Stables Theatre Hastings

Performances from November 6th to 14th contact the box office to book your tickets.

Written by Ron Hutchinson and directed by Jenny Lloyd Lyons Moonlight And Magnolias comes to The Stables in November.

It’s 1939, the book Gone With The Wind is a best seller, Hollywood producer David O. Selznick has been working on the film for three weeks but unhappy with how things are progressing he fires the director and screenwriter replacing them with The Wizard of Oz director Victor Fleming and ‘script doctor’ Ben Hecht.

It’s only after locking them in his office with a plan to come up with a new script in a week that he learns that Hecht hasn’t read the book! So Selznick and Fleming re-enact the scenes to a disapproving and sceptical Hecht.

Surviving only on a strict diet of bananas and peanuts they become increasingly sleep-deprived and delirious, along with Selznick’s loyal and long-suffering secretary, with hilarious consequences. Based on a true story!

A dozen women who were forced to flee their homes when Russia invaded their country in 2022 will be performing at The Stables on Sunday.

Volya Voices are a Ukrainian choir who also perform traditional Ukranian dances and will be providing their audience with home-made Ukranian treats.

“We are happy to be singing at The Stables!” the group says, explaining: “We are a group of Ukrainian women who formed a choir when we met together in Bexhill having fled from the war. We wanted to sing together to stay strong and raise funds to send first aid to those fighting on the front line.

“Through music we share our culture and keep the plight of Ukraine in people’s hearts. This choir has become our second family. It gives us purpose, connection and the feeling that we can still help.

“We sing with our voices and our hearts. We hope you will join us for an evening of brilliant entertainment in both English and Ukrainian.

“We will take you on an amazing journey with our songs and dances so come and join us at The Stables.”

In this podcast Stuart Baillie meets Tim Blackwell, Karen Mann and Ed Nash as they enter the final stage of rehearsals for Screams from the Attic a tale that’s certain entertain and scare in equal measure.

As the publicity for the show says: “This Halloween – Lock the doors. Leave the lights on. And pray it stays in the attic!

“Behind the attic door lies a mystery. Solve it if you dare!

“The clues are hidden within tales of intrigue, terror and atrocity. Witches, werewolves, shape-shifters and murderers wait in the shadows – each with their own dark story to tell. Expect shocking twists, buried secrets, and moments that are as deliciously macabre as they are unforgettable.

“In the chilling tradition of ‘Tales from the Crypt’ and ‘The House That Dripped Blood’ – ‘SCREAMS FROM THE ATTIC’ will drag you up the stairs… one creak at a time!”

Book your ticket now – before it hears you coming!

Photo by Peter Mould

Daisy Russell has been a fixture around The Stables since she was 14 - for almost a decade! But after scoring a first class honours degree in Theatre and Performance from Warwick University we’re going to be seeing a lot less of her as she moves to Birmingham to take up her first job as a Production Assistant with the BBC working on The Great British Menu.

In this podcast Daisy chats to Stuart Baillie about how she got involved with The Stables and what she’s going to miss most.

Written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Jeff Graves.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane, ‘crackles with emotional fire and the blackest of comedy that is both hilarious and horrific’ (The Guardian).

The play combines thrilling elements of farce and melodrama with a searing critique on the Irish belief in the sanctity of the family.

In this podcast you can listen to the cast talk about their roles and how they have combined ‘hilarious and horrific’.

Photo by Tracy Watts

A-level student Wilma Boddy had never written a play before but when she heard about The Stables’ competition for young playwrights she decided she had to give it a go because there were too few pieces out there the reflected her view of the world.

In this podcast Wilma chats with Stuart Baillie about her inspiration, the characters she created and why parents can be like parasites!!

It’s 18 months since The Stables got its own Improv group and it’s going from strength to strength with a pool of 18 participants and regular monthly shows coming to The Stables’ Gwen Watford performance space from the start of June.

Tim Kendrick, Scott Kingsnorth and Aisling Teodorescu recently chatted to Stuart Baillie about the group, its inception and how improv works. It’s a great podcast with a lot of laughter.

Catch the first of the monthly shows on June 14th.

It’s always fascinating to sit down with Ross Drury for chat, there’s always so much going with his Spun Glass Theatre company and at The Stade Hall which Ross operates.

In this podcast we hear about recent developments - including a new writer in residence - and about how Ross is committed to making theatre and performance accessible to all.

Ross will be directing Quiz at The Stables next year.

Hastings born Richard Lock talks about his five year project to bring his play Vincent to the stage. Van Gogh wrote more than 800 letters to his brother Theo and it's using those letters that Richard has created a play that will shine fresh light on the great artist and leave the audience looking at Van Gogh in a way they had not considered him before.

Wilf Truscott from The Stables Youth Board talks about the work he does to encourage young people, who might not otherwise come to the theatre, through the door with a range of workshops and opportunities.