Off last night to the launch of Curve, Leicester’s brand new theatre; all part of the cultural quarter.
A stunning evening of song, acrobatic performances and wonderful tricks by the lighting rig, the fly towers, and the auditoria, and a building so iconic and yet so flexible that it must restore Leicester’s reputation for world class theatre. During the time I was on the Board of Directors of the original Haymarket Theatre, the predecessor of Curve, we sent productions all round the world. Most of what we put on stage went on to London and Leicester was rightly proud of its reputation.
It was often said that the Haymarket only did musical revivals, and Iindeed, I remember lots of Sondheim productions, Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, Rent, West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Coloured Dreamcoat, but there were also many, many superb straight plays, comedies and lots of experimental theatre. I remember O’Casey, Shakespeare. Strindberg, Wilde, Pinter and so many more. One day, I’ll go back through my accumulated programmes from the 24 years I was a Director and really wallow in the great memories.
Meanwhile, someone needs to write a history of the Leicester Haymarket Theatre.
A stunning evening of song, acrobatic performances and wonderful tricks by the lighting rig, the fly towers, and the auditoria, and a building so iconic and yet so flexible that it must restore Leicester’s reputation for world class theatre. During the time I was on the Board of Directors of the original Haymarket Theatre, the predecessor of Curve, we sent productions all round the world. Most of what we put on stage went on to London and Leicester was rightly proud of its reputation.
It was often said that the Haymarket only did musical revivals, and Iindeed, I remember lots of Sondheim productions, Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, Rent, West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Coloured Dreamcoat, but there were also many, many superb straight plays, comedies and lots of experimental theatre. I remember O’Casey, Shakespeare. Strindberg, Wilde, Pinter and so many more. One day, I’ll go back through my accumulated programmes from the 24 years I was a Director and really wallow in the great memories.
Meanwhile, someone needs to write a history of the Leicester Haymarket Theatre.
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