Celebrate the Play - a dramatically new initiative

Added: (Tue Oct 20 2009)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Drama in London is thriving, with figures to August 15 showing that attendance at plays is up 23 per cent on the same period last year. This year, the capital has hosted a bumper crop of plays, and with over 100 productions scheduled for the autumn, 2009 continues to go from strength to strength.

In a new initiative designed to build on the burgeoning success of London theatre, the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is bringing the industry together to Celebrate the Play.

About Celebrate the Play
Celebrate the Play is about encouraging playgoers to try something new, by promoting the diversity of London theatre.

Through a series of incentives, targeted promotions and competitions, Celebrate the Play aims to increase the profile of plays throughout the autumn season and beyond. For regular playgoers there are many rewards for joining up to the dedicated mailing list, including the opportunity to win tickets for plays in the upcoming autumn season.

Exclusive special offers from partners including Waterstone's, Divine Chocolate, Naked Wines and Pizza Express are also available to members to enhance the playgoing experience.

Members are kept up to date with London’s drama scene through a quarterly newsletter giving details of the season ahead, priority bookings, castings and exclusive events.

Leading figures in London theatre, including Kevin Spacey (Artistic Director of the Old Vic) and celebrated director Sir Trevor Nunn, are lending their support to the campaign which aims to create a new online community of committed playgoers.

Highlights of the London theatre autumn season
There are currently over 120 plays scheduled for theatres in the West End and around London, with many leading theatres participating in the initiative including the National Theatre, Royal Court, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Old Vic.

Furthermore, several high-profile West End productions such as The Shawshank Redemption, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The 39 Steps currently support the campaign.

Highlights of the autumn season include Alan Bennett’s new production The Habit of Art at the National, Dennis Kelly’s Orphans at Soho, and Simon Stephens’ Punk Rock at the Lyric Hammersmith.

With hotly anticipated classics on the London theatre autumn calendar including Beckett’s Endgame, Othello starring Lenny Henry, Inherit the Wind directed by Trevor Nunn with Kevin Spacey, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Adrian Lester and James Earl Jones, there has never been a better time to celebrate the play.