‘Taking the Stage’ returns to MK Gallery in 2022

The Play’s The Thing Theatre Company is excited to announce the return of our inspiring ‘Taking the Stage and Screen’ event for 2022 funded by The Arts Council.

We, along with our very specialist women guests, will take over MK Gallery for four days from Wednesday 30th March to Saturday 2nd April, to celebrate inspirational women from within theatre and film and showcase their incredible work and achievements.

Join us for insightful debates around the theatre industry, exciting new voices and scratch pieces, youth performances, newly commissioned plays and filmmaking. 

Our first ‘Taking the Stage’ event was held in 2019 and it was highly successful. We wanted to continue the theme of focussing on women within theatre because we have achieved so much that often gets overlooked. It’s time we took the stage and spotlight.

For our second “Taking The Stage” we have an incredible line up. Chloe Todd Fordham’s scratch piece “Tapestry” which first appeared in 2019 will now be presented as a full-length play.  

Amazing playwright April De Angelis, whose recent musical play “Gin Craze” was performed at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, will be giving the opening keynote speech. Then we have scratch pieces from Poppy Corbett and Francis Grin as well from local writers Carly Halse, Lisa Lovell, Shirley Jones and our own artistic director Rosemary Hill. There will also be panels and debates on a number of pertinent issues. A Creative youth Board is being formed and there will be a newly devised piece of theatre from young people across Milton Keynes.

As well as looking at women in theatre, we will also be celebrating females in film with Nana Oguntola, a Gambian film maker. Jane Sanger, an independent film maker will be giving a talk on how to fund your film if you are a budding film maker.

What a line up! 

Our Artistic Director, Rosemary Hill, says: "We are extremely proud to bring this event back to Milton Keynes and once again give women in the arts the stage they deserve to showcase their talent and knowledge".

"Supporting women in theatre and film is of great importance to me and many others within the industry. For many years females have been underrepresented or overlooked in all roles whether it’s on stage or behind the curtain. More recently during the pandemic we have haemorrhaged a huge number of women, through no fault of their own, and now the female talent pool is becoming less and less".

 "We need to change this and make ourselves visible for the sake of not only the women already in the industry, but also to inspire the next generation of female talent".

We will introduce more of our guests very soon along with a full event itinerary. All we can say now is that it is going to be an exciting and thought-provoking four days. There will be something for everyone of any age who has an interest in theatre and the arts industry.

Be the first to see new plays still in their infancy, discuss topics with well-known and local practitioners and enjoy being surrounded by theatre and the arts. We’ve been away from it for too long, so please come and join in the celebrations.  Tickets go on sale very soon.