Greenwich Theatre

You are right - it is really odd. Apart from this year's panto, there is nothing advertised at the theatre, just events at other locations. Also their last press release was in October. The place hasn't closed for refurbishment has it?

The theatre is quite near me.

It worries me that this theatre could have cancelled its artistic programme, except for the Christmas Show, on the same line as the Hackney Empire did several years ago, because of financial difficulties.

When I checked their programme of what is coming up over the last few years, they had a list of shows coming up, with a eclectic mixture of genres ranging from small scale musicals/plays that also included a lot of Shakespeare to guest speakers, such as David Starky (sic). A lot didn't appeal to me, but a few did, hence this thread.

It is a perfect theatre to take plays that somewhere like Richmond Theatre would take, for me Greenwich is a 15 minute drive, opposed to Richmond which is a 2hr train ride, so the Greenwich Theatre is perfect for a school night. The area supports a large population, that can be very affluent, unlike myself. However when I have seen some shows there, some have sold very poorly.

Looking at the artistic programming of Richmond, shows like Bridehead Revisited, After Miss Julie, Shadowland or Relative Speaking could play here, just like Absent Friends did, that played both.

A year or two ago, I saw a excellent production of Tommy there, the theatre is configured roughly like the Trafalgar Studio 1 and made the audience area as a pinball table, this blew me away.

It would be a shame if this theatre is moth-balled, except for Christmas shows.

I wonder where they have fitted the studio theatre in. Having done a show there, it wasn't that spacious... On place I can think if the comfy bar area has gone in favour of a second space. 

I think that is where it is going, so now you go from an comfortable bar to a uncomfortable bar.

What show did you do there?

Interesting. The studio will be 60-70 seats. I've been to productions in the main theatre with that sort of number where they make only the front stalls available, so it feels cosier. We shall see if this change works. If the drinking space has gone, there is always the pub next door.

Honestly they might as well close the place, I have been going since Jonathan Miller had a season there in the 1980s and it has never been well attended and has been perpetually struggling to survive. It is like The Rose Kingston, the locals aren't interested in attending in sufficient numbers so why should the rest of us ?

Yes it is odd, particularly in the case of Kingston because Richmond Theatre seems to be doing well, whenever I go the audiences are decent for similar stuff to what Kingston puts on (eg for the Pennington King Lear recently).

Re Kingston, I think the issue is a combination of programming & the awkward space. Richmond does pretty well with touring productions which stay a week or two & it's a traditional auditorium, whereas the Rose doesn't have an identifiable programming policy, runs can be longer & the stage is too far from the audience & seats are insufficiently raked.

Okay

Richmond as you know too well sub stains 2 theatres and both seem to do reasonable business and not a million miles from Kingston. Also both are very affluent areas that have people who could easily afford it.

So here is the rub for me, I live on the London/Kent borders and to get to Kingston and Richmond is a 3-4 hour round trip, so this rules out going there on a school night as I have to be up at 5am, so this only leaves he weekend, which I am more often than not at the theatre on a Friday/Saturday. It old be great if shows like English Touring Company or Headlong went to Greenwich, so only being 15 minutes drive, perfect for a weeknight.

When I saw Absent Friends there a couple of years back, they sold tickets in the 10's.

Kingston/Richmond make a great place to see a double bill and also easy to get back and see a evening show at the National.