The Queen’s Theatre has today announced its autumn season of produced work will include two vibrant plays from Essex playwrights performing alongside each other as part of its Essex on Stage programme, as well as two major revivals of modern classics.
The season opens with Essex Girls and Boys, comprising of two dynamic pieces by local award-winning playwrights as part of the Theatre’s Essex on Stage programme. The world premiere of Stiletto Beach, a sharply observed authentic new play by Sadie Hasler (Pramkicker, Fran & Leni) plays from 4 – 28 September. Supported by Arts Council England, the piece offers a funny, heart-warming look at what it really means to be an Essex girl.
Audiences can also enjoy So Here We Are, a Bruntwood prize-winning play from Romford-born Luke Norris (Royal Court, Paines Plough). This funny and very moving play about Essex boys and their hopes, dreams and frustrations, plays from 7 – 28 September.
Luke Norris says, ‘Having seen this play on the road at the High Tide festival in Aldeburgh, and the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, I’m delighted that it’s now returning home to Essex. The Queen’s Theatre is the first theatre I ever went to as a kid, and to be back with a play of my own, set 10-minutes up the road, is really special. The dedication in the play-text reads: “For the boys back home”, so with any luck they’ll come and see it. I hope they do. I hope they enjoy it. And I hope you do too.’
Essex on Stage is an ambitious new two year programme led by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, championing positive notions of Essex, celebrating theatre made by working class people and raising aspirations for emerging artists from Essex and Outer East London. The programme has been made possible by the generous support of The Clothworkers’ Foundation, and was recently launched with the highly successful regional premiere of David Eldridge’s In Basildon.
The Queen’s Theatre and Derby Theatre are joining forces again to revive Richard Bean’s hilarious smash-hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors, following the success of their productions Abigail’s Party and Abi. Based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni, with songs by Grant Olding, this actor-musician version opens in Derby from 7 – 28 September and transfers to Hornchurch from 2 – 19 October.
From 30 October – 16 November, the Queen’s Theatre is co-producing the Tony Award-winning black comedy thriller The Beauty Queen of Leenane with Hull Truck Theatre. This hauntingly beautiful and blisteringly funny production is by Martin McDonagh, the writer of the Golden Globe and Oscar winning Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and In Bruges. The production opens at the Hull Truck Theatre from 3 – 26 October.
Following triumphant performances of Pericles at the National Theatre in summer 2018, the next Public Acts production of As You Like It opens this August. Queen’s Theatre
Hornchurch’s Artistic Director, Douglas Rintoul will direct this musical adaptation, with performances taking place in Hornchurch from 24 – 27 August. This UK premiere sees more than one hundred community members, professional actors, and performance groups from across London, come together for this magical tale of faithful friends, feuding families and lovers in disguise. The Public Acts community partners are: Body & Soul, Bromley by Bow Centre, Coram, DABD, The Faith & Belief Forum, HASWA, Open Age, Queen’s Community Group and Thames Reach.
This Christmas, families can enjoy the swashbuckling adventures of Robin Hood from 28 November – 5 January. Written by Andrew Pollard and directed by Douglas Rintoul, this actor-musician pantomime features pop hits from across the decades and traditional audience participation.
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch will be continuing its partnership with the National Theatre to host a second year of the schools tour of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time this November, following its success in the local area last year. This project is enabling the theatre to develop and deepen its relationship with local schools and reach new audiences in Outer East London.
