Auditions for "Closer" by Patrick Marber

Auditions: Wed 24th June 7:30pm & Sun 28th June 2:30pm

Winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy and the Laurence Oliver Award for Best New Play, Closer explores the brutal anatomy of modern romance. A quartet of strangers meet, fall in love and become entangled in a web of sexual desire and betrayal.
On the surface it is brisk, urbane, modern and slick, underneath it is painful, sad and wise and keenly alert to human isolation even within intense relationships.
Anyone who has loved and lost, suffered through infidelity or felt love die, will watch this play with stomach churning pangs of recognition.

Performance running from Monday 28th Sept – Saturday 3rd Oct

The Dianalogues by Laurel Haines

Performance dates: Monday 8th June to Saturday 13th June at 7:45pm.

.....not a play about Princess Di....

So... what do a homicidal housewife, sci-fi wedding and ex porn film star have to do with a former fairytale princess?

From the teenage beauty queen at fat camp and the high powered lawyer who wants a royal style wedding, to a disgruntled Mother Teresa whose death, on the same day as Diana’s, only made page four, this is not a play about Princess Diana but about ten very different women whose lives have in some way been influenced or affected by her.

This play will make you laugh and cry and laugh until you cry.

Tickets can be bought on the door or booked in advance at the Hexagon or Reading Town Hall, by phone on 0118 9606060 or online at http://www.readingarts.com/.

Third Annual Write Fest

Between Thursday 29th and Saturday 31st January, Progress Theatre presents the Third Annual Write Fest. Tickets cost just £7 and the show starts at 7.45pm.

On each night of the festival, nine short plays and sketches lasting from 5 to 20 minutes will be performed. Almost 100 scripts were submitted by writers from across the country and the final line-up includes drama, dance, comedy and horror.

Tickets can be bought on the door or booked in advance at the Hexagon or Reading Town Hall, by phone on 0118 9606060 or online at http://www.readingarts.com/.

Email writefest@progresstheatre.co.uk for more info.

Playlist:

"Bedtime Story" by Richard Stanley - A teenage girl dreads the thought of her grandmother reading her a bedtime story, but when the story becomes real and the dastardly Boogieman dances onto the stage, you won't know whether to laugh or cower in fear.

"But is it Art?" by Liz Carroll - Modern art. Nobody understands it, least of all three visitors to a gallery who each see something different in one very special painting.

"Family Business" by Progress Strobes Youth Group - Devised by the one of Progress' active youth groups and performed at the Maidenhead drama festival last year to fantastic acclaim, don't miss this opportunity to see what children think about their parents.

"Hirsuitor" by Gillian Shimwell - A nightmare vision of one man's descent into madness.

"Lisa and Leona" by Simon Josiffe - Two girls, a bag of crisps, and memories of old school days.

"Mermaids A Comin'" by Sandra Wathall - A young girl persuades an old woman to join in with her games on the beach. When the tide comes in and strands them on a rock, however, a miracle is needed.

"The Time of Year" by Graham Sellors - New Year, and two people find themselves alone. A timely power cut sends one of them searching for some light, and maybe a new chance at happiness.

"Where No Woman Has Gone Before…" by Chris Moran - A science fiction geek has found a real girl to distract him from fantasies about Princess Leia, but now he must clear the evidence of his unhealthy obsession from his flat before she arrives for a quiet night in.

"Who is Sylvia?" by Liz Carroll - A woman sits in her kitchen clutching a bloodied knife. Whose blood is it and where has Sylvia got to?

Five Children and It - Progress Christmas Show

Progress Theatre proudly presents "Five Children and It" by Edith Nesbit.

Show dates: Monday 29th December to Saturday 10th January 2009.

E Nesbit’s classic tale is brought to life in a delightful new adaptation written especially for the Progress stage by Ali Carroll. When five grown-up children revisit the site of their childhood adventures, they reawaken the Psammead, a magical sand fairy with the power to grant their wishes. They are whisked back to relive the adventures of their childhood and see again the evil Miss Tanner, manager of the orphanage in which they grew up. But evil is brewing in the present day too – can they protect the Psammead and stop the dire plans which are afoot?

Come along to this delightful family production and find out!

Matiness - 2.30pm on Thur 1st, Sat 3rd, Sun 4th & Sat 10th Jan

Evenings - 7.30pm on Mon 29th & Tues 30th Dec, Fri 2nd, Sat 3rd and Wed 7th - Sat 10th Jan

Early Bird Special on evenings Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th December......tickets are discounted to £8 / £6 (concessions).

Children's Special (U16) for all performances are discounted to £6.

Special offers only apply on tickets booked by 13th December.

Tickets £10 (£8 concessions) available in advance via Reading Arts Box Office.
Phone: 0118 960 6060
Web: http://www.readingarts.com/

Progress Theatre
The Mount,
Off Christchurch Road
Reading, Berkshire,
RG1 5HL
http://www.progresstheatre.co.uk/
Enquiries: 0845 867 9845
Email: marketing@progresstheatre.co.uk

An amateur production

Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival online

The big push to make the yearly open air Festival in Reading's Abbey Ruins happen is well underway and tickets for the Shakespeare have now gone on sale at the Reading Arts Box Office. Tickets for the musical events in the third week of the Festival will be going on sale soon. Keep an eye out here for more details.

The new website for the Festival is up at www.abbeyruins.com. There are still some blanks, but do visit it regularly and we'll be adding more info about the Shakespeare and the exciting musical events taking place during the Festival.