Chichester Festival Theatre Opens New Theatre on the Fly

As Chichester Festival Theatre celebrates 50 years of internationally renowned work, Festival 2012 looks to the future with Theatre on the Fly, a temporary new space for the next generation of theatre-makers and theatre-goers.

Theatre on the Fly echoes the exciting traditions of The Tent, a second auditorium which appeared opposite the Festival Theatre in 1983. The Tent nurtured a generation of emerging theatre-makers such as Sam Mendes and housed productions which were often more experimental than those on the main stage. The success of The Tent prompted the creation of the Minerva Theatre on the same site.

With the support of the Heller Foundation and Arts Council England, three young directors have trained at Chichester Festival Theatre during the last five years. Now, their debut Chichester productions – Blue Remembered Hills, Playhouse Creatures and Fred’s Diner - will be at the heart of the Theatre on the Fly season. The space will also house an eclectic season of late night comedy, live music and cabaret, The Youth Theatre’s production of Noah, theatre activities for children, and Anniversary readings.

Theatre on the Fly is to be designed and built by Assemble, an award-winning collective of young artists, designers and architects specialising in creating temporary arts structures from reclaimed and donated materials. Their previous projects include The Cineroleum, which transformed a derelict petrol station in Clerkenwell into a hand-built cinema, and Folly for a Flyover which turned a cavernous gap between East and Westbound traffic on the A12 into a waterside arts venue.

In the best traditions of the original Festival Theatre, the temporary space will be built with community support from B&Q, who have sponsored the construction, Friends, Youth Theatre members, supporters and anyone else who wants to take part in the creation of this spectacular structure. Email volunteer@cft.org.uk for more information about how to participate in this project.

BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS by Dennis Potter

Director Anna Ledwich

26 June – 14 July

During a summer afternoon during the Second World War, a group of seven-year-olds play, fight, fantasise and swagger. Events take a darker turn as childlike games begin to reveal fears, hostilities and rivalries. In this celebrated play, originally written for television, the roles of children are played by adults.

Dennis Potter was an acclaimEd English television screenwriter and journalist, best known for the BBC TV serial, The Singing Detective. Other credits include Lipstick on Your Collar, Brimstone and Treacle and Pennies from Heaven.

Anna Ledwich trained at Chichester Festival Theatre from 2008 – 2010. Her directing credits include Dream Story and Lulu (Gate Theatre), Lovely and Misfit (Trafalgar Studios) and A Christmas Carol (with Dale Rooks, Chichester Festival Youth Theatre). She was Associate Director for Private Lives (Toronto/Broadway) and Six Characters in Search of an Author (West End/Sydney International Festival). She is a recipient of the Gate/Headlong Theatre Award.

PLAYHOUSE CREATURES by April De Angelis

Director Michael Oakley

19 July – 11 August

After 17 years of puritanical rule, Charles II has been restored to the throne and at his command, the theatres have finally re-opened. But for the first time in English history, women are allowed to perform on stage. This exuberant, witty play looks at the plight of the first actresses to tread the boards, stripping away the costumes and make-up to reveal their determination, spirit and sheer nerve.

April De Angelis’ recent work includes Jumpy (Royal Court Theatre), A Gloriously Mucky Business (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith) and Calais (Paines Plough). Other credits include Ironmistress (Young Vic), Hush (Royal Court Theatre), The Positive Hour (Out of Joint/Hampstead Theatre), A Warwickshire Testimony (RSC) and Wild East (Royal Court Theatre). She has also written for Glyndebourne and English National Opera.

Michael Oakley trained at Chichester Festival Theatre from 2010 – 2011. He won the JMK Award for Young Directors for which he directed Edward II (BAC). Other credits include The Changeling (Southwark Playhouse), Graceland (Old Vic New Voices) and Shooting Truth (Chichester Festival Youth Theatre & NT Connections). He was most recently Associate Director of The King’s Speech in the West End.

PLAYHOUSE CREATURES contains language and themes of an adult nature.

FRED’S DINER by Penelope Skinner

Director Tim Hoare

15 August – 2 September

Fred’s American Diner on a busy English motorway. Chloe wants to emigrate, Melissa dreams of university, Heather wants to rebuild her life, Sunny wants Heather – and someone is going to kill Fred. This comic and disturbing new thriller by an acclaimed young writer serves up an unsettling portrayal of human relationships.

Penelope Skinner’s first play, Fucked, was a sell-out smash hit and Critics’ Choice in Time Out. Her recent play, The Village Bike (Royal Court Theatre) won the George Devine Award and the Most Promising Playwright Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

Tim Hoare was the final Heller Foundation director trained at Chichester Festival Theatre from 2010 – 2012. He assisted on Penelope Skinner’s Eigengrau at the Bush Theatre, has assistant and associate directed several Chichester productions, and directed the revival of Yes, Prime Minister in the Festival Theatre earlier this year.

Fred’s Diner contains strong language and themes some may find distressing; not suitable for children.

The designer of the three productions is Andrew D Edwards. His theatre credits include Backbeat (co-designer West End), Les Parents Terrible (Donmar Warehouse), Lettice and Lovage, Single Spies, Heroes and Educating Rita (Watermill), A Voyage Around My Father (Salisbury Playhouse), Measure for Measure (Theatre Royal Plymouth/UK tour), Jesus Christ Superstar (Madrid/European tour), No, It Was You (Arcola Theatre) and The Increased Difficulty of Concentration (Gate Theatre).

Blue Remembered Hills, Playhouse Creatures and Fred’s Diner will be at Theatre on the Fly, Evenings 8pm, Matinees 3pm. Tickets £17, with concessions and day seats available. To book online, go to cft.org.uk/totf or contact the Box Office on 01243 781312.

In addition to these three productions, there will be a mix of readings, late night music and cabaret, events and workshops. Tickets free - £10. For further information go to www.cft.org.uk/totf or view the Theatre on the Fly e-brochure.

Productions and events will go on sale on Tuesday 8 May.

Chichester Festival Theatre celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2012. Events which will mark the extraordinary history and optimistic future of the Festival Theatre will include arts exhibitions, a commemorative book by local author Kate Mosse, and local free public events.

Simultaneously, Chichester Festival Theatre productions of Singin’ in the Rain, Sweeney Todd, South Downs and The Browning Version and Bingo have opened in London’s West End, allowing the Theatre’s work to be seen by thousands of people beyond the Sussex region.

The year also marks the start of an ambitious campaign, renew, to raise the £22 million required to upgrade the Festival Theatre. Planning permission for the major redevelopment of the Grade II * listed building has been granted and local authorities, businesses and the community are supporting the plans which will safeguard the Theatre, and maintain its positive regional economic impact, for many decades to come.

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