Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch today announced a major national tour of Moira Buffini’s brilliantly funny play Handbagged, as part of the Theatre Nation Partnerships (TNP) initiative, convened by the National Theatre.
The tour will launch with an extended 3 week run at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in February 2025, before touring to 12 venues including Theatre Nation partners: Wolverhampton Grand; Cast, Doncaster; New Theatre, Peterborough; The Lowry, Greater Manchester; Curve, Leicester; and Theatre Royal Wakefield. In addition, the play will also visit Blackpool Grand; Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry; Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford; Northern Stage; and Oxford Playhouse.
Alex Thorpe, Co-Creative Director of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Director of Handbagged:
“We are delighted to be working with our brilliant TNP partners and the National Theatre, to share this outstanding play across the country. At a time when female leadership is at the forefront of western global politics, it felt a perfect time to re-examine the titanic personal and political struggle of the two most powerful women of the modern era, in a defining moment in our country’s history. This tour marks the largest collaboration across the country in the three years of TNP and we can’t wait to share this story with the nation”
Kate Varah, Executive Director of the National Theatre said, “Theatre Nation Partnerships is our national network with local impacts. By working in partnership with theatres across the country, we are collaborating at scale to create more opportunities for people to engage with theatre and inspire creativity across the nation, reaching over 500,000 people across three years. We’re so excited for audiences from across England to have the opportunity to enjoy the brilliant play that is Handbagged and are delighted to have Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch at the helm once again to share this story with audiences far and wide”.
Theatre Nation Partnerships is a collaborative network of arts organisations aiming to strengthen their relationships with local audiences, schools, and communities. Convened by the National Theatre, the network is made up of theatres and creative organisations in 14 areas of England. Theatre Nation Partnerships has been supported by a £1.25 million award by Arts Council England, made possible thanks to National Lottery players.
