Preview: Carlisle Fringe Festival

ACCESS AT THE HEART OF FRINGE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Carlisle Fringe Festival

Friday 24^th August - Sunday 2^nd September 2018

Equality is top of the agenda in celebrating culture, creativity and diversity 

Carlisle Fringe festival which opens its doors in a weeks-time, is set to welcome a diverse and culture-action-packed artistic programme, brimming with theatre, comedy, music and outdoor street theatre.

Free shows, cheap tickets, shows being signed, full female casts and the rights of woman are among the key themes being explored in the 90 shows and events being presented at the festival. 

More than 60% of the festival's shows are free, and the maximum ticket price is capped at £8.50, in an effort to make culture accessible by festival organisers, Elektronika 

Three of the Creative Sparks shows, which are supported by Carlisle City Council and Cumbria University are being produced by female directors and producers,including the already sold-out We know Now Snowman Exist, by Lexie Ward

Several shows are taking place outside conventional theatre spaces, including a programme of events presented inside a new purpose built container theatre that will be sited at the top of English street as part of the Festival Hub.  

Interactive show, Overhear Carlisle created by Aimee Patricia-Lear is an audio tour which is downloaded using smart phone technologies onto the handset which can be played at any point during the festival

Appearing in the festivals comedy programme, celebrated disabled artists like Jamie MacDonald, a popular Scottish comedian who is blind, is known for his jokes only a blind man can tell and will make his debut appearance at the Cumbrian festival 

The festival will present five days of free music at the Festival Hub which is completely free, including legends from Manchester, the Complete Stone Roses, as well as upcoming Newcastle favourites Holy Moly & The Crackers 

Ray Bradshaw will also present his show Deaf comedy Fam, which is a first for comedy as each show is performed by Ray simultaneously in both spoken English and British Sign Language.

The Last Leaf is a piece of theatre created by Chloe Sturrock and Harri Elizabeth of emerging company Semiotic Theatre Productions.  The piece will continue the development of mixed form using BSL to combine hearing and non-hearing worlds through playful interpretation of visual performance.  

Alfie Ordinary, who is the son of a Drag Queen, will present his award winning show, Help I think I Might be Fabulous also makes his second appearance at the Fringe Festival and will be performing in the Old Fire Station on Thursday 30th August. 

Graham Main, Executive producer of Elektronika said:"Carlisle Fringe is a festival of Carlisle, and therefore the whole of the city is invited to come out and play for the next two weeks. We have shows suitable for everyone, so come out and support the festival in its third year.  We are grateful to our partners at Carlisle City Council and Cito Services who have helped us to make the majority of our work accessible. “

Organisers have also put a strong emphasis on supporting and programming art forms like Dance and Theatre, something which organisers feel has been lacking in the cities arts scene. The programme welcomes two Arts Council England funded projects, They Live Next Door (Lithuania) and Kaya (Brighton), both of which are performed through dance and movement. 

The Festival also recently put out a call on their Facebook page for anyone that may consider volunteering with them. If you are interested in becoming volunteer, you are encouraged to email rachael@carlislefringe.co.uk or call on 01228 812 611 

On The Web:

http://www.carlislefringe.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/carlislefringe/

https://twitter.com/carlisle_fringe

Tickets:

https://bigburnssupper.ticketsolve.com/shows

Carlisle Fringe is produced by Elektronika, a cultural producer based in Carlisle and Dumfries with the generous support of Carlisle City Council, Arts Council England and Cito Services.

Preview: Two Pints at Newcastle Live Theatre

British Premiere for Roddy Doyle’s hit play Two Pints at Live Theatre, Newcastle and The Peacock, Sunderland

Two Pints

Newcastle Live Theatre –

Wednesday 12 - Sunday 23 September 2018

Sunderland Peacock –

Tuesday 25 - Friday 28 September 2018

Roddy Doyle’s play Two Pints produced by Abbey Theatre, Dublin, the National Theatre of Ireland, has its British Premiere in the North East when it comes to Live Theatre, Newcastle and The Peacock, Sunderland this September.

Lorcan Cranitch and Liam Carney
in Two Pints by Roddy Doyle
 Photo: Ros Kavanagh

This hilarious and provocative play by the Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter writer known for hit film The Commitments, novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and numerous other novels and plays, started as a conversation on Facebook which gained a large following. Doyle brought the two characters to life in a play, in which two men meet in a pub for a pint, chew the fat, and set the world to rights, which became a sell-out success touring pubs across Ireland last year.

Roddy Doyle said “When I wrote Two Pints, I didn’t envisage it being performed in a pub, but it is part of the adventure. The play is being put on in a context that is unfamiliar to me – that excites me.”

Joe Douglas, Artistic Director, Live Theatre, added: “We are delighted to host the British debut of Roddy Doyle’s comedy Two Pints, that has been a sell-out success across Ireland. We look forward to bringing it to audiences in Newcastle and Sunderland, in association with Sunderland Culture and as part of the Culture Ireland GB programme. The show is usually performed in pubs, so at Live Theatre, the bar is returning into the main theatre space. Audiences can get a pint, pull up a chair and listen in to the conversation at the bar. In Sunderland, we are delighted to have the perfect pub-setting ready-made in the beautifully restored The Peacock pub on Keel Square. Wherever you see Two Pints expect big laughs and good craic.”

Starring Liam Carney and Philip Judge, and directed by Abbey Theatre’s Associate Director Caitríona McLaughlin, Two Pints stops off at pubs in Ireland and has its only British dates at Live Theatre, Newcastle, where the bar will return into the Theatre, serving pints of Guinness to audience members, and The Peacock Pub, Sunderland which will stock Guinness especially for the play.

Helen Green, Head of Performance at Sunderland Culture, explained: "Bringing Roddy Doyle’s successful and hilarious play Two Pints from Abbey Theatre, who are the National Theatre of Ireland to the Peacock Pub, Sunderland is a real coup following its success being performed in pubs across Ireland. The play will undoubtably be a highlight of the autumn programme of Sunderland Stages, the performance programme of theatre, dance and spoken word presented by Sunderland Culture in venues and unusual spaces around the city."

‘Achingly, breathtakingly funny’ – Sunday Independent

‘A play about what lies beneath banter’ – The Irish Times

‘It’s an absolute gem’ – The Sunday Times

Tickets:

Presented in the UK by Live Theatre in association with Sunderland Culture, Two Pints is suitable for ages 18+ and comes to Live Theatre, Quayside, Newcastle from Wednesday 12 to Sunday 23 September, and The Peacock Pub, High Street West, Sunderland from Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 September. Tickets for both venues are available from Live Theatre’s Box Office on (0191) 232 1232 or online at www.live.org.uk and a small number of tickets for the performances at Sunderland are available from the Peacock Pub, Sunderland.

REVIEW: When the Boat Comes In at South Shields Customs House

Jack Comes Home

When the Boat Comes In

South Shields Customs House

Thursday 15^th - Saturday 25^th August 2018

When The Boat Comes In is the world premier of the adaptation of the TV series that ran on the BBC between 1976 and 1981. Written by the original TV series playwright’s son, Peter Mitchell, it is set in the fictional South Tyneside coastal town of Gallowshield. The tale begins in 1919 and poverty, coal mining and ship building are major factor in the day to day lives of the working classes. The resultant production is blessed with good writing, strong acting and sensitive direction.

Sargent Jack Ford arrives back in his home time, still in his World War One army uniform. He is on discharge leave and he is staying in lodgings as he has no family left. He meets up with young Jessie Seaton at the cinema and starts a political discussion. This results in an invite for dinner back at her parent’s house for a chance to continue the debate. Her father Bill is a proud man who has initial reservations about Jack’s approach. Jack is streetwise and soon adapts to surviving civilian life in this struggling North East town.

Major big scale themes underpin the action: Were returning uniformed soldiers readily accepted back into society? Were the jobs fit for heroes? Could the fledgling Labour movement rise up against the existing political classes? Could they ensure the privately owned mines and shipyards were are safe as they could be? Was homophobia an issue at the time?

But more importantly the main thrust of the plot is about family life and the effects immediately following a major conflict.

You have some very strong characters within the ensemble.  The outstanding Jamie Brown excels as the central Jack the lad character. Charming and egocentric. His love interest Jessie is also a strong identifiable character. A school teacher by day, she has radical political ideals and is willing to be counted. Alice Stokoe gives real strength to this vital role.

Supporting these central characters are Jack's best friend Matt (Charlie Richmond), his sister Dolly (Anna Bolton), along with Jessie's proud parents Bill (Steve Byron) and Bella (Janine Birkett) who add texture to the central action.

There is always a worry when multiple roles are portrayed by a single actor that the audience will follow that this is now someone different.  However, this is not an issue in this case as characterization of each role is sufficiently distinctive and full credit goes to Luke Maddison, Matthew Howdon and Sarah Balfour for pulling it off. Luke in particular had some hard, contrasting roles to pull off: from post-traumatic stress disorder victim to medical student. He continues to grow as an actor in the local scene.

The writing and direction result into a faster paced drama than I remember the original TV series being. Director Katy Weir and movement director Malcolm Shields keep the action tight and no scene or issue runs longer than it needs to.  A disclaimer here is that I've not seen the original show since it was first broadcast. The set (Alison Ashton), lighting (Kev Tweedy) and sound design (Nick John Williams) all combine to keep the action seamless.

The Customs House has, since Man and a Donkey, frequently punched above its’ weight and relatively modest means in creating special productions that retain a local flavour. This is no exception to that fine pedigree of shows.

Review by Stephen Oliver.
Photos by Chris J Allen for Wycombe 89 Media

Tickets:

Tickets for When the Boat Comes In are priced from £15 and performances start at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinees on Saturday, August 18, Thursday, August 23 and Saturday, August 25. To book, contact the box office on (0191) 454 1234 or visitwww.customshouse.co.uk.

Preview: Cilla and the Shades of the 60s at Whitley Bay Playhouse

The best musical theatre show celebrating Cilla’s life and music

Cilla and the Shades of the 60s

starring Victoria Jones as Cilla

Whitley Bay Playhouse                 

Tuesday 18 September 2018

SHE’S BACK!

‘Step inside love…I want you to stay!”

(Lennon-McCartney)

Yes she’s back!  The irrepressible, fabulous Victoria Jones will reprise her starring role as Cilla Black in the UK’s top touring show, Cilla and the Shades of the 60s, as it rolls into the autumn with extra dates to match public demand for tickets. 

This perfect musical stage show for families, Cilla fans and pop music fans of all ages, was a smash hit on its debut tour last year and repeated box office business earlier this year.   ‘Cilla and the Shades of the 60s’ stars the effervescent Victoria Jones as Cilla (left) and Eloise Tasker, Joanna Walters and Chanelle Nicole as The Shades.  Together, through music, song, dance, and witty comedy, they take the audience on a poptastic musical journey starting with the discovery of the teenage Cilla at Liverpool’s famous Cavern Club and presents many of the biggest hits by artists who changed the world of popular entertainment in the 1960s including Cilla, Dusty, Lulu, Tina Turner, the Beatles and more. 

The show features highlights of Cilla’s stellar career: by the time Cilla was 21 she was working with Beatles’ producer George Martin and was at No. 1 with ‘You’re My World’ and ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’.  She was Britain’s No. 1 female singer during the 1960s and subsequently became the most popular TV presenter with her own TV show ‘Cilla’ which ran 1966-1978 and ‘Blind Date’ which ran for a record breaking 18 years. 

Says Victoria Jones: “When I was growing up in Liverpool I loved watching Cilla on TV but it wasn’t till later that I discovered her music – and wow, I was hooked!  I was thrilled by her vocal range; her ballads are beautiful and she gave every song an emotional depth that was completely new to me as a budding singer.  She really inspired me to develop my voice and my performance. 

“I love performing in this show and I feel so lucky and proud to be associated with Cilla.  Cilla became a huge star at an incredibly new and exciting time for popular music; she was a trailblazer - she became the first woman to have her own television show and she remained relevant to generations of people.  This show gives me the opportunity of celebrating the sound and fashion of a generation of amazing women.  We always have a great time onstage - I guarantee lots of great music and a lorra lorra laughs!  We even have a ‘Blind Date’ section involving a member of the audience!”

On The Web:

www.shadesofthe60s.com

https://www.facebook.com/shadesofthe60s  

Live photos: Rhian Cox. 

Studio photos: Darren Bell

Tickets:

Tickets are available from the theatre box office and online from our affiliate Ticketmaster UK: http://bit.ly/WBayCilla

Preview: Rock Of Ages at Darlington Hippodrome

DANIELLE HOPE JOINS ROCK OF AGES CAST

Rock Of Ages

Darlington Hippodrome

Monday 8 - Saturday 13 October 2018

Danielle Hope will join the cast of award-winning smash-hit musical Rock Of Ages which comes to Darlington Hippodrome from Monday 8 October for a week-long run.

Danielle Hope

Danielle is perhaps best-known for having won BBC One's Over the Rainbow, which lead to her professional debut in the lead role of Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of The Wizard Of Oz at the London Palladium. Since then, Danielle has starred as Éponine in the West End production of Les Misérables, as Maria in the UK tour of The Sound Of Music, and recently finished touring the UK as Sandy in Grease.

Danielle will join the previously announced Kevin Kennedy, Zoe Birkett, Luke Walsh, Lucas Rush, Andrew Carthy, Vas Constanti and Rhiannon Chesterman.

Kevin Kennedy

Rock Of Ages is an LA love story lavished with over 25 classic rock anthems. Lose yourself in a city and a time where the dreams are as big as the hair, and yes, they can come true!

Zoe Birkett

This hilarious musical comedy features classic rock anthems including We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Here I Go Again, Can't Fight this Feeling and I Want To Know What Love Is, played loud and proud by an awesome live band.

Tickets:

For more information or to book call 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk.

Preview: Rumpelstiltskin at Darlington Hippodrome

REVIEW: Stomp at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Perfection In Percussion

Stomp

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 18^th August 2018

Created & Directed by Luke Cresswell & Steve McNicholas

Silent comedy and drums. Certainly no one speaks. Instead the action does the talking. After 26 years Stomp is still able to fill theatres, and no wonder as the show breaks down barriers in a way usually reserved for pantomime. After the 1 hour 45 minute performance the Theatre Royal audience rose to their feet to recognise the talent that had entertained them.

This show works for all ages. You have the non-verbal comedy of Buster Keaton or Mr Bean coupled with the rhythmic gymnastics of an 80s drum solo from the likes of Cozy Powell or Randy Castillo. The eight performers layer the rhythms using a variety of objects from bins to shopping trolleys filled with boxes and carboys.

Things begin simply enough. A lone performer starts sweeping the stage. He introduces a rhythm to the sweeping action and then bands the head of the brush. Before you know it, the stage is filled with synchronised brushing.

There is some characterisation including a cap wearing performer who is the butt of a number of jokes. Another performer tends to lead the audience with their contribution, and the sound of a theatre clapping and stamping in concert is a joy too.  However, for much of the show it is a big ensemble piece, just like a dance show, with 8 of the 10 performers listed in the programme appearing on any single show.

The performers tend to come from a musical/drumming background and yet their choreography and fluidity of movement suggests something more dance orientated.

This is a unique show in which the full show is much greater than the sum of the individual parts. It is funny, energetic and yes, it makes you want to tap everything as you leave.  It is worth checking out if you’ve not seen it before.

Review by Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

Stomp comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal Thursday 16th – Saturday 18th August 2018 playing evenings at 7.30pm, matinees on Fri 2pm and Sat 2.30pm. Tickets from £14.00 can be purchased online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge.)