Preview: (In)visible Dancing at Stockton town centre

Award-winning dance company Protein returns to Stockton to bring together local residents through a series of outdoor dance performances Luca Silvestrini’s Protein presents a Stockton International Riverside Festival production: (In)visible Dancing Stockton town centre, various times and locations Wednesday 1st – Sunday 5th August 2018 Directed by Luca Silvestrini

Luca Silvestrini is the sharpest of comic choreographers." Guardian

Commissioned by Stockton International Riverside Festival, Luca Silvestrini’s Protein will take over the town centre with their celebrated outdoor show (In)visible Dancing, a series of immersive performance pieces culminating in a flash mob style finale and incorporating non-professional dancers based in the region and members of the local community.

Photo: Daniel Martin

The show, which aims to reconnect individuals with the town and each other in a celebration of dance and community, will see Protein’s professional company take residency for two weeks, working with and performing alongside local apprentice artists and dance groups from the Tees Valley. During the five days of outdoor performances the company will immerse themselves in the day to day town activity, appearing as random, incidental occurrences. The mini-performances will grow in scale, becoming increasingly visible before culminating in a fully-formed finale performance involving over 100 dancers, including any passers-by who have learned the steps.

Councillor Norma Wilburn, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture and Leisure, said: “We’re very excited to welcome Protein’s thrilling dance performance to Stockton in August. SIRF never ceases to amaze and this performance is just one of the many exciting acts you can see at this year’s festival – with around 100 talented performers involved in In(visible) Dancing, including those from local dance groups, it’s going to be an exhilarating spectacle to see on the town centre.”

Luca Silvestrini, Artistic Director Protein said, “We are really excited to come back to Stockton and reconnect with artists and communities we have met through our previous shows and projects in the region. This time, we invite everyone to join us on the high street for (In)visible Dancing, a fantastic celebration of dance and local talent as part of Stockton International Riverside Festival.”

The company aims to make this show one of their widest reaching project yet with performers of every kind, from dancers to jugglers, all from Stockton-on-Tees and the surrounding areas participating. Local talent joining Protein for the show include Dance Jam, Latin in Line, newly established cheerleading squad Limitless Allstars and Stockton celebrities Urban Kaos. 

SIRF’s Artistic Director, Jan Doherty, said: “The SIRF team is delighted to be working in partnership with ARC to welcome (In)visible Dancing to Stockton. It such a wonderful project involving emerging local dancers, a wide variety of community dance groups and a fantastic inclusive flash mob finale. I’m so pleased to have Invisible Dancing as part of this year’s SIRF programme and I’m sure our audiences will give Luca and the Protein team a warm Stockton welcome and enjoy dancing in the streets of Stockton.”

Protein has previously toured to ARC Stockton with their immersive dance performance May Contain Food in 2016, their acclaimed show Border Tales in 2017 and May Contain Food May Contain You in 2018. Also last year the company worked with students at Bishopton Secondary, a local Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), for three weeks finishing the residency with a show performed by the students at ARC.

First staged at International Dance Festival Birmingham in 2010, (In)visible Dancing has been seen by over 122,000 people on the high streets of the UK and Dublin, and most recently in Hull as part of the UK City of Culture celebrations in 2017. Local residents will be treated to a free dance workshop in the street after each performance where they will be taught the flashmob routine and encouraged to join in the finale performance on Sunday 5 August.

Apprentice Dancer Abbi Henderson said ‘I have been a fan of Protein’s work for a long time now and was ecstatic when I found out they were coming back to Stockton to perform (In)visible Dancing! I am really excited to perform with the company and have the opportunity to be working right at the heart of creative process. It is going to be such a thrill to perform in front of family and friends, in my home town!’

Formed in 1997 and currently one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, Protein uses a blend of original choreography, humour and music to entertain and provoke audiences. The company’s idiosyncratic dance theatre is provoked by the everyday and its repertoire includes B for Body, a Place Prize Finalist in 2006, and the award-winning LOL (lots of love), which has toured extensively since its 2011 debut, winning acclaim from critics and audiences alike.

Artistic Director Luca Silvestrini's desire to connect theatrical experience with real life stories results in witty shows, both on- and off-stage, that reflect the absurdity in everyday situations and experiences. Born in Jesi, Italy, Silvestrini trained at Bologna University and Laban, and has worked on a number of large-scale cross-generational and participatory events, including the world record-breaking Big Dance Class, East London (which won a Visit London Gold Award) and Big World Dance 2010. He has won a Jerwood Choreography Award, a Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award and The Place Prize 2006 Audience Award, and was one of the first recipients of a Rayne Fellowship for Choreographers (2006). Protein was awarded the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Independent Dance Company 2011, and was nominated again in 2016. Protein is Associate Company with People Dancing, Resident Company at Greenwich Dance, Partner with Yorkshire Dance and ARC Stockton. Luca Silvestrini is a Work Place Artist at The Place, London.

On The Web:

@proteindance

#invisibledancing

#proteindance

www.proteindance.co.uk

Cast & Creatives

Directed by: Luca Silvestrini                

Company: Thomas Goodwin, PJ Hurst, Miranda Letten, Rachele Rapisardi and Matthew Winston

Details:

Wellington Square, Stockton town centre

1-5 August 2018 (Finale Performance 5 August)

Wednesday 1 August: 15:30

Thursday 2 August: 12:30 & 15:30

Friday 3 August: 12:30 & 15:30

Saturday 4 August: 15:30

Sunday 5 August: 15:00 – 16:00 (Finale Performance)

Running Time: Finale performance 60 minutes

Suitable for all ages

FREE

Commissioned by Stockton International Riverside Festival and Supported by ARC, Stockton.

(In)visible Dancing is an International Dance Festival Birmingham production.

Preview: Heaton! at Newcastle People’s Theatre

A Celebration of NE6

Heaton! by Peter Dillon

Newcastle People’s Theatre

Tuesday 17^th - Saturday 21^st July 2018

Ben Ostell as Colin Veitch

Heaton: where Charles Parsons developed the steam turbine, giving the world cheap electricity; where social reformer Florence Nightingale Harrison-Bell campaigned for women’s rights; the birthplace of Ove Arup who built Sydney Opera House; where suffragettes set fire to Heaton Park Bowling Green Pavilion; and where today the Freeman Hospital is at the cutting edge of medical technology.

Heaton was also the home of Colin Veitch, Newcastle United’s most successful captain and co-founder of the People’s Theatre back in 1911.

Ellie North as
Florence Nightingale Harrison-Bell

In 1962 the People’s moved to where they are now, a building that was the Lyric Cinema.  They’ve been here ever since, at the heart of the community, and they’re sure everyone who comes along to see Heaton! will leave uplifted and having learnt something about the area and its rich history that they didn’t know before!

Reg White as Arup & Pete McAndrew as Utzon

Rhiannon Wilson as Catherine & Steven Sharkey as Freddie

The play is a feast of drama, music, dance and film celebrating the lives and achievements of local pioneers, all intertwined with the love affair between time-travelling fictional couple Freddie and Catherine.

Alongside Heaton! The venue hosts the artwork of pupils from five local primary schools in their Foyer Gallery inspired by their studies of some of the figures who feature in the play.

Photos by Paula Smart

Poster image by JUMP

Tickets: 

£14 (Concessions £11.50) from the box office on 0191 265 5020 or online from www.peoplestheatre.co.uk 

Preview: Super Hamlet 64 at Newcastle Alphabetti

A wild night of geekery coming to Newcastle

Super Hamlet 64

Newcastle Alphabetti Theatre

Wednesday 18^th & Thursday 19^th July 2018

A comedy spoken word show about videogames and death, based on Shakespeare's famous tragedy.

3 years ago poetry slam winner Edward/Edalia Day set about rewriting Hamlet using only videogame quotes. 400 hours of playing later they've come up with the wildest Shakespeare experience you're ever likely to see.

 

Photo: Andy Byrne

"Day never ceased to impress…like a man possessed at times, effortlessly switching between characters…for me, the best original play I have seen." ★★★★★ Theatre Bath

Singing ghosts, philosophical zombie shootouts and an epic boss battle between a Samurai sword wielding Ophelia and a giant mechanical beast are just a handful of the surprising turns the show takes but Edalia says despite how surreal the play is they're keen to stay true to the themes of the original piece.

 

Photo: Bill Jackson

"Hamlet is about a boy struggling to cope with death. Videogames are a medium where you die a million times but never truly die."

Combining classical text with modern poetry, the show also dissects modern ideas of privilege, gender and mortality.

 

Photo: Andy Byrne

Edward/Edalia is a trans/non-binary spoken word artist, animator and theatre maker based in Norwich. They trained in mime at the revered Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris have performed in a wealth of Shakespeare with notable roles including Bottom, Malvolio, Hamlet, Prospero and King Lear. Their first show, In The Surface of a Bubble used martial arts and masks to tell the story of where our dreams come from and this year they're also touring Too Pretty To Punch which tackles transphobia.

Photo: Bill Jackson

Inspired by films like Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and full of retro animation and comedy songs, Super Hamlet 64 is fast paced retelling of Shakespeare's most famous tragedy.

Nominated for best new writing, best production and best actor at the Buxton Fringe.

"Clever, intriguing but funny and dark in equal measure, this piece provides a detached appraisal of the conflicting rules we live by." ★★★★ West End Wilma (on In The Surface of a Bubble)

"Day’s language is a flower-bomb of rich, thought-provoking imagery, it truly pushes the boundaries of the imagination." ★★★★

A younger theatre (on In The Surface Of A Bubble) Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

On The Web:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/eddydaylia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eddydaylia/  

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/87088145@N03/albums

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Eddylonglegs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddydaylia/  

Cast/Crew:

Performer/Writer: Edward Day

AV design: Darius Powell

Pixel Art: David Cousens

Animators: Edward Day and Darius Powell

Set Design: Darius Powell

Lighting Design: David Calder

Composer: Edward Day

Stage Manager: David Calder

Tickets:

Wednesday & Thursday, 18th & 19th July

Alphabetti Theatre, St James Boulevard, Newcastle, NE1 4HP

7:30pm (Running time 1 hour 45 minutes)

Tickets £7

Available from 

https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/whats-on-menu/coming-up/17-whats-on-articles/284-super-hamlet-64

Edward will also be running a workshop on Comedy Shakespeare on the 19th of July at the same venue, 2-4pm, £8
Details: https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/whats-on-menu/coming-up/17-whats-on-articles/286-workshop-comedy-shakespeare

NEWS: BEHIND THE SCENES OF CATS AT NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL

BEHIND THE SCENES OF CATS AT NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL

For the first time in its history, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous and beloved musical CATS will grace the stage at Newcastle Theatre Royal in the first ever performance of the show by amateurs at the renowned venue.

Pulling such a show off at a professional standard is no mean feat, and alongside the cast of 45 local performers, stand some of the North East’s foremost production talent, busily stitching costumes, building sets and designing make-up for each character.

Based on poet T.S Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical CATS, the thirty-six-year long running musical tells the story of a tribe of CATS called the Jellicles in a magical, moving and often hilarious glimpse into the lives of others.

As the show is being performed by an independent company, other than the music, all aspects of the choreography, set, costume and make-up must be original and authentic, making this show entirely unique in its creative vision by the director and choreographer Sandra Laidler.

Sandra said: “The set design is based on Newcastle’s quayside and links to the river. It was important to create a scene that was familiar to the audience and genuinely local to the ‘Toon’, so that they might fully envisage what CATS might truly get up to at night.”

Set designer Alison Ashton has made this vision a reality, designing the set to accommodate dancers on different levels and working with Durham Scenic Workshops in Sacriston to bring it to life.

Alison said: “I was keen to make it special for Newcastle so chose the location around the Quayside with steps leading into the Tyne, and tunnels and bridges along the way.

Now it is under construction, working from a model I made to scale. I am looking forward to seeing it come to life and the cast inhabiting the space.”

Costumes have also been designed to suit each cat’s individual personality. An old hand at designing anything from traditional theatre to burlesque, David Gibson has been tirelessly working to sketch and show each outfit.

David said: “Knowing that the costumes are such a recognisable and memorable part of the show, I wanted to stay as true as possible to the originals whilst stamping them with my own design aesthetics using silhouette, cut, and eye for colour and detail, as well as varying innovative uses of traditional textile techniques.”

Finally, each cast member has been provided with their own face by make-up designer Vanessa Wilthew, which will take them up to a whole hour to apply before curtain up.

Vanessa said: “By marrying my skills gained from time spent local architects and design companies practicing interior design and spare time as a face painter, I was able to develop the designs for the different characters in CATS.”

The main event of music and dance will not be shy of spectacular either.

Musical Director, Liam Gilbert said: “I love the music in CATS, particularly some of the beautiful choral singing. Almost every word in the show is sung, so it’s been an exciting challenge to put it together. It’ll mean the fifteen-piece orchestra have to work for their money too!”

Sandra said: “The cast and I have found it physically challenging but given it so much attention, they have been superb to work with. I’m stressed and tired but now it’s all blocked out, I am massively excited. It’s a once in a life time opportunity to be able to recreate CATS.”

Tickets for the CATS, which will run at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal from July 24 – 28, are priced from £12 and available at www.theatreroyal.co.uk.

 

Preview: My Uncle Freddie at South Shields Customs House

  REHEARSALS UNDERWAY FOR 

MY UNCLE FREDDIE

My Uncle Freddie

South Shields Customs House

Tuesday 17^th– Saturday 21^st July 2018.

Rehearsals have begun for The Customs House production of My Uncle Freddie.

The award-winning BBC Radio 4 comedy drama has been adapted for the stage by the writer of the original series, Jarrow-born Alex Ferguson, who was recent inducted as a Fellow of The Customs House Academy.

Rehearsals for My Uncle Freddie get underway at Jarrow Town Hall.

(L-R) Paul Dunn, Georgia Nicholson, writer Alex Ferguson, Jill Dellow, 

director Gareth Hunter, costume designer David Gibson, Andrew Finnigan and Chris Connel.

Set in Jarrow in the 1930s, the play follows the adventures of 10-year-old Lecky and his family, including his imaginative Uncle Freddie, who is full of tale tales about his involvement in various major historical events.

The cast gathered at Jarrow Town Hall on Monday to begin rehearsals under the watchful eye of Mr Ferguson and the show’s director, Gareth Hunter. They were joined by Jordan Embleton, technical manager at The Customs House, who has been working on the soundscape, and costume designer David Gibson.

Gareth said: “We’ve got a great cast assembled and it was lovely to see them all together and hear the script read aloud in such a fantastic location. The play is set in Jarrow and references areas around Grange Road, where Jarrow Town Hall is situated.  Jarrow Town Hall is an inspirational place to rehearse in because of the history of the building. The cast are really excited to get started. It’s a fun script and the play is going to be enjoyable for the cast and audience alike.”

Lecky is played by The Customs House Youth Theatre alumnus Andrew Finnigan (Broken Biscuits, Drip), while Broadway actor Chris Connel (The Pitman Painters, Emmerdale, Byker Grove, Inspector George Gently) takes on the role of Uncle Freddie.

Georgia  Nicholson (The Cinder Path, The Dolly Mixtures) plays Mam, Paul Dunn (I Left My Heart in Roker Park, Seriously Dead) plays Dad and Jill Dellow (Horrible Histories, Tracey Beaker Returns, Hollyoaks, Hospital People, Vera), plays Aunt Bella.

My Uncle Freddie was first broadcast in 1997 as a hilarious and heart-warming trilogy of tales from a 1930s childhood in Jarrow. It was recorded at Beamish, where publicity shots for the stage production were taken in May.

Tickets:

Tickets for My Uncle Freddie are priced from £15 and available from the box office on (0191) 454 1234 or online at www.customshouse.co.uk. Performances start at 7.30pm, with a 2.30pm matinee on Thursday and Saturday.

NEWS: South Shields couple take on Edinburgh Fringe in honour of parents

South Shields couple take on

Edinburgh Fringe in honour of parents

A South Shields woman who lost both parents to cancer is honouring their memory by setting up a theatre production company in their name and taking a show to the World famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Stacy Walton, 35, along with her fiance Wayne Miller, 39, decided to launch Walton-Gunn Productions following the death of Stacy's father Tony Walton in 2016 and her mother Maureen Walton in 2017.

Stacy says “Nursing both parents through cancer and then losing them both within the space of 15 months was, without doubt, the hardest and most traumatic thing I've been through. Being able to do something that honours them and doing it through theatre, something which they loved, means something positive is coming out of all of this.”

Stacy and Wayne are taking a comedy show called “The Big Time” to the biggest arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in August. Wayne says “It's the perfect opportunity to showcase North East comedy and writing to an international audience. We have a top cast that will no doubt bring the funny!”

Steffen Peddie

The couple, who are getting married in April 2019, are holding a fundraising night with comedian Steffen Peddie, to help with the cost of taking a show to Edinburgh. Stacy says “It's not easy starting off and we've got an incredible opportunity to demonstrate just how much talent there is in the North East. So, we're hoping to raise a little bit of money to get there. If anyone can’t make it to the fundraiser but would like to help, we have a JustGiving page for any donations.”

The fundraiser is on at the Armstrong Hall in South Shields on Sunday 22^nd July at 7.30pm. Comedians Steffen Peddie and Bob Stott will perform alongside singing talent Eilish Stout-Cairns and The A-Chuck Brothers.

'The Big Time' will be performed at CRoyale on George Street at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 1^st-25^th August. There will also be preview shows in South Shields on 27^th & 28^th July at The Marine Pub, South Shields.

Tickets for all events and JustGiving info can be found at www.thebigtimecomedy.com

Winners of the Rural Touring Awards Announced

Winners of the Rural Touring Awards Announced

The winners of the second annual Rural Touring Awards have been announced at the National Rural Touring Forum (NRTF) New Directions conference in Worcester. Nominated by over 350 individuals, and with winners selected by an industry panel, the awards recognize the valuable work of productions, venues, promoters, schemes, and staff (find the full list of winners below).

The independent judging panel comprising Deborah Clarke (Action with Communities in Rural England ACRE), playwright Sayan Kent, Reviews Editor and Joint Chief Critic for The Stage, Natasha Tripney and rural touring promoter Des George, winner of last year’s Best Promoter award selected the winners from a shortlist announced earlier this month.

Music performance of the year was won by Apphia Campbell for her touring show Black is the Colour of my Voice, which in addition to rural touring, was a sell out show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Stage performance of the year was won by theatre company Ragged Edge for their debut production The Chef Show. Written by playwright and broadcaster Nick Ahad, The Chef Show is part comedy play, part cooking demonstration and reflects on the villages and market towns where there are ‘Indian’ restaurants with staff that rarely have any contact with their community apart from serving them food.

The award for Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year was won by Highlights rural touring scheme and November Club for creating Beyond the End of the Road, a new site-specific musical presented at eight Northumberland village halls and at Hexham Cattle Mart.

Voluntary promoter of the year was awarded to Mike Greener from Spittal, Berwick-Upon-Tweed and a Young Person of the Year was won by a group of young people aged 12-18, the Forest Young Promoters who each year programme up to three shows for rural touring in Gloucestershire.

The NRTF Special Award was open to all nominations and seeks to recognise an individual or a group who has made an outstanding contribution to the world of rural touring. This year’s winner was Barbara Slack from Highlights Rural Touring Scheme.

One of her nominees said “It's not so much what Barbara has done in the last 12 months; it's more what she has done in the past 21 years. Barbara was the first director of Highlights when it began in 1997. She has grown the organisation from working with a handful of village venues in four districts of the North Pennines to programming in the region of 160 performances per year in around 65 village and community venues across Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland. She has been not only a dedicated and devoted manager and leader for Highlights, but also an advocate for rural touring across the UK.”

National Rural Touring Forum is a member-led organisation that works strategically with partners to develop work and deliver high quality art experiences that strengthen rural and other communities. It provides the rural touring network with training, information and networking services and enable international partnerships and commissions. The organisation aims to promote better understanding of the value of rural and community touring through research and advocacy.

The presentation of awards took place at 9pm on 27th June at Worcester University at the NRTF New Directions conference

SHORTLIST AND AWARDS IN FULL

Music Performance of the Year

WINNER Apphia Campbell - Black Is The Color of My Voice

Clive Carroll – A Thousand Years of Music

Whalebone – UK Tour

Stage Performance of the Year

Forget Me Not - The Alzheimer's Whodunnit - Rob Gee

WINNER The Chef Show – Ragged Edge

The Deep - 10ft Tall Theatre

Touring Scheme Collaboration of the Year

WINNER Beyond the End of the Road – Highlights rural touring scheme (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham) and November Club working together to create and tour a site-specific musical

Common Lore – Solo storytelling show created via a collaboration between Spot On Lancashire, Cheshire Rural Touring, Lancashire Libraries and Sophia Hatfield.

Inn Crowd – An initiative enabling rural pubs to host spoken word-inspired live performance led by touring schemes Applause Rural Touring and Creative Arts East in partnership with Writers’ Centre Norwich and Pub Is The Hub.

Voluntary Promoter of the Year

Christine Reilly – Creative Arts East (Norfolk, Suffolk and the East)

Janet Wood – Highlights (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham)

WINNER Mike Greener - Highlights (Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham)

Young Person of The Year

Crystal Zillwood (Dance Artist - Devon)

WINNER Forest Young Promoters - Arts in Rural Gloucestershire

Hannah Wood (Technical Stage Manager, Hampshire, Surrey and Wiltshire)

Speaking about the awards, NRTF Director Holly Lombardo said “It has been a privilege to be a part of this year’s awards for the first time. Hearing people talk about why they value the productions and people in Rural Touring Network and why they have made a difference to lives and their area has been heartwarming and inspiring.

Ian McMillan said “'I'm proud to be part of these awards that celebrate the makers of the dynamic arts renaissance that's sweeping the country, realigning our idea of what true centres of excellence can be and can become. All hail the village hall! All hail rural touring!'

Rural touring is a growing sector of the UK’s arts industry with NRTF figures indicating that audience numbers attending shows in village halls and at outdoor rural events have increased 26% since 2006/7.

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