Chichester Festival Theatre

A quick message from the wonderful Jennie Dale who we’ll be welcoming back very soon after Me and My Girl finishes, this time as Matron in our new adaptation of David Walliams’s #TheMidnightGang! https://www.cft.org.uk/…/casting-announ ced-for-the-midnight…

We've just announced the cast for David Walliams’s THE MIDNIGHT GANG, adapted by Bryony Lavery with music and lyrics by Joe Stilgoe, which premieres from 13 October – 3 November, directed by Dale Rooks.
Jennie Dale, currently playing ‘Parchester’ in Me and My Girl and known to a huge CBeebies’ TV audience as ‘Captain Captain’ in Swashbuckle, Shakespeare and The Snow Queen, plays the Matron.
Read about the full company here: https://www.cft.org.uk/…/casting-announ ced-for-the-midnight…

Find out more about Jean St Clair who plays Alice in The Meeting by reading our Q&A. She tells us about her role in the play, her career, and whether opportunities for deaf actors have improved...

Want to join CFYT in Burgess Hill?
Award-winning Chichester Festival Youth Theatre is open to join this September!
Weekly workshops take place on Tuesday's at The Burgess Hill Academy for anyone in Year 6 and above.
... Build confidence, make friends, develop new skills and have fun - plus opportunities to audition for CFYT productions!
For full membership details including how to join, visit cft.org.uk/CFYT
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"She thinks she's ordinary but has magic inside of her, and that magic is just to do with her own kindness". Director Daniel Evans tells us a bit more about the extraordinary Ada Harris and what to expect from the second musical of Festival 2018. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/flo wers-for-mrs-harris

There's still time to catch The Meeting in the Minerva Theatre before it closes on 11 August. Find out what our audiences have thought about this new play... https://twitter.com/i/moments/10187790478 18678272

"Once you get down Lambeth way, ev'ry evening, ev'ry day, you'll find yourself doin' the Lambeth walk!" If seeing Matt Lucas, Alex Young and the whole cast of Me and My Girl in action doesn't get you dancing, we don't know what will! https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/me- and-my-girl

Just one day to go until our Relaxed Performance of our summer musical Me and My Girl! Here's Matt Lucas and Caroline Quentin telling you more about the performance.

We're looking for a forward thinking and highly organised person to join our busy HR team as HR administrator. Applications close 30 July.

Take a look at the production photos of Charlotte Jones's The Meeting. This new play is now on until 11 August.

COMPETITION! Fancy winning two tickets to The Meeting Press Night this Thursday at 7pm? Then send us the answer to the question below to marketing@cft.org.uk
Who wrote The Meeting?
... Competition closes tomorrow at 12noon. Good luck!
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Want to work at one of the UK's flagship theatres? We are looking to fill several exciting roles across our Development, Box Office and Facilities departments and would love to hear from you! Applications closing this weekend.
https://www.cft.org.uk/about-us/jobs

Inspired by David Walliams's The Midnight Gang, discover worlds in which the most extraordinary of things can happen in the most ordinary of places. Work alongside experienced practitioner, Luke Osbourne, as you create your own midnight adventures, learn new drama skills and unleash your inner artist.
There is also an opportunity to start your Bronze Arts Award and link up with an adviser to complete it over the rest of the summer.
Bursaries are available. Please contact our team at leap@cft.org.uk.

Inspired by David Walliams's The Midnight Gang, discover worlds in which the most extraordinary of things can happen in the most ordinary of places. Learn how your favourite storybooks can be brought to life on stage and gain new drama and craft skills. There will also be an opportunity to complete a Discover Arts Award.
Bursaries are available. Please contact our team at leap@cft.org.uk

Take part in live music, led by classically-trained opera singer and musician Mark Bradbury from Little Notes. He uses his voice and also plays a range of instruments including guitar, flute, piano and ukulele.
Mark creates an interactive musical space where children and adults can be guided as they explore sounds, shapes, rhythms and rhymes together. In a relaxed and stimulating environment, you will have fun and meet new friends.
Little Notes sessions run on Thursdays durin...g term time.
Booking is for the whole term, 12 sessions. Places for siblings are offered at half price and siblings under 12 months can added for free, a free place must be booked for them. Adults do not need to book a place.
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Join us for our new fun and free Storytime Sessions, where we will explore stories, play games and have lots of fun. Perfect for pre-schoolers and KS1, but open to all families.
Our trained LEAP team will read some super stories and deliver a range of interactive games. Come along to The Pod and meet some new friends, connect with your community and support your child’s early literacy development, in a relaxed and friendly environment.
Arrive a little early and grab a barist...a coffee, a delicious cake or pastry from The Café nearby. Or bring a picnic to enjoy afterwards on Oaklands Park.
Running every Saturday in August; each session is 45 minutes. We ask parents and carers to remain with children throughout the session. Please note, due to limited capacity we can only offer one adult space per child.
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'This is a stormer of a production, fizzing with laughs and with a genuine warmth at its heart.' ★★★★★ from WhatsOnStage for Me and My Girl
https://www.whatsonstage.com/…/me-and-m y-girl-matt-lucas-ch…

The Sun has definitely got his hat on today in preparation for our Me and My Girl press night! To whet your appetite for the big night, have a gander, sing and a dance at our production gallery. https://www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/me- and-my-girl

Psst! Yes, you! Do you want to uncover a story of intrigue, twists and red herrings around Chichester? Join our audio-guided murder mystery where our detective will enlist you to test new technology on your hunt around the town, as you collect vital clues before the killer gets away. This immersive event was developed with Chichester Festival Youth Theatre members.
This is an outdoor event, which involves travelling around Chichester so wearing practical clothing and footwear is advised.
Ages 16+. FREE.

Wow! What an amazing production Beauty & the Beast was. Such talented young people! Am sure some will go on to West End stardom :) Went with five other adults and six 6-8 yr olds and we all loved it. Some said it was better than Matilda in the West End!

Went to see me and my girl last night which is one of the preview nights. The show was absolutely brilliant, the cast were great as was the singing and the comedy was just right, may even go a second time. All the shows we have seen to far including the youth theatre, Christmas concert and other bands have been brilliant.

We went to see Me And My Girl last night, it was the first night of previews. It was absolutely amazing, when Matt Lucas forgot his line at one point his co-star was very adept at giving him the line, and it was done so well that you can really see that the team works incredibly well together. The whole production was well worth watching, and I must say that the staff were all lovely telling us the football results for the World Cup as we left.

Watched the jungle book last night and it was brilliant we really enjoyed the whole experience 2nd time been this year already hope to come see something new soon.

Saw The Country Wife last night, it was superb. It was fast-paced, the costumes were gorgeous and the sets were stylish and clever. Every member of the cast was brilliant. It was funny, witty, bawdy and I didn’t want it to end. What a production!

Saw Me and My Girl yesterday (mat). A joy! Matt Lucas wonderful...a master comic. Caroline Quentin..who knew she had that voice!..superb. 'Sally' ...brilliant!. The Ensemble....magical. Thank you all so much for a fabulous time.

Saw Me and My Girl last night which was brilliant, so 5 stars for that. But whatever you do don’t eat the food from the cafes. Totally discussing, quiche was still frozen, complained so they put in microwave to defrost. My husband has food poisoning, which have ruined our plans for today.

Saw Me and My Girl last night - absolutely fabulous in every way, it’s superlative.

Matt Lucas was incredible, so was Caroline

Quentin but they were equally well supported by the rest of this wonderful cast. Such talent from each and every one is rare. The orchestra was superb and the conductor gave us a lovely treat at the end 😊

If you can get tickets, go and see it, think it’s quite difficult now.

And the icing on the cake was the coolness of the theatre in all this heat. Well done CFC, another triumph!

Probably CFT's best ever musical - and there have been some wonderful ones over the many years I've been coming to the theatre! Somehow the book and the score of "Me and My Girl" have an instant connection to the audience - could it be because it's rooted in British musical theatre? Stephen Fry and Gareth Valentine have done a first class job giving it "a new lick of paint" and all the cast, from top to toe, have been inspired to give memorable performances against splendid scenery and settings and in lovely costumes. Thank you so much - a standing ovation to everyone!!!

Oh boy. Me and My Girl at Chichester festival theatre is fab-u-lous. Such a brilliant show, the whole cast are amazing. Matt Lucas and Caroline Quentin are even better than you could wish. (Even when Matt forgets his lines) If you don’t already have one, find a way, any way, to get a ticket, sell a kidney if you have to.

Noel Cowards writing is quite brilliant, and Rufus Hound and the rest of the cast really do it justice. Probably the best Noel Coward production I have seen. Superb cast, clever set and just so much laughing!!!

Lovely theatre. Cast led by the very funny and professional Matt Lucas.

Just got home after seeing Me And My Girl, what an amazing show with a wonderful cast. I just don't know how they had so much energy in this hot weather

Just been to see the relaxed performance of Beauty and the Beast with our 3 children who all have Autism. It was amazing and we couldn't have asked for more - from the original help in choosing the right seats for our family to the description and introduction to the scary bits it all helped so much. Totally fabulous and we will be back again :-)

Growing up Me and my girl was one of the first musicals I saw so when I saw it was being revised I was keen to come along. I brought my 15 year old son along too. We loved it, the set was amazing, the seats were good value and had a great view. It was magical !!! Matt Lucas was great as Bill, his comic timing and facial expressions were tip top, he also has a strong voice and worked well with the other cast members- particularly his Sally played by Alex Young whose rendition of Once You Lose your heart brought tears to my eyes.

The cast had great energy and enthusiasm- a great atmosphere for young and old alike. I came out with a smile on my face.

Great place to see quality plays and shows. Just seen Me and My Girl brilliant, wonderful sing and dancing. Who needs a star when you have such a good understudy.

Great modern theatre with friendly staff! Lovely to sit outside in the sunshine with a glass of vino on the grass before the performance.

Attended a preview of this wonderful show.Fantastic and my wife wants to see it again, great songs well performed and you did not know where the next joke was coming from.

Sat next to us, was the Director of this show and he appears that although writing notes on the odd mistake he enjoyed every moment and could not stop laughing.

This is one to see again!!!!!

Loved every minute of Perfect Laughter. Rufus Hound is extraordinary in this. So well played and the batty housekeeper was a hoot!!