DEAFINITELY THEATRE AND BIRMINGHAM STAGE COMPANY ANNOUNCE FULL CASTING OF HORRIBLE HISTORIES – DREADFUL DEAF –
DEAFINITELY NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED!
Deafinitely Theatre and Birmingham Stage Company present
The World Première of
Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf – Deafinitely not for the faint-hearted!
Director: Paula Garfield; Designer: Paul Burgess; Lighting Designer: Joe Hornsby
Composer and Sound Designer: Chris Bartholomew
On tour: 29 May – 23 June 2019
Deafinitely Theatre and Birmingham Stage Company today announce the full cast for Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf – Deafinitely not for the faint-hearted!. Paula Garfield directs Fifi Garfield, Naomi Gray and Nadeem Islam. Dreadful Deaf has a special school’s performance at Heathlands School in St Albans on 24 May before opening at Bristol Old Vic Theatre on Wednesday 29 May. The show then tours to York Theatre Royal and The North Wall in Oxford before completing its run at Derby Theatre onSunday23 June.
We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is everyone is deaf dead!
So it’s time to prepare yourselves for Horrible Histories live on stage as it delves into the dreadful, dangerous and deluded stories of the deaf! From groovy Greeks to gorgeous Georgians, ruthless Romans to vile Victorians, come with us into this incredible world to discover the extraordinary people and amazing stories you simply won’t believe!
Deaf or hearing, this bilingual production – in spoken English and British Sign Language – is a truly frightful treat for all the family!
Fifi Garfield’s previous credits for Deafinitely Theatre include Contractions (New Diorama Theatre) and A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe) Other theatre credits include London Bubble (UK tour).
Naomi Gray’s theatre credits include Mirror Mirror (UK tour), The Sam Neill Experience: A Dance Musical (The Camden Fringe) and Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood (CAST, Doncaster). For television her credits include Julian Fellows Investigates: A Most Mysterious Murder. For film her credits include The Feast of the Goat.
Nadeem Islam’s previous credit for Deafinitely Theatre is Something Else (UK tour). His other theatre credits include Up N Under. His television credits include Deaf Funny, Lost Community and Up For It.
Paula Garfield directs. For Deafinitely Theatre she has directed 4.48 Psychosis – whichwas nominated for best direction on short list by BroadwayWorld UK, Contractions – which wonthe Off West End Award for Best Production, Two Chairs, Motherland, Children of a Greater God, Playing God, Double Sentence and Gold Dust. She also devised and directed The Boy and the Statue for Deafinitely at the Tricycle Theatre and on a London schools’ tour. Garfield has directed two productions at Shakespeare’s Globe – Love Labour’s Lost, for the Globe to Globe Festival as part of Deafinitely’s 10th anniversary, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Her other directing work includes Tanika’s Journey (Southwark Playhouse) Grounded (Park Theatre).
An actor, director, workshop leader and organiser, Garfield has worked on a variety of television, film and theatre projects over the past fifteen years. In 2002 she established Deafinitely Theatre with Steven Webb and Kate Furby after becoming frustrated at the barriers that deaf actors and directors face across the arts and media. She has produced and directed many plays and worked extensively in TV, including Channel Four’s Learn Sign Language, Four Fingers and a Thumb, BBC’s Hands Up and Casualty, plus appearances in every series of the BBC’s deaf drama, Switch.
About Deafinitely Theatre
Deafinitely Theatre is the UK’s first professional deaf-launched and led theatre company, creating bilingual productions of classic and contemporary plays for deaf and hearing audiences that combine the visual storytelling of British Sign Language with the immediacy of spoken English.
Established in 2002, the company’s vision is a world where deaf people are a valued part of the national theatre landscape, recognised for the excellence of their work. Deafinitely challenges barriers to training and opportunities, working hard to nurture the next generation of deaf theatre makers and audiences through its continuing programme of productions, consultancy work and education and training activities for young people and adults.
The company’s most recent productions include 2018’s sold-out run of 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane at New Diorama Theatre and Derby Theatre and 2017’s award-winning production of Contractions by Mike Bartlett at ND2 (New Diorama Theatre) – winner of the 2018 Off West End Award for Best Production.
About Birmingham Stage Company
Birmingham Stage Company is the award-winning producers of David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny and Awful Auntie. The company produce all the Horrible Histories shows live on stage including the West End productions of Barmy Britain. The company also performs internationally, including David Almond’s Skellig on Broadway, and Horrible Histories at The Sydney Opera House.
Neal Foster is Actor/Manager of Birmingham Stage Company which since its foundation in 1992 has staged over eighty productions. The company has become one of the world’s leading producers of theatre for children and their families, including Horrible Histories Live on Stage for thirteen years in the UK, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. Foster has written and directed all of the most recent Horrible Histories shows including Barmy Britain – Parts One, Two, Three & Four (Garrick Theatre, Apollo Theatre and Sydney Opera House); Groovy Greeks andIncredible Invaders for a national tour and Wicked Warwick at Warwick Castle. His first fictional adaptation was David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny,which transferred to the Garrick Theatre and then the Harold Pinter Theatre and was nominated for a Best Entertainment and Family Olivier Award. His adaptation of David Walliams’ Awful Auntie enjoyed an 18 month national tour and his next David Walliams’ show will be Billionaire Boy in autumn 2019.
This production is made possible by the generous support of:
Arts Council Strategic Touring Fund, Autograph Sound Recording, Edwardian Hotels London, The Garfield Weston Foundation, Old Diorama Arts Centre and White Light Ltd.
Dreadful Deaf – Deafinitely not for the faint-hearted
Listings
On tour: 29 May – 23 June 2019
Twitter: @DeafinitelyT
Facebook: deafinitelytheatre
Dreadful Deaf – Deafinitely not for the faint-hearted is suitable for ages 5+
Tour Dates
Bristol Old Vic
29 May – 1 June
Box Office: 0117 987 7877
York Theatre Royal
7 June – 8 June
Box Office: 01904 623 568
The North Wall
18 June
Box Office: 01865 319 450
Derby Theatre
22 June – 23 June
Box Office: 01332 59 39 39