Preview: Jane Eyre: An Autobiography at Arts Centre Washington

Jane Eyre: An Autobiography

Arts Centre Washington

Thursday 9^th November 2017

A new stage adaptation of Jane Eyre, from award winning theatre company Dyad Productions, comes to Arts Centre Washington on Thursday 9 November at 7.30pm

Struggling to think, live and love beyond the stifling expectations of duty, class and convention, governess Jane Eyre and Master Edward Rochester take a dark journey towards sensual and intellectual liberation.  Told through Jane’s eyes, English literature’s most celebrated autobiographical novel shocked the Victorians, and Charlotte Bronte’s gothic subversion of fairy-tale romance is now distilled for the stage – under its full title – by writer/director Elton Townend Jones.  Performer Rebecca Vaughan embodies everywoman Jane – and several other characters – in this intimate study of love’s realities. 

Dyad Productions previous work includes Dalloway, The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe, Female Gothic, I, Elizabeth, The Diaries of Adam and Eve, Christmas Gothic and Austen’s Women.

Dyad Productions creates, produces and tours classic theatre with an innovative and contemporary emphasis.  This stage adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel is Dyad’s eighth original production in as many years.  It premiered at Assembly Edinburgh in August 2016 to great critical acclaim and was No.1 in The List’s top-rated shows for theatre drama, and No.6 in the top-rated shows (out of over 3000).  Previous works, Austen’s Women and I, Elizabeth were five-star successes at Edinburgh and Adelaide in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011, with The Diaries of Adam and Eve, Female Gothic, The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe and Dalloway garnering five-star reviews at Edinburgh between 2011-2015.  All eight Dyad plays continue to tour across the UK and internationally, while Austen’s Women returned to Edinburgh in 2013 for another highly acclaimed five-star run, as did I, Elizabeth in 2015.  The Diaries of Adam and Eve was published in 2013 (by StageScripts) and The Unremarkable Death of Monroe in 2016 (by Samuel French).  Dyad Productions is Rebecca Vaughan and Elton Townend Jones.

Jane Eyre: An Autobiography is adapted and directed by Elton Townend Jones (writer/director: Dalloway, The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe, director: Christmas Gothic, writer/performer: The Diaries of Adam and Eve, script editor: Female Gothic).  It is performed by Rebecca Vaughan (writer/performer: Austen’s Women, Female Gothic, Christmas Gothic, I, Elizabeth, performer: Dalloway, The Diaries of Adam and Eve).  Costume designed by Katherine Newbury.  Lighting designed by Martin Tucker (Christmas Gothic, I, Elizabeth, Dalloway, The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe).  Sound design by Danny Bright (Dalloway, Christmas Gothic). It is produced by Rebecca Vaughan and Elton Townend Jones.

Tickets:

Jane Eyre: An Autobiography comes to Arts Centre Washington on Thursday 9 November, 7.30pm.  Tickets are from £9 and are available from www.artscentrewashington.co.uk or by calling 0191 561 3455. 

News: Able UK confirms £200,000 donation to boost Darlington Hippodrome’s Capital Fundraising

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Able UK confirms £200,000 donation to boost Darlington Hippodrome’s Capital Fundraising

Darlington Hippodrome is celebrating the news that Able UK Ltd has awarded the theatre a grant of £200,000 to help transform the building as part of the major £12.3 million capital works.  The generous donation will fund the new heritage seats within the theatre's auditorium helping to complete the transformation of the Edwardian building in a return to its original opulence.

Able UK is the market leader in the field of demolition and marine decommissioning and is now a significant land developer and port operator.  The funding has been made available through their LandTrust Community Fund which provides funding for projects ranging from repair of historical buildings to provision of leisure amenities and reclamation of disused land.

Peter Stephenson, Executive Chairman of Able UK said, 'As a business owned and manager in Teesside we are naturally committed to support the ongoing development of the area that has been our base for over 50 years. It is particularly pleasing to be able to be associated with such a prestigious project and one that will provide so much entertainment, and comfort, to audiences that, just like our own customers, will be attracted from far and wide.'

The regeneration, made possible by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, will restore and expand the theatre, which was originally opened in September 1907 as the New Hippodrome and Palace Theatre of Varieties.

Lynda Winstanley, Director of Darlington Hippodrome, said: 'We are delighted that Able UK has chosen to support Darlington Hippodrome's restoration in this way. The backing of local partners is vital in making this project a success and we are excited to see the beautiful heritage style seating within the restored auditorium'.

Preview: Rumpelstiltskin at Newcastle Northern Stage

Local school children and older people join professional cast for premiere of Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin

Newcastle Northern Stage

Tuesday 24^th - Saturday 28^th October 2017

Leading Newcastle based dance theatre company balletLORENT returns to Northern Stage with the premiere of the classic fairytale Rumpelstiltskin.

Following the award winning and critically acclaimed Rapunzel (2012-2015), and Snow White (2015-2016), balletLORENT present the final part of their trilogy of Brothers Grimm fairytales. Choreographed and directed by balletLORENT’s Artistic Director Liv Lorent MBE and retold by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Rumpelstiltskin is dance theatre for the 21st century audience.

The professional ensemble will be joined by a cast of North East children aged 4-9 years old, found through creative workshops in six local primary schools and older people (aged 68+) from local community groups. Liv Lorent explains, “The children and older people who feature in our production of Rumpelstiltskin add an authenticity to the fairytale world we are creating. The wide age span - from 4-79 - of these guest performers comes closer to the reality of the communities we all inhabit. All of the community cast from the east and west ends of Newcastle upon Tyne have shared their creativity with us with great generosity, and have enhanced our work with their individuality. Without them, our range of experience is limited as we are all dance professionals and our bodies are trained in a certain way. But with our guest cast we can tell stories of humanity with a deeper truth, and they offer the impressions of what our bodies once were, and what they may become.”

“I am loving it! It’s different, it’s something new! When you get to our age, you need to have something different to do.” Sylvie (participant)

“At the start [of the workshops] I felt embarrassed but then I put my heart into it. It was great, thank you!” Year 3 pupil, Knop Law Primary School

Liv Lorent has been reunited with the team of world renowned collaborators who created Rapunzel and Snow White: Dame Carol Ann Duffy (Whitbread, T.S. Eliot and Pinter Prize winner); five time BAFTA nominated composer Murray Gold (Doctor Who); narrator Ben Crompton (Game of Thrones); BAFTA and Emmy Award winning costume designer Michele Clapton (Game of Thrones and The Crown); set designer Phil Eddolls (joint TMA award winner for Improbable’s The Hanging Man); and OBIE and Outer Critics Circle award-winning lighting designer Malcolm Rippeth.

“It’s a joy and a thrill to be collaborating once again with Liv Lorent and her creative team and to be bringing to life another seminal fairytale to family audiences who love dance or who have yet to discover it.” Carol Ann Duffy, Scenario Writer (Poet Laureate)

With clever characterisation, Rumpelstiltskin will celebrate the underdog, the refugee, in a tale of a man’s desperate longing for love and belonging, set in a rural world of a shepherd and his daughter. Rumpelstiltskin is performed by eight of balletLORENT’s core dancers who have been central to the choreographic development of the fairytales and who have a diverse age range of 22-53 years.

Liv Lorent: “Rumpelstiltskin is the story of the outsider, shunned for being different, and the secret power and knowledge he possesses. He is the original super mutant, a fairytale X-Man. Through the eyes of balletLORENT’s first male protagonist, we are looking to explore themes of love, obsession, childhood, grief and reconciliation – a show that is full of beautiful imagery and music and is made as much for adults as it is for children.”

Co-produced by Northern Stage and commissioned by Sadler’s Wells.

Tickets:

Tickets are from £10 (Limited availability so book early!). Children's tickets are just £10.

Box Office: 0191 230 5151 or online from http://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/balletlorent-rumpelstiltskin.

Running time: 1hr 50mins (incl. interval)
Recommended age: 7+
Relaxed performance: Thu 26, 1pm
Post-show discussion: Thu 26 Oct (afer 6pm show)

REVIEW: Days Of Wine And Roses at Durham Assembly Rooms Theatre

“This, in its own terrifying way, is a love story”

J. P. Miller’s Days Of Wine And Roses

Durham Assembly Rooms Theatre

Until Saturday 7^th October 2017

Stage play written by Owen McCafferty

Directed by Jake Murray

Design by Yale Lambrecht

The 1962 Blake Edwards film of the same title starred Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick as two Americans who turn to drink. The kitchen sink drama has been moved across the pond by Owen McCafferty initially to Belfast. The Jake Murray directed play has the feel of that period in the 1960s that featured in British movies like Saturday Night, Sunday Morning or Up The Junction. In other words this is not the bright and liberated 1960s suggested by the Austin Powers movies. No this is a powerful drama set in cities full of factories churning out smoke and problems.

Donal meets Mona at Belfast airport for the first time. They are both waiting to board a plane to London in order to start a new life in England. Donal has been involved in betting for a number of years and he has a new job lined up working for a bookmaker in London. He has also been following the progress of a horse that  he thinks is a good bet as it is in a different class.

Mona is a civil servant who simply wants to move away to the bright lights. Whereas Donal has got his future mapped out, Mona is less certain about what will happen once the plane touches down, but she is happy to have it that way. Donal offers Mona a drink but she doesn’t drink. Donal is persistent and, let’s face it, Mona has taken a shine to the confident young man, so she takes a swig from his flask.

The next time we meet them, they are married, with a son, and both drinking.

This is a two-handed show that relies heavily on the talents of Danny Solomon as the happy-go-lucky gambler and Alice Frankham as the new mother who is adjusting to her new lifestyle.  Both are gripping in their delivery of a couple in a fairly predictable yet still dramatic path.

The set consists of 60s bed sit furniture and a number of large black and white prints that illustrate the story form Belfast airport to the bright lights of Piccadilly Circus. I couldn’t help but notice how much alcohol was being advertised in the lights at Piccadilly Circus. Perhaps it is an omen for the couple?

The show runs for 90 minutes with no interval so there is no let up in the trajectory of the couple. Solomon and Frankham succeed in being a believable couple on stage. The pace is even handed and the direction isn’t over the top. It would have been too easy to be over the top with the delivery.

This is an opening production for the Elysium Theatre Company and they have chosen to open with a premiere for the region. Their plans are to present new writing in the region and they are to be commended on this. I, for one, look forward to their next production.

This is well acted and gritty tale that deserves a bigger audience.

Review by Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

JP Miller’s Days of Wine and Roses’ will be performed in the Assembly Rooms Theatre from the 3^rd to the 7^th October.  Tickets £10 (concessions £8) are available on the door or online at Ticket LINK

Elysium Theatre will be holding workshops for Durham Student Theatre members on Friday 6^th October, at 11am for Acting, and 3:30pm for Directing. More information about the workshops is here: Facebook Event LINK

REVIEW: Wipers Times at Newcastle Northern Stage

“The War Is Not Funny, Sir”

“I’ve A Feeling That May Be The Point”

Wipers Times

Newcastle Northern Stage

Until Saturday 7^th October 2017

1916. Ypres. Belgium. (Though the British Tommies mispronounce the place “Wipers”).  Two officers find a printing press and start producing a satirical newspaper for the delight of those on the Western Front. Wipers Times is written by Ian Hislop, editor of satirical magazine, and Nick Newman, Private Eye cartoonist and scriptwriter of Spitting Image, and it looks at the  efforts of the officers Private Eye to raise the morale of the men whose life was a daily hell full of gas attacks, machine guns and enemy soldiers.

Sherwood Forester Captain Fred Roberts, as played by James Dutton, is a glass half full type of character. Always able to find the funny side to some of the most awful situations, he had the skills to keep his men motivated. Lieutenant Jack Pearson (George Kemp) is a perfect partner for Fred to produce an entertaining, and grammatically correct, publication for the troops. Whilst they could come up with the words and the ideas, as luck would have it, they have in their ranks Sergeant Harris who was a printer on civvy street and he is able to get the publication into print.

The use of comical pseudonyms for cutting observations in articles was trail blazing for modern publications like Private Eye. The use of fake and funny adverts is reminiscent of Viz in its prime. Composer Nick Green has been able to insert musical interludes and musical hall set pieces to typify the almost absurd nature of their adverts.

Director Caroline Leslie has enabled an almost faultless and entertaining production from the 10 strong ensemble. The meetings by the staff miles behind the front line have the feel of Blackadder Goes Forth at its best. The discussions between the officious Colonel Howfield (Sam Ducane) with the more sympathetic General Mitford (Dan Mersh) does have the Captain Darling vs General Melchett situation comedy about it. Between the copy being produced for the paper and the couple not seeing eye to eye in the staff house, there was plenty of laughs for the packed Northern Stage audience.

There have been a number of productions as the Great War reached its 100^th anniversary. The set design in many of these shows often settles for a simple trench scene. The design in Wipers Times by Dora Schweitzer has the versatility to be not just a trench, but also the production facility and a music hall too. The cast can also perform skits, from behind the trenches, that illustrate the typical content of the Wipers Times to great comic effect.

Yes the show has swipes at the Generals, the Germans and the general situation that the rank and file soldier found themselves in. There are a couple of knowing digs at the Daily Mail newspaper too. There are a number of great comedic points that had the audience laughing. Wipers Times, though, is more than just a comedy. It has suitable pathos and deferential respect for those who laid down there life in what was supposed to be the war to end all wars. The narrative doesn’t get too maudlin though. This is a true story and it is valuable to remember the efforts of this group of men at maintaining morale.

A packed house enjoyed tonight’s show and it is really difficult to fault it. Entertaining and educational about a forgotten episode in history, the great cast delivered a wonderful performance at Northern Stage.

Review by Stephen Oliver

Photographs by Alastair Muir

Tickets:

Tickets from £10 are available from the box office on 0191 230 5151 or online from the website: https://www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/the-wipers-times

Running time: 2 hours 10 mins (including interval)

Recommended Age: 12+

Post-show discussion: Thu 5 Oct

Video Trailer: https://youtu.be/7ozT_xO0DwQ