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Dateline: 1st September, 2005
A new studio theatre opens in London on 13th September, right in the heart of Covent Garden. The Courtyard at Covent Garden, which is programmed by the Courtyard Theatre in King's Cross, is part of the Theatre Museum and has been used by the Theatre's education department since the mid-nineties. Now it is to be used for professional theatre. A statement from the Courtyard said, "The Courtyard Theatre has always relished the role of providing a platform for England's newest writers, performers and directors. The Courtyard at Covent Garden will provide artists the chance to perform in the context of a commercial theatre environment whilst still performing new work or work that could be construed as a financial risk. By providing a secure production platform these plays can and will become great pieces of theatre and fuel the next generation of talent in this country. "The venue also gives London's West End audiences the opportunity to discover new and exciting theatre that goes beyond the safe economic institution that West End theatre has become, allowing access into a new world of theatre and performance, all located at the National Museum for the Performing Arts, The Theatre Museum."
The first production will be Amy Evans' Strike by John Finnemore, produced by Activated Image. The company's artistic director, Adam Barnard, explains how they got involved. "Activated Image's producer Miranda Curnew had been building a relationship with the Theatre Museum since their staff came to see our production of Patience by Jason Sherman at the Finborough in January. "When the Courtyard Theatre, with whom we were also in talks, told us it was going to be running the Museum's newly rekitted theatre as a professional venue we leapt at the chance to open the first season. "We had decided to rebuild our play Amy Evans' Strike, which was nominated for a Fringe First at Edinburgh 2001, and we wanted a London home for it before going on our first national tour. It's great timing for us and it's bringing a fantastic new play to Central London. "The space had been used by the Museum's education department since the mid-1990s. It is a brilliant space and very versatile: we are working three-quarters in-the-round which suits my background at the Orange Tree*! It's the perfect new studio space and its location - the audience entrance is on Wellington Street just a block away from the Lion King - means it really is in the heart of Covent Garden. "It's current license means it has a capacity of 81. The versatility of the space - compared to often restrictive black boxes on the Fringe - means we can spring some surprises and I think it'll be very exciting to be an audience there. And of course the foyer is the Museum itself, beautiful and seeped in theatre history." (* Barnard was a trainee director at Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre and has worked there extensively.) The full season at the new theatre will be:
The box office number is 020 7833 0876. Tickets are £15 (£12 concessions). No credit cards accepted. Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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