Coventry theatre company to close with 'special goodbye' this week

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Theatre Absolute will perform its final production this week



A theatre company in Coventry will be staging its last ever show this week after over 30 years of productions. Theatre Absolute on Oldfield Road will have a 'special goodbye' with its final production, The Walking Man.

The Walking Man will be performed at Coventry Cathedral today (October 15), tomorrow (October 16), and Friday (October 17) at 7:30pm. The play is written by Chris O’Connell, directed by Erica Whyman, and performed by Clare Corbett.

Theatre Absolute has been based in Coventry since 1933, and has produced plays that have toured nationally and internationally, winning awards in London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The theatre company created the UK's first shop-front theatre in the city centre in the former Fishy Moore's chip shop. The company also opened its doors to many community groups, offering them affordable space and comradeship in the city. The shop-front theatre closed in 2022 due to the City Centre South development scheme.

Artistic director and writer, Chris O'Connell, says the pressure to sustain an independent theatre company has become 'harder and harder': "However, we’re not going away, as artists in our own right, Julia and I won’t stop listening to the city’s communities and will continue to respond creatively through other future projects."

Producer Julia Negus added: "It’s a genuine privilege for Chris and me to stage Theatre Absolute’s last work in the New Cathedral. We hope to see some new and perhaps older, familiar faces in the audience. It’s going to be a very special goodbye."

The one-woman show, written by Chris O'Connell and directed by Erica Whyman, will include EastEnders actress Clare Corbett. Tickets are £10 and can be purchased via the Coventry Cathedral website.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-theatre-company-close-special-32680621

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Please note the Oldfield Road address mentioned in the article is for administration purposes only, there is no theatre there. It was a temporary replacement for the City Arcade addresss.