WELCOME This last year has been an incredibly exciting time for the Rose. We are attracting exceptional directors and actors to our stage and our productions are drawing widespread public and critical acclaim. Working alongside one of the most celebrated directors of our time, we successfully recreated one of the defining theatrical events of the last fifty years with our epic production of The Wars of the Roses, directed by Trevor Nunn. We produced another sell-out Christmas show featuring the outstanding talents of the Rose Youth Theatre, and delighted audiences of all ages with our Easter co-production of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. Our Spring season featured two productions inspired by real life stories: Maxine Peake’s touching tribute to cycling legend Beryl Burton in the London premiere of Beryl; and Peter Whelan’s fascinating insight into scandalous allegations against Shakespeare’s daughter in The Herbal Bed.
★★★★★
‘Joyful... inspired’
The Rose is committed to producing outstanding drama to engage, inspire and entertain our audiences, but we can only produce the great work we do thanks to the generosity of our supporters and funders. Our warmest thanks go to everyone who has supported us this far – we couldn’t do it without you. We hope you enjoy revisiting our highlights of the last year, and join us in looking forward to ongoing success and more inspiring drama in the year ahead.
Chris Foy Chairman
Robert O’Dowd Chief Executive
Jerry Gunn Executive Producer
LondonTheatre1 on A Christmas Carol 02
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ROSE THEATRE PRODUCTIONS
The Witches By Roald Dahl, adapted by David Wood and directed by Nikolai Foster
As part of our continued commitment to create exciting work for young theatregoers and their families, Roald Dahl’s scariest book was brought to life in a stunning and colourful co-production with Curve Leicester. Following an acclaimed national and international tour, The Witches played out at the Rose in a tremendously terrifying treat for the whole family.
The Rose is now presenting more of its own productions than ever before, as we continue to build on our reputation as a home for world class drama. We presented seven Rose Productions over the last year, including an epic Shakespeare trilogy and three co-productions in partnership with other companies.
★★★★
‘A fearless and faithful adaptation’ The Guardian
The Wars of the Roses Adapted from Shakespeare’s Henry VI Parts I, II and III and Richard III by John Barton in collaboration with Peter Hall, directed by Trevor Nunn. Sponsored by DNB.
The recreation of this remarkable trilogy was a landmark event for the Rose and our most ambitious project to date. We were delighted to welcome Trevor Nunn to the Rose for the first time and give today’s audiences the first chance to see this ground breaking production since it was originally directed by Peter Hall for the RSC in 1963. This mighty adaptation condensed Shakespeare’s four original plays into a new dramatic trilogy: Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III. The Rose stage was transformed into a medieval battleground for the gripping conflict between the Houses of York and Lancaster for the throne of England. 04
The largest cast ever to appear on the Rose stage featured Joely Richardson, Rufus Hound, Robert Sheehan, Alex Waldmann and acclaimed Norwegian actor Kåre Conradi. Audiences came from far and wide for this once in a lifetime opportunity to see Shakespeare at his very best and – just as they did over fifty years ago – thousands even experienced all three plays in just one day.
The Herbal Bed By Peter Whelan, directed by James Dacre
Based on real events surrounding the 1613 trial of Shakespeare’s daughter, The Herbal Bed was originally produced to great acclaim by the RSC and was a huge hit in the West End and on Broadway. This co-production with English Touring Theatre and Royal & Derngate Northampton opened to rave reviews before touring the UK and culminating at the Rose.
★★★★
‘Thoughtful, tender and luminous’
A Christmas Carol
The Times
By Charles Dickens, adapted and directed by Ciaran McConville. Sponsored by CNM Estates.
For the second year running, a cast of professional actors was joined by talented members of the Rose Youth Theatre for our Christmas production. Through the ingenious use of illusion and projection, audiences were transported across time to a wintery Victorian London in Dickens’ classic tale of hope and redemption.
Beryl By Maxine Peake, directed by Rebecca Gatward
★★★★★
‘Gripping. Exhilarating, courageous, essential’ The Telegraph on The Wars of the Roses
The Rose was proud to stage the London premiere of Beryl – a West Yorkshire Playhouse production telling the truly inspiring story of cyclist Beryl Burton. Maxine Peake’s stage writing debut was a funny, poignant and moving tribute to one of the greatest unsung sporting legends of our time.
★★★★
‘‘A night of high speed fun’ Time Out
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VISITING PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS The Rose is extremely proud of its home-grown productions, but we are also pleased to work with visiting companies to offer audiences an exciting range of drama and family entertainment. Highlights included the welcome return of our original Rose Production, Hetty Feather, as it toured the UK.
FESTIVALS Throughout the summer, the Rose is filled with festivals and special events presented in partnership with Kingston University, the Royal Borough of Kingston and local arts, youth and community organisations.
The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, Tall Stories
Toast
Stick Man
by Richard Bean, Snapdragon Productions
by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, Scamp Theatre
KUDOS Showcasing the work of Kingston University’s graduating dance and drama students
Let Me In
Bad Jews
by Jacqueline Wilson, adapted by Emma Reeves Presented by William Archer, Kenny Wax & Novel Theatre
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King Lear
by William Shakespeare, Northern Broadsides
The annual International Youth Arts Festival, showcasing the most exciting youth arts from around the world
Shakespeare Schools Festival
by Joshua Harmon Presented by Kenny Wax, Simon Friend & Theatre Royal Bath Productions
Hetty Feather
IYAF
Our inclusive festival for, about and featuring young people with a range of special needs and learning disabilities
Ignition Dance Festival Tipping Point Ockham’s Razor
Raising the profile of dance in Kingston through commissioning, training and performance opportunities
Celebrating Shakespeare with unique performances by children from Kingston and the surrounding area
Festival of Stories Presented by Kingston Connections, an exploration of the varied and vibrant forms of storytelling 07
LEARNING & PARTICIPATION Throughout the year, our building is brimming with classes, workshops and performances for all ages.
★★★★
‘A rich, heart-warming theatrical feast of a show’ The Stage on A Christmas Carol
TAKE PART Over the last year, members of the Rose Youth Theatre have performed on our main stage, in the Rose Studio, at Hampton Court Palace, the V&A Museum, Kingston College, Kingston Museum, Waldegrave School, Raven’s Ait and Hampton Court House. With 170 individual performances and audiences of around 39,000 our priority has been to further drive the quality of the Rose Youth Theatre. We had an exceptionally talented seniors group this year, with several students going on to study drama full-time at Central, Oxford, East 15 and LAMDA.
For the first time, we commissioned one of our Rose Playwriting graduates, Caroline James, to write a number of pieces for the Rose Youth Theatre, including three short plays dealing with contemporary issues and a piece on Eadweard Muybridge that was staged for the V&A Peter Brook Schools Project. Rose Acting Workshops, our skills-based course for young people, has expanded by 40% over the last year. We now have a waiting list for our Under-11s course, despite introducing additional week night classes. The younger students have become much more involved with our overall youth culture and three of our young actors featured in our co-production of The Herbal Bed. Our Screen-Acting course entered its third year and we were delighted to show several films from the course at the Rose Annual Awards in September. For the second year running, the evening was honoured by special guest, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who is a huge inspiration for our young students. Rose Summer Schools enjoyed sold out attendance, proving a popular first point of contact for young people. Our adult acting course, Rose Players, ran for three terms this year, with a number of repeat bookings from participants.
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Over the coming year our focus will be on developing skills within the Rose Young Company to create an ensemble that can once again be a driving force behind the Rose Christmas production. More than 300 young people applied to audition for the 2016 Christmas show, The Wind in the Willows, marking an increase of almost 50% on last year. Other upcoming Rose Youth Theatre titles will include Twelfth Night, The Jungle Book, Lay Your Sleeping Head and Heart of Darkness. We will also continue to foster partnerships with external organisations: Hampton Court Palace, the V&A and the Staatstheater Oldenburg have all expressed an interest in working with us again.
OUTREACH To accompany our production of The Wars of the Roses we commissioned a special play – My Kingdom is a Horse! – and associated workshop to teach young audiences about history in a fun and engaging way. The project toured to over 3,000 children in 24 schools across the region. We also partnered with Hampton Court Palace to celebrate the historic site’s 500th anniversary in a project called TimeQuake. The Rose helped to recruit and train around 50 aspiring young actors aged 16-20 to deliver interactive promenade performances to the visiting public throughout a nine day festival at the palace in May 2015.
ROSE YOUTH THEATRE PRODUCTIONS Erica the Viking A Midsummer Night’s Dream Romeo & Juliet The Trial Alice in Wonderland A Christmas Carol Female Transport Watership Down Momentous: Days of Our Lives The Creature: a retelling of Frankenstein Orpheus & Eurydice Inside the Minds of Muybridge
SHORT FILMS Look at You Results Day Séance See You in September Full Moon
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FUNDRAISING
‘Deft and compelling’ The Financial Times on King John
As a registered charity, the Rose relies on the generous support of audiences, donors, grant‑giving organisations and the business community to thrive and grow. We are exceptionally grateful to all those who supported us over the last year, enabling the Rose to provide high quality drama and cultural experiences to engage audiences, inspire young minds and encourage participation. Two of this year’s Rose productions received headline support: The Wars of the Roses sponsored by DNB and A Christmas Carol sponsored by CNM Estates. Kingston’s historic department store, Bentalls, even featured as a Victorian shop front in our Christmas set design. We also continued to receive generous ongoing support from our longstanding business sponsors, as well as developing new partnerships with many local retailers including John Lewis and Riverside Walk. Grant funding enabled us to programme several learning and participation projects, including a series of pop-up theatre performances in local schools and our annual Let Me In festival, aimed at young people with a range of special needs and learning disabilities. Support for the Rose Friends Loyalty Card scheme remained
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strong, with members enjoying generous ticket discounts, special offers and a range of benefits from our growing group of local partners. We welcomed 15 new members to our exclusive Rose Circle, offering a unique opportunity to engage more closely with our work and gain a fascinating insight behind the scenes. Over the coming year we will focus on developing more key partnerships with the corporate sector and on growing membership of the Rose Circle, bringing more supporters closer to the heart of our theatre. This year we will be presenting more of our own productions than ever before, as we continue to build on our reputation as a home for world class drama. But we can only do this with your help. If you love the work we do, there are many ways to support us so do get in touch to talk about them, or any special interests you have, or perhaps new ideas for support. By doing this you will be providing invaluable help to fund our drama, culture and learning programmes – now and into the future.
Visit our website to see how you can support the Rose: rosetheatrekingston.org/support‑us
SUPPORTERS
Stakeholders
Founding Sponsor
Lottery Funder
Education Partner
Thank you to the generous supporters and funders who make our work possible Director’s Circle Marit Mohn Ian & Filiz Page Anthony & Marjorie Simonds‑Gooding Robert Westlake Producer’s Circle Chris Foy Agnes Hewitt‑Smith Luke & Kate Nunneley Peter Scott Benefactors Dickie & Susan Bannenberg Sandy Gavshon Martin & Kathryn Higgs David & Annie Lass Patrick & Marion O’Donovan Bob Steed Brian & Angela Willman Patrons Michael & Rosemary Bibby Timothy & Angela Combe Nigel Duffin David Elmes & Lesley Lenssen Andrew & Maggie Gallagher Baroness Sally Hamwee Peter & Fiona Hare Simon & Wanda Higman John & Martha Jessop Robert & Scilla O’Dowd Bob Phillips & Anna Cunnyngham Ian & Mary Reid Donald Rogers Jenny Titterton Peter Wear Robert Wolf
Associates Mark Chester & Clare Lumley Michael & Mary Davison Jennie Drimmer & Daniel Kline Bruce Gray Jai & Anjali Gupta Nigel Hardy Anthony Lipmann Feliks & Pauline Morozgalski Kenneth Rokison Brian Smith David Tallis Life Friends Ian & Wendelien Bellinger Will Bland & Tricia Welch Bland Supporters Sir George Cox Edward Field Barbara Johnson R R Langley Lord Rix Wahid Samady Rose Friends And all those who wish to remain anonymous Trusts & Foundations Garfield Weston Foundation Hampton Fuel Allotment Charity John Coates Charitable Trust Kingston Boys Club Personal Development Trust UK Richmond Parish Lands Charity Rowan Bentall Charitable Trust Watson Family Foundation
Corporate Supporters Air Charter Service Bella Italia Bentalls Kingston Carluccio’s Carter Bells Cattaneo Commercial Clear Insurance Management Côte Brasserie DNB Graphic Design House Hamptons International Holiday Inn Kingston South John Lewis Pizza Express Riverside Walk Russell‑Cooke Solicitors Strada TCS Media The Lensbury Zizzi
We already do great work. With your support we can do even more.
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LOOKING FORWARD
‘Wonderful... excellent fun’ The Daily Mail on King John
Following an exceptional year of outstanding drama on our stage, we look forward to a thrilling season ahead and three world class Directors at the Rose. Trevor Nunn
John Malkovich
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Michael Rudman
King John
Good Canary
All My Sons
The Wind in the Willows
By William Shakespeare, directed by Trevor Nunn
By Zach Helm, directed by John Malkovich
By Arthur Miller, directed by Michael Rudman
By Kenneth Grahame, adapted and directed by Ciaran McConville
Following on from the tremendous success of The Wars of the Roses trilogy, Trevor Nunn makes a welcome return to the Rose to direct Shakespeare’s epic battle of ascension, King John. This is a rare opportunity for audiences to see one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, which also marks our celebration of the 400th anniversary of the bard’s death.
Award‑winning actor and director John Malkovich makes his London theatre directorial debut in this English speaking world premiere of Zach Helm’s gripping story of a novelist on the brink of fame and fortune, whose wife is struggling with addiction and mental illness.
Acclaimed director Michael Rudman brings Arthur Miller to the Rose stage for the first time. Rudman’s distinguished career includes Associate Director at the National Theatre under Sir Peter Hall and Artistic Director of the Lyttleton Theatre, where he directed Miller’s Death of a Salesman. He later directed the play on Broadway with Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich, winning a Tony Award for best revival.
For the third year running, our Christmas Show will feature talented members of the Rose Youth Theatre performing alongside professional actors in one of the best loved children’s tales of all time.
With its calculating allegiances and ruthless scheming, the plot of King John resonates with the contemporary political landscape of today and is the penultimate play in Trevor Nunn’s epic undertaking to direct all 37 Shakespeare plays.
Malkovich has directed the play twice before: in Spanish in Mexico City, and in French in Paris, where it was nominated for six Molière Awards, winning for Best Director and Best Design. This is the first time the play will be performed in English, and we are exceptionally proud that the Rose will stage this landmark production.
Based on a true story, All My Sons was Miller’s first critical success and introduces his recurring themes of morality, social responsibility and the death of the American dream.
The Rose Christmas Show is building a strong reputation for fantastic family entertainment, sell‑out performances and widespread public and critical acclaim. This delightful story of friendship and courage promises festive madness for all ages and an enchanting ode to the wild banks of the River Thames.
We look forward to seeing you at the Rose for a captivating season of drama ahead! 13
THE ROSE TEAM Director Emeritus Sir Peter Hall CBE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chairman Chris Foy Members Cllr John Ayles Chris Blackhurst Andrea Craig Baroness Sally Hamwee Robin Hutchinson MBE Professor Martyn Jones Marit Mohn Ciara Morris Luke Nunneley Robert O’Dowd Cllr Julie Pickering Bill Price David Tallis
EXECUTIVE
OPERATIONS
BOX OFFICE
Chief Executive Robert O’Dowd
Theatre Manager Lesley Rowden
Box Office Manager Brett Foulser Bishop
Executive Producer Jerry Gunn
Operations Manager Jonathan Beaumont
Head of Development Liz Beatty
Front of House and Events Managers Luci Sorrell Catherine Lencz
Box Office Supervisors Rachel Cash Josh Mathieson Andy Watkins
Head of Finance Rachael Lowndes Head of Marketing & PR Paola Pozzi …………………….....................…. Assistant Producer Rebecca Targett
MARKETING Marketing & Press Officer Amy Smith
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Digital Marketing Officer Sebastian Harding
Chairman Luke Nunneley
Marketing Assistant Alice Rush
Members Liz Beatty Janet Day Geoff Howard Robert O’Dowd
LEARNING & PARTICIPATION
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL Frank Whately Michael Aspel Janet Day David Errington Carl Fisher Richard House John McCarthy David Nield Mary Reid Diana Robertson Alan Stevenson Brian Willman Aniela Zaba
Director of Learning & Participation Ciaran McConville Learning & Participation Officer Sarah Kingsford Teaching Staff Stephen Brown Anthony Hoskyns Rosie Jones Josh Mathieson Kamini Tavanandi Andy Watkins
FINANCE Financial Accountant Martins Jukna Financial Assistant Beccy McTaggart
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YEAR 6% IN FIGURES 130 VOLUNTEERS
VOLUNTEERS
Bars Manager Lucy Bear Front of House Team Andrew Davidson Cordell DeBardeLaben Dave Johnson Caitlin Joseph Sally Kerry Janavi Kramer Lara Lemon Jackie Martin Rebecca Pickering Viviana Rocha Jo Spooner Sara Wise Stage Door Keepers Andrew Davidson Amy Dodero Hannah Edwards Carrie Foulkes Mel Harrison Liz James Jeremy Lord Michael O’Kelly Kimberley Sanders Bar Supervisors Csilla Horvath Matthew Robinson Bethany Smith Bar Team Maria Finlay Rosie Harris Sarah Nash Klaudia Papp Lap Yau
DEVELOPMENT Development Assistant Andrea Lawrence
Box Office Assistants Lindsey Bowden Megan Elliott Anthony Hoskyns Caitlin Joseph Hannah Ledwith Callum McCartney Nina Monschein Rebecca Pickering Kimberley Sanders
PRODUCTION Head of Production Wayne Parry Lighting & Sound Supervisor David Starmer Stage Supervisor Robert Wells Production Technicians Polly Bailey Sammy Broomfield Jennifer Chatfield James Horsington Jess Newton
EXTERNAL ADVISORS Associate Producer Greg Ripley-Duggan Project Director Rosie Hoare Company Secretary Geoff Howard PR Consultant Kate Morley PR Rose Ambassador Roger Chown
GROWTH IN AUDIENCE NUMBERS
We celebrate the contribution of our team of Volunteer Ushers, Rose Ambassadors, Rose Reps and Office Volunteers, on whom the operation of the Rose depends. Mona Adams Rayna Altman Dee Applin-Stojanovic Barbara Atherton Maggie Bagnall Chrissy Baker Maureen Beard Michael Beckerman Mary Bell Deborah Bishop Hilary Boerio Judith Booth Jennifer Boston Philip Broadway Liz Brown Malcolm Brown Wilhelmina Bryan Lorna Campbell Penny Carte Shirley Casey Julian Cheek Olivia Childs Gordon Cooke Leila Corry Jennifer Cox Emily Craig Susan Crane Wendy Davidson Jean Davies Christine Duggan Carole Edmunds John Ellis Marion Evans Angela Filkin Susan Fossaluzza Gill Frances Sally Fraser Brian Freeman Lesley Freeman Marian Freedman Zara Frenkiel Andrew Frenkiel Jill Goodchild Anne Gorton
Roger Haile Carolann Hally Jonathan Hannam Joyce Hardy Patricia Harrison Lucinda Harridge Peter Herlinger Glenda Hill Julie Hitchcock Rona Hitchman Ella Holmes Patricia Hondropodis Pauline Howard Shelia Hughes Michael Isaacs Teresa James Monica Jelley Diana Jespersen Elizabeth Kearns Valerie Kinloch Julia Kirk Sandra Krause Hristina Kuseva Linda Lally Jean Lancaster Ruth Lankester Suzanne Marley Jennifer Matthews Joan McConn-Smal Isabelle McGrath Martine Mellor Vicki Merrall Christine Miles Michael Miles Fiona Mongredien Valerie Milnes Rosie Moore Anthony Morris Valerie Morris Ann Moxley Linda Murray Judy Newman Richard Mosley Shirley Noel
Ciera O’Dwyer Sharon Parsons Maureen Pianca Margaret Pick Jane Picott Jean Perkins Mary Reid Rosie Rendall Irene Ruschill Georgina Rice-Oxley Pawan Sahni Nigel Saker Jacky Sewter Gail Sewter John Sewter Emily Sions Lesley Sirrell Jenny Smith Viba Spalding Carole StathamFletcher Jennie Streeter Jeremy Stubbs Richard S Swift Kate Tebb Sally Thomas Janet Thornton Patricia Tilley Jennifer Titterton Valerie Towler Paul Tregenza Vivienne Tregenza Andrew Turner Jill Tyler Barbara Waters Peter Watson Ann Watson Diane Webb Kathy White Nigel Widden Robert Wolf Margaret Woodrow Alexandra Ziminski
161,150 TICKETS
SOLD
142
FREE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
11%
• • •
TOTAL TICKETS SOLD
1,224
Drama One Night Shows Festivals & Events
LEARNING AND PARTICIPATION WORKSHOPS
76% 123,053 16,434 21,663
28%
TOTAL INCOME
10% 10%
12%
21%
• Rose Theatre Productions £995k £751k • Visiting Productions • Fundraising £411k £380k • Kingston University £342k • Cafe and Bar • Royal Borough of Kingston £317k • Learning & Participation £170k • Commercial £178k
£7,000,000 147 SCHOOL GROUP VISITS VALUE TO THE
314 PERFORMANCES LOCAL ECONOMY 14%
9%
5% 5%
472,170 WEBSITE
VISITORS
415 2,974
ROSE YOUTH THEATRE MEMBERS
FREE TICKETS FOR KINGSTON SCHOOL CHILDREN Photo credits: Catherine Ashmore, Ben Broomfield, Nobby Clark, Mark Douet, Keith Pattison, Steve Ullathorne Summary figures in this review are based on estimated unaudited accounts for the year ended 31 March 2016. Full audited accounts are filed annually with the Charity Commission. Rose Theatre Kingston is managed by Kingston Theatre Trust, registered in England as a company limited by guarantee No. 2497984 and as a charity No. 1000182
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