NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release 19th January 2021

CHESIL THEATRE’S EXTENSION PLANS GET THE GO AHEAD

Winchester Dramatic Society, performing as Chesil Theatre, is delighted to announce that plans for a much-needed annexe to their historic premises in Chesil Street have been given the green light, in conjunction with neighbouring landowners, St John’s Winchester.
Contracts have now been exchanged between these two well-known and well-established Winchester charities for the Society’s purchase of a freehold parcel of land adjoining the Chesil Theatre, allowing their development scheme to go ahead. 

Trustee David Small said: “The Society established the Chesil Theatre in 1966, though we have been entertaining the people of Winchester since 1863. In addition to our annual programme of six main productions, we have increased our activities with sessions for two youth groups, drama workshops and training, student performances and regular use of our intimate auditorium for small-scale professional productions. However, over the years our building has begun to bulge at the seams, putting pressure on our ability to carry out all the arts-related objectives we’d like.

“Working alongside St John’s, it is now possible for us to create a new annexe. This will provide disabled amenities, adequate dressing room facilities, a new foyer/rehearsal space and a performance/community room. It’s a wonderful opportunity and one which will benefit the City well into the future.”

Roger Bright, Chair, St John’s Winchester said: “St John’s is delighted to be facilitating this expansion of the Chesil’s facilities through the sale of part of its Chesil Site. The Theatre has a proud history and we look forward to seeing the Annexe completed and all the community benefits that will bring.”

The wardrobe and props team at the Chesil Theatre will be particularly pleased with the news as storage space has been severely limited to the upper floors of the tower, via a near-vertical staircase. The new scheme will provide a purpose-built section, easily accessed for the Society and other local groups looking for costumes and props.

For this improved larger area of land Chesil Theatre will now prepare a fresh planning application. Winchester City Council and the Town Forum have been very supportive of the Society’s plans over many years. Cllr Kathleen Becker, Chairman Town Forum said:“We are pleased to hear that this long hoped-for development can now be realised and the theatre can continue to offer its wonderful benefits to the city.” 

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For further information please contact:
Flavia Bateson
Chesil Theatre Marketing Team
07855 253452
flavia.bateson@starspray.org


About Chesil Theatre
Chesil Theatre (Winchester Dramatic Society) is based in the heart of Winchester, presenting six main productions a year, ranging from comedy to classics. Chesil Theatre also runs drama workshops and readings,  a lively youth theatre group as well as offering stagecraft and technical training. The company has been performing for over 150 years.

Since 1966 Chesil Theatre has been the Society’s permanent home - a 12th century former church in Chesil Street, Winchester. This medieval building provides an intimate 75-seat studio-style theatre and versatile performance space.

NEWS RELEASE
1st December 2020
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THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR CHESIL THEATRE SHOW
Due to a family bereavement, Chesil Theatre has postponed their broadcast production Two by Jim Cartwright from 5th December to Sunday 27th December 2020. This follows an earlier rescheduling in line with government guidance but Winchester’s leading amateur theatre company is determined the show will go on, eventually.

Chairman David Small said: “We’re aware this is a great disappointment for everyone who has been looking forward to our first streaming project ChesilTheatre@Home. The cast and crew have worked hard through many difficulties and we’re sure their patience will be rewarded at this later date. We realise this might not be convenient for everyone who has already booked and enquiries for refunds can be made to tickets@chesiltheatre.org.uk. ”.”
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For further information please contact:
Flavia Bateson
Chesil Theatre Marketing Team
07855 253452
flavia.bateson@starspray.org

About Chesil Theatre
Chesil Theatre (Winchester Dramatic Society) is based in the heart of Winchester, presenting six main productions a year, ranging from comedy to classics. Chesil Theatre also runs drama workshops and readings, plus two lively youth theatre groups as well as offering stagecraft and technical training. The company has been performing for over 150 years.

Since 1966 Chesil Theatre has been the Society’s permanent home - a former 12th century church in Chesil Street, Winchester. This medieval building provides an intimate 75-seat studio-style theatre and versatile performance space.

NEWS RELEASE
2nd November 2020

Just days before the planned performance, Chesil Theatre Winchester, in the light of the latest government announcement, has had to reschedule broadcasting of Two by Jim Cartwright to a later date,

This production will be the first in a live streaming project Chesil Theatre@Home where a show is brought direct from the theatre to the audience at home exactly as it is happening. Chairman David Small said: “Chesil Theatre has thrived on live performance and it’s our intention, all things permitting, to come back as soon as possible once the current lockdown ends. We have pencilled in Saturday 5th December. We realise this date might not be convenient for everyone who has already booked and enquiries for refunds can be made to tickets@chesiltheatre.org.uk. ”

In the meantime, the tension mounts as members of  the judging panel for TakeTen, Chesil Theatre’s New Writing Festival, are about to reach their final decisions on the winning ten plays. Earlier in the year over 400 scripts were entered in the competition for 10-minute plays on this year’s theme of The Road Not Taken.  The plays are scheduled to be performed in Spring 2021.


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For further information please contact:
Flavia Bateson
Chesil Theatre Marketing Team
07855 253452
flavia.bateson@starspray.org


Editor’s Notes

About Chesil Theatre
​
Chesil Theatre (Winchester Dramatic Society) is based in the heart of Winchester, presenting six main productions a year, ranging from comedy to classics. Chesil Theatre also runs drama workshops and readings, plus two lively youth theatre groups as well as offering stagecraft and technical training. The company has been performing for over 150 years.

Since 1966 Chesil Theatre has been the Society’s permanent home - a former 12th century church in Chesil Street, Winchester. This medieval building provides an intimate 75-seat studio-style theatre and versatile performance space.

NEWS RELEASE 
7th October 2020

Winchester’s Chesil Theatre returns to the stage on 7th November 2020 at 7.45pm when a live performance of Jim Cartwright’s Two will be streamed direct into the homes of audience members. Tickets are now on sale from www.chesiltheatre.org.uk.

Two, an award winning play, takes place in a pub during the course of one evening and involves just two actors playing fourteen different characters between them. Two was first performed in 1989 but it is not a period piece and rather has a timeless quality in encompassing a wide variety of people and situations; sometimes funny, sometimes sad, eventually poignant when the backstory of the husband and wife publicans is unveiled.

With pandemic restrictions in force for non-professional theatre, this show has been made possible by casting one household, real husband and wife actors Peter and Sarah Andrews in the challenging roles. Sarah Andrews last appeared with Chesil Theatre in Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing. Actor/director Peter Andrews’ roles have ranged from Badger in The Wind in the Willows to Andrew Wyke in Sleuth. Earlier this year Peter directed Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen presented just before lockdown.

Chesil Theatre Chairman David Small said:
“Live streaming Two on 7th November is as near as we can make it for an audience to enjoy a show. This is not archive material or a pre-recording. Our audience will be watching a one-off performance, albeit at a distance, but exactly as it’s happening on the Chesil Theatre stage.”

Tickets at £10 per household (or £5 for a single person) give access to the live transmission on the night and are available from www.chesiltheatre.org.uk. The show can be experienced on most popular devices – tablet, smart TV, or laptop – and starts at 7.45pm (logon from 7.30pm.)

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For further information please contact:
Flavia Bateson
Chesil Theatre Marketing Team
07855 253452
flavia.bateson@starspray.org

About Chesil Theatre
Chesil Theatre (Winchester Dramatic Society) is based in the heart of Winchester, presenting six main productions a year, ranging from comedy to classics. Chesil Theatre also runs drama workshops and readings, plus two lively youth theatre groups as well as offering stagecraft and technical training. The company has been performing for over 150 years.

Since 1966 Chesil Theatre has been the Society’s permanent home - a former 12th century church in Chesil Street, Winchester. This medieval building provides an intimate 75-seat studio-style theatre and versatile performance space. 

About Jim Cartwright, playwright
Jim Cartwright is an English dramatist and director who has written plays for film, stage and television. His well-known work, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, directed at the Royal National Theatre by Sam Mendes in 1993, won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Jim Cartwright’s work has been translated into 35 languages.
Chesil Street, Winchester SO23 0HU 

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NEWS RELEASE 
23rd September 2020


Chesil Theatre Winchester’s new writing competition TakeTen has attracted over 400 scripts and judging is now underway to find the top ten winners. Budding playwrights were invited to submit a play lasting 10-minutes embodying this year’s theme – The Road Not Taken.

The new writing festival won encouragement from Sir Kenneth Branagh who said:

“Three cheers for Winchester’s Chesil Theatre! At a time of challenge for all, they have bravely looked to creativity and imagination. Their new writing competition can lead the way to new ideas and new and entertaining ways to look at our changed and changing world.

“I hope these exciting writers will help herald the return of live amateur theatre, a vital part of Britain’s creative ecosystem.”

Previous writing festivals run by Chesil Theatre have enjoyed the support of Sir Ian McKellen, who attended a performance in 2014. An exciting challenge now faces the panel of five judges to find the ten winning entries. All drawn from the world of drama and theatre, the judges are:

• Kate Spencer, stage and television actor, currently playing Grace Vickers in Coronation Street. 
• George Richmond-Scott, West End director and voice coach, presently teaching at ALRA and RADA Business. 
• Rosanne Collinson, Head of Drama at Peter Symonds College, Winchester
• Simon Plumridge, core member of Winchester’s professional touring company Platform 4 
• Cecily O’Neill, author of a number of books on Drama in Education, Artistic Director of 2Time Theatre and a judge for previous Chesil Theatre writing festivals.

Chesil Theatre Chairman, David Small, said: “We are delighted to welcome the panel of judges to our festival, all working in the theatre and drama profession. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise from directing to performing, teaching to publishing. We look forward to hearing their choice of the best 20 plays at the end of October, with the winning 10 announced a month later.”

Chesil Theatre plans to perform the ten winning plays in February 2021.

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For further information please contact:
Flavia Bateson
Chesil Theatre Marketing Team
07855 253452
flavia.bateson@starspray.org


Editor’s Notes

The attached image (Kate Spencer) is provided repro-free for editorial use. 

About Chesil Theatre
Chesil Theatre (Winchester Dramatic Society) is based in the heart of Winchester, presenting six main productions a year, ranging from comedy to classics. Chesil Theatre also runs drama workshops and readings, plus two lively youth theatre groups as well as offering stagecraft and technical training. The company has been performing for over 150 years.

Since 1966 the Chesil Theatre has been our permanent home - a former 12th century church in Chesil Street. Its medieval building provides an intimate 75-seat studio-style theatre and versatile performance space. It has around 250 members. Auditions are open to everyone; newcomers are welcome.

Chesil Theatre Winchester’s new writing festival TakeTen has received the backing of Sir Kenneth Branagh.

Endorsing Chesil Theatre’s commitment to new writing through the TakeTen New Writing Festival, Sir Kenneth,  Patron of the Little Theatre Guild, said: “Three cheers for Winchester’s Chesil Theatre! At a time of challenge for all, they have bravely looked to creativity and imagination. Their new writing competition can lead the way to new ideas and new and entertaining ways to look at our changed and changing world.

“I hope these exciting writers will help herald the return of live amateur theatre, a vital part of Britain’s creative ecosystem. Bravo Chesil Theatre! With respect, Kenneth Branagh”

With the theme The Road Not Taken, Chesil Theatre’s TakeTen encourages new writers to enter their competition for plays lasting just 10 minutes.

Entries continue to come in and with 18th July 2020 the closing date for submissions. The top ten plays chosen by a judging panel will be announced in the autumn this year with performances in February 2021.

Chesil Theatre Chairman, David Small, said: “At this difficult time for theatre, we’re pleased to have an exciting activity encouraging new writers from across the UK. We’ve been organising a national writing festival every two years since 2008 and we think this is our most ambitious. We’ve been hugely impressed by the range and standard of submissions in the past and we’re looking forward to another highly successful event.”

Details of the TakeTen Chesil Theatre New Writing Festival are available from www.chesiltheatre.org.uk including the entry criteria and submission form.

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Editor’s Notes
The attached image of Sir Kenneth Branagh is provided repro-free for editorial use.

About Chesil Theatre
Chesil Theatre (Winchester Dramatic Society) is based in the heart of Winchester, presenting six main productions a year, ranging from comedy to classics. Chesil Theatre also runs drama workshops and readings, plus two lively youth theatre groups as well as offering stagecraft and technical training. The company has been performing for over 150 years.

Since 1966 the Chesil Theatre has been our permanent home - a former 12th century church in Chesil Street. Its medieval building provides an intimate 75-seat studio-style theatre and versatile performance space. It has around 250 members. Auditions are open to everyone; newcomers are welcome.

About Sir Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Branagh (born 10th December 1960) is an actor, director, film producer and screen writer. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he is currently President. He is also Patron of the Little Theatre Guild, where Chesil Theatre has been a member since 1988.

About the Little Theatre Guild
The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain (LTG) is an umbrella organisation promoting and supporting independent amateur theatre companies which have control over their own premises and produce drama of a high quality for the benefit of their communities. It has been credited with being pivotal in securing recognition for the theatrical contribution made by these companies throughout the United Kingdom.

1st May 2020: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN has been selected as the theme for a new national playwriting festival run by Chesil Theatre Winchester, with the winning 10 plays performed over one weekend in February 2021.

TakeTen Chesil Theatre New Writing Festival (‘TakeTen’), the new biennial contest, opens today to entries and has a simple format:

• plays need to be ten minutes in length
• scripts can include one to four actors, with minimum props, lighting and sound, and
• they must also be unperformed, unpublished and original work.

The theatre company has built a strong reputation for cultivating new plays and discovering new writers over the past decade and has attracted the attention of some renowned actors. Having watched a performance, Sir Ian McKellen enthused: “I thought the whole enterprise was startlingly good and an example of what a theatre company like the Chesil can do better than a professional one. They should be very proud of the result of their labours.” 
 
TakeTen builds on this success and the company hopes its new contest will be the most successful festival yet.

David Small, Chairman, Chesil Theatre, says: “Chesil Theatre has long been associated with performing ground-breaking work, and ‘TakeTen Chesil Theatre New Writing Festival 2021’ aims to cement that reputation and to give new talent an opportunity to be celebrated – in front of a paying audience – over one weekend.

“We received a large number of suggestions for the festival theme, with The Road Not Taken selected owing to its wide opportunity for interpretation. While it is the name of a well-known poem by Robert Frost, we hope that new playwrights will have a lot of fun with it and use its versatility to come up with some theatre firsts.”
 
A unique feature of TakeTen is its final rehearsal period taken over a concentrated time. This makes it easier for those who can’t normally commit to the theatre’s usual eight-week schedule to take part. The set for each play is also kept intentionally simple, allowing for the 10 winning plays to be performed back to back and with minimum set change time.

David Small concludes: “The whole ‘hothouse’ atmosphere of the festival creates a tremendous team effort when 50 people or more finally get together for the four performances over one frenetic weekend, culminating in a final end of show party.”

All entries must be in by 11:59 on 18th July 2020. Those shortlisted through an initial selection process then go to a panel of judges before the short list of 20 and final 10 winners are announced in autumn 2020. Chesil Theatre will then start appointing directors and stage management, with auditions and casting to follow. 

Rules and entry criteria are available here www.chesiltheatre.org.uk or email if you have any specific queries not covered by the entry criteria to taketen@chesiltheatre.org.uk.

Rules and the entry form to accompany your script are available using this link 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12rBtqR0TnvCGg12xJ85TMezweRPaAMbH/view.

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For further information please contact:

Flavia Bateson
Chesil Theatre Marketing Team
07855 253452
flavia.bateson@starspray.org

Editor’s notes

The Chesil Theatre (Winchester Dramatic Society) is based in Winchester and presents six main productions a year, ranging from comedy to classics. Chesil Theatre also performs regular rehearsed readings as well as offering stagecraft training. The company has been performing plays for 150 years.

Since 1966 the Chesil Theatre has been our permanent home - a former 12th century church in Chesil Street. Its medieval building provides an intimate 75-seat studio-style theatre and versatile performance space. It has around 250 members including two youth groups, and auditions are open to everyone; newcomers are welcome.

​


The evenings may be getting lighter but a darkness will hang over the Chesil Theatre, Winchester, when Dracula engulfs the stage in a modern adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Gothic tale, which runs from 28th March to 4th April 2020.

It’s the close of the nineteenth century and a freak storm brings more than bad weather to the cosy town of Whitby. The most famous vampire of them all, Count Dracula, has arrived. His interest is in the Westerman sisters, who are enjoying a seaside holiday. Mina, an intelligent young woman, conforms to the requirements of Victorian society but Lucy is quite the opposite. Vivacious and bold, she strains at the leash, pushing barriers and with horrifying results.

Poet and playwright Liz Lochhead, tells this intriguing story, whilst also bringing contemporary issues into the drama. Faith battles with reason, madness with sanity. Does the heart rule, or the head?

Dracula runs at the Chesil Theatre, Chesil Street, Winchester, nightly from Saturday 28th March to Saturday 4th April 2020, with a matinee on Sunday 29th March at 2.30pm. Tickets are available here.

​This production contains strong language and adult themes.

In 1913 The Winchester Amateur Operatic Society presented their first show, The Pirates of Penzance. The programme shows many members of the Winchester Dramatic Society, established 1863, were in the cast and backstage.  The close links have remained and now the two groups have joined forces to bring a Summer Festival in the beautiful gardens of Wolvesey Palace.

The Festival opens on July 14th with the Chesil Theatre, as Winchester Dramatic Society is now known, performing one of Shakespeare's best loved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream. It will be directed by Sarah Hawkins. As well as appearing on stage and directing at the Chesil, she brings a wealth of experience in outdoor productions and Shakespeare from her years as Head of English Literature at Peter Symonds College.

WMOS swing aboard on July 21st with their 2020 approach to the 1913 G&S operetta . Suzanne Hall, the chairman of the Society takes the helm. She has a fine reputation as actor, singer, dancer and choreographer and directed her first WMOS show in 2007. She has been in charge for several more productions including the stunning Singing in the Rain in 2018

Both directors have won much acclaim from audiences and NODA Awards for their high standards and are sure to bring fine entertainment to the gardens of Wolvesey Palace.