During his visit, he spent time at the Reading Rep Theatre and met with the cast of its festive production of A Christmas Carol.
His Royal Highness is the royal patron of the Berkshire theatre, and the visit marked the start of the theatre’s celebrations of their patrons, from audience members through to their royal patron.
Vale and West Partners Lee Gardner, Jason Pyke, and Terry Wright (Image: Reading Rep Theatre)
Paul Stacey, founding artistic director of Reading Rep Theatre, said: “His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh’s continued support means a great deal to all of us at Reading Rep Theatre.
“His visit this Christmas felt like a genuine celebration not just of our work, but of the extraordinary community that fills this building every day.
“This year has shown more clearly than ever just how much our theatre means to local people, from our audiences and young participants to our creative teams and volunteers.
“We’re proud to be a home for stories, creativity and connection, and honoured that our Royal Patron recognises the impact this theatre has on our town.”
This year’s festive show was sponsored by Reading-based chartered accountants Vale & West, continuing their support from last year’s production of The Snow Queen.
Jason Pyke, managing partner at Vale & West, said: “Vale & West has been part of Reading for well over a century, and as a firm that has grown alongside the town, we believe strongly in giving back to the community and being an active part of the local business community.
“Supporting Reading Rep Theatre – from last year’s production of The Snow Queen to this year’s A Christmas Carol – felt like a perfect fit.
“Joining the company for the VIP night with our colleagues and clients was a real highlight and a wonderful reminder of the value of having high-quality, professional theatre right here in Reading.
“A strong local arts scene contributes enormously to a thriving town, and we are proud to support an organisation that continues to make such a meaningful impact locally.”
In other recent activity, Reading Rep Theatre marked Giving Tuesday with a programme of thank-you calls and messages to supporters who have contributed to the theatre since its building opened.
This gesture was not part of a fundraising campaign, but instead focused on showing appreciation and building relationships with the people who help sustain the theatre’s work.
Megan Turnell Willett, head of development at Reading Rep Theatre, reflected on the day.
She said: “This time of year is naturally a season when people feel more compelled to give to charity.
“However, the warmth of the Christmas spirit moving people to share with those less fortunate is also a well-acknowledged phenomenon among fundraisers – December can feel somewhat saturated with donation requests and appeals, for more worthy causes than most people have pennies to spare.
“People have been giving to Reading Rep in one way or another, since the very beginning.
“Our very first production was only made possible by a generous £500 donation from our Artistic Director’s Grandma.
“Charitable giving – or, rather, receiving – is in our bones.
“And what is Giving Tuesday without the givers themselves?”