Chichester Festival Theatre: What's on? Where is it? Which acts are coming soon?
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The festival season usually runs from April to November and includes productions from classics to contemporary writing and musicals.
A range of additional events is designed to add to the experience of visiting the theatre, including performances, cabarets, family days, tours and talks. Through the winter months, the theatre presents touring productions and a Christmas show mounted by Chichester Festival Youth Theatre.
Where is it?
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Hide AdChichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6AP
Box office: 01243 781312 or [email protected]
Nearest carpark: Northgate, Chichester, PO19 6AA (pay and display) http://www.chichester.gov.uk/carparkmap?contactid=16001
Nearest railway station: Chichester Railway Station http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/CCH.aspx
Capacity: Festival Theatre 1,300, Minerva Theatre 310
Opened: 1962
Architect: Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya
A brief history:
It was founded by former city mayor, Leslie Evershed-Martin, following an idea he had whilst watching a television programme in 1959 about the Stratford Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario in Canada. His vision was for a seasonal festival of theatre to be staged in a space inspired by the revolutionary thrust design of the Canadian theatre.
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Hide AdIt was the vision of Laurence Olivier, the CFT’s first artistic director, that the theatre would produce several shows to run in repertoire sharing the same ensemble cast; and so it was the theatre opened in 1962 with a ‘festival’ of three shows which were to run for three weeks.
Between ‘62 and ‘65 Olivier established a company of actors and other theatre practitioners at Chichester which provided the nucleus of his National Theatre Company.
The theatre is a Grade II* listed building, with its smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre built nearby in 1989.
Which famous acts have played there?
The Chichester Festival Theatre has hosted a huge number of famous faces over the years.
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Hide AdThese include Patrick Stewart, Joseph Fiennes, Ian McKellen, Fay Compton, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Bonneville, Ian McDiarmid, Michael Ball, Chaim Topol and the first artistic director Laurence Olivier.
What’s on this season?
COPENHAGEN, August 17 – September 22 2018, Minerva Theatre
FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS, September 8-29 2018, Festival Theatre
COCK, September 28 – October 27 2018, Minerva Theatre
THE MIDNIGHT GANG, October 13 – November 3 2018, Festival Theatre
THE WATSONS, November 3 – December 1 2018, Minerva Theatre
SLEEPING BEAUTY, December 15-30 2018, Festival Theatre
RELAXED PERFORMANCE: SLEEPING BEAUTY, December 30 2018, Festival Theatre
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Hide AdMOSCOW’S CITY BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER, January 3-6 2019, Festival Theatre
OVER THE MOON: A FIRST OPERA FOR LITTLE PEOPLE, January 4 2019, Minerva Theatre
HEJIRA, January 5 2019, Minerva Theatre
HE AIN’T HEAVY, January 9 2019, Minerva Theatre
CLARE TEAL AND HER BIG MINI BIG BAND, January 9 2019, Festival Theatre
OVATION ROCK SHOW, January 11&12 2019, Minerva Theatre
THE MOZART QUESTION, January 11 2019, Festival Theatre
BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA: FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT, January 12 2019, Festival Theatre
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Hide AdBBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA: FAMILY CONCERT, January 13 2019, Festival Theatre
JUDY CARMICHAEL: SWING TIME! January 13 2019, Minerva Theatre
CHILDREN’S CONCERT, January 15 2019, Festival Theatre
TWELFTH NIGHT, January 15-26 2019, Minerva Theatre
CHICHESTER SINGS LIVE! January 17 2019, Festival Theatre
SANDI TOKSVIG LIVE! NATIONAL TREVOR, January 18 2019, Festival Theatre
WIRELESS WISE, January 19 2019, Festival Theatre
ART, January 4 – February 2 2019, Festival Theatre
THE DARK, January 28&29 2019, Minerva Theatre
TRUTH, January 31 and February 1 2019, Minerva Theatre
SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURAL CHOIR, February 2 2019, Minerva Theatre
TRIAL BY LAUGHTER, February 4-9 2019, Festival Theatre
THE UNRETURNING, 5 – 9 February 5-9 2019, Minerva Theatre
ROUGH CROSSING, February 11-16 2019, Festival Theatre
THE LIFE I LEAD, February 11-16 2019, Minerva Theatre