SPRING 2018
WELCOME New Year, new logo, and still the same high-quality productions and events for you to enjoy in 2018 at the EM Forster Theatre. We are excited to announce that 2018 will see us unveiling a new website and a new booking system to make your online experience a whole lot easier. The Spring programme is diverse in content and will appeal to a wide audience, but the Arts Committee are confident that the quality will be consistently high and that there will be something for everyone in this season’s offerings.
HOW TO BOOK
BOX OFFICE: 01732 304241 ONLINE BOOKING: www.emftheatre.com EMAIL: boxoffice@tonbridge-school.org Booking fees are £1.75 per transaction
The Box Office is open 9.30am - 2.30pm Monday - Friday (term time only) and one hour before our shows. For group bookings, terms and conditions and further enquiries please check our website or contact the Box Office. Parking for the theatre is at Tonbridge School Centre or in nearby town car parks.
ACCESS
When you book via the Box Office please let us know if you have any additional requirements which would make your visit more enjoyable.
/emforstertheatre @emftheatre
We are delighted to welcome for the first time The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars as they perform Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook, book quickly as they are known to sell-out their shows. Theatre lovers will be delighted that we continue to offer excellent NT Live productions, with Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Julius Caesar and critically acclaimed Young Marx all showing this season. Live theatre comes in the form of Wisdom of a Fool and Gonzo Moose and their brand of hilarious theatre The Thing that Came from Over There! Younger audiences will be delighted to see that they are well catered for with, Jack and the Beanstalk, Christopher’s Caterpillars and the very funny tale of a young dog who challenges the idea that Dogs Don’t Do Ballet. More serious ballet lovers will be delighted that Ballet Central returns to EM Forster theatre, whilst we are delighted to maintain our reputation for attracting top academic figures with Dr Charles Moseley answering the question, Who Wrote Shakespeare? Our major art exhibition is entitled ‘Flow’ and will be accompanied by a lecture on the topic by Harriet Hill. These are only the tip of the iceberg, so do read on yourself. There’s plenty to look forward to in the coming months..
John Bleakley Chair, Tonbridge Arts Committee
JANUARY FRI 5TH – SUN 7TH
JACK & THE BEANSTALK
EMF Theatre 7.00pm Fri & Sat, 2.00pm Sat, 12.00pm & 4.00pm Sun THU 11TH
NT ENCORE – YOUNG MARX EMF Theatre 7.00pm FRI 19TH
TONBRIDGE COMEDY NIGHT EMF Studio 7.30pm WED 24TH
IGCSE MUSIC PERFORMANCES RECITAL Recital Room 7.30pm THU 25TH – FRI 9TH FEB
MATERIALISE
MON 5TH
A MATERIAL PRACTICE Cawthorne Lecture Theatre 7.30pm SUN 11TH
DOGS DON’T DO BALLET
WED 28TH
THU 15TH
EMF Studio 7.30pm
EMF Studio 7.30pm
WED 28TH
FRI 16TH
THE THING THAT CAME FROM OVER THERE!
EMF Theatre 11.30am & 2.00pm
PRE-U PERFORMANCES RECITAL
WED 14TH – SAT 17TH
Recital Room 7.30pm
A SPOONFUL OF SHERMAN
EMF Theatre Wed, Thu, Fri 7.30pm Sat 2.30pm WED 21ST
WISDOM OF A FOOL EMF Theatre 7.30pm THU 22ND
NT LIVE – CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF EMF Theatre 7.00pm FRI 23RD
EMF Studio 7.30pm
FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE EMF Theatre 7.30pm TUE 6TH
DR CHARLES MOSELEY: WHO WROTE SHAKESPEARE? Cawthorne Lecture Theatre 7.30pm
EMF Studio 7.30pm
OBS Gallery Weekends 12.00 – 4.00pm
FRI 23rd
EMF Theatre 7.30pm
FEBRUARY
JAZZ & ACOUSTIC NIGHT Big School 8.15pm
SUN 11TH
2ND YEAR MUSIC SCHOLARS’ CONCERT Recital Room 7.30pm
ALLAN BUNNEY CONCERT Chapel of St Augustine 8.15pm
FRI 16TH
FRI 2ND
SAT 27TH – SUN 4TH MARCH
SUN 25TH
Chapel of St Augustine 7.30pm
TONBRIDGE COMEDY NIGHT
TONBRIDGE COMEDY NIGHT
FRI 2ND
ORCHESTRAL CONCERT
MARCH
Tunnel Gallery
FLOW
GCSE DRAMA SCRIPTED PERFORMANCE
THU 8TH
RONNIE SCOTT’S ALL STARS – THE SOHO SONGBOOK
CHRISTOPHER’S CATERPILLARS EMF Studio 11.30am & 2.00pm
FRI 16TH - TUE 8TH MAY
WiP EXHIBITION Tunnel Gallery MON 19TH
HOGHEAD PERFORMANCE EMF Studio 7.30pm FRI 23RD & SAT 24TH
BALLET CENTRAL EMF Theatre Fri 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm THU 29TH
NT ENCORE – JULIUS CAESAR EMF Theatre 7.00pm
Friday 5th – Sunday 7th January
Thursday 11th January
TALENTZ PRESENTS
NT ENCORE
Join Jack, Dame Trott and Simple Simon on a panto adventure full of dancing cows, talking beans and ferocious giants! Will Jack save the day? Will Fairy Sprout’s magic work? And will anyone ever get Simon’s name right? Don’t delay, book your seats today for another stunning production from The Talentz!
Rory Kinnear (The Threepenny Opera, Penny Dreadful, Othello) is Marx and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night, Green Wing) is Engels, in this new comedy written by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman. Broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre, London, the production is directed by Nicholas Hytner and reunites the creative team behind Broadway and West End hit comedy One Man,Two Guvnors.
JACK & THE BEANSTALK
YOUNG MARX
1850, and Europe’s most feared terrorist is hiding in Dean Street, Soho. Broke, restless and horny, the thirty-two-year-old revolutionary is a frothing combination of intellectual brilliance, invective, satiric wit, and child-like emotional illiteracy. Creditors, spies, rival revolutionary factions and prospective seducers of his beautiful wife all circle like vultures. His writing blocked, his marriage dying, his friend Engels in despair at his wasted genius, his only hope is a job on the railway. But there’s still no one in the capital who can show you a better night on the piss than Karl Heinrich Marx. EMF THEATRE
Fri, Sat 7.00pm, Sat 2.00pm, £15 Adult, £12 conc, Sun 12.00pm & 4.00pm £48 Family, £10 groups
EMF THEATRE
7.00pm
£14, £12 conc
Thursday 25th January – Friday 9th February
Friday 19th January Friday 23rd February Friday 16th March
MATERIALISE
TONBRIDGE COMEDY NIGHT Get the weekend started on a Friday Night with brilliant comedy from three of the top comedians on the circuit. We welcome back Tonbridge favourite Russell Hicks in January who will be performing alongside Jason Simmons and Nick Page. February we have Jeff Innocent and in March Nathan Caton headlines. (Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Russell Howard’s Good News, BBC R4’s Can’t Tell Nathan Caton Nothing…)
An exhibition of First Year Tonbridge School pupils’ work. The exhibition will celebrate the great diversity of creative talent and showcase visual work utilising a broad range of materials and processes including drawing, printmaking, painting, photography and sculpture. The First Year Art curriculum at Tonbridge School develops a broad range of skills. We pride ourselves on the cultivation of traditional art processes, creative thinking and collaboration in our boys as well as skills in observation and problem solving.
Our comedy nights are in the studio with cabaret seating and snacks are supplied by The Bakehouse 124.
EMF STUDIO
7.30pm
£12
TUNNEL GALLERY
Mon – Fri 9.30am – 5.00pm Sat 9.30am – 1.00pm
All Welcome
Image credit: Solveig Settemsdal Singularity
Saturday 27th January – Sunday 4th March
FLOW
Flow explores the ways in which the physical materials that artists employ to create work can influence and direct the final outcome. The exhibition includes sculpture, painting, film, ceramics and installation in which matter oozes, pours, tears, sags, cracks or hangs in the balance, vitally influencing form and scale. Tension is created between the intention of the artist and the potential of accident. Artworks include the film Singularity by Solveig Settemsdal which won the prestigious Jerwood Drawing prize and ceramics by the ground breaking artist Jonathan Keep who programmes 3D printers with an element of chance to create innovative and intriguing ceramics.
OLD BIG SCHOOL GALLERY
Sat & Sun 12.00pm – 4.00pm
Free
Monday 5th February
A MATERIAL PRACTICE
Harriet Hill creates sculpture and site-specific installations that respond directly to the visceral qualities of a material or place and has created an installation especially for Flow. Her practise explores the relationships between the physical object and structural space, playing with hidden dynamics of power that are inherent within spaces and the people that use them. She will talk about the development of her practise, how it reflects a varied creative path that has always been based on the physical act of making and an enjoyment of the affective nature of materials.
CAWTHORNE LECTURE THEATRE
7.30pm OBS Gallery open from 6.45pm
FREE
please book in advance
Sunday 11th February
Wednesday 14th – Saturday 17th February
A SPOONFUL OF SHERMAN
LITTLE BLUE MONSTER PRESENTS
DOGS DON’T DO BALLET
The compelling story of one family’s century-long, awardwinning musical journey; and you already know all the songs!
The very funny tale of a small dog with BIG dreams! Biff is not like other dogs. He doesn’t do dog stuff like weeing on lampposts, or scratching his fleas, or drinking out of the toilet. No, Biff likes moonlight and music and walking on his tiptoes. You see, Biff doesn’t think he’s a dog. He thinks he’s a ballerina! Based on the bestselling children’s book by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie, this fabulous feel-good show features music, songs, hand-crafted puppets and Biff, the ballet-dancing dog! Brought to the stage by acclaimed Little Blue Monster Productions, this hilarious new story tells the very funny tale of a small dog with big dreams!
Three generations of Sherman songwriting is brought to life in this delightful show: from Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al Sherman – writer for artists including Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald – to the Oscar and Grammy Award winning Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh) up to present day, with songs from Robert J. Sherman’s own musical Love Birds. Catch this practically perfect family production on its premiere UK tour celebrating 100 years of Sherman family music. HHHH The Times HHHH WhatsOnStage
“Brilliant fun!” The Guardian Age 3+
EMF THEATRE
11.30am & 2.00pm
£10
EMF THEATRE
Wed, Thu & Fri 7.30pm, Matinee Sat 2.30pm
£16, £14 conc
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
Wednesday 21st February
Thursday 22nd February
ENGINE SHED & SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND PRESENTS
NT LIVE
WISDOM OF A FOOL Star of 1950s British stage and screen, the legendary Norman Wisdom won the hearts of millions and remains one of the UK’s comedy icons.
The world of post-war Music Hall and Variety embraced his trademark manic slapstick routine and catapulted him to stardom. Over the years he perfected an act that would go on to shape his unique style; his cloth cap, ill-fitting suit and classic underdog character leading Charlie Chaplin to describe him as his ‘favourite clown’.
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS DIRECTED BY BENEDICT ANDREWS
Tennessee Williams’ twentieth century masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof played a strictly limited season in London’s West End in 2017. Following his smash hit production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Benedict Andrews’ ‘thrilling revival’ (New York Times) stars Sienna Miller alongside, Jack O’Connell and Colm Meaney.
Portraying thirty characters in this tour de force performance, Jack Lane takes you on an emotional roller coaster, revealing the man –and the extraordinary talent - behind the Gump costume.
On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gather at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance round the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real – and which will win out?
“Dad was once called ‘This little genius called Wisdom’ and this truly lives on in Jack Lane” Jacqueline Wisdom
★★★★ “A bold reimagining…innovative and powerfully acted” Sunday Times
Success on the silver screen including the hit song ‘Don’t Laugh at Me’ sealed his fame. But, as ever, fame came at a price…
EMF THEATRE
7.30pm
£16, £14 student
EMF THEATRE
7.00pm
£14, £12 conc
Sunday 25th February
Wednesday 28th February
ALLAN BUNNEY CONCERT
GONZO MOOSE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE POUND ARTS CENTRE AND PEGASUS THEATRE PRESENTS
ORGAN DEMONSTRATION & RECITAL
When the Edwardian Chapel burnt down in September 1988, the old organ was completely destroyed. Out of the ashes, came not only a beautiful new building but also a world-class new organ, built by the Danish firm, Marcussen & Son. Head of Keyboard, David Williams, witnessed the fire and the rebuilding process and talks this evening about how the school went about commissioning a new organ. He will also explain how a pipe organ works with the help of demonstrations from the organ gallery on a live video link. Choirmaster & Head of Academic Music, Julian Thomas, will then round off the evening with a short recital demonstrating the wonderful versatility of the “King of Instruments” including pieces from his recentlyreleased CD recorded here earlier this year.
CHAPEL OF ST AUGUSTINE
8.15pm
FREE
please book in advance
THE THING THAT CAME FROM OVER THERE! DIRECTED BY ABIGAIL ANDERSON
The critically acclaimed trio are back in another rip-roaring comedy adventure!. Inspired by the horror movies of the 1950’s, The Thing That Came From Over There! is a fast-paced rollicking ride, mixing paranoia, suspense and hilariously gruesome deaths. It’s 1912, and as Scott and Amundsen begin their race across Antarctica, the hapless explorer, Captain Reginald Cranston Scot-t-t, has accidentally landed on the wrong side of the continent. As Cranston and his motley band set up base camp, a meteor crashes nearby. Deciding to investigate, they set out towards the crash site - unaware of the danger that awaits not just them, but the whole of planet Earth.
EMF STUDIO
7.30pm
£15, £13 conc
FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE
Friday 2nd March 7.30pm • Tickets £10 A fantastic evening of entertainment you won’t want to miss! Acts from all over Kent hosted at the E M Forster Theatre.
Tuesday 6th March HOG HEAD PRESENTS
IN YOUR OWN SWEET WAY
BY TOM GONZALEZCARVAJAL
MONDAY 19th MARCH 7.30PM
DR CHARLES MOSELEY: WHO WROTE SHAKESPEARE?
Charles Moseley teaches Classics and English Literature in the English Faculty of the University of Cambridge, and is Life Fellow of Hughes Hall. His principal interests are in the mediaeval and early modern periods, particularly Chaucer, Sir John Mandeville, Shakespeare, Milton, and the European emblem, and he has written and lectured extensively on literary and historical subjects. His talk will focus on the contested nature of the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as the unique set of conditions in the early modern theatre that helped to produce the extraordinary oeuvre of plays and poetry we take to be Shakespearean.
EMF STUDIO
£10
CAWTHORNE LECTURE THEATRE
7.30pm
£10
Thursday 8th March
Sunday 11th March
THE RONNIE SCOTT’S ALL STARS PRESENTS
TOPSY TURVEY THEATRE PRESENTS
Direct from London’s world-famous jazz club and combining world-class live jazz, narration and rare archive images and footage, The Ronnie Scott’s All Stars take to the stage to celebrate The Ronnie Scott’s Songbook.
Written and illustrated by Charlotte Middleton and adapted for the stage by Claire Alizon Hills, Topsy Turvy Theatre return with everyone’s favourite guinea pig in his latest adventure Christopher’s Caterpillars.
RONNIE SCOTT’S SOHO SONGBOOK
Since its humble beginnings as a basement music bar where musicians would jam, through to the internationally acclaimed music venue it is today, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club has showcased the music of some of the world’s greatest and most influential Artists. Hosting landmark performances from the likes of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck and Michael Bublé – and not forgetting surprise appearances by the likes of Jamie Cullum, Stevie Wonder and Prince! Featuring classic music from the jazz greats who have performed at Ronnie Scott’s, alongside narration and projected archive images and rare footage from the club, The Ronnie Scott’s Songbook is a glimpse into this unique world and its incredible history. EMF THEATRE
7.30pm
£24.50, £20 students
CHRISTOPHER’S CATERPILLARS
Christopher Nibble and his best friend Posie have been busy growing plants and food in their garden whilst taking care of their six hairy pet caterpillars. But when their crawly comrades disappear without a trace the gardening guinea pigs swap their trowels for magnifying glasses and turn detective! Will Christopher & Posie crack the case and bring their caterpillars home to Dandeville... or have they vanished forever? Told with Topsy Turvy Theatre’s own blend of energetic storytelling, handmade puppets, original music and stunning scenery, Christopher’s Caterpillars is a bright and beautiful tale of minibeasts and mystery! Age 2 - 7
EMF STUDIO
11.30am & 2.00pm
£9
Friday 16th March
Friday 16th March – Tuesday 8th May
Beethoven Symphony No.7 in A major
A rare opportunity to see the inner workings of the creative process. This exhibition features the work in progress of the Pre-U Candidates of Tonbridge School in their first year of this linear course.
ORCHESTRAL CONCERT TONBRIDGE SCHOOL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Beethoven’s seventh symphony is often over-looked, hidden between the drama of the fifth, the lyricism of the sixth and the colossal ninth. Much of the work represents Beethoven at his most optimistic and even light-hearted. The only sombre section is the famed second movement, used to such great effect in the film The King’s Speech. It is, however, a favourite of musicians and composers: Wagner christened it “the apotheosis of the dance” and Tchaikovsky described the finale as “a whole series of images, full of unrestrained joy, bliss and the pleasure of life”.
CHAPEL OF ST AUGUSTINE
7.30pm
FREE
please book in advance
WIP
The Pre-U Art course from Cambridge International Examinations promotes independence and ownership of the creative process in our candidates. It is a unique qualification, which develops practical skills and theoretical knowledge in tandem with one and other, through equally weighted units of coursework. This exhibition gives our candidates the ideal opportunity to reflect on their progress so far, at roughly the midpoint in the course, and will give the visitors a real insight into the process of developing a piece of art from the initial stimulus to, as yet, unresolved but highly experimental pieces and thought-provoking work.
TUNNEL GALLERY
Mon – Fri 9.30am – 5pm Sat 9.30am – 1pm
All Welcome
Friday 23rd March & Saturday 24th March
BALLET CENTRAL
Under the artistic direction of Christopher Marney, Ballet Central returns with a new programme showcasing the best in dance theatre. These young dancers on the cusp of their professional careers will perform a mixed bill, featuring works by world-renowned choreographers. See Jenna Lee’s brand new creation Black Swan, a dark twist on the iconic classic, and a gothic reworking of the Fairies Prologue from Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty. An excerpt from Far by the multi award-winning choreographer and director Wayne McGregor will also feature and to celebrate the work of Kenneth MacMillan the repertoire includes an excerpt from his rarely-seen Valley of Shadows. And finally, enjoy Christopher Gable’s Cinderella, a timeless version of a much-loved fairy tale. “Commitment and understanding in abundance” Dance Europe 2017
OLDTHEATRE EMF BIG SCHOOL GALLERY Fri 7.30pm Sat 2.30pm
£15, £13 (16All and welcome under), £10 Group rate 10+
Thursday 29th March NT ENCORE
JULIUS CAESAR
Ben Whishaw (The Danish Girl, Skyfall, Hamlet) and Michelle Fairley (Fortitude, Game of Thrones) play Brutus and Cassius, David Calder (The Lost City of Z, The Hatton Garden Job) plays Caesar and David Morrissey (The Missing, Hangmen,The Walking Dead) is Mark Antony. Broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre, London. Caesar returns in triumph to Rome and the people pour out of their homes to celebrate. Alarmed by the autocrat’s popularity, the educated élite conspire to bring him down. After his assassination, civil war erupts on the streets of the capital. Nicholas Hytner’s production will thrust the audience into the street party that greets Caesar’s return, the congress that witnesses his murder, the rally that assembles for his funeral and the chaos that explodes in its wake.
EMF THEATRE
7.00pm
£14, £12 conc
DATES FOR DIARY Wednesday 24th January, 7.30pm RECITAL ROOM
IGCSE MUSIC PERFORMANCES RECITAL Tickets: Free (No need to book in advance)
Friday 2nd February, 7.30pm RECITAL ROOM
2ND YEAR MUSIC SCHOLARS’ CONCERT Tickets: Free (No need to book in advance)
Friday 23rd February, 8.15pm BIG SCHOOL
JAZZ AND ACOUSTIC NIGHT
Big School will be transformed into a Jazz club for an informal evening of Swing, Blues, Latin & Jazz Funk. Performers include the school’s Big Band, KCTS Chamber Choirs, smaller scale ensembles and solo performers. There is no bar, but please feel free to bring your own refreshments. Glasses will be available. Tickets or Tables (groups of 10): Free (Please book in advance) Doors open from 7.45pm
Wednesday 28th February, 7.30pm RECITAL ROOM
PRE-U PERFORMANCES RECITAL
Fresh Modern Turkish Food & Vibrant Cocktail Bar
Why not dine with us when you visit the EM Forster Theatre?
Present your theatre ticket and get a free glass of prosecco or Efes Pilsner (Ticket must be for same day and you must have ordered food)
Tickets: Free (No need to book in advance)
2017 Certificate of Excellence
Thursday 15th March, 7.30pm EM FORSTER STUDIO
GCSE DRAMA SCRIPTED PERFORMANCE Tickets: Free (No need to book in advance)
Havet Restaurant, 150 – 152 High Street, Tonbridge, TN9 1BB www.havetrestaurant.com Tel: 01732 387 387
SUMMER HIGHLIGHT – EARLY BOOKING RECOMMENDED
HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH BROADWAY BABY
THEATRE NEWS
THE SPY IN THE STALLS
Freckle Productions present
Saturday 17th February 2018, 7.30pm Chapel of St Augustine
Conductor: Matthew Willis
Tue 24th & Wed 25th July
Tickets £12 (groups 10+ £10)
HILDEN GRANGE SCHOOL PRESENTS
01732 304241 www.emftheatre.com
21 & 22 March EMF THEATRE
7.30pm
Adults £8 Children £6
FREE OPEN DAY 30TH DECEMBER
EXCITING ONLINE BROCHURE NEW COURSES
AVAILABLE NOW
tel: 01732 304123 email: recre8@tonbridge-school.org web: www.recre8courses.co.uk
PEDESTRIAN ENTRANCE
CAWTHORNE LECTURE THEATRE
EMF THEATRE, STUDIO & BOX OFFICE
RECITAL ROOM BLUE BADGE PARKING
TUNNEL GALLERY
COURSES
pat h
OLD BIG SCHOOL GALLERY
SPORTS, ARTS & EDUCATIONAL
CHAPEL OF ST AUGUSTINE
CHILDREN’S
foot
BIG SCHOOL
SPRING 2018
*Entrance to car park (London Road, opposite Dry Hill Park Road)
New Spring Term Brochure
CAR PARK
OUT NOW!
boxoffice@tonbridge-school.org www.emftheatre.com /emforstertheatre @emftheatre
EM Forster Theatre | Tonbridge School | Tonbridge | TN9 1JP