UK Theatre Network

Wednesday 26th AUGUST

This wonderful yet dark new play had its debut at Richmond Theatre and will soon be headed to the West End. Written by Simon Bent, it was inspired by John Lahr’s biography and the diaries of British playwright, Joe Orton.

Set within the visual and ever changing confines of a small Islington flat, the play explores the trials and tribulations of one of Britain’s most noted homosexual playwrights, whose life is tragically ended in the murder-suicide by his long term partner.

The cast of three includes Chris New as Orton, Matt Lucas as his lover Halliwell and the delightful Gwen Taylor as Mrs Corden. All three delivered a finely constructed opening performance under the direction of Daniel Kramer.

Their daily existence within the flat is presented with a humorous and unfeigned approach. The comedic banter and insults between the collaborating duo are amusing. However, it is Taylor who especially shines as the nosy and loveable landlady. Her lightly peppered comedy helps to lift the play away from its more sinister undercarriage.

Played with finesse by Chris New, Orton is the determined and loveable rebel. RADA graduates and aspiring writers, Orton and Halliwell spend their time in the flat entertaining the notion of fame while they play out their own suggestive versions of popular radio dramas. Consequently, a stint by both in separate jails for defacing library books forks their path, with Orton honing his literary skills and simultaneously leaving his collaborator to the wayside.

Lucas delivers an intense performance as Halliwell, exploring the desperation he endures from the lack of intimacy from Orton, who would rather cruise for sex with random strangers. Adding to his own demons, he refuses to leave the flat and becomes somewhat a prisoner, passing his time collaging the walls.

It is this set design, by Peter McKintosh, that really adds a fantastic dimension to the play. The set replicates the actual flat they ‘co-habited’ in, including a bright pink and yellow chequered ceiling which immediately draws in the audience’s attention. As the years go by, the collage grows into a mishmash of faces. These faces that stare from the walls can be observed as the faces of art that mock the failed artist in Halliwell, while he subserviently watches Orton advance to critical acclaim. The retracting ceiling and endless collage really accentuate the eventual delusion and pit of despair that reduces Halliwell to a pill dependent train wreck.

While the ending of the play is grisly, it truly delivers a crushing sense of tragedy and heartache the couple must have endured. With hits such as ‘Entertaining Mr Sloane’ and ‘Loot’, Orton’s short lived yet prolific career may have seen him go on to become one of Britain’s most influential playwrights.

Overall, ‘Prick Up Your Ears’ is an absorbing piece of theatre which deserves to be celebrated. It begins its strictly limited run in the West End’s ‘Comedy Theatre’ from the 17^th of September.

http://www.prickupyourearstheplay.com/

Annie

The Sunderland Empire Theatre

The story of how a little orphan girl named Annie, with the help of her friends, outsmarts a nasty orphanage manager and finds the family she’s always dreamed of is one that has delighted and enchanted audiences since 1976.

Although based upon a cartoon strip that started life in the Chicago Tribune in the 1920s, it has grown into one of the best-loved tales that has ever been told. From its Broadway beginnings, it was made into a 1982 classic movie starring Carol Burnett and Albert Finney and it has continued to enthral theatre audiences the world over ever since.

This uplifting and shamelessly sentimental show is playing at Sunderland Empire for one week only, starring showbiz legend Su Pollard as the dastardly matron of the New York Municipal Orphanage.

Following on from big-name actresses such as Sheila Hancock, Lesley Joseph, Ruth Madoc and Vicki Michelle, Su relishes the role of Miss Hannigan and gives the character lots of layers. Her vast experience of playing comedic roles stand her in good stead to play the drunken lush and her sensational singing voice is utilised to maximum effect in numbers that include Easy Street and Little Girls. Indeed, Miss Pollard gives a consummate performance that dominates the entire show.

David McAlister co-stars as Oliver Warbucks, the billionaire businessman whose hard heart is melted by the optimism and innocence of the street-wise auburn orphan. His performance is genuine, polished and totally believable. His splendid singing voice is spot-on, too.

Strong supporting performances are given by Simone Craddock as Grace Farrell, James Gavin as Rooster and Sophie McEwan as Lily St Regis and the ensemble – of whom there are more than forty – play a variety of minor roles to great effect.

However, as always, it is the animals and children that seem to upstage everyone else and Lydia Tunstall gives a performance to prove that she is a true star-in-the-making as Annie. The scenes that she shares with the other orphans are real highlights, especially their renditions of It’s The Hard Knock Life and You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile. Annie’s mangy mongrel mate, Sandy, also draws gasps of ‘aahhs’ from the audience and almost threatens to steal the show on occasion.

It is almost impossible not to be won over by this fantastic production – there are great performances, great songs and a great storyline. Leapin’ Lizards, it’s a whole lot of fun!

The sun has come out and is shining on the stage of the Empire, so don’t wait until Tomorrow – book your tickets today.

Steve Burbridge.

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THE PRESENT        

COCK TAVERN THEATRE, KILBURN

Following it’s tradition of revisiting forgotten plays by modern writers, Kilburn’s dynamic fringe theatre, the Cock Tavern, offers a hearty resurrection of Nick Ward’s drama The Present.

The play was last performed at the Bush in 1995, and this revival by Good Night Out productions is almost faultless. Set in 1980 just after the assassination of John Lennon, Danny a British teenager arrives in Australia in search of adventure. He finds lodgings and work with Michael, a Nietzsche obsessed throw-back to the 1960’s, who introduces him to the world of sex, drugs and hippy art.  Michael borders on the pathological, and his associates Becky and Libby are not far behind him in the off-the-wall stakes, providing unpredictable company for the naïve newcomer.

The stark white painted set is indicative of a mental asylum, and is the perfect backdrop for the bizarre behaviour of Ward’s characters. Adam- Speadbury-Maher’s focused direction keeps the drama moving at a pace, and the carefully selected choice of Lennon’s songs works perfectly as a soundscape for the piece

Nathan Godkin is outstanding as the on-the-edge control freak Michael, and Sophie Brabenec gives a lovely, layered performance as the amnesic, vulnerable artist Libby. Shelly Lang is impressive as the man devouring Becky.

Ward’s poetic and colourful language is a treat for the ears, although towards the end of the play the themes become over-repetitive and he seems to be trying too hard to make his point.

This production continues to prove that the Cock Tavern is a valuable asset to North London’s theatre land. This is a gift not to be missed.

OLIVER VALENTINE                    www.cocktaverntheatre.com

Bolton Octagon's studio theatre is hosting a wide range of special events, one-off performances and visiting productions for Autumn 09.
 

"Investigate" days will explore the shows in the main house: Who Needs Writers? (12 September), an investigation in verbatim theatre with a panellists including Max Stafford-Clark, Robin Soans, David Thacker, Stephanie Street and Alecky Blythe;

Investigating Three of the Best 24:7 (19 September), analysings selected 24:7 plays with the writers, directors and casts; All My Sons (14 October), an investigation into Arthur Miller's classic play; Christopher Bigsby on Arthur Miller (17 October), telling the compelling story of the life of one of the 20th Century's greatest playwrights; Who Needs Translators? (14 November), David Thacker, Erik Skuggevik, actors from the Ghosts company, Brid Andrews of the University of Bolton and Professor Richard Wilson investigate the challenges and opportunities of translating classic and contemporary plays; and the season concludes with Who Needs Socialism? (19 December), which examines The Enemies Within by Ron Rose, a play about the 1984/5 Miners' Strike.
 

Touring productions include Corin Redgrave in De Profundis (23-24 September) and Trumbo (6 November), and Oxfordshire Theatre Company's Dancing in My Dreams by Neil Duffield (12-17 October).

 In-house studio shows include the Octagon's new Artistic Director David Thacker reviving his 1985 Young Vic production of The Enemies Within (14-19 December).
 

There will also be lunchtime poetry readings, workshops for writers, actors and directors, David Thacker in conversation with Sue Johnston, visiting children's shows, and many other events.

 For the full line-up, further details, dates and prices go to the Octagon's "What's On" page and click on the "Special Events" tab.

 www.octagonbolton.co.uk

Calling the Northwest's brightest freelancers in the media and digital industries. As a freelancer, YOU are YOUR future!

Now recruiting for the 2nd run of the NORTHERN ADVANTAGE WEEKEND INCUBATOR WORKSHOPS

19th/20th September and 10th/11th October 2009.

· Don’t miss your chance to attend these unique business savvy incubator workshops delivered over two intensive residential weekends in the Lake District - offering experienced media freelancers the opportunity to take an idea and turn it into a business.

· Developed by media industry professionals for media industry professionals and with Leigh Wharton from the Manchester University Business School Business Incubator, the programme, which brings together individuals with different strengths and skill bases, is carefully designed to build confidence in idea sharing and encourage collaboration.

· Be prepared to bring along your own idea for development – or join a team working on new entrepreneurial ideas.

· Ideas going into further development from the last course include: a multi media concept for global markets; a not for profit internet medical campaign; a plan to take music making to the third world.

WHAT THEY SAID LAST TIME:

The best thing was the amount of skills and contacts gained in such a short period of time… Hopefully opened lots of doors and certainly helped my creative skills… A great, diverse team running the weekend whose words of wisdom I will carry forward for a long time… It lets you find out how much more you are capable of than you actually thought… Opens minds and opens opportunities… A fabulous opportunity that truly opened my eyes to an entrepreneurial life and changed my thinking from that of an unwilling freelancer to now being excited about trying my own thing – very liberating! ... Excellent weekend and I particularly liked the small group size and access to interesting professionals including Mike Ryan and Leigh Wharton… As for value for money, I'm already starting to see a much bigger return on the knowledge I gained than I expected… It lets you find out how much more you are capable of than you actually thought.

For further information go to: http://www.northernadvantage.co.uk/events.htm

This scheme, delivered by The MDP Training Consortium, is funded by Northwest Vision and Media in partnership with Skillset and supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

Think of Manchester, and think of a great industrial city famed for its world-class football, cutting-edge music scene and all manner of scientific innovations; however you might equally recall its post-industrial reputation for the kind of poverty and social deprivation that invariably foster youth crime and organised violence.

 Andrew Davies’s sensational book The Gangs of Manchester, which received glowing reviews in the national press last winter, is an investigation into Manchester’s notorious gang-culture.  However instead of being set in contemporary Hulme and Moss Side it features their 1890s equivalents: Ancoats, Angel Meadow, Harpurhey and a maze of inner-city neighbourhoods where local tribes of fashion-conscious hooligans staged prearranged fights (“scuttling”) armed with heavily buckled belts, knives, and even knitting needles.

 Rob Lees and Jill Hughes of MaD Theatre Company have taken this forgotten history and turned it into an astonishing theatrical extravaganza involving a huge cast of talented community actors, with cameos from some of Manchester’s most recognisable faces and exclusive new recordings by veterans of the Madchester music scene.

 The dysfunctional McGregor and Johnson clans, with their extensive broods of battling sons and loose-moralled daughters, seem to have sprung from a Victorian episode of Shameless.  Theirs is a life of non-stop drinking, gambling, whoring and fighting, and most of their leisure-time revolves around the pub-cum-knocking-shop run by the slatternly Flanagan family.

 There are 21 actors and every beautifully realised character is brought to life with Dickensian relish; The Library Theatre stage hasn’t thronged with such a vibrant and lively company since Out of Joint played The Convict’s Opera in February.  Inevitably though the smaller members of the cast pretty much steal the show: Alana Thornton as Mary-Ann McGregor and Lauren Lennon as Mary-Ellen Johnson are an unforgettable double-act, and Charlie Nield brings the house down as the boy with the unreliable sphincter. 

 Director Rob Lees pulls off the difficult trick of making video an integral part of the production, and Paul Cliff’s black-and-white re-enactments of the scuttling are stylised and stark.  We’re also treated to clips of local talent like Terry Christian, John Henshaw, Smug Roberts and Graeme Hawley, to say nothing of the specially recorded soundtrack from Mike Joyce of The Smiths and Clint Boon of the Inspiral Carpets, together with current favourites Twisted Wheel, The Naughtys and Bye Bye Johnny.

 Parallels with modern-day gang culture are highlighted by accessorising the scuttlers’ outfits with twenty-first-century Burberry checks, and the decision to put scally-speak in the characters’ mouths gives the dialogue a freshness and immediacy which prevents the whole experience from seeming like a respectful costume drama or a polite example of theatre-in-education.

 This is a first rate example of community theatre - little wonder that this week’s extended run has sold out.  Keep an eye on MaD Company’s website for the surely inevitable revival of this superb production.

Angels with Manky Faces is on until Saturday 22 August 2009

Prices: £10 (£9.50)

Eves @ Tues-Thurs @ 7.30; Fri & Sat @ 8pm

Matinee Sat @ 3pm

Box Office: 0161 236 7110

www.librarytheatre.com

www.madtheatrecompany.co.uk