Perfect Place For Art & Artists- Progress Theatre
A local theatre company at Reading, Berkshire with a reputation for excellence is known as Progress Theatre in England. It’s a member of the small Theatre Guild (LTG) and it’s a registered charity and therefore the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA). The Theatre was established in 1946 with the aim of presenting new and challenging work. Its first production was staged in Palmer Hall, West Street, Reading in 1947. It moved to The Mildmay Hall which is its present location, The Mount which is near Reading University in 1951. After a fund raising campaign, the freehold of the building was bought in 1964. After modernization, the theatre now seats 97 people. A member of the theatre within the late 1970s became Progress Theatre patron in 2011 named Kenneth Branagh.
A Student Group for 14- to 18-year-olds was set up in the 1950. A charitable organization, "The Progress Theatre" was established in 1962 with the aim of promoting education in performing arts in Reading and therefore the surrounding area. Since 2009, the Progress Youth Theatre consists of two groups for 15- to 18-year-olds and groups for school years four to six for ages 8 to 11, Seven to eight for ages 11 to 13 and nine to ten for ages 13 to 15. The group provides a public performance annually. The theatre features a membership of around 150 people and puts on a daily menu of classic and contemporary theatre. All of those productions are managed by volunteers. A perfect place for kids and young adults to learn and enjoy the drama and theatre industry and you don’t have to worry about driving and traveling as you can always rely on taxi in reading for your safe and hygienic travel needs.
The theatre also stages a summer open-air event, predominantly a Shakespeare play, at the historic and newly-renovated ruins of Reading Abbey. In partnership with Reading Borough Council these productions are managed. In 2007, the event was expanded to make the Reading Abbey Ruins outdoors Festival. The event temporarily moved to the gardens of Caversham Court in 2011 thanks to the continued restoration of the abbey, the location of a Tudor manor on the banks of the Thames. After following the completion of the renovations it returned to Reading Abbey Ruins in 2018 and continued to perform from this beautiful location.
Since its founding Progress has presented contemporary plays and therefore the first performances in England of the great Woman of Setzuan by Brecht and therefore the Shadow of a Gunman by O'Casey were produced at the theatre in 1952 and 1958 respectively. The Theatre has produced a series of shows inspired by Christmas supported popular children's books more recently including: Mort by Terry Pratchett (adaptation Stephen Briggs) in 1997–1998, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl in 2005–2006, making the use of an adaptation by David Wood usually available only to professional productions. In the recent years people have also seen productions of plays like Blasted by Sarah Kane which is considered notorious while the yearly open-air Shakespeare season continues to prove popular.
Sir Kenneth Branagh made his earliest theatre appearances with Progress Theatre within the 1970s, including one little part as "second policeman" and is that the theatre's patron. Dame Judi Dench is currently the patron of the buddies of Progress Theatre. Marianne Faithfull, a pop singer and actress, was a member of the Theatre's Student Group within the early 1960s. A British keyboard player, Gerard Johnson who was also a member of the Theatre's Student Group between 1976 and 1981. Peter Strickland, screenwriter and director of Berberian Sound Studio. An actress who has appeared in Hollyoaks and Skyfall, Elize du Toit.
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