Darlington Hippodrome will be engaging with the community with an arts and entertainment online quiz on Friday 27 March at 7.30pm to help celebrate World Theatre Day.
With the entire country adopting social distancing measures people have looked to the internet to keep engaged with family, to keep fit, to remain mentally active or just to learn new skills.
Through the power of Zoom – an online meetings app – Darlington Hippodrome will be engaging with theatre lovers with an online arts and entertainment online quiz which will take place on Friday 27 March at 7.30pm. There will be rounds on music, art, literature, films and more. Homes can take part as a small team or you can take part as an individual – there will be no ‘winning’ prize – just the fun of joining in a large social online event to help pass the time.
Rebecca Howarth from Darlington Hippodrome told us “This way of engaging with the community is all very new to us and it may be a little rough around the edges, but the theatre is looking at new and exciting ways we can engage with the community to keep spirits up, have some fun and allow people some social interaction in these difficult times.”
Rebecca continued “Over the last couple of weeks Zoom has become the go-to app to allow large groups of people to engage in activities such as keep fit classes, singing classes, drama classes and even learning how to knit. It’s a great way to meet friends and make new ones as well.”
If you are interested in taking part in the online quiz simply go to the Darlington Hippodrome Facebook page and ‘attend’ the Virtual Quiz Night event. Further details will be posted in the event on Friday evening. All you need to take part is internet access, a phone or laptop with a camera, pen and paper for your answers, an open mind and a sense of humour.
The quiz will be open to the first 100 participants who access the Zoom event on the night, but don’t be disappointed if you miss out on this occasion as there will be future theatre events to get involved in
LOVE LOWRY launches to keep people entertained during social distancing
With its doors currently closed due to coronavirus, The Lowry in Salford has launched a new, free way for people to continue to enjoy the arts.
Launching on The Lowry Blog, Love Lowry will be a daily service of creative activities and art experiences for people to enjoy from their homes.
Julia Fawcett OBE chief executive of The Lowry, said: “Our visitors engage with us for many different reasons, the escapism of a night at the theatre, a walk around our exhibitions or the joy of taking part in a creative workshop. The Lowry offers so much to so many.
“The arts have always played a valuable role in people’s mental wellbeing and at a time when social-distancing and self-isolation is the new normal, its role is now more important than ever.
“I’m really proud of the online programme we’ve pulled together – and we’ve began sharing content immediately. Hopefully, this will help people to engage with the arts and keep their minds and their bodies active.”
“The programme will offer things such as creative activities for children, adults and families, the opportunity to experience digital art designed to be experienced online and the chance to ‘watch again’ art experiences The Lowry has in its digital archive.”
All the activities on offer are free of charge.
Please follow The Lowry’s social media channels for the latest content:
BARN THEATRE HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL BE LIVE STREAMING THEIR CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF SHAKESPEARE’S HENRY V ON WORLD THEATRE DAY
THE PRODUCTION, STARRING WEST END STARS AARON SIDWELL AND LAUREN SAMUELS, WILL BE BROADCAST ON FRIDAY 27 MARCH AT 6PM
The Barn Theatre have announced plans to live stream their critically acclaimed production of William Shakespeare’s Henry V on World Theatre Day (27 March).
The production, which stars Aaron Sidwell (Wicked, American Idiot, Loserville, Ghost, EastEnders) and Lauren Samuels(Bend It Like Beckham, Romantics Anonymous, We Will Rock You, Grease, Water Babies, Over The Rainbow), will be streamed live to the theatre’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts on Friday 27th March at 6pm.
Henry V, which was called “a populist Hal for a post-Brexit world” by Dominic Cavendish from The Telegraph, is directed by Hal Chambers, with designs by Emily Leonard, fight direction by Christos Dante, movement direction by Kate Webster, composition by Harry Smith, BroadwayWorld UK award-nominated projection designs by Benjamin Collins, sound design by Chris Cleal and lighting by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner.
The full cast comprises of: Matt Ray Brown (Exeter/Orleans), Alicia Charles (Bardolph/Williams), Elin Phillips (Fluellen), Lauren Samuels (Katherine/Boy),
Aaron Sidwell (Henry), Adam Sopp (Pistol/Constable), Sarah Waddell (Queen of France) and Jonathan Woolf (Nym/Dauphin).
Since launching in 2018, the Barn Theatre has gained national recognition by producing 12 Built By Barn shows to upwards of 80,000 audience members and being awarded The Stage Awards’ Best Fringe Theatre of the Year Award 2019. Their contribution to the local community stretches further than just the theatre with large scale outreach programmes, school workshops and collaborative projects around the centenary of the First World War, the ‘record-breaking’ Cirencester Human Poppy, and The Cirencester Advent Festival that have enhanced the well-being of the community and draw thousands of visitors to the town.
The theatre has also worked extensively with disadvantaged communities working with charities including Cirencester Housing for Young People (CHYP) and Age UK Gloucestershire.
The Cotswold theatre recently launched their live streaming service, Behind The Barn Door, gives access to entertaining, fun and informative content for the local community. The service launched with a Q&A with Cotswolds MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, in collaboration with The Cirencester Chamber of Commerce.
Giffords Circus favourite Tweedy the Clown will star in a new children’s entertainment mini-series called Tweedy’s Lost & Found, where every Wednesday at 12pm viewers will join the clown as he adapts to his new life working at the local Lost & Found. The series will be live streamed to the Barn Theatre’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts.
The Barn Theatre (registered charity no. 1174253) have launched a donations campaign, SAVE OUR BARN, via their website and social media platforms.
Regan De Wynter Williams Productions Ltd. are very disappointed to announce that owing to Coronavirus (COVID-19), they are cancelling the production of Sasha Regan’s All-Male H.M.S. Pinafore at Wilton’s Music Hall which was scheduled to run from 15th April – 9th May.
Wilton’s Music Hall will contact all ticketholders and offer the following options:
The donation of the cost of your booking (this will be split accordingly between Wilton’s and the visiting company) which we would be very grateful for in the current circumstances
You can donate a percentage of your ticket, with the remainder being refunded (this will be split accordingly between Wilton’s and the visiting company).
You can receive a full refund.
Customer service teams are currently working remotely and are extremely busy. They will be in touch as soon as possible. Please do not phone the Box Office at this current time and do not come to Wilton’s Music Hall which is closed for the time being.
Thank you very much for your wonderful support and patience during these very difficult times. We are heartbroken. Please look after yourselves and keep safe and well.
Following the incredible success of their first reading of The Two Gentleman of Verona, The Show Must Go Onlinetoday announce the full schedule for their upcoming livestreams, with the next reading of The Taming of the Shrew streamed on Thursday 26 March, 7pm.
The series of livestreamed readings aims to bring actors and audiences together to collectively enjoy and experience Shakespeare at a time when connecting in a traditional theatre space isn’t possible. The Two Gentleman of Verona now has over 24K views on YouTube and was watched live by audiences from over twenty-five different countries, from the USA to the Philippines, and from Poland to Malaysia.
The cast of this week’s reading of The Taming of the Shrew will also take part in Clap for our Carers at 8pm, the round of applause taking place across the country for NHS workers and front line health workers around the world and the extraordinary work they are doing. This will be led by cast member Mary Bragg Ion who is an NHS trauma therapist. For the full cast for this reading, please see https://twitter.com/robmyles/status/1242006913744875520?s=20
The company have also established a Patreon for the venture, which will be used as an opt-in hardship fund for the actors who take part – https://www.patreon.com/TheShowMustGoOnline
Robert Myles is a classical actor and director, writer and freelance creative lead. He is the creator of The Shakespeare Deck, and has workshops available for actors interested in getting more from Shakespeare’s incredible text. As an actor, he has toured the UK playing leading roles in Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays.
FRIDAY 27 MARCH AT 7:30PM In light of the closure of theatres across the UK due to COVID-19, the Original Theatre Company’s productions of Alan Bennett’s THE HABIT OF ART and Ali Milles’s THE CROFT, both of which were touring the UK, will now each have an online launch performance: THE HABIT OF ART on Thursday 26 March at 8:15pm and THE CROFT on Friday 27 March at 7:30pm. The performances are available to pre-order now. The videos will then be available to watch online until 2 June 2020.
The Original Theatre Company operates with no Arts Council support and relies solely on box office takings. With productions of THE HABIT OF ART and THE CROFT both out on national tours, the immediate cancellations are financially devastating. The company is determined, wherever possible, to meet financial commitments made to actors, stage managers and suppliers who are all dependent on the company to survive the coming months. They therefore ask people pay what they can afford but have a suggested minimum donation of £2.50.
Every penny they make through this online release will go to the people who helped make these shows and who now find themselves in a hugely precarious financial position. People in exceptional financial difficulties can access the videos for free by emailing directly the Original Theatre Company.
In addition to the show, there will also be access to a programme and backstage videos as part of the package.
Alastair Whatley, Artistic Director of The Original Theatre Company, said “Gaining access to these films is an extraordinary opportunity that has been permitted by the kind permissions of our writers Alan Bennett and Ali Milles, the acting companies, stage managers and creative teams to allow us to share these with you as a way of saying a heartfelt thanks to you, our audiences, for helping sustain the Original Theatre Company and all those who work with us.
“We hope people who have booked tickets and are now unable to attend, along with many thousands of others, can now access these videos and enjoy two superb pieces of theatre in the comfort of their homes. Some small respite in these trying times.
“We want to encourage people to make their own in-house theatre experience. We will be making play-appropriate drink suggestions, suggestions of what people might wear to watch the productions, a fun code of conduct which amounts to ‘do whatever you like, as you are in your own house’, and ask people to share photos of their home theatre experience.”
THE HABIT OF ART is directed by Philip Franks and stars Matthew Kelly as Fitz (W. H. Auden), David Yelland as Henry (Benjamin Britten), Veronica Roberts (Kay, the stage manager), Robert Mountford (Neil, the author), John Wark (Donald/Humphrey Carpenter), Jessica Dennis (George, the assistant stage manager) and Benjamin Chandler (Tim/Stuart).
THE HABIT OF ART explores friendship, rivalry and heartache, the joy, pain and emotional cost of creativity. It is centred on a fictional meeting between poet W. H. Auden and composer Benjamin Britten. Bennett wrote it as a play-within-a-play – actors Fitz, Henry, Tim and Donald are rehearsing a play called Caliban’s Day under the direction of stage manager, Kay, and in the presence of the playwright, Neil. In Caliban’s Day, a fictitious meeting occurs in 1973 in Auden’s (Fitz) rooms at Oxford not long before he dies. Britten (Henry) has been auditioning boys nearby for his opera Death in Venice, and arrives unexpectedly – their first meeting in 25 years after falling out over the failure of their opera Paul Bunyan.
Alan Bennett’s THE HABIT OF ART premiered at the National Theatre in November 2009, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Richard Griffiths, Alex Jennings and Frances de la Tour. The National then toured the production in Autumn 2010 with a new cast led by Desmond Barrit, Malcolm Sinclair and Selina Caddell.
This production of THE HABIT OF ART has been designed by Adrian Linford, with lighting by Johanna Town, sound by Max Pappenheim and casting by Joyce Nettles.
THE CROFT is directed by Philip Franks and stars Gwen Taylor as Enid, Caroline Harker as Suzanne / Ruth, Drew Cain as David / Alec, Lucy Doyle as Laura / Eilene, Simon Roberts as Tom / Patrick,
THE CROFT is set in the remote Scottish Highlands village of Coillie Ghille, where we encounter three women from different eras whose lives are intertwined by the croft’s dark history. In the 1880’s, we have Enid, the last person left in the village – she’s resilient, a survivor, who takes in the Laird’s pregnant daughter, Eilene. In 2005, Ruth occupies the croft, which she and her husband Tom bought as a holiday home and where Ruth has her affair with local man, David. In the present day, Laura returns with her friend Suzanne to her parent’s croft after her mother Ruth’s death. They discover the terrifying truth that lurks within the croft. In this bold and haunting play, the present interweaves with the past, as these women search for love in the midst of great danger. As we watch their stories intertwine and ancient tales surface, can the present heal the past?
THE CROFT is designed by Adrian Linford, with lighting by Chris Davey, sound by Max Pappenheim and casting by Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG.
HEADLONG AND CENTURY FILMS ANNOUNCE UNPRECEDENTED: REAL TIME THEATRE FROM A STATE OF ISOLATION
A MAJOR NEW DIGITAL PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER CELEBRATED PLAYWRIGHTS, DIRECTORS AND ACTORS TO CREATE A SERIES OF SHORT DIGITAL PLAYS RESPONDING TO THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
THE SERIES WILL BE AN IMMEDIATE AND INTIMATE THEATRE EXPERIENCE, FEATURING ACTORS PERFORMING FROM ISOLATION, BROADCAST ACROSS THE NATION DURING THIS PERIOD OF LOCKDOWN
APRIL DE ANGELIS, CLINT DYER, JAMES GRAHAM, JENNIFER HALEY, JASMINE LEE-JONES, DUNCAN MACMILLAN AND PRASANNA PUWANARAJAH ARE AMONG THE PLAYWRIGHTS CREATING NEW WORK FOR THE SERIES
EACH PIECE WILL EXPLORE A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF HOW OUR COMMUNAL EXPERIENCES ARE CHANGING AT AN UNPRECEDENTED RATE
CURATED AND DIRECTED BY HEADLONG AND CENTURY FILMS, EACH DIGITAL PLAY WILL BE CREATED USING DIGITAL CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY AND WILL COMBINE LIVE AND PRE-RECORDED MATERIAL
UNPRECEDENTED: REAL TIME THEATRE FROM A STATE OF ISOLATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO WATCH ONLINE FROM APRIL
Award winning theatre company Headlong, in association with the BAFTA winning Century Films, have today announced a new creative response to the current global crisis, Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre From a State of Isolation.
Written by celebrated playwrights, curated and directed by Headlong and Century Films and performed by a cast of over twenty UK actors, Unprecedented is a series of short digital plays exploring our rapidly evolving world. The plays will respond to how our understanding and experiences of community, education, work, relationships, family, culture, climate and capitalism are evolving on an unprecedented scale. The series will ask how we got here and what the enduring legacy of this historic episode might be. Further details will be announced shortly.
The series will include new works from a diverse group of celebrated playwrights including: April De Angelis (My Brilliant Friend; The Village), Josh Azouz (The Mikvah Project; Buggy Baby), Deborah Bruce (The Distance; The House They Grew Up In), John Donnelly (The Pass; The Knowledge), Clint Dyer (Death of England), Jennifer Haley (The Nether; Sustainable Living), Sami Ibrahim (Two Palestinians Go Dogging; Wind Bit Bitter, Bit Bit Bit), James Graham (Ink; QUIZ; Coalition; Brexit: An Uncivil War; Labour of Love), Charlene James (Cuttin’ It; Tweet Tweet), Jasmine Lee-Jones (seven methods of killing kylie jenner) Duncan Macmillan (People, Places and Things; City of Glass; Rosmersholm; 1984; Lungs), Nathaniel Martello-White (Torn; BLACKTA), Chloë Moss (This Wide Night; The Gatekeeper), Prasanna Puwanarajah (Nightwatchman; Patrick Melrose; Doctor Foster) and Tim Price (Salt, Root, Row; The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning).
Using digital conferencing technology, and combining live and pre-recorded material, these intimate new plays will give an immediate insight into this unprecedented communal experience. Working closely with several directors and a team of freelance creatives, Headlong and Century Films will publish the series online in April for audiences to stream directly from their homes.
Jeremy Herrin, Artistic Director / CEO, Headlong says:
“At Headlong, we’ve been trying to process the disruption and, like many of us in the theatre industry, we have been trying to cope with the closure of shows, and the challenges facing future productions.
In these uncertain times we want to engage with our family of artists: our playwrights, directors and actors and other creatives, and provide them with a platform to share their insight, wisdom, humour, anger, fear and optimism or whatever else they’ve got at this pivotal moment. Theatre is a way of processing contradictions meaningfully, and I hope that this project will help artists and audiences alike find connection and meaning in their isolation, and provide an uplifting and perhaps inspiring diversion”
“In this extraordinary time, we at Headlong are humbled to be collaborating with some of the country’s most imaginative writers to process what is happening to us and around us in real time.
Playwrights from all generations and backgrounds are urgently responding to the crisis to help us and our audiences make sense of our world transformed. We will be rehearsing digitally and streaming directly to homes in isolation around the world. Our quest is to connect a population in isolation through a series of short dramas.”
Brian Hill, Managing Director, Century Films says:
“I’m very excited to be working with the team at Headlong and to show how a collaboration of storytellers from the worlds of theatre, film and television can produce brilliant work that addresses the current crisis.”
Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre From a State of Isolation is the latest digital project from Headlong. Previous projects have included two series of short films produced in partnership with the Guardian, Europeans: Dramas from a Divided Union (2020), and Brexit Shorts (2017).
IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS, GREENWICH THEATRE PROUDLY PRESENTS GREENWICH CONNECTS AN ONLINE INITIATIVE FOR AUDIENCES, ACTORS AND THOSE ACROSS THE ARTS INDUSTRY
Last week, following government advice, we took the painful decision to suspend all performances in both the main house and the studio with immediate effect. There is very little that we find more upsetting than a closed theatre, particularly when we had a host of exciting new shows lined up for the weeks ahead, but public health is and has to be our priority
As most members of both the creative industry and our audiences are now based at home, we are announcing the launch of Greenwich Connects, an online programme of interactive theatre opportunities for anyone and everyone to express and expand their creativity and engage with other members of the community through a series of weekly events.
These events are as follows:
Monologue Mondays
Every Monday morning we’ll send out a theme or a style and invite performers to send in self-taped monologues, all of which we will stream across our social media channels the following day. Think of it as an online monologue slam which anyone can watch for free.
Wednesday Wisdom
Every Wednesday, an expert from the theatre world will take over our Instagram account for a Q&A session. Simply submit your questions via Instagram and tune in every Wednesday for some words of wisdom.
Flashback Fridays
Watch some of Greenwich Theatre’s greatest past performances, including acclaimed productions of School for Scandal and The Duchess Of Malfi. Tune in to Facebook every Friday for an evening show at 7.30pm and watch with friends and family. Simply share your show on social media or email it to [email protected] for the chance for us to share it with the Greenwich Theatre community!
Short Play Submission Sundays
Every Sunday we will set a theme for a piece of short writing to be submitted by the following Sunday. Our top picks will have the opportunity to be performed once the theatre is reopened in a sharing event or even an online table reading. Simply share your show on social media or email it to [email protected] for the chance for us to share it with the Greenwich Theatre community!
James Haddrell, the theatre’s artistic and executive director, said:
“We know that this is a global crisis, and people will have heard from many arts organisations about the impact the closures will have on all theatres and arts venues. For those that are unaware, at Greenwich Theatre less than 10% of our income comes from public funding, so 90% is generated through a combination of ticket sales, bar sales and hire fees – all of which have taken a substantial hit during this crisis. It has been through our community’s help and support over the years that we have not only continued to function but to thrive, but that is now under threat. For anyone who would like to support us during this unprecedented crisis, we are encouraging them to make a donation, to buy a Friends membership or to support our Buy a Brick campaign.
However, this initiative is not about income. This is about the fact that whatever the situation, Greenwich Theatre is here for both artists and audiences. We’re not saying ‘see you when this is done’. We’re saying whatever the situation, Greenwich Theatre is here and serving its users and its supporters.”
Edalia Day’s Too Pretty To Punch is a comedy spoken word show about gender, the media and not fitting any of the boxes, full of explosive movement, original songs and kickass video projection. They are a banjo wielding, poetry slam winning, trans warrior, taking on the world one troll at a time.
The show was on tour in 2020, which has now been cancelled. It will be released digitally on Edalia’s website on March 31st, International Trans Day of Visibility – head to https://www.edaliaday.co.uk/.
★★★★★ “a magnificent tapestry of gender expectations…a digital masterpiece” Feminist Fringe
With the growth of social media, trans people all over the world are connecting – however, there’s a huge gap in people’s understanding about the issues being talked about. In this show, Edalia plays several characters, leading the audience through a mixture of comic and serious situations. They say: “I grew up in a town where if you’re trans you don’t speak up. You keep your head down and you keep out of sight. I wrote this show for places like that, where even just being visible is an act of rebellion.”
“Head-spinning, joyful, painful, funny. It’s a blast from and to the heart” Chris Thorpe
Too Pretty To Punch is a hilarious, inspiring and uplifting 60 minute journey through everything you need to know about what it means to be trans in 21st century Britain that reminds all of us (regardless of who we are) of the power of celebrating our existence.
Edalia is a transgender/non-binary spoken word artist, animator and theatre maker based in Norwich. Trained at Lecoq and Alra, their theatre is visually stunning, with physical comedy and a child like sense of play at the heart of everything they make.
★★★★★ “Too Pretty to Punch is the rare queer show that I have no qualms recommending to anyone. Everyone should see this show” Broadway Baby
In line with recent guidance from the Government over Covid-19, we have today taken the decision to postpone West End LIVE which was due to take place on the 20th and 21st of June.
We understand how disappointing this news will be to you all but rest assured it is not a decision that has been taken lightly. However, the health advice is clear, so we felt it better to act now and ensure our loyal fan base – some of whom travel from far and wide – can plan accordingly.
West End LIVE has established itself over the years as a highlight of the theatrical year. It is a unique event for a world capital and one that provides an introduction into the wider West End for tens of thousands of visitors who go on to enjoy shops, restaurants, and other attractions.
When the coronavirus pandemic lifts and London revives, West End LIVE will have an even more important role to play as a curtain raiser to the best of our fantastic West End. We look forward to being back bigger and better than ever before and as soon as we have dates to announce, you will be the first to know.
Stay safe for now, and rest assured that at some point the show will go on!
Thank you for your ongoing support. Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre
