TANGRAM THEATRE AND PLEASANCE REVEAL SAM CRANE TO STAR IN THE RAGE OF NARCISSUS
Tangram Theatre and Pleasance can today reveal that Sam Crane (Farinelli And The King, 1984)will star as Sergio Blanco in the UK première of Sergio Blanco’s The Rage of Narcissus, directed by Daniel Goldman. The production opens at Pleasance Theatre on 21 February, with previews from 18 February, and runs until 8 March.
Based on a true story, The Rage of Narcissus is a fascinating and disturbing journey into the labyrinth of the self and the darkness within us all.
When Sergio arrives in Ljubljana to give a lecture on Narcissus, the first thing he does after checking in to his hotel room is to get on an app and look for someone to have sex with. A few hours later, once Igor has come and gone, Sergio spots a dark brown stain on the floor. Looking closer, he sees that it’s a blood stain. And looking around, he discovers more and more blood stains all over the room.
As he begins to investigate, he gets drawn deeper and deeper into a dark murky world of desire, infatuation and murder.
Perfect material for the new play he’s trying to write – if he can get out of Ljubljana alive.
Sergio Blanco is a Franco-Uruguayan playwright and director. His work – which has been translated, published and performed throughout the world – has been awarded the National Playwriting Award of Uruguay, the Playwriting Award of the Municipality of Montevideo, the Prize of the National Fund Theatre, the Florencio Award for Best Playwright, the International Casa de las Americas Prize, an Off West End Award, and The Theatre Award for the Best Text in Greece. His other works include ’45, Slaughter, Opus Sextum,Kassandra, El Salto de Darwin, Tebas Land (Thebes Land), El Bramido de Düsseldorf and his most recent play Cuando pases sobre mi tumba.
Sam Crane plays Sergio Blanco. His previous theatre credits include Eternal Love (UK tour), The Humans (BAM), Ubi Roi, The Shawl (Young Vic), Another Man’s Son, New Views, Conquests Of The South Pole, Silverland (Arcola Theatre), Eyam, All’s Well That Ends Well, Bedlam, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2,Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe), Some Trace Of Her, DNA, Sunset At The Villa Thalia (National Theatre), King Lear, Hamlet (Old Fire Station), Equus (Burton Taylor Theatre), 1984 (Playhouse Theatre), and Farinelli And The King (Shakespeare’s Globe, Duke of York’s Theatre, Belasco Theatre Broadway). For television, his credits include The Trial of Christine Keeler, Poldark, The Crown, Fearless, Father Brown, and Desperate Romantics.
Daniel Goldman is an award-winning director, translator, playwright and producer. Directing credits include Thebes Land (Arcola Theatre – winner of the 2018 Off West End Award – Best Production), You’re not like the Other Girls Chrissy (co-directed with Omar Elerian, Bush Theatre), Wanawake Wa Heri Wa Windsa (Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and international tour), Oedipus at Colonus (The Cambridge Greek Play), Frankenstein (Inside Out Theatre, Beijing), and Songs of Friendship with James Rowland (Three Weeks Editors Award). He has been the artistic director of Tangram Theatre Company since 2006 and was the artistic director of CASA Latin American Theatre Festival from 2007 until 2019.
THEATR CLWYD ANNOUNCES FURTHER PROGRAMMING FOR 2020
AND FULL CAST AND TOUR DATES FOR MILKY PEAKS
In addition to the previously announced world premières of Milky Peaks and For The Grace of You Go I, Tamara Harvey and Liam Evans-Ford, Artistic Director and Executive Director of Theatr Clwyd today announce further programming for their 2020 season, which will include a major revival of Steve Waters’ The Contingency Plan – in a co-production with the Donmar Warehouse, the world première of Project Hush, and Beauty and the Beast, the company’s twenty-third annual rock ‘n’ roll pantomime, which sees Harvey make her pantomime directorial debut. The company today also announces the full cast and tour dates for Seiriol Davies’ Milky Peaks.
The Contingency Plan, Steve Waters’ critically acclaimed double bill of plays about the climate crisis has been updated by Waters for a timely revival, and opens at Theatr Clwyd on 4 June, with previews from 19 May, and runs until 6 June, before a London run at the Donmar Warehouse. Following the hugely successful Mold Riots, Project Hush,by Matthew Bulgo with Manon Wyn Jones and Yasuro Ito, explores the impact of the atomic bomb on the local community of Rhydymwyn Valley during its development stages at the local munitions’ factory in a large-scale community production. The production opens on 24 September, with previews from 20 September and runs until 4 October.
In the world première of Milky Peaks, Alex Swift directs Matthew Blake (Pariah), Lisa Jên Brown (The Mother), Seiriol Davies (Dewi), Kate Galston (Rhombus), Dylan Townley (A Wall/Bar), Sophie Winter (Linda Maria), and Isabel Adomakoh Young (Alun John). The production opens at Theatr Clwyd, 20 March – 11 April, before touring to Theatr Brycheiniog Brecon, 14-15 April; Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea, 17-18 April; Pontio Bangor, 21-22 April; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, 24-25 April; Torch Theatre Milford Haven, 28-29 April; Hafren Newtown, 1-2 May; and Sherman Theatre Cardiff, 6-9 May.
THEATR EMLYN WILLIAMS
Theatr Clwyd, Áine Flanagan Productions and Seiriol Davies present the world première of
MILKY PEAKS
Written and composed by Seiriol Davies
Devised by Seiriol Davies, Matthew Blake and Dylan Townley
Cast: Matthew Blake (Pariah) Lisa Jên Brown (The Mother), Seiriol Davies (Dewi), Kate Galston (Rhombus), Dylan Townley (A Wall/Bar), Sophie Winter (Linda Maria), Isabel Adomakoh Young (Alun John).
Director: Alex Swift; Designer: Janet Bird; Associate Director: Matthew Blake;
Musical Director: Dylan Townley; Lighting Designer: Kevin Treacy;
Sound Design and Music Production: Chris Bartholomew; Movement Director: Ewan Jones;
Assistant Director: Francesca Goodridge
20 March – 11 April
An edgy and extremely funny musical comedy. Nestled in the heart of Snowdonia, the small town of Milky Peaks is nominated for ‘Britain’s Best Town’. The award brings with it a dark right-wing agenda, threatening the heart and soul of the town. Can the community club together to save the identity of their beloved Milky Peaks?
Milky Peaks reunites Davies with collaborators Matthew Blake, Alex Swift, Dylan Townley and Áine Flanagan Productions who co-created the critically acclaimed How to Win Against History.
Seiriol Davies trained at LISPA. He is the writer, composer and star of queer musical How to Win Against History, which was the critical and audience smash of the 2016 and 2017 Edinburgh Fringe, and toured England and Wales extensively before a run at London’s Young Vic, which was extended due to popular demand. He previously worked with companies and artists including Punchdrunk, Caroline Horton, Verity Standen, Underbling & Vow, Christopher Green and Gideon Reeling. He has written work for The Old Vic, Gate Theatre, National Theatre Wales and English National Opera. Upcoming work includes a musical co-written with Maxine Peake for the Manchester Royal Exchange.
Matthew Blake plays Pariah. His previous theatre acting credits include How to Win Against History (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, UK tour, Young Vic), The Fritarty (Shoreditch Town Hall), Muse of Fire (Shakespeare’s Globe), New Atlantis (The Crystal London), My Beautiful Black Dog (Bush Theatre), The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (Punchdrunk/National Theatre), The House Where Winter Lives (Discover Children’s Story Centre, Perth International Arts Festival), and The Good Neighbour (Battersea Arts Centre).
Lisa Jên Brown plays The Mother. Her previous theatre credits include Praxis Makes Perfect, Candylion (National Theatre Wales), Sleeping Beauties (Sherman Theatre), Double Vision (Wales Millennium Centre), and Chwalfa, Siwan, Cysgod y Cryman (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru). For television, her credits include Gwaith/Cartref and Rownd a Rownd. Brown is the lead singer and songwriter for 9Bach, and has collaborated vocally with Gruff Rhys since 2007.
Kate Galston plays Rhombus. Her previous theatre credits include Dick Whittington (North Wales Theatre), Chicago (international tour), Simply Ballroom (UK tour, Theatre Royal Drury Lane), That’s Amore (London Palladium, UK tour), Heartbeat Keith, Mamma Mia! (UK tour), The Genius of Ray Charles (Theatre Royal Haymarket), and Cinderella (Welsh National Opera).
Dylan Townley plays A Wall / Bar. His previous theatre credits include How to Win Against History (UK tour, Young Vic), Austentatious (Piccadilly Theatre, Savoy Theatre), and The Greatest Wealth (The Old Vic). Townley is co-creator of Peablossom Cabaret (UK tour), and Fanny and Stella (Hackney Showroom, Camden’s People Theatre), and is head writer for the BAFTA award-winning History Bombs.
Sophie Winter plays Linda Maria. Her previous theatre credits include Jude Starbeam and the Shadow Planet (The Albany), Don’t Panic! It’s Challenge Anneka (UK tour), and No Place Like, The Overcoat (on the button), The School for Scandal (The Bridewell Theatre), and Ashputtel (Forge Theatre).
Isabel Adomakoh Young plays Alun John. Her previous theatre credits include Venice Preserved, The Provoked Wife (RSC Swan Theatre), Meatballs (Hampstead Theatre), Dear Elizabeth (Gate Theatre), To Kill A Mockingbird (Lyric Hammersmith), Macbeth (Garrick), Victoria’s Knickers, Consensual, Pecs Drag Kings: The 80s Show (Soho Theatre), Bite Your Tongue (Hackney Showroom), and Brood (Arcola).
Alex Swift is the Artistic Director at Permanent Red and Associate Artist at Daedalus Theatre Company. Directing for theatre includes All of Me (Summerhall, Edinburgh and The Yard, London), How to Win Against History (Young Vic and tour), An Injury (Ovalhouse), Heads Up (Summerhall, Edinburgh and tour), Luca Rutherford’s Political Party (ARC Stockton and tour), Instructions For Border Crossing (Summerhall and tour), Me & Mr C (Ovalhouse, Alphabetti Theatre and tour), Fat Man (Vault Festival and tour), Error 404 (Polka Theatre and tour), Mess (Traverse theatre and tour), I Told You This Would Happen (ARC Stockton and tour) and Puffball (BAC and The Yard Theatre).
Milky Peaks has been supported by the National Theatre New Work Department, Theatr Clwyd, Arts Council England, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, Battersea Arts Centre and Ovalhouse.
THEATR EMLYN WILLIAMS
Theatr Clwyd and Donmar Warehouse present
THE CONTINGENCY PLAN
Written by Steve Waters
Directed by Caroline Steinbeis (Resilience)and Chelsea Walker (On The Beach)
Designer: Alex Lowde; Casting Director: Anna Cooper CDG
19 May – 6 June
Donmar Warehouse: 10 June – 1 August
The country is threatened by a catastrophic flood. What can we do to stop it?
ON THE BEACH
Glaciologist Will Paxton returns from Antarctica to his parents’ home in Norfolk. He’s looking for reconciliation but he also has news: a flood is coming. This will be the Big One. Is it the one his father predicted all those years ago?
RESILIENCE In the heart of Westminster, newly appointed political advisor Will Paxton finds himself in a world tired of experts. It’s an emergency and, with infighting Ministers demanding answers, he has to tell them the truth they won’t want to hear.
Steve Waters updates his critically acclaimed double-bill of plays about the climate crisis, in a timely co-production by Theatr Clwyd and the Donmar Warehouse.
Originally written for the stage, Waters has also adapted The Contingency Plan for radio.
The Contingency Plan comes in two parts – On the Beach and Resilience. Audiences can book the two over multiple evenings or see both plays in one day. For the full schedule, please see the website.
Steve Waters writes. His previous credits include Limehouse, Temple (Donmar Warehouse), World Music (Sheffield Theatres, Donmar Warehouse), Why Can’t We Live Together? (Menagerie Theatre Company/UK tour/Soho Theatre/Theatre 503), Europa (Birmingham Rep/ Dresden Staatspielhouse/ Teater Polski/ Zagreb Youth Theatre), Ignorance/Jahiliyyah, English Journeys, After the Gods (Hampstead Theatre), Capernaum in Sixty-Six Books, Little Platoons, In a Vulnerable Place (Bush Theatre), Amphibians (Bridewell Theatre), Out of Your Knowledge (Menagerie Theatre), Fast Labour (Hampstead Theatre/West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Habitats (Gate and Tron Theatre Glasgow). For radio, his credits include Scribblers, Bretton Woods (BBC Radio 3), and Deep Swimmer, The Air Gap, Little Platoons, Morning, The Parliament of Rooks, The Moderniser (BBC Radio 4). And for television, Safe House. Watersis the author of The Secret Life of Plays.
Caroline Steinbeis directs Resilience. Steinbeis is an associate of Sheffield Theatres, and was the recipient of the 2009 JMK Award. Her previous theatre credits include Rutherford and Son, Love and Information (Sheffield Theatres), Edward II (Arts Theatre, Cambridge), The Tempest (Royal and Derngate/ National Youth Theatre), The Crucible, Brilliant Adventures (Royal Exchange, Manchester), We Want You to Watch (National Theatre), The Broken Heart (Shakespeare’s Globe), Show 6 (Lyric Hammersmith, UK tour, Secret Theatre), Talk Show/Mint, Time to Reap (Royal Court), Earthquakes in London (Headlong, UK tour), Fatherland (Gate Theatre), Mad Forest (BAC) and Mile End (Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh). Steinbeis was previously on attachment at the National Theatre and in 2008 completed the Director’s Course at the NT Studio. In 2012 Steinbeis spent a year as the Royal Court’s International Associate, developing and directing workshops and plays from all over the world.
Chelsea Walker directs On the Beach. Her previous theatre credits include Hedda Gabler (Sherman Theatre), Cougar, Low Level Panic (Orange Tree Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire (Theatr Clwyd, Nuffield Southampton Theatres, coproduction with ETT on tour), Shudder (Soho Theatre), Yous Two (Hampstead Theatre), P’Yongyang (Finborough Theatre), Klippies (Southwark Playhouse), Chicken Dust (Finborough Theatre, Curve Leicester), and Lean (Tristan Bates).
Cardiff’s The Other Room take their trio of dark and disturbing plays on tour, giving those of us unable to get to Cardiff a glimpse of the brilliance of the venue’s output.
American Nightmare
5*****
High above Manhattan, Greg (Chris Gordon) is being wined and dined by Clara (Ruth Ollman) as she offers him a mysterious business opportunity. The America around them isn’t that far removed from that of today, and the rich and powerful look down on the broken country and chaos as society breaks down, knowing that they can find profit in chaos. Clara’s deal and motives sound dodgy immediately, but she plays Greg like a cobra, drawing him in, despite his horror until he must choose between morality and money. The actors dance around each other engagingly, with Ruth Ollman making Clara more and more inhuman behind the fixed smile with every remark, and Chris Gordon charmingly nailing Greg’s British awkwardness in the face of such American certainty and forcefulness.
Meanwhile, in a military bunker, two desperate Americans have entered a mysterious programme, training physically and mentally for an unknown purpose. Southern boy Elwood (Gwydion Rhys) seems to know about the programme – he knows “a guy” – but Daria (Lowri Izzard) just wanted to be somewhere with food and a bed after time spent on the streets dumpster diving for food. With implants in their arms that monitor their stress levels and turn the lights over their beds from green to orange, the pair form a loose alliance to get through the tests, as the longer they keep their scores up, the longer they can stay. This isn’t out of friendship, more that they don’t see each other as a threat. The two actors bounce brilliantly off each other as the balance of power subtly shifts and their final scene together is shocking and stunning.
As the action switches between the bunker and Manhattan, the idea of how the powerful can programme the weak to accept and do unconscionable things to survive is explored in graphic detail, by turns witty and horrific. Matthew Bulgo’s startling script is in safe hands with director Sara Lloyd ensuring that every word and action is meaningful right up to the inevitable but deeply disturbing conclusion. Just brilliant.
The Story
5*****
X (Siwan Morris) has just returned to the country after spending a year as an aid worker, her wife is waiting for her, but she has been pulled aside for questioning. Beginning with a seemingly affable interview with V (Hannah McPake) “a Voice of the people” with a questioning style not unlike Catherine Tate’s teenaged characters, everything seems fine, with X bold enough to correct V’s use of “annexed” territory with “occupied” throughout. But there’s a problem with her story, and she is detained for further questioning.
Tess Berry-Hart’s frightening story plays with the idea of narrative and how people’s truths can differ under the state paranoia and demonising of the other to control the population. As X’s interrogations continue, every face she sees is V, but V doesn’t remember meeting X before – is this the truth or part of the torture? As X becomes less and less certain of her story, various incarnations of V describe the process of interrogation as a dance, where V is the only one who knows the steps, and demonstrate how easy it can be to deconstruct a story and reassemble it into a more pleasing form using a chair. The confusion and horror on Siwan Morris’ face as X is slowly worn down is heart-breaking, but there are still moments of humour even in X’s darkest hour, hooded and shackled, as a well-meaning volunteer straight out of a Victoria Wood sketch turns up, allowing Hannah McPake even more scope for her fantastic characterisations. A particularly satisfying ending highlights the cyclical nature of abuse and power, leaving the audience exhausted but thrilled.
Hela
5*****
Mari Izzard’s gripping play begins with a man tied to a chair in a tiled room. The sliding doors open and a cheery young woman enters, speaking Welsh. He can’t understand, so she turns on a translator – Myfanwy – which displays English translations throughout the play. This clever inclusion of surtitles is unobtrusive and feels perfectly logical and natural as the play absorbs the audience. The man is Hugh, the son of the recently dead Welsh First Minister, but Erin doesn’t reveal her reasons for keeping him prisoner until their cat and mouse game has played out a little longer. In a near future where algorithms determine criminal investigations, Erin’s search for justice has become a hunt, revealed with powerful impact as she fully opens the doors. But what has Hugh got to do with her son’s disappearance? And at what point do Erin’s actions become as unforgivable as those of the criminals she is hunting, no matter her motive? Lowri Izzard and Gwydion Rhys are phenomenal as the two protagonists, with sympathy switching from one to the other as the details of their lives and actions are slowly revealed. Izzard switches effortlessly from childlike glee to menacing in an instant, and Rhys is a twitching bundle of nerves, portraying the animal fear and visceral need to escape in an outstanding physical performance.
It was refreshing to see a bilingual play with the use of language feeling natural and realistic, and Hugh’s increasing use of the language he spoke with his long dead Welsh mother as he became more exhausted and emotional is a shrewd choice. A powerful and devastating play, with two unforgettable performances.
After a sold-out run of his debut play, 32 Peak Street during Camden Fringe in 2018, Corey Bovell now brings his edgy and moving one-man play Chicken Burger and Chips to the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre from Tuesday 10 until Saturday 14 March 2020 (Press Night, Thursday 12 March) – a venue just a stone’s throw away from the streets, estates and takeaways of South East London at the heart of the drama.
“The world wasn’t designed for us to succeed playboy, you gotta clock that we’re living in an uneven society.”
During the summer holidays of 2009 Corey dreams of nothing but to hang around with his friends while ordering as much Morley’s as possible. Until Jodie comes along and makes Corey realise the changes that are happening within his beloved Lewisham Borough. Making Corey, for the first time, think about what path his future takes.
Writer and actor, Corey Bovell, said: “This is a raw and nostalgic coming of age story, similar to Debbie Tucker Green’s play Random which, although written over ten years ago, has a theme that is still relevant. Knife crime in England and Wales reached an unprecedented high in the year to June 2019, increasing by 7% on the previous 12 months (Office for National Statistics). I don’t believe London’s streets – especially in Lewisham – feel any safer, despite the strategic plans that have been put in place to tackle the robust wave of crime. Chicken Burger and Chips was written in hope that my younger target audience can see the consequences of violence within the local community and find a new way to challenge their energy into something positive.”
Chicken Burger and Chips is written and performed by Corey Bovell and directed by Kwame Asiedu, with design by Sandra Falase, art design by Fabienne Ayton, lighting design by Pablo Fernandez, sound design by Xana, movement direction by Kara Dee and stage management by Frederick Zannor. It is produced by Oisel Productions & Rua Arts. The project is supported by Arts Council England, Oisel Productions, Rua Arts, The Bruntwood Prize for Playwrighting, Morley’s and AfterHours
UK Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and well-known actors will read a range of his poetry in a unique fund-raising performance at York Theatre Royal on 4 and 5 February.
Seeing Stars – An Evening With Simon Armitage is being curated by theatre director Nick Bagnall, who directed Armitage’s play The Last Days of Troy at Manchester’s Royal Exchange and Shakespeare’s Globe.
Simon Armitage’s latest collection of poetry is Sandettie Light Vessel Automatic. In May it was announced that the Huddersfield-born poet, playwright and novelist would be the next UK Poet Laureate.
All money raised will go towards supporting York Theatre Royal’s work in the community. From large-scale community theatre to engaging with young people, from supporting the next generation of artists to enabling anyone, regardless of their circumstances, to enjoy York’s cultural life.
Only one week until VAULT Festival 2020 opens and it has plenty to fill up calendars
There’s only one week to go before VAULT Festival takes over Waterloo. Back for eight weeks of the most innovative and exciting live performance, more than 600 shows are on sale to make sure 2020 starts in the best way possible – head underground from Tuesday 28th January until Sunday 22nd March 2020 for London’s biggest, boldest and wildest arts festival!
The recipients have been announced for the VAULT Edition of the Brand Nouveau Initiative. Bringing together a group of the best black and minority ethnic artists ready to take the next step in their careers, the scheme provides opportunities to expand networks, receive first class mentoring, and benefit from creative space, time and research opportunities. The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English, written by Tania Nwachukwu, explores the cultural history of a first generation British-Nigerian woman of Igbo descent, using African theatre practices, call and response, dance, song, and poetry. This will play in rep with Resonate, a pulsating lyrical journey into the soul of a modern young man which plunges into the mania of addiction. Written by Ntonga Mwanza, it merges physical theatre, hip hop dance and spoken word.
Its inaugural year has seen The CULTIVATE Bursary, in association with COMMON and The Corn Exchange, Newbury awarded to Shy Bairn Theatre for Talk Propa and to Sarah Henley for Essence. Awarded to two working class artists at this year’s Festival, they will receive a £1,000 cash injection towards the cost of their production and £750 worth of PR and marketing support, as well as mentorship and increased industry exposure. Essence explores what it’s like to be lonely, how much it takes to let people in, and how the messy bits of life are ultimately where the gold lies. Talk Propa takes down reductive stereotypes and radically deconstructs the concept of a ‘generic northern accent’ in a celebration of all things northern.
The VAULT Festival Directors and Producers Mat Burt and Andy George comment, With VAULT Festival 2020 just around the corner, we’re excited to share this year’s programme. Over 600 shows are joining us underground for what promises to be our biggest, boldest and wildest year yet. In times of crises, now more than ever we need to inspire and affect change – as well as relishing our lives and those around us. Whether you’re looking for work that’ll change your perspective on the world or feeling ready to immerse yourself in something completely new, whether you’re on a date, hanging out with your family or spending time with mates, we know there’ll be something in our programme for everyone.
This year, VAULT Festival has your calendar all tied up:
If you’re avoiding the romance, flowers and chocolate of Valentine’s Day, try something with a slightly different tone with Alex Edelman. Ricocheting from a surprising encounter with Prince William, his newly-minted Olympian brother, and a gorilla who can do sign language, Just For Us centres around an explosive confrontation. After he found himself targeted by strong anti-Semitic online abuse, Edelman decided to covertly attend a meeting of those same anti-Semites.
To celebrate Galentine’s Day on 15th February, Pussy Liquor are inviting you to throw away societal expectations at their Self-Love Sanctuary, a riotous, grrl-power queer disco, designed to make you feel as good as hell. Featuring a decadent, gratuitous feast of cabaret performance, DJs and immersive experiences, this is a festival of self-love, self-confidence and self-worship in a world that inspires the opposite. It’s a raucous and jovial celebration of all things body positive!
This half term families are invited to meet a woman whose beauty caused a civil war with Nest. Told by jesters through song, dance and rhyme, this is a tale of Nesta Ferch Rhys, the Welsh Princess who bewitched Kings, Princes and courts. A woman of true Welsh blood; a woman with a story to tell. The Festival’s family shows reflect the weird and wonderful offerings found across the rest of the programme. Promising duels, elephants and castles built of cheese come to life in The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen which sees award-winning comedians and improvisers challenge each other to invent outrageous swashbuckling stories about the Baron. All they have is their wits and some silly hats. There is also the Super Scary Film Club (For Kids) that parodies iconic horror movies through the ages to create a family-friendly monster movie marathon for brave children and braver adults
To celebrate St David’s Day on 1st March, make sure to see Ryan Lane will be there now in a Minute. Ryan Lane’s playful, inventive and intimate character comedy explores what it means to be Welsh, queer and the myths that fuel national identity. A fast-paced, whip-smart satire with belly laughs, bellowing Rugby teachers, beguiling maidens, belligerent Grandma’s and brilliant lip syncing, the show is made with help from friends, family and 29 years of Welsh self-hatred.
This International Women’s Day on 8th March, learn more about Annie Londonderry, hailed as the first woman ever to cycle around the world in 1895, in Ride. The incredible true story of a young woman with big plans, and an even bigger imagination, bursts onto the stage in this new musical from the award-winning team behind The Limit. Alternatively explore a different kind of travel with LegalAliens, the female-led ensemble comprised entirely of artists who are migrants in the UK. Their production Closed Lands traces the history of modern walls – real and metaphorical – from Berlin to Mexico to Europe in an unique fusion of poetry, satire, reportage, multimedia and a traveller’s diary.
For a perfectly unnerving Friday 13th this March, visit Dig, the new immersive production from the award-winning Fever Dream Theatre which sees a shipping container transformed into a tunnel as the audience experience first-hand the pressure of an enclosed space. Myth, legend and history mix underground as the pressure grows, time runs out, the ceiling creeks and the air gets thin.
Gird your loins for Sodom & Begorrah’s St Patrick’s Day X-Travaganza on 14th March and, hopefully, recover in time for the day itself on the Tuesday. Expect Ireland’s finest cabaret, drag artistes, live music and, of course, their iconic midnight sing-a-long. Shake out those snakes for a night of Paddy’s Day foolery for everyone. Even the Protestants can come. Sodom & Begorrah is more than just a club night. It’s a good old fashion Irish knees up full of heart, glitter and sods of turf.
Don’t miss out on some of the most innovative work around. Head to vaultfestival.com for more as VAULT Festival promises to make your 2020 something special!
IN A FORMER COTTON EXCHANGE THE PRESENT COLLIDES WITH THE PAST IN AN AWARD-WINNING PLAY THAT CONFRONTS AN UGLY HISTORY HEAD ON
A Royal Exchange Theatre World Premiere
ROCKETS AND BLUE LIGHTS
By Winsome Pinnock Directed by Miranda Cromwell
12 March – 4 April 2020
Winner of the 2018 Alfred Fagon Award ROCKETS AND BLUE LIGHTS is an astonishing new play from one of the UK’s most pioneering playwrights Winsome Pinnock. Seamlessly weaving the past and the present together ROCKETS AND BLUE LIGHTS explores Great Britain’s role in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade from a unique perspective. This World Premiere production is performed in the Royal Exchange, once one of the world’s largest cotton exchanges, and examines the impact of historical legacy and the representation of painful subjects. Juxtaposing the intimate and the epic, the personal and the political it invites us to ask what is chosen to be represented and what is denied. Innovative director Miranda Cromwell makes her Royal Exchange Theatre debut with this beautifully poetic play powered by love, resilience and hope. ROCKETS AND BLUE LIGHTS can be seen in the Theatre from 12 March – 4 April.
Winsome Pinnock superbly laces together the stories of Lou, played by Kiza Deen, a 21st-century actress who finds herself bound by historical legacy; Karl Collins’ Thomas, a sailor who longs for the sea and an ageing J.M.W Turner, played by Paul Bradley, who is impatient for artistic inspiration.
Kiza Deen makes her Royal Exchange debut in this award-winning play. Her recent theatre credits include THE PHLEBOTOMIST (Hampstead Theatre), RANDOM (Leeds Playhouse) and BR’ER COTTON (Theatre 503). Karl Collins is a stage, television and film actor; his recent theatre credits have included IN A WORD (Young Vic), OUR TOWN (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) NINE NIGHT (Trafalgar Studios) SHEBEEN (Nottingham Playhouse & Theatre Royal Stratford East) and CHIMERICA (Almeida & West End). He was a regular on Channel 4s HOLLYOAKS, other television credits include the upcoming VERA (ITV) and MIDSOMER MURDERS (Bentley Productions) plus THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD (Clerkenwell Films) and THIS IS ENGLAND: 90 (Warp Films).
A graduate of Manchester University Drama department Paul Bradley makes a welcome return to the Exchange where he began his professional career in Michael Elliott’s the LADY FROM THE SEA. On Television Paul is probably best known as Nigel Bates in EASTENDERS and Elliot Hope in HOLBY CITY. His recent theatre credits include; YES PRIME MINISTER (Theatre Clwyd), OCTOPUS SOUP (Simon Fielder Productions), A VERY VERY VERY DARK MATTER (Bridge Theatre) and HUMBLE BOY (Orange Tree Theatre).
The cast is completed by a stunning ensemble which includes Anthony Aje, Natey Jones, Rochelle Rose, Matthew Seadon-Young, Kudzai Sitima, Cathy Tyson and Everal A Walsh. They are joined on stage by musician Femi Temowo.
Winsome Pinnock’s stage plays include THE PRINCIPLES OF CARTOGRAPHY (The Bush Theatre), TITUBA (Hampstead Theatre), CLEANING UP (For Clean Break at Oval House Theatre), TAKEN (For Clean Break at Oval House Theatre), IDP (Tricycle Theatre), THE STOWAWAY (Play for young people, Theatre Royal, Plymouth), ONE UNDER (Tricycle Theatre), BEG BORROW OR STEAL (Kuumba Community Arts Centre), WATER (Tricycle Theatre), MULES (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs and Clean Break Theatre), CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? (Connections at Royal National Theatre), A ROCK IN WATER (Royal Court Theatre), LEAVE TAKING (Liverpool Playhouse Theatre, National Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry and Lyric theatre, Hammersmith), A HEROES WELCOME (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs), THE WIND OF CHANGE (Half Moon Theatre) and PICTURE PALACE (Womens Theatre Group). Awards include the Alfred Fagon Award (2018); George Devine Award; Pearson Plays on Stage Scheme best play of the year Award; Unity Trust Theatre Award. She received a special commendation from the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Her play LEAVE TAKING received a major revival at the Bush Theatre, London in 2018 and a new version of ONE UNDER was produced by Graeae Theatre Company in 2019 for a UK tour. She is currently commissioned by the Bush Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and is developing a screenplay with Blueprint Pictures.
Miranda Cromwell’s directing credits include as co-director DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Young Vic Theatre); as director HALF BREED (Talawa Theatre/Soho Theatre/Edinburgh Fringe Festival/India tour), MAGIC ELVES, HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE, SENSE (Bristol Old Vic), PIGEON ENGLISH (Edinburgh Fringe Festival/Bristol Old Vic), THE REST OF YOUR LIFE (Bush Theatre) and DEATH AND TREASON (Bristol Old Vic/UK tour). As Associate Director her credits include COMPANY – Olivier award for Best Musical Revival, Critics Circle Award for Best Musical (Gielgud Theatre) and ANGELS IN AMERICA – Olivier and Tony Award for Best Revival (National Theatre/Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway); A MONSTER CALLS – Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family (Old Vic/ Bristol Old Vic); CORAM BOY (Colston Hall).
The creative team includes Designer Laura Hopkins, Lighting Designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, Sound Designer Elena Peña, Composer / Musical Director, Femi Temowo, Associate Musical Director, Elizabeth Westcott, Associate Director, Mumba Dodwell and Assistant Director Chantelle Walker.
Senbla by Arrangement with Opera International presents an Ellen Kent Production of
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
THE ALEXANDRA ON TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY
SOLIHULL’S EMMA GUO AGED 6 CAST IN INTERNATIONAL OPERA PRODUCTION
The award-winning producer Ellen Kent returns in Spring 2020 with the Italian tragedy, Madama Butterfly. Ellen returns to The Alexandra on Tuesday 4 February and as always, she is making the production a community affair! Ellen has invited local stage school Stagecoach Solihull to nominate one of their shining stars to play the child of the titular Madama Butterfly, Sorrow. The youngest cast member will get to experience the joy of treading the boards in this exquisite production of Puccini’s masterpiece in a production featuring international soloists, highly-praised chorus and full orchestra.
Emma Guo aged 6, who attends Stagecoach Solihull will appear opposite acclaimed Korean soprano, Elena Dee who sings the role of tragic Cio-Cio San. After being seduced and then deserted by Lieutenant Pinkerton and being shunned by her family and friends after discovering she is pregnant, Cio-Cio San names her child Sorrow, ever hopeful that Pinkerton will return so she can rename the child Joy. However, when Pinkerton finally does return with his new American wife, Cio-Cio San ends up taking her own life, racked with despair over his betrayal. Emma is currently rehearsing for the role with her drama school and will be joining the cast and full orchestra for the performance in Birmingham this February.
Madama Butterfly is Puccini’s tragic tale which the hit West End musical Miss Saigon is based on. One of the world’s most popular operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic results. Highlights include the melodic Humming Chorus, the moving aria Un bel di vedremo (One Fine Day), the famous tenor aria Amore o grillo (Love or fancy) and the unforgettable Bimba, Bimba, non piangere (Love Duet).
With exquisite sets featuring a spectacular Japanese garden and fabulous costuming including antique wedding kimonos from Japan, the story will be told in the original Italian with English surtitles. As with any of Ellen Kent’s shows, Madama Butterfly is set to be a visually beautiful and moving production.
This production will be sung in Italian with English surtitles.
On Monday 20 Jan, applications open for Bristol Old Vic’s annual Bristol Open Stage, inviting people from across Bristol and the West Country to perform at Bristol Old Vic and show the world what they’ve got!
This year Bristol Open Stage forms a key part of Bristol Old Vic’s Year of Artists, which is committed to celebrating the creative spark in us all. So if you’ve been dying to polish off your magic tricks, dust off your dancing shoes or exercise your vocal chords, come and celebrate it all with us. Everyone is welcome.
Born out of the theatre’s 250th anniversary celebrations in 2016, Bristol Open Stage is open to absolutely anyone with the burning desire to perform on our historic stage. There is no audition and you don’t need to have any experience. It’s free to audiences and celebrates the huge variety of creativity our region has to offer.
The event will take place on the Bank Holiday Monday 25 May in the week of the theatre’s 254th birthday (30th May, 1766). Applications are open to anyone and previous years have seen over 300 people raise the roof on Bristol Old Vic – from choirs to circus performers, jazz musicians to spoken word artists, Bollywood dancers to mimes: the stage is yours!
Hattie De Santis, Engagement Producer at Bristol Old Vic said: “Open Stage is one of Bristol Old Vic’s treasures. The building buzzes with creativity, excitement and anticipation as Bristol’s brilliant artists share their stories on our beautiful stage. Whether you’ve been on stage before, or it’s your first time treading the boards – everyone is welcome. We cannot wait to see what the city will bring in 2020.”
The deadline for applications is Mon 30 Mar. Applicants should make note of any technical requirements they may have and be able to describe what they’d like to share in 100 words. The application form is available here: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/bristol-open-stage-2020
Everyone is welcome, but the slots available for performances at Bristol Open Stage are limited. Whilst we would be pleased to welcome back artists who have taken part in previous years, we will try to give priority to artists who haven’t participated in the event before.
Bristol Open Stage performances take place across three showcases at 12noon, 3pm and 6pm and are free for everyone to watch. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis and will be available through the Box Office at tickets@bristololdvic.org.uk or 0117 987 7877.
National Theatre Collection now available free for state schools across the UK in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing
From today the National Theatre Collection will be available free of charge to state schools and state-funded further education colleges across the UK in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing. The collection provides high-quality recordings of 24 world-class productions, drawing from 10 years of NT Live broadcasts and never before released productions from the National Theatre’s Archive. Schools and further education colleges can register now via Bloomsbury Publishing’s award-winning digital library Drama Online.
Celebrating the best of contemporary British theatre, the titles will support learning across the primary and secondary curriculum and include:
Shakespeare set texts including Macbeth, Othello, Twelfth Night and King Lear(Donmar Warehouse) in vibrant modern stagings
Novels brought to life in exciting literary adaptations such as Frankenstein, Treasure Island, Peter Pan and Jane Eyre
A range of theatrical styles and genres from Greek tragedies including Medea and Antigone to 20th century classics such as The Cherry Orchard, The Deep Blue Sea and Yerma (Young Vic)
Examples of extraordinary design and theatrecraft in productions ranging from One Man, Two Guvnors to Les Blancs
Adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and The Winter’s Tale created specially for younger audiences and suitable for primary schools
Recordings are accompanied by learning resources to explore the craft behind the best of British theatre including rehearsal insights and short videos. The Collection will increase to 30 titles by March 2020 and further resources exploring backstage aspects such as lighting, sound and staging will be added later in the year. The easy-to-use platform includes helpful features such as scene-by-scene selections and synopses, theme and key word searches.
Alice King-Farlow, Director of Learning at the National Theatre said, “We are thrilled to announce that the National Theatre Collection is now available free for state schools to access, in partnership with Bloomsbury Publishing. No matter where they are in the UK, students and teachers will be able to explore 30 productions, supported with teaching resources, showcasing a breadth of titles, writers and practitioners and offering an insight into all aspects of theatre-making. The National Theatre believes all young people in the UK should have the opportunity to watch, make and explore theatre as part of a broad and balanced education, and the National Theatre Collection is an essential part of our commitment to schools nationwide. We would like to extend our thanks to the rightsholders of these materials who have made this service possible”.
Jenny Ridout, Global Head of Academic Publishing at Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. said, “We are delighted to be further developing our partnership with the National Theatre on Drama Online in this free collection for UK state schools and state-funded FE colleges. This ensures that as wide a range of students and teachers as possible can take their virtual seats on the South Bank to enjoy and study world-class theatre, via Bloomsbury’s world leading digital drama platform, to inspire and entertain, and to help create the theatre writers, performers, designers and audiences of the future.”
Alex Harris, Head of Drama at Spires College in Torquay, said, “Being able to watch the very best of British theatre allows me as a teacher to share with my students what is possible on stage. Being based in Torquay means that access to a wide range of styles of theatre can be limited and so streaming National Theatre productions in the classroom means that my students can experience different styles and genres that will hopefully ignite a life-long passion for the arts. I have had great success using the Collection to teach students about the technical elements of theatre and showing them what can be achieved through lighting, sound, media and stage design has opened their eyes to the potential of these production elements and their impact on a performance.”
Other academic institutions including libraries, universities and independent schools can access National Theatre Collection via a one-time payment for the full collection, or via an annual subscription in partnership with ProQuest and Bloomsbury.
The National Theatre Collection is supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), Fondation Hoffmann, the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, The Cranshaw Corporation for Mrs. Robert I. MacDonald and The Attwood Education Foundation.
