SIR PETER HALL
CBE
(1930-2017)
On 11 September this year, we learnt that our founding artistic director and personal friend of mine, Sir Peter Hall, died surrounded by his family at the age of 86. Peter was a giant of British theatre, with an illustrious career spanning well over half a century. Throughout his life he directed premieres of plays from now established playwrights including Harold Pinter, Samuel Beckett, Peter Schaffer and Alan Ayckbourn, as well as ground-breaking productions of William Shakespeare. He founded the Royal Shakespeare Company at the age of 29; during his tenure as Director of the National Theatre, he oversaw the move from the Old Vic, establishing the company in its current home on the South Bank; and his influence was integral to the creation of the Rose. Peter first became involved in the Rose at the invitation of the chairman of Kingston Theatre Trust, David Jacobs when it was a shell of a building in 2003. At that time there were no doors, no staircases, there weren’t even many walls. Yet despite all that, Peter saw extraordinary potential in the theatre. He brought his own production of As You Like It to a half-finished auditorium for a three week run and hosted fundraising galas with Judi Dench and Jimmy Tarbuck, all with temporary lighting, temporary seating and portable loos. He not only demonstrated how to make the space work but raised both funds and the profile of the theatre too and put the Rose on a higher platform to be able to secure its future.
In 2008, our first year of opening, extraordinarily we managed to mount our first Rose Production - Love’s Labour’s Lost directed by Peter Hall. Quite simply, he put us on the map. On the one hand, Peter was a fiercely intelligent person, an ambitious leader and a great public speaker, who could command attention instantly purely with his words. Yet on the other, he had tremendous warmth and was hugely generous, teaching young actors about his views on Shakespeare. Peter always had a genuine delight at being in the rehearsal room, working intimately with a group of actors and a text to create an original and pioneering production. Rose Theatre Kingston continues on through his legacy: casting strong ensemble companies to create excellent, interesting and thought provoking theatre for everyone. We will always be grateful for the passion and energy he gave to the theatre.
Jerry Gunn Executive Producer 02
rosetheatrekingston.org rosetheatrekingston.org
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS WELCOME TO A SEASON OF GREAT DRAMA AT THE ROSE To celebrate the Rose’s 10th birthday next year, we are thrilled to announce a new stage adaptation of Shakespeare’s battle of the sexes comedy Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Simon Dormandy and starring national treasure Mel Giedroyc. This is just one of the highlights of the many events marking this special year for our Theatre, so watch this space! There’s an exciting season of drama for the winter months ahead. In December, we journey down the rabbit hole with Alice in Winterland, starring the Rose Youth Theatre. This spectacular adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic fairy tale features visually striking designs, puppets and projections, making it the perfect festive treat for the whole family.
The Rose welcomes some world class comedy including Ed Byrne: Spoiler Alert, Jenny Eclair: How To Be A Woman (Without Going Insane) and David Baddiel: My Family (Not the Sitcom). Music fans will be dancing all the way home after The Blues Band in June. For our younger audiences, George’s Marvellous Medicine fizz-whizzes his way to the Rose just in time for Easter. So, a fantastic season to lead us into our 10th birthday. As a registered charity, none of this could be done without you, our beloved audience and supporters. There are many ways to support the Rose and gain a full-range of benefits, read on to find out more.
The New Year brings Phil Daniels starring as the eponymous Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde in Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gothic thriller. In March, Lindsay Posner directs the award-winning family drama Curtains by Stephen Bill. When Ida’s family throw her a tea party for her 86th birthday, old rivalries are forced into the open with devastating consequences! Casting for this hilariously dark comedy will be announced shortly.
Robert O’Dowd Chief Executive
In May, get ready to rock to 20th Century Boy, with songs by music legend Marc Bolan and don your deerstalkers for Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain starring Robert Powell and Liza Goddard.
020 8174 0090
03
By William Shakespeare Directed by Simon Dormandy Don Pedro is victorious. The turf war in the city is won and the Mafia overlord brings his entourage to Messina, a luxury spa hotel deep in the Sicilian hills, to hide out, recover and party. While Leonato, the hotel owner, fawns over his clan boss, his daughter, Hero, wins the heart of the Don’s young protégé. Meanwhile, Beatrice, the no-nonsense, customer-experience manager, has unfinished business to see to with Benedick, Pedro’s commitment-phobic consigliere. But when Hero is disgraced, the party is over, love turns to hatred and new battle lines are drawn.
Fri 13 Apr – Sun 6 May Evenings Mon–Sat 7.30pm Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm
SEASON SAVER 4 FOR3 UNDER 26: £8 Join our Rose Circle and enjoy exclusive events. For further information see inside flap.
Beneath its witty surface, Much Ado About Nothing is a powerful exploration of the struggle for love, identity and self-knowledge in a male-dominated world – as relevant today as ever. Our production will use Shakespeare’s language in a sharp contemporary setting that not only offers glorious opportunities for physical comedy amid the furnishings of a spa hotel but also provides a social context that enhances the darker themes in this timeless comic gem. Starring Mel Giedroyc as Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing is a Rose co-production with Granville & Parham Productions and antic | face. A household name for her television presenting and comedy work, Mel’s theatre credits include Luce (Southwark Playhouse), Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour (UK Tour), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Playhouse Theatre), Eurobeat (Novello) and New Boy (Trafalgar Studios).
rosetheatrekingston.org
020 8174 0090
05
Fri 9 – Sat 17 Feb Evenings Mon–Thu & Sat 7.30pm Fri 8pm Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Join our Rose Circle and enjoy exclusive events. For further information see inside flap.
By Robert Louis Stevenson Adapted by David Edgar Directed by Kate Saxon Designed by Simon Higlett A twisted tale of nerve-jangling horror, this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gothic thriller stars Phil Daniels as the extraordinary Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. During one of his audacious experiments trying to separate good from evil, the mild-mannered Dr Jekyll inadvertently unleashes an alternative personality… the fiendish Mr Hyde. As this sinister figure starts causing terror and havoc in foggy London, Jekyll must race to find a cure for his monstrous alter-ego before it takes over for good. Phil Daniels’ extensive and varied credits include Jimmy Cooper in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum and Kevin Wicks in EastEnders. He has worked with the RSC and National Theatre and has appeared on stage in productions as diverse as Les Miserables and This House. Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is a Rose co-production with Touring Consortium Theatre Company.
rosetheatrekingston.org
'ONE OF THE FUNNIEST PLAYS... ALSO ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND AND PAINFUL' DAILY MAIL
Thu 22 Feb – Sat 17 Mar
By Stephen Bill Directed by Lindsay Posner
Evenings Mon–Thu & Sat 7.30pm Fri 8pm
Old prejudices and rivalries are forced into the open in an hilariously painful and moving picture of a family in turmoil.
Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Join our Rose Circle and enjoy exclusive events. For further information see inside flap.
020 8174 0090
Ida’s family is throwing her a tea party for her eighty-sixth birthday. Their efforts to be cheerful and make the event a success verge on the desperate. Ida is racked with pain and feels she has lived too long. As the rather laboured celebrations go on, her third daughter Susan returns unexpectedly after an absence of 25 years. Tensions immediately flare between the sisters, whilst Ida struggles to even recognise her. Last performed in 1987, Curtains won Stephen Bill the London Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright. The play is directed by the Royal Court’s former Associate Director, Lindsay Posner, whose theatre credits include Abigail’s Party, The End of Longing, Hay Fever and Relatively Speaking.
THEATRE ROYAL BATH PRODUCTIONS AND KENNY WAX PRESENT
Mon 14 Sat 19 May Evenings Mon-Thu & Sat 7.30pm Fri 8pm Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Could this be the final curtain for the world’s greatest detective? Sherlock Holmes lives in retirement on the South Coast. Aware that he’s older and slower, he’s concerned that he might have lost his touch, paranoid that he is an easy target for his enemies. So when Mary Watson (wife of his former associate Dr John Watson) tracks him down, telling him she has seen her long-dead son, James, through the window of 221B Baker Street, apparently alive and well, Holmes is determined to solve the mystery and confront his own demons at the same time. Chilling, gripping and filled with unforeseen twists and revelations, this new thriller and world premiere production reunites the dream team of Robert Powell (Jesus of Nazareth, Holby City) and Liza Goddard (Lady Windermere's Fan, Doctor Who, Bergerac).
08
rosetheatrekingston.org
FAMILY HIGHLIGHTS
ALICE IN WINTERLAND
CHRISTMAS SHOW
Thu 7 Dec – Sun 7 Jan Join Alice on her quest to save Winterland, a magical world of mad hatters and cruel queens, curious cats and strong-minded dodos... a frozen world inhabited by the mysterious Bandersnatch and the terrible Jabberwock, where only the most intrepid of girls can make the impossible seem possible… Featuring gorgeous music and strikingly imaginative designs, puppetry and projections, this spectacular new stage production of Lewis Carroll's timeless books will take you into a fairy tale land of wonder and adventure.
GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE
EASTER SHOW
Wed 28 Mar – Sat 7 Apr Most grandmothers are lovely, kind, helpful old ladies. Not George’s Grandmother. George’s Grandmother likes to gobble up slugs and bugs, and is always telling George what to do. But one day, when his parents leave him alone with the grizzly old grunion, George takes his chance and sets about creating a brand new medicine to cure her of her cruelty. Little does he know that his perilous potion will be the start of a rather marvellous adventure...
FROZEN Thu 21 Dec 11am
Singalong fun with Disney's classic film!
NOGGIN THE NOG Thu 25 – Sun 28 Jan In the Lands of the North where the black rocks stand guard against the cold sea, the Men of the Northlands sit around their great log fires and they tell a tale… The Sagas of Noggin the Nog! Go North on a journey of adventure and discovery and expect silly Vikings, puppets, original film and live music.
WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD Tue 29 May – Sun 3 Jun Two crafty robbers, one tiny ladybird, and a whole farmyard of fun! Join the woolly sheep, the hairy hog, the fat red hen and the dainty dog in this glittering stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks' colourful farmyard adventure. With live music, puppetry, plenty of audience participation and lots of laughs!
Based on the award-winning picture book by
Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks
Alice in Winterland
020 8174 0090
Noggin the Nog
George’s Marvellous Medicine
What the Ladybird Heard © Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks. 2009. Macmillan’s Children’s Books.
09
COMEDY
THE COMEDY STORE
ED BYRNE: SPOILER ALERT
Sun 10 Dec 7.30pm
Sun 21 Jan 8pm
Enjoy the very best in stand-up comedy at the Rose as The Comedy Store returns with the brightest talent on the UK and International circuit. This is the place to see the stars of tomorrow. Line up includes MC Charlie Baker, Addy van der Borgh, Javier Jarquin, Zoe Lyons and Jeff Innocent. ‘The greatest and most influential comedy club on the planet’ Time Out
Is life that bad or have we good reason to complain about it? Are we filled with righteous anger at a world gone wrong or are we all just a bunch of whiny little brats? In short, are we spoiled? Come and watch as Byrne (Mock the Week) takes this question, turns it upside down and shakes it until the funny falls out. Go on, spoil yourself.
JENNY ECLAIR:
DAVID BADDIEL:
Thu 1 Feb 7.30pm
Thu 22 Mar 7.30pm
Professional grumpy old woman, Splash survivor, amateur soup maker, and novice knitter Jenny is younger than Madonna but eats crisps and likes wine. Semi-bearded and suffering from outbreaks of gout and hysteria, Eclair puts middle age under the microscope and decides whether to laugh, cry or buy a dachshund! You are most welcome to join her, just button your cardi up properly and wipe that lipstick off your teeth.
David Baddiel takes his Olivier-nominated oneman show to theatres nationwide. My Family: Not the Sitcom is a show about memory, ageing, infidelity, dysfunctional relatives, moral policing on social media, golf, and gay cats. A massively disrespectful celebration of the lives of David Baddiel’s late sex-mad mother, Sarah, and dementia-ridden father, Colin. Come and be offended on David’s behalf!
The Comedy Store
Jenny Eclair: How to be a Middle Aged Woman (Without Going Insane)
HOW TO BE A MIDDLE AGED MY FAMILY WOMAN (WITHOUT GOING INSANE) (NOT THE SITCOM)
10
Ed Byrne: Spoiler Alert
David Baddiel: My Family (Not the Sitcom)
rosetheatrekingston.org
SIR PETER HALL
‘THE ROSE HAS SUDDENLY BLOOMED. IT MAKES MUCH OF LONDON THEATRE LOOK CBE 1930-2017 SLOW-WITTED AND SLOW-EYED’ THE OBSERVER
The Rose is committed to producing outstanding drama to engage, inspire and entertain our audiences. We owe our success to community partnerships and indeed to support provided by generous benefactors and sponsors. Ticket sales and other commercial activities only cover a percentage of our costs. We depend on contributions from individual, trust and corporate supporters who together provide over 10% of our annual net income. There are many ways you can support the Rose and become more involved with our work.
Experience more with the Rose Circle Join the Rose Circle and support the future of great drama on the Rose stage. There are five levels of annual membership, ranging from £250 to £5,000 and payable either as a single gift or in monthly instalments. Benefits include: · Advance notice of upcoming productions · Priority booking and access to reserved house seats · Insight talks featuring world class directors and writers · Opportunities to see the creative process in action · Invitations to Rose Production opening night VIP receptions To find out more, pick up a Rose Circle leaflet in the foyer or visit our website: rosetheatrekingston.org/support-us
MUSIC
ROSE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Mon 18 Dec 7.30pm
Sat 3 Feb 7.30pm
Begin your Christmas festivities with our Celebration, including performances by Tiffin Children's Chorus, Singing it Back Choirs, Voice Festival UK Champions (2014) The Tiffinians, Movement Warriors Boys Dance Troupe and the internationally renowned Tiffin Boys’ Choir.
Rory Macdonald, conductor, Kian Soltani, cello Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is a work of beauty, setting the scene for Elgar’s great masterpiece; his Cello Concerto, coloured with emotion, anguish and passion. Dvořák provides an explosive finish with his powerful yet poignant From the New World Symphony.
20TH CENTURY BOY
THE BLUES BAND
Wed 9 - Sat 12 May
Sat 23 Jun 7.30pm
Wed, Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm This hit musical, inspired by the life of rock legend Marc Bolan marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic star’s untimely death. Featuring some of the greatest rock songs ever written, 20th Century Boy tells the life story of the legendary Bolan and his band T. Rex. This show exposes some of the myths and takes the audience on a tearful yet feel-good journey through Marc’s fascinating life, cut short by a cruel twist of fate. ‘A glorious colourful evening which had the audience on its feet and dancing in the aisles’ Evening Star
Rose Christmas Celebration
020 8174 0090
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
No one could have predicted that, 40 years on, The Blues Band would still be dazzling audiences with their showmanship and virtuosity. About 20 albums and thousands of gigs later, they’ve earned a reputation around the world as one of the finest exponents of the blues tradition in all its forms.
20th Century Boy
The Blues Band
11
BOOKING INFO rosetheatrekingston.org 020 8174 0090 Phone lines open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm. Box Office opening hours Mon-Sat 10am until 30 minutes after the evening performance begins and 6pm on non-performance days. Sun from at least one hour prior to performance only. Bookings for future shows will stop 30 minutes before a performance begins. You can pre-order your drinks, ice creams and programmes with your tickets. Restricted view Due to the varying kinds of events that we present, we cannot guarantee an unrestricted view from all seats at all times. Please check when booking. Access The Rose is fully accessible and offers a range of services for patrons with disabilities. Please contact us in advance on 020 8174 0090 or email access@rosetheatrekingston.org to discuss your requirements. Please check our website for details of our touch tours, audio-described, signed and relaxed performances. Details correct at time of print. The Rose reserves the right to alter the advertised programme, prices and facilities if necessary and apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.
Follow us on: facebook.com/rosetheatrekingston twitter.com/rosetheatre instagram.com/rosetheatrekingston Rose Theatre Kingston is managed by Kingston Theatre Trust, a registered charity no. 1000182
020 8174 0090
CONCESSIONS & DISCOUNTS Valid Mon-Thu evening & Sat matinee (exclusions may apply) on the top three price bands. Only one discount per ticket, subject to availability.
Friends Loyalty Card For only £45 per year you will be able to take advantage of big savings on best available seats, discounts with our local retail and restaurant partners and much more. Buy four drama Rose Productions at the same time and get the cheapest free. Offer valid on all performances (excluding Previews), on band A only; not valid retrospectively or in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Limited availability. Offer valid on productions displaying the SEASON SAVER 4for3 logo. Concessions Over 60, unwaged, entertainment union, children under 16 and students: £5 off (exclusions apply). Under 26yrs £8 tickets, valid on selected productions; limited availability (exclusions apply). Patrons with disabilities Patrons with disabilities and their companion enjoy half price tickets to all performances. Groups of 10+ Concessions available on most performances, please contact the Box Office for details. Schools (10+) Tickets from £12 at selected performances, 11th teacher ticket free with every 10 purchased. Pit cushions Pit cushions bring you close to the action. Bring your own or borrow one from the Rose cloakroom free of charge (subject to availability).
Follow us on: facebook.com/rosetheatrekingston twitter.com/rosetheatre instagram.com/rosetheatrekingston Rose Theatre Kingston is managed by Kingston Theatre Trust, a registered charity no. 1000182