Progress Theatre

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Progress Theatre


Formation 1946
Type Theatre and Registered charity
Location Reading, England
Membership 150
Chairman Patrick Keys
Website http://www.progresstheatre.co.uk

Progress Theatre is a theatre company owning and managing its own theatre on The Mount, in Reading, Berkshire, England, close to Reading University. The theatre is the oldest one operating in Reading and the only venue in the town dedicated entirely to theatrical productions.[1][2]

The company was formed in 1946, staging its first production in 1947 and has a reputation for excellence.[3]. The theatre itself was opened in 1951.[4]

The company is a registered charity and it is a member of the Little Theatre Guild (LTG) and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA).[1]

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[edit] History

Progress Theatre was established in 1946 by a young group of Reading people as a voluntary theatre group in Reading to present new and challenging productions.

The first production was staged in 1947 and for five years performances were in Palmer Hall, West Street, Reading. The Mildmay Hall in The Mount was found to be available for rent from the Co-operative Society who agreed to its use as a theatre. The members together with families and friends, converted it into a working theatre and the first production was in October 1951.

Since the 1950s a Student Group for 14 to 18 year olds has existed. It offers instruction in many aspects of theatre twice a week during term time. From time to time, beginning with William Baines' Smugglers Bay in 1957, the group has presented a Christmas play as part of the main offerings of the Theatre.

In 1964, after a massive fund raising campaign, the freehold of the building was bought. The basis of the present foyer was built at that time together with other, then modern, facilities. With other alterations and extensions over the years, productions are still staged in the same building which now seats 97 people.[5]

[edit] Present day

The theatre has a membership of about 150 people and puts on a regular menu of classic and contemporary theatre. All of these productions are managed by volunteer members of the theatre.

Progress Theatre also produces a yearly outdoor Shakespeare production in Reading Abbey Ruins.[6] This annual production is a large undertaking, managed in co-operation with Reading Borough Council, who permit the use of the grounds in and around the 11th century Abbey grounds. As with in-house productions, this production is completely self managed and, in 2007, was expanded to form the Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival.[7]

[edit] Past productions

A statue of Bertolt Brecht
A statue of Bertolt Brecht

Progress has presented contemporary plays since its founding and the first performances in England of The Good Woman of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht and Shadow of a Gunman by Sean O'Casey were produced at the theatre[8] in 1952 and 1958 respectively.[9]

More recently, Progress has produced a series of Christmas productions based on popular children's books. Some notable productions include:

Recent years have also seen productions of notorious plays such as Blasted by Sarah Kane[15][16] while the more public-friendly yearly open-air Shakespeare productions have come to represent a highlight of Reading's cultural calendar.[17]

[edit] Past seasons

Productions during the 2007-2008 season
Play Author Dates (P)reviews
Woman in Mind Alan Ayckbourn 20 September to 29 September 2007 BBC Preview BBC Review
The Veil Kerry Murdock 22 October to 27 October 2007 BBC Preview BBC Review

Remotegoat Review

My Voice(s)a Kerry Murdock 3 November 2007 BBC Review
Blue/Orange Joe Penhall 19 November to 24 November 2007 BBC Review
The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling, adapted by Stuart Paterson 28 December 2007 to 6 January 2008 BBC Preview BBC Review
Second Writefest A festival of new writing by local writers 17 January to 19 January 2008 BBC preview Remotegoat review
Return to the Forbidden Planet Bob Carlton 14 February to 23 February 2008 Newbury Theatre review
After Juliet (A Progress Youth Theatre production) Sharman Macdonald 10 March to 15 March 2008 BBC Review

Remotegoat review

Four Nights in Knaresborough Paul Webb 10 April to 19 April 2008 Reading Evening post reviewRemote goat review
The Women of Lockerbie Deborah Brevoort 19 May to 24 May 2008
The Taming of the Shrew (performed in the Reading Abbey Ruins) William Shakespeare 14 July to 26 July 2008

[edit] Famous members

  • Kenneth Branagh made his earliest theatre appearances with Progress Theatre in the 1970s, including one minor role as "second policeman".[8]
  • Dame Judi Dench.
  • Marianne Faithfull, a pop singer and actress, was a member of the Theatre's Student Group in the early 1960s.
  • Gerard Johnson, a British keyboard player, was also a member of the Theatre's Student Group between 1976 and 1981.

[edit] Notes

A.^  My Voice(s), a piece of new writing featured in the First Write Fest, was subsequently developed and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2007.[1][2][3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links