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The Show Cannot Go On: a lock-down view from The Archway Theatre

30/5/2020

Like many other theatres, professional and amateur, The Archway Theatre in Horley, The Miller Centre in Caterham and the Courtyard Theatre in Chipstead (all Surrey members of the prestigious Little Theatre Guild) have been closed because of the social distancing requirements of the pandemic.
All these theatres are suffering financially. With no income, there are still outgoings - light, heating, equipment maintenance and insurances - that have to be paid. The Archway Theatre is even harder hit, as rent for the Arches still needs to be found. The Archway Theatre has lost at least three production slots:

The York Realist by Peter Gill, set during the rehearsal period for the York Mystery Plays in rural Yorkshire in the 1960s, was due to open on the very same day that theatres were closed by the Government. Quite apart from all the work that had gone into this by the cast, director, technical and backstage crew, there was a considerable task to be faced in contacting members who had booked tickets to offer refunds. We understand that several people waived their refund, for which the theatre is deeply grateful.
This was to be followed by Hangmen by Martin McDonagh - a savagely black comedy about the end of judicial hanging in 1965. This play was already well into the rehearsal phase. Lines had been learnt, and many tickets already sold. The same process for refunding tickets was also required.
The third production to be impacted by the shutdown is Sunset at Villa Thalia by Alexi Kaye Campbell, a fascinating play set on the Greek island of Skiathos where an English couple are manipulated by a married duo they meet on holiday, but which has a deeper agenda - the exploration of America’s propensity to impose its will on individuals and whole societies. The play had been cast, and the first rehearsal held.
Of course, the knock-on effect is far greater than simply ‘losing’ three plays, especially as, at the time of writing, we have no idea when restrictions will end. Decisions will have to be made about how to put these plays back in the programme and how the balance of the year will be affected. The morale of the players is also a key element, although the Archway Council of Management has been doing sterling work, with films (some made by the theatre itself), online quizzes, information updates and posts on social media including WhatsApp and Facebook.
The planned programme will still go ahead, maybe later than envisaged, maybe in a different order. It’s an exciting mix, which includes, as well as the three plays detailed above, The Wind in the Willows, adapted from the Kenneth Grahame novel, A Comedy of Tenors, a hilarious sequel to the sell-out Lend Me a Tenor we put on in 2016, the highly acclaimed Pressure by David Haig, The Father by Florian Zeller, a profoundly moving play about dementia, Jeeves and Wooster (from the P G Wodehouse novels) and the Youth Workshop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And, of course, the Studio Theatre, which has a wide range of entertainment lined up and ready for the moment when lock-down rules are lifted.

For more information, and entertainment visit: www.archwaytheatre.com

Written by Carol Hall

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