HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex, has today been announced as the Royal Patron for Reading Rep Theatre. The Earl of Wessex joins us as we celebrate our 10th anniversary, and one year since the opening of our state-of-the-art 163 seat theatre and cultural hub, which was built and opened during the pandemic.

The Earl of Wessex takes a keen interest in the arts and is Patron of a range of organisations that aim to widen opportunities within the sector, particularly for young people. His Royal Highness formerly worked in theatre and television production, before becoming a full-time working member of the Royal Family in 2002.

On Monday 31 st October, 2022, His Royal Highness will be in attendance at Reading Rep’s Corporate Partnership Scheme Launch. The event will be held at the theatre, and will see businesses across Reading and the Thames Valley connect and network with fellow organisations.

HRH Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex said of his patronage, ““Reading Rep is rapidly becoming an essential part of the arts scene in Reading for three really good reasons. It is creating pathways to the performing arts for young people, regardless of background; it is introducing new audiences to the performing arts through its outreach and access activities; and it is a space providing an alternative venue for creative and production talents to hone their skills. I look forward to helping with reinforcing this theatre’s inspiring work in the local community and to supporting its future endeavours.”

Paul Stacey, Founding Artistic Director of Reading Rep said of today’s announcement: “It is a huge privilege to welcome HRH The Earl of Wessex as Reading Rep Theatre’s Royal Patron. His Royal Highness has shown incredible support for arts and culture and his recognition and support of Reading Rep and the work we do both on stage and in the community, is humbling. We are excited to work with HRH in forwarding our shared goals and aspirations for art and culture in Reading.”