ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NEWS ROUNDUP OCTOBER 2026

So the heat of the summer departed and so did our mighty building construction team. I am delighted to report that we have a new roof and we have new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems throughout the theatre. We had a great team delivering the biggest capital project in the history of the Loft Theatre and we had the kindness and consideration of amazing donations from those of you who have enjoyed the fruits of our labours and want us to continue down our artistic path.

We have had to find over £500K to pay for this extensive work and we should still be so grateful, if you have the inclination to donate whatever you feel possible to help us pay this enormous sum. If you head over to the Loft website, we are still welcoming any donations you feel you can make. Every ticket you purchase contributes to the survival of the oldest independent live theatre company in Leamington Spa, now 104 years old. Our season ticket offer is an absolute bargain, so if you love your theatre and you love coming to the Loft, then I urge you to purchase this and experience the depth and richness of our artistic programme.

As we move into the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness we opened our autumn programme with the second of David Eldridge’s trilogy, Middle. What an artistic triumph this was. An endless stream of appreciative and inspired emails from our audience followed each and every performance, who felt the entire production in every dimension was exemplary. One audience member said to me it was just faultless in every way and they didn’t feel like they were watching actors at all. I love it when audience members say there was no acting visible! Each night the audience lingered in the auditorium or the bar after the show debating what they had watched and how it had resonated with their lives. My thanks to Viki Betts who directed the second of this trilogy, with her impressive attention to detail. David Eldridge connected with us through our social media platform and it was marvellous to have his promotion of this terrific piece of writing. We are aiming to complete the trilogy next year with End which premiered at the National Theatre  in 2025.

Hot on the heels of the last night of Middle the amazing tech team and construction team waved their magic wands and removed the set within hours of the final curtain, repainted the stage and re-rigged the lights and by Sunday lunchtime we were ready to receive the orchestra and singers for our special fundraising concert One Enchanted Evening. This was a concert showcasing the work of the great American composers and lyricists of the 30s and 40s. We were sold out, the singers and orchestra took the roof off (only metaphorically, don’t panic) and we had a standing ovation which went on and on. What a night!

These evening concerts are great crowd pleasers and we love staging them, so we are hoping to stage more in 2027. Keep an eye out for details.

Next up is Women of Troy in a new adaptation by David Fletcher. This is promising to be a most special production, with a creative team who have been devising the staging, the lighting and sound.  Jonathan Fletcher has specially composed the music and recorded it in his studio. There seems to be an endless fascination for Greek drama. The Greek chorus in David’s production have all created their own identities and back stories and you will be able to see a series of short videos of these on our social media in the run-up to the opening night.

We have assembled the strongest cast, with new people of enormous talent joining our company. Our movement director Dan Walsh believes this will be his finest work so far with us, so we are all anticipating with great excitement what is in store. Caitlin Mills, who worked as our production manager during a maternity leave cover, is returning to design the set. We are so thrilled to welcome her back. This play written so long ago resonates equally powerfully today, in a world plagued by war and those who are its hapless victims. It is a play for our time. I urge you to secure your tickets to get the chance to see this.

In other news, the December production – the Conor McPherson play The Night Alive – is starting rehearsal and this will be a different theatrical option for December. It is very funny and very moving and perfectly balances the two. We have a strong history at the Loft of staging Irish writing and this is not to be missed under the expert direction of Tom O’Connor. It was an utter triumph at the Donmar theatre when it premiered.

I’m working on our programming for 2027, which is now coming together well. We are currently auditioning for our April production, as the first quarter of the year is already cast. All details so far released are on the website and booking will open soon.

In today’s fast moving digital world, entertainment is everywhere. Movies stream instantly, social media delivers endless  content and comment and virtual experiences are becoming more advanced than ever. Yet despite all of these technological advances, theatre continues to thrive. From the biggest auditoria to the smallest venues live performance still captures our hearts in a way that digital media never can.  It is live and raw and utterly compelling.

Don’t forget the best play you probably have ever seen in your life might yet be to come.

SUE MOORE : ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
OCTOBER 2026