B o x O f f i c e: 0 2 3 8 0 6 7 17 71
w w w. n u f f i e l d t h e a t r e . c o . u k
Nuffield Productions and Tours Our own productions continued to focus on new writing and emotionally rich classics and we produced a total of 13 new productions including 7 shows on the main stage (2 more than in recent years). Production highlights included The House of Bernada Alba with Ann Mitchell in the leading role (Guardian Pick of the Week, 4 stars in The Times), Wind in the Willows (one of the top 5 Christmas shows, The Independent), Peeler, a new play by Maggie Neville funded by Hampshire Constabulary (their first foray into using the arts to help in crime education), and our critically acclaimed co-production (with Headlong and Schtanhaus) of The Winter’s Tale which received a 4 star review and Pick of the Week in The Guardian, and which toured nationally. This was part of an ongoing collaboration with Headlong to give young gifted directors a chance to work on major classics. This project continues in 2011 with The Gate’s Natalie Abrahami directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream for us.
Peeler
All of our work aspires to excellence, our challenge is to develop audiences for the more demanding end of the spectrum and the delicate balance of excellence and accessibility is an ongoing and rigorous focus of our programme. This year, with the recession affecting the box office we programmed a number of more immediately popular titles such as Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland and a new one-man thriller. This work helped support our more ‘challenging’ productions and was complemented by our significant audience development activities. We were delighted that again this year our audience numbers rose and our attendance for adult theatre increased by 7.4%.
“ Simon Slater’s storytelling is superb... Bloodshot combines outstanding acting and a gripping plot, resulting in one of the best plays I have ever watched” The Daily Echo on Bloodshot
“ Relentlessly gripping and intensely thought-provoking... an outstanding example of how theatre can make an important statement about a volatile issue, while simultaneously entertaining an audience” The Daily Echo on Peeler
Alice in Wonderland
6
Bloodshot
7