Canvas Theatre

Canvas Theatre is a new company that will be making its debut at The Playhouse next month as part of our summer season - to be announced very, very shortly. Their name suggests one of those touring companies that play open air venues, possibly under some form of tarpaulin cover to keep the audience (but not the actors) dry. In fact, they have been formed from the students of the University of Gloucestershire's Performing Arts Foundation Degree course that was set up last September by respected industry professionals Sue Passmore and Sheila Mander.

Some of the students have progressed from our very own drama school for young people, Theatre Studio (whom many of you came to see recently in a superb production of Return to the Forbidden Planet, where even the set - deservedly - got applause).

Canvas will be presenting two productions, each for two performances. The first, on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 May at 7.30 pm, is the musical The Matchgirls, written by Bill Owen - of Last of the Summer Wine fame - and concerns the struggles faced by the young workers at the notorious Bryant & May's match factory in Victorian London . The second is Musicals On Parade, a revue devised by Sue Passmore looking at both the golden age of Broadway musicals - with a large helping of classics from the pens of Rodgers & Hammerstein - and the more recent hits like Five Guys Named Moe and Jersey Boys. This will be presented at both 3.00 pm and 7.45 pm on Saturday 23 May.

Tickets are now on sale for just £8 with £6 concessions (all performances) and those who saw an abbreviated production of Musicals On Parade earlier this year will confirm that these productions will be of a very high standard. Don't leave it too late to book!