Thursday 23 June 2016

Preview: FANS on tour




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CAST ANNOUNCED FOR FANS,

A NEW THEATRE & MUSIC SHOW FULL OF EMOTION, HUMOUR & MUSICAL PULSE

Presented by The Six Twenty
FANS
Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th September 2016 - Stockton ARC

Friday 9th September 2016  - Alnwick Playhouse    

Tuesday 13th & Wednesday 14th September 2016 - Newcastle    Northern Stage

Thursday 15th &  Friday 16th September 2016 - Washington Arts Centre


The Six Twenty announces the cast for the world premiere of FANS, a new theatre and music show created and directed by Melanie Rashbrooke and written by Nina Berry. The cast includes Newcastle based actors and musicians Chris Foley, Meghan Doyle and Andrew Bleakley. They’ll be joined by Sunderland native Charlotte Raine who returns to the North East to join the cast. FANS tours the North East from Tuesday 6 to Friday 16 September.

Following last year’s sell-out double-bill Breakfast Hearts / Choirplay at Live Theatre, The Six Twenty returns with an ambitious new show exploring music fandom in the North East. Theatre meets gig, FANS is an eclectic mix of stories told through raucous live music and scripted drama interwoven with verbatim theatre. It’s a show for anyone who’s ever loved music.

Charlotte Raine
Sunderland native Charlotte Raine returns to the North East from London to take up her role in FANS. Charlotte trained at Rose Bruford, London. Since graduating she has toured the UK with a number of shows. Her recent credits include Richard Thomas' Wrong Songs for Christmas (National Theatre London), Normal (St James Theatre), Bounce (Oily Cart, UK Tour). Charlotte is a member of London gospel choir Enchorus and has performed weekly on The X Factor as a backing singer. As a Sunderland native, Charlotte is thrilled to be performing in the North East again.

Meghan Doyle
Meghan Doyle is an actor and theatre maker from Newcastle. She is co-director of theatre company The Letter Room and has created and performed in three shows with them: Five Feet in Front: The Ballad of Little Johnnie Wylo, Bonenkai and The Man Who Thought the Moon Would Fall Out of the Sky. Meghan's other credits include: Fearless (BBC Radio 4), Stupid Cult (Channel4/Duffel Films), Killing Time (Film4/Duffel Films), Manifesto (Northern Stage/Live Theatre) and Butterfly (Northern Nomads).

Andrew Bleakley
Born in Bangor (Northern Ireland) Andrew Bleakley moved to Newcastle to study a BA in Theatre and Performance at Northumbria University. In 2011 Andrew played Colin Cowan in the Bafta nominated feature film Good Vibrations, about the life of Terri Hooley and the 70’s punk scene in Belfast. Until 2012, Andrew played drums with a Belfast-based rock band supporting groups such as Feeder, Twin Atlantic and The Wombats. In 2016 Andrew will begin an MA in Theatre & Performance at Northumbria University with a focus on auto/biographical and verbatim forms of theatre.

Chris Foley
Newcastle based actor and musician Chris Foley graduated from Newcastle College in 2009. He performs regularly as part of the comedy sketch group Mixtape at Live Theatre. In 2014 he released his debut single No Love with Boomchang Records and he regularly performs his music at ThinkTank Times Square, Head of Steam and Central Bar, Gateshead. His other theatre and film credits include Turning Pages (Live Theatre), Lairds (Black Milk Films), Breakfast Hearts & Choirplay (The Six Twenty), Aladdin (Gala Durham), Maximo Park - Karaoke Plays (Warp Films), The Little Boy Who Lost the Morning (Northern Stage).

FANS is created and directed by The Six Twenty’s Artistic Director Melanie Rashbrooke and written by Newcastle based playwright Nina Berry (with additional material by Melanie Rashbrooke and The Six Twenty). They are joined by an exciting creative team and company of local actors, singers and musicians.

FANS is designed by Luke W. Robson who has recently been nominated for Best Designer at the Off West End Offies for his Odd Shape Balls set design (the show is currently playing at the Old Red Lion theatre in London).  Live Theatre’s technician Craig Spence joins the creative team as Lighting and Sound Designer and Chris Foley, who is also performing in FANS, is the show’s Musical Director.

Full of emotion, humour and musical pulse FANS explores what it means to be a fan of music. Based on people’s love affair with bands, the show fuses together fan confessions from North East music lovers with scripted drama. It looks at the ways we interact with music and how music can help us through the best and worst of times. It explores anyone who’s ever been a fan of music and asks why we’re so obsessed by bands. What causes you to follow an artist around the globe or get a tattoo of your favourite lyric on your body? What happens when the band you love lets you down or splits up?

Featuring recognisable songs and original music and a cast of top local musicians and performers, FANS is a fun, heart-warming and raucous night out.

The Six Twenty are looking for enthusiastic music lovers to share their stories with the company and with other fans. The company are running a series of FANS Clubs throughout the North East where fans can come together and share their stories with each other. It’s a chance to meet new people who share a passion for music regardless of the genre. The FANS Clubs will also help shape the verbatim elements of the show and some stories may be featured as part of FANS or as part of the pre / post show exhibition. More details can be found out via the company's website: www.thesixtwenty.com  

There's also a chance for people to share their stories online via the show's online portal. Participants can contribute their stories and photos online or read, listen and look at other peoples. Visit the online portal here: http://bit.ly/FANSTORIES

FANS has been awarded this year’s Bridging the Gap award (an initiative designed to aid the creation of new theatre work within the North East region) and is supported using public funding by Arts Council England. It has also received support from The Sunday for Sammy Trust, which supports creative talent on Tyneside.

Cast & Crew:

Presented by The Six Twenty
Created & directed by Melanie Rashbrooke
Written by Nina Berry
Designed by Luke W. Robson
Additional material by Melanie Rashbrooke & The Six Twenty
Lighting & Sound Designed by Craig Spence
Musical Direction by Chris Foley

Cast: Andrew Bleakley, Meghan Doyle, Chris Foley and Charlotte Raine.

Tickets:

Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th September 2016 @ 7pm   ARC, Stockton   01642 525199   www.arconline.co.uk  

Friday 9th September 2016 @ 7.30pm   Alnwick Playhouse   01665 510 785   www.alnwickplayhouse.co.uk  

Tuesday 13th & Wednesday 14th September 2016 @ 7:30pm   Northern Stage   0191 230 5151   www.northernstage.co.uk  

Thursday 15th &  Friday 16th September 2016 @ 7.30pm   Washington Arts Centre   0191 561 3455   www.artscentrewashington.co.uk






 

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