Distinguished actors Simon Callow, Albert Finney and Patrick Stewart will be among those taking part in the Chichester Festival Theatre celebrations to mark its long association with playwright Peter Shaffer.
Shaffer's work is a thread running through Chichester's Festival 2014. In addition to productions of Black Comedy and Amadeus, there will be three weekends of rehearsed readings, discussions and talks marking Shaffer's contribution to theatre.
Highlights will include Question Time, a discussion led by Simon Callow with contributions from Albert Finney, theatre critic Michael Billington and Black Comedy director Jamie Glover; a rehearsed reading of Yonadab featuring Patrick Stewart directed by Chichester Associate Angus Jackson; Singular Shaffer, a talk by author Daniel Rosenthal tracing the journey made by Shaffer's plays from Chichester to the National Theatre and beyond, and extracts from Lettice and Lovage, directed by Lotte Wakeham.
Shaffer's close involvement with Chichester dates back to 1964 when The Royal Hunt of the Sun was commissioned by Laurence Olivier, the Theatre's first Artistic Director. This was followed by Black Comedy, commissioned by legendary dramaturg Kenneth Tynan as part of a double bill with Strindberg's Miss Julie at Chichester in 1965 starring Maggie Smith and Albert Finney.
All events are held in the Minerva Theatre. For more information or to book, visit the Chichester Festival Theatre web site or call 01243 781312.