Coventry theatre offers jam-packed fortnight of theatrical offerings

The Criterion’s Festival 50 will see nine productions brought to the stage in 15 days, with the programme including works by well-known and relatively new writers.

Covering a range of genres including mystery, suspense and farce, the plays will be performed in three playbills per night, culminating in an all-day programme of nine plays on Saturday July 23.

Criterion member Sara Farmer said: “This is an exciting opportunity to showcase the theatre’s talent on and off stage.”

Starting out as a small group of people who belonged to a church dramatics society, the Criterion Players formed in 1955.

Four years later, members jumped at the opportunity of acquiring their own performance space when the Methodist Sunday School in Earlsdon was moving out of its building.

After a few years of intense fundraising, the building was converted into a theatre and officially opened in 1961.

Since then the Criterion has staged hundreds of plays - two of which have been world premieres. Members of the company have played over thousands of parts in Criterion productions.

On average every play takes about 50 people backstage and front of house to produce and staff. That means more than 15,000 support roles have been undertaken by people from Coventry and surrounding areas.

Showing tomorrow, Wednesday July 13, Tuesday July 19, Friday July 22 and Saturday July 23 are The Monkey’s Paw, Resting Place and Chinamen.

On Monday July 11, Thursday July 14, Sunday July 16, Wednesday July 20 and Saturday July 23, taking the stage are Sure Thing, The Zoo Story and Afterplay.

And on Tuesday July 12, Friday July 15, Monday July 18, Thursday July 21 and Saturday July 23 people can see The Bear, In Camera and Blackout.

Tickets cost £9.50 (£7.50 for Criterion members and £5 for juniors) per play.

People who buy tickets for all three nights’ performances will get tickets to the third free.

There are discounts for those who buy ten tickets for one performance.

For timings and bookings, go online

www.criteriontheatre.co.uk

Or call 024 7667 5175.