Hawth Theatre
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The Hawth Theatre is an arts and entertainment complex located in 38 acres of woodland half a mile from the town centre of the English town of Crawley. It is wholly owned and funded by Crawley Borough Council
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[edit] History
The new town of Crawley has been without a theatre since its inception in 1947, leading, in part, a local newspaper editor to describe the town as souless.[1] In 1986, plans were approved by the borough council for a new theatre in an area of Woodland known locally as The Hawth. Development began quickly, and the theatre opened for the first time in April 1988. In 1992, the theatre hosted a performance of London City Ballet's Romeo & Juliet, which was attended by the then Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales.[2]
[edit] Facilities
[edit] Main auditorium
The main auditorium seats up to 855 for performances, and can be converted to an exhibition or conference venue. The stage is around 21 metres wide, with a depth of 13 metres, and is equipped to a high standard with sound, lighting, and staging facilities.[3]
[edit] Studio
The studio facility provides a smaller performance space, seating 146 people. It also has a smaller staging area of 13 metres with, 6 metres depth.
[edit] Amphitheatre
There is an amphitheatre area behind the main theatre adjoining the nearby woodland, where summer productions are often performed, including regular visits of Shakespeare's work
[edit] Other facilities
Other performance spaces include a permanent foyer exhibition space, an on-site restaurant as well as two bars. Also, for some events, a marquee is erected on the lawns to the front of the main theatre.
[edit] Programme
The theatre is mainly used to house touring productions, and has in the past seen presentations across a range of types, from movies to opera. The theatre also housed its own resident production company - Shaker Productions - in the 1990s. It now plays home to Pitchy Breath Theatre Company - a group committed to producing one newly-written piece each year. In addition, other events have visited the Hawth, ranging from circus and juggling conventions, to the hustings for conservative party leader elections in 2001.[4]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Gibbons, Fiachra. "Strange goings-on in West Sussex", The Guardian, 1996. Retrieved on 1996. "Karen Hales, editor of the Crawley News, says "People are very proud of the Hawth. It has given the town something it was missing, a soul maybe""
- ^ History of the Hawth. Hawth Theatre website. Crawley Arts Service. Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
- ^ Technical. Hawth Theatre website. Crawley Arts Service. Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
- ^ "Tory leadership election hustings", Guardian Unlimited, 2001-08-20. Retrieved on 2006-01-06.
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