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THEATRE ROYAL CELEBRATES NEW FACILITIES WITH ‘ROYAL’ OPENING BY ‘THE QUEEN’!
Double
award-winning Newcastle Theatre Royal has officially unveiled its £600,000
backstage refurbishment by inviting ‘the Queen’ along to perform an official
ribbon cutting ceremony.
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Actress Susie Blake as “The Queen”
with Theatre Royal Chairman Ged Bell
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The grand unveiling comes just as the theatre is
celebrating a double national award win for its welcoming atmosphere. Newcastle
Theatre Royal was named the My Theatre Matters! UK’s Most
Welcoming Theatre of 2015 in the UK Theatre Awards, in association with Smooth
Radio and was also presented with the Technical Theatre Awards’ ‘Receiving Venue Team of the Year’ just this month.
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Actress Susie Blake as “The Queen”
with Theatre Royal Chairman Ged Bell
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Staff at the theatre, decided that having ‘the
Queen’ on stage all week in hit comedy Handbagged
was too good an opportunity to miss and asked actress Susie Blake, who plays
the role, if she would pop along in costume to officially unveil the newly
refurbished facilities.
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Susie Blake as The Queen
with Kate Fahy as Mrs Thatcher
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Susie Blake, posing as ‘the Queen’ said: “It is
particularly lovely to be performing the official opening of the backstage
refurbishment following the recent announcement that Newcastle Theatre Royal
has been crowned the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre 2015. Looking
at these marvellous new facilities for the visiting actors it is clear to see
why that accolade has been awarded.”
The backstage refurbishment has seen the theatre
invest £600,000 in improved Dressing Room facilities, stripping out and
renewing all the Dressing Rooms, the Band Rooms for musicians, the laundry,
wardrobe and wigs rooms, and improved access and facilities for disabled
performers. The ground floor has also been reconfigured with a striking new
Stage Door area, and a brand new Green Room, with TV, wi-fi and a football
table, and a kitchenette so visiting actors eat and relax in comfort.
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Susie Blake as The Queen
with Kate Fahy as Mrs Thatcher
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Newcastle Theatre Royal’s Chief Executive, Philip
Bernays, added: “It’s great fun to have ‘the Queen’ here for our official
opening ceremony today, but on a serious note the investment in our backstage
facilities plays an important part in being able to attract the finest
companies to the Theatre Royal so that our audiences can enjoy top quality
theatre.
“Visiting actors regularly comment on how wonderful
the team is here at Newcastle Theatre Royal and we are very proud of that
reputation as a friendly and welcoming place for them to come; this is now
backed up by our recent double award win, which is wonderful. Now our first
class personal welcome is matched by our facilities and we hope that all of our
visiting companies will enjoy the comfort of the new surroundings we provide
for them.”
‘The Queen’ was joined at the official ceremony by
‘Margaret Thatcher’ played by fellow actress Kate Fahy and the pair posed for
comedy shots in the new Green Room at Newcastle Theatre Royal while putting the
new facilities to the test.
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Actress Susie Blake as “The Queen”
with Theatre Royal Chairman Ged Bell
Photo: Joanne Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com |
The two actors, who play the lead roles in the
award-winning comedy Handbagged, will
be using the facilities for real all week as the hit comedy plays to Newcastle
audiences. Handbagged is Moira
Buffini’s celebrated new comedy, which speculates on what the Queen and Margaret
Thatcher really talked about behind closed palace doors. When the stiff upper
lip softened and the gloves came off, which one had the upper hand?
Read the North East Theatre Guide Review of
Handbagged: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-handbagged-at-newcastle-theatre.html
Photography
by Joanne
Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com photography. Follow
Jowheretogo on Twitter https://twitter.com/JoWhereToGo
& Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo.
Tickets:
Handbagged
plays at
Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday 31 October. Tickets are from £12 (save 50p per ticket when you
book online) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11
21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online
at www.theatreroyal.co.uk.
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