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Jury – Park Theatre Company Script Class

26Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Jury – Park Theatre Company Script Class

This brand-new play written by Martin Murphy has been crafted during lockdown and draws on the situation within our legal system where, due to COVID, cases have been put on ice awaiting a decision to resume. To try to tackle the backlog, a digital replacement via Zoom has been introduced and a high-profile case is being tried by jury. Park Theatre have turned what is usually a script class, into a theatre company under the direction of Amy Allen. The pressure is on for the jurors to reach a verdict within 45 minutes. The twelve jurors have heard evidence in a criminal trial and have then try to reach a unanimous verdict. We, the viewer, do not get to hear the evidence, but we rely on hearing the jury discuss the minutiae of the case. This has been classed as a...

Until the Ad Break – Maverick Charles Productions

26Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Scotland

Until the Ad Break – Maverick Charles Productions

Maverick Charles Productions’ Until the Ad Break, written by Hugo Lewkowicz and directed by Emily Fitzpatrick, is a clever and surreal look at life in lockdown adapted from their previously sold out show, 21 minutes. Taking place during a lockdown recording of daytime magazine show, The Hello Show, the opening of the play is reminiscent of This Time with Alan Partridge, as we hear about the evils of quinoa and listen to the co-hosts, Dale Maxton (Bradley Pascall) and Francine Quick (Ellie Stewart-Dodd) bicker while off-air. But there is a twist. This episode of The Hello Show has begun 21 minutes before the apocalypse. Hysterical weatherman, Gabriel Spring (Emily Fitzpatrick) brings warning of fire and brimstone rather than the usual sunshine and showers and there’s a special guest a...

25Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Being Posy – Four in a Bed Theatre

Being Posy is a coming of age performance by 18-year-old Posy O'Rourke, filmed in her bedroom and accompanied by self-written music. She explores the themes of coming out and growing up in a light-hearted and friendly way, which resonates with the audience despite some of us being well past our teenage years! Posy jumps between monologuing to the camera and singing with an array of instruments in a style reminiscent of Eliza Doolittle. I'm not sure how this would translate to the stage, but it feels fitting in a bedroom setting, and similar to a YouTube vlogger. It's fresh and honest, and at just under 12 minutes long, an easy watch. Posy certainly has a lot of potential at her young age and has successfully adapted to the online theatre challenges of this year's EdFringe. Althou...

23Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

English Touring Theatre launches brand-new podcast F**ked Up Bedtime Stories (for adults)

English Touring Theatre launches their brand-new podcast F**ked Up Bedtime Stories (for adults) – a series of short stories for adults performed by Paapa Essiedu and Amber James. Directed by Jennifer Bakst with sound, music and editing by Max Pappenheim, F**ked Up Bedtime Stories explores the weird and wonderful world of dreamscapes and nightmares and the impact that lockdown has had on our sleep cycles. Featuring seven short stories written by Alissa Anne Jeun Yi, Dipo Baruwa-Etti, Tim Crouch, Vivienne Franzmann, Matilda Ibini, Amy Jephta and Anthony Neilson, the project is available through acast, Spotify, apple or wherever you get your podcasts. English Touring Theatre today said, “Bedtime ...

21Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Octagon Bolton announces reopening date

After two years the multi-million pounds rebuild at Bolton's Octagon is over and they reopen their doors on Friday 4th December. But theatre goers will have to wait a bit longer to sit in the new auditorium as they are only opening their spanking new Kitchen & Bar, a friendly space for casual eating, drinking and socialising. They will also be hosting some creative workshops, along with a series of festival events. The delay to the building caused by the pandemic, and the lack of a date from the government of when it will be safe for audiences to return without social distancing, means the Octagon have taken the difficult decision to postpone their previously announced productions. Their intriguing new musical version of Charles Dickens’ festive classic A Christmas Carol...

The Drifters Girl – rescheduled dates in 2021

21Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

The Drifters Girl – rescheduled dates in 2021

Michael Harrison and David Ian announce rescheduled dates for The Drifters Girl, a brand new musical starring Beverley Knight, which tells the remarkable story of one of the world’s greatest vocal groups The Drifters and the woman who made them. The Drifters Girl, to be directed by Jonathan Church (Singin’ In The Rain), will now make its World Premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal next year on Saturday 9th October 2021, before transferring to the Garrick Theatre in London for a strictly limited season of 20 weeks, with performances beginning on Thursday 4th November 2021. Ticket holders do not need to do anything; the point of purchase will be in touch with all existing ticket holders soon. Beverley Knight stars as Faye Treadwell, the legendary manager of The Drifters, who, alongsid...

‘Blue Peter’ legend Peter Duncan launches Panto Online

21Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

‘Blue Peter’ legend Peter Duncan launches Panto Online

Giant Blunderbore is in a terrible rage. He shouts from above threatening to eat any villager who won’t pay their rent. Poor Dame Trott has to sell her precious cow ‘Buttercup’ and sends her son Jack to the cow market. All he comes back with is a worthless bag of beans. Jill, the grumpy Squire’s daughter is kidnapped by the Giants dogsbody Fleshcreepy and taken to the castle in the clouds. Will Jack be the hero, climb the beanstalk, rescue his girlfriend and save the world from the human chomping ogre. Only the magical Garden Fairy knows the answer to that…. Join in and enjoy this new online planet-saving pantomime packed with songs, laughter and great spectacle. ‘Blue Peter’ legend Peter Duncan - a critically acclaimed Panto Dame, Writer and Director, is planning his biggest and bes...

Squad Goals to have world premiere at Dagenham and Redbridge FC

21Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Squad Goals to have world premiere at Dagenham and Redbridge FC

Squad Goals is a brand-new immersive show from Caspa Productions, opening for its world premiere at Dagenham & Redbridge Football Ground. Where better than to launch a show about football than in a football stadium as a socially distanced outdoor experience! This lively and inspiring play tells of the lives, ambitions and relationships among a diverse group of young female school leavers who are inspired by the success of England’s lionesses and form a 5-a-side squad in their hometown, Dagenham. Squad Goals follows the challenges they face as they struggle to be taken seriously in a world seemingly designed to stop them reaching their potential. Writer and co-director Michelle Payne comments Growing up in Essex, football was really important to me, I wanted to create show tha...

Emma Rice’s theatre company Wise Children bring digital tour of Romantics Anonymous to Liverpool

21Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Emma Rice’s theatre company Wise Children bring digital tour of Romantics Anonymous to Liverpool

A live performance of Wise Children, Bristol Old Vic and Plush Theatre Productions’ acclaimed Romantics Anonymous will be performed live and broadcast directly to Liverpool audiences on Tuesday 22nd September. In an act of industry solidarity, partner theatres across the world will sell tickets for director Emma Rice’s acclaimed musical on different nights of the week, with the Everyman & Playhouse joining eight other venues from the North of England for the Tuesday evening performance. Each night will be tailored to audiences at those different theatres, with a sprinkle of local flavour added before the stream begins. The musical, which will be performed live in Bristol Old Vic, is part of a five-day digital ‘tour’ involving 34 different theatres from 22nd – 26th September. ...

21Aug

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Scotland

Defying GraviTT – Online@theSpace

One of the best things about fringe festivals is that you get to experience a range of shows that cannot quite be boxed into one category. One day it might be jugglers or the circus, the next a political rant or an intense two-hander about the restaurant provision for vegans. As shows have gone online during the current pandemic, they have attained an additional status from performers isolated from others by necessity, not always from choice. Boundaries have increasingly become blurred as creators experiment. In Defying GraviTT, The Fabulous TT aka Tish Tindall brings her wry observational skills and musical prowess to a one-person show which considers lockdown from the perspective of “a menopausal madwoman”. Part video diary, part song cycle, part cabaret, Tindall’s piece has ton...