A longer programme of entertainment begins at Worthing Theatres this March and runs until September with a season of new ventures, collaborations with local businesses and monthly children’s theatre at its core.
The first six-month programme includes high-quality theatre such as Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong (March 31 – April 5), The Globe Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing (May 30 – 31), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (July 4) and Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap (July 14 – 19) as part of its first UK tour. There is also a series of single-performer plays ranging from Edinburgh Festival favourites, Austen’s Women (March 21) and The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe (April 19) to local professional company Conn Artists’ production of The Importance of Being Oscar (June 19).
The youngest of theatre-goers will now be able to see intimate productions designed with them in mind. Often inspired by a literary favourite, the new season of afternoon children’s theatre at the Connaught Theatre and Studio begins with The Just So Stories (March 2) and continues throughout the season with a hand-carved puppet version of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Tin Soldier (April 8), an interactive production of Old MacDonald Had a Farm (April 11), two fire-breathing performances of Dotty the Dragon (May 11) and a new adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s I Believe in Unicorns (June 21) which is set in a library filled with children’s books.
Many of the children’s productions are also being staged at Shoreham’s Ropetackle Arts Centre within days of the performances at Worthing Theatres as part of a new strategy to collaborate with other organisations to create greater opportunities for audiences to see a production in the local area. Other new partnerships include Creatives’ Networking Meetings (next meeting May 13) which enable creative locals to share ideas and resources, Worthing Food and Drink Festival (August 23 and 24) and the new Pavilion Fairs (March 9, April 27, June 22), which unite artists and makers from across Sussex.
A series of talks sees authors Joanna Trollope (March 4), Chris Ryan (March 16), Alan Johnson (April 23) and Sadie Jones (May 15) discussing their latest works. Popular comedians Chris Ramsey (March 1), Jimeoin (April 1), Frank Skinner (May 17) and Omid Djalili (May 31) lead the current line-up alongside fellow comics such as Andrew Lawrence (March 15), Kerry Godliman (March 29) and Matt’s Comedy Club (April 24, June 26, July 10 and July 24). There is also plenty for music fans including Astor Big Band (March 2), Worthing Symphony Orchestra (March 9, April 6 and May 25), Kate Rusby (April 25), Andrew Foster (July 5), Geno Washington (July 19) and Big Country (August 8).
Circus lovers can look forward to Rime (August 8 – 10) which is based on Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, while dance devotees can choose from The Big Jive All-Dayer (March 1), Stars of Strictly Come Dancing (April 4), Vienna Festival Ballet’s Cinderella (May 16) and Jaleo Flamenco’s A Compás (May 29).
Worthing Theatres’ general manager Amanda O’Reilly says: “The new season incorporates some of my favourite pieces of theatre from the past year as well as Edinburgh Festival sell-outs, up-and-coming singer/songwriters, best-selling comedians, magical small-scale children’s theatre, live film screenings and our series of author talks in conjunction with Random House. I am proud that we are able to bring increasingly diverse works to Worthing and look forward to working with partners such as Indigo Restaurant and Worthing World of Words Festival as we welcome new audiences and faithful theatre-goers alike to the town’s venues.”
The new season brochure is available from Worthing Theatres’ foyers now and bookings may be made online at www.worthingtheatres.co.uk or by calling 01903 206 206.