Post by Suzy on Oct 5, 2006 14:27:04 GMT
Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK's flagship theatres with an international reputation for creating magical live performances. Its heritage is synonymous with excellence in all things theatrical, from acting and staging to costume. The Festival Theatre opened with much anticipation and to great acclaim in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built in 1989.
Surrounded by beautiful parkland on the edge of the Roman city of Chichester, the site comprises two main buildings. The Festival Theatre houses a 1206 seat auditorium along with 3 bars and the main Box Office. The light, airy and spacious foyer is a striking example of 1960s architecture. The Minerva building houses a 285 seat auditorium along with an a la carte restaurant, café, shop and bars.
Chichester Festival Theatre creates outstanding world-class productions for audiences both from the UK and around the world. The emphasis of the theatre's programme is on the Summer Festival, which runs from April to September and includes plays from classics to contemporary writing.
During this time the theatre also delivers outdoor promenade performances and organizes a great deal of the festival's other events including Cabaret and Comedy nights and a great range of events designed to add to the experience of visiting the theatre including Platform Events, Family Days and Talks.
From the day in 1962 when 'the impossible theatre' opened with Laurence Olivier as its first Director, Chichester Festival Theatre has built an international reputation for theatrical excellence with a vibrant and dynamic future Chichester Festival Theatre was founded by Leslie Evershed-Martin CBE, a local ophthalmic and councillor who was inspired by Canada's Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Memorial Theatre; Sir Tyrone Guthrie, it's founder, encouraged him to proceed with what many people believed was an impossible dream.
Shortly after the Festival Theatre's inauguration, Olivier was named director of the new National Theatre at the Old Vic, and until 1965 Chichester effectively provided the nucleus of his National Theatre company.
The 1206 seat Festival Theatre was the first modern theatre in this country to have an open 'thrust' stage with the audience seated around it on three sides, and was based on the character of Greek and Elizabethan theatres, allowing the audience a much closer involvement with the actors than with a traditional proscenium arch stage.
The Actors
The list of actors who have appeared at the Theatre reads like a theatrical 'Who's Who': among the long list of names are such as Laurence Olivier himself, Alan Bates, Stephanie Beacham, Alan Bennett, Ingrid Bergman, Kenneth Branagh, Tony Britton, Dora Bryan, Leslie Caron, Joan Collins, Julie Christie, Judi Dench, Edith Evans, Dawn French, Alec Guinness, John Gielgud, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Howard, Derek Jacobi, Penelope Keith, Maureen Lipman, Alec McCowen, Leo McKern, Ian McShane, Leslie Phillips, Joan Plowright, Diana Rigg, Harry Secombe, Maggie Smith, Alison Steadman, Kathleen Turner, and Peter Ustinov.
The Productions
There has been a long line of outstanding and varied productions over the years, including Olivier's Uncle Vanya and Othello; the world premiere of Royal Hunt of the Sun; Peter Dew's production of Terra Nova; the Flanagan and Allen musical Underneath the Arches; John Osborne's A Patriot for Me and the co-production with the Renaissance Theatre Company of Coriolanus. These critically acclaimed productions are just a tiny handful of the theatre's accomplishments.
The Directors
The directors of the Theatre are also among the most distinguished names in the profession: Lord Olivier, Sir John Clements, Keith Michell, Peter Dews, John Gale, Michael Rudman, Patrick Garland, Sir Derek Jacobi, Duncan C. Weldon, Andrew Welch, Ruth Mackenzie, Steven Pimlott and Martin Duncan. The current Artistic Director is Jonathan Church.
Surrounded by beautiful parkland on the edge of the Roman city of Chichester, the site comprises two main buildings. The Festival Theatre houses a 1206 seat auditorium along with 3 bars and the main Box Office. The light, airy and spacious foyer is a striking example of 1960s architecture. The Minerva building houses a 285 seat auditorium along with an a la carte restaurant, café, shop and bars.
Chichester Festival Theatre creates outstanding world-class productions for audiences both from the UK and around the world. The emphasis of the theatre's programme is on the Summer Festival, which runs from April to September and includes plays from classics to contemporary writing.
During this time the theatre also delivers outdoor promenade performances and organizes a great deal of the festival's other events including Cabaret and Comedy nights and a great range of events designed to add to the experience of visiting the theatre including Platform Events, Family Days and Talks.
From the day in 1962 when 'the impossible theatre' opened with Laurence Olivier as its first Director, Chichester Festival Theatre has built an international reputation for theatrical excellence with a vibrant and dynamic future Chichester Festival Theatre was founded by Leslie Evershed-Martin CBE, a local ophthalmic and councillor who was inspired by Canada's Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Memorial Theatre; Sir Tyrone Guthrie, it's founder, encouraged him to proceed with what many people believed was an impossible dream.
Shortly after the Festival Theatre's inauguration, Olivier was named director of the new National Theatre at the Old Vic, and until 1965 Chichester effectively provided the nucleus of his National Theatre company.
The 1206 seat Festival Theatre was the first modern theatre in this country to have an open 'thrust' stage with the audience seated around it on three sides, and was based on the character of Greek and Elizabethan theatres, allowing the audience a much closer involvement with the actors than with a traditional proscenium arch stage.
The Actors
The list of actors who have appeared at the Theatre reads like a theatrical 'Who's Who': among the long list of names are such as Laurence Olivier himself, Alan Bates, Stephanie Beacham, Alan Bennett, Ingrid Bergman, Kenneth Branagh, Tony Britton, Dora Bryan, Leslie Caron, Joan Collins, Julie Christie, Judi Dench, Edith Evans, Dawn French, Alec Guinness, John Gielgud, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Howard, Derek Jacobi, Penelope Keith, Maureen Lipman, Alec McCowen, Leo McKern, Ian McShane, Leslie Phillips, Joan Plowright, Diana Rigg, Harry Secombe, Maggie Smith, Alison Steadman, Kathleen Turner, and Peter Ustinov.
The Productions
There has been a long line of outstanding and varied productions over the years, including Olivier's Uncle Vanya and Othello; the world premiere of Royal Hunt of the Sun; Peter Dew's production of Terra Nova; the Flanagan and Allen musical Underneath the Arches; John Osborne's A Patriot for Me and the co-production with the Renaissance Theatre Company of Coriolanus. These critically acclaimed productions are just a tiny handful of the theatre's accomplishments.
The Directors
The directors of the Theatre are also among the most distinguished names in the profession: Lord Olivier, Sir John Clements, Keith Michell, Peter Dews, John Gale, Michael Rudman, Patrick Garland, Sir Derek Jacobi, Duncan C. Weldon, Andrew Welch, Ruth Mackenzie, Steven Pimlott and Martin Duncan. The current Artistic Director is Jonathan Church.
