Theatre Royal Stratford East has announced details of their latest season of work that will take place from September 2015 – January 2016.

• The Etienne Sisters, a thought provoking and honest new play about family by Chè Walker, with songs by Anoushka Lucas (Klook’s Last Stand)
• HOME Theatre the innovative, intimate series of personal plays performed in living rooms across London, followed by a pioneering international symposium
• Meera Syal’s Anita and Me, adapted for the stage byTanika Gupta and presented in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre
• Robin Hood by the Olivier nominated panto team of Trish Cooke and Robert Hyman

Theatre Royal Stratford East has announced details of their latest season of work that will take place from September 2015 – January 2016.  The new season highlights the theatre’s long-standing commitment to championing new writing, delivering world-class musical theatre and provoking debate about widening access to the arts for all.  

Kerry Michael, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East said: “We are passionate about new writing and musical theatre here and we’re delighted to kick-start the autumn season with the premiere of The Etienne Sisters by Chè Walker and Anoushka Lucas. It’s a beautifully written piece with a stunning contemporary jazz soul soundtrack.  

“We have worked with the immensely talented Tanika Gupta many times over the years and are especially thrilled to present her latest piece, an adaption of Meera Syal’s much-loved debut novel Anita and Me. This co-production with Birmingham Rep comes with a period-evoking soundtrack that is sure to appeal.

“Since 2013 we have been working on Home Theatre, which is all about opening up theatre to new audiences in innovative ways. I am delighted to confirm that with the aid of funding from The Gulbenkian Foundation and The Gibbs Trust, the latest installation will happen this October and once again we will be bringing 30 theatre makers into 30 homes across the capital and creating bespoke new theatre experiences. We are proud to be leading the global Home Theatre movement, as more performances are being created in this way in Brazil and South Africa, as well as closer to home in Birmingham and we will be bringing international artists together to discuss this in more depth with our Home Theatre Symposium on Monday 19 October.

“We’re rightly proud of our pantomimes here at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Every year we create fun, entertaining, energetic and original productions that speak to our audiences of all ages and give them an authentic London theatrical experience. I’m therefore delighted to be reunited with the award-winning duo Trish Cooke and Robert Hyman for the first time since we created Dick Whittington together in 2013. We’ll be making sure that this tale of Robin the Prince of Thieves, his swashbuckling band of men and the fiercely determined Maid Marion is our finest yet. You won’t want to miss it!”

FULL SEASON DETAILS

Theatre Royal Stratford East presents

THE ETIENNE SISTERS
10 Sep – 3 Oct 2015
Press Night: Wed 16 Sep 7.30pm

Tickets: £6-£22.50

This stunning new piece is written by Chè Walker with songs by Anoushka Lucas (Klook’s Last Stand) and additional songs by Sheila Atim. Set to a contemporarysoulful jazz soundtrack, The Etienne Sisters explores what it means to be part of a family today.

Theatre Royal Stratford East presents

HOME THEATRE (UK)

12 Oct – 19 Oct 2015

Home Theatre (UK) is Theatre Royal Stratford East’s ambitious project that sees thirty one-person shows staged in thirty homes across London. The project returns this October assisted by funding from The Gulbenkian Foundation and the Gibbs Trust. We will soon be seeking potential hosts to welcome theatre makers into their homes and share in the experience. There will also be an international symposium on 19 October, welcoming potential Home Theatre creators from across the globe to join the conversation.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company in association with Theatre Royal Stratford East present
ANITA AND ME
30 Oct –11 Nov 2015
Press Night: Wed 4 Nov 7.30pm

Tickets: £7-£23.50 (Under 16s from £5)

Theatre Royal Stratford East’s long-term collaborator Tanika Gupta returns with her adaptation of Meera Syal’s novel Anita and Me. This semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story tells of the challenges of growing up, as well as growing up as part of the only Punjabi family in the Black Country in the 70s. Directed by Roxana Silbert and with especially composed music by the Ringham brothers, Anita and Me paints a colourful portrait of village life during the era of flares, power cuts

This is a co-production with Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company where it will premiere from 9 – 24 October.  

ROBIN HOOD

5 Dec 15 – 23 Jan 2016
Press Night: Wed 16 Dec 7pm

Tickets: £7.50-£27.50 (Under 16s from just £5)

Robin Hood gets the inimitable Stratford East panto treatment as the prince of thieves and his swashbuckling band of merry men set out to save King Richard from the evil Prince John. In this perfect Christmas treat for all ages, will the feisty and fearless Maid Marion (and her devoted Nurse) get there first?

Robin Hood reunites the Olivier-nominated panto team of writers Trish Cooke and Robert Hyman and director Kerry Michael, Theatre Royal Stratford East’s Artistic Director

For all press enquiries, please contact Trina Keane on 020 8279 1121, 020 8279 1120 or email press@stratfordeast.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST

A People’s Theatre

This famous producing theatre, located in the heart of London’s East End on the edge of the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, prides itself on creating world class work that reflects the concerns, hopes and dreams of its community. A prolific developer of new work, this award-winning theatre attracts artists and audiences often not represented in other venues. Through a continuous loop it inspires and is inspired by its vibrant, young and diverse audience.

Musical Theatre

An important aspect of its work is the development of new musical theatre. The Theatre’s vision is to break new ground with musicals that bring contemporary and urban music into the mainstream of British theatre. This has led to the production of a broad spectrum of acclaimed sell-out musicals with its work transferring nationally and internationally. Recent productions include: The Infidel, Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be, the Olivier-nominated Oh What a Lovely War (2014), the UK Theatre Award-nominated Glasgow Girls (with National Theatre of Scotland and Citizens Theatre in association with Richard Jordan Productions Ltd, Pachamama Productions and Merrigong Theatre Company (Australia)), Wah! Wah! Girls (with Sadler’s Wells and Kneehigh), the Olivier Award winning Pied Piper (with Boy Blue Ents), Britain’s Got Bhangra (with Rifco Arts & Warwick Arts Centre), Reasons to be Cheerful (with Graeae Theatre Company and New Wolsey Theatre), Clockwork Orange, Takeaway, Come Dancing (Best Off West End Production – What’s On Stage Awards), The Blacks, The Harder They Come, the Olivier nominated The Big Life, Da Boyz and Baiju Bawra. 

New Writing

Theatre Royal Stratford East is committed to supporting the development of exciting new voices and to putting bold new work on its stage. As part of this, the venue’s bi-annual Angelic Tales New Writing Festival features rehearsed readings by more than twenty emerging writers and has led to work going on to become full main stage productions. New writing recently staged by Theatre Royal Stratford East includes Roy Williams’ Antigone and Kingston 14, Somalia Seaton’s Crowning Glory, Tanika Gupta’s Love N Stuff, Rikki Beadle Blair’s Gutted and Cora Bissett’s Olivier-award winning Roadkill.

www.stratfordeast.com