previous work
 To see images from the show, CLICK THE POSTER |
1998-99: Much Ado About Nothing Touring small and middle-scale Theatres and Arts Centres in the East of England, this production placed Shakespeare's sharp-witted comedy of love, honour and betrayal in a setting uncannily reminiscent of the British Empire at the close of the Boer War. Produced in collaboration with the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, the tour included workshops for secondary school pupils and brought a fully-staged Shakespearean production to venues that do not often enjoy such events.  |
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2000: The Mill On The Floss A Millennium Festival event, supported by lottery funds through Awards For All. A large and complex production, involving over fifty local actors and musicians, this community play linked four villages along the River Waveney in rural mid-Suffolk. Each performance would involve the use of several locations, with the audience travelling to follow the action, over a period of several hours. |
 To see images from the show, CLICK THE POSTER |
theatre-in-education
touring historic houses and museums
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History-based participative performances with pupils at primary, secondary and special schools. An annual programme of between 10 -12 weeks, working in the Imperial War Museum in London, at the IWM's Duxford site, at Fulham Palace, at the First Garden City Heritage Museum in Letchworth Garden City and in National Trust properties from Northumberland to Cornwall.
Sponsored by
 2002 & 2003: The Growing Schools Garden For Gardening Which? and the DfES, providing costumed actors in a themed presentation, part of the launch of an initiative to encourage outside education and healthy eating. At Hampton Court and at the DfES Eltham centre. |
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2003: Where shall I Live? A new play commissioned for the centenary of Letchworth, the world's first 'Garden City'. A collaboration with students from North Hertfordshire College and from Central St. Martins College of Art & Design. Public performances and Theatre-in-Education in schools. |
about matthew townshend
Background:
An experienced theatre practitioner, Matthew specialises in directing Educational Drama. He is also an actor, teacher and writer.
While studying at Cambridge University, Matthew became involved in helping to run a young theatre group at the Arts Theatre. He went on to direct two summer musicals for the Arts Theatre Trust.
Upon graduation, he trained as an actor at the Arts Educational Schools. He has toured nationwide in children's theatre, appearing in London at the Shaw, King's Head, Cochrane and Latchmere theatres and on the South Bank at the Purcell room.
A member of the National Youth Theatre, in the 1980s Matthew returned for several seasons to direct Easter and Summer coursework productions. More recently, he has run workshop sessions for youth theatre groups at the Chester Gateway Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, Blackfriars Arts centre in Boston, Lincs and the Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone.
As Director:
1989 saw Matthew joining the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage as Projects (Artistic) Director of the resident professional company, Spectrum Theatre Trust, with a remit to work in the community as well as to develop a building-based education and youth theatre programme. Their many new productions included the first major UK staging of 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' and 'Why aren't we all dancing?', a community play for Letchworth Garden City.
Together with the Arts and Entertainments manager, Matthew worked to increase the profile of educational activity and outreach. Among the companies and artistes who came to offer workshops were Phoenix Dance, Diversions/Cwmni Dawns Diversions, David Glass and jazz master Kenny Ball.
In 1994 Matthew became Artistic Director of the Young National Trust Theatre (YNTT). This was the National Trust's professional Theatre-in-Education company, described by The Stage newspaper as 'The Rolls-Royce of TiE'. Here, each year, he was responsible for researching and writing a new History-based participative play for KS2 and 3 and for creating the resource materials to support the performances
The company toured throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Matthew travelled with the show, running INSET days for teachers, leading workshops for education staff and volunteers and managing the residency at each of the properties.
In 1999, after a quarter-century at the very forefront of educational theatre in Britain, the YNTT toured for the last time and the company folded. Determined that such a valuable contribution to the school curriculum should not be allowed to disappear, Matthew took up the baton himself, to provide continuity of service and maintain the standard of work that schools had come to expect. Now in its seventh year under his direction, mtp's educational arm continues to offer a unique TiE experience of the highest quality.
Matthew also continues to enjoy a busy career as a freelance actor and director. In 2005 he completed his fifteenth pantomime season.