Preview: Gods Are Fallen and All Safety Gone at Newcastle Northern Stage

Greyscale presents:

Gods Are Fallen and All Safety Gone

Newcastle Northern Stage

4^th – 6^th June 2015                         

A mother and daughter from the local community join an all male cast on stage each night of the run, in a dynamic and subtle exploration of the most intense of family relationships

Written and directed by Selma Dimitrijevic

‘It feels less like a traditional theatrical suspension of disbelief and more as if some kind of transference is taking place’ «««« Lyn Gardner         

‘A superbly subtle analysis of the comedy and agony of this closest of family relationships’

«««« Scotsman

Photo by Idil Sukan

Borrowing its title from John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, this highly celebrated work from one of the UK’s foremost contemporary theatre companies explores a moment of realisation universal to all; a child’s eventual recognition of their parents as a fellow human being. The show, performed by an all-male cast, presents a lifetime of conversations all condensed into an hour of subtle and intimate performance, observed live by a real life mother and daughter from theatre’s local community.

‘Beautifully, cleverly and intelligently performed’ (Andrew Haydon, Postcards from the Gods), by Scott Turnbull (Independent 'One to Watch') and Sean Campion (Selfridges, ITV), the performance plays out the story of a 30-something daughter visiting her aging mother, and depicts the most simple of conversations from baths, to tea, boyfriends and the weather. Using repetition with subtle developments and changes, the piece produces a dynamic analysis of a lifetime of interactions between the two, gently pulling apart an ever-evolving relationship with adistinctly inevitable end.

Director Selma Dimitrijevic said, ‘When Almeida offered us a bit of time and money to develop a new project I knew I wanted to do our own version of Gods. I also knew that Scott and Sean, would be perfect for it, and the fact that they weren’t the “right” gender didn’t make any difference. Making of the show turned out to be the defining point for the company. It was at the same time the easiest and the most difficult thing we did as a team. We stripped it down to basics, two actors, two guests and the audience; so there is nowhere to hide. Every time we do it, we basically say: “here, this is who we are, this is what we feel”, and our fantastic audiences seem to be ready to do the same.’

Selma Dimitrijevic is artistic director of Greyscale. As a director and writer she has worked with venues and companies both nationally and internationally, including Northern Stage, The Gate, The Bush, Almeida, Dundee Rep, Tron and Camden Peoples Theatre. Recent works include The Gamblers (Greyscale/Dundee Rep), Gods Are Fallen And All Safety Gone (Greyscale) and Dead To Me (Gary Kitching and Co.) Her plays have been performed in UK, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine and Canada. She is currently working on a new production War Is Boring/War Is Fun, which will tour later this year.

Greyscale is a Newcastle based international theatre company formed by a group of established directors, writers, actors, and designers interested in exploring the fringes and gaps of the theatrical process. The company strive to make carefully structured, powerfully live, political and anarchic theatre for a modern audience. In addition to Selma Dimitrijevic, company members include founder member Lorne Campbell, who is now the artistic director of Northern Stage, designers Oliver Townsend, Garance Marneur and Jon Bausor, writer David Ireland, and performers Sandy Grierson and Jimmy Akingbola.

On The Web

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreyscaleTC  #GodsAreFallen

Website: www.greyscale.org.uk  

Running Time: 55 minutes | Suitable for ages 14+

Directed bySelmaDimitrijevic

Assistant Director Maria Crocker
Designed by Oliver Townsend

Cast: Sean Campion, Scott Turnbull

Tickets:

4 – 6 June           Northern Stage, Newcastle

                             Barras Bridge, NE1 7RH

                             7.30pm | £10 (£8 concs)
                                                www.northernstage.co.uk  | 0191 230 5151

Tour:

21 Apr                                   Farnham Maltings, Surrey

                                                Bridge Sq, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7QR

                                                7.30pm | £12 (£10 concs)

                                                www.farnhammaltings.com  | 01252 745444

23 Apr                                   Harlow Playhouse

                                                Playhouse Square, Town Centre CM20 1LS

                                                8.15pm | £12 (£6.50 U21)

                                                www.playhouseharlow.com  | 01279 431945

24 Apr                                   New Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

                                                The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS

     8pm | £12.75 (£10.75 concs)

                                                www.marlowetheatre.com  | 01227 787 787

26 Apr                                   Bridport Arts Centre, Dorset

                                                9 South Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3NR

7.30pm | £10

                                                www.bridport-arts.com  | 01308 424 204

28 Apr                                   Old Fire Station, Oxford

                                                40 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AQ

7.30pm | £12 (£10 concs)

                                                www.oldfirestation.org.uk  | 01865 263980

30 Apr                                   Letchworth Arts Centre, Hertfordshire

                                                2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 3EW

                                                7.30pm | £10 (£12 on the door)

                                                www.letchwortharts.org  | 01462-670788

1 May                                    Cranleigh Arts Centre, Surrey

                                                1 High Street, Cranleigh GU6 8AS

                                                8pm | Prices TBC

                                                www.cranleighartscentre.org  | 01483 278000

2 May                                    The Phoenix Theatre and Arts Centre, Hampshire

                                                Barbados House, Station Road, Bordon GU35 0LR

                                                7.30pm | £10 (£9 concs/members)

                                                www.cranleighartscentre.org  | 01420 472664

6 – 9 May                              Tron Theatre, Glasgow

                                                63 Trongate, G1 5HB                                        
                                                8pm | £10 - £7.50
                                                www.tron.co.uk | 0141 552 4267

12 – 31 May                         Camden People’s Theatre, London

                                                58-60 Hampstead Road, NW1 2PY

                                                7.30pm (Tues - Sun) | £12 (£10 concs)

                                                www.cptheatre.co.uk | 020 7419 4841

4 – 6 June                             Northern Stage, Newcastle

                                                Barras Bridge, NE1 7RH

                                                7.30pm | £10 (£8 concs)
                                                www.northernstage.co.uk  | 0191 230 5151

12 – 13 June                        Royal Exchange, Manchester (The Studio)
                                                St Anns Square, M2 7DH
                                                7.30pm| £12
                                                www.royalexchange.co.uk  | 0161 833 9833

Preview: Dead To Me at Newcastle Northern Stage

Dead Funny Show

Arrives at Northern Stage

Dead To Me

Newcastle Northern Stage

Tuesday 30 September - Friday 3 October 2014

Photo: Selma Dimitrijevic

to: Selma Dimitrijevic

Dead To Me is a disturbingly funny story about a man’s troubled relationship with a psychic and her spirit guide and comes to Newcastle's Northern Stage from Tuesday 30th September until Friday 3rd October 2014

"Blah blah blah PSYCHICS blah blah blah MUST BE REAL blah blah blah HOW COULD THEY KNOW THAT? blah blah blah TALKING TO THE DEAD blah blah IT’S JUST RUBBISH blah blah.”

Sometimes we only hear what we want to hear. Steven is a believer - he believes in reason, logic and humanity. The Psychic believes in the spirits. The dead are always right. Dead to Me is a disturbingly funny story about a man and his troubled relationship with a psychic and her spirit guide. When the truth is confronted, an irreversible chain of events is set in motion and Steven finds out that living people can be unnecessarily cruel because of course the dead are easier to deal with.

Photo: Selma Dimitrijevic

The show has been written by Gary Kitching and is directed by Selma Dimitrijevic.  Director Selma Dimitrijevic said:  "Gary Kitching has been angry about the exploitative, predatory nature of psychics and mediums for years, and instead of going and doing something illegal, he has written a play about it. The play examines the reasons why people seek solace and help from strangers who claim they can speak to the dead, instead of reaching out to their friends and family."

Photo: Selma Dimitrijevic

Writer Gary Kitching is a North East based actor and writer whose show “Me and Mr C” was performed at Northern Stage’s St. Stephens Edinburgh venue in 2012.  Gary said:  “I have been drawn to the supernatural and weird since being a young boy. Watching Friday night Hammer horror films definitely got me hooked in that world. As a teenager and into my early twenties, I would believe pretty much anything that I came across that was spiritual, new age or mystic. I even spent good money on visiting a few psychics and to my shame owned a set of ancient (mass produced) runes. I wanted to believe that there was more to this life than the confines of reality. However the more I read about psychics, healers and general mystics the more it became clear to me that these people where far from the benevolent compassionate personas they wished to portray themselves as. They seemed to me to be greedy unscrupulous vultures picking at the bones of another human’s personal grief and insecurities. It made me angry. It made me realise that instead of escaping the confines of reality what I needed to do was embrace reality, logic and reason. We are all on this planet for a finite time. If we used that time to engage with our fellow humans to share each other’s grief, doubts and joy the world in my view would be a happier and healthier place. Just because I believe a unicorn lives in my garden; it doesn’t mean they actually exist.”

Tickets:

Tickets: £10 / £8 concs / £15 with When We Embraced (Jowheretogo Preview to "When we embraced" link)

Running time: 1 hour

Age recommendation: 12+

Multibuy Book an additional show and get your tickets cheaper! Look out for the logo.

3+First Night: Buy 3 or more tickets for Tues 30 Sept and get 50% off (excluding concessions tickets).

To book see www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/dead

Preview: Dead To Me at Washington Arts Centre

Dead Funny Show

comes to Washington

Dead To Me

Washington Arts Centre

Thursday 18 September 2014

 

Photo: Selma Dimitrijevic

Dead To Me is a disturbingly funny story about a man’s troubled relationship with a psychic and her spirit guide and comes to Arts Centre Washington on Thursday 18 September

"Blah blah blah PSYCHICS blah blah blah MUST BE REAL blah blah blah HOW COULD THEY KNOW THAT? blah blah blah TALKING TO THE DEAD blah blah IT’S JUST RUBBISH blah blah.”

Sometimes we only hear what we want to hear. Steven is a believer - he believes in reason, logic and humanity. The Psychic believes in the spirits. The dead are always right.Dead to Me is a disturbingly funny story about a man and his troubled relationship with a psychic and her spirit guide. When the truth is confronted, an irreversible chain of events is set in motion and Steven finds out that living people can be unnecessarily cruel because of course the dead are easier to deal with.

Photo: Selma Dimitrijevic

The show has been written by Gary Kitching and is directed by Selma Dimitrijevic.  Director Selma Dimitrijevic said:  "Gary Kitching has been angry about the exploitative, predatory nature of psychics and mediums for years, and instead of going and doing something illegal, he has written a play about it. The play examines the reasons why people seek solace and help from strangers who claim they can speak to the dead, instead of reaching out to their friends and family."

Photo: Selma Dimitrijevic

Writer Gary Kitching is a North East based actor and writer whose show “Me and Mr C” was performed at Northern Stage’s St. Stephens Edinburgh venue in 2012.  Gary said:  “I have been drawn to the supernatural and weird since being a young boy. Watching Friday night Hammer horror films definitely got me hooked in that world. As a teenager and into my early twenties, I would believe pretty much anything that I came across that was spiritual, new age or mystic. I even spent good money on visiting a few psychics and to my shame owned a set of ancient (mass produced) runes. I wanted to believe that there was more to this life than the confines of reality. However the more I read about psychics, healers and general mystics the more it became clear to me that these people where far from the benevolent compassionate personas they wished to portray themselves as. They seemed to me to be greedy unscrupulous vultures picking at the bones of another human’s personal grief and insecurities. It made me angry. It made me realise that instead of escaping the confines of reality what I needed to do was embrace reality, logic and reason. We are all on this planet for a finite time. If we used that time to engage with our fellow humans to share each other’s grief, doubts and joy the world in my view would be a happier and healthier place. Just because I believe a unicorn lives in my garden; it doesn’t mean they actually exist.”

Tickets:

Dead to Me comes to Arts Centre Washington on Thursday 18 September, 7.30pm, tickets are £8.50 / £6 (conc) to book visit www.artscentrewashington.co.ukor call the box office on 0191 219 3455.