Having first opened its doors in 2008 under the leadership of founding Artistic Director Sir Peter Hall; this year Rose Theatre Kingston celebrates its 10th anniversary with a season of work including the world première of Nick Dear’s double-bill Hogarth’s Progress: The Art of Success and The Taste of the Town, Much Ado About Nothing led by Mel Giedroyc and John Hopkins and anniversary exhibition The Rose at 10: Celebrating 10 Years of World Class Theatre.
Hogarth’s Progress is a salacious exploration of the nature and commercialisation of art including the first major UK revival of Dear’s award-winning play The Art of Success, which follows William Hogarth through a bawdy night in 1730, and the world première of The Taste of the Town which revisits the hugely successful artist 30 years later when he’s at the end of his career.
Directed by Anthony Banks the plays will run in rep opening Saturday 29 September, with previews from Thursday 13 September, and running until Sunday 21 October. Each play can be seen as a single performance or enjoyed together, either over different days or as an all-day theatrical experience. Tickets are on sale to Rose Circle members now, Loyalty Card members on Tuesday 27 February at 10am and go on general sale on Thursday 1 March at 10am.
Alongside the main season is The Rose at 10: Celebrating 10 Years of World Class Theatre an anniversary exhibition showcasing some of the work of the last 10 years including exhibits from Rose Theatre Kingston’s most memorable productions, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream which reunited director Peter Hall and Judi Dench as Titania 50 years after their RSC production, to the first revival of The Wars of the Roses directed by Trevor Nunn. The exhibition will run at Rose Theatre Kingston from Tuesday 13 March until Sunday 29 April.
