ARTISTIC NEWS FOR THE YEAR END

Sue MooreEND OF YEAR NEWSLETTER 2025

So……we all escaped unscathed from The Cage.  The Cage did indeed Protect Me and although it shook a bit, there’s not a scratch on me.

Congratulations to Giles Allen-Bowden and his entire company for producing a genre of theatre we don’t often stage and one entirely appropriate for the Halloween time of the year.  The cast and creative teams were immense and we had brilliant feedback.  I gather the last night party was immense too – almost reaching breakfast.

Next up, we have the return of Brian Friel to our auditorium.  Brian Friel is widely recognised as one of Ireland’s greatest dramatists, having written over 30 plays across six decades.  We have staged many of them and I think he is one of the most exquisite of writers.  Our recent production of Translations was lauded by everyone lucky enough to see it and the delicious Dancing at Lughnasa now opens on 3 December for a 10 day run. Set in the summer of 1936, dealing with domestic and social upheaval and with shades of Chekhovian melancholy, it is also uplifting, joyous and deeply moving.

In a multilayered piece of clever writing, it is a memory play seen through the eyes of narrator Michael, but it is not just an indulgent exercise in nostalgia, it is about a family on the edge.  A family who are facing things wider than their domestic challenges.  The joy of the play is in its use of dance as a means of expression and happiness, releasing pent up frustrations.  Friel at his very best; a vivid demonstration of his art.  Don’t miss it.

Following hot on the heels of the last night of the Friel play, we have two films to show you. On Monday 15 December,  Leamington History Group present their latest film about our town, Leamington at War (return tickets only) including one or two fleeting appearances of the Loft and actors on stage and on Tuesday 16 December we present a filmed live performance of David Fletcher’s version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, which was our highly acclaimed October 2024 production.  If you missed this production or if you want to experience it again, book your tickets as an early Christmas treat.

2026 will soon be upon us and Animal Farm is in rehearsal ready to unleash itself on you in January.  The ‘animals’ are chanting around the theatre “four legs good, two legs bad” and it is getting muddy around the place.  Mark Crossley directs and is unleashing his creative might.  If you saw his brilliant production in the Studio this year of The Just Price of Flowers you will understand. You have been warned.  There may be custard!

We are also deep in readings and auditions for the April and May main house productions and the April studio production.  It’s all go!  

Our theatre garden is now looking ready for winter – all the flowers have finished blooming and flower boxes are empty, but the bright red benches are still bringing colour to the space.  Time to hunker down for the cold weather and come inside for the warmest of welcomes to share theatre experiences with others. In the darkness of an auditorium an audience of strangers become a single entity with a common focus on the stage.  This is the unique nature of live performance.

Thank you all for supporting the only independent live theatre in Leamington Spa throughout the year. We value every ticket sold, enabling us to continue to create positive memories on stage and bring theatre to Leamington, which you may not get the chance to see on your doorstep.  We have a 103 year history of presenting a balanced programme of work, covering every genre of theatre, working to professional standards and always striving for the best on stage and off.   Enormous thanks for every time you walk into the foyer to see a show. Next year we have to reroof the theatre and replace all our heating and ventilation systems. We have water ingress in the building and we have to act – off stage this time. The figure for this work is eyewatering, deep into six figures and so every single ticket you purchase is beyond price.

Have a wonderful, peaceful and celebratory Christmas with your family and friends.  If you are looking for a Christmas gift for theatre lovers, our season ticket is an absolute bargain and individual theatre tickets, as a gift for those you love, is a simply perfect treat.  Make 2026 the year you bring a friend who has never been to the Loft before to see one of our productions and don’t forget to remind the young theatre-goers you know that we give free individual tickets to those in the 16-25 age bracket. Like you, we want them to get the theatre habit.

See you in January………..down on the farm!

SUE MOORE : ARTISTIC DIRECTOR