A full house celebrates The Kenton’s past, present and future

The Kenton welcomed a full house to its 240-seat auditorium on Wednesday 2 September for an Autumn Season Preview that celebrated the theatre’s remarkable history, the breadth of its programme today and an ambitious future rooted firmly in its community.

Hosted by Kenton Trustee Fiona Sanderson, the evening brought together Friends, Patrons, supporters, artists and members of the wider Kenton audience for programme highlights, conversations, stories and live performance.

The theme running through the night was simple: past, present and future.

A very special return for Antony Barlow

One of the most memorable moments of the evening came right at the beginning, when Antony Barlow, The Kenton’s first professional Theatre Manager, returned to the theatre.

Antony took up the role following The Kenton’s reopening in 1967, aged just 25, and his conversation with Fiona became a wonderful journey through an extraordinary career in British theatre.

Stories about the theatres he worked at, the people he worked alongside and a very different era of theatre had the audience oo-ing and ahh-ing, while archive photographs, programmes and an original Kenton ticket helped bring the theatre of the 1960s vividly back to life.

It was a fitting way to begin an evening looking towards The Kenton’s next chapter.

Artistic Programme Manager Ron McAllister then took audiences from his recent visit to the Edinburgh Festival into highlights from a packed Autumn and early Spring season, spanning drama, comedy, music, family entertainment, talks, ballet and more.

Theatre Manager Lottie Pheasant also shared the wider story of The Kenton, from the vital contribution of community groups and volunteers to the launch of Kenton Youth, work experience opportunities and the Arts Council England Breakthrough Programme.

Lottie said:

“It was wonderful to see the theatre full of people who care so much about The Kenton. The evening really captured what makes this theatre special: our history, an incredibly varied programme, our community groups and volunteers, and the new opportunities we are creating for young people. Most importantly, it was a chance to look forward together to another exciting season.”

Henry Naylor makes his mark

Henry Naylor proved to be one of the personalities of the night.

Larger than life, funny and utterly at home on The Kenton stage, the award-winning playwright gave the audience a glimpse of exactly the stage presence he will bring to Monstering the Rocketman.

His appearance only increased anticipation for the acclaimed solo show, which explores Elton John’s battle with the tabloid press and comes to The Kenton on Thu 10 Sep.

BOOK MONSTERING THE ROCKETMAN

Christmas, a Kenton love story and Dick Whittington

There was also a very special Kenton story from James Tobias and Rochelle Parry of Immersion Theatre.

While looking ahead to this year’s Dick Whittington, the pair revealed that their relationship with The Kenton is rather more personal than most: James proposed to Rochelle on The Kenton stage following a performance of Peter Pan in 2014.

Immersion returns this December for another major family pantomime, continuing a Christmas tradition that remains one of the most important moments in The Kenton calendar.

Dick Whittington runs from Sat 5 to Tue 29 Dec.

BOOK DICK WHITTINGTON

Jazz comes to The Kenton

The evening also looked ahead to the Henley Jazz Festival, taking place from Fri 25 to Sun 27 Sep.

Although Rebecca Poole and Denny Ilett were unable to join the Preview on the night, audiences were introduced to the exciting festival programme coming to The Kenton, including Claire Teal, Joe Stilgoe and Sentimental Journey.

The festival is another example of The Kenton working as a home for ambitious new cultural events with strong local roots and audiences reaching well beyond Henley.

EXPLORE THE HENLEY JAZZ FESTIVAL

Podcasts brought to life

Georgie Parvin also gave audiences a fascinating insight into the Henley Podcast Festival and the very different experience created when a medium normally enjoyed alone through headphones is brought to life in a theatre full of people.

Following the success of the first festival at The Kenton, the event will return, continuing to bring new ideas and new audiences into the theatre.

Tim Kay Band blow the audience away

And there could hardly have been a better way to finish.

Tim Kay Band gave the audience a taste of Anthems, including a stunning rendition of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game that blew the room away.

The performance offered just a glimpse of what audiences can expect when Anthems comes to The Kenton on Sat 16 Jan.

BOOK ANTHEMS

“An amazing and positive community asset”

Feedback following the Preview has been fantastic.

One audience member described The Kenton as:

“You’re an amazing and positive community asset that enriches lives.”

Another said: “It was a great atmosphere and varied programme. The theatre looked great and it felt welcoming.”

Others highlighted the intimacy of the theatre and the extraordinary variety of work available on their doorstep.

Friends and Patrons were thanked throughout the evening for their ongoing support, with many bringing guests with them to discover more about The Kenton.

They also received a copy of The Well-Trod Stage by Bill Port, celebrating the history of the theatre and the generations of people who have helped sustain it.

The Kenton would like to thank everyone who joined us, together with Fiona, Antony, Henry, James and Rochelle, Georgie, Tim Kay Band, the theatre’s staff and volunteers, community partners, supporters and everyone who helped make the evening possible.

EXPLORE THE AUTUMN AND WINTER SEASON