The Barn Theatre has announced their full theatre recovery season for 2020 with two new productions being announced to join the current production of Private Peaceful, which is currently running until 4 October.
The season, which will feature smaller cast sizes as well as a reduced capacity in the auditorium, follows the postponement of the Barn’s original 2020 Built by Barn Season earlier this year. The theatre intends to reschedule the postponed productions to 2021 with new dates being announced in due course.
The Theatre Recovery Season will consist of a two-hand actor-musician production of Simon Reade’s adaptation of Private Peaceful (10 to 27 September), a new revival production of Stephen Sondheim’s Marry Me A Little (16 October to 8 November) and the world debut of Alan Pollock’s new stage adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (21 November to 3 January 2020).
The Barn Theatre have also recently announced that they will be co-producing the world debut of Henry Filloux-Bennett’s new digital play adaptation of Jonathon Coe’s What a Carve Up!, with the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield and the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich. Directed by Tamara Harvey, the digital production will run from 31 October – 29 November 2020.
Kirk Jameson will return to the Barn Theatre as a Director-in-Residence for the two newly announced productions. His previous directorial work with the Barn Theatre includes The World Goes ‘Round (co-produced by Piers Cottee-Jones) at the theatre’s first outdoor theatre festival BarnFest and the 2018 Built by Barn production of Stiles + Drewe’s Just So.
Iwan Lewis, Artistic Director of the Barn Theatre, said of the new season, “I am absolutely thrilled that we have been able to produce this Theatre Recovery Season for the end of 2020. We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to our new safety procedures since we opened at the end of July for our first outdoor theatre festival, BarnFest, and again when we reopened last week for indoor theatre with Private Peaceful. We have had the seal of approval from Visit England to say that “We’re Good To Go” and we are confident that our audiences will experience the safest and most enjoyable return to live theatre. We are determined to bring back this year’s original programming in 2021 however we hope that our audiences love this new season we have worked hard to put together. Smaller shows are not a compromise on quality and this season will be a testament to that. In the words of Shakespeare, “though she be but little, she is fierce.”
For their re-opening, the Barn Theatre have implemented numerous procedures to ensure audience safety throughout their experience. The theatre runs at a reduced capacity with Perspex screens being placed between groups in a new seating layout which ensure social distancing measures are adhered to. The theatre has also announced that they have a new and upgraded air filtration system which exceeds governing guidelines to ensure the experience is the safest the theatre can provide. The cast and creative team will also adhere to Government guidance on social distancing and temperature checks.
Full performance details and tickets for the season can be found here
