WILTSHIRE CREATIVE ANNOUNCES
AUTUMN/WINTER SEASON 2022
With the return of Salisbury International Arts Festival imminent, Artistic Director of Wiltshire Creative Gareth Machin today announces the line up the company’s Autumn/Winter season.
As well as the previously announced co-production with Mercury Theatre Colchester, in collaboration with Mischief, of the world première of Good Luck, Studio, written by Henry Shields and directed by Henry Lewis, the company today announce the return of their annual pantomime, with a new production of Cinderella, directed by Machin.
Highlights of the visiting programme include When Darkness Falls by James Milton and Paul Morrissey; SPIKE by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman; the critically acclaimed The Wellspring
written and starring father and son David Owen Norris and Barney Norris; as well as the Sheffield Theatres and Ramps on the Moon production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. IN addition, the varied programme includes special one night events, including Jenny Eclair: Sixty (FFS) on 17 September; Ed Gamble: Electric on 24 September; and next year on 20 January, Sir Ranulph Fiennes: Living Dangerously.
Gareth Machin said today, I am delighted to announce our Autumn season, a vibrant mix of our own productions, visiting shows and one-night special events. The Mischief production ‘Good Luck, Studio’ will be premiering at Salisbury Playhouse in October and we are particularly excited to announce that Cinderella will finally be going to the ball as we bring pantomime and festive spirit back to Salisbury this Christmas!
Members priority booking now open, with general booking opening at 10am on 24 May.
WILSHIRE CREATIVE PRODUCTIONS:
Wiltshire Creative and Mercury present the world première of the Mischief production
By arrangement with Kenny Wax Ltd and Stage Presence Ltd
GOOD LUCK, STUDIO
Written by Henry Shields; Directed by Henry Lewis
Salisbury Playhouse, Main House
18 October – 5 November 2022
Wiltshire Creative and Mercury Theatre announce the world première of Good Luck, Studio, in collaboration with Mischief. This dark new comedy is written by Henry Shields and directed by Henry Lewis, with cast and creative team to be announced. The production opens on 5 October at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, with previews from 30 September, before the run at Salisbury Playhouse from 18 October – 5 November.
It’s the final night of recording Wibble the Dragon. The show is massively over budget and under written. With one hour left to film, 16 pages to go, and an audience of screaming children getting more and more impatient, the cast and crew know big cuddly heads are going to roll.
The last thing anyone needs is a failed actor showing up with a sinister vendetta and his own dragon costume. In this kid’s TV show, more than just careers will die.
Good Luck, Studio is a new dark comedy from the award-winning Mischief, written by Henry Shields and directed by Henry Lewis and with access performances available across both venues.
A Wiltshire Creative production
CINDERELLA
by Plested, Brown & Wilsher
Director: Gareth Machin; Designer: James Button; Lighting Designer: Nic Farman
Casting Director: Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion Casting
Salisbury Playhouse, Main House
26 November 2022 – Sunday 8 January 2023
Pantomime is back in Salisbury with a spectacular production of the greatest panto story of all,
Cinderella.
Building on the fabulous productions of recent years, this year’s show will be packed with songs, adventure, laughs, dancing and plenty of opportunity to join in the fun. This rags to riches tale will be a festive treat for all the family.
Gareth Machin is the Artistic Director of Wiltshire Creative. Previously, he was studio associate at the National Theatre, artistic director of Southwark Playhouse and associate director at Bristol Old Vic. For the company, his work includes Snow White and the Happy Ever After Beauty Salon, September in the Rain, Making Massinger, Robin Hood, Her Naked Skin, Moonfleet, Little Robin Redbreast, Worst Wedding Ever, The Night Before Christmas, A Little of What You Fancy, Hedda Gabler, Can’t Buy Me Love, The Magna Carta Plays, Little Shop of Horrors, Separate Tables, Bedroom Farce, London Calling, The Recruiting Officer, A Man of No Importance, Dangerous Corner, The Spire and Epsom Downs. His other directing credits include Fanta Orange (Finborough Theatre), Three More Sleepless Nights (National Theatre), The Canterville Ghost, Gaffer!, The Canterbury Tales, The Chimes, The Archbishop’s Ceiling (Southwark Playhouse), The Real Thing (Royal Theatre, Northampton), Macbeth (Creation Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Hall for Cornwall), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Look Back in Anger, Betrayal, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, The Beggar’s Opera, Molly Sweeney, Up the Feeder Down the ‘Mouth and Back Again, Sea Life, Croak Croak Croak, A Tender Prayer, Anatomy of a Madman, Bitter With a Twist, Krapp’s Last Tape and Spring Awakening (Bristol Old Vic). As a playwright, his work includes The Tailor of Gloucester, Moonfleet, Little Robin Redbreast, The Night Before Christmas (Salisbury Playhouse), Pinocchio, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Thumb and Other Giant Stories and The Canterbury Tales (Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster).
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE VISITING PROGRAMME:
Paul Morrissey Ltd, Christopher Wheeler and Molly Morris in association with The BARD,
Jason Haigh-Ellery and Glynis Henderson Productions present
WHEN DARKNESS FALLS
by James Milton & Paul Morrissey
Director: Paul Morrissey; Set Designer: Justin Williams; Lighting Designer: Bethany Gupwell
Sound Designer: Daniel Higgott; Magic Consultant: John Bulleid; Costume Designer: Nicole Garbett Casting: Jim Arnold Casting
Salisbury Playhouse, Main House
27 September – 1 October
On a stormy night on the small island of Guernsey, a young paranormal expert joins a sceptical history teacher to record the first in a series of podcasts based on the island’s incredible folklore and paranormal history. As the expert regales his horrifying stories, the teacher learns that we all have our own truth. Our own story. Ghosts that haunt us. That bring the past, present, and future together in unexpected ways. Ways that could threaten to unsettle everything we think we know.
Inspired by true events, this powerful new production by James Milton and Paul Morrissey
draws us into dark pasts, reveals disturbing truths and explores the power of stories. Perhaps most
importantly, the ones we tell ourselves.
Karl Sydow, Trademark Films and Anthology Theatre present the Watermill Theatre production of SPIKE
by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman
Salisbury Playhouse, Main House
4 – 8 October
“I’m not acting crazy. I’m the genuine article.”
SPIKE is an absurdly funny new play by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman (The Wipers Times, Trial By Laughter, A Bunch of Amateurs) that delves into the inner workings of one of our most unique and brilliantly irreverent comedy minds.
The cast includes Olivier Award-winning actor John Dagleish (Sunny Afternoon) as ‘Spike Milligan’ with Stephen Fry as the voice of the ‘BBC Announcer’.
Extracts from The Goons used with the kind permission of Spike Milligan Productions.
Royal & Derngate, Northampton present
THE WELLSPRING
Written and starring David Owen Norris & Barney Norris
Director: Jude Christian; Designer: Rosie Elnile; Lighting Designer: Jack Weir
Video Designer: Megan Lucas; Co-Designer: Tomas Palmer
Salisbury Playhouse, Main House
12 – 15 October
A deeply autobiographical work from awardwinning playwright Barney Norris (The Remains of the Day) and his father, internationally acclaimed pianist and broadcaster David Owen Norris, The Wellspring examines that age-old story of a boy and his dad, and how they can relate to one another, in every sense of the word.
The Wellspring takes us inside the complex and shifting dynamic between this father and son, exploring the people and stories that shape us.
Their performances will be accompanied by both folk and classical music performed by David and
Barney, creating a scrapbook style collage of the pair’s lives together.
A Sheffield Theatres and Ramps on the Moon production
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
by William Shakespeare
Director: Robert Hastie
Salisbury Playhouse, Main House
8 – 12 November
‘I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?’
Besotted young couple Claudio and Hero have fallen fast and are quickly engaged. Not everyone
finds romance so straightforward – Benedick balks at the very thought of it and Beatrice agrees
with him, on that if nothing else. But somewhere in this world, there’s someone for everyone, even
if they’re right under your nose.
Shakespeare’s raucous comedy is adapted and directed by Robert Hastie (Coriolanus, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream). Every performance features the use of integrated creative sign
language, audio description and captioning.
Ramps On The Moon is the pioneering initiative committed to putting D/deaf and disabled artists
and audiences at the centre of their work.
All performances feature the use of integrated creative sign language, audio description and
captioning.
LISTINGS
WILTSHIRE CREATIVE
Salisbury Playhouse, Wiltshire Creative
Malthouse Lane, Salisbury, SP2 7RA
Ticket Sales: 01722 320333
Tickets from £12
Member Discounts – Members save 10% on selected events, for further information please see the website
Main House Multi-buy – Book three or more plays at Salisbury Playhouse and save 15% off tickets,
Members save 20%.
Group/School Discounts available – Please contact Ticket Sales directly on 01722 320 333 or email