news

Christmas Carol Concert and Singalong

The Havering Concert Orchestra's Christmas Concert is coming up! Have you got your tickets yet?

Saturday 7 December 2024 at Frances Bardsley Academy, Brentwood Road, Romford, RM1 2RR.

Come, listen and singalong with favourite Christmas Carols. Programme includes Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Suite, Rimsky-Korsakov’s - Christmas Eve Suite, Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and Howard Blake’s 
Walking in the Air. Then, maybe a glass of seasonal cheer, all interspersed with a singalong of Christmas Carols to usher in the Christmas season. What a lovely evening is in store!

Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:30pm
Advance tickets are £12 (students and under 18s £5) and are available online  where more details can be found. Tickets will also be available on the door but at the higher price of £15 .
(Card facilities available)

For further details, contact Malcolm Inman, Publicity Coordinator:- HCOpublicity@gmail.com

Ben Hur is coming

College Players are presenting the epic BEN HUR by Patrick Barlow (who also wrote the very successful stage comedy of the 39 Steps) on 27 & 28 September.
The show tells the story of BEN HUR but played by only 4 actors!! It is a hilarious piece of theatre and includes the iconic chariot race, and a live sea battle. No animals are harmed during the production but can't guarantee you won't crack a rib or two from laughing! Tickets can be purchased via Brentwood Theatre.

Down Eros up Mars!!

The Arts Society, Havering November Lecture

The Painter’s Craft Steven Barrett - Tuesday 12 November 2024

Why do some paintings retain their glowing colours for centuries whilst others darken or fade in a matter of years? How do artists become good craftsmen and women? Does craft still matter in an age of synthetic pigments and digital reproduction? This lecture describes and explains the materials painters use, the various techniques they employ to preserve their work and what happens when things ‘go wrong’. It explores in detail the technical, practical and historical aspects of the painter’s craft, from choosing the correct support, pigments and medium, through to varnishing, framing and conservation.

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.
New Windmill Hall Upminster RM14 2QH. 10:15am
For more information see  website, Facebook
or contact info@tashavering.org.uk (telephone 01708 221903)

The Arts Society Havering Study Day

Study Day 22: October 2024 with Gail Turner
Cities of Castile – a taste of history and art in Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, and Madrid  

"Gail Turner will take us on a journey through central Spain.  We will be travelling from pre-history to the Romans, looking at the effects of the Christian re-conquest of Castile from the Moors, and glimpsing some of the masterpieces in the great Spanish art collections. The history, art, architecture and personalities of these four very different cities should appeal to everyone.
A day of great variety which should excite Hispanophiles!"

New Windmill Hall, St. Mary’s Lane, Upminster RM14 2QH at 10.00 for 10.30am
£35.00 including coffee and light lunch

For more information see their website

The Arts Society, Havering October Lecture

Why the Romans could not afford to lose Britain - Dr. Sam Moorhead -Tuesday 08 October 2024

For centuries, scholars have pondered why Rome conquered and held on to the province of Britannia for almost 400 years.  It is clear, from the time of Julius Caesar, Britain was to become a major stage on which Roman generals and emperors could parade their martial prowess, celebrating numerous victories over the, often, troublesome inhabitants of these Isles.  It is also known from ancient sources that Britain was known for its wealth in metals and agriculture when the Romans invaded under Claudius in AD 43.  Historians have subsequently made quite a play of the importance of Britain’s mineral wealth to the Romans.  However, largely overlooked is Britain’s vital role as a source of food for the Romans on the Continent, especially in the late Roman period.  Through numerous and varied artefacts, this lecture will show why Rome really needed Britain and how the Romans tried desperately to keep the province in the closing decades of the Western Roman Empire.

New Windmill Hall, Upminster, RM14 2QH
10:15 am
Open to visitors - £8:00.  

For more information visit their website, Facebook 

or contact info@tashavering.org.uk (telephone 01708 221903)

Some Variety in September

The next production from All Saints' Players is a variety show which contains music, singing, laughter and surprises.

Performances are at All Saints Church Hall, Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11 2LG on Thursday 12th, Friday 13th and Saturday 14th September. 
Doors open at 7.30pm and the shows start at 8pm.

Tickets are £8.50 and may be purchased from the Box Office on 01708 456683 or email boxoffice@allsaintsplayers.org.uk 

The Golden Era of Music in Venice

The Arts Society Havering's September Lecture will be given by Patrick Craig on Tuesday 10th September.

In La Serenissima -The Golden Era of Music in Venice - Patrick will explore the rich musical traditions of Venice. Claudio Monteverdi not only transformed the music at the Basilica of San Marco but also led the way in the creation of a new art form - opera. We shall look at and listen to works from the other musical geniuses who developed the musical life of San Marco such as Gabrieli and Lotti, as well as tracing Monteverdi’s successors in the creation of Venetian opera, including Cavalli and Albinoni. We shall also examine and hear music from Antonio Vivaldi, the other towering figure of Venetian music, who created music both for the opera stage and the female musicians of the Ospidale della Pietà.
________________________________________

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.  

New Windmill Hall
Upminster
RM14 2QH. 
10:15am
Website:
Facebook:   
or contact: info@tashavering.org.uk (telephone 01708 221903)

TASH next lecture is on 11 June

Photography as an Art Form: From Negative to Positive Photography’s Long Road to Recognition
Brian Stater - Tuesday 11 June 2024

John Ruskin, the leading critic and aesthete, wrote in the 1850s that photography could never be Art. This lecture traces the struggle to overturn that view, beginning with the Pictorialist school of Victorian photographers and closing with the recent emergence of photographic art inspired by digital technology. Along the way we examine the contested virtues of colour images and the present revival of old-fashioned film cameras.
 
New Windmill Hall, Upminster at 10:30am

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00. 

For more information see:
web site:
Facebook:   

or email info@tashavering.org.uk, (01708 221903

TASH May Lecture

Chinese Painting from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty

The TASH May Lecture on Chinese painting will be given by Oliver Gosling on Tuesday 14 May 2024. What is Chinese painting? What makes it Chinese and why is it different from Western painting? Come along to the lecture to find out!

New Windmill Hall, Upminster at 10:30am

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00. 
For more information see:
web site:
Facebook:   

or email info@tashavering.org.uk, (01708 221903

Local Theatre - for your entertainment

Diaries at the ready - lots of shows coming up right here in Havering, brought to you by your local creative community!
These full length plays  are entered in the peripatetic Havering Drama Festival

• Wesley Players 16 - 18 May, Upminster: This House by Natasha Blaauw
• Guildonian Players 12-15 June, Harold Wood: Leading Ladies by Ken Ludwig
• RST 27-30 June 4-6 July, Raphael’s Park: Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (open air production)

and

• Dragon Theatre 20-27 June, Rise Park: We found Love and an Exquisite Set of Porcelaine Figures Aboard the SS Farnsdale Avenue
• Spotlight Theatre Friday 7 June only, Elm Park: Murder Mystery with hot supper (bring own drinks) email STCbookings@outlook.com

Such variety and so much local talent - do support if you can!

HCO Summer Concert

Join the HCO on a summer evening and be treated to Ludwig van Beethoven's passionate Egmont Overture. The programme also includes melodies of Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, featuring the amazing young soloist Àánú Sodipe.
The concert will culminate with  Mozart's Great G minor Symphony No. 40.

Saturday 22nd June 2024 at Frances Bardsley Academy,
Brentwood Road, Romford RM1 2RR

Door time: 7:00pm, Start time: 7:30pm

Advance tickets are £12 and are available online, where more details can also be found. Tickets will also be available on the door but at the higher price of £15.(Card facilities available)

The Art Society Havering - April Lecture

European Art 1944-1960: Reactions to World War II, the Holocaust and the Atomic Age 

Colin Pink will examine the situation of artists in Europe at the end of the Second World War and the exciting diversity of art that emerged in the 1950s ranging from Art Informel (the European equivalent to Abstract Expressionism) to Socialist Realism. We’ll look at the work of Alberto Giacometti and Germaine Richier, Francis Gruber and Bernard Buffet, Jean Helion and Andre Fourgeron, the Kitchen Sink School in Britain and the new British sculptors such as Lynn Chadwick and Reg Butler, the expressive work of Wols, Jean Fautrier and Henri Michaux, the gestural art of Bram van Velde, Hans Hartung and Pierre Soulages in France and the work of Antoni Tapies and Eduardo Chillida in Spain, Lucio

Tuesday 9 April 2024
10:30 am at the New Windmill Hall, Upminster RM14 2QH
This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8
For more information see:
Website:
Facebook: 
Email: info@tashavering.org.uk (or call 01708 221903)

A trip along the Thames in 1749

A Lecture by Dr Peter Ross

Tuesday 12 March 2024 - New Windmill Hall, Upminster

'Using the extraordinary fourteen-foot-long printed panorama of the north bank of the Thames created by the Buck brothers in 1749, this lecture will take us on a journey along the early Georgian river from Westminster to the Tower of London. The luminous paintings of Canaletto will bring the journey to life in sunlit colour and the highly detailed map created by John Roque in 1747 will be our constant guide. Along the way we will encounter wharves, warehouses, watermen and water closets, dukes, criminals, cranes and churches, and even a lost palace or two.'

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.

Website: https://tashavering.org.uk/Lectures/FutureLectures.aspx
info@tashavering.org.uk
01708 221903

The Art of Trickery

The Arts Society, Havering February Lecture:

The Art of Trickery: How magicians are seen in Paintings, Prints and cartoons, by Ian Keable*

This talk is on how magicians have appeared in art throughout the centuries, whether in paintings, satirical prints or cartoons. Early artists used the magician to symbolise the mysterious and the unknown, associating them with astrology. 
In the 16th century, Pieter Bruegel and Hieronymus Bosch produced two of the most famous and striking pictures of the conjurer performing the Cups and Balls trick. The 18th and 19th century saw a proliferation in engravings and lithographs showing the magician both indoors and on the streets. Bringing it right up to date there are examples of how cartoonists and satirists delight in linking politicians with skulduggery with images of them featuring 
Sawing a Woman in Half, Vanishing illusions or pulling a Rabbit out of the Hat. Some of the tricks talked about are performed by Ian. 

Tuesday 13th February  2024  
10:30 am at the New Windmill Hall, Upminster RM14 2QH. 

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.   

See website 
Facebook 
or email: info@tashavering.org.uk (01708 221903)

*Ian Keable gained a First Class degree from Oxford University, qualified as a Chartered Accountant and then became a Professional Magician. He is a Member of The Inner Magic Circle. In 2014 he published Charles Dickens Magician: Conjuring in Life, Letters & Literature. He now divides his time between performing magic, giving talks and researching and writing.  
His latest book is The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in Eighteenth-Century England. 

The Real Inspector Hound is Coming

Spotlight Theatre Company present a murder mystery evening!

The Real Inspector Hound followed by a fun quiz and raffle

Performance dates are Friday 16th and Saturday 17th February 2024
Doors open at 7.30 pm for 8pm start

£14 entry - bring your own drinks & nibbles!
Tickets are available to book via online through Eventbrite - links below:

Friday 16 February
Saturday17 February

Tweed Way Hall, Tweed Way, RM1 4AZ

The Arts Society, Havering - Next Talk 9 January 2024

A talk on
GOYA: WAR AND PEACE, REVOLUTION AND EXILE 
by GAIL TURNER

Goya’s long life and career spanned the reigns of four Spanish monarchs, and much social and political upheaval. Until his late forties his main work was designing subjects for the royal Tapestry works in Madrid, but by the 1790s he branched out into portrait painting, political satire, and experimental works. He was an energetic and restless genius whose painting reflected the turbulence of his age, and his work is still relevant today.

Gail Turner is a Historian, art historian, and painter, 
Tuesday 9th January 2024  at 10:30 am at the New Windmill Hall, Upminster RM14 2QH.
This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.  

Website
Facebook
Email (01708 221903)

Christmas Concert 21 December

Havering Singers will be joined by some young voices from St Edward's Primary School for a Christmas Concert on 21 December. It takes place at St Peter's Church, Harold Wood at 7.30pm.
Tickets available from www.haveringsingers.org.uk or on the door. Also Ticket Hotline 07342 88321.
£15 adults, £6 children under 11. 

The Tudor Christmas

A talk by Siobhan Clarke BA on 12th December 2023

We might assume that our modern Christmas owes much to the Victorians but in fact, many of our favourite Christmas traditions date back much further. Carol-singing, present-giving, mulled wine and mince pies were all just as popular in Tudor times, and even Father Christmas and roast turkey dinners have their origins in this period.

The Tudor Christmas was a time of feasting, revelry and merrymaking, a twelve-day-long festival, over which the Lord of Misrule held sway, and convention was thrown to the winds. To hear more about this fascinating topic, come along to the New Windmill Hall, Upminster, RM14 2QH on Tuesday 12 December at 10.30am.

The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.

For more information see The Arts Society Havering website 
Visit them on Facebook
or email or call info@tashavering.org.uk, (01708 221903)

Two November concerts

Havering Singers Autumn Concert 2023 – An Evening of French Music
Saturday 18th November at 7:30pm
Come and enjoy listening to beautiful French music: ‘Requiem’ and ‘Cantique de Jean Racine’ by Gabriel Fauré; ‘Gloria’ by Francis Poulenc; plus additional music from professional soloists Cheryl Enever (Soprano) and Emyr Lloyd Jones (Baritone). Organist: Jonathan Lilley. St Peters Church, Harold Wood

Tickets: £15 for adults, children free

HCO Autumn Concert 2023 – Homecoming
Saturday 25th November 2023  – Frances Bardsley Academy Romford

Doors open 7:00pm Concert Starts 7:30pm

Tickets £12 in advance or £15 on the door

FANCY FOLK DANCING?

An invitation from Romford and Brentwood Folk Dancers

Why not try something new - and  join our friendly class!

• Exercise while having fun
• Meet new friends
• Learn traditional English Dance

First evening Free!

We meet on Wednesday evenings, Beginning on 6th September, 8pm to 10pm

Chadwick Hall
St. Michael’s Church,
Gidea Park
RM2 5EL

Contact Mary on 01708 752057

Art Exhibition at Frys Gallery 1-7 Sept

The Impressionist Landscape by Dr Lois Oliver

The Arts Society Havering's new season begins with this event on September 12th

Following in the footsteps of Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Pierre Auguste Renoir we analyse what was modern about Impressionist landscape paintings: their experiments with colour theory, new synthetic pigments, and, most importantly, the distinctly modern landscape that they chose to depict. We’ll be travelling by train, in and out of the Gare Saint Lazare in Paris, with boating trips and balloon excursions thrown in. We’ll also consider the distinctively modern independent exhibitions mounted by the Impressionist group in Paris from 1874 onwards, and beyond that, Monet’s exploration of a new kind of modern landscape painting during the 1890s, epitomised by his series of Poplars, Haystacks and Rouen Cathedral, and culminating, at the and of his life, with his monumental Water Lilies.    

Tuesday 12th September at 10:30am  at the New Windmill Hall, Upminster RM14 2QH

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.   

Please visit their web site 
Facebook page
or contact them at info@tashavering.org.uk  (01708 22190)

A Comedy in Ardleigh Green

All Saints Players are presenting Escape Room, a comedy, on Thursday 14th, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th September at All Saints Church Hall, Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11 2LG.

It is the summer of 2022 and an amateur dramatic group are visiting an Escape Room.  They hope the experience of trying to get out will act as a team building exercise and bring them closer together.
Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan and their efforts just drive them further apart.  Not funny for them but hilarious for the audience ....

Doors open at 7.30pm and shows start at 8pm.  Tickets are £8.50 from boxoffice@allsaintsplayers.org.uk or 01708 456683

The Arts Society, Havering - July Study Day

Study Day - The Art of Needlework with Susan Kay-Williams

Exploring tapestry: embroidery and colour in textiles

Tuesday 25th July at the New Windmill  - Upminster - doors open 10.00am for 10.30am until 15.00pm  

Cost of the day - £35 including light lunch and refreshments – non-members welcome – you will be offered a ticket worth £8.00 providing free entry to one of our regular monthly lectures.

Lecture 1: Tapestry: the ultimate wall decoration
Lecture 2: Every colour under the sun 
Lecture 3: History of Embroidery

If you would like more details or to book a place please contact Roger Dines on 07985 367492
or see website

The Havering Concert Orchestra Summer Folk Concert on 1 July

Spotlight Theatre - new show!

A message from Spotlight:
Following our very successful production of 'GSOH' last September, I am informing you about our upcoming production on Saturday 17th June called 'You're Dying to Meet Us' - a new slap-stick comedy concept created and devised by Spotlight Theatre Company.

We would truly appreciate your continued support by joining us for another entertaining evening of theatre, a hot supper, quiz and a raffle.
Tickets can be purchased by clicking the link to Eventbrite as below.

You're Dying To Meet Us Tickets, Sat 17 Jun 2023 at 19:30 | Eventbrite

For catering purposes please add food order numbers when booking and then email with your order reference, name and food choices. Teams are limited to a maximum of 8 per table. Unfortunately we cannot cater for any food intolerances.

Tickets are £18 - no concessions

Included is a hot meal - fish/chicken or vegetarian pie with chips
Quiz, Raffle (cash is preferable), Please bring your own drink,

Saturday 17th June 2023 - Doors open at 7pm
Tweedway Hall, Tweed Way, Collier Row RM1 4AZ

We're dying to meet you on 17th June ðŸ˜€

The Arts Society, Havering - June Lecture

The June talk is all about angels!

Entertaining Angels Unaware - Angels in the Bible, Music and Art

And will be given by *Patrick Craig.

Angels don’t speak, they sing. And they have inspired much wonderful music. Patrick will investigate their roles as guardians, messengers and fighters through imaginative music by Britten, Elgar and Mendelssohn.

Tuesday 13th June at 10:30, in the New Windmill Hall Upminster 

The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8.00.   
Please visit their web site or Facebook or email
01708 221903

* Patrick Craig is a Vicar Choral at St Paul’s Cathedral. For twenty years he combined this with an international career singing over a thousand concerts with the world-renowned early music consort The Tallis Scholars. He also sings with the award-winning group The Cardinall’s Musick. He founded and conducts this country’s leading all-female professional choir, Aurora Nova. He has conducted concerts for the BBC Proms, the Brighton, Lichfield and Aldeburgh Festivals, and with the City of London Sinfonia

Summer Drama Festival 2023

Our summer festival of full-length plays is building - here are our entries so far:

       Wesley Players, Wesley Church Hall, Upminster 18, 19, 20 May
       Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker www.wesleys.hoot.cloud

       Guildonian Players, Little Theatre, Harold Wood, 14, 15, 16, 17 June 
       A Bunch of Amateurs by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman www.guildonian-players.sumupstore.com/products

       Romford Shakespeare Theatre, The Rockery, Raphael Park, Romford
       30 June 1, 2 & 6, 7, 8 July
       The Merry Wives of Windsor (William Shakespeare) www.romfordshakespearetheatre.co.uk/box-office

Note your diaries now!

Variety Show in Harold Wood next week brings happy entertainment

A Variety Show in Harold Wood next week – happy entertainment!
If you enjoyed Sunday Night at the London Palladium, or the Royal Variety Show, come to The Little Theatre next week! At less than a tenner a ticket, you won’t be expecting celebrities, but you can expect a cosy evening with some very talented local performers - featuring live music and song, laughter and fun. Who knew we have a magician in our midst? The actors will be unveiling a variety of hidden talents – including singing, dancing, playing guitar and the banjo – they say variety is the spice of life ... grab yourself a slice! Tickets available from Guildonian-players.sumup.link.

guildonians.blogspot.com

The Arts Society, Havering - 14 March

March talk will be: The Art of the Shell, an object of wonder from the natural world by Anne Haworth*
The shell is an attribute of Aphrodite who was conveyed to Paphos on a shell; of Triton who calmed the waves by blowing a conch trumpet and of the pilgrim. As exotic and beautiful objects of wonder, realistic groups of shells were faithfully reproduced within Dutch still life paintings of the 17th century. 

The talk will take place on Tuesday14th March 10:30 am at the New Windmill Hall Upminster. 
The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8.00.  
See their web site 
Facebook

or contact at info@tashavering.org.uk (01708 221903)

*Anne is a lecturer at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Queen’s Gallery. She is a visiting lecturer for Regent's University, Sotheby's Institute and SOAS.

A Valentines Day Talk - The Magic of Pattern

The Arts Society, Havering's February talk will be The Magic of Pattern by David Phillips

From the Alhambra to William Morris, patterns can be gorgeous, yet pattern has often been dismissed as “mere ornament” in comparison with painting. 'Discover what a mistaken view that is as we look at the ideas that inspired some of the great pattern inventors and traditions from around the world. We’ll see that whilst some glorious effects depend on very simple patterning procedures, others can be wonderfully clever, as we watch patterns evolving across the screen in beautiful animations'.

David studied History at Oxford,  worked for Nottingham Castle Museum and lectured in Museum Studies and Art History.  He is also a writer.

The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8.00.  

Tuesday 14 February 10:30 am at the New Windmill Hall Upminster

For more information see:

TASH's website
Facebook
email info@tashavering.org.uk (01708 221903)

Its Panto Time

Two of our groups are performing their pantos this month - and at the same time ... !

        Oh, no they're not ... Oh, yes they are!

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday 26-28 January, Wesley Players are performing Jack & The Beans Talk at The Methodist Church Hall, Hall Lane, Upminster, RM14 1AE. Meanwhile Dragon Theatre Company are performing Cinderella at The Havering Road Methodist Church Hall, Moray Way, Rise Park RM1 4YD.

Both are traditional pantos, full of fun for all the family. See their websites: www.wesley-players.com and www.dragontheatrecompany.com 

Cubism Explained - a talk by Steven Barret

The Arts Society, Havering's January talk will be: Cubism Explained, given by Steven Barrett

Cubism can be confusing and needs simply to be explained for its beauty to be appreciated. This lecture sets out clearly and succinctly the theory behind it.

Tuesday 10 January at 10:30 am
The New Windmill Hall Upminster

The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8.00.  
You can find out more about the event and TASH on their website 
and on Facebook:  
or contact them at info@tashavering.org.uk - telephone 01708 221903.

The Curious History of Christmas Food

A seasonal December talk from The Arts Society, Havering, by Dr. Peter Ross

Tuesday 13 December 2022
The foods we eat at Christmas have a long, curious and visually spectacular history. This lecture narrates and illustrates that history from Medieval boar’s head and brawn, by way of highly decorated seventeenth century mince pies to the almost forgotten Twelfth Night Cake. Medieval illuminated manuscripts, paintings and prints from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, and illustrations from cookery books provide us with images of some of the lost glories of the British Christmas feast. 

Tuesday 13th December 10:30 am at the New Windmill Hall Upminster RM14 2QH. 

The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8.00.  
Visit their website
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/199870022175485
Email info@tashavering.org.uk
(01708 221903)

Last Orders at the Castle Inn

Havering Music Makers new show opens on 14 October! Written by Sharon Sims, its called Last Orders at the Castle Inn and features many toe tapping tunes from throughout the rein of Queen Elizabeth II.

Two October events from TASH

The Arts Society Havering have two interesting events this month, both at The New Windmill Hall, Upminster

Tuesday 11 October 2022 - October Talk
Velazquez-Genius at the Court of Philip IV by Gail Turner

Velázquez (1599-1660) was the leading artist of Spain’s Golden Age. His unique talent is viewed from his youth in Seville through his long career as court artist, courtier and friend of the Habsburg King Philip IV of Spain. His total works number less than 130 paintings, yet they show great variety and versatility. The formality of the court is evident in his projects for royal palaces, while his keen observing eye is revealed in iconic court portraits, less formal paintings for palaces and hunting lodges, landscapes, frail Habsburg children, and proud dwarves and courtiers. His great painting Las Meninas ('The Maids of Honour') epitomises Philip’s court, and some say, the art of painting itself. 

For more information visit the TASH website or Facebook or contact info@tashavering.org.uk, telephone 01708 221903.

Tuesday 25 October 2022 - Autumn Study Day:
From Mohammed to Marx: The Changing Face of Art and Textiles of Central Asia, by Chris Aslan Alexander

The schedule for the day will be: 

• 10.00-10.30 Coffee and Registration
• 10.30-11.30 First lecture
• 11.30-noon Coffee
• Noon-13.00 Second lecture
• 13.00-14.00 Lunch
• 14.00-15.00 Third lecture

Price £35 includes three lectures, light lunch and tea/coffee.  Participants can bring  own drinks and glasses. Non-members welcome.
Tickets available at the October monthly lecture in the hall or by contacting info@tashavering.org.uk.   This event will be in person only, not via Zoom

Havering Singers Autumn Concert - 5 Nov

A date for your diaries - 5 November 2022 at 7:30pm, when Havering Singers will be performing at St Peter’s Church, Harold Wood.
Working with Conductor Jonathan Rathbone and Organist Sam Hayes, their programme will be:

• Haydn-Nelson Mass
• Mozart-Coronation Mass

Tickets are £12 (Children Free) and available from:
www.haveringsingers.org.uk or Ticket Hotline 07342 883211,
You can also pay on the door

St Peter’s Church
Gubbins Lane,
Harold Wood RM3 0QA

Play, supper & quiz - what a great night!

A play, supper & a quiz ... and all for fifteen quid? That's Saturday night sorted!
 
Spotlight Theatre Company are presenting a one act play called GSOH with a quiz (on the play) and supper included on 17th September. It takes place at Tweedway Hall, Collier Row, RM1 4AZ on Saturday 17 September, 7 for 7.30pm start. 

Tickets can be booked at Eventbrite.- but if you don’t have internet access you can ring Darren Hall on 07957 348413. You will need register your food order by the start of the week before the show.-it’s a fish/chicken/veggie option and chip supper – and all for £15

Oh, and there is a rumour that the author of the play is attending too! 

Learn about Berthe Morisot with TASH

The Arts Society, Havering's September talk is on the impressionist painter Berthe Morisot: une finesse fragonardienne and will be given by Dr Lois Oliver.

The light-filled canvases of Berthe Morisot capture the pleasures of modernity: fashionable ballgowns, afternoons spent boating on a lake, children playing. Yet, her contemporaries perceived a connection with the eighteenth century.

The talk will take place on Tuesday 13th September at 10:30 am at the New Windmill Hall Upminster. The event is open to visitors for a fee of £8.00.  

Please visit their web site for more information or email info@tashavering.org.uk (01708 2 21903)

She Stoops to Conquer

The ever popular 18th Century comedy by Oliver Goldsmith comes to Harold Wood next week - don't miss this entertaining and beautifully costumed piece of live theatre!

Tickets £9 from guildonian-players.sumup.link - or treat yourself to the Wednesday Preview or Saturday Night Special at only £8 a ticket.
Performances are at 8pm nightly plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee.

The Arts Society, Havering June talk

The Arts Society, Havering's June talk will be: 
Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and George Gershwin: An Introductory Lecture. It will be given by Pip Burley

Tuesday 14 June 2022 at 10:30  at the New Windmill Hall, Upminster, RM14 2QH. 
This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.

tashavering.org.uk/Lectures/FutureLectures.aspx 
www.facebook.com  or contact us at info@tashavering.org.uk, or telephone 01708 221903. 

About the lecturer and the event:
Pip Burley pays tribute to the lives, words and music of Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and George Gershwin-four men who made a unique contribution to the Great American Songbook during the first half of the twentieth century.  

Come and enjoy their beautiful songs- as fresh and inspiring today as when they were first written and hear about the lives of these musical geniuses who still cast their spell upon us.   
Songs featured include:  

‘Old Man River’, ‘Don’t Believe Me’, ‘Can’t Help Loving That Man’, ‘Bill’, ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’, ‘Cheek to Cheek’, ‘How Deep is the Ocean’, ‘Always’, ‘White Christmas’, ‘Change Partners’, ‘Night and Day’, ‘I Get a Kick out of You’, ‘In the Still of the Night’, ‘Love for Sale’, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, ‘ Summertime…’  and many more!  
Lavishly accompanied by slides and videos of their lives and music, with performances by some of the greatest artists of all time-and occasional illustrations on the piano.  
 
Pip Burley began his musical career playing Rock'n'Roll in the 60s and 70s as well as working with the big bands - including Sydney Lipton, Joe Loss and Ken Mackintosh. He went on to compose and record music for commercials, theatre, film and television and, in 1990, won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Theme music for The Darling Buds of May - a TV series he also produced (discovering Catherine Zeta-Jones in the process). Other television successes include the multi-award winning series A Touch of Frost, the most watched police series of all time, created for and starring David Jason. As a sideline he also managed to start and run an advertising agency!  
Since then Pip has been lecturing widely about his career based on his book Briefest Encounters and, more recently, has devised a series of six talks entitled The Golden Age of Song, featuring the lives and music of six great composers of popular song, lavishly illustrated with slides, videos and occasional demonstrations on the piano. These lectures have been presented both ashore and on cruise ships. 

A Lecture on Embroidery techniques

With Just A Thread And A Needle 
by Susan Kay-Williams 

The Arts Society Havering's next lecture takes place on May 10 in its usual venue of The New Windmill Hall, Upminster.

Susan will feature a wide variety of work from the RSN Collection and from current and recent students. Showcasing many embroidery techniques, this lecture will open eyes as to just what can be achieved with a needle and thread!

No prior knowledge of embroidery is needed to enjoy this lecture which shows the imagination and skill of RSN students in creating everything from selfies in stitch to a White Walker for Game of Thrones - and from realising children’s stories, to crafting jewellery. 

Tuesday 10th May
New Windmill Hall, Upminster RM14 2QH.
Doors open 10:00 am for 10:45am start.  

Susan Kay Williams is Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, in 2015 was made a Fellow of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in recognition of her work on the history of dyes

Website: tashavering.org.uk
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/199870022175485
Or contact info@tashavering.org.uk - telephone 01708 221903

CORPORATE KILLING - murder mystery fundraiser

A Murder Mystery fundraiser evening is taking place this Saturday night at the Harold Hill Community Centre, Gooshays Drive, RM3 9LB. If you fancy challenging your “little grey cells” then get yourself a ticket for an evening of fun and crime solving!

Wesley Players are raising funds to support Natasha Blaauw’s daughter for a month long voluntary expedition to Borneo, to help children and families in need,

For tickets either phone or text 07946 157082 - £10 each.

Splendours of Ancient Mexico and Peru

TASH April Study Day will be Splendours of Ancient Mexico and Peru, with Chloe Sayer on Tuesday 26 April 2022

Ancient burial grounds in Mexico and Peru have yielded up dazzling goldwork, fine ceramic vessels, and some of the richest textiles in the world. Before the Spanish Conquest of 1519, numerous civilisations rose and fell. The Olmecs, the Maya, the Mixtecs, the Zapotecs and the warlike Aztecs all forged their own unique and splendid art styles on Mexican soil. In Peru, the Incas developed one of the greatest planned societies that the world has known. Today the descendants of these once-great peoples carry on many ancient traditions. Chloë Sayer will display contemporary textiles and other items from her collection.

• Lecture 1 at 10:30 - Ancient Mexico and the Aztecs.
• Lecture 2 at 12:00 - The Maya Heritage
• Lecture 3 at 14:00 - Peru: The Incas and their Predecessors.

Further details of each lecture are available from TASH web site or on request.

10.00 for 10.30 at the New Windmill Hall, Upminster 
The price of £30.00 Includes three lectures, each of an hour’s duration, two coffees and a buffet lunch. (Please try to book by the 19th April, so that catering arrangements can be planned)

About Chloe Sayer 

TASH meets at The New Windmill Hall, St Mary's Lane, Upminster, RM14 2QH. Doors open from 10:00 am, every 2nd Tuesday morning of the month apart from July and August.
Interested in joining? Please contact the Membership Secretary, via info@tashavering.org.uk  or have a look at the web site: 

tashavering.org.uk/AboutUs/AboutUs.aspx
www.facebook.com/groups/199870022175485

A talk about William Kent - Artist, Architect and Garden Designer

Caroline Knight will give the Arts Society Havering's April Lecture on William Kent.

William trained as an artist before spending ten years in Italy, where he studied painting, classical buildings and Italian gardens. As well as painting ceilings for Chiswick House and Kensington Palace, he worked as an architect, garden designer and interior decorator, and designed some impressive pieces of furniture. His gardens at Rousham (Oxfordshire) and Stowe (Buckinghamshire) are the finest surviving examples of the new landscape garden.   
Caroline Knight is an architectural historian who trained at the Courtauld, specialising in 16th to 18th century English and Scottish architecture.  

Date: Tuesday 12 April 2022
Venue: New Windmill Hall, Upminster RM14 2QH.
Doors open 10:00 am for 10:45am start. 

This event is open to visitors for a fee of £8:00.  
tashavering.org.uk/Lectures/FutureLectures.aspx 
www.facebook.com/groups/199870022175485 

or contact TASH at info@tashavering.org.uk, or telephone 01708 221903

Live theatrical fun in Harold Wood this coming week

The farcical comedy Moon Over Buffalo, by Ken Ludwig is being brought to life by Guildonian Players - and its going to be great evening's entertainment!

Set in 1953, while Charlotte and George Hay are on tour in Buffalo, New York (with a repertoire consisting of Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward's Private Lives), they receive word that Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee! They might just have one last shot at movie stardom after all ... With pratfalls, slamming doors and backstage shenanigans a-plenty, Moon Over Buffalo is both a hilarious comedy in the old tradition and a love letter to the stage and the larger-than-life personalities that inhabit the world of the theatre.

Show dates are 16-19 March, at 8pm nightly plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Tickets are £8 and you can buy online from guildonian-players.sumup.link or reserve to pay on the door by calling 07762 133620.

Don't miss this wonderful play!

Alfons Mucha - a talk by Charles Harris

Alfon Mucha and the Creative Process  
 
The Arts Society of Havering are delighted to present a talk by Charles Harris -  Tuesday 08 March 2022 at The  New Windmill Hall, Upminster

Alfons Mucha quite literally wrote the book on Art Nouveau. Documents Décoratifs became the definitive text on the subject. Everything that is best about the style- elaborate ornamentation with themes from nature, fine draftsmanship, idealised feminine subjects, symbolism and allegory. It all flourished through him at the highest level. The Master of the Decorative Panel and one of the four great masters of the Poster in the Belle Epoque, he learned much from Sarah Bernhardt, created jewellery, stained glass windows and the Great Slav Epic.  
 
Charles Harris -  Focusing on the role of posters and poster artists in the history of advertising, this global-award winning Creative Director of international advertising agencies has lectured extensively on design, illustration and photographic styles as they have influenced the building of brands. He has himself created posters for major brands including British Airways, Nestlé, Sony, General Motors and Shell. His travel writing and photography has appeared in various airline magazines as well as Time. He has also written and produced several hundred TV and Radio commercials and corporate video programmes. A member of Winchester DFAS. 
 
The New Windmill Hall, St Mary's Lane, Upminster, RM14 2QH 
 
Doors open from 10:00 am, every 2nd Tuesday morning of the month apart from July and August. 
Cost is £8:00 for visitors/non-members

Please contact the Membership Secretary, via info@tashavering.org.uk if you think you may be interested in joining TASH.   
 
Alternatively have a look at their website:  
tashavering.org.uk/AboutUs/AboutUs.aspx 
www.facebook.com/groups/199870022175485 

Calling all Music Lovers

Havering Concert Orchestra invite you on a grand musical tour from the comfort of New Windmill Hall, Upminster! Be musically transported through five countries with: 

• Rossini’s overture to The Barber of Seville
• Faure’s Pelléas et Mélisande
• Beethoven’s String Quartet Op.18 No 1
• DvoÅ™ák’s Slavonic Dances
• Elgar’s Engima Variations
  
  The concert will be held at 3pm on Sunday 20 March 2022 
  ​Advance tickets will be available online via www.hcoweb.co.uk

Havering Singers Cancel Concert

In the light of the recent increase in covid cases, Havering Singers have taken the sad decision to cancel their Christmas Concert at Holy Cross Church, Hornchurch, this coming Saturday. 

Two Christmas Concerts this weekend

Fancy listening to some live singing this Saturday? Two local choirs are performing two very different programmes in the borough:

Havering Singers
Havering Singers are pleased to bring you a concert of Traditional Christmas Carols at Holy Cross Church, 260 Hornchurch Rd, Hornchurch, RM11 1PX

Saturday 18 December
7:30pm - 9:30pm

Ticket Price £12, Children £5

The Sound Company
The Sound Company will be perform their Christmas Concert featuring Christmas classics and carols - with mince pies and mulled wine too - at All Saints Church, Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch RM11 2LG

Saturday 18 December
7:30pm

Ticket Price £7, Children £4 (under 16s) and family ticket £18 (2 adults, 2 children)

Its Showtime!

Two of our member groups are back on stage!

This week, 19-21 November, Kytes perform The Wisdom of Eve (filmed as All About Eve) at Brentwood Theatre - 01277 200305 for tickets
Next week, 24-27 November, Guildonian Players perform Unnecessary Farce at The Little Theatre, The Drive, Harold Wood RM3 0DU. Buy tickets online guildonian-players.sumup.link or reserve tickets to pay on the door by calling 07762 133620 (cash or card).

For a great night out and to support your local creatives, book your seats now!
#TheArtsStrikeBack!

Celebrating Beethovens Big Birthday

The Havering Concert Orchestra (HCO) is presenting an Autumn Concert, ‘Belated Birthday Beethoven’.

Last Summer HCO were going to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th Birthday with a concert dedicated to him but were thwarted by Covid thwarted that. They are now preparing for the Concert to be held at 7:30 pm on Saturday 20 November 2021 at the Frances Bardsley Academy, Brentwood Road, Romford RM1 2RR.

The programme is:

- Mozart - Overture Don Giovanni
- Beethoven - Quartet Op 18 No 1
- Wagner - Tristan and Isolde
- Mendelssohn - The Hebrides Overture
- Delius - On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
- Beethoven - Symphony No 7

Advance tickets will be available online at £10 - or £12 on the door. More details can be found on their website

Capella Singers recruiting now

The Cappella Singers of Upminster need new members - would you like to join?

The Cappella Singers have been performing in Upminster for over 50 years. They are a chamber choir, meaning that they sing ‘chamber music’ – that is: madrigals, motets, part-songs and the like. Their repertoire includes music by living composers eg John Rutter, and classical work by such as Brahms, Mendelssohn, and early music by William Byrd and others.

Christmas is coming!

The choir is about to start rehearsing for a Christmas concert which will include (of course!) a number of carols - a great time to start.

New members welcome  

Cappella would welcome new members - they currently have 15 singers - so why not pop along on a Thursday evening to Trinity United Reformed Church, Station Road rehearsals are from 7.30 to 9.30 each week?

If you are interested in joining the choir please contact Ian Pirie on 01708 641718, email: ian_michael_pirie@btinternet.com

Try drumming this Sunday

Hosted by Rhythm Connections facilitator Marc Cecil, Jazz drummer, teacher & Facilitator; His sessions ensure fun for all ages

MARC CECIL

PRODUCT DESIGN / FACILITATOR

Marc has lectured at Middlesex Uni, The Colchester Inst. & Darlington College of Arts, played West End shows including Billy Elliot and Blood Brothers & performed at venues such as Ronnie Scotts, Glastonbury & Wembley.

Absolutely brilliant. Children were engaged from the very start.  Can’t rate it highly enough.– P E Coach (African Drumming)

Wesley present a show!

Wesley

Enriching Lives through The Arts

The Arts Society, Havering meet at the New Windmill Hall, Upminster, for monthly lectures. Their autumn/winter programme, including information on a Study Day on 27th October 2021 can be seen here

You can visit their website

tashavering.org.uk/AboutUs/AboutUs.aspx

or you can contact them at info@tashavering.org.uk 

The Arts Society of Havering

We are delighted to welcome The Arts Society of Havering as members of Havering Arts Council. The Arts Society of Havering are a Member Society of The Arts Society and run a fascinating set of lectures at The New Windmill Hall, Upminster, and by Zoom.. You can see all about them on their website https://tashavering.org.uk/AboutUs/AboutUs.aspx 

Virtual Singing Workshop

An opportunity to join a virtual singing workshop via Zoom with Jonathan Rathbone on the 27th of March at 2:30 pm. Jonathan is a former chorister at Coventry Cathedral and was MD with the Swingle Singers. Jonathan has worked with Havering Singers to produce some beautiful performance videos over the various lockdowns which you can see on our website.  If you would like to join in the workshop, which is free of charge, email JRVIRTUALCHOIR@GMAIL,COM

New Havering Singers performance

Havering Singers produced another song by Zoom - this time Ae Fond Kiss and arranged by Jonathan Rathbone - please enjoy!

Havering Singers continue to meet online. See www.haveringsingers.org.uk

A great time to join us

We are delighted to welcome three new members to Havering Arts Council:

• The Habbit Factory - associate member organisation
• Havering Astrology - member society (diverse)
• Creative photographer Hannah Davis - individual member

This year our membership fees are waived - why don't you join us?!

Sir Cliff Richard: A Tribute - tonight

Unable to get together for rehearsals and performances, the United Singers Choral Ensemble has been assembling individually recorded tracks into new pieces, arranged by their musical director Tom Rodgers. Formed in 2015, the choir, which is based at Hornchurch Methodist Church, is working on a summer programme of music from the 1950s and 60s. Although they are unable to get together at the moment, the ensemble welcomes new members, for information see their website www.unitedsingers.co.uk.  

Their first contribution to the Havering Arts Festival Online is a tribute to the legendary Sir Cliff Richard, who will celebrate his 80th birthday later this year. The tribute will premiere on Havering Culture’s YouTube channel at 7pm this evening (Tuesday 30 June) and is free to watch.

June Art Competition Winners

We've had a wonderful array of entries for the June Art Exhibition, and the winners are:

• Adult painting: Harry Potter by James Hill
• Adult photograph: Swan Senerity by Yazz Stevens
• 11-18 years: Home by Amy Delicata aged 14
• 10 and under: Rafferty's Recycled Rainforest by Rafferty aged 8

These winning artists are invited to show their pictures in a spring exhibition at the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch.

You can preview the July entries received to date which are in a gallery in the Havering Arts Festival Online section: 

Please keep your entries coming in! haveringartscouncil@live.co.uk

Havering Arts Festival Online

Have you seen our new section showcasing Havering Arts Festival Online? We have teamed up with Havering Arts Development to celebrate all the arts activities in the borough over the summer. There are pictures and videos of music, drama and dance - and we will keep you up to date with the activities you can enjoy from your own home. Watch this space!

Art Exhibition - voting now open

Voting is now open for our June Competition! Please do have a browse, and vote for your favourite picture. There is an adult section and another for young people under the age of 18, and you can vote once in each gallery. Do enjoy the wonderful work we have on display from our very talented artists.

Our Art Exhibition - new pictures on view

The June Gallery is now open for viewing! This month we have put the adult entries in one gallery and the under 18's in another,  to enable voting for both one adult and one young person's entry.

We are expecting a few more pictures to come in over the next couple of days, and voting will open on Friday 29 May - so start browsing and on Friday you can vote for your favourite! 

My Pup wins the May Competition

And the winner of our May Art Competition Adult Section is Alison Holt for her beautiful painting My Pup. Congratulations, Alison! Her picture will form part of an exhibition at the Queens Theatre Hornchurch in Spring 2021.

Monologue Challenge May 2020

Havering Arts Development has issued a drama challenge for actors, writers and anyone who loves live performance - the team is asking for residents to submit a short 30 - 60 second video of themselves performing a favourite passage from a book, play, film, poem, or something they’ve written themselves.

The deadline is Sunday 24 May, entries by email to: arts@havering.gov.uk.

Entrants are asked to keep social distancing etiquette while recording videos, and ideally record them in landscape format.

May picture gallery

We've had a brilliant response to the virtual art exhibition/competitions. The May Gallery features an array of pictures from artists of all ages - here are a couple of our younger artists and their work ...

And here is our youngest entrant Reggie Fisher

June is coming!
We already have forty entries for the June Gallery which will be on display next weekend. If you would like to enter, just email a picture of your work of art to haveringartscouncil@live.co.uk

Have you seen Joes Flip Book?

We have had some amazing entries to our art competition - and this moving flip book by Joe Read, made during lockdown, is the most unusual - do enjoy!

If you haven't viewed our May Gallery  have a browse ...

2020 Virtual Art Exhibition in full swing

We have lots of lovely entries in our May picture gallery from all ages - if you haven't yet seen it, have a browse and vote for your favourite entry.  Pictures are already coming in for June - if you would like to exhibit some of your work, simply take a photograph of it, and email it to us at haveringartscouncil@live.co.uk. It can be an existing piece, or a new one.

Competition
We are running a monthly competition - one entry per artist per month -  but you can enter as many months as you wish. The adult section is for 18's and over, and there are sections for younger people too - ages 11-17 years, and children up to age 10. 

Winners' Exhibition at the Queens Theatre Spring 2021
The winners from our virtual exhibition are invited to put their original pictures on display in a special exhibition at the Queens Theatre in Spring 2021 (subject, of course, to the situation allowing). And we also plan to hold our usual annual exhibition at the Queens in July 2021.

We look forward to receiving your work!

Havering Arts Council are grateful to the Havering Arts team and the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch, for their support.

2020 Virtual Art Exhibitions

We are inviting exibits for our first ever virtual art exhibition! Unable to hold our annual summer art exhibition in the Queens Theatre this year, we are adding a gallery section to this website. If you would like to exhibit some of your work, simply take a photograph of it, and email it to us at haveringartscouncil@live.co.uk. It can be an existing piece, or a new one, and we plan to hold an open monthly competition, starting in May (one entry per artist per month -  you can enter as many months as you wish). The adult section is for 18's and over, and there will be sections for younger people too - ages 11-17 years, and children up to age 10. We hope that there will be lots of entries to brighten up the web, so that the public can view and enjoy them on line. Do email us with any queries - meantime we look forward to receiving photos of your lovely pictures! 

Winners' Exhibition at the Queens Theatre next Spring
The winners from our virtual exhibition are invited to put their original pictures on display in a special exhibition at the Queens Theatre in Spring 2021 (subject, of course, to the situation allowing). And we also plan to hold our usual exhibition at the Queens in July 2021.

Havering Arts Council are grateful to the Havering Arts team and the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch, for their support.

Arts update

As everyone is painfully aware, the Coronavirus Pandemic has halted our usual lives and activiities. There are many things we now cannot do, but on a positive note,  there are also many things we can do - as long as we keep our distance from each other! We are coming up with a package of ideas for activities we can do at home, and things we can do together (from different physical locations) using technology. Although we need to keep apart, we don't need to feel isolated, and so Havering Arts Council is beavering away to support all of our members and the general public in the pursuit and realisation of all of our arts at this unprecedented time. Keep watching our news feed and our blog - which is interactive. We can get some threads of conversation going now. Meantime, keep safe and more news very soon.
Chrissie x

Dead Ringer comes to Harold Wood

It's GuildosGo at The Little Theatre, Harold Wood this week with a run of Charles Ross's Dead Ringer. The political drama, which is set in the 1980's, takes place in the Prime Minister's study, No. 10 Downing Street, the night before an election. The PM suddenly drops dead from an apparent heart attack, but the party needs his charisma to win. His close colleagues fear that without his charisma, the party will lose the election - can they 'keep him alive' for a couple of days? What begins as a humerous fantasy quickly becomes a tangled web of intrigue ... is anybody quite who they seem?

Wednesday 11 March - Saturday 14 March at 8pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

Tickets just £8 on the door - you can reserve seats by calling 01708 341442

Macbeth at Queens Theatre

If you love your Shakespeare, there's a great production of the infamous Scottish Play running at the Queens Theatre until 29 Feb - it then goes off on tour to Derby. Dark and moody, with dramatic performances and effects, its an absorbing show. See queens-theatre.co.uk

The Matchgirls musical showing this week

Havering Music Makers are presenting the musical The Matchgirls at Thameside Theatre, Orsett Road, Grays, RM17 5DX. Performances at 7.30pm on Thursday 13 to Saturday 15 February, plus 2.30 Saturday matinee.
Tickets available from thameside.ticketsolve.com/show or call 0345 3005264.

Its still panto time

The College Players are performing their annual panto this weekend - and this year its Snow White and the Super 7. This traditional family panto, suitable for both adults and children alike, is taking place at  South Weald Parish Hall, 85 London Road, Brentwood CM14 4NP on Saturday 1 Feb from 17:30-19:30 and Sunday 2 Feb from 14:30-16:30.

Tickets are available from the box office - call 07775 882 949: 

Adults £7.50
Children £5.00
Family £22.00

Queens Theatre Fundraising Quiz

Challenge your friends with a fun and friendly night out. Filled with tricky questions, laughs and some music, you’ll be entertained throughout!

Queen’s Theatre Fundraising Quiz
Thursday 6 February at 7.30pm
£8.65/person (includes 65p transformation fee) Tables: 6-8 
 
Tables of 6-8 people. To book your table, call the Box Office team on 01708 443333

Thanks to Barclays for their sponsorship

Happy New Year

We would like to wish all our members and everyone involved in the arts in Havering a very Happy New Year! We look forward to working with you in 2020 - may it be a great year for the arts.

All Creatures Great and Small

An evening of poetry & prose

The Harlequins present their annual evening of poetry and prose at Gidea Park Library - coincidentally on election night! Themed All Creatures Great and Small, the topic is the animal world and features pieces about animals and how we interact with them. Some pieces are funny, some poignant, but overall the programme gives a lighthearted and entertaining evening. With your favourite regulars Vernon Keeble-Watson, Bill Wells, Marion Churchill and Jim Rimell, who has arranged the programme.

Tickets can be booked at the library and by calling them on 01708 434978. Library members £7, non-members £8.50.  Interval refreshments included.

Last chance for Perfect Wedding in Harold Wood

Guildonian’s current production of Robin Hawdon’s Perfect Wedding has been delighting audiences all week. This very funny farce has them rolling in the aisles. With capacity audiences the last two nights, and today’s matinee sold out too, tonight is the last opportunity to enjoy this lovely show. So why not treat yourself to an evening of live theatre and come along to The Little Theatre, The Drive, Harold Wood, RM3 0DU. Doors open at  7:30 for 8pm performance. Just £8 a ticket! 

 ‘Outstanding- the pace and comic timing from everyone was superb’

‘The set was beautiful and the split stage worked to perfection’ 

‘A huge thank you for a most enjoyable evening. I would happily see it again’

Havering Singers announces forthcoming programme

Havering Singers have lined up four great concerts, one for each season - plus the opportunity to join in a workshop in January, with the option of getting involved in the Easter concert.

Full details are below:

Concert - Brahms Requiem 
Saturday 16 November 2019 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm 
Venue: Holy Cross Church, Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch RM11 1PX 
Brahms German Requiem, sung in English, accompanied by two pianists at the same piano keyboard. 
Tickets for this concert are £13, discounted to £11 if bought and paid for in advance (by Wednesday 13th November). 
£5 for children and students aged 5 - 17. 
Friends of Havering Singers will receive their usual discount. 

Music for Christmas  
Saturday 21 December 2019 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm 
Venue: Holy Cross Church, Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch RM11 1PX 
A new approach this year: Classic Christmas Carols and Songs accompanied by a small orchestral ensemble and we are joined by St Mary's Primary School Choir  
Tickets for this concert are £10 /  £5 for children and students aged 5 - 17  
Friends  of Havering Singers will receive their usual discount. 

Spring Concert - Messiah
Saturday 4 April 2020 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Venue: St Peter's Church, Gubbins Lane, Harold Wood, RM3 0QA
Handel's glorious oratorio accompanied by the Concordia Orchestra, arranged by Sue Catmur, and four talented soloists to be announced
Tickets for this concert are £15, discounted to £13 if bought and paid for in advance (by Wednesday 1st April).
£5 for children and students aged 5 - 17.
Friends of Havering Singers will receive their usual discount. 

Summer Concert - Sounds of the 60s 
Saturday 18 July 2020 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm 
Venue: St Peter's Church, Gubbins Lane, Harold Wood, RM3 0QA 
Songs from the Beach Boys, The Beatles, Cliff,  Sandy Shaw (of course!) and many, many more 
Tickets for this concert are £12, discounted to £10 if bought and paid for in advance (by Wednesday 15th July). 
£5 for children and students aged 5 - 17. 
Friends of Havering Singers will receive their usual discount 

Come and Sing Workshop for Handel's Messiah  
Saturday 18th January 2020 10:00am to 4:00pm 
Venue: St Andrew's Church, 222 High Street, Hornchurch, Essex, RM12 6QP 
Cost for the day, including music hire, is  £5.00  

Havering Singers say 'This will be a great opportunity to try Choral Singing and will include favourites  from Handel's Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus & Unto us a Child is Born. Those who attend will be given the opportunity to join us for Wednesday rehearsals and to sing with us in the concert on the 4th April 2020'. 

Drama Festival - Brentwood Theatre

The annual festival of one act plays run by Brentwood Catholic Theatre Club takes place this week at Brentwood Theatre,  with performances from 7.30pm on Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 September nightly, plus Saturday afternoon from 2.30pm. The festival features several original plays in a variety of genres, so do come along and see some of the array of local talent! The festival will be adjudicated and Awards presented on Saturday night after the final play. Tickets are available online and the full programme can be seen here

Art Exhibition celebrations

The 2019 Havering Art Exhibition which has been displayed in the foyer of The Queens Theatre for the past three weeks concluded yesterday with celebratory tea and cakes, and presentation of awards. There were winners in the categories of  Acrylics, Watercolour, Pastel, Pencil, Ink, and Other Media. There was a People’s Favourite Award won by Richard Pescod for his painting Mother Hen, and Overall Winner Barbara Thraves for her striking portrait of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Eight Highly Commended Certificates were also awarded. The full list of winners and their works can be seen here.

Paul Kelly, immediate Past Chairman of Havering Arts Council conducted the awards presentation, with local artist Adrian Henderson, who organised the exhibition with Paul, and did the judging. Here are a couple of happy winners - more pictures to follow.

Art Exhibition Awards Event

As this year’s art exhibition draws to a close there will be an awards presentation at 3pm on Friday 26 July in the foyer of The Queens Theatre. Prizes in a variety of categories, including the People’s Choice which has been voted for by visitors. Awards and pictures coming soon. Watch this space!

Havering Drama Festival Gala Night

Havering's 2019 Drama Festival culminated last night in a gala event at Langtons Grand Hall with an evening of celebration and prizegiving. Six groups entered this year's peripatetic festival with a range of productions:

• New Venture Players - Kindertransport
• Wesley Players – The 39 Steps
• Spotlight Theatre Company -  Bothered and Bewildered
• Ad Hoc Players – Twelfth Night
• Guildonian Players – Jane Eyre
• Romford Summer Theatre – Macbeth

Festival adjudicator Jill Colby gave a resume of the productions and announced the awards, and Deputy Mayor Councillor John Mylod and outgoing Havering Arts Council Chairman Paul Kelly were on hand to present the trophies. The festival has fifteen awards covering a variety of skills and aspects of production, including, best actors, costume, youth awards and many more. The overall winners were Wesley Players with The Thirty Nine Steps. Guildonian Players were Runners Up with their original production of Jane Eyre. A full list of nominees, awards and winners is here.

Our annual Art Exhibition is open!

Havering Arts Council's 2019 Open Art Exhibiiton is now on display in the foyer of the Queens Theatre, Billet Lane Hornchurch. Do pop in and discover what some of our local artists have produced. We have lots of entries this year and not enough wall space to show them all at once - so the display will rotate each week. The exhibition runs untl 26 July, when, at 3pm there will be an awards ceremony. You can vote for the People's Choice award, so why browse and add your voice? Exhibition open all day (ie during usual building open hours)

Jane Eyre premieres at Harold Wood

A new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s gothic novel Jane Eyre opens tomorrow night in Harold Wood, it's a big show which traces Jane's childhood all the way to her reunion with Mr Rochester, featuring thirty six characters and multi-locations.  Guildonian Players cast and crew are joined by eight young performers  from Store Room Youth Theatre to bring Jane’s early years alive. The play runs from 12 - 15 June at 8pm nightly, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Tickets £8, available on the door and can be reserved on 01708 341442. 

The Queens Theatre offers free movement based workshops!

Join in fun workshops led by the Artistic Director of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Douglas Rintoul and Choreographer Sundeep Saini.

Workshops will take place on the Main Stage on:

Sat 1 Jun | 10am - 1pm

Sat 1 Jun | 2pm - 5pm

For those who would like to attend both workshops, a sandwich lunch will be provided.

The workshops will be movement based, and will include testing out choreographic ideas as well as learning part of a routine and working alongside a professional creative team.

Sessions are suitable for all ages (16+) and we welcome all levels of experience (including no previous experience).

To book visit our Box Office or call 01708 443333.

Havering Arts Festival 2019

The Havering arts scene is buzzing!  For the fifth year in succession, Havering Arts Council, working with LBH's Arts Development team and others active in the arts, bring you the Havering Arts Festival. Details of all summer events are in an attractive brochure  - and there are several thousand in circulation. All aspects of art can be enjoyed - including concerts,  art exihibitions, a film fesitival and a drama festival. So have a look and don't miss out on the wealth of local talent and entertainment!

Kindertransport opens tonight

The New Venture Players’s production of Kindertransport, written by Diane Samuels, opens tonight at Brentwood Theatre at 8pm. Tickets available on the door or in advance through  the theatre’s website or box office 01277 231265.

The Dresser - Havering and Brentwood working together

It’s showtime!  The Dresser performs this week at Brentwood Theatre - Thursday 28-Saturday 30 March at 8pm - Ronald Harwood's classic -  to be greatly enjoyed by anyone involved in/in love with the theatre. Set in 1942 at the height of the blitz, Sir is preparing for his 227th performance of King Lear  - but he can't remember the first line … will Norman, his trusty dresser perform a miracle and get him into costume and makeup ... and onto the stage? The show must go on!

This tender bitter-sweet love story to the theatre will make you laugh - and perhaps shed a tear. Its quite a play, with dressing room drama and snippets of King Lear. We have live timpani, a wind machine, knights with halberds... and so much more.  An array of colourful characters will be brought to you by our very talented actors (Brentwood and Havering based) - working their socks off -  who all share Sir's dream … a full house!

So this is where you come in - we hope to welcome many of you to Brentwood Theatre this week - please tell your friends!

Quiz Night coming up

There is a quiz night fund raiser for the Thames Chase Community Forest taking place at The Old Chapel, Upminster on Friday 8 February. Arrivals at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Only £5 per head - bring your own refreshments. Call 01708 642970 to book. Or email enquiries@thameschase.org.uk

100 years on - theatre remembers

This week, leading up to the centenery of Armistice Day, we are treated to Hutton Player's powerful production of Journey's End at Brentwood Theatre. It's well worth seeing but unless you have a ticket you will be out of luck as its completely sold out!  But opening on Wednesday 14 November, Guildonian Players present their tribute to the centenery - Angels of War. This lovely play is about the WAACs who drove ambulances in France carrying wounded soldiers to safety. Life was hard and danger close, but humour helped them through - especially when dealing with their Commandant ... 'the old cow'! The play performs at the Little Theatre, Methodist Church, The Drive, Harold Wood, RM3 0DU at 8pm nightly, with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets just £8. To reserve seats, call 01708 782118

Adrians 2019 Calendar is now available

Local artist Adrian Henderson's beautiful 2019 calendar is now on sale. It features thirteen lovely cats all drawn in pastels. The cost is £10 pounds each, plus £2 if you would like your calendar posted to you. Adrian says that profits from the sales will be divided between his church and a cats' protection charity. You may remember that the 2018 calendar featured steam locomotives - next year wiil feature dogs. If you would like to buy a calendar, you can email Adrian at a.henderson1943@yahoo.com or call him on 01708 370649.

The Lady in the Van

Kytes Theatre Group come to Brentwood Theatre 25-27 October with Alan Bennett’s hilarious autobiographical play about Miss Shepherd who parked her van on his driveway for a couple of nights and stayed for fifteen years! The Lady in the Van - tickets £13 Shows start at 8pm.

Havering Singers Autum Concert

If you are fond of music, here is a date for your diary:  Saturday 24th November 2018 @ 7.30pm when Havering Singers give their Autumn Concert. The venue is  St Peter's Church, Gubbins Lane, Harold Wood, RM3 0QA and they will be performing Handel's Four Coronation Anthems & John Rutter's Magnificat. You can book for the Early Bird price until Wednesday 21st November at the cost of £11 - after that its £13  (Children £5)

Drama Festival this week

The BC Drama Festival of one act plays is now running at Brentwood Theatre. Its selling well so best to check availabililty to avoid disappointment! 

Disco Inferno! Fri 21 September

To celebrate the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch turning 65 they are having a special 70's themed party and would love for you to come.

Dress up, dance the night away and raise vital funds for your local theatre! The night starts with a live band, made up of actors from previous musicals, performing the very best tracks of the decade to dance along to, followed by a disco playing till late.  
 
For more information and to book tickets call the Box Office on 01708 443333 or visit their website

As a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity, all funds raised will go towards helping fund the theatre’s wide-reaching, unique programme of live theatre and community and education projects. This includes working with young people and the community, investing in and nurturing artistic talent and making theatre accessible.

Disco Inferno - Fri 21 September - £25
Doors open 8.30pm 
Live band from 9pm
Disco till late

Art Exhibition - a few more treasures ...

Come and see the variety of artwork on display from our local artists ... here are a few more entries:

Art Exhibition - time to vote!

Our 2018 Art Exhibition continues in the foyer of the Queens Theatre, and the people of havering are invited to vote for the People's Favourite Award. There are some beautiful works on diplay, some in oil, some watercolour, acrylic, pastel, pen and ink, fineliner - and on different materials including board, paper and silk ... why not come along and see what some of our local artists have created? To whet your appetite, here are a few examples. The exhibition runs until 8 September, so still plenty of opportunity to visit.       

Havering Open Art Exhibition 2018

We are pleased to announce that this year's Havering Open Art Exhibition is now on display at the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch. There are a great variety of paintings on display, worked in various mediums, and we encourage everyone to come along and see the sort of work that is being produced in our borough. Copies of the catalogue of entries are available at the exhibition and downloadable here for your perusal. We hope that you will have a chance to visit the display, which is open throughout theatre opening hours until 8th September, and look forward to meeting many of you during the course of the exhibition. There is a competitive element, including the People's Favourite picture, so why not bring the family and have your vote!

Concert postponed

Opera Favourites at The Old Chapel, in Upminster which was scheduled for Sunday 29th July at 2pm is postponed. A new date will be arranged shortly.

Festival fun at Langtons House

There was much fun to be had at Langtons House last Thursday night, 12 July,  as this year's Havering Drama Festival drew to a close with an evening of celebration and awards. Festival adjudicator Louise Manders gave a lively round up, with hononoured guests The Mayor and Mayoress of Havering, Councillor Dilip Patel and Councillor Nisha Patel, and Chairman of Havering Arts Council Paul Kelly present.

This year six groups took part with a wide range of plays from Shakespeare, to Alan Ayckbourne and Oh What a Lovely War. They were competing for fourteen awards, one of which was new this year - The Beryl Scholfield Memorial Cup for the Most Memorable Theatrical Moment. It has been given to Havering by Louise Manders and family in memory of her mother. The full list of nominees and winners can be viewed here.

Vernon Keeble-Watson was the MC for the evening and music was provided by Tom Hind.

Jazz on a Summers Evening

Enjoy an evening of jazz in the barn with exciting trio Without Words. The event is on 20 July at Thames Chase Forest Centre, and is a fund raiser for Thames Chase Trust. Tickets are  £12 - booking essential - tea and coffee available, but bring own drinks and nibbles!

Contact: 01708  642970

Thames Chase Forest Centre - Pike Lane - UPMINSTER - RM14 3NS

Shakespeare in the park

This glorious summer weather is perfect for enjoying an open air show - so why not come along to the beautiful Raphael Park and see Romford Summer Theatre’s current production of The Taming of the Shrew? This very funny play performs on The Rockery at 8pm tonight, with matinee July at 3pm. Further evening performances on 5,6 & 7 July at 8pm.

Evening shows offer interval catering, and parking on the field via Parkway entrance. NB matinee has no catering, although the park cafes are open. And no inside parking on a Sunday afternoon - cricket in progress!

Tickets £10 (£8 concessions) available on the door, or online www.ticketsource.co.uk/Romfordsummertheatre

Urgent - actor needed now

New Venture Players are looking for a man (late 20s - early 40s) to take part in our next production. The production of Outside Edge will take place in the open air at Great & Little Warley Cricket Field, Thurs 30th Aug - Sat 1st Sept (including a matinee). Rehearsals Monday’s and Thursday’s effective immediately. If you are interested you can contact them via their FaceBook page 

Improbable Fiction

Alan Ayckbourn's 'Improbable Fiction' is a zany comedy brought to life by Guildonians at Harold Wood htis week. If you fancy a fun and slightly wacky evening's entertainment, come along to The Little Theatre, Harold Wood Methodist Church, The Drive, Harold Wood, RM3 0DU. Shows begin at 8pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday plus Saturday matinee at 2.30pm (doors open 30 minutes before the performance). 'Improbable Fiction' is another entry in this year's Havering Arts Festival

Madame Blavatsky Lives

And this week your theatrical entertainment from our member groups is Spotlight with Madame Blavatsky Lives! After a great last night it’s playing for another two performances: tonight and tomorrow, Friday and Saturday 1 and 2 June, at The Collier Row Methodist Church Hall, Clockhouse Lane, RM5 3QP.

This production is another entry in this summer’s Havering Drama Festival - look them up on FaceBook!

Madame Blavatsky Lives

This week Spotlight Theatre Company perform Madame Blavatsky Lives at the Methodist Church Hall, Clockhouse Lane, Collier Row. Performances are on Friday and Saturday 1st and 2nd June at 7.30pm. It is the fourth play so far which is entered in this year’s Havering Drama Festival. This play, written by Joan Greening, is described as a funny and poignant comedy .. see Spotlight’s Facebook page for more information.

WI Blues

Wesley Players next play opens tonight in Upminster. WI Blues is described as 'a full-length drama - with plenty of comedy to lighten the darkness!' Tickets available on the door or in advance on 07708 214742. 

Havering Arts Council AGM 2018

Havering Arts Council AGM will be held on 19th June at Fairkytes Arts Centre, starting at 7.30pm. Why not come along and find out more about what we do - and give us your suggestions!

Theres a War on !

College Players’ production of Oh What a Lovely War opens tonight at South Weald Parish Hall and promises to be a great evening’s entertainment with live music and a cast of thousands ... well, over twenty, but they do rush about! Looking forward to seeing the show. Break a leg! 

Havering Arts Festival 2018

Havering Arts Festival 2018 will run from 26 April to 29 July. It gets underway with Ad Hoc Players performing Catherine Cookson's The Fifteen Streets at Brentwood Theatre, 26-28 April. The festival features music, drama, dance and so much more. Check out our calendar of events and watch this news feed and blog.

The show must go on

And Havering Arts Festival opened last night at Brentwood Theatre, with with Ad Hoc Players performing Catherine Cookson's The Fifteen Streets which runs 26-28 April. Huge congratulations and well wishes to leading actor Neil Gray who managed to perform, despite the fact he should have been in bed with his badly injured knee - living proof that the show must go on. This play also opens the 2018 Havering Drama festival which runs concurrently with the arts festival. The  arts festival features music, drama, dance and so much more. Check out our calendar of events and watch this news feed and blog. 

Sounds a gift from BBC!

The BBC has made its sound effects archive available to the public for free use for the first time. The archive incorporates effects used by the corporation's radio output since the 1920s - in the region of 16,000 sound files! I’ve had a quick surf and it’s really good - thanks Auntie.

Concert next Sunday afternoon

Havering Concert Orchestra will be giving a concert at The Windmill Hall, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster, on Sunday 18 March at 3pm. Conducted by Bill Brooks, the programme features some Elgar, Coates, Binge and Farnon - what a treat for a Sunday afternoon! Tickets are £10 on the door, or £8 if you book in advance - see www.hco.co.uk

Last chance to see Pygmalion

New Venture Players' current production Pygmalion has its final two performances at Brentwood Theatre on Saturday 10 March. Matinee performance at 2.30pm and evening at 8pm. Some tickets still available call 01277 200305.

Opportunity to see a watercolour demonstration

Elmwood Art Society is hosting a watercolour demo by Heather Brown on the 26th March 2018 at the Elm Park Baptist Church Hall starting at 7.30pm. Non members are very welcome to come along - there is a £5 entrance fee.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all! A year of opportunity beckons, with lots of projects already planned and many more to be imagined. Our annual summer Arts Festival runs from May to July, and if you haven't sent us your event details, please do so right away so that we can include in the brochure. Email haveringartscouncil@live.org.uk

Merry Christmas

Havering Arts Council wishes all our members, and those who support us, a very Merry Christmas and lots of luck in the New Year! Talking of which, if you haven't yet sent us your show/event dates for the calendar and/or inclusion in the Arts Festival Brochure, you are overdue - better make it your New Year's resolution! Send us dates (even provisional) and any artwork for immediate display.
Looking forward to working with you in 2018.
All good wishes from Paul, Jill, Candy, Ian, Chrissie and Claire.

Christmas is coming to Raphael Park!

This Saturday, 9 December, how about popping along to Raphael and Lodge Farm Park for the Christmas Fair? It's the first of its a kind and a lovely idea - and there will be stalls and carol singing in Raphael Park and steam train rides for the Children in Lodge Farm Park. See you there!

The Happiest Days ...

Guildonian Players’ show this week is selling out! ‘The Happiest Days of Your Life’ is set in 1948 and was made famous in the 1950 film starring Margaret Rutherford, Joyce Grenfell and Alastair Sim.  The show is the precursor to the more anarchic St Trinians films and is clearly appealing to audiences, with barely any tickets left for the Wednesday-Friday evening performances. There is some availability for the Saturday matinee and good availability for Saturday evening, so we encourage everyone to drag themselves away from the Saturday night tv and enjoy this whimsical and very funny farce in your local live theatre. Reserve seats on 01708 782118. Venue: The Little Theatre, Harold Wood Methodist Church, The Drive, Harold Wood, RM3 ODU  - 3 minutes from Harold Wood Station and buses, parking at venue in car park or on street. 8-11 November, 8pm nightly, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee.

Spooky night with Spotlight ...

Spotlight are holding a Spooky Halloween quiz on 28 October 2017! The event takes place at Thordon Countryside Centre, Thorndon Park North, The Avenue, Warley, Brentwood CM13 4RZ. 

7.30pm for 8pm start with Fish or Chicken and Chip supper, you are invited to bring your own drinks, although Thorndon cafe will be open for hot drinks. There will be a prize for best fancy dress, a raffle, and the evening will finish at 11pm. 

If you would like to book tickets (£10 each) please ring Emma on 07981 320386 for preference of chicken or fish before Thursday 26th Oct - although late choices possible. A spooktacular way to help Spotlight raise funds for future productions!

Havering Singers announce new MD

Havering Singers are excited and delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Jonathan Rathbone as their new MD. The choir is looking forward to producing some wonderful musical moments with Jonathan starting with their concert on 11th November

The week to catch a show

This week two of our local groups are performing plays - College Players with ‘Gaslight’ at Brentwood Theatre, and Wesley Players with ‘Trap for a Lonely Man’ at the Methodist Church Hall, Upminster. Anyone venturing further afield could see our Paul Sparrowham at Chelmsford in The Cat and and The Canary - now that’s a varied bill!

Drama Festival this week

Several Havering drama groups are competing in the long running Brentwood Catholic Theatre Club Festival this week at Brentwood Theatre. Each evening, and on Saturday afternoon, there is a varied bill of one act plays which are adjudicated at the end of each session. It's also an opportunity for local playwrights to have their work performed and this year a bumper crop of original works is on display. To see some great examples of local talent, pop along to the Brentwood Theatre from Wednesday 20 - Saturday 23 September - just £10 a ticket!

Brents Awards Night Tonight

And we're off to The Brents tonight! Paul Kelly and Chrissie O’Connor will be representing Havering Arts Council at Brentwood Theatre’s 2017 Brent Awards. Several Havering groups and actors are nominated and we wish everyone good luck. We are sponsoring Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and Paul will make the presentation - on opening the magic envelope tonight … watch this space!

The Brents will be streaming on Facebook Live and tweeting too, so follow #TheBrents2017

Limited edition calendar - an ideal Christmas gift!

Full steam ahead!

Local artist Adrian Henderson has created a beautiful calendar which features a collection of his watercolour paintings of steam engines. 

Printed by the Brentwood Community Printers - the owner just happens to be a railway enthusiast - the A4 sized calendar will be available around the end of September. Priced at just £12, each calendar will be signed and numbered by the artist as a limited edition. The profits will be going to charity. The paintings are all of steam trains from the 1950's and 60's and cover a range of  locomotives with all their dirt, based on old black and white photos.

Adrian said: 

‘This little project started as a bit of fun. Every year I get a calendar and most are so unimpressive. So I decided to do my own mainly for my friends and family. I also used it to perfect my watercolour technique’

This is the cover and one of Adrian's favourites: Camden Bank 1957

If you would like to buy one of these lovely calendars, let us now either by commenting on our blog or emailing haveringartscouncil@live.co.uk 

We rather like this one too: Paddington 1958

And The Peoples Favourite is

In the final award of this year's Havering Open Art Exhibition, the result of the People's Favourite is ... a dead heat! So two awards have been made, to Joyce Eade for Bumblebee, and Susan Walsh for Bathtime.

Congratulations to Joyce and to Susan, and to all the other award winners. Thanks to all those who voted for their personal favourite.

There's just one day left to see Bumblebee, Bathtime and nearly 40 other wonderful works of art in the foyer of the Queen's Theatre.

Havering Open Art Exhibition finale!

The Romford Recorder today featured the Havering Open Art Exhibition in a full page article, with photographs of some of the artists with their works, and listing the winners. After a three week run, the exhibition is now in its final days, so if you haven't seen it yet, pop along to the Queens Theatre today or tomorrow, Saturday 2 September.
PS The Peoples Choice award is to be announced this afternoon ... watch this space!

Final week of Havering Open Art Exhibition - winners announced!

And its week three of the Havering Open Art Exhibition at The Queens Theatre, Hornchurch - and some winners are announced!

Thirty nine local artists, many of them members of Havering Arts Council, have combined their talents to present a colourful exhibition over the past three weeks at Queen's Theatre. Owing to the popularity of the exhibition and the numbers participating there have been three separate displays. The final week's exhibition, which includes all of the winning pictures, will be on show at the Theatre until Saturday 2nd September.

Judged Best in Exhibition was a vibrant take on the countryside by Jill Mackness, of Collier Row. Other prize winners were Dee Spencer-Perkins for her charcoal and pastel drawing of Winston - a chicken with attitude, inspired by the actor Ray Winstone; Diana Hart with her watercolour of a kingfisher, Catch of the Day!; Yvonne Englefiled with her mixed media Autumn's Approach; and Jane Nicholas for her oil painting Fire and Ice.

Paul Kelly, Chairman of Havering Arts Council, said that the quality of the work entered into this year's Havering Open Art Exhibition has been extremely high, and the range of subject and materials have made for an excellent rolling exhibition. There is a high level of interest in the visual arts in the borough. There is yet the People's Choice Award to be judged, so get yourself along to Queens and let us know your favourite picture - every vote counts!

 by Jill Mackness

Winston - by Dee Spencer-Perkins

Catch of the Day - by Diana Hart 

Havering Art Exhibition - its week two!

Lots of people have enjoyed seeing the pictures on display during the first week of this year's art exhibition. But today the exhibition has been refreshed and there is a raft of new works to please you. To whet your appetite, here are a few:

Black Parrot Tulip by Ann Chan

Liaison in Paris by David Overland

Trees on the Horizon by Jill Mackness

There are prizes to be won and judging takes place next week. There is a special prize to be chosen by the public, so do go along and vote for your favourite picture. This week's catalogue can be viewed here - do pop along to the Queens Theatre and enjoy some of the splendid works created by our local artists. 

Havering Art Exhibition now open!

This year's art exhibition is now open! Organised by Paul Kelly, Chairman of Havering Arts Council, our 2017 exhibition has attracted a bumper seventy paintings by local artists. Due to the large number of entries and the relatively small amount of display space in the foyer of the Queens Theatre, not all the works can be shown at once, and so exhibits will rotate next week - a great reason to visit at least twice! The large number of entries is very pleasing, and the subjects diverse. They have been created using various mediums, and include a poignant view of The Towers cinema, portraits of some pop singers, and even one of Sir Mo Farah.  Do pop along and have a browse at the work of some of the talent in our borough - you may even like to make a purchase. For catalogue click here

'Man at work - Gone with The Wind' by Richard Pescod

'Bumblebee' by Joyce Eade

Some of the exhibits adorn the wall of the Coffee Shop, Queens Theatre

Havering Art Exhibition opening soon ...

This year's Art Exhibition opens on Monday 14 August and will run until Sunday 3 September in The Queens Theatre, Hornchurch. It has a competitive element as it incorporates the Havering Over-60's Art Competition, plus Young Artists and Open Best in Exhibition awards categories. It's a great opportunity for Havering's talented visual artists to exhibit their works so do pop along and enjoy!

Havering Art Exhibition 2017

This year's art competition will take place with an Exhibition running from Monday 14 August to Sunday 3 September in The Queens Theatre, Hornchurch. It incorporates the Havering Over-60's Art Competition, plus Young Artists and Open Best in Exhibition awards categories. It's a great opportunity for Havering's talented visual artists to exhibit their works so pop along and enjoy!

Havering Singers welcome new members!

Havering Singers is open to all who enjoy singing, whatever their musical experience, so if you are looking for a friendly choir and the opportunity to make music, please come and join them. You will be made very welcome. Havering Singers are currently looking for new voices in all sections.

E-mail contact@haveringsingers.org.uk for further information

Fiddler on the Roof is coming!

Havering Music Makers' summer 2017 production is the incredible 'Fiddler On The Roof', at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch this month from 

20th - 22nd July
(Evenings 7.30pm plus 
Saturday Matinee 2.30pm)

Tickets available from the Queen's Theatre box office on 01708 443333. 

The production team for Fiddler On The Roof is: 
Director: Jason Markham,
Musical Director: Simon Gray,
Choreographer: Gemma Marks,

Book by Joseph Stein - Music by Jerry Bock - Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick

HAC Drama Festival Gala Night - party at Langtons!

A great night was enjoyed by all at Havering Drama Festival's Gala Night (13 July, 2017). Adjudicator Jan Palmer-Sayer of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators gave a lively and entertaining resume of the productions involved, before announcing the nominations and awards. The drama festival, which runs alongside the Havering Arts Festival,  this year featured seven plays which took place between April and July. The Deputy Mayor of Havering, Councillor Dilip Patel, and Chairman of Havering Arts Council, Paul Kelly presented the trophies and certificates in a warm party atmosphere. As the evening progressed, the excitement mounted, and the overall winning show was Roxy Krasner and the Case of the Pink Belle, produced by College Players and directed by Nick Wilkes, who also won the award for Best Director.  For a full list of results see here.

Drama awards tonight!

Havering's drama scene is buzzing - and tonight at Langtons is Gala Night, celebrating the 2017 Havering Drama Festival - and featuring the all important awards ceremony! Who are the nominees and winners? More news tonight ... watch our blog ....

Festival of one act plays is coming! - BCTC

This year’s festival of one act plays, run by Brentwood Catholic Theatre Club,  takes place at Brentwood Theatre in September and will be adjudicated by Anne Beaney. Performance sessions are scheduled for:

Wednesday 20 September starting at 7.30pm

Thursday 21 September starting at 7.30pm

Friday 22 September starting at 7.30pm

Saturday 23 September starting at 2.30 and 7.30pm

Lots of our local groups are taking part, so why not pop along and give them some support. 

For more information see the Brentwood Catholic Theatre Club website

Havering Drama Festival 2017

Our annual peripatetic festival of full length plays has been running since April, with seven groups taking part. The final entry, Romford Summer Theatre's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is in its second week and marks the last of this season's productions. The plays taking part were The Vicar of Dibley (New Venture), Roxy Krasner (College), Prescription for Murder (Wesley) Oh Carol (Ad Hoc), The Momologues (Spotlight), Ladies' Day (Guildonians) and The Dream.

Festival Gala Night takes place on Thursday 13 July at Langtons, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, at 8pm when Adjudicator Jan Palmer Sayer will preside over the award ceremony and MC Vernon Keeble-Watson will orchestrate the celebrations.