PETER Quilter’s 1980s farce, Curtain Up, starts Wokingham Theatre’s new season.
When an impresario leaves his theatre building jointly in his will, to his wife, his mistress, his secretary, his daughter, and his mother, the curtains are almost certain to open on a drama.
Each of the women has an equal share in the building.
And the deal is that they will have to overcome their relationship difficulties to work as a team if they want to make a success of things.
Desperate to raise funds for their crumbling asset, they decide to put on a lavish talent show with a glittering cast.
But can they persuade a famous star to join them?
And if they do, can they mend the toilet in time?
With pigeons in the roof, decor disagreements, and a death trap fridge in the green room, it seems unlikely.
Director Sophie Pierce said: “I’ve always loved community performance, and when I read this play about a group of women who determine against the odds to restore a theatre to its former glory, I fell in love with the story.
“Like The Angel Theatre in Curtain Up, Wokingham Theatre relies so much on the community of people who put love and life into it.
“It is a great delight to be able to tell a story about bringing local performance to life, and I couldn’t be more pleased to be doing it at my beloved Wokingham Theatre.”
Sophie has inserted her own little love letters to the theatre into the set.
“The bills on the Angel Theatre walls are mostly old Wokingham Theatre posters from the 1970s and 1980s,” she said.
“And the Angel box office is actually lined with historic photographs and newspaper clippings of Wokingham Theatre shows performed at the original Norreys Avenue venue.
“Even the Angel Theatre door handles are the original ones from the entrance to the Norreys theatre.”
The two halves of the play are very different.
“In the first act, the theatre foyer is gradually restored before the audience’s eyes,” added Sophie.
“But the second act moves onto the stage itself, with choreography and special effects.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but we do throw everything into the last five minutes.”
Curtain up can be seen at Wokingham Theatre, from Thursday, September 7 through to Saturday, September 16, with the exception of Sunday.
Doors open at 7.30pm, with tickets available for £16.
For tickets and information, visit: www.wokinghamtheatre.org.uk or call: 0118 978 5363
