Immaculate

Immaculate | by Oliver Lansley | directed by Sabrina Poole

23-25 November & 29 November-2 December 2023

Photography: Sean Owen of Reflective Arts

How does the modern woman cope with immaculate conception?

The devil, the Angel Gabriel, and that weird kid from high school all knock on your door claiming parentage of your unborn child. Sounds like the start of a bad joke. But for Mia it’s just the start of her day. She’s young, free, single, hasn’t had sex in a year, and yet is very pregnant with possibly the next Messiah. Throw in a belligerent ex-boyfriend and a baby-fearing best friend with a guilty conscience, and you have a hilarious evening of revelations that has everyone questioning more than just their faith.

***

"Just been watching "Immaculate" at the Barn. OUTRAGEOUSLY funny. Great ensemble. OUTRAGEOUSLY blasphemous too, for those of a sensitive disposition. But that probably excludes my Facebook friends. I'm obviously destined for the "other place". In fact, this Lucifer puts up a very good case." David

"Absolutely brilliant… never stopped laughing from start to finish…excellent." Jamie

"A superb evening's entertainment, great script and performance with many laugh old loud moments - we hadn't laughed so much in ages. Congratulations to all involved!" Michael

"Bonkers play, often extremely funny, and some very impressive and accomplished performances!" Trevor

"It was absolutely brilliant. I loved it." Jane

"I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I've been a lot more liberal with using expletives since seeing it 🤣 Well done to the cast and crew!" Surya

"Terrific evening. Great players, left us smiling and laughing all night. Interesting underlying issues raised and aired. I really recommend the whole package.... Brilliant show. Really enjoyed an entertaining and thought provoking evening. Go." John

"Saw it Wednesday and absolutely loved it! Many congratulations to all involved." Shelagh

"Thoroughly enjoyed last night’s performance of Immaculate at the Sewell Barn Theatre. It’s a very funny, very irreverent play (prepare yourself if you’re easily offended 😉) Worth a watch if only for the excellent set Sabrina Poole 😜🤣 Ends Saturday so get your tickets now!!!" Alison

"...there's tons to enjoy about the show, especially when the performances are as good as this company produced between them." Ray Tempesta - East Anglian Theatre Podcast [click here for full review]

"This extremely irreverent take on the second coming is enormously enjoyable, both for its sharp script and some spot-on performances." James Goffin - Cultivated [click here for full review]

"Another excellent show at the Barn.  Strong performances in a tightly directed show.  Comedy, yes with some LOL moments, but listen carefully as some interesting points are made about religion and male/female roles." Jane

1984

1984 by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan
based on the novel by George Orwell
12-14, 18-21 October 2023 at 7.30pm; 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 21 October
Tickets from Ticketsource at www.ticketsource.co.uk/sewellbarn or 0333 666 3366

Nothing is your own, not even your thoughts... and 2+2=5. Fact!

Great Britain is part of Oceania, controlled by Big Brother. With most of the world at war, Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history to fit Party doctrine. But quietly, rebellion creeps in. He begins a diary, and - more importantly - falls in love.

Can you trust the evidence or each other? How do you know what’s really true? And can you hold out against your deepest fears?

A dark, cautionary tale about the dangers of totalitarianism, government surveillance and censorship.

Photography: Sean Owen of Reflective Arts

"Wonderful production. The quality was on a par with professional theatre we have seen in London. This was the first production we have seen but we will certainly be coming again. Fabulous talent in direction and acting." Sandra

"Terrifying yet superb! And how wonderful to see the magnetic John Dane again, still at the top of his form! As steward on Saturday's matinee you'd be surprised how many members of the departing audience said to me - "I don't think I'll sleep tonight!"" Robin

"A show packed full of towering performances, superb, detailed direction from Ginny Porteous, and a display of technical excellence and accuracy from the production team. It's one that will live long in the memory." Ray Tempesta, East Anglian Theatre Podcast - click here for full review

"Unbelievably good, with immense performances from all. Well done!!" David

"Orwell’s novel is famed for its prescience, and it still feels (depressingly) modern nearly 40 years on from its target date and almost 80 from its creation. The constancy of war and the need for politics to find an enemy hasn’t gone away; we are more surveilled than ever and mostly sleepily, complicitly, grateful for protection from the foreigner in funny shoes that could so easily be us. This production brings those themes crashingly to life, in a brilliant – if also distressing – piece of theatre. You might not want them to watch you, but you should watch this." James Goffin (Cultivated) - click here for full review

"Powerful, disturbing, and so bleakly relevant. A brilliant production, moving and chilling performances." Helen

"Very well done... uncomfortable and provocative, just as it should be. Well done." Stephen

"Congratulations on a magnificent production of 1984. Came tonight. Never heard of the theatre before but a friend recommended 1984. It was seriously good. Better than a production I saw in the West End a few years ago. Well done everyone. Acting was first class." Louise

"So pleased to have been able to take Sewell Park Academy students to this powerful production - a tremendous experience for them … right on the doorstep! Thanks to the Sewell Barn Committee for helping to make it happen, and to director Ginny Porteous for the workshop in school last week. Above all, congratulations to the cast and crew!" Shelagh

"Quite brilliant and so disturbing and chilling!" Robin

"An exciting and absorbing version that shouldn’t be missed." Jen

"Thank you for an absolutely brilliant performance, and for the excellent discussion afterwards on Friday." Roy & Eva

"The Sewell Barn Theatre company regularly impress me with the power of their dramatisations. They are a thoughtful, intelligent and creative bunch of people who take diverse scripts and make them into a thoroughly unique and memorable production. On this occasion they have taken their work to a new level and give us a remarkably powerful bit of theatre... The play is presented as one long single act, necessary to keep the tension high and the pace right, but there is no slack in this script or performance and it does not feel too long. Many audience members will know the original work so we know how the story will unwind, but there are still shocks and surprises as it unfolds. The sound design and management is very skilful and contributes to an impressive show." Julian Swainson (Norwich Eye) - click here for full review

"Absolutely astonishing performances and production." Peter

"An absolutely brilliant production of 1984 is waiting to be 'enjoyed' at the Sewell Barn Theatre . Wonderful performances from everyone but particularly Jez Pike and a superb, chilling,tour de force from John Dane (blast him!!). Technically brillant, and great direction by Ginny Porteous. Well done everyone. A very uncomfortable evening, emotionally and physically. Well done to little Cleo Whiteley and little John Holden." David

“It's a testament to the brilliance of the production of 1984 that I felt so disturbed that I couldn't stick around afterwards to congratulate Ginny Porteous and her cast. So now, 12 hours later and feeling more dispassionate....towering performances, wonderful set and fantastic lighting and sound - well done to all involved in creating this chilling piece of theatre!” Clare Williamson - past Artistic Director

The Cemetery Club

Three Jewish widows get together each month and visit their respective husbands' graves. When widowed butcher Sam appears on the scene, their lives and relationships change...

Ivan Menchell's observant, witty, poignant and often hilarious play is presented by a group of Norwich's finest. Come and see what our audiences are enjoying so much.

Photography: Barry Parsons

"What a superb script and what a totally talented, completely believable trio of experienced actresses. A delight to watch and much to think about on the way home." Zanna

"Gosh, it was wonderfully thought provoking, both sad and difficult subject,  yet hilarious - the drunk scenes of the trio 😁😁😁. I know the New York they were referring to and what a joy for me to be reminded of it. Fabulous. Mazel tov!" Kathleen

"My goodness, what an amazing performance this afternoon with outstanding standing ovation from me, poignant moving play. From the beautiful Theatre, to Staff, Set, costumes (fur coat beautiful) back of house and acting in another league, loved you all xx" Carole

"Went this afternoon, absolutely brilliant performances by all cast members, particularly the ‘ad-lib’ from Ida* right at the beginning of this afternoon’s performance. Lots of laughter and some

tears too, loved it " Anita

"A really superb performance from this theatre team. Each character so well differentiated. The appearance of Sam could have upset this but instead what a nuanced actor! It can be hard to avoid overdoing American accents but these were just enough to make me feel as if I was in a NY theatre. A tribute to the playwright too that nothing felt overdone. A clever touch to subtly change the mantelpiece ornaments in Act 2. By the way was Ida's trip in the first scene accidental? If so - or if not! - she carried it off superbly*." Meg

*Note: Ida (Mandy Kiley) took a trip on a step during the matinee performance (the bruises were impressive!), but most members of the audience thought it was part of the action as she covered it so beautifully...

"Consistant quality acting from a superb cast. Well done once again Sewell Barn Theatre." Robin

"This play is well written, and is played with great competence and energy by this skilled cast directed by Claire Stretton. The set is one of the most impressive that I have seen at the Sewell Barn and as ever the players make full use of this atmospheric space. It is a play that I might have hesitated to go to as a customer, judging wrongly that I would not be interested in the content and context, but that would have been a big mistake." Julian Swainson - Norwich Eye (click here for full review)

"Saw this last night, great set, brilliant performance from all! Highly recommended." Jessica

"Hilarious, yet deeply moving. Your performances will stay with me. xx" Jen

"Really enjoyed Wednesday’s performance - congratulations to all involved." Shelagh

"This is a play of conversations and there are some witty exchanges in the back and forth between the three women, with all the cattiness of best friends – Claire Stretton’s direction keeps this sharp and pacey. There are several laugh out loud moments, especially in a later scene showing the aftermath of a drunken night out. Benfield and Tichborne demonstrate great range, as we find out more about their characters’ real lives and motivations. Ivan Menchell’s script doesn’t quite do enough to explain Ida’s journey, but Kiley brought a strong portrayal of her tentative steps back to romance." James Goffin - Cultivated UK (click here for full review)

"Very enjoyable evening back in the Sewell Barn Theatre, in the audience this time for The Cemetery Club. Go and see it if you can. Very touching and funny, great script and cast! Highly recommend!" Alison

"The key to the show was in the delivery, and thankfully the production was blessed with four experienced and skilled leads – Mandy Kiley, Julie Benfield, Gill Tichborne, and David White - each of an age to be credible as characters dealing with the loss of their partners in different manners. For the most part it was a wry, sardonic sort of comedy with the occasional smattering of poignancy, until a change of pace in the second half brought with it more raucous laughter and some desperately sad moments." East Anglian Theatre Podcast (click here for full review)

"Funny and moving in equal measure, with good performances all round. Well worth bagging a seat." Judi

"I must say I have found both my first time at the Sewell Barn and watching Menchell’s play a pleasant endeavour that left me concerned for my lack of knowledge that both existed! Congratulations should be handed to that cast, crew, director and theatre employees for an affordable and delighting night." Finley Little, The South Theatre Reviews (click here for full review)

"It's a delight." Charlotte

"Absolutely loved it. Take tissues for the final scene..." Alex

The Welkin (July 2023)

Our production of Lucy Kirkwood's powerful play in October 2022 was sadly derailed by an outbreak of COVID. We are so pleased to be able to present the play again with the full original cast, and clearly our audiences feel the same.

Photography: Sean Owen

"I never feel particularly eloquent when reviewing a piece of theatre. Usually get stuck after the ‘was gud innit’. I’ve seen some outstanding productions at The Barn over the last decade, and The Welkin was up there with the best. Had I seen this in the West End, it could not have been better. The pace was fast, the acting outstanding, the set added to the production but what was so so so very good is how the actors took the words from the page and produced such believable, such different characters. The script must have been excellent, but f*ck, it takes talent to take it from the page and deliver it like that. There, hope that wasn’t too gushing, but it was so thoroughly enjoyable!" James

"The play text, venue, and production work as a flawless triad, each supporting each other to communicate this in-depth presentation to the audience. The play text is a combination of deep monologues, heartbreaking revelations and comedic dialogue, the venue is intimate and filled with a versatile set and strong lighting, and the production (directed by Sabrina Poole and John Holden) is sleek, moving and impactful. The cast of matrons that make up the jury are impeccable, led by an incredibly strong Jo Parker Sessions as a seemingly level headed, maternal Elizabeth Luke, and her co-lead in the production, Emma Smith as Sally Poppy is devastatingly angsty, tortured and deeply troubled. The relationships throughout the show are entangled beautifully both within the text and direction, and present incredible range." Charlie Bench, UK Theatre Network [for full article click here]

"I really enjoyed the production, fantastic achievement. The acting was outstanding, loved the atmospheric set, sound and lighting was perfect." Nemonee

"Saw this play last night, so powerful, beautifully acted by all.. don't miss it. Massive congratulations to all involved." Ruth

"Excellent performance . If you haven't been I recommend this is a play not to be missed." Patricia

"Congratulations to Sabrina Poole and her cast and crew for their interpretation of the incredible script 'The Welkin' by Lucy Kirkwood... It's an intense and emotive play but I just wanted to give an extra clap to Alison Utting, Katie Smith and Jan Farrar for their excellent comedy skills. If you haven't got your tickets yet, go get them!" Laura

"Congratulations to all the cast and crew of The Welkin for creating a brilliant and absorbing piece of theatre! Having missed the two performances back in October before it was cruelly cut short by covid, it's been wonderful to see this show come at last into its full power. Fantastic performances by a great ensemble of women (with one or two men in support...) and a gripping storyline - what more could you want from a night out in Norwich? Get your tickets now!" Clare Williamson - Joint Artistic Director, Sewell Barn Theatre

"Sewell Barn Theatre may be a small company but their ambition is sky high. If you have any doubt about this, then get along to their charming venue on Constitution Hill for the current production of The Welkin... Sewell Barn Theatre have a right to feel very proud of their achievement in bringing this large, complex and demanding work so effectively into their atmospheric venue. Every cast member is given space to develop their own character." Julian Swainson for Norwich Eye [click here for full review - original production, October 2022]

"An absolutely brilliant and very powerful performance, I had goosebumps watching some scenes and tears at the end….congratulations to the very talented cast/ crew and of course Lucy Kirkwood!" Sheila

"Absolutely brilliant performances by all. Mind was blown." Tony

"Congratulations to you all! Powerful production. Wonderful!" Robin

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Four thwarted lovers seek to escape the confines of their restricted lives. Into the woods they go, only to find themselves unwittingly caught up in a long running feud between a fairy king and queen. Six trusty workers are off to the woods too – to rehearse a play to celebrate a royal marriage but it’s midsummer night - magic is abroad and anything can happen.

Photography: Andrew Evans

"So, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was an absolute masterpiece! Where do I start? Well, first off, the cast were top notch! It was hard for me to pick a favourite character, because they were all wonderful, and it was clear to me that a lot of fun must've been had delivering the whimsical dialogue! I also thought the set was fantastic, with sliding doors, curtains, and additional pieces which allowed it to be moved seamlessly between a stately garden and a wild forest ruled by mischievous, unpredictable spirits! The chemistry amongst the characters felt so genuine and sincere. It seems the actors have a great rapport with each other, which is always lovely to see! All these elements are proof that Shakespeare, when done right, is amazing! Thank you all for an unforgettable performance, and I wish you all the best for your final show tonight!" Lola

"This is a lively, confident and joyful production of one of our best known plays which will reward the audience whether it is the first or the fiftieth time they have seen the ‘Dream’. It is a brave show with lots of physical theatre and a good fast pace throughout. Norwich audiences are usually respectfully silent during a show, but there were many scenes that deserved the spontaneous round of applause they got tonight. Above all it is a great bit of theatre in a charming venue." Julian Swainson, Norwich Eye (click here for full review)

"What an amazing production you have pulled off at the Barn! So energetic, physical even... and magic! I could say Puck stole the show last night but equally so did the set. Phil is astonishingly talented, rendering the transformation from palace to forest so effortless! It was rich and beautiful. Costumes were stunningly good, lighting and music too. Congratulations! Much enjoyed by us all." Shelagh & Alan

 "I loved the production.  The best I've seen of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I've seen several over the years!" Andrew Evans (production photographer)

"Thank You Sewell Barn Theatre for a fantastic performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream last night, where our PTFA had the pleasure of attending alongside some of our Yr7 & Yr9 students. It was fast-paced and funny and there were many moments when our students were laughing out loud. A particular hit was Bottom's time as an ass and his dramatic death in the hilarious scene 'The Most Lamentable Deaths of Pyramus and Thisbe'. Why not read the rave reviews for yourself, and then get your hands on a couple of the few remaining tickets for one of this weekend's performances?" Sewell Park Academy

"Our congratulations to everyone - an absolutely brilliant performance - the body language / facial expressions were amazing - I am not sure how many bruises the actors ended up with! As always, the Staging was so creative - I always think we should applaud during the changeovers!" Roy & Eva

"What a glorious romp! Well done all!" Robin

"It was amazing. Perfect. We’re still laughing!" Chris

"Saw this today and have to say it was absolutely brilliant. All the cast were engaged and the comedy timing was priceless. It was gripping from the offset and never failed to please. You should all be extremely proud. 10/10." Jamie

"A collection of wonderful performances from a troupe of experienced and talented actors, all of whom demonstrated their ability to extract the maximum from this most well-known of pieces." East Anglian Theatre Podcast - click here for full review

"Many congratulations on a wonderful production! Rob Tiffin - I was aching with laughter!" Robin

"The heart is the poetry and the performances... there is plenty of physicality and big belly laughs, making for a very entertaining evening." James Goffin, Cultivated (click here for full review)

"Really enjoyed the production! First time to Sewell Barn - really friendly people and a fun evening!!" Chris

"I've not laughed so much in ages.. loved it.. the whole cast were great." Ruth

"Really enjoyed the show last night. And the sets were amazing."Imogen

"Splendid production of the 'Dream'... Lively, fun production for all ages. Recommended." June

"So glad I pulled out all the stops to see the last show. An amazing cast . A wonderful dreamy escape, full of emotions. The Theatre lends itself to the experience too. A true Gem in Theatre land ." Andrew

There were so many lovely comments that we had to photograph the board at the end of the first week, wipe it off and start again!

Di and Viv and Rose

Di and Viv and Rose

by Amelia Bullimore / directed by Emma Kirkham

13-15, 19-22 April

https://www.sewellbarn.org/booking.htm

"We could come and go and lead separate lives. Or we could really live together."

Three very different young women find themselves drawn together in the 1980s sharing a university flat, and their lives, with each other.

Over the following thirty years we follow their funny, moving and sometimes unexpected journey through life and friendship as both evolve over the passage of time.Di and Viv and Rose is an account of female friendship that is neither nostalgic nor sentimental, just real.

What is the impact of their friendship on their lives? What is the impact of their lives on their friendship?

Photography: Sean Owen of Reflective Arts

“And what an opening night it was! Please try and see this beautiful piece of theatre. A wonderful script delivered by three excellent actresses who totally held our attention and skilfully inveigled themselves into our emotions. I laughed a lot but I also cried. This was real life and real friendship. Congratulations Emma on your fine directorial debut.” Zanna

"Brilliant work from Emma Kirkham and her cast and crew tonight at the Sewell Barn Theatre. Di & Viv & Rose is both moving and impressive in its scope.It's a huge challenge to interpret and perform a play which moves through time and focuses so intensely on three characters and their lives and this was achieved brilliantly. The audience's attention was maintained throughout, creating a rich and thought provoking piece of theatre and we were with them every step of the way. Fantastic acting supported by atmospheric sound and lighting. Very many congratulations to all concerned!" Clare Williamson [Joint Artistic Director, Sewell Barn Theatre]

"Sewell Barn Theatre are an enthusiast company that put a great deal of effort into giving us high production values and you would need a heart of stone not to engage with the three lively characters who fill this atmospheric theatre with this show. Another winner from Sewell Barn greatly enjoyed by tonight’s audience." Julian Swainson - Norwich Eye [click here for full review]

"Well done all involved, and really strong performances from all three, brilliant show!" Jose

"Saw the show this afternoon. Congratulations everybody, really loved it... and some brilliant tunes in there too!" Cath

"Great show ladies, we thoroughly enjoyed it!!" Wendy

Still Life & Red Peppers

Alec and Laura are the epitome of middle-class respectability; they find themselves falling into a passionate liaison that is quite beyond their experience or control. Husband and wife George and Lily Pepper have been making a living of sorts ‘on the halls’ for fifteen years, performing the act that was originated by George’s parents and grandparents – and the cracks are beginning to show.

We are delighted to present two of Noel Coward’s cycle of nine short plays, Tonight at 8.30, which first entranced audiences in the 1930s. (Still Life is best known through its adaptation as the 1945 film Brief Encounter). Their sharply observed characters and situations still resonate nearly ninety years later; the challenges of life in the professional theatre, and the timeless pain of an unsought, potentially destructive amour fou, remain as relevant as ever.

Photography: Barry Parsons

"...[Still Life] Jonathan and Kiera give a touching, warm and very credible account of the affair and its brutal conclusion, while the other eight cast members give a gently humorous context to their dialogue. Jan Farrar’s Myrtle is the key figure in this. We see her as first a battle-axe and apparent misanthrope but she settles into a rather charming routine walking out with Albert... [Red Peppers] Portraying actors being a bit rubbish is a hard thing to do deliberately, as opposed to just being a bit rubbish as an actor. I am pleased to say that Andy and Dawn get it right, giving us a laughably grumpy pair of monsters who are getting fed up with their routine and with each other... Overall a well balanced and nicely presented pair of short dramas that remind us why Noël Coward was, and still is, one of the most popular writers for the English stage." Julian Swainson - Norwich Eye (click here for full review)

"A wonderful performance tonight. Nostalgia and times gone by, so good to watch." Andrew

"I continue to be so impressed with the talent in our midst! I doff my hat to the actors playing George and Lily in particular - the comedy, verve, pace and timing were great, and whilst Red Peppers might be a comedy, it gave me a rather wistful insight into a now almost forgotten age, when the musical and theatre halls were our shared entertainment space - before cinema, tv and the internet left us strangely separated." Pip

"Two very different plays, different emotions, different settings and you did them both on the same night! Courageous! We much enjoyed the evening ... Sitting more central would have been more immersive but what a cast and full team you corralled! You must be very pleased.  Around 12 people from the village here attended last night and are now talking about the next one! The station cafe set was brilliant and much admiration for the SMs who managed all those set changes at the Music Hall. Another tour de force! Proud indeed!" Shelagh & Alan

"Congratulations to the cast and crew of "Still Life/Red Peppers" for a superb opening night! Delightful performances from everyone involved! Camp, musical, and at times just plain SAUCY!!! Best of luck for the rest of the run! Your upcoming audiences are in for a treat!" Lola

"Our tribe [of four teenage grandchildren] enjoyed their first live theatre play.  They were entirely engaged and Abi (14) particularly was totally enthralled. A successful intro to live theatre, thank you." Jill

"Both pieces are well performed but for me Red Peppers is the one that has best survived the nearly 90 years since being written, with its music hall humour and theme of faded glamour just as relatable today." James Goffin, Cultivated (click here for full review)

"Well done Cassie and team for producing such a heartwarming show (despite having to battle against the lack of heat during rehearsals). We saw some wonderful characters in both plays recreating a bygone era of repressed love, railway stations and the struggles of life on the stage. A super ensemble coming together to grace the stage of the Sewell Barn Theatre!" Clare Williamson [Joint Artistic Director, Sewell Barn]

"Really enjoyed The Master's double bill last night. Such a joy to see Red Peppers performed live after having read it so many times! There is a very cheesy Joan Collins version I've seen, and I have to say, Dawn trumped her!" Steve

"Andy Lofthouse and Dawn Brindle as George and Lily were clearly having a whale of a time with the rich material, which allowed them to show off their skills as comic performers. They had the audience in the palms of their hands throughout, whether bickering with each other, the pompous theatre manager, or the apparently sozzled conductor. It was a much more joyous, effervescent play, and the perfect way to conclude this slightly divergent double-bill." Ray Tempesta, East Anglian Theatre Podcast [click here for full review]

Queers

A century of LGBT+ life: placing human faces onto a tumultuous history

A young soldier returning from the trenches of the First World War mourns the loss of a love that dare not speak its name. Almost one hundred years later, a man looks forward to his gay wedding.

Poignant and personal, funny, tragic and riotous, Queers celebrates a century of positive change and political milestones in British LGBT+ history, as seen through the eyes of eight individuals. Curated by Mark Gattiss in 2017 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men over the age of twenty-one, each monologue is a sensitive exploration of the highs and lows of the queer experience.

Photography: Sean Owen of Reflective Arts

"...The whole collection was a triumph from start to finish, and for a directorial debut, Michelle Hutchings can be so proud of what she achieved. Though it seems a bit trivial by comparison to the urgent messages within the show, I feel a special mention must also go to the set designers/builders for recreating a pub setting with such skill and detail. It’s a bit late for me to say this is a production that shouldn’t be missed, but I’ll instead simply congratulate everyone that’s worked on the production for such a magnificent piece of theatre". East Anglian Theatre Podcast [click here for full review]

"I managed to drag myself past my front door on Friday evening. I am so glad I didn’t miss out!... I was pleased to meet you, Michelle, and express my appreciation personally. Your casting was superb and the performances you (and Gatiss) inspired were so memorable... It was outstanding." Jan

"Spent a wonderful evening in the company of the characters of Queers at the Sewell Barn - fascinating stories creating a rollercoaster of emotions. If you missed it you missed out. Huge congratulations to director Michelle Hutchings and her phenomenal cast and crew!" Jen

"Lucky enough to see this great show on Friday night. A triumph - sincere congratulations to all involved." Shelagh

"Thank you to the Sewell Barn Theatre, director Michelle Hutchings, Zanna Foley-Davies, Jen Alexander and the rest of the Queers team. A powerful production and a most moving evening." Clare

"It was amazing, moving and thought provoking. Accolades to all." Frankie

"Beautiful production chronicling gay lives from 1917 to 2017, with an additional monologue by a trans woman, written by some of the company, and a passionate epilogue that brings the history bang up to date from last week’s headlines. Pitch-perfect performances by each member of the cast." Alan

"There are many things I am, and many things I’m not. And the things you’re not you have to listen harder to. Queers at The Barn was gripping from start to finish, and the stories told, very very worth listening to. Outstanding theatre." James

"Well done to Zanna Foley-Davies, Benjamin Turner, Jen Alexander and the rest of the actors in 'Queers' at Sewell Barn Theatre. What a fantastic show....very moving!" Julie

"Queers was a great success.  We thought it was an impressive piece with a significant impact, insightful and up to date.  Performances, as ever, were of a very high standard and it was certainly well received by the audience last night. Michelle and all the team should be delighted." Shelagh

"To find seven cast members of the skill and quality of this lot is a remarkable achievement. Each actor seems to fit in their role like a nicely tailored glove." Julian Swainson, Norwich Eye [click here for full review]

"Some startlingly good performances and writing come together in this series of monologues." James Goffin, Cultivated [click here for full review]

“This was a fantastic production.  The standard of acting was superb.  I did not realise until afterwards,when reading the programme, that the company had added a monologue and epilogue to include trans history.  These additions enhanced an already moving, funny and brilliantly written script. I hope Mark Gatiss has been invited to watch this production!” Jane

"Super proud of Jen Alexander and all the cast and crew of Queers at Sewell Barn Theatre. Amazing, powerful, heartfelt production. I was gripped! Huge congratulations to director Michelle Hutchings Do go and see it if you get [the] chance." Shelly

"This show is amazing - theatre at its best." Diane

"It really is a fabulous show. Do go and see it if you can. Wonderful performances all round." Jo

"Saw it last night. Some absolutely outstanding performances." Alison

"Absolutely brilliant performances. I loved it and urge people to get their ticket. Well done everyone." Laura

"Saw the show this evening, so thought provoking and superb acting, excellent evening." Diane

"Such a great and clever show!The acting was spot on and so natural. The stories are worth hearing and honoring, and it was genuinely alive. Multiple people in the audience cried!!!" Amie

"Went to dress rehearsal of Queers last night: amazing set, and, my goodness, it was brilliant.  It has been done so well." Jen Flitton [Sewell Barn committee member]

"Relevant, urgent, needed." Audience comment on blackboard

The show plays from 19-21 and 25-28 January at 7:30 plus a matinee at 2:30 on 28 January. Tickets available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/sewellbarn or telephone 0333 666 3366.