Wednesday, December 17

Author: Paul Downham

Punk Theatre Movement: Day Festival Launch Event
NEWS

Punk Theatre Movement: Day Festival Launch Event

The last six months has been hard on everyone, but as restrictions are gradually eased, we face the question – how do we move forward?  Punk Theatre Movement was formed to bring together artists who wish to collaborate, to reconnect with other artists to devise a way to come together in a fairer, more accessible way.  Many of the festivals are becoming inaccessible for artists due to high fees, limited resources and a lack of spaces.  Frisky Arts felt that even though lockdown was hard on artists, it actually presented them with an opportunity to re-imagine how theatre and performance is presented using a new approach and philosophy.  Frisky Arts have joined forces with other artists including Milk and Blood Theatre, Chalk Line Theatre and Grace Church and many more....
Scrounger – The Finborough Theatre
London

Scrounger – The Finborough Theatre

In partnership with Scenesaver, The Finborough Theatre gave a final digital viewing of Scrounger and they plan to continue with monthly releases from their back catalogue to help to raise money to keep the theatre afloat.  Scrounger was part of the Vibrant 2019 Festival of Finborough Playwrights and premiered in January 2020.  Written by and starring Athena Stevens, the play focuses upon an incident that occurred when Stevens was attempting to travel to Scotland via a flight from London City Airport.  Stevens was born with a condition called ‘athetoid cerebral palsy’ which has meant she needs a special wheelchair to be able to get on with her everyday life.  After booking onto a flight and confirming with British Airways (BA) that they were able to carry her wheel...
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Glyndebourne
REVIEWS

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Glyndebourne

It’s a delight to see a virtual performance of David McVicar’s 2011 Glyndebourne production of Wagner’s epic midsummer opera that is more comic than comedy. At a church service, Walter (Marco Jentzsch) becomes smitten with Eva (Anna Gabler), who tells him she is to be engaged the next day to the winner of a song contest sponsored by the local Mastersingers. Her friend, Magdalene (Michaela Selinger), asks her boyfriend David (Topi Lehtipuu), an apprentice to cobbler Hans Sachs (Gerald Finley), to explain the rules of the competition. The Mastersingers arrive for a preliminary song trial and Walther upsets smug town clerk Beckmesser (Johannes Martin Kränzle) who is keen to win. When Eva’s father, goldsmith Veit Pogner (Alastair Miles), confirms her hand as the prize, Sachs suggests she sh...
Derby Theatre is back with Derby Rises
NEWS

Derby Theatre is back with Derby Rises

Derby Theatre and partners in Derby CAN (Creative Arts Network) are back with a programme of newly commissioned artistic work, community-based workshops culminating in evening of celebration at the theatre on Sunday 27 September. Derby Rises is a citywide version of The Bakery of Slow Ideas, which is a community art practice created by Leo Kay from London-based Unfinished Business. The roots of The Bakery of Slow Ideas is a desire to nurture healing communication, allow communities space to have a meaningful dialogue and allow ideas to arise from this interaction.  Image: Antonia Ancora Leo and Project Collaborator Anna Smith make interactive and intimate performance, working with both artists and non-artists in the UK and throughout Europe. Since early July, Leo...
Bolton Octagon are back with a live online production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
NEWS

Bolton Octagon are back with a live online production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Bolton Octagon are back with a live online production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream Bolton Octagon are back with their first bash at a live streamed production offering an online version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as the theatre’s £12million redevelopment is completed before reopening in December. They are working with Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) to present streamed performances from Thursday 24th to Saturday 27th September 2020. This is a new version of GSC’s acclaimed open air production, which was directed by the Octagon’s Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham, who also directs this latest online version. The 75-minute production, which will be live streamed on Zoom, features a cast of six actors. Making their Octagon Theatre debuts will be Jack Whita...
An afternoon of comedy and variety from Britain’s Got Talent’s brightest stars
NEWS

An afternoon of comedy and variety from Britain’s Got Talent’s brightest stars

Gag Reflex are proud to announce a unique, family-friendly evening of live Comedy and Variety from Britain’s Got Talent stars Lost Voice Guy, Ben Hart, Daliso Chaponda, Steve Royle and Nabil Abdul Rashid from Manchester’s DriveINSIDE giant tent theatre. This year Steve Royle wowed the judges with his comedy juggling skills and Nabil Abdul Rashid was Alesha’s Golden Buzzer act and will be appearing in this year’s live semi-finals. Lee Ridley (aka Lost Voice Guy) was the first comedian to win Britain’s Got Talent in 2018, the year before magician Ben Hart made it to the final with his outstanding close-up magic skills. 2017 Golden Buzzer act Daliso Chaponda will compere the evening. Lee Ridley (aka Lost Voice Guy) is the first stand-up comedian to use a communication aid. He made his f...
Declan – Traverse Theatre
Scotland

Declan – Traverse Theatre

Kieran Hurley’s powerful theatre work Mouthpiece has been transformed into a 25-minute short film Declan for Traverse Theatre’s online festival in lieu of the Edinburgh International Festival. Angus Taylor revives the titular role of Declan with ferocity, anger and tenderness. Although the script is only altered slightly from the original theatre work, the relationship between Declan and failing playwright Libby is compromised here, but we gain a more intimate insight into Declan’s home life and lived experience. Transferring Mouthpiece to film has allowed Declan’s artwork to come forth among animated sections of plot. Nisan Yetkin’s stunning and emotional animations bring interactions to life between Declan and an unseen Libby, driving the relationship between them with written dial...
Home Schooling 2 – Unmasked
NWE UK Live

Home Schooling 2 – Unmasked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qS0ecY4bbY Home Schooling 2 - Unmasked Written by Mark Davoren Produced & Directed by Paul Downham Performed by Yazmin Walker
Lucky 8 – The Space UK
Scotland

Lucky 8 – The Space UK

Glass Half Full Theatre’s Lucky 8, written by Stephanie Silver and directed by Amelia Lovsey, is an original look at dating at work and the effect different commitments at home have when looking for love. Marcy (Stephanie Silver) has a crush on a woman at work, played by Valenzia Spearpoint. Marcy is clumsy, awkward and suffers from self-confessed verbal diarrhoea, while Spearpoint’s character is confident and well put together in stylish linen clothing. Marcy develops a habit of watching Spearpoint from afar while trying to talk herself into asking her out, noticing that Spearpoint regularly consults a Magic 8 ball she keeps in her office, making Marcy believes that she believes in fate. One morning Marcy excitedly tells us she has told her mother, who has MS and whom she cares for,...
Showstopper! The (Socially Distanced) Improvised Musical: ‘The Balloon Where It Happens’
REVIEWS

Showstopper! The (Socially Distanced) Improvised Musical: ‘The Balloon Where It Happens’

Tonight, I watched a premiere of a new musical about two couples who travel back in time when their hot air balloon is caught in a freak thunderstorm during a 30th wedding anniversary celebration. This is a musical about recognising what you have, and about living your best life. With catchy songs based on the musical styles of Hamilton, The Boy Friend, Les Misérables and even the Muppets, I discovered just what happens when you have the chance to change your past. And who wrote this new work? Well, we did! We – the audience that is. The Showstoppers have been wowing people with their genius since 2008, improvising a brand-new musical at every performance based on suggestions provided live by their audiences for settings, musical styles and plot twists. I’ve been intending to see thi...