‘A company making a name for delivering vivid, politically committed theatre’ The Observer. Townsend Theatre Productions set up as a collaboration of experienced, highly-skilled theatre practitioners in 2011.

We have toured productions of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, We Will Be Free!, United We Stand, Dare Devil Rides To Jarama and soon will tour, We Are The Lions Mr. Manager.

We have produced a Chartist choir and community play, On The Road To Freedom: a project that featured a commuity cast and choir, youth theatre, classical dancers, traditional folk musicians, trade unionists, academics, and professional theatre practitioners to produce a performance of song, theatre, dance, music and spoken word that centred around the recently discovered National Chatist Hymn Book.

Each one of our tours takes in about 60 venues nationwide from the Highlands to Cornwall, from West Wales to Lowestoft.

So far all the productions have had a cast of two which guarantees a purely theatrical approach to the epic social historical subjects that we undertake.

MAIN COMPANY AIMS

• To create live theatre of the highest artistic standard that is relevant, innovative, challenging and ultimately entertaining.
• To take our theatre to non-theatre venues for audiences that find access to theatre centres a challenge or are not themselves regular attendees. As well as theatres and arts centres we perform at community centres, village halls, trades clubs, schools, pubs, conferences and festivals.
• To form effective links with trades unions on national and regional levels, theatre and education organisations, campaign organisations and trades councils.
• To promote to a wider audience stories and issues of special interest to these groups, and work with these groups to promote individual performances.
• To use drama and education to explore social, political and historical issues, and open up channels of participa tion through audience interaction – workshops, exhibitions, post-show discussion, etc.
• To work closely with associated organisations and supporters, artisitic and educational, to enhance audience development through developing appropriate marketing strategies.
• To challenge racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice through our performances and working methods.
• To maintain and develop a commitment to commission ing and creating new work.