Progress Theatre
Encyclopedia
Progress Theatre is a theatre company owning and managing its own theatre on The Mount, in Reading
, Berkshire
, England, close to Reading University
. The theatre is the oldest one operating in Reading and the only venue in the town dedicated entirely to theatrical productions.
The company was formed in 1946, staging its first production in 1947. The theatre itself was opened in 1951 and has a reputation for excellence.
The company is a registered charity
and it is a member of the Little Theatre Guild
(LTG) and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association
(NODA).
The first production was staged in 1947 and for five years performances were in Palmer Hall, West Street, Reading. The Mildmay Hall in The Mount was found to be available for rent from the Co-operative Society who agreed to its use as a theatre. The members together with families and friends, converted it into a working theatre and the first production was in October 1951.
In 1964, after a massive fund raising campaign, the freehold
of the building was bought. The basis of the present foyer
was built at that time together with other, then modern, facilities. With other alterations and extensions over the years, productions are still staged in the same building which now seats 97 people.
Kenneth Branagh
, who was a member of the theatre in the 1960s, became Progress Theatre patron
in 2011.
Progress Theatre has also produced a series of summer open-air Shakespeare productions since the mid-1990s in Reading Abbey
Ruins. These productions are a large undertaking, managed in partnership with Reading Borough Council, who permit the use of the grounds in and around the 12th century Abbey. In 2007, the event was expanded to form the Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival. The 2009 and 2010 festivals were cancelled due to ongoing restoration works to remedy structural problems at the Reading Abbey site. In 2010, a similar event was planned at a different venue, but was cancelled due to production problems.
Progress has presented contemporary plays since its founding and the first performances in England of The Good Woman of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht
and The Shadow of a Gunman
by Sean O'Casey
were produced at the theatre in 1952 and 1958 respectively.
More recently, Progress has produced a series of Christmas
productions based on popular children's books. Some notable productions include:
Recent years have also seen productions of notorious plays such as Blasted
by Sarah Kane
while the more public-friendly yearly open-air Shakespeare productions in the Reading Abbey
ruins have proved popular.
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England, close to Reading University
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
. The theatre is the oldest one operating in Reading and the only venue in the town dedicated entirely to theatrical productions.
The company was formed in 1946, staging its first production in 1947. The theatre itself was opened in 1951 and has a reputation for excellence.
The company is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
and it is a member of the Little Theatre Guild
Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain
The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain is an Umbrella organisation promoting and supporting independent amateur theatre companies which have control over their own premises and produce drama of a high quality for the benefit of their communities...
(LTG) and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association
National Operatic and Dramatic Association
NODA has a membership of 2500 amateur theatre groups and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country’s leading professional theatres to tiny village halls.Founded in 1899,...
(NODA).
History
Progress Theatre was established in 1946 by a young group of Reading people as a voluntary theatre group in Reading to present new and challenging productions.The first production was staged in 1947 and for five years performances were in Palmer Hall, West Street, Reading. The Mildmay Hall in The Mount was found to be available for rent from the Co-operative Society who agreed to its use as a theatre. The members together with families and friends, converted it into a working theatre and the first production was in October 1951.
In 1964, after a massive fund raising campaign, the freehold
Fee simple
In English law, a fee simple is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. It is the most common way that real estate is owned in common law countries, and is ordinarily the most complete ownership interest that can be had in real property short of allodial title, which is often reserved...
of the building was bought. The basis of the present foyer
Lobby (room)
A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
was built at that time together with other, then modern, facilities. With other alterations and extensions over the years, productions are still staged in the same building which now seats 97 people.
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
, who was a member of the theatre in the 1960s, became Progress Theatre patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
in 2011.
Educational role
In the 1950s a Student Group for 14 to 18 year olds was created, offering instruction in many aspects of theatre. A charitable organisation, "The Progress Theatre" was established in 1962 with the object of promoting education in performing arts in Reading and the surrounding area. This object is met by maintaining a theatre and the original Student Group has expanded since its inception. As of 2009, the Progress Youth Theatre consists of two groups for 15 to 18 year olds and groups for school years 4 to 6 (ages 8 to 11), 7 to 8 (ages 11 to 13) and 9 to 10 (ages 13 to 15). All of the groups have an opportunity to give a yearly public performance.Present day
The theatre has a membership of about 150 people and puts on a regular menu of classic and contemporary theatre. All of these productions are managed by volunteer members of the theatre.Progress Theatre has also produced a series of summer open-air Shakespeare productions since the mid-1990s in Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors...
Ruins. These productions are a large undertaking, managed in partnership with Reading Borough Council, who permit the use of the grounds in and around the 12th century Abbey. In 2007, the event was expanded to form the Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival. The 2009 and 2010 festivals were cancelled due to ongoing restoration works to remedy structural problems at the Reading Abbey site. In 2010, a similar event was planned at a different venue, but was cancelled due to production problems.
Past productions
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
and The Shadow of a Gunman
The Shadow of a Gunman
The Shadow of a Gunman is a 1923 play by Seán O'Casey. It centers on the mistaken identity of a building tenant who is thought to be an IRA assassin....
by Sean O'Casey
Seán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
were produced at the theatre in 1952 and 1958 respectively.
More recently, Progress has produced a series of Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
productions based on popular children's books. Some notable productions include:
- MortMortMort is a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. Published in 1987, it is the fourth Discworld novel and the first to focus on the Death of the Discworld, who only appeared as a side character in the previous novels...
by Terry PratchettTerry PratchettSir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
(adap. Stephen BriggsStephen BriggsStephen Briggs is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy Discworld. The Streets of Ankh-Morpork, the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and painted by Stephen Player in 1993...
) in 1997-1998 - James and the Giant PeachJames and the Giant PeachJames and the Giant Peach is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The original first edition published by Alfred Knopf featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. However, there have been various reillustrated versions of it over the years, done by Michael...
by Roald DahlRoald DahlRoald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
in 2005-2006, using an adaptation by David WoodDavid Wood (actor)David Wood OBE is an English-born actor and writer, called "the National Children's Dramatist" by The Times.He was educated at Chichester High School For Boys and Worcester College, Oxford....
usually available only to professional productions.
Recent years have also seen productions of notorious plays such as Blasted
Blasted
Blasted is the first play by British author Sarah Kane. It was first performed in 1995 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London. This performance was highly controversial and the play was fiercely attacked by most newspaper critics, many of whom regarded it as a rather immature attempt to...
by Sarah Kane
Sarah Kane
Sarah Kane was an English playwright. Her plays deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture — both physical and psychological — and death. They are characterised by a poetic intensity, pared-down language, exploration of theatrical form and, in her earlier work, the use of...
while the more public-friendly yearly open-air Shakespeare productions in the Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors...
ruins have proved popular.
Past seasons
| Productions during the 2005–2006 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Play | Author | Dates | Reviews |
| The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband | Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt; born 7 February 1966 in Birmingham, UK; is a comic writer, film director and performer.Isitt set up the theatre company 'Snarling Beasties' in the 1980s... |
3 to 8 October 2005 | Theatre archive |
| Godspell Godspell Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway... |
John-Michael Tebelak John-Michael Tebelak John-Michael Tebelak was an American playwright and director. He was most famous for creating the musical Godspell based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The music was by Stephen Schwartz... / Stephen Schwartz Stephen Schwartz (composer) Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell , Pippin and Wicked... |
10 to 19 November 2005 | Theatre archive |
| James and the Giant Peach James and the Giant Peach James and the Giant Peach is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The original first edition published by Alfred Knopf featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. However, there have been various reillustrated versions of it over the years, done by Michael... |
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander... (adapted by David Wood David Wood (actor) David Wood OBE is an English-born actor and writer, called "the National Children's Dramatist" by The Times.He was educated at Chichester High School For Boys and Worcester College, Oxford.... ) |
29 December 2005 to 7 January 2006 | Theatre archive |
| Breaking the Code Breaking the Code Breaking the Code is a 1986 play by Hugh Whitemore about British mathematician Alan Turing, who was a key player in the breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II... |
Hugh Whitemore Hugh Whitemore Hugh Whitemore is an English playwright and screenwriter.Whitemore studied for the stage at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he is now a Member of the Council. He began his writing career in British television with both original teleplays and adaptations of classic works by Charles... |
9 to 18 February 2006 | |
| Julius Caesar Julius Caesar (play) The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against... |
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... |
1 to 4 March 2006 | |
| Blasted Blasted Blasted is the first play by British author Sarah Kane. It was first performed in 1995 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London. This performance was highly controversial and the play was fiercely attacked by most newspaper critics, many of whom regarded it as a rather immature attempt to... |
Sarah Kane Sarah Kane Sarah Kane was an English playwright. Her plays deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture — both physical and psychological — and death. They are characterised by a poetic intensity, pared-down language, exploration of theatrical form and, in her earlier work, the use of... |
20 to 25 March 2006 | BBC Review |
| In the Village / HotChitChat.com (double bill) | Mary Took / Arthur Burke (local writers) | 24 to 29 April 2006 | |
| Skylight Skylight (play) Skylight is a play by British dramatist David Hare. It opened at the Royal National Theatre, Cottesloe, directed by Richard Eyre, in 1995. The production then moved to the Wyndham's Theatre for a short run from 13 February 1996, after winning the Laurence Olivier Award for the 1995... |
David Hare David Hare (dramatist) Sir David Hare is an English playwright and theatre and film director.-Early life:Hare was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, the son of Agnes and Clifford Hare, a sailor. He was educated at Lancing, an independent school in West Sussex, and at Jesus College, Cambridge... |
1 to 10 June 2006 | |
| Dracula Dracula Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor... (a Progress Youth Theatre production) |
Bram Stoker Bram Stoker Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula... (adapted by Glynn Oram, a local writer) |
11 to 15 July 2006 | BBC Review |
| The Winter's Tale The Winter's Tale The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W... (performed in the Reading Abbey Reading Abbey Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors... Ruins) |
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... |
17 to 29 July 2006 |
| Productions during the 2006–2007 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Play | Author | Dates | Reviews |
| Entertaining Mr Sloane Entertaining Mr Sloane Entertaining Mr Sloane is a play by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964.-Plot summary:Act 1... |
Joe Orton Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies... |
7 to 16 September 2006 | Newbury Weekly News |
| Hanna and Hannah | John Retallack John Retallack John Retallack is a British director.He studied at St Paul's College of Education, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, where he took the Double English course for his C.Ed. qualification , and English and Education for his B.Ed.... |
9 to 14 October 2006 | Newbury Weekly News |
| The Good Woman of Setzuan | Bertolt Brecht Bertolt Brecht Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the... |
16 to 25 November 2006 | BBC |
| Alice in Storyland | Ali Carroll (local writer) | 28 December 2006 to 6 January 2007 | |
| First Writefest | A festival of new writing | 22 to 27 January 2007 | |
| Wait Until Dark Wait Until Dark Wait Until Dark is a play by Frederick Knott.-Synopsis:Susy Hendrix is a blind Greenwich Village housewife who becomes the target of three con-men searching for the heroin hidden in a doll, which her husband Sam innocently transported from Canada as a favor to a woman who has since been murdered... |
Frederick Knott Frederick Knott Frederick Major Paull Knott was an English playwright, best known for writing the London-based stage thriller Dial M for Murder, which was later filmed in Hollywood by Alfred Hitchcock.... |
22 February to 3 March 2007 | Newbury Weekly News |
| The Far Side (performed at 21 South Street) | Courttia Newland Courttia Newland Courttia Newland is a British writer of Jamaican and Bajan heritage.-Background:Newland grew up in Shepherd's Bush, west London, where he became a rapper and music producer who, together with friends, released a Drum n' Bass white label. In 1997 he published his first novel, The Scholar. Further... |
12 to 15 March 2007 | BBC |
| The Insect Play (a Progress Youth Theatre production) | The brothers Čapek | 26 to 31 March 2007 | |
| Grey Owl Grey Owl Grey Owl was the name Archibald Belaney adopted when he took on a First Nations identity as an adult... (a visiting production by Progress Theatre (Canada)) |
Armand Garnet Ruffo Armand Garnet Ruffo Armand Garnet Ruffo is a Canadian poet.-Life:He graduated from the University of Ottawa, and the University of Windsor and is a member of the Ojibwe nation.He teaches at the Carleton University.... |
10 to 11 April 2007 | |
| Decadence / People in Cages People in Cages People in Cages is a short play by British writer, David Henry Wilson, first performed in 2000. The play consists of four short vignettes, each of which revolves around different individuals or groups of people locked inside a cage for the entertainment of paying visitors, reminiscent of a... (double bill) |
Steven Berkoff Steven Berkoff Steven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt... / David Henry Wilson David Henry Wilson David Henry Wilson is an English writer. As an author he is best known for his children's stories such as the Jeremy James series. Wilson has also had a number of plays produced in the United Kingdom, both for children and adults.... |
16 to 21 April 2007 | BBC |
| The Husband Defeated | Molière Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature... |
10 to 19 May 2007 | |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta... (performed in the Reading Abbey Reading Abbey Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors... Ruins) |
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... |
16 to 28 July 2007 | BBC Reading Evening Post |
| Productions during the 2007–2008 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Play | Author | Dates | (P)reviews |
| Woman in Mind Woman In Mind Woman in Mind is the 32nd play by English playwright, Alan Ayckbourn. It was premiered at the Stephen Joseph Theatre In The Round, Scarborough, in 1985. Despite pedestrian reviews by many critics, strong audience reaction resulted in a transfer to London's West End... |
Alan Ayckbourn Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their... |
20 to 29 September 2007 | BBC Preview BBC Review |
| The Veil | Kerry Murdock | 22 to 27 October 2007 | BBC Preview BBC Review Remotegoat Review |
| My Voice(s) | Kerry Murdock | 3 November 2007 | BBC Review |
| Blue/Orange BLUE/ORANGE Blue/Orange is a play by written by English dramatist, Joe Penhall. A sardonically comic piece which touches on race, mental illness, and 21st century British life, it premiered at the Cottesloe Theatre in April 2000, starring Bill Nighy, Andrew Lincoln and Chiwetel Ejiofor... |
Joe Penhall Joe Penhall Joe Penhall is a British playwright and screenwriter.Born in London, his first major play was Some Voices for the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1994, which won the John Whiting Award. It has twice been revived off Broadway... |
19 to 24 November 2007 | BBC Review Newbury Weekly News Lentissimo article Production Photos |
| The Jungle Book The Jungle Book The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six... |
Rudyard Kipling Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature... , adapted by Stuart Paterson |
28 December 2007 to 6 January 2008 | BBC Preview BBC Review |
| Second Writefest | A festival of new writing | 17 to 19 January 2008 | BBC preview Remotegoat review |
| Return to the Forbidden Planet Return to the Forbidden Planet Return to the Forbidden Planet is a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet .... |
Bob Carlton | 14 to 23 February 2008 | Newbury Theatre review |
| After Juliet After Juliet After Juliet is a play that was written by Scottish playwright Sharman Macdonald. It was commissioned for the 1999 NT Shell Connections programme, in which regional youth theatre groups compete to stage short plays by established playwrights.... (a Progress Youth Theatre production) |
Sharman Macdonald Sharman Macdonald Sharman Macdonald is a Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and former actress. She is the mother of Academy Award-nominee Keira Knightley.-Career:... |
10 to 15 March 2008 | BBC Review Remotegoat review |
| Four Nights in Knaresborough Four Nights in Knaresborough Four Nights in Knaresborough is a play written by Paul Corcoran and first performed at the Tricycle Theatre, London in 1999. It recounts the aftermath of the murder of Thomas Becket by four knights making "the worst career choice in history"... |
Paul Webb Paul Webb Paul Douglas Webb is an English musician.Webb attended secondary school with Lee Harris, and the two became good friends. They played in the reggae band Eskalator before being recruited to form Talk Talk in 1981. Webb played bass for Talk Talk until 1988.In the early 1990s he and Harris formed... |
10 to 19 April 2008 | Reading Evening Post review Remote goat review Newbury Weekly News review |
| The Women of Lockerbie | Deborah Brevoort | 19 to 24 May 2008 | Newbury Weekly News review |
| The Taming of the Shrew The Taming of the Shrew The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself... (performed in the Reading Abbey Reading Abbey Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors... Ruins) |
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... |
14 to 26 July 2008 | Reading Evening Post preview |
| Productions during the 2008–2009 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Play | Author | Dates | (P)reviews |
| Honour Honour (play) Honour is a 1995 play by the Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith.It tells the familiar tale of a middle aged man, George, who leaves his wife, Honour, and their 24-year-old daughter, Sophie, for a relationship with a much younger woman by the name of Claudia.It was first performed in... |
Joanna Murray-Smith Joanna Murray-Smith Joanna Murray-Smith is a Melbourne based playwright, screenwriter, novelist, librettist and newspaper columnist.-Biography:... |
22 to 27 September 2008 | Reading Evening Post review |
| Kindertransport Kindertransport (play) Kindertransport is a play by Diane Samuels, which examines the life, during World War II and afterwards, of a Kindertransport child. Though fictitious, it is based upon many real kinder stories... |
Diane Samuels Diane Samuels Diane Samuels is an author and playwright. She was born in Liverpool in 1960. Samuels studied history at Sidney Sussex College at the University of Cambridge and then studied for a PGCE in drama at Goldsmiths, University of London... |
27 October to 1 November 2008 | Reading Evening Post review Newbury Weekly News Review |
| The Tamer Tamed | John Fletcher John Fletcher (playwright) John Fletcher was a Jacobean playwright. Following William Shakespeare as house playwright for the King's Men, he was among the most prolific and influential dramatists of his day; both during his lifetime and in the early Restoration, his fame rivalled Shakespeare's... |
20 to 29 November 2008 | Reading Evening Post review |
| Five Children and It Five Children and It Five Children and It is a children's novel by English author Edith Nesbit, first published in 1902; it was expanded from a series of stories published in the Strand Magazine in 1900 under the general title The Psammead, or the Gifts. It is the first of a trilogy... |
E. Nesbit E. Nesbit Edith Nesbit was an English author and poet whose children's works were published under the name of E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on over 60 books of fiction for children, several of which have been adapted for film and television... , adapted by Ali Carroll |
29 December 2008 to 10 January 2009 | Reading Evening Post review Newbury Weekly News Review |
| Third Write Fest | A festival of new writing | 29 to 31 January 2009 | Reading Evening Post preview |
| Fear and Misery of the Third Reich Fear and Misery of the Third Reich Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, , also known as The Private Life of the Master Race, is one of Bertolt Brecht's most famous plays and the first of his openly anti-Nazi works. It was first performed in 1938... |
Bertolt Brecht Bertolt Brecht Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the... |
5 to 14 March 2009 | Reading Evening Post review |
| Macbeth Macbeth The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607... (a Progress Youth Theatre production) |
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... |
30 March to 4 April | Reading Evening Post review |
| Entrapment | Nicola Abraham | 16 to 18 April 2009 | |
| Popcorn Popcorn (play) Popcorn is a 1998 play by English author Ben Elton adapted from his novel of the same title.... |
Ben Elton Ben Elton Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV.... |
7 to 16 May 2009 | Reading Evening Post review |
| The Dianalogues | Laurel Haines | 8 to 13 June 2009 |
| Productions during the 2009–2010 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Play | Author | Dates | (P)reviews |
| Closer Closer (play) Closer is the third play written by English playwright Patrick Marber. The play was premiered at the Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in London in 1997, and made its North American debut at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway on 25 January 1999.... |
Patrick Marber Patrick Marber Patrick Albert Crispin Marber is an English comedian, playwright, director, puppeteer, actor and screenwriter.-Early life and education:... |
28 September to 3 October 2009 | |
| 4th Annual Writefest | A festival of new writing | 22 to 24 October | |
| Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero.... |
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"... |
26 November to 5 December | |
| Going Postal Going Postal Going Postal is Terry Pratchett's 33rd Discworld novel, released in the United Kingdom on September 25, 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, Going Postal is divided into chapters, a feature previously seen only in Pratchett's children's books and the Science of Discworld series... |
Terry Pratchett Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels... (adap. Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy Discworld. The Streets of Ankh-Morpork, the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and painted by Stephen Player in 1993... ) |
28 January to 6 February 2010 | |
| A Couple of Poor, English-Speaking Poles | Dorota Masłowska | 1 to 6 March | |
| The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations... and Travesties Travesties Travesties is a play by Tom Stoppard.The play centres on the figure of Henry Carr, an elderly man who reminisces about Zürich in 1917 during the First World War, and his interactions with James Joyce when he was writing Ulysses, Tristan Tzara during the rise of Dada, and Lenin leading up to the... (a Progress Youth Theatre production) |
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s... and Tom Stoppard Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and... |
22 to 27 March | Get Reading review |
| Intimate Exchanges Intimate Exchanges Intimate Exchanges is a play by Alan Ayckbourn. Written between 1982 and 1983 it consists of eight major stories all originating from a single opening scene. As the play progresses, the characters make choices each of which causes the story to go in one of two directions, leading to one of 16... |
Alan Ayckbourn Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn CBE is a prolific English playwright. He has written and produced seventy-three full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their... |
14 to 24 April | Get Reading preview Get Reading review |
| The Pillowman The Pillowman The Pillowman is a 2003 play by Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. It received its first public reading in an early version at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 1995... |
Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh is an Irish-British playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Although he has lived in London his entire life, he is considered one of the most important living Irish playwrights.-Life:... |
20 to 29 May | |
| Progress Youth Theatre production | 14 to 19 June | ||
| Death and the Maiden Death and the Maiden (play) Death and the Maiden is a 1990 play by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman. The world premiere was staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 9 July 1991, directed by Lindsay Posner... |
Ariel Dorfman Ariel Dorfman Vladimiro Ariel Dorfman is an Argentine-Chilean novelist, playwright, essayist, academic, and human rights activist. A citizen of the United States since 2004, he has been a professor of literature and Latin American Studies at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina since 1985.-Personal... |
5 to 10 July |
Famous members
- Kenneth BranaghKenneth BranaghKenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
made his earliest theatre appearances with Progress Theatre in the 1970s, including one minor role as "second policeman" and is the theatre's patronPatrónPatrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
. - Dame Judi DenchJudi DenchDame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
. - Marianne FaithfullMarianne FaithfullMarianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
, a pop singer and actress, was a member of the Theatre's Student Group in the early 1960s. - Gerard Johnson, a British keyboard player, was also a member of the Theatre's Student Group between 1976 and 1981.