 and 30 July, with an additional 2pm show on 30 July. Tickets for adults are £ 14.50, with tickets for under 18s just £9.50. They can be purchased here.

After the recent announcement regarding Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s (QTH) creative leadership team for the 2022/23 year, today the Queen’s are delighted to name three more Associate Artists joining the team.

From Graeae, the acclaimed and award-winning theatre company championing the best in Deaf and disabled talent, ‎the team will be joined by Kate Lovell, Sonny Nwachukwu and Britny Virginia. They will support leadership in innovation at QTH, helping the venue discover and work with more Deaf and disabled artists from across its wide catchment area, as well as further exploring what digital practice might mean to QTH post pandemic. 

“I grew up in the suburbs of London, where arts and culture can often leapfrog over, assuming you have money and means to travel into the city to access culture. I am excited to work at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch which serves the community it sits within, giving access to high quality arts work. It’s especially important for me to be an out and proud disabled and neurodivergent artist as I know the importance of representation for the disabled theatre makers of the future.” Kate Lovell, Associate Artist, QTH

“I’m so excited to be one of the associates working at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch. As an artist interested in many aspects of theatre e.g Dance theatre, Chorepoems, and Physical Theatre. I can’t wait to work creatively with a wide range of people and make the magic happen. Let’s go!” Sonny Nwachukwu, Associate Artist, QTH

“My art is expression of my person. And I plan to express my person boldly, loudly and unapologetically for young ones to see they can too. Thank you to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Graeae for this opportunity.” Britny Virgini, Associate Artist QTH

“Graeae are delighted to be working with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, a venue sharing the same ethos of inclusivity and commitment to developing the next generation of leaders. Over the next year, our associate artists will be collaborating with QTH on a wide range of projects and allowing space and for their work to take centre stage.” Graeae Theatre Company, Creative Associate.

All of the 22/23 creative leadership team will work closely with Mathew Russell, Executive Director, and the QTH team, to help further develop and deliver the charity’s ambitious ‎plans and will access the organisation and its resources to maximise this developmental opportunity for everyone involved.

“We’re so pleased to be working with Kate, Sonny and Britny as part of this thrilling new relationship with Graeae. Each of them brings a different and hugely valuable perspective and wide range of experience‎ to the creative leadership of QTH. We’re excited to see the new relationships they develop, support the work they want to make happen, and to learn everything possible from their influence on organisational change. It’s another brilliant chapter in partnership working for our theatre.” Mathew Russell, Executive Director, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

Former Brookside star Eithne Browne and musical theatre favourite Tony Timberlake have been cast in Maggie May, a new play by award-winning writer Frances Poet that shines a light on the experience of living with dementia.

Directed by Jemima Levick, Maggie May is an extraordinary play about an ordinary Leeds family learning to cope with a life-changing diagnosis. Written with honesty, beautifully balanced with humour and music, it is, ultimately, an uplifting story of love in all its guises.

The play, a co-production between Leeds Playhouse, Curve, and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, was originally commissioned in 2017 as part of Leeds Playhouse’s award-winning Every Third Minute Festival, an innovative seven-week festival of theatre, dementia and hope curated by people living with dementia and their supporters.

It was previously due to tour in the spring of 2020 but was halted by the pandemic. It will now open at Leeds Playhouse from 7-21 May before transferring to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 24-28 May and Curve from 7-11 June.

Director Jemima Levick said: “I’m thrilled that Maggie May is finally making it to Leeds, Hornchurch and Leicester after the pandemic forced us to take an unexpected two-year hiatus. To be given the opportunity to revisit this special show and to share its inspirational messages of love and hope with audiences is really exciting.

“This is something of a homecoming for the show as it was created in Leeds with the help of local people living with dementia and their families. Frances (Poet) has skilfully woven their lived experiences into her play, using their thoughts and ideas as threads in her beautiful life-affirming tapestry about how we learn and re-learn to communicate .

“I’m so excited to be working with such a spectacularly talented cast and creative team on this very special show – I can’t wait for audiences to finally see it.”  

The play centres around Maggie, played by Eithne Browne, one of Liverpool’s most well-loved and popular actors – she’s even the voice of the Mersey Ferries. With starring roles in the original Blood Brothers in the West End, Shirley Valentine, and numerous Liverpool Royal Court Theatre productions and TV appearances on Waterloo Road, Cold Feet and as Brookside regular Chrissy Rogers, she has enjoyed a dazzling career spanning more than three decades.

Tony Timberlake, who stars as Maggie’s husband Gordon, has enjoyed a long and illustrious theatre career, including Chicago (Garrick Theatre); Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre); Spamalot (Palace Theatre); Singin’ in the Rain (National Theatre); Les Miserables (Palace Theatre); and Into the Woods (Donmar Warehouse).

The five-strong Maggie May cast also includes York actor Mark Holgate (Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre; Julius Caesar, The Crucible, Sheffield; Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Tina & Bobby) as Maggie and Gordon’s son Michael; Leeds actor Shireen Farkhoy (The Ipcress File, ITV1; Silent Witness, BBC1) as Mark’s girlfriend Claire; and Maxine Finch (LIT, Nottingham Playhouse; Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, DCI Banks) as Maggie’s best friend, Jo.

The creative team includes Set & Costume Designer Francis O’Connor, Theatre and Dementia Advisor Dr Nicky Taylor, Associate Designer Alex Doidge-Green, Movement Director Joseph Mercier, Lighting Designer Chris Davey, Composer & Sound Designer Claire McKenzie, Casting Director Kay Magson and Dialect Coach Eleanor Manners.

All performances of Maggie May at Leeds Playhouse, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Curve will be dementia-friendly, with additional staff, detailed pre-show information and a quiet space. Each venue will also host a free interactive installation – The Picture Booth – designed by Leeds Playhouse Resident Designer Warda Abbasi to amplify the experiences of people living with dementia.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.