Progress Theatre

The Progress Theatre web site is at www.progresstheatre.co.uk. You can find details of the Youth and Student Groups there.

Next productions

Women of Lockerbie, 19th to 24th May
By Deborah Brevoort. On 21st December 1988 Flight 103 from London to New York crashed onto the town of Lockerbie killing 259 people on board and 11 on the ground. This powerful play explores the impact of the crash on the lives of the women in the town, whilst seven years on a mother from New Jersey wanders the hills outside the town looking for her son's remains. She meets the local women who are fighting the US Government to have the victims' clothes released so they can wash them and return them to the grieving families. Written in the style of a Greek tragedy, this is a poetic and moving drama in which the women of Lockerbie turn an act of hatred into an act of love.

Progress Youth Theatre, 23rd to 28th June
Another opportunity to enjoy the efforts of a group of young people who constantly and consistently manage to perform to very high standards. Don't miss out.

The Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Festival 2008
The Taming of the Shrew, 14th to 26th July
Shakespeare's Wild West: a rough and tumble world where men are men - and so are some of the women. The sheriff and the undertaker both want to marry the saloon keeper's beautiful daughter, but they must first find a husband for Kate, her hellcat of a sister. So when the madcap ruffian Petruchio and his sidekick ride in, it looks like their prayers have been answered: but these are not the only strangers in town and there's plenty of trouble brewing. Mosey on down to the Abbey Ruins and split your britches laughing. Think you know Shakespeare? You ain't seen nothin'.

Where

Progress Theatre
The Mount, Christchurch Road, Reading RG1 5HL
Click here for a map.

Box Office

0118 960 6060, or via the web site at www.progresstheatre.co.uk.
Admin: 0870 774 3490.

Review of Four Nights in Knaresborough

10th to 19th April 2008.

From the Newbury Weekly News.

Worst year of their lives Holed up and hunted, Becket's assassins start to crack under the strain Four Nights in Kharesborough, at Progress Theatre, Reading, from Thursday, April 10 to Saturday, April 19 The historical background to this play, written by Paul Webb and first performed in 1999, is fascinating. Henry II sounded like a great king - and he had a long reign to prove it. However, his desire for a single legal system put him into conflict with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, and, as we know, Becket was assassinated. But who were the killers, and what happened to them? This play offers an imaginary answer to the questions. The four knights fled to Morville's castle in Knaresborough, where we saw episodes in the year that they were holed up. Brito, an irritating self-centred young soldier, was played by Lee Neville, in a fairly irritating and mannered performance, with a lot of unclear diction - but we got the picture. Fitz, the manipulative and rather sinister elder statesman, played with great humour by Chris Bertrand, made fun of him and even after he was disabled, ran rings around him. The fiery Traci was played by Steve Webb, who displayed a good range of emotional strength as we learned more about his true nature. Morville was played by a newcomer to Progress, Steve Sumner, who was electrifying. His long monologue at the start of the play set the scene. It could have been a boring history lesson, but he made it come alive. As the stress of the long and apparently unresolvable 'imprisonment' with his three increasingly irreconcilable associates escalated, he gradually declined into a kind of madness, in a most moving performance. The breakdown of relationships brought about by their self-imposed exile reminded me of Lord of the Flies, but there was a woman to temper the atmosphere, as the steady continuum at the castle. Esther Walters gave a strong performance as Catherine, motivated by love and loyalty, who paid the ultimate price for her devotion. It is an interesting play and was well directed by Harry Gray in his own cleverly designed set, enhanced by some subtle lighting. Martin Campbell, who also directed Casino Royale, is due to film it later this year. It should be one to watch. LESLEY MCEWEN

Previous productions

Four Nights in Knaresborough, 10th to 19th April 2008
Return to the Forbidden Planet, 14th to 23rd February 2008. See the review in the Archive.
2nd Write Fest, 17th to 19th January 2008
The Jungle Book, 28th December 2007 to 5th January 2008
Blue/Orange, 19th to 24th November 2007. See the review in the Archive.
My Voice(s), 3rd November 2007
The Veil, 22nd to 27th October 2007
Woman in Mind, 20th to 29th September 2007
A Midsummer Night's Dream, 16th to 28th July 2007. See the review in the Archive.
The Husband Defeated, 10th to 19th May 2007
Decadence and People in Cages, 16th to 21st April 2007
The Insect Play, 26th to 31st March 2007
Far Side, 12th to 15th March 2007 at 21 South Street
Wait Until Dark, 22nd February to 3rd March 2007. See the review in the Archive.
Festival of New Writing, 22nd to 27th January 2007
Alice in Storyland, 28th December 2006 to 6th January 2007
The Good Woman of Setzuan, 16th to 25th November 2006
Hannah and Hanna, 9th to 14th October 2006. See the review in the Archive.
Entertaining Mr Sloane, 7th to 16th September 2006. See the review in the Archive.
2006 Reading Abbey Ruins Open Air Shakespeare: The Winter's Tale, 17th to 29th July 2006. See the review in the Archive.
Dracula, 11th to 15th July 2006. Progress Theatre Student Group.
Skylight, 1st to 10th June 2006
Hot Chit Chat .com and In The Village, They Are Saying, 24th to 29th April 2006
Blasted, 20th to 25th March 2006
Julius Caesar, 1st to 4th March 2006
Breaking the Code, 9th to 18th February 2006. See the review in the Archive.
James and the Giant Peach, 29th December 2005 to 7th January 2006. See the review in the Archive.
Godspell, 10th to 19th November 2005
The Woman who Cooked her Husband, 3rd to 8th October 2005. See the review in the Archive.
... A Many Splendoured Thing, 24th July 2005
2005 Abbey Ruins Open Air Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, 18th to 30th July 2005. See the review in the Archive.
The Government Inspector, 5th to 9th July 2005
Charley's Aunt, 12th to 21st and 28th May 2005
Two New Plays, 4th to 9th April 2005
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, 24th February to 5th March 2005
The Demon Headmaster, 29th December 2004 to 8th January 2005. See the review in the Archive.
The Crucible, 18th to 27th November 2004
Happy Days, 11th to 16th October 2004
The Comedy of Errors, 27th July to 1st August and 11th September 2004
Much Ado About Nothing, 6th to 10th July 2004
Stepping Out, 17th to 26th June 2004. See the review in the Archive.
Too Clever By Half, 26th February to 6th March 2004. See the review in the Archive.
Rama and Sita, 30th December 2003 to 10th January 2004
Two New Plays, 10th to 15th November 2003:
  How to Become Famous by Arthur Burke
  Generation Games by Kerry Murdock
Copenhagen, 13th to 18th October 2003
Reading Abbey Ruins Shakespeare 2003
 The Merchant of Venice, 21st July to 2nd August. See the review in the Archive.