£100k grant to raise Rabble's Henry I in Reading Abbey Ruins

Rabble Theatre have won a £100,000 grant from Arts Council England to produce Henry I in Reading Abbey Ruins in the summer.

Henry I will be staged between June 13 and July 1 inside the Abbey, founded by King Henry in 1121 “for my sins”, above where his body lies.

Originally created in 2015 to critical acclaim, it was written by Newbury’s Beth Flintoff, former outreach director at The Watermill.

The Reading-based theatre’s executive director Dani Davies said: “With all that is going on in our delicate world, and as the mother of three girls, this play feels deeply relevant.

“It tells the story of forgotten women while also exploring the effect of violence perpetrated by those in power. I’m delighted that ACE are supporting RABBLE once again.”

Accompanying the play will be RABBLE’s inaugural ‘Finding Reading’ Festival; an education project with local community groups, schools and organisations, with 700 people participating to create work based upon the play’s diverse themes of gender equality, unjust war, forgiveness and the position that Reading played in medieval England.

ACE South East director Peter Heslip said: “It’s wonderful to see that so many people will have the opportunity to participate in this exciting new educational project by RABBLE Theatre.

“Arts, culture and creativity have a vital role in empowering people – giving us the opportunity to discover our history and to explore challenging themes, as well as helping us to feel a sense of pride in the places that we live and work.

“We’re pleased to be able to support this exciting project thanks to National Lottery players.”

Directed by the company’s associate director Hal Chambers, who has worked with the RSC, Hull Truck and Eastern Angles, designed by Sarah Jane Booth and with associate movement director Gareth Taylor (Barbican, National Portrait Gallery, EA Games), the play will be the most ambitious in the pioneering company’s decade of producing work.

The original soundtrack, composed by DJ and electronic composer Benjamin Hudson and classically trained Rosalind Steele, will be refreshed by the innovative pair, ready for the atmospheric outdoor setting.

For more details visit www.rabbletheatre.com