Taking The Stage

Taking The Stage is a four-day festival that celebrates inspirational women from theatre and the arts at Milton Keynes Gallery from 16th – 19th October.

Supported by the Arts Council, the third festival curated by The Play’s The Thing Theatre Company will empower women by putting them centre stage and shining a spotlight on female talent, their creative contributions to the industry, and their achievements.

The theatre company is a true advocate for supporting and championing all women within the arts and fighting for gender parity. This event puts women at the heart and provides an important platform for local and high-profile women from within the industry to share their stories.

Here's the exciting and inspiring lineup:

Wednesday 16th October from 7pm - Champagne reception and keynote speech with Winsome Pinnock. Performances written by Rosemary Hill and Suzette Coon, plus a Q&A panel with Lynda Rook (Equity President and Chair), Polly Kemp (Director of ERA 50:50 and Women in Theatre Lab), Jennifer Tuckett (Director of Women in Theatre Lab) and Suzette Coon (playwright).

Thursday 17th October from 6pm - Performances written by Emma Burnell, Sian Rowland, Tam Gilbert and Subika Anwar Khan, plus Q&A panel with Rosemary Hill (Artistic Director at The Play’s The Thing) Subika Anwar Khan (playwright), Judith Jacob (actor), Emma Burnell (playwright) and Sian Rowland (playwright) and Tam Gilbert (playwright).

Friday 18th October from 7pm - Performances written by Carly Halse and Lisa Stenhouse, Chloe Wade and Q&A with Chloe Todd Fordham (award-winning playwright) Carly Halse (playwright), and Lisa Stenhouse (playwright) and Chloe Wade (playwright).

Saturday 19th October from 2.30pm – A talk with Ita O’Brien – Movement Director and Intimacy Co-ordinator, and a workshop with Lesley Gannon from The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain on Protecting Your Intellectual Property. A newly devised piece from The Milton Keynes Theatre Young Company, plus performances from Suzette Coon, and Rosemary Hill. A Q&A panel with Rosemary Hill (The Play’s The Thing), Carly Halse (playwright) and Sian Rowland (playwright), plus a closing speech from Suzette Coon.

Find out more and purchase tickets here: https://mkgallery.org/whats-on/?event-category=performances