Statement re Covid-19 situation
We regret to announce that due to the ongoing health emergency, all our activities are on hold until we are advised that it is safe to resume. Watch this site for updates and Thursday throwbacks.
We're not being idle however. Here is our first lockdown story for you to enjoy and we have started play readings on a Wednesday evening. Message the website via the contact form if you would be interested in reading with us.
Thursday Throwback 17 September 2020
Thursday 17 September 2020: The National Theatre run a project every year, NT Connections, which allows youth theatres across the country to perform specially commissioned plays with help from mentors. Each company performs at its home venue and then a professional partner theatre. One example of each play gets to go to the National itself. We first took part in the project in 2016, with It Snows by Bryony Lavery and Frantic Assembly. Only eight students were brave enough to take part, but their success has meant that being part of the Connections team is now a rite of passage for the older Curtain Raisers. It has helped us learn new skills and be more aware of modern playwriting.
Our Curtain Raisers presented this exciting new play as part of the NT Connections Festival 2020. The play, especially commissioned and written by John Donnelly explores how careful we need to be with the language we use, and the resulting problems when we aren't. Unfortunately the planned Partner Theatre Festival in Southampton , together with the Fesitval at the National Theatre were cancelled due to the pandemic. However, you can see some more of John Donnelly's writing on BBC iplayer, in episode one of BBC4s Unprecedented series. A recommended watch.