Historic play at city theatre

The School For Scandal is to be performed at Nottingham Theatre Royal to make the venue's 150th birthday

The play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan holds a special place ion the history of this particular theatre.

On Friday, September 25, the Theatre Royal will celebrate its 150th anniversary.

To commemorate this special occasion, a revival of Sheridan’s The School for Scandal will be performed.

It was the first play to ever be seen at the Theatre Royal, back in 1895.

Performed by The Royal Company, the theatre’s community ensemble, this is promenade performance using the Theatre Royal’s stage, foyers, staircases and portico.

The School For Scandal is a classic comedy of gossip, intrigue and amorous goings-on.

Auditions were held during autumn 2014 and the production features 21 local cast members, with ages ranging from 19 to 75.

The in-depth rehearsal process has been designed to incorporate input from some of the Theatre Royal’s most prestigious visiting companies, such as Opera North and the National Theatre, who have both been involved.

The School for Scandal was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on May 8 1777.

The play is a comedy of manners, satirizing the social values, virtues and vices of its time.

Sir Peter Teazle and his family, Lady Sneerwell and her gossips and Charles Surface and his party boys provide the central characters for the many plots, sub-plots and complex intrigues woven throughout this play.

Bold and sumptuous costumes for the production have been designed by students from Nottingham Trent University. Their brief is to combine both 18th century and modern references to highlight the contemporary aspect of the play.

The Theatre Royal’s creative learning manager, David Longford, is leading this special anniversary project. He said: “I want this production to be both a celebration of Sheridan’s play and the Theatre Royal itself. However, although we are paying homage to that original 1865 production, our show will not be a museum piece. In our gossip-fuelled, social media-dominated world, Sheridan’s play is still incredibly relevant.”

Tickets are £13.50. Call the box office on 0115 9895555 or go to www.trch.co.uk