The Kenton Theatre |
The Kenton Theatre web site is at www.kentontheatre.co.uk.
Box Office
01491 575698. Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 5:00, Saturdays from 10:00 to
noon. Recorded information at other times.
New Street, Henley on Thames, RG9 2BP. Click here
for a map.
Next productions
Defying Hitler, 31st January, 19:30
Sebastian Haffner wasn’t a Nazi and he wasn’t Jewish. He was just a
sensitive and highly intelligent, but otherwise ordinary German,
striving to come to terms with the madness that was Nazi Germany.
Adapted from the award winning memoir of the same name, ‘Defying
Hitler’ is the candid, witty and extremely moving account of a young
man growing up in the shadow of Hitler’s Third Reich. This
production premiered at the National Theatre and has toured
throughout the UK and to the Brits Off Broadway Festival in New
York.
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, 17th February,
11:00 and 14:00
Plop was a baby Barn Owl. He lived at the top of a tall tree, in a
field. He was fat and fluffy. He had big round eyes. He had very
knackety knees. Plop was exactly the same as every barn owl that has
ever been – except for one thing. He was AFRAID of the DARK. One
day, Mrs Barn Owl suggested that Plop fly down into the world and
find out about the dark for himself. So, Plop climbed out of his
nest hole, peeped over the edge, wobbled a bit, and fell off his
branch. And so, began Plop’s adventure... With an irresistible blend
of live music, puppetry and storytelling, this beautiful new show
introduces an old friend to a new generation of theatre goers. Join
Plop, the baby barn owl as he journeys into the nighttime world of
campfires, fireworks, starry nights and moonlit adventures.
Some Like it Hotter, 23rd February, 20:00
By Richard Hurford. Great movie stars never die they just sparkle on
forever. It’s September 2010 and at long last funny man Jack Lemmon
and the incomparable Marilyn Monroe are reunited with old friend
Tony Curtis. But how come Tony looks thirty again? Where exactly are
they? Who is the stranger on the set? And what the hell is going on?
This brand new, fast moving, fantasy comedy whisks the three screen
icons back to their most beautiful, sexy and hilarious selves as
they are forced once again to don heels and stockings and go
backstage during the making of the best loved of all the classic
Hollywood comedies. Daring dialogue and razor-sharp wisecracks,
sparkling musical numbers and red hot jazz, join us for the most
surprising comeback in movie history, starring Monroe, Curtis &
Lemmon dead, uncut and hotter than ever. Now that’s entertainment!
This is the touring production by Oxfordshire Theatre Company and
the Watermill Theatre - see the review here.
The Browning Version and Harlequinade,
13th to 17th March, 19:30
The Browning Version, Terence Rattigan’s one-act
masterpiece, is about cruelty, kindness and the inescapability of
self. Andrew Crocker-Harris is an embittered and disliked teacher of
Greek and Latin at a British public school. He is being forced to
retire on the pretext of ill health. His younger wife despises him
for failing to achieve his early promise and compensates by having
an affair with the science master. Andrew must come to terms with
his failed life and attempt to regain his self-respect. Change and
hope are found in unexpected places.
Harlequinade, in contrast, is
Rattigan’s affectionate and humorous view of a touring theatrical
company staging Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately the two leading
stars are far too old to be playing such young characters and
matters are thrown into confusion by the arrival of a young mother
claiming to be the leading actor’s daughter.
The Way Back Home, 18th April, 11:00 and 14:00
By Oliver Jeffers. One day a boy finds a plane in his cupboard. He
doesn’t remember leaving it there, but decides to take it out for a
go right away! He flies his plane higher and higher until he runs
out of petrol and lands on the moon. He is frightened, lost and
alone until a passing Martian lands there too. Who is the strange
alien? Can they really be friends? Will they find their Way Back
Home? This exciting new production for young children and their
families has been created by the team behind the hit shows
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and The Night
Before Christmas, with original music from the composers of
The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom.
Audience participation is welcomed! Suitable for age 3+.
Previous drama festivals
40th Kenton Drama Festival, 4th to 7th May 2011
39th Kenton Drama Festival, 4th to 8th May 2010
Kenton Drama Festival, 5th to 9th May 2009
35th Kenton Drama Festival, 9th to 13th May 2006.
33rd Kenton Drama Festival, 11th to 15th May 2004.
32nd Kenton Drama Festival, 14th to 17th May 2003. The details are in
the Archive.