Friends of Fletcher in Rye NEWSLETTER No. 5 Summer 2011

Dear Friends of Fletcher,

Those of you who live in Rye will by now know the state of play regarding Lion Street – but, for those of you who live further afield, the CIC/St Mary’s PCC partnership has won the approval of the SCCH Board to acquire the Lion Street site, in its entirety, for Rye. It is a stunning victory for Rye and one worth trumpeting from the famous St Mary’s Tower!! Lawyers are busy hammering out the minor details of the deal and we are hopeful to have the keys by June ……

The CIC Board is now actively engaged on two fronts to move the project into the next phase: obtaining detailed planning consent (hopefully, by October) and fund-raising so as to be able to commence building work at the earliest possible moment. The architects, Jonathan Dunn Associates, are in deep discussions with both English Heritage and the RDC planners to iron out any glitches with the proposed design. They have produced a 3-D model and, all being well, we are hoping to be able to open a Project Office within the old Library Building, once we own it, where the model will be displayed.

As for the fund-raising - all £1.3m of it – the CIC Board is engaged on a massive letter-writing exercise across the private and public sectors. On the basis of ‘where there is a will, there is a way’ the funds WILL be secured …..
Should you be interested in helping us by financially contributing to the Development Fund, there is now a ‘Ways to Donate’ information sheet which can be obtained from list:

Heidi Foster (Membership Secretary)
T: 01797 229 103; E: heidi@heidi15.fsnet.co.uk
Or
Pip Al-Khafaji (Fund-Raising Committee)
T: 01797 222456; E: pip@alkhafaji.biz

All donations/gifts, big or small, will be gratefully received and put towards development costs.

MEMBER’S EVENTS

Hugh Kermode, our Artistic Director, has agreed with David Brown (Director) & James Shepherd (Designer) to bring the London production of
The Wild-Goose Chase - a hugely popular 1621 Fletcher play on the age-old ‘battle of the sexes’ – to the Community Centre in Rye, for an evening performance on Saturday July 9th
Details of ticket prices, etc. are still been worked out but do please keep this date in your diaries free.
As reported in the last Newsletter, the play is currently enjoying a run at the White Bear Theatre in London to very good reviews – but, staging it here in Rye will be hugely symbolic: the 1st professional performance of a John Fletcher play in Rye ever (well, as far as we know!)

Hugh is also still negotiating with Simon Callow to give a reading of his favourite poetry & prose …. and now this too is most probably going to be staged at Lion Street; details will follow when known.

For those of you who came to see The Mad Lover evening in April 2010, you may remember the Notes in Newsletter 1 that linked the play with both ‘Double Falsehood’, a play by Lewis Theobald (a little known 19th century playwright) and ‘Cardenio’, a play co-written by Shakespeare and Fletcher which was last performed in 1613 at the Drury Lane Theatre. ‘Cardenio’ is currently being performed by the RSC at the Swan Theatre in Stratford until October 6th. Details of times/ticket availability can be seen on the RSC website.
But, remember, we got there first!!

SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS
Finally, our heartfelt thanks you to all of you who renewed their Friends Membership for another year. It shows great faith in the Fletcher in Rye Team and inspires us to succeed ……

Company Number 7011868​ | Registered Address 6 Lion Street , Rye TN31 7JY
www.fletchertheatre.co.uk | email info@fletchertheatre.co.uk



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