insideKENT Magazine Issue 82 - January 2019 | Page 62

VISITKENT MAKE A MEMORY AND TREAT YOURSELF TO A TRIP TO THE Hazlitt Theatre in 2019 WHAT COULD HELP MAKE 2019 A GREAT YEAR? A TRIP TO SEE ONE OF THE MANY BRILLIANT PRODUCTIONS AT THE HAZLITT THEATRE. HANSEL AND GRETEL ADULT PANTO JULIAN DUTTON, DO YOU THINK THAT’S WISE At the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone, they are celebrating the start of a new year with a new season of programming. January to April are the months that will be making up their Spring Season and they are packed with a huge variety of performances, so there should be something for everyone from young to old. However, the year kicks off with a performance that is definitely for our older ones when they offer the very funny, but very adult pantomime Hansel and Gretel Go Down In The Woods. January 2019 will also see the Hazlitt Studio Theatre complete its near £70,000 makeover. New black drapes have been hung, a new technical box has been created, new on-stage flats have been built and a state-of-the-art seating unit has been implemented in order for the Studio to remain a multi-purpose space, but offer high-quality and comfortable seating for the performances that take place in there. The Spring Season will see some relatively new theatre be played out in the studio by way of productions such as The Shy Manifesto, Marilyn, Where is Mrs Christie and Do You Think That’s Wise , of which the details of these shows can be found online at www.hazlitttheatre.com or by visiting the theatre to pick up the latest brochure. For comedy lovers amongst you they are pleased to be welcoming such acts as the very popular Stephen K Amos, Matt Forde, Lucy Porter and Hal Cruttenden amongst others. And talking of comedy, the Hazlitt Theatre will also be hosting a monthly showcase of ‘The Comedy Store, Maidstone’, where 62 several top acts can be seen in just one night. These monthly nights kick off in February. Music fanatics will be pleased to see they have Ruby Turner coming back, Barbara Dickson will be live on stage, a brilliant band in The Wild Tonics will appear in January and they are extremely proud to present Naturally 7 in February. They complement this selection with some great Tribute Acts by way of Bob Marley Legend, Bob Dylan Story and Best of Wham. And for the younger ones there will be a stunning production with The Amazing Adventures of Pinocchio in the Main House and in the Studio they have performances of Hoot Owl, Wow it’s Night Time and Sourpuss. For those who want to go on stage, the Youth Theatre Department will be directing two productions in the February Half Term for anyone to be a part of. For 6–11yrs (primary school), they will be staging Matilda, and for the 11–18 yrs (secondary school) they will be offering a musical theatre week, with the aptly named ‘Best of Broadway’. From young to old, whether it's watching a performance or being in one, the Hazlitt Spring Season certainly does have something for everyone! www.hazlitttheatre.com