Progress Theatre

Progress Theatre
Formation	1946
Type	Theatre and Registered charity
Location	Reading, England
Membership	150
Chair	Stephanie Weller
Website	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. The theatre itself was opened in 1951^[3] and has a reputation for excellence.^[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]

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.

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]

Kenneth Branagh, who was a member of the theatre in the 1960s, became Progress Theatre patron in 2011.^[6]

Educational role

In the 1950s a Student Group for 14 to 18-year olds was created, offering instruction in many aspects of theatre. A charitable organisation, "The Progress Theatre" was established in 1962 with the object of promoting education in performing arts in Reading and the surrounding area.^[7] This object is met by maintaining a theatre^[7] and the original Student Group has expanded since its inception. As of 2009, the Progress Youth Theatre consists of two groups for 15 to 18-year olds and groups for school years 4 to 6 (ages 8 to 11), 7 to 8 (ages 11 to 13) and 9 to 10 (ages 13 to 15).^[8] All of the groups have an opportunity to give a yearly public performance.^[8]

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 has also produced a series of summer open-air Shakespeare productions since the mid-1990s in Reading Abbey Ruins.^[9] These productions are a large undertaking, managed in partnership with Reading Borough Council, who permit the use of the grounds in and around the 12th century Abbey. In 2007, the event was expanded to form the Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival.^[10] The 2009 and 2010 festivals were cancelled due to ongoing restoration works to remedy structural problems at the Reading Abbey site. In 2010, a similar event was planned at a different venue, but was cancelled due to production problems.^[11] Since 2011, open air productions have resumed in the gardens of Caversham Court, on the banks of the River Thames, starting with The Tempest.

Past productions

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 The Shadow of a Gunman by Sean O'Casey were produced at the theatre^[12] in 1952 and 1958 respectively.^[13]

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

• Mort by Terry Pratchett (adap. Stephen Briggs) in 1997–1998^[14][15][16]
• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl in 2005–2006,^[17] using an adaptation by David Wood usually available only to professional productions.^[18]

Recent years have also seen productions of notorious plays such as Blasted by Sarah Kane^[19][20] while the more public-friendly yearly open-air Shakespeare productions in the Reading Abbey ruins have proved popular.^[21]

Past seasons

Famous members

• Kenneth Branagh made his earliest theatre appearances with Progress Theatre in the 1970s, including one minor role as "second policeman" and is the theatre's patron.^[6][12]
• Dame Judi Dench is currently the patron of the Friends of Progress Theatre.
• 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.
• Peter Strickland, director and screenwriter of Berberian Sound Studio.^[22]

Notes

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

References

External links

• Progress Theatre website

Coordinates: 51°26′39.9″N 0°57′28.12″W / 51.444417°N 0.9578111°W / 51.444417; -0.9578111