- Hawth Theatre
The Hawth Theatre is an arts and entertainment complex located in 38 acres of woodland half a mile from the town centre of the English town of
Crawley . It is wholly owned and funded by Crawley Borough CouncilHistory
The
new town of Crawley has been without a theatre since its inception in 1947, leading, in part, a local newspaper editor to describe the town as souless. [cite news
last =Gibbons
first = Fiachra
title = Strange goings-on in West Sussex
work =The Guardian
date = 1996
quote = Karen Hales, editor of the "Crawley News", says "People are very proud of the Hawth. It has given the town something it was missing, a soul maybe"
accessdate = 1996] In 1986, plans were approved by theborough council for a new theatre in an area of Woodland known locally as The Hawth. Development began quickly, and the theatre opened for the first time in April 1988. In 1992, the theatre hosted a performance of London City Ballet's "Romeo & Juliet ", which was attended by the then Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. [cite web
title = History of the Hawth
work =Hawth Theatre website
publisher =Crawley Arts Service
url = https://tickets.hawth.co.uk/public/about_history.asp
accessdate = 2007-01-06]Facilities
Main auditorium
The main
auditorium seats up to 855 for performances, and can be converted to an exhibition or conference venue. The stage is around 21 metres wide, with a depth of 13 metres, and is equipped to a high standard with sound, lighting, and staging facilities. [cite web
title =Technical
work =Hawth Theatre website
publisher =Crawley Arts Service
url =https://tickets.hawth.co.uk/public/about_tech.asp
accessdate = 2007-01-06 ]tudio
The Studio provides a smaller performance space, seating 146 people which hosts small scale contemporary dance, theatre, jazz, blues, folk and comedy. The space can be used in a flat-floor format so can be converted for stand-up music concerts, club nights, cabaret seated events, workshops and rehearsals.
Amphitheatre
There is an amphitheatre performance area in the woodland at the rear of the theatre, where summer productions are often performed, including regular productions of Shakespeare and children's theatre, as well as being used during the Crawley Folk Festival [http://www.myspace.com/crawleyfolkfestival] and Crawley International Mela [http://crameymela.org]
Other facilities
Other performance spaces include a permanent foyer exhibition space, an on-site restaurant as well as two bars. Also during the summer a marquee is erected on the lawns to host Crawley Folk Festival [http://www.myspace.com/crawleyfolkfestival] , Crawley Mela [http://crawleymela.org] and world music performances.
Programme
The theatre is mainly used to house touring productions, and has in the past seen presentations across a range of types, from movies to opera. The theatre also housed its own resident production company - Shaker Productions - in the 1990s. It now plays home to Pitchy Breath Theatre Company - a group committed to producing one newly-written piece each year.In addition, other events have visited the Hawth, ranging from circus and juggling conventions, to the hustings for conservative party leader elections in 2001. [cite news
title = Tory leadership election hustings
work =Guardian Unlimited
date = 2001-08-20
url = http://politics.guardian.co.uk/conservatives/story/0,,539696,00.html
accessdate = 2006-01-06 ]External links
* [http://www.hawth.co.uk/ Hawth Theatre]
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
