Dear Friend
For Theatre Royal Stratford East to flourish it needs your support!
Whether you remember Joan Littlewood's Oh What Lovely War or saw Pied Piper at the Barbican, I am writing to ask you to help us invest in the artists of tomorrow.
To continue our work we need to raise
£370,000 each year
. Our government funding represents only
82% of the necessary target
. This is a critical period for the Theatre Royal as we aspire to create the successors to Come Dancing, The Big Life and the smash hit The Harder They Come and welcome both newcomers and seasoned theatre-goers through our doors.
Theatre Royal Stratford East's groundbreaking productions - both today and historically - have earned it an enviable reputation. We pride ourselves in taking risks with our artists and our shows, which means we continue to produce theatre that is raw, edgy and intelligent.
As Joan Littlewood used to say, we aim to create the continuous loop between our local communities and the work on our stage, developing new artistic voices over a period of time. Nowhere is this clearer than the relationship of the theatre with the artists of Boy Blue for whom we provided a home to nurture their exceptional skills and talent. They ultimately created Pied Piper which won an Olivier Award.
While Pied Piper was authentic to young people on the street, The Big Life communicated the hopes, fears and dreams of Caribbean immigrants in 1950's London. It became the first Black British musical to go to the West End. Of the
101,002
people
who visited us last year,
60% of them attended the theatre for the first time
.
We are hoping you will join one of our sponsorship or donor schemes. Your donation will have a considerable impact on what happens at the Theatre Royal. We will involve you in every stage of the process: depending on your chosen scheme, we will invite you to see rehearsals and ‘meet and greet' the cast and crew; as well as to take part in private receptions with the cast.
I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Please contact me at kmichael@stratfordeast.com or call me on 0208 279 1100.
I very much hope you will decide to uphold the Theatre Royal Stratford East's bold approach to new work and new voices. Your gift will go directly towards the development of the creative work and help contribute to a flourishing artistic community.
With very best wishes
Kerry Michael
Artistic Director
