The Blue Room an Exclusive Preview

THE BLUE ROOM is celebrating its first anniversary with a special performance of The Night Watch, a theatrical adaptation of the eponymous novel by critically acclaimed author Sarah Waters.

The play focuses on a group of women in 1940’s London during and after World War II and looks at what it was like to be a young, gay woman at that time. The story is told in reverse so the audience see the characters in the present day and learn how their stories unfold over the course of the play.    

Steve Gillard, theatre director at the Blue Room, said: “We are delighted to mark our first anniversary by performing such an interesting and highly acclaimed story. This is the biggest performance we have ever attempted at The Blue Room so it should be a fantastic weekend.

“Stokes Tea and Coffee is generously supporting the performance and Nick Peel, the managing director, tasked me with finding a play to tie in with the 1940’s Weekend in Lincoln and The Night Watch really stood out.

“The selling point for me was that all the characters are incredibly human and relatable. I particularly like that the main characters are gay but it isn’t their defining feature – instead the plot is centred around love, desire, regret and everything in between.”

The Blue Room Lincoln has been open for a year but the venue dates back to 1800’s. The dramatic space was left empty until Stokes purchased The Lawn in 2015.

The theatre was subsequently refurbished along with the rest of the Grade II listed building and was not only restored to its former glory but brought into the 21st century with new sound and lighting systems.

Steve added: “The cast have been working incredibly hard over the past few months and it’s fantastic to see them really engaging with their characters and the text. It’s the aspect I love most about directing – helping actors to realise both their own and their characters fullest potential.

“We have a really mixed cast for the performance with some very experienced actors and some recent graduates, all of whom are from Lincolnshire, and I have every faith it’s going to be a really fantastic show.”