30 years of history. Gone. Ended with a blink of an eye. Amid financial pressures, Freedom Leisure has forced Stafford Borough Council to accept that its Open Air Stafford Festival Shakespeare should be no more. Instead, replacing it with a Shakespeare production staged indoors at the Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford in 2023 with its future after... Continue Reading →
Writer & Director: Joe O'Bryne The house lights dim, the stage in darkness and what feels like a minute of silence, from the getgo this eerie ghost story by Joe O'Bryne sets you on edge and keeps you guessing. Following the initial mixture of darkness and silence, O'Bryne's script almost pulls you in go a... Continue Reading →
Writer: Wink Taylor Director: Richard Cheshire Choreographer: Phillip Joel Produced by Red Entertainment, it was clear from the casting announcement the Stafford Gatehouse wanted to bring something special for Christmas this year. They lined up a company of well known faces from Kids TV and the West End, along with Mauren Nolan create the most... Continue Reading →
Theatres up and down the country are throwing back open their doors and it's no different at the Stafford Gatehouse. However, over the last few weeks while the doors were firmly closed due to Coronavirus restrictions, the Theatre has been at work overhauling its front of house areas which now boldly showcases its local homegrown... Continue Reading →
Update: you can read my review of the 30th Anniversary production of Romeo + Juliet here 2020 was due to to be the golden anniversary of Stafford Festival Shakespeare, the renowned open air production set within the grounds of Stafford Castle. Instead, the 30th Anniversary production was pushed back originally to 2021 due to the... Continue Reading →
It has just been announced that Stafford Gatehouse's Christmas pantomime of Snow White has been moved until 2021 The 2020 production would have been the second time Prime Pantomimes produced the panto for the Stafford theatre, following the successful production of Peter Pan last year. A full review of that production can be read here... Continue Reading →
Dear Theodora, I write to you today regarding the grave situation that our world renowned Arts Industry and the lack of support by your government. It is important that the health of the country comes first, but it is truly appalling the lack of urgency your government has shown towards a vital area of the... Continue Reading →
This year marks the first set of productions by Prime Pantomine, a new venture by Selladoor Worldwide and Immersion Theatre. Jointly, they create this panto by numbers which contains all the elements you need for a great, homely British panto. The Gatehouse's stage may be small and restricted by its lack of fly tower but... Continue Reading →
Original Story: Robert Louis Stevenson Adaptation: James Hyland Director: Phil Lowe Brother Wolf strip back Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story to focus on the human mind in a way that provokes discussion and sends fear rippling through the audience. With the run time being an hour James Hyland condenses and focuses the story through the... Continue Reading →
Photo: Robert Day Please note this is a review based on the first night preview of the production Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Oliver O'Shea Now in its 29th year, it perhaps is a surprise that this year's Stafford Festival Shakespeare is the first time The Merchant of Venice is being produced. It's also the first time... Continue Reading →
The Theatre Twittic 