Independent Reading theatre company gets £100,000 grant

Public access to the ruins at Reading Abbey was closed in 2009 before reopening in 2018 following restoration work

An independent theatre company has been awarded £100,000 to stage a production of Henry I.

Rabble Theatre's play will be staged inside the ruins of Reading Abbey in June 2023.

King Henry founded the abbey in 1121 and his body is believed to lie beneath the ruins.

Louise Gilmour, Rabble's chair of trustees, said the Arts Council England (ACE) grant was a "major boost" for Rabble and for Reading.

She added the company was "extremely grateful" to ACE and "excited to be a part of their bold strategy to empower communities and build cultural identity".

Rabble's Toby Davies says the play has "lots of sword fights and lots of action"

Rabble's artistic director Toby Davies told the BBC: "It's hard work to get a grant from the arts council but we've been going for 10 years and we've built up a strong relationship with them.

"What they like to see is work that celebrates the community - and is built with the community - and that has a lot of education work alongside it. That's exactly what we've done."

He said the play would focus on the undervalued women in the King's life - part of Rabble's wider vision to champion forgotten women of history.

Dani Davies, the theatre's executive director, added: "With all that is going on in our delicate world, and as the mother of three girls, this play feels deeply relevant.

"It tells the story of forgotten women whilst also exploring the effect of violence perpetrated by those in power."

Rabble will also run its inaugural Finding Reading Festival alongside the play, an education project with local community groups, schools and organisations.

"It's wonderful to see that so many people will have the opportunity to participate in this exciting new educational project," said Peter Heslip, ACE's south east director.