The first ever production at a brand new theatre in Stone will be held in November – and tickets for the historic show are on sale now.
An in-house production of ‘Shakespeare in Love’, the hit stage adaptation of the 1998 Oscar-winning romantic comedy starring Judy Dench, Colin Firth and Gwyneth Paltrow, will be at Crown Wharf Theatre from Friday 8 to Saturday 16 November.
The feel-good, toe-tapping stage adaptation has landed rave reviews over the years. The Independent said it ‘makes you feel grateful to be alive’. The Telegraph called it ‘a joyous celebration of theatre’. ‘A swooning delight,’ said the Daily Mail.
Rehearsals are already under way at Crown Wharf Theatre and tickets for the show are available now at crownwharftheatre.org.uk
Crown Wharf Theatre trustee Harri Capernaros is directing ‘Shakespeare in Love’. She said: “It’s so important to us that we kick things off at the theatre with an in-house production, and ‘Shakespeare in Love’ is just perfect. It’s a celebration of theatre and shows the ups, downs, disasters and blind optimism that’s required every time a bunch of people decide to put on a show – never mind decide to build a theatre. It’s a brilliant, feel-good show that people will love.”
Fellow trustee Rob Kenney said: “We cannot wait to open the doors now and realise all the benefits of this new community asset for Stone. Just to see people in the theatre rehearsing and getting ready for the first show is so exciting. We held some test events recently as we put the finishing touches to the theatre, and to see 165 people sitting in the space was incredible. We can’t wait to welcome people in for real from November.”
Over 50 volunteers are lined up to help run the theatre after a huge community effort that started in 2017, led by local volunteers, to deliver a professional theatre for Stone and the wider county. The 165-capacity theatre has state-of-the-art facilities for audiences and performers, with professional lighting and audio equipment, impressive changing rooms, the latest front-of-house and stage management equipment, as well as a huge screen for film nights.
The full opening programme will be revealed soon.
Tickets for ‘Shakespeare in Love’ are available now on the Crown Wharf Theatre Box Office.
Crown Wharf Theatre
The Crown Wharf Theatre charity was launched in 2017 with the mission of delivering a professional theatre for the town of Stone in Staffordshire. The shell of the theatre was gifted to the town as part of their Crown Wharf pub and handed to the charity on a peppercorn rent. Since then, the volunteer-led project raised over £300,000, and was awarded £495,000 in 2022 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to transform the bare space into a functioning, professional theatre. Just as important as the funding has been local support, and the project has galvanised volunteers and supporters to deliver the theatre. You can find more information about Crown Wharf Theatre at crownwharftheatre.org.uk
Shakespeare in Love
‘Shakespeare in Love’ is a play with music that was adapted for the stage from the 1998 Oscar-winning movie by Tony and Olivier award-winning writer Lee Hall. A romantic comedy, this piece of historical fiction centres around a young Will Shakespeare as he struggles to find his inspiration. Enter the feisty Viola de Lesseps, who longs to be an actor. The relationship they forge serves as inspiration for Will’s greatest play, Romeo and Juliet.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund was a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and provided £2.6bn of funding for local investment. The fund aimed to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place, supporting local business, people and skills. More information at www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus