Rosa Coduri-Fulford Archives - North West End UK

10Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Syndicate – Hull New Theatre

Hull New Theatre was far from full on Tuesday evening, as it hosted the world premiere of Kay Mellor’s stage adaptation of The Syndicate, a BBC TV series that ran for four seasons. As the curtain rose, a realistic stage setting showing the interior of a small supermarket greeted us, giving a colourful first glimpse of proceedings. Manning the till is Denise (Samantha Giles of Emmerdale fame), a motherly figure who dutifully collects the lottery money each week for the syndicate she and her four co-workers have joined. While Denise goes about her business serving customers, single mum Leanne (Rosa Coduri-Fulford) half-heartedly sweeps the floor. This peaceful scene is interrupted by the arrival of shop manager Stuart (Benedict Shaw) who rushes in, barging into the manager’s offi...

The Syndicate – Sheffield Lyceum

We all dream of the big lottery win but The Syndicate at the Sheffield Lyceum just falls short of hitting the theatre jackpot. Written by the supremo of creating relatable characters Kay Mellor completed the writing of this just before her death in May 2022. The Syndicate is directed by her well known daughter, Gaynor Faye, who also plays Kay, the Lottery representative. One winner from this production is the set and costume designer Bretta Gerecke. The first Act set is the shop building the characters are employed at and has multiple playing areas that allow for mood and tone. It is full and detailed and effortlessly transforms into the more clinical house interior of Stuart’s swanky new home in Act Two. A definite nod to the loss of comfortable familiarity to a harder less embracing new ...

The Syndicate – Floral Pavilion

Have you ever wondered what it would be like, if you won a share of £24 million? For fans of the late, great Kay Mellor’s television series ‘The Syndicate’ this is the perfect chance to see a new version of the show, created especially for the stage. A story that follows previous series, but with different characters and twists along the way. We are introduced to Denise, Leanne, Jamie, Stuart and Bob who work at a local supermarket, that has just been bought out by a larger chain. In typical The Syndicate style, Stuart is late on his payments for the staff syndicate, and this is mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the first act. Brothers Jamie and Stuart are both struggling for money – Jamie for drug-related purposes and Stuart due to his expanding family. They decide to rob the ...