Sussex Shows to Brighten Your Winter Evenings
There is something about going to the theatre on a dark night. The lights beckon you in from the cold. In the auditorium, the hum of excited voices as friends briefly swap tales and flick through programmes before the curtain rises.
Sussex has a beautiful array of theatres – some of which have the added appeal of offering a seaside wander before the performance. January and February are months in which we often abstain and hibernate, but we have rounded up five upcoming shows, which might tempt you off the sofa.
The Minerva Theatre in Chichester: Riders to the Sea
The smaller sister of the Chichester Festival Theatre is hosting the award-winning chamber opera company OperaUpClose for the first time. This tale follows a family in an ancient fishing community grieving the loss of nearly all of the male members of the sea to the sea. The opera was written by Ralph Vaughan Williams and originally performed in 1937 during a growing swell of fear.
Visit https://www.cft.org.uk/events/riders-to-the-sea
Brighton Theatre: Elektra
Marvel movie star and Academy Award winner, Brie Larson, heads up the cast of this touring production. Anne Carson's revival of Sophocles classic Greek tragedy, Elektra, sees the heroine and her brother, Orestes, fighting for justice after their father’ assassination and the unfolding of the Trojan War.
Visit https://www.brightontheatre.co.uk/shows/theatre-royal-brighton/elektra
Chichester Festival Theatre: Summer 1954
This double-bill of Terence Rattigan’s Table Number Seven and The Browning Version is directed by James Dacre and has already won audiences over. The Guardian gave a glowing review, writing: “These productions convey the intellectually astute and emotionally searing spirit of Rattigan’s writing, which, through close observation of particular behaviour, communicates eternal states.” The ensemble cast includes Nathaniel Parker (he of Inspector Linley fame) and Dame Siân Phillips.
Visit https://www.cft.org.uk/events/summer-1954
Worthing Theatres and Museum: The Ancient Oak of Baldor
This performance is described as “a folk tale of love, loss and the interconnectedness of all things”. It tells the tale of Elspeth, who is waiting for her Lars to return on the day that the people of Baldor are celebrating The Great Cracking of the Ancient Oak. Created by Frozen Light Theatre, the play promises a multi-sensory experience in a fantasy realm “…where we discover that our capacity for love in all its different forms truly nourishes us through the long nights.” Perfect for a winter’s night.
Visit https://wtm.uk/events/the-ancient-oak-of-baldor/
The Capitol in Horsham: Far From The Madding Crowd
The acclaimed Conn Artists Theatre Company is bringing Thomas Hardy’s masterpiece back to the boards. The story follows the independent and beautiful Bathsheba Everdene as she fights for her right to steer her own fate, while courted by three very different suitors.
Visit: https://www.thecapitolhorsham.com/events/far-from-the-madding-crowd/
