Much delayed Reading Abbey drama opens
The last Abbot of Reading is taking place in the very spot where the history it portrays took place
Last updated 17th Jun 2021
A major theatre production in the ruins of Reading Abbey has opened a year after it was first scheduled to.
'The last Abbot of Reading' tells the story of how Reading Abbey came to be closed.
Produced by Rabble theatre it was written by Reading-born Beth Flintoff.
It's going ahead in the 12th century Chapter House the very place where the real life events the play imagines, took place.
Toby Davies, Rabble theatre's artistic director, says there have been many occasions he feared the show might not go on:
"Pretty much every week for how ever long we've been planning this! We started work on this in 2018 so its been a long old road but it feels amazing to have people here in a shared experience and yeah doing a play in Reading about Reading feels pretty good.
"We can't sell out capacity we have to have space between groups so that's been a challenge but we will just about break even if we carry on getting bookings the way we are. But the positive vibes this show has sent out across Reading have been pretty tangible, pretty palpable so we feel like it's the right thing to have done"
The Last Abbot of Reading will be performed until early next month and during that time the production will pass the exact date 900 years ago that Henry 1 founded the Abbey.
No one wanted or expected the play to be delayed but the fact it's taking place at such a special time seems apt.
Details www.rabbletheatre.com