Summer 2023 Brochure

SUMMER 2023

BECOME A MEMBER

Become a Friend, Donor Friend or Patron and you will play an integral role in the life of the theatre - supporting the huge range of work that we do in the community and on our stage, putting you at the very heart of the work we create, and the beautiful theatre we maintain for generations to come.

Membership Benefits include:

• Access to priority booking, ticket discounts, guaranteed refunds and ticket exchanges

• Invitations to special events, including season launches, opening nights and open rehearsals (depending on the level you join at)

FROM JUST £47 PER YEAR

Find out more and become a member by scanning the QR code below or emailing development@theatreroyal.org

WELCOME

Welcome to our summer season. We are introducing three season brochures this year rather than our usual two, giving us a chance to showcase our three Theatre Royal productions - one in each brochure. This season, we’re delighted to bring you The Wonderful Wizard of Oz a new adaptation by Mike Akers, who relocates the action right here to Suffolk.

We’ve got some great drama coming up. Adults and young people alike will love Teechers Leavers ‘22 and Oh What A Lovely War , both brought to life by the wonderful Blackeyed Theatre.

We’re delighted to welcome Reverend Richard Coles for an evening of entertainment - being the only Vicar to have had a number one hit-record, this is one not to be missed.

For something a little different, take a look at three plays from the Edinburgh Fringe - SAP , SHEWOLVES and Watson: The Final Problem.

For Shakespeare fans, Out of Chaos, multi-award-winning theatre company who put the audience at the heart of their productions present their two-actor take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

These are just a few of the great shows I have chosen for you this season - carry on reading to see what else catches your eye!

I extend my thanks, once again, to our generous season sponsor Ellisons Solicitors, our main sponsors Greene King and our principal sponsors Jaynic - whose support is so crucial to our theatre.

SPONSORED BY

SEASON SAVER DISCOUNT

*THIS SEASON, BOOK 4 OR MORE SELECTED SHOWS AND GET AN AMAZING 15% OFF. BECOME A MEMBER AND YOU’LL GET AN EXTRA 5% OFF. THAT’S 20%! Only on Price Band A & B seats. Excludes children’s shows, fundraising events, local amateur productions, and pantomime.

SPRING & SUMMER 2023 SPONSORED BY THEATRE ROYAL PROUDLY SPONSORED BY THEATRE ROYAL

OWEN CALVERT-LYONS Artistic Director

After a rare and inexplicable cyclone hits Suffolk (Stowmarket to be precise), Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves transported to the mysterious land of Oz. If they are ever going to find their way home, they must follow the yellow brick road in search of a powerful wizard, The Great Oz. On the way, they meet a host of weird and wonderful creatures: Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Witches and Munchkins, oh my!

“A place so strange and magnificent, it was like nothing Dorothy had ever seen before. A country of marvellous beauty.”

Mike Akers’ new adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s much-loved story will take you on a magical adventure to another world and remind you that there’s no place like home.

Following the success of last year’s The Secret Garden , our summer production returns with this classic tale retold by professional actors and members of our local community aged 8-80!

With grateful thanks to Theatre Royal’s Commissioning Circle, who support our artistic programme by commissioning new plays for our stage. Circle Members play a significant part in enabling the theatre to produce an ambitious new production each year. This is the second of our newly commissioned plays.

Captioned Performance: All performances will be captioned

Touch Tour: Sat 26 Aug, 6pm

Audio Described Performance: Sat 26 Aug, 7pm

FAMILY TICKET OFFER!

Want to bring your family along? Buy one of our family tickets (1 adult & 1 child) for just £30!

FROM BLACKEYED THEATRE

Tue 2 - Sat 6 May |

Tickets £10.80 - £26

“TEECHERS LEAVERS ‘22 HITS HOME WITH THE SAME LAUGHTER AND PUNCHY THEATRICALITY AS THE ORIGINAL, BUT ALSO WITH THE SAME POLICTICAL RAGE” The Guardian

Written by John Godber and directed by Adrian McDougall. Hilarious, high-energy and full-blooded, Teechers Leavers ‘22 brings to life an array of terrifying teachers and hopeless pupils through the eyes of Salty, Gail and Hobby; three Year 11 students facing a scary world, armed only with imagination and a joy of theatre. Unplug, switch off and buckle up for the world premiere tour of Teechers Leavers ‘22 , John Godber’s breath-taking, breakneck comedy about education for the ‘haves’, the ‘have nots’, and a generation left behind.

Age Guidance: 11+

There will be a post show discussion on Wed 3 May

Thu 28 - Sat 30 Sep |

Tickets £10.80 - £26

“THIS PRODUCTION VEERS THE THIN LINE BETWEEN TRAGEDY AND FARCE WITH GREAT ELEGANCE, LEAVING THE AUDIENCE LAUGHING AND SINGING ALONG”

Bracknell News

More than a century on from the Armistice, Oh What A Lovely War remains a classic and powerful reminder of the atrocities of a war that cost 20 million lives. Told through the songs and documents of the period, it’s a satirical attack on the military incompetence and inconceivable disregard for human life the First World War has come to represent and a chilling reminder of a man’s inhumanity to man. Satirical, funny and deeply moving, Oh What A Lovely War has a style all of its own, combining live music, dance, songs and sketches. Featuring five incredible actor musicians who play, sing and act their way through one of the greatest satires ever written. It’s Oh What A Lovely War as Joan Littlewood intended.

Age Guidance: 11+

HAVE A LAUGH

LUCY PORTER: WAKE-UP CALL

Fri 12 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £20 | 16+

GRIFF RHYS JONES: THE CAT’S PYJAMAS

Sun 28 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £26

SHAPARAK KHORSANDI: SCATTERBRAIN

Fri 8 Sep, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £18

ALFIE MOORE: A FACE FOR RADIO

Tue 19 Sep, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £20 | 14+

THEATRE ROYAL COMEDY CLUB

Wed 17 May & Wed 13 Sep, 7.30pm | Tickets £12

Fancy a laugh? Theatre Royal’s very own comedy club features a great line-up of comedians from across the UK touring circuit alongside up-and-coming comics. Keep an eye on our website to find out who will be joining us.

Age Guidance: 18+

REVEREND RICHARD COLES

Wed 27 Sep, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £25

Reverend Richard Coles is the only British vicar to have had a number-one hit single and to have appeared as a contestant on StrictlyComeDancing - a claim which seems unlikely to be matched any time soon. He is also a Sunday Times bestselling author, Twitter phenomenon and enormously loved broadcaster.

Sex, drugs, pop stardom, religious epiphany, love, a dream job, and the madness of grief. Some or all of this may come out as Richard lifts the lid on a life truly and truthfully lived. An intimate evening with a unique national treasure embarking on a first full national tour because he’s done pretty much everything else a person can do.

Age Guidance: 16+

Sponsored by

OUR FRINGE FAVOURITES

SAP BY RAFAELLA MARCUS

Tue 9 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £15

A contemporary thriller with ancient roots. When a woman tells a lie to her girlfriend, a seed is planted that starts to grow in the darkness. Now roots are cracking up through the pavement and branches are coming in at the windows, and - as she starts to see things that no one else can - she becomes the focus of some seriously unwanted attention.

The award-winning theatre company Atticist and Ellie Keel Productions return with a new play based on an old myth about passion, power, and photosynthesis.

Age Guidance: 14+

SHEWOLVES

Thu 18 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £15

Armed with a backpack full of pop-tarts and a hunger to tackle climate change, Priya and Lou embark on a covert expedition into the wild. But when the wilderness closes in around them, can they overcome their differences to make their voices heard?

SHEWOLVES is an uplifting coming-of-age comedy for anyone who has ever been a teen.

Somewhere between Booksmart, The End of the F***ing World and Thelma & Louise . SHEWOLVES is a play about forging friendships when you’re a bit weird, the power of hope and the underestimated smartness of teens.

MAGIC & FUN

Tickets £10.80 - £22

Britain’s Got Talent finalist Magical Bones takes to the road with a brand-new show full of the most awe-inspiring and high-energy magic you’ll see this year!

LIMITED CAPACITY POST-SHOW EXPERIENCE

MAGICAL BONES

Sat 20 May, 7.30pm

Tickets £10.80 - £23

30 minutes of close-up magic with the opportunity for selfies for an additional £10 (only available when purchased with a ticket for the show).

‘A DAZZLING SHOW...FULL OF IMAGINATION AND FLAIR’

The Guardian on Magical Bones

Join Paul and an array of “funny and sharp-tongued” (The Observer) creations including Sam, Albert, Baby, Roger the Bodyguard and an urban fox, as he takes to the road with a show which promises that “when you are not laughing, you will simply be left in awe” (Three Weeks).

‘IN

Sat 16 Sep, 7.30pm

Tickets £10.80 - £20

With over 175 million online views and countless TV appearances under his belt, Pete is firmly established as the UK’s top comedy magician. Expect an evening of jaw-dropping magic and laugh-out-loud comedy. TrikTok takes Pete’s magic from the small screen to the stage and gives audiences a chance to see his critically-acclaimed magic skills in the flesh.

PETE FIRMAN: TRIKTOK

Wed 20 Sep, 7.30pm

‘THE BEST MAGIC TRICKS IN THE UNIVERSE’

PAUL ZERDIN: PUPPETMAN

A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN...SO POLISHED IT SHINES’

The Scotsman on Paul Zerdin

The Independent on Pete Firman

Directed by Michael Cabot.

It was 1977, the year of skin-tight polyester, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and SaturdayNightFever . The Sex Pistols were storming up the charts, skateboarding was the latest craze and Angela Rippon danced with Morecambe and Wise. And at Hampstead Theatre in London, Mike Leigh and his cast were putting the finishing touches to Abigail’s Party, a ferocious black comedy and landmark of 20th-century theatre.

In her suburban living room, Beverly prepares for the arrival of her guests. She and husband Laurence will play host to neighbours Angela, Tony and Sue. As the alcohol flows and the ‘nibbles’ are handed around, Mike Leigh’s ruthless, achingly funny examination of 1970s British life begins...

Abigail’s Party was premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in 1977, with the role of Beverly being immortalised by Alison Steadman. A record 16 million people watched its broadcast as Play for Today, underlining its status as a true modern classic and national treasure.

Age Guidance: 14+

Captioned Performance: Wed 28 Jun, 7.30pm

Touch Tour: Thu 29 Jun, 6.30pm

Audio Described Performance: Thu 29 Jun, 7.30pm

JOIN IN

YOUTH THEATRE

Youth Theatre is for anyone with an interest in theatre, writing, creating, or simply making new friends. Our sessions give young people the opportunity to experience the power of performance, building confidence and life skills along the way. No experience is necessary, just come along and get stuck in!

JUNIORS (8-11s)

Mondays 4.30pm - 6pm

Saturdays 11am - 12.30pm

Sponsored by

SENIORS (12-16s)

Wednesdays 5pm - 7pm

Thursdays 5pm - 7pm

YOUNG COMPANY (16-22s)

Thursdays 7pm - 9pm

SEN SORY YOUTH THEATRE

These groups support young people who are learning disabled, neurodivergent, or identify as having SEN, to participate in creative play that is inclusive and accessible in a fun and friendly environment.

MINIS (4-7s)

Saturdays 10am - 10.40am

JUNIORS (8-12s)

Tuesdays 4.15pm - 4.50pm

SENIORS (13-18s)

Christian, Participant, Age 11

Tuesdays 5pm - 5.40pm

To get involved with any of these groups, or to find out other ways to take part, email engagement@theatreroyal.org

Sponsored by

“I take part and enjoy the fun a lot and the people with disabilities I meet - I get to know a lot of them and I am really happy about that!”

Family Fun

Fri 2 - Sat 3 Jun | Tickets £15

Tempted away to join a travelling circus with the promise of a life of excitement, the singing mermaid soon finds out she’s been tricked by the circus master. Beautiful puppetry, music and songs combine as Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ hugely popular story comes to the stage.

Age Guidance: 3 - 8

FRI SAT 2 JUN 3 JUN 11am 11am

UNDER 2s GO FREE when sitting on a lap

2pm 2pm 4pm

Sat 13 May, 2.30pm | Tickets £6.50 - £10.50

Molly and Bingo the dog would like you to join them for a very special I Spy With My Little Eye party to celebrate Molly’s 6th birthday.

With all your favourite sing-along songs and lots of games to play, it’s going to be the best party ever!

Age Guidance: 2+

Fri 9 - Sun 11 Jun | Tickets £15

Longing to see the world, a tiny sea snail hitches a lift on the tail of a great big, grey-blue humpback whale. Together they go on an amazing journey, brought vividly to life through live music, storytelling and lots of laughs.

Age Guidance: 4+

FRI SAT SUN 9 JUN 10 JUN 11 JUN 11am 11am 2pm 2.30pm 2.30pm

JOIN IN

THE WRITER’S ROOM

Wednesdays, 7 - 8.30pm | £30 per term

A shared space for writers over the age of 18, no previous experience necessary.

Whether you write novels, short stories, plays, audio dramas or more, this is a space in which you can experiment and learn from others with a similar interest.

In this peer-to-peer facilitated space, The Writer’s Room is where writers can build new networks within the community and engage with writing briefs set by the group each term.

ACT YOUR AGE WORKSHOPS

Tuesdays, 1.30 - 3.30pm | Price Per Term £75

A regular group for adults who have a love of theatre. Each term there are opportunities to create with a team of theatre professionals and experience the enjoyment of performance. This group allows you to be creative, all while making lasting friendships.

“Not only are they fun and full of laughs, they encourage everyone to throw themselves into it.”

Ann, Participant, Age 68

We are always on the lookout for new members to join us. No previous experience necessary.

To find out more information about these groups, or other ways to take part, email engagement@theatreroyal.org

BALLET CENTRAL TOUR 2023

Thu 11 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £20.50

Ballet Central returns to Theatre Royal presenting a mixed programme created by internationally acclaimed choreographers. This is a chance to see the skills, artistry, and versatility of young performers, all on the cusp of their professional careers.

The tour includes two pieces from celebrated choreographer Frederick Ashton; an excerpt from Mirror Mirror (Michael Pink’s production of Snow White), a new piece created for the company’s dancers from renowned choreographer Morgann Runacre-Temple, and another new creation from renowned choreographer Darshan Singh Bhuller. There will also be an excerpt from Sophie Laplane’s Dextera, danced to Mozart’s music.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Tue 12 Sep | Tickets £5 - £15

Confused couples, competitive performers and furious fairies come to blows in the woods. Who will make it through this strangest of nights with their heart and their pride in tact? Two performers play all the roles, ensuring Shakespeare’s comic masterpiece is faster, funnier and more madcap than ever.

Following the international acclaim for their two-actor Macbeth, Out of Chaos bring their uniquely inventive and energetic style to another legendary story.

Age Guidance: 8+

TUE

12 SEP 1.30pm

7.30pm

MUSIC TRIBUTES

Thu 8 Jun, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £29

Sat 24 Jun, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £30

SPECIAL EVENTS

BURY ST EDMUNDS CONCERT BAND ARE BACK WITH 2 FABULOUS EVENTS!

Sun 14 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £20

Bury St Edmunds Concert Band is back with a fantastic programme of music from the stage and screen, as they take you on a magical journey through the West End, broadway and Hollywood! Featuring music from Frozen, Chicago, West Side Story, Bohemian Rhapsody and more. Plus modern film scores from iconic soundtracks!

This will be the band’s first concert with their new Director of Music, Rob Wicks.

Sun 17 Sep, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £20

Bury St Edmunds Concert Band return to perform their Last Night of The Proms Concert – this sell-out event will have your toes tapping and your flags waving! A lively and exhilarating evening is guaranteed as the Band return to the theatre they call home. You will hear all the classics - ‘Rule, Britannia!’, Edward Elgar’s ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, Hubert Parry’s ‘Jerusalem’, the National Anthem and ‘Auld Lang Syne’ await!

These events are fundraising events in support of Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. Registered charity number 242977.

Fri 16 Jun, 7.30pm | Tickets £12 - £22

Join Bury St Edmunds Operatic and Dramatic Society for an exciting celebration of musical theatre old and new!

Broadway and West End hits from Oklahoma! to Dear Evan Hansen and Sweeney Todd to Come From Away. Spend an evening enjoying an exhilirating snapshot of musicals through the ages!

This is a joint fundraiser for BSEODS (Registered Charity Number 278388) and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds (Registered Charity Number 242977).

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS

THE CHAMPAGNE QUARTET

Wed 24 May, 1.10pm

CLASSICS | JAZZ | STRING QUARTET

Pop in for lunch and hear beautiful light classics, jazz, and toe-tapping popular arrangements from Bach to The Beatles!

Sponsored by

THE ROCOCO ENSEMBLE

TICKETS ARE £10 EACH & INCLUDE REFRESHMENTS AFTER THE PERFORMANCE Wed 13 Sep, 1.10pm

BAROQUE | VIOLONCELLO DE SPALLA

Instrumental music of Handel, Telemann and Vivaldi, transporting you back to the glamour of the 18th century.

Adapted for the stage by Emma Rice. A dazzling adaptation of the greatest love story of all time.

When a chance encounter in a train station tearoom kindles a timid, yet passionate, love affair between a married doctor and a suburban housewife, the two are forced to question if it’s worth risking everything for the sake of love.

Tender and joyous, this show has all the drama of the original masterpiece with added live music, comedy and spectacle, taking you on a rollercoaster ride through all of love’s beautiful complications.

Brief Encounter is adapted by award-winning theatre-maker Emma Rice, directed by the New Wolsey Theatre’s new Chief Executive Douglas Rintoul (Made in Dagenham, Private Lives, and All My Sons) and brought to you by the producers behind The Ladykillers and The Worst Wedding Ever.

Age Guidance: 12+

Warnings: Contains smoking, loud noises, moments of audience interaction and moderate sex references.

Captioned Performance: Sat 27 May, 2pm

Audio Described Performance: All performances will be audio described

BSL Performance: Sat 27 May, 2pm

WATSON: THE FINAL PROBLEM

Tue 16 May, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £15

1984. Watson is alone. A broken man. His beloved wife Mary and the great Sherlock Holmes are gone. But London seethes with false reports and rumour. It is time for Watson to tell his story.

A tale of long buried secrets, betrayal and death! There is a shadow in the gutters of London. A spider’s web of poisonous intrigue lies across the city. Someone is playing a long game and Holmes and Watson must face their greatest ever challenge.

Based on the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Performed by Tim Marriott (The Brittas Empire and ‘Allo ‘Allo) and written by Bert Coules (BBC’s The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes , Cadfael & Rebus).

EXPRESS G&S

Thu 22 Jun, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £15

The “masters of Gilbert & Sullivan” present their side-splitting spoof of a classic railway murder mystery, while ripping through material from every single G&S opera with a cake soaked butter knife!

Get ready to be swept away on this topsy-turvy journey from Cornwall to Chancery Lane, from Titipu to the Tower of London, from Portsmouth to Fairyland - all aboard the G&S Express!

A trio of intriguing travellers (and a pianist) take on multiple characters, uncovering clue upon red herring in this extraordinary, inventive, witty murder mystery spoof, which is splattered with favourite songs from the Savoy operas including The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore as well as some of those less performed.

MURDER SHE DIDN’T WRITE

Fri 22 - Sat 23 Sep | Tickets £10.80 - £21

A classic murder mystery is created on the spot in this ingenious and hilarious show!

You become Agatha Christie in this improvised comedy as each night an original murder mystery play is created based entirely on audience suggestions. So take up your magnifying glasses and don your deerstalkers for never-seen-before (and never-to-be-seenagain) evening of murder, mayhem and making it up. Mr Crimson poisoned in the parlour? Ms Gold exploded by canon in Sainsbury’s? You decide! But will you guess whodunnit?

FRI SAT 22 SEP 23 SEP 7.30pm 7.30pm

CRIMES ON CENTRE COURT

Tue 26 Sep, 7.30pm | Tickets £10.80 - £20

Crimes on Centre Court , based on a story from New Old Friends’ award-winning podcast, is an ace of a show which you’re sure to (fifteen) love. This deucey summertime treat will rally the spirits and leave you wanting a second serve-ing of the volley of gags and visual delights. You won’t see it game set and matched anywhere else.

Mirth, murder and mayhem - with a side of tennis! Lord knows the chair of The Whombledun International Invitational Tennis Tournament has died and his son, Hugh, is suspicious. The police won’t take the case so Hugh calls in Perry and Penny Pink, private investigators. What transpires has all the hallmarks of New Old Friends’ particular brand of theatrical nonsense: a cast of four performers play countless characters with quick-fire changes and quicker wits.

THEATRE HIRE

FROM OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

GHOST THE MUSICAL - SUFFOLK YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE

Wed 2 - Sat 5 Aug | Tickets £10.80 - £18.50

Suffolk Young People’s Theatre bring you Ghost the Musical , which follows Sam and Molly, a young couple whose connection takes a shocking turn after Sam’s untimely death. Adapted from the hit film and featuring the classic hit ‘Unchained Melody’, Ghost the Musical is a poignant romance which builds comedy, suspense, and deeply felt emotion to an ethereal climax that audiences will never forget.

Founded 44 years ago, SYPT is an annual three-week summer school, giving 14-21 year olds the opportunity to work with professionals from the industry, to produce a full-scale production within two weeks intensive rehearsals, followed by a weeks run at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

Presented through special arrangements with all authorised performance materials supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide

Books & Lyrics by Bruce Joel Music & Lyrics by Dave Stewart & Glen Ballard

BOOK ONLINE

Booking is quick and easy on our website; you can spend theatre credit from your account, redeem gift vouchers, gain group discounts, book parking and more! theatreroyal.org/booking-information. Alternatively, you can book via our Box Office in person or by calling us on 01284 769505, Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm.

GROUPS & SCHOOLS

Groups of 10+ receive a 5% discount and groups of 25+ receive a 10% discount when all tickets are booked in one transaction.

For pantomime, group offers are available on off-peak performances.

Schools tickets are £10.80 each with every 11th ticket free. Pantomime schools tickets are £11.50 each.

To find out more, email groupbookings@theatreroyal.org

EARLY BOOKING

Our ticket prices are subject to change as the theatre fills, so book early to secure your favourite seats at the best possible price.

TICKET REFUND PROTECTION

Tickets are non-refundable, so for peace of mind, you can now protect your tickets from the unexpected for just £1.50 per ticket.

See full information on our website and add Ticket Protection when buying your tickets.

CUSTOMERS WITH ACCESS NEEDS

In order that we can best accommodate your requirements, please book via our Box Office on 01284 769505 or by emailing booking@theatreroyal.org and we will help find the seat most suitable for you. Those unable to attend the theatre alone are offered a complimentary assisting companion ticket.

CAR PARK

Greene King Staff Car Park is available for evening and weekend performances only. It is not available for weekday matinees. Access is via Cullum Road (A1302 - signposted “Westgate Brewery”).

SIGHTLINES

Theatre Royal is an historic, horseshoe shaped, Georgian auditorium which means that some seats have a restricted view of the stage for some performances. Seats in the Dress Circle boxes A, B, C, Q, R and S, Upper Circle boxes

A, B, C, N, P and Q and Gallery rows C and D are marked as restricted view for some productions.

To check the view from seats, we have a 360° view of the theatre that can be found at theatreroyal.org/360-tour/

KEY

T Theatre House Seat - Not available for purchase.

W Wheelchair Space - Book via Box Office.

A Assisting Companion - Book via Box Office.

R Restricted View - Suitable for anyone above 5ft.

L Restricted Leg Room - Suitable for anyone below 5ft.

X Locked - Seat locked when wheelchair seat in use.

STAIRS

The Pit, Upper Circle and Gallery are all accessed by stairs. The Dress Circle is the only area with stepfree access.

Pit - 25 steps

Upper Circle - 14 steps

Gallery - 29 steps

OUR SPONSORS

SPONSORS

THEATRE ROYAL PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

FUNDERS, TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS

THE ALFRED WILLIAMS CHARITABLE TRUST | THE ST EDMUNDS TRUST | THE TANYARD TRUST

LIFE PATRONS & AMBASSADORS

LIFE PATRONS: Dame Judi Dench DBE, Mr Timothy West CBE, Sir Jeremy Isaacs, Mrs Judith Shallow DL, Mr Colin Blumenau, Mrs Patricia Thompson CBE

AMBASSADOR: Mrs Gina Long MBE

OUR SUPPORTERS

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO OUR WONDERFUL PATRONS, FRIENDS, DONOR FRIENDS, SPONSORS AND MAJOR DONORS FOR THE ONGOING SUPPORT THEY GIVE TO THEATRE ROYAL, WITHOUT THEM WE SIMPLY COULD NOT EXIST AND WE OFFER OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO THEM.

THEATRE ROYAL PATRONS & MAJOR DONORS

Joan Abbs, Matthew Abercrombie, Nancy Ackland-Lang, George Agnew and Adrian White, Suzanne Alston, Jennifer and Nicholas Antill, Alix and Robert Ashton, Kit and Daria Aspen, Gary Avis MBE, Robert and Sally Baxter, Bob and Sally Beckett, Countess Helen Benckendorff, Lee and Angela Berry, Christopher Biggins, Christine Bird, Ben and Katie Birrell, Sarah Birrell, Derek Blake MBE and Valerie Blake, Stephen and Stephanie Bourne, Joy Bowes, Gyles Brandreth, Stuart Brennan, Marie Brown and in memory of Tony Brown, William and Lynn Cardale, Laura Carmichael, Sir Geoffrey and Lady Cass, Gordon Cawthorne MBE and in memory of Judith Cawthorne, Richard Chaplin, Michael Chisholm, Marcus and Sophie Codrington-Fernandez, Sian Couture, Louise Cramp, The Croft Family, Rev. David Crofts, Jane and Michael Crowe, Yvonne Curtis, Lady Mary Damerell, Patrick and Heide Daniels, Piers Day, Nicholas Denyer, Michelle Dockery, David and Barbara Dougan, Ian and Alison Duncan, Francesca Eady, Tony and Celia Earl, The Fabulous Fascia Co Ltd, Andrew Flatt, Emma Fisher, Vivien Gainsborough Foot, Keith and Mary Gallois, Sarah George, Jayne Gittus, Philip Glenister, Robert Glenister, Judith Grandi, Sheena Griffiths, Bryan Hamilton, Nigel Havers, The Very Rev’d Joe Hawes and The Rev’d Christopher Eyden, David and Gillian Hodge, Stephen Hubner, Sam Hughan, John Meers and Jo Holden, Debbie Hudd and in memory of Roy Hudd OBE, Eric and Hazel Humphreys, Antony Hurden, Sir Derek Jacobi CBE, Peter Jackson CBE and in memory of Ann Jackson, Alex Jennings, Christina Johnston, Lesley Joseph, Jim and Carol Keohane, Nicholas Law and Susan Tanis, Malcolm Leith and Amanda Wearing, Barry Lingwood, Dame Maureen Lipman DBE, Bryan and Emma Littlefair, Andrew Long and Gina Long MBE, Karl and Annette Ludvigsen, Janet Martin, Sir Ian McKellen CH CBE, John Meers and Jo Holden, Peter and Julie Merrick, Nic and Kat Metcalfe, Gillian Morgan, Martin and Sylvia Moss, David and Pauline Mulley, Marguerite Nice, Alan O’Connor, John and Maureen Orange, Irene and David Overman, Jeffrey Parker, Sir Michael Parkinson CBE, Nicholas Pearson OBE and Fiona Pearson, Mark Pendlington DL, Fiona Phillipps, Heather Phillips, Mary Porch, Clare Presland, Libby Purves OBE, Roger and Thelma Quince, Sue Rawlinson, Michael Redgrave, Mike and Kate Redmond, Jo St Clair Roberts, Susan Roberts, James Robertson, Paul Romaine, Michael and Margaret Rustin, Prunella Scales CBE, Sue Scrivener, John Sergeant, Michael Shallow and Judith Shallow DL, Alice Sheepshanks, Graham Showell, John Simpson CBE, Charles and Suzanne Simpson, Sue and Dick Soper, Simon Spence KC, Jo Stark, Sha Starr, Christian and Susan Stenderup, Richard and Heulwen Stewart, Steven and Kimonie Stroud, Dame Janet Suzman DBE, Meriel Sykes, David Taylor, Nick and Rosemary Thomson, Fiona Unwin, Terry Waite CBE, Julia Wakelam, Dame Harriet Walter DBE, Christine Webber, Peter Wenban and Sarah Wenban CBE, Timothy West CBE, Sam West, Deborah Williams, In memory of Gabrielle Woodward, The Association Management Company, Theatre Royal Friends Committee and the generous donors of The Show Will Go On! – Theatre Royal’s Reopening Appeal (2020).

OUR SINCERE THANKS TO OUR VALUED VOLUNTEERS – WE COULDN’T OPEN WITHOUT THEM!

CALENDAR KEY

THEATRE TOURS

Tickets: £10 | National Trust Members: £5 Children Under 12: £5

Led by our enthusiastic team of Tour Guides, you’ll travel around the theatre, taking in the building and all of its history, from front-of-house to behind-the-scenes. Step on up and into the spotlight where the likes of Ian McKellan CBE, Dame Judi Dench DBE, Sir Peter Hall CBE and many more have gone before you.

Tours dates after July are yet to be confirmed. Please visit our website for more information.

ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES

Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter - Wed 24 May, 2pm

Abigail’s Party - Wed 28 Jun, 7.30pm

The Wizard of Oz - All performances will be captioned

AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES

Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter - All performances will be audio described

Abigail’s Party - Thu 29 Jun, 7.30pm

The Wizard of Oz - Sat 26 Aug, 7pm

TOUCH TOURS - Please book with Box Office.

Abigail’s Party - Thu 29 Jun, 6.30pm

The Wizard of Oz - Sat 26 Aug, 6pm

BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETED PERFORMANCES

Noël Coward’s Brief Encounter - Sat 27 May, 2pm

INDUCTION LOOP

The induction loop is accessible around the building with your hearing aid turned to the T position. To get the best hearing experience, avoid seats in rows A to C of the Pit and boxes A and S in the Dress Circle.

GUIDE DOGS

Guide dogs are welcome in selected Dress Circle boxes. A guide dog must stay with their owner at all times. Water is available.

HIDDEN GARDENS OF BURY ST EDMUNDS

Sun 2 Jul, 11am - 5pm

We were delighted to welcome so many visitors to our theatre garden for Hidden Gardens of Bury St Edmunds in 2022, so we’re back this year! Join us for a drink and some snacks in our garden and Greene Room Bar, sponsored by Greene King. Visit www. hiddengardens.co.uk to book your tickets. This event is in aid of St Nicholas Hospice.

Pre-show catering with LÉA: a delicious artisan food range, available in the theatre bar, from award-winning Maison Bleue. LÉA is freshly prepared and additive free.

Hand-cooked in Suffolk using top quality ingredients, many locally sourced, Pascal Canevet has crafted a delicious range of ready meals in traditional French preserving pots.

“WearedelightedtoshowcaseLÉA,ourgastrorangeatTheatreRoyal,withfreshseasonaldishes available at the theatre bar.”

Pascal Canevet

Orders must be made in advance no more than 4 weeks to no less than 3 days before your selected performance. To order, visit www.leaburystedmunds.co.uk/theatre-ordering/ and make sure you select the correct performance when making your food choices.