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FRINGE THEATRE NOTES

Theatremonkey has been asked to mention the following Fringe productions and theatres outside the West End of London.

If you are a fringe company who would like to tell us about a production, click here.

www.shakespeares-globe.org for the Globe Theatre. Look under "Booking" on their website for a full pictorial layout and photographs of the auditorium. 

Choose your Theatre / Venue by scrolling through the list below:

Arcola Theatre 

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27 Arcola Street, London, E8 2DJ
Box Office: 0207 503 1646
Online: www.arcolatheatre.com 
How to get Here:
Nearest underground Highbury and Islington (Victoria Line), then Silverlink to Dalston Kingsland Main line station. Buses: 38 from West End, 149 from London Bridge or 30, 56, 67, 76, 243, 277.
Access: If you require accessible transport, you might find it easiest to take bus number 149 from Liverpool Street Station and get off at Princess May Primary School (at the end of Arcola Street, a few hundred yards from the theatre).


ARCOLA THEATRE IBSEN SEASON 2008

Tuesday 29th April until Saturday 31st May 2008
Press Night: Friday 2nd May 2008

THE LADY FROM THE SEA
by Henrik Ibsen
In a new version by Frank McGuinness
directed by Hannah Eidinow

Is it better to suffocate on dry land or drown in the freedom of the sea? Trapped in an unhappy marriage with stepdaughters who dislike her, Ellida is consumed by her longing for the sea. The startling arrival of a dark stranger awakens deep feelings in Ellida and tempts her to the water’s edge; she must confront both the past and the desire for untrammelled freedom which could destroy her.

An exciting co-production between Arcola Theatre and Silkensaw Productions.

Reader Review:
"Lia Williams as The Lady does well enough and is well enough supported in this moody Ibsen play, directed by Hannah Eidinow in (nearly) the round at the Arcola.

It's another exhausting overlong ride through the metaphysical, but the problems with this production are chiefly with Frank McGuinness's unnecessary adaptation, when a more reliable writer, Pam Gems, has done the same job, and the stage set. When the jack of all artistic trades, the character Ballested exclaims "That's a turn up for the book", we register 'sloppy', when what the play demands but doesn't get here is 'poetic'.

The Arcola has a large stage space which is used in a variety of ways, not always conducive to a satisfying audience experience. For this production we have suggestions of the marine and a 19th century version of decking, laid out at the edges of the space so that some of the action is difficult to see properly from some of the seats, and not very well lit. A director (or A.S.M.) might improve sightlines by watching rehearsals from a variety of vantage points.

The production flier describes the play as "sensuous and erotic" in the same sentence, a desperate and inappropriate plea for young bums on seats. The following are Ibsen's own notes when starting to prepare the piece, without a hint of sex:

The lure of the sea. Longing for the sea. People's affinity to the sea. Tied to the sea. Dependent on the sea. Compulsion to return to it. A species of fish forming a prototype in the development of species. Are there still rudiments of this in the human mind? In the mind of some individuals?

The images of the turmoil of life in the sea and of 'what is eternally lost'. The sea has power over moods, has its own willpower. The sea can hypnotize. Nature can in general. The great secret is the dependency of the human will on 'what is without willpower'.

All of that is in the play, before the advent of Jung and the archetype, and with huge emphasis on willpower. They say it's not Ibsen's best, but it's deserves better than the Arcola provides, this time.

Basil Lee."
 

Lighting design by Michael Nabarro
Set design by Jason Southgate
Costumes by Lorna Ritchie

Cast includes Sean Campion as Arnholm, Alison McKenna as Bolette Wangel, Christopher Moran as Lyngstrand, Christopher Obi as The Stranger and Fiona O’Shaughnessy as Hilde Wangel.


Performance Times:
Monday to Saturday at 8pm 
 

Seat Prices:
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays
All tickets £15 (£10 concessions at all performances EXCEPT Saturdays).

Tuesdays
"Pay What You Can" (subject to availability).
 



Arcola 2 Theatre 

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27 Arcola Street, London, E8 2DJ
Box Office: 0207 503 1646
Online: www.arcolatheatre.com 
How to get Here:
Nearest underground Highbury and Islington (Victoria Line), then Silverlink to Dalston Kingsland Main line station. Buses: 38 from West End, 149 from London Bridge or 30, 56, 67, 76, 243, 277.
Access: If you require accessible transport, you might find it easiest to take bus number 149 from Liverpool Street Station and get off at Princess May Primary School (at the end of Arcola Street, a few hundred yards from the theatre).

Tuesday 29th April until Saturday 24th May 2008
Press Night: Thursday 1st May 2008.

Chantelle Staynings for Fractured Venus presents:

THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD
A Play of Jack the Ripper
by Glyn Maxwell
directed by Alex Clifton

A captivating and highly original verse play re-examining the story of the final victim of Jack the Ripper. The play explores the last few days in the life of 25-year-old Irish immigrant Mary Jane Kelly, focusing on her relationship with Joseph Barnett, who gave evidence at her inquest in 1888.

Bruce Paley, in Jack the Ripper: The Simple Truth, proposes that Joseph Barnett may have been the Ripper. Mary Jane Kelly was around 25 years old when she was murdered in 13 Miller's Court, off Dorset Street in Spitalfields, London. She is widely believed to be the final victim of ‘Jack the Ripper’, although some discrepancies between her death and those of his other victims have been noted.

In particular, she was far younger than the other victims (all of whom were in their forties), she was the only one to be killed in a room rather than outdoors, and her body was far more extensively mutilated. On the night of her murder, she told friends that she planned to see the Lord Mayor’s show the next day and was looking forward to it. According to neighbours’ reports of a woman screaming, she was murdered at around 4am on November 9, 1888. She was buried in a public grave at St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Leytonstone E11.

Designer: Paul Burgess
Lighting Designer: Katharine Williams
Sound Designer: Dominic Bilkey
Producer: Chantelle Staynings

Cast: Mary Kelly - Jennifer Kidd; Joseph Barnett - John Wark; The Musician - Andrew Mathys.
 

Performance Times:
Monday to Saturday at 8.15pm 

Runs 1 hour 15 minutes approximately, with no interval.
 

Seat Prices:
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays
All tickets £15 (£10 concessions at all performances EXCEPT Saturdays).

Tuesdays
"Pay What You Can" (subject to availability).

 



Bedford Globe Theatre 

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The Bedford, 77 Bedford Hill, London. SW12 9HD
Box Office: Tickets sold on the door on the night. Information info@zeitgeisttheatre.com
How to get Here:
Balham (Northern Line and mainline) is the nearest station.




Bernie Grant Arts Centre

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Town Hall Approach Road, London N15 4RX
Box office: 020 8365 5450
Online: www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk
How to get Here: Seven Sisters (Victoria Line) is the nearest underground station.

UPFRONT COMEDY
CONTAINS ADULT THEMES. NOT SUITABLE FOR THOSE AGED UNDER 16 OR THE EASILY OFFENDED.

Upfront comedy brings you exciting nights of laughter.

Saturday 7th June 2008 from 8 until 10.30pm:
INTERNATIONAL COMEDY SUMMER SPECIAL eaturing LA’s Roy Wood Jr from (Last Comic Standing and the Letterman Show), NY Kyle Grooms (P Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy), Canadian Marc Trinidad (After Hours) hosted by comedian turned Teletubbies (dipsy) John Simmit.


Performance Times and dates:

as listed above

Seat Prices:
All tickets £12 (£8 concessions)
_______________________________________

The Sunday Joint Music Event:

Saturday 31st May 2008

LEE HENRY and Band

Lee Henry is a singer, songwriter and producer from North West London. Inspired by the sounds of the likes of Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Lee grew up around music.

Supporting acts: J'nay & Sharlene Hector, Verb Swish, Raff, Taylor Lane, Sarah Fonteyne, Jeylah & Chidi and took an interest in his DJ Dad's impressive record collection.


Performance Times:
Doors open 7pm

Seat Prices:
All tickets £7 in advance, or £10 on the door.
_______________________________________

The Sunday Joint Music Event:

Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th June 2008

OMAR and FRANK McCOMB and Band

Everyone’s favourite London based singer returns to the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in a special June double bill with Chicago based soultry singer Frank McComb.


Performance Times:
Doors open at 7.30pm

Seat Prices:
All tickets £22.50 (plus £2.50 per ticket booking fee)

 



Bloomsbury Theatre

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15 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AH
Box Office: 020 7388 8822 (Monday to Friday 10 am to 6pm, Saturday 12 noon to 6pm)
Online: www.thebloomsbury.com 
How to get Here: Warren Street, Euston and Euston Square are the nearest underground Stations. Buses: 10, 18, 24, 29 73 and 91 all stop nearby. Car Parking: Euston Station, also limited on-street parking when restrictions are not operating.


One reader in October 2007 wrote,
"The play war ruined by the noise from the elsewhere in the building. If you mention this theatre it is worth drawing attention to the fact that UCL do not cancel the evening classes in piano-moving upstairs."


 



Blue Elephant Theatre

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59a Bethwin Road, Camberwell, London. SE5 0XT (Entrance on Thompson Avenue)
Box office: 020 7701 0100
Online: www.blueelephanttheatre.co.uk 
venue information: www.myspace.com/blueelephanttheatre 
How to get Here: Nearest Underground Station is Oval on the Northern Line.
Access Information: Fully wheelchair accessible. Induction loop available in auditorium.

Tuesday 20th May to Saturday 24th May 2008

Temple Theatre present:

OUT OF CHAOS
Physical Theatre Comedy Blending Ancient Greek Mythology with Modern True Stories
devised and written by the company (Juan Ayala, Lorna Beckett, Beatrice Curnew, Troels Hagen Findsen, Nick Jesper & Tomoko Komura)
directed by Mike Tweddle

Out of Chaos re-imagines the tragic chorus and incorporates live music, clowning and physical theatre in a devised piece that draws on the international origins of the actors.
In the beginning, there was chaos. Then the Gods took that chaos and gave it an order. They made the world and some animals and everything went pretty well. But one day Prometheus made a new beast, and he raised it up onto two feet so it could look at the heavens.

And that's when things started to kick off.

Gods and mortals, parents and sons, sisters, lovers and strangers on the Tube come head-to-head in a playful blend of Ancient Greek mythology and modern true stories, exploring the ways in which people fight and rage.

In addition to Out of Chaos, Temple Theatre will present a series of short theatre, music, poetry and art events, performed by associate companies and artists, in and around the bar area after the show.
 

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm

Seat Prices:
All tickets £10 (£8 concessions)
_______________________________________

Wednesday 28th May until Sunday 15th June 2008

GRIT, in association with the New Writing Collective present:

PLUTO
by Jonathan Bonfiglio
directed by Joe Fredericks

"Ad astra per aspera" - (a rough road leads to the stars)
Inscription at Launch Complex 34, at Kennedy Space Centre, where all three crew members of the first Apollo spacecraft died in 1967.

Set on a mountainside in Pisco de Elqui, Chile, in the vicinity of one of the world’s most important observatories and underneath some of its clearest skies, Pluto is a new play about man’s relentless struggle to define the world and beyond.

"Our heroes and our Gods, under scrutiny, have become dwarves. As if that was something they could ever be. That we could ever allow. That’s why we rail against the day’s passing, struggle to get in another word or action, because tomorrow … tomorrow we may not know where we stand. Not recognise ourselves when we stop to look."


www.gritproductions.org is the production company website.


Performance Times:

Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm
Sunday at 5.30pm

Seat Prices:
All tickets £12 (£10 concessions)
 



Bridewell Theatre 

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Bride Lane, off Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8EQ
Box Office: See under each production as each company has differing arrangements.
Online: www.bridewelltheatre.org
How to get Here:
Nearest underground is Blackfriars (District and Circle Line - 3 minutes to Theatre) and St. Paul’s (Central Line - 7 minutes to Foundation). Bus Routes are on Fleet Street (4, 11, 15, 23, 26, 76) and New Bridge Street (45, 63, 172). Nearest rail link is City Thameslink (2 minutes to Theatre).

 

Tuesday 3rd to Friday 20th June 2008

Lunchbox Theatre "Bard at the Bridewell returns" season.

C Company present:


THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

by William Shakespeare

When a bankrupt young man borrows money in the cause of true love, he wins the lady but at what cost to his friend? A debt must be paid. Can Shylock be bought off or will they be forced to call in the lawyers? A fresh take on Shakespeare's controversial play.

What’s Lunchbox? It’s a great opportunity for you to leave your desk and enjoy a bite of culture with your lunch. You can bring your own lunchbox or you can buy sandwiches, snacks, coffee or beer from the Café Bar.


Performance Times:
Tuesday to Friday at 1pm

Runs 45 minutes approximately.

Seat Prices:
All tickets £5 (cash or cheque only)
Tickets must be collected / paid for at least 30 minutes before the performance.

Box Office for this production:
020 7353 3331.
________________________________________

Tuesday 15th July to Friday 1st August 2008

Lunchbox Theatre "Bard at the Bridewell returns" season.

C Company present:


ROMEO AND JULIET
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Aileen Gonsalves

In a world of rival factions, where fear and suspicion rule, the original star-crossed lovers are swept away by forces of love and hate, passion and prejudice. Can love conquer all?

What’s Lunchbox? It’s a great opportunity for you to leave your desk and enjoy a bite of culture with your lunch. You can bring your own lunchbox or you can buy sandwiches, snacks, coffee or beer from the Café Bar.


Performance Times:
Tuesday to Friday at 1pm

Runs 45 minutes approximately.

Seat Prices:
All tickets £5 (cash or cheque only)
Tickets must be collected / paid for at least 30 minutes before the performance.

Box Office for this production:
020 7353 3331.
_______________________________________

Tuesday 27th until Saturday 31st May 2008

Guildhall School of Music and Drama presents:

ETTA JENKES
By Marlane Meyer
directed by Douglas Rintoul

Etta Jenks arrives in Los Angeles hopeful, homeless and eager to become a movie star…her dreams and ambitions rapidly fade into memory.


Performance Times:
Tuesday to Friday at 7.30pm
Saturday at 2pm
Extra performance Thursday at 2pm
 

Seat Prices:
All seats £7 (£3.50 concessions)

Box Office for this production:
Through the Barbican Centre Box Office on 020 7638 8891.
or online at: www.barbican.org.uk
_______________________________________

Wednesday 4th until Saturday 14th June 2008

SEDOS presents:


MY FAVORITE YEAR

book by Joseph Dougherty
music by Stephen Flaherty
lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
directed by Andrew Overin
musical director Matthew Gould

It was the year he made the jump to freshman writer on TVs hottest show: ‘The King Kaiser Comedy Cavalcade’. Benjy takes us on a nostalgic journey of one week in the life of the show. Along the way we meet King Kaiser himself and all the other comedy writers. Veteran Hollywood swashbuckler Alan Swann while he’s doing a live guest appearance on the show. KC, the pretty assistant who is herself struggling with being the only unfunny person in the studio and Benjy’s mother Belle May Steinberg Carroca a substantial beacon of Brooklyn society. Written by Flaherty and Ahrens (Ragtime, Lucky Stiff and Disney’s Anastasia), My Favorite Year is a true musical comedy with a strong book that is simultaneously funny, nostalgic and moving. It has a bright, tuneful contemporary score and is sure to put a smile on your lips and a tear in your eye.

Based on the Motion Picture - ‘MY FAVORITE YEAR,’ Courtesy of Turner Entertainment Co.


Choreographer - Gayle Rogers
Producer – Alex Sandercock

Cast: Benjy Stone - Mark Emmett; King Kaiser – Craig Karpel; Sy Benson - Mickey Killianey; Alice Miller - Susan Booth; Herb Lee - James Franey; KC Downing - Kirra Young; Daisy – Rebecca Weymouth; Alan Swann - James Newall; Belle May Steinberg Carroca - Maria Waters; Rookie Carroca - Pete Bryans; Tess - Sara Dunn; Uncle Morty - Stephen Beeny; Aunt Sadie - Carla Moran; Ensemble - Pip Deppeler, Joel Hutchings, Trevor Harvey, Tim Garrad, Sarah Lalin, Michelle Brown, Emma Butler, Mandi Sterling, Annemarie Littlewood, Olga-Marie Pratt.


Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm
Extra performance Saturday 7th June 2008 at 3pm
 

Seat Prices:
All seats £15 (£12.50 concessions) except:
Preview on 4th June and 3pm performance on 7th June 2008: all seats £12.50.
Gala night 7th June 2008 at 7.30pm: all seats £20 (£15 concessions).

Box Office for this production:
07806 438 264
or online at: www.sedos.co.uk or by email boxoffice@sedos.co.uk
_______________________________________

Tuesday 17th until Saturday 21st June 2008

Centre Stage present:

THE FIX
Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey
Music by Dana P. Rowe
directed by Peter Mills

Centre Stage London presents 'The Fix,' a modern day musical tale of power, passion and patriotism. Delving beyond the smiling facade of one wholesome, political American family, you’ll witness the dirty tricks, sex and sleaze that lie beneath.

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm
 

Seat Prices:
All seats £15

Box Office for this production:
07722 323 221 or centrestagetickets@yahoo.co.uk
_______________________________________

Tuesday 8th until Saturday 12th July 2008

Ovo present:

TWELFTH NIGHT the musical
by William Shakespeare
directed by Adam Nichols

Shakespeare meets High Society in a musical version of one of his best loved comedies, set on a cruise liner at the height of the roaring twenties.


Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm


Seat Prices:
All seats £12 (£10 concessions)

Box Office for this production:
07807 521 436
or online at: www.ticketsource.co.uk/ovo
_______________________________________

Sunday 20th until Saturday 26th July 2008

KPMG Drama Society present:

THE ASH GIRL
by Timberlake Wertenbaker
directed by Imelda Cudmore and Kerry Adams

With her mother dead and her father away, fighting his own demons, the Ash Girl lives huddled deep in the protection of the ashes in a big old house with her stepmother and two stepsisters.

Performance Times:
Sunday to Saturday at 7.30pm
 

Seat Prices:
All seats £7.50

Box Office for this production:
020 7311 3617
_______________________________________

Wednesday 30th July until Saturday 2nd August 2008

ArTELIER present:

KALEIDOSCOPE

Kaleidoscope: n. (Greek, kalos, beautiful + eidos, form) a complex pattern of constantly changing colours, shapes and forms.

ArTELIER returns to the Bridewell Theatre for a collection of short dance pieces by six emerging choreographers, including ArTELIER’s Associate Artist Christopher Marney.

 

Performance Times:
Wednesday to Saturday at 7.45pm
Extra performance Saturday at 3pm
 

Seat Prices:
All seats £15 (£12.50 concessions)

Box Office for this production:
online at: www.artelier.org.uk
 



Brockley Jack Theatre

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410 Brockley Road, Brockley, London, SE4 2DH
Box Office: 020 8291 6354
Online: www.brockleyjack.co.uk / www.lastminute.com
How to get Here: Honor Oak Park and Crofton Park are the nearest mainline stations.
Buses 171, 172, 122 and P4 stop in front of the theatre.

Wednesday 11th until Sunday 29th June 2008

Darren Batten for Language Laid Bare Productions presents:

CAN YOU SEE ME YET?
by Timothy Findley
directed by Joanna Turner

1938, a world about to go mad with war; an asylum for the insane seems to offer sanctuary for its patients, but as Cassandra Wakelin stands in the heart of the asylum, confusing her fellow inmates with members of her own ill-fated family, we are forced to ask the question, 'Can anyone find sanctuary anywhere?'

Timothy Findley was one of Canada’s most compelling and best loved writers, from the publication of his first novel in 1967 until his death in 2002.
 

Performance Times:
Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm
Sunday at 5pm
NO MONDAY OR TUESDAY PERFORMANCES.
 

Seat Prices:
All seats £11 (£8 concessions)

 



Bush Theatre 

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Shepherd's Bush Green, London W12 8QD
Box Office: 
020 7610 4224
Online: www.bushtheatre.co.uk (no charge for tickets collected at box office)
How to get Here:
Nearest Underground Stations are Shepherd's Bush or Goldhawk Road on the Hammersmith and City Line.


 



Camden People's Theatre

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58 to 60 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PY
Box office: 020 7916 5878
Online: www.cptheatre.co.uk 
How to get Here: Warren Street (Northern and Victoria Lines), Euston Square (Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith and City Lines) and Euston (Northern and Victoria Lines and mainline) are the nearest stations.

 


Canal Cafe Theatre

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above the Bridge House Public House, Delamere Terrace, Little Venice London, W2 6ND
Box Office: 020 7289 6054
Online: www.canalcafetheatre.com
How to get Here:
Warwick Avenue (Bakerloo Line) is the nearest station.

 



The Cobden Club

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170 Kensal Road, London W10 5BN
Box Office: 020 8960 4222
Online: www.ticketweb.co.uk (with £1 per booking, not per ticket, fee for box office colletions / £1.65 for postage if time allows).
How to get Here:
Nearest underground Westbourne Park (Hammersmith and City Line), then 6 to 7 minute walk at most. Buses: 23 stops along Kensal Road.

 



Courtyard Theatre

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40 Pitfield Street, London, N1 6EU
Box Office: 0870 163 0717
Online: www.thecourtyard.org.uk (via See Tickets with 10% per ticket booking fee and £1.50 per transaction handling charge).
How to get Here:
Old Street (Northern Line and mainline) is the nearest station. Buses: 21, 43, 55, 76, 141, 205, 214, 243, 271

 


Drill Hall

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16 Chenies Street, London, WC1E 7EX
Box Office: 020 7307 5060
Online: www.drillhall.co.uk (a small booking fee applies).
How to get Here:
Goodge Street (Northern Line) is the nearest underground Station. Buses: 10, 24, 29, 73 and 134 all stop nearby. By rail: The nearest rail station is Euston. Car Parking: Non-metered parking is available in Chenies Street after 6.30pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday. There are disabled parking bays directly outside the Drill Hall.

 



Etcetera Theatre 

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above the Oxford Arms Pub, 265 Camden High Street, London NW1 7BU
Box Office: 
020 7482 4857
Online: www.etceteratheatre.com
How to get Here:
Nearest Underground Station is Camden Town on the Northern Line.


 



The Factory

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100-108 Markfield Road, London, N15 4QF
Box Office: 07857 020 156 or email chichiteabreak@gmail.com.
How to get Here: Seven Sisters on the Victoria Line Take Exit 2 (High Road/Broad Lane), then turn right along Broad Lane. Continue until you see the yellow and blue painted pub, 'Mannions,' turn right along Marksfield Road. Pass under the railway bridge. The factory is on your left with a huge blue grill door. Buses W4, 123, 41, 73 230 stop on Broad Lane - bus stop is called Stamford Road. Parking plentiful and free.

Sunday 18th May 2008

Chi Chi Bunichi and missfit productions host:


TEA BREAK AT THE FACTORY
by Daphna Attias, Robert Cook, Yaniv Fridel, Ayse Tashkiran, Konstantinos Thomaidis, Jenny Hayton, Mark Jones

Ladino folksong meets contemporary choreography in a nomadic journey through Sarajevo to Jerusalem; Dalston via Famagusta. Unfurled in a domestic urban gathering, Chi Chi Bunichi is an intimate dance with harmonium, ukulele, recorded and live voices celebrating stories of diaspora, displacement, dollars and desire. Come fall into the arms of real people……sip tea in your tea break……remember your grandmother……….

Ladino is a dying language surviving in song form - romansas and cantigas. This Judea-Hispanic language journeyed from Spain to the Ottoman Empire, to the Balkans and Morocco – a nomadic oral form that has survived for 500 years.

Chi Chi Bunichi has taken its inspiration from this itinerant form of song; and in particular two recordings of the same song unearthed by Daphna Attias. One is of her grandmother singing in her kitchen, and the second, is of her great grandfather recorded 40 years earlier.

Chi Chi Bunichi is a nomadic event that has performed for Radio Gagarin at the Notting Hill Arts Club, at the People Show Studios, Oxford House and is delighted to be hosted at the Factory in Tottenham

Cast: Daphna Attias, Robert Cook, Yaniv Fridel, Ayse Tashkiran, Konstantinos Thomaidis, Jenny Hayton, Mark Jones

www.chichibunichi.com is the production company website.
 

Performance Time and date:
Sunday 18th May 2008 at 8pm


Seat Prices:
All tickets £5 (membership required - contact 07857 020 156 or email chichiteabreak@gmail.com )
 



Finborough Theatre

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Above The Finborough Public House, 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED
Box Office: 0870 4000 838
Online: www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk  
How to get Here: Earl's Court (District and Piccadilly Lines) is the nearest underground station.

 



Hackney Empire Studio 

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291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
Box Office: 020 8985 2424 (50p per ticket booking fee applies - maximum £5 per booking). Open 10am to 6pm (Monday to Saturday) or until the end of the interval on performance nights. On Sunday performance days opens at noon (telephone only). Accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Switch and Solo.
Online: www.hackneyempire.co.uk
How to get Here: Hackney Central is the nearest mainline station.
Buses: 30, 38, 48, 55, 106, 236, 242, 253, 254, 276, 277 , 394, D6, W15, N38,
N55, N106, N253.

Tuesday 3rd until Saturday 21st June 2008
Press Night: Thursday 5th June 2008

Simon James Collier, in association with Hackney Empire Limited, presents the World Premiere of:

THE SMILIN' STATE
by Noel White
directed by Omar F. Okai

It's the height of summer in the rural outskirts of Lake City, Minnesota and agrarian father and son double-act Milton and Bruce Huffman are standing in the middle of their dead, recently repossessed, cornfield marking time and surviving on cup cakes and cola while waiting for the end of the world. As Ethel, Milton's fruit wearing wife, explains during one of her more lucid moments, 'If ya pigs start dyin', ya cows stop milkin', ya house gets dry rot an' ya baby gets possessed by the Devil, then ya gotta say there's another power at work somewhere.' But things are looking up for the Huffman's. Redemption is on its way in the form of a rapidly nearing tornado-filled storm, which they believe is another sign of the approaching rapture. Can Todd, the local bank representative, help them or will they be 'called home'?

Welcome to the Smilin' State.


Music/Composer: Alexander Rudd
Set Design: Kate Bannister & Karl Swinyard
Lighting Design: Lawrence Stromski
Costume Design: Christine Pomeroy
Graphic Design / Marketing: Adam Dechanel
Sound Effects/Production Photos: Nathan Amzi
Associate Producer/Casting: Niki Stevens
DSM: Diane Grimes
Press: Allan Watson (Hackney) and Okai Collier

Cast: Rob Carroll [Bruce Huffman]; Marjorie Hayward [Ethel Huffman]; Allen Lidkey [Todd Tesch]; Julie Rogers [Kathy Huffman] and Christopher Terry [Milton Huffman].


Performance Times:
Monday to Saturday at 7.45pm

Ticket prices
All seats £12 (£9 concessions)

Previews (4th and 5th June 2008): All seats £5

Groups of 10 or more: All seats £5
 



Hackney Empire Theatre 

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291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
Box Office: 020 8985 2424 (50p per ticket booking fee applies - maximum £5 per booking). Open 10am to 6pm (Monday to Saturday) or until the end of the interval on performance nights. On Sunday performance days opens at noon (telephone only). Accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Switch and Solo.
Online: www.hackneyempire.co.uk
How to get Here: Hackney Central is the nearest mainline station.
Buses: 30, 38, 48, 55, 106, 236, 242, 253, 254, 276, 277 , 394, D6, W15, N38,
N55, N106, N253.

DIARY OF EVENTS at this venue:

Wednesday 7th May until Sunday 1st June 2008
Press Night: Thursday 8th May 2008.

Hackney Empire Theatre presents the UK premiere of:

BEAU JEST
by James Sherman
directed by Susie McKenna

Mr and Mrs Goldman want the best for their teacher daughter Sarah, including her beau. They will be happy with whoever she chooses as long as he is good Jewish boy. Sarah is dating Chris, who unfortunately doesn’t match this requirement. What is a girl to do? To hide Sarah’s gentile boyfriend she calls for an escort service to impersonate a Jewish boyfriend.

When Bob arrives at her door, a series of hilarious events unfold. Sarah discovers Bob is not actually Jewish and doesn’t know any of their customs while Bob discovers he is not escorting an old lady to dinner, but instead becomes a surrogate boyfriend. Sarah scrambles to tell Bob everything he needs to know about their relationship before her parents arrive and the grilling begins…

Will they get found out? Has Sarah told Bob all he needs to know? Will Bob know his Kaddesh from his Yachtz? Will it all end in tears?

A life affirming, laugh out loud, feel good show for the whole family!

Cast includes: Adam Rayner, Lara Pulver, Sue Kelvin, Jack Chissick, Alexander Giles and Alex Hardy.

 

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm
Extra performances
Wednesdays 14th, 21st and 28th May 2008 at 2.30pm
Sunday 11th and 18th May 2008 at 5pm
Sundays 25th May and 1st June 2008 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm


Ticket prices
£22.50, £19.50, £17.50 (concessions available - ask box office for details.)
__________________________

Thursday 5th June 2008

The National Opera Studio Presents:

SHOWCASE ACT 2
directed by Daniel Slater.

The National Opera Studio (NOS) is delighted to announce that its annual Showcase production of operatic scenes will return to the Hackney Empire. This year’s Showcase Act 2 embraces an innovative format. Instead of performing up to eight isolated operatic scenes, as has been the case in previous years, trainees will perform Act 2 from; Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress and Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. This format offers trainees the opportunity to develop characters in detail in a more complete, dramatic context.

Featuring The Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by David Parry, the Showcase will be designed by Leslie Travers and the lighting designer is Simon Mills.


The NOS has an international reputation for providing first class opera training as a link between the music colleges and the main UK opera companies. It provides a one year master course for a small number of young and exceptionally talented singers and repetiteurs, to prepare them for a professional career in opera. Many past NOS trainees have carved successful careers for themselves on the world’s operatic stage. These include: Alfie Boe, Susan Bullock, Alice Coote, Gerald Finley, Lesley Garrett, Lisa Gasteen, Susan Gritton, Katarina Karnéus, Marie McLaughlin, Alastair Miles, Ian Storey and Kate Royal.

Performing in Showcase Act 2 are: sopranos Katherine Broderick (winner of Kathleen Ferrier Award 2007), Elizabeth Donovan, Laura Mitchell, Eliana Pretorian, Katja Webb; mezzos Catherine Hopper, Patricia Orr; tenors Robert Anthony Gardiner, Christopher Turner; baritones George von Bergen, Dawid Kimberg; bass Ronald Nairne; repetiteurs Charlotte Forrest, Caroline Jaya-Ratnam, Steven Moore.


Performance Time:
7pm


Ticket prices
£20, £18, £16, £13, £10 (concessions available - ask box office for details.)

 



King's Head Theatre 

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115 Upper Street, Islington, London. N1 1QN
Box Office: 0870 830 0200 (See Tickets, with booking fee)
Online Bookings: www.Seetickets.com (with booking fee)
Theatre website:
www.kingsheadtheatre.org
How to get Here:
Highbury and Islington (Victoria line / mainline) and Angel (Northern Line) are the nearest stations.

Tuesday 10th to Sunday 15th June 2008

Zeitgeist Theatre Company In association with King’s Head Theatre presents:

WORLD AT ONE

This month's theme is "Credit Crunch."

Collapsing markets, imminent global recession and a nation in debt. Three new plays look at spending habits, attidudes to money and 'the fine mess' we're in.

Three new plays about the 'CREDIT CRUNCH' in this series of topical, new work performed every two months. More than a reading but less than a full production, each play is just twenty minutes long and designed to entertain while challenging attitudes in modern times.

Writers are Morgan Lloyd-Malcolm, Sarah Grochala and Rachel Welch.

 

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 1pm.

Runs 1 hour approximately.


Seat Prices:
All tickets £7 (£5 concessions) - 63p booking fee per ticket (45p concessions) plus £1.60 per booking, not per ticket, transaction fee applies on all sales by phone and online with See Tickets.

At Wednesday and Thursday performances only, theatre workers (Equity, BECTU etc) can buy two £7 tickets for the price of one. Both ticket-holders must work in the arts / theatre and tickets must be bought and paid for in advance. Quote "Industry" when booking to take advantage of this discount.
 


 



Landor Theatre

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70 Landor Road, Clapham, London SW9 9PH
Box Office: 020 7737 7276 
Online: www.landortheatre.co.uk 
How to get Here:
Clapham North (Northern Line) is the nearest underground station.

Every second Sunday of the month - contact box office for exact dates.

Sunday night cabaret:
SIT DOWN SUNDAYS

SIT DOWN SUNDAYS, a monthly showcase of the very best in new sketch and character comedy. The show will take place on the second Sunday of each month, and promises to serve up some of the brightest new comedy talents.

Performance Times and schedule:
Every second Sunday of the month at 8pm - contact box office for exact dates.


Seat Prices:
All tickets £5 (except where stated)
______________________________________

Tuesday 20th until Saturday 24th May 2008

CP Theatre Productions Presents:

SMALL CRAFT WARNINGS
by Tennessee Williams
directed by Michael Williams and Sukhraj Dhillon


One of Williams' later plays, 'Small Craft Warnings' is set in a seedy Southern California coastal bar with a cast of characters so real they could have only been drawn from the Williams' life.

'Small Craft Warnings' is a play that must be seen to understand the totality of one of the greatest American playwrights. The bar serves as a "place of refuge for vulnerable human vessels" and the motley crew that stumbles in this evening is no exception. Amongst them is a doctor that has been barred from the profession because of his drinking, Bill the loser stud, Violet the vulnerable young thing, Quentin the washed up dandy screenwriter and Bobby the young farm boy he picked up on the side of the road - all of which are framed by Monk the steadfast bartender and Leona, a trailer park beautician celebrating the death of her gay violinist brother.

This play reveals Williams' more advanced career as he delves into subjects, such as his own homosexuality, in a more truthful manner than he ever did twenty or thirty years before writing Small Craft Warnings. Williams' heartfelt play, nonetheless bubbles along with a humour that out times is laugh out loud funny. You've seen A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Night of the Iguana; now see one of the last stops in the Tennessee Williams' anthology that puts the rest into perspective.

Cast: Violet - Natalie Britton; Doc - Bryan Hands; Monk - Marc Forde; Bill - Sam Donnelly; Leona - Carola Stewart; Steve - Steve Miller; Quentin - Quan Pemberton; Bobby - Daniel Farrow; Tony - Steven Hyndman.

www.cp-theatre.org.uk/shows/SmallCraft.html is the production website.

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.45pm



Seat Prices:

All tickets £10 (£8 concessions)
_____________________________

Wednesday 28th May until Saturday 21st June 2008
Press Night: Wednesday 28th May 2008

LOVING ART
book and lyrics by Barry Fantoni
music by Barry Booth and Barry Fantoni
directed by Robert McWhir
musical direction by David Randall

Set in London in the late 1950's, this pastiche musical tells the story of Max Wax's company and their transition from mundane run-of-the-mill to exceptional world-changing music publishing. Relationships falter, love blossoms and life lessons are learnt in this new musical where, in time-honoured tradition, most people live happily ever after!

During the Nineties, Bill Kenwright asked Barry Fantoni to write the book for a musical he planned to put on which would tell the story of songwriter, Mort Shuman. The Musical was to be called 'Save The Last Dance For Me', after Mort's most popular song. The setting was to be the famous Brill Building, a pop song factory in New York, where Shuman learned his trade. Sadly, a few months after Barry began work on the book, Mort Schuman died suddenly, aged 54. Rather than abandoning the idea, Bill suggested Barry kept the basic plot, but move the setting to Tin Pan Ally, the Soho/London version of the Brill Building. Barry agreed.

During the Sixties he had worked as a songwriter in Tin Pan Ally and built the show around his experience working with all the major artists of that period. These included Ray Davies, The Beatles, Donovan, Les Reed, Barry Mason and dozens more. Bill Kenwright also asked Barry to write a new set of songs for the show, which he did in collaboration with Barry Booth, who was Roy Orbison's musical director during the Sixties; An ideal partnership.


Set Design - Mike Lees
Costume Design - Nina Morley
Lighting Design - Martin Terry

Cast: Julian Bird, Alex Browne, Ido Gonen, Luke Hallifax, Trevor Jary, John Mawson, Emma Odell, Jennifer Potts, David Randall, Adam Rhys-Davies, Gary Trainor
 

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm



Seat Prices:

All tickets £15 (£12 concessions)

 



Little Angel Theatre (the Home of British Puppetry)

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14 Dagmar Passage, London N1 2DN
Box Office: 020 7226 1787
Online: www.littleangeltheatre.com
How to get Here: Nearest Underground Station is Angel on the Northern Line, and Highbury and Islington on the Victoria Line and mainline.

Saturday 17th May until Sunday 29th June 2008
Press Night 24th May 2008 at 2pm

The Little Angel Theatre presents:

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER
adapted by Violet Philpott
directed by Christopher Leith

The kind shoemaker is poor and cannot afford to pay the rent on his shop. With his final pennies he buys just enough leather for one last pair of shoes and cuts out the pattern before bed. During the night an amazing pair of shoes is made, but by whom?

This well-known story is brought to life with glove puppets and music. A witty re-telling of the popular story by the brothers Grimm is brought to life by the quirky puppets created by Lyndie Wright and Jan Zalud, and uses only one puppeteer, Anthony Best. It will appeal to children and adults alike. Suitable for ages 3 and up.

The Little Angel Theatre is the oldest purpose built theatre in London. Founded by John and Lyndie Wright in 1961, the theatre has established itself as “the home of British puppetry.” The Little Angel exists to celebrate, explore and develop diverse forms of puppetry and live animation and creates about six productions a year which play in house and on tour.
 

Performance Times and schedule:
Wednesday to Friday at 10.30 am and 1.30 pm (11am and 2pm in school holidays)
Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 2 pm
Extra performance Friday 13th June at 4.30 pm

No performances Mondays and Tuesdays

'Baby Friendly' performances Saturdays 7th, 14th and 21st June 2008 at 11am


Seat Prices:
Adults £8
Children and concessions £6

17th and 18th May 2008 only: All tickets £5
13th June 2008 at 4.30pm: "Pay What You Can" (maximum 4 tickets per person, minimum price £2 per ticket)
___________________________

Friday 6th and Saturday 7th June 2008

Christopher Leith's LittleStage presents:


SCHOLASTICA AND THE CREATION OF THE BENEDICTINE RULE

A powerful piece of music-drama exploring the foundation of Western monasticism by the creation of the 'Rule of St Benedict.'

Accompanied by Gregorian chant, beautifully carved puppets describe a momentous meeting between St Benedict and his twin sister St Scholastica as he strives to put the finishing touches to the Rule...and learns the importance of compassion to an ordered life.

The climax is both powerful and moving, tapping into the ancient traditions of the miracle play.

Part of the visitors season at the Little Angel Theatre.

Suitable for adults and children over the age of 13.



Performance Times:
Friday and Saturday at 8pm


Seat Prices:
Adults £10 (£8 concessions)

 



New Wimbledon Theatre Studio

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The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG
Box Office: 0870 060 6646 (£2.50 per booking, not per ticket fee is charged).
Online: www.theambassadors.com (£2.50 per booking, not per ticket fee is charged).
How to get Here: Wimbledon (District Line, Tramlink and mainline) station is 5 minutes walk from the theatre - turn left on the Broadway after leaving the station. Buses 57, 93, 131,163, 164, 200, 219, 493.

 



Old Red Lion Theatre 

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418 St John Street, London EC1V 4NJ
Box Office: 020 7837 7816
Online: www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk
How to get Here:
Angel (Northern Line) is the nearest Underground station. Buses 4, 19, 30, 38, 43, 56, 73, 153, 214, 341.


 



Oval House Theatre 

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52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW
Box Office: 020 7582 7680 (3pm to 10pm Tuesday to Saturday)
Online: www.ovalhouse.com 
How to get Here: Nearest Underground Station is Oval on the Northern Line or Vauxhall (Victoria Line and BR). Bus: 3, 36, 59, 133, 155, 159, 185, 436
Access: Full ground floor access. Downstairs theatre, cafe, foyer, and toilets are wheelchair accessible. Induction loop. Disabled drivers are welcome to use our staff car park. Escorts accompanying wheelchair users come in free. All shows performed in the Upstairs theatre will also be broadcast live to the wheelchair accessible auditorium downstairs (to right of Box Office). Full S.A.D. access code available on request.

Tuesday 20th until Saturday 24th May 2008
Audio Described performance: Friday 23rd May 2008 at 7.45pm
Signed Performance: Signing is incorporated in the show

Theatre Resource in partnership with Frantic Assembly present:

THE CONQUEST OF THE SOUTH POLE
by Manfred Karge
directed by Jeff Banks and Anna Wallbank

Four disabled friends decide to stave off the dole-queue blues by re-enacting Amundsen’s famous 1911 expedition to the South Pole. Sheets become icebergs and wheelchairs become mountains in this fast-paced, inspiring conquest of the imagination.

Theatre Resource, in partnership with Frantic Assembly, has taken Karge’s Thatcher-era play about the daily psychological battle to survive and given it an innovative, modern-day twist.


Designed by Kimie Nakano.

Cast: Slattery - Andrew McLay; Butcher - Rob Lee; Stevens - Peter Davies; Braukmann - Adrian B Wilks; Mrs. Braukmann - Sonia Cakebread; Interpreter/performer - Heather Stradling.
 


Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.45pm
Extra performance Thursday 22nd May 2008 at 1pm
 

Seat Prices:
All tickets £
12 (£6 concessions)
__________________________________________

Tuesday 27th May until Saturday 21st June 2008
Press Night: Thursday 29th May 2008
Audio Described performance: Friday 13th June 2008 at 7.45pm
Signed Performances: Tuesday 17th June 2008 at 7.45pm and Saturday 21st June 2008 at 4pm.

ROCK
by Tim Fountain.

Rock Hudson was the biggest screen idol in 1950’s LA. The ultimate Hollywood hunk. But his career was perpetually under threat from Confidential Magazine, every queer actor’s nemesis: and only one man stood between stardom and oblivion. Rock is the story of Henry Willson, the man who made a star of Rock Hudson; the most unscrupulous agent in Los Angeles; the man who would do anything to protect his money-spinning protégé.

Writer Tim Fountain and the team behind Resident Alien - the hit play about Quentin Crisp - bring the seamy world of 1950’s Hollywood to vivid life.


Cast: Bette Bourne


Performance Times:

Tuesday to Saturday at 7.45pm
Extra performances Saturdays 14th and 21st June 2008 at 4pm
 

Seat Prices:
All tickets £
12 (£6 concessions)


Extra Events combined with this production:

Friday 30th May2008 at 7:45pm:
Red Carpet Launch Event hosted by Doctor Rupert Smith, and the induction of Bette Bourne into the House of Homosexual Culture Hall of Fame.


Saturday 14th June 2008 at 5.30pm:
Now we know he was gay
Professor Richard Dyer examines the films of Rock Hudson

£5 (FREE when booked at same time as 'Rock')

 



Pacific Playhouse

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5-6 Playhouse Court, 62 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0AT
(the premises were formerly occupied by the Southwark Playhouse)
Box Office:
See under individual production listings.
Online:
See under individual production listings.
How to get Here: Borough (Northern Line), London Bridge (Jubilee and Northern lines, also mainline) and Southwark (Jubilee Line) are the nearest Underground Stations. 

Tuesday 13th until Saturday 31st May 2008
Press Night: Tuesday 13th May 2008

Show Don’t Tell Present:

DANGEROUS CORNER
by J.B. Priestley
directed by Daniel Brennan

Set in 1932, Freda and Robert Caplan play host to their ‘snug little group’ of friends and colleagues at their country home. Before long, though, a cigarette box and a chance remark spark off a relentless series of revelations as we are asked to consider whether it really is best to let sleeping dogs lie?

Show Don’t Tell are proud to bring their singular methods to bear on JB Priestley’s original who-what-why-when-and-where-dunnit thriller of Sex, Secrets and Lies.

“It’s the proud boast of Show Don’t Tell that it is the only theatre company in Britain to use the teachings of American drama practitioner Viola Spolin."
'The Stage' (on "Relative Values," 2007)

Cast: Wendy Albiston, Martin Durrant, Lucy Grainger, Ben de Halpert, Brigid Lohrey, Lainey Shaw and Oliver Wallace.
 

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm


Seat Prices:
All tickets £11 (£8 concessions)

Box Office for this production:
Telephone: 07948 251 972 or online at www.lastminute.com

 



Pentameters Theatre 

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Three Horseshoes, 28 Heath Street, London, NW3 6TE.
Box Office:
020 7435 3648
Online:
www.pentameters.co.uk
How to get Here: Hampstead (Northern line) is the nearest Underground Station. Bus: 46 and 268

 



People's Show

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Pollard Row, Bethnal Green, E2 6NB
Box Office: as stated under listings.
Online: as stated under listings.
How to get Here:
Bethnal Green (Central Line) is the nearest underground station.

 



Putney Arts Theatre 

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Ravenna Road, Putney, London SW15 6AW
Box Office: 020 8788 6943 or as stated under listings.
Online: www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk or as stated under listings.
How to get Here:
Putney (District Line) is the nearest underground and mainline station.



Shaw Theatre

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100-110 Euston Road, London NW1 2AJ
Box Office: 0870 033 2600
Online: www.theshawtheatre.com (with 10% booking fee per ticket)
How to get Here:
Euston Square (Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City Lines) is the nearest Underground station. Kings Cross (Victoria, Piccadilly, Northern, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City Lines, also mainline) and Euston (Northern and Victoria Lines, also mainline) stations are also close by. Bus routes 10, 30, 73, 91, 205, 390 and 476.



Wednesday 18th June 2008

SPOTLIGHT ON MICHAEL BALL
In conversation with Elaine Paige


Recording Star and Britain's Leading man of musical theatre, Michael just won the Olivier for best actor in a musical for Hairspray. He has starred in countless hits including Les Miserables, Aspects Of Love and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Elaine Paige OBE
As an actress, recording artist and producer, Elaine has made a major contribution to the modern musical. Her career has spanned both the West End and Broadway with sell-out concerts across the globe. She has released 20 solo albums and also currently presents a weekly programme Paige on Sunday' for BBC Radio 2.

Series produced by Neil Marcus
Series devised by Neil Marcus & Elaine Paige

Performance Time:
1pm until 2.15pm


Seat Prices:
All tickets £1
5
Theatremonkey readers can buy tickets for £12 - quote "£12 offer" when booking.

 



Sway Bar

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61-65 Great Queen Street, London, WC2B 5BZ
Box Office: on the night at the venue.
Online: www.ticketweb.co.uk in advance.
How to get Here: Holborn (Piccadilly and Central Lines) is the nearest tube station.
Catering: Food and drink are available throughout the evening.

Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th June 2008
Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd July 2008
then the first Wednesday and Thursday of every month thereafter

Stand Up Drama presents:

LONDON BITES

'London Bites' allows professional actors the opportunity to perform for 5 to 10 minutes each onstage before an audience, of their peers, industry professionals and lovers of theatre. 'London Bites' features a series of short scenes showcasing a mixture of drama and comedy. The event is sponsored by 'Spotlight,' the stage and screen’s leading casting directory.

'London Bites' is an event which allows up to 12 Equity Card-holding performers, pre-auditioned, the opportunity to perform for 5 minutes each onstage before an audience made up of their peers, directors, industry professionals and lovers of theatre. London Bites features a series of short scenes showcasing a mixture of drama and comedy.
The last 10 minutes of the show is dedicated to our interactive improvisation section Stand & Deliver, where members of the cast play hilarious games with suggestion from the audience. Similar to the much loved TV show, “Who’s Line is it Anyway”

Performance event company Stand Up Drama is moving it’s popular monthly show to an exciting new venue in the West End. The famous Turnmills has sadly closed and ends an era, after a hugely successful year there, London Bites moves to a beautiful new home at Sway. Sway, situated between Holborn and Covent Garden brings London Bites right back to the heart of town and offers no end of interesting possibilities for a truly interactive and dynamic show.

London Bites brings theatre to a new generation, breaking down the concepts of traditional theatre and creating a new kind of night out.

London Bites - digestible drama you can enjoy with a drink!


London Bites – The After Show Party:
The After Show Party from 9.30pm provides an opportunity for the London Bites performers to unwind and meet their audience, and mingle with fellow professionals, further breaking down the barriers between performer and audience.

Wednesday and Thursday night also sees resident Stand Up Drama DJ Clifford Strutter and friends provide a soundtrack of Jazz, sixties and seventies funk, latin vibes and northern soul until the early hours.

www.standupdrama.com is the company website.


Performance Times:
Wednesdays and Thursdays at
7.30pm. (Doors open 6pm)
After show party 9.30pm until 3am




Seat Prices:
All tickets £1
0 (£8 concessions - Spotlight / Equity / NUS)

Pre-show dinner and ticket £19.95 deal available online at www.ticketweb.co.uk  or on the night.

Sway is also offering 'London Bites audiences' a Pre-Show dinner at just £9.95 for 2 courses, again, can be ordered in advance through www.ticketweb.co.uk or on the night.

Happy Hour on all food and drinks between 6.00pm and 7.00pm.
 



Tabard Theatre

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2 Bath Road, London W4 1LW
Box Office:
08701 696 805 (Ticketweb. Booking fees may apply)
Online
: www.tabardtheatre.co.uk
How to get Here:
Turnham Green (Piccadilly and District Lines) is the nearest tube station. Buses: 27, 94, 267, 337, 391, E3, H91



 



Tara Studio

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356 Garratt Lane, London SW18 4ES
Box Office:
0208 333 4457
Online
: www.ticketweb.co.uk (booking, with £1.65 per booking postage fee / £1 for collection at venue), www.tara-arts.com (venue)
How to get Here:
Earlsfield is the nearest Mainline station.


Thursday 22nd until Saturday 24th May 2008

Blank Thorn Apprenticeship presents:
THE SHORT PLAYS
Four new works by four of theatre's most exciting young playwrights.

New talent abound, the plays are performed by an ensemble of 8 actors, all recent graduates from London’s leading drama schools.

New graduate theatre company Blank Thorn Apprenticeship works to develop the careers of trained young professionals through the forging of relationships with peers in the workplace. By supporting the Apprenticeship, Tara Studio continues its mission to programme and champion work by emerging artists.

Nick Bain returns to Tara Studio after the success of 'Prints of Denmark' in 2007 with 'The Fifth Horseman.' Also returning is Paul Bilic following his play 'The Girl, the Oil Pipe and the Murder in the Forum,' produced at Tara Studio in March 2008. 'The Trapeze Artist' is an extract from a full-length play about the journey of the Kafka manuscripts from Zurich to Oxford.

'Second Life' by Lisa Parry follows a suburban family as their superficial harmony is threatened by the secret online activities of father and daughter. 'The Order' is a surreal and darkly humorous piece by Livvy Morris, currently a script-reader for Soho Theatre.

A unique, informal and intimate venue in Earlsfield, South London, Tara Studio is fast becoming a valuable addition to theatre in the capital.


Performance Times:
Thursday to Saturday at 7.30pm


Seat Prices:
All tickets £10 (£8 concessions)


 



Theatre 503

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Above the Latchmere Pub, 503 Battersea Park Road, London SW11 3BW.
Box Office: 020 7978 7040 or email  info@theatre503.com.
Online: www.theatre503.com
How to get Here: Sloane Square (District and Circle lines) is the nearest underground station, then bus 319. Alternatively South Kensington (Piccadilly, District and Circle lines) then bus 49 or 345. By rail: Clapham Junction (from Victoria or Waterloo) then 10 minutes walk or bus 49, 319, 345 or 344. By bus: 44, 49, 319, 344, 345, N19. Local free parking on street after 5pm.


Sunday 18th May 2008

ELECTRIC MOUSE COMEDY

18th May 2008:
Compere: James Mullinger
Comedians: Phil Nichol, Stephen Carlin, Gary Colman and Andi Osho
 

Performance Time:
8pm


Seat Prices:
All tickets £10
___________________________________

Tuesday 6th until Saturday 31st May 2008
Press Night: Friday 9th May 2008

Theatre503 in association with Whippet Productions present the UK premiere of:
NATURAL SELECTION
by Paul Rigel Jenkins
directed by Tim Roseman

"It's not tribe against tribe, nation against nation - it's every man for himself ... but in a good way."

West Anglia. The new name for Wales.

Three bumbling terrorists cling to their values as the modern world invades the land of their fathers. An archaeological discovery in the valleys leads to the scientific coup of the millennium. And in Sainsbury's, a man who can't even choose a pasta sauce struggles to choose the perfect life.

A searing new comedy about fighting for freedom and climbing the food chain.

Paul Rigel Jenkins was selected for the National Theatre Playwrights’ Workshop in 2006, and just completed a year at the BBC’s Continuing Drama Writing Academy.
This play won the King’s Cross New Writing Award in 2005 and received its world premiere at the Theatertreffen Festival of Theatre, Berlin in 2006.

Designed by Libby Watson
Lighting Design by Richard Howell
Music and Sound by Richard Hammarton

Cast includes: Alex Beckett, Pandora Colin, Alan Cox, Lisa Diveney, Richard Heap, Wendy Nottingham and Daniel Rigby.



Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm
Sundays at 5pm
NO MONDAY PERFORMANCES


Seat Prices:
All tickets £13 (£8 concessions) except:
Tuesday Evenings "Pay What You Can" - on these evenings cash or cheque only are accepted, on the night of performance. Other performances are bookable as usual in advance using all payment methods.

 



Theatro Technis 

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26 Crowndale Road, London NW1 1TT
Box Office: 020 7353 1700
Online: www.towertheatre.org.uk/boxo.htm
How to get Here:
Nearest Underground Stations are Mornington Crescent or Camden Town on the Northern Line. Bus: 24, 27, 29, 46, 134, 214

Tuesday 10th until Saturday 14th June 2008

The Tower Theatre Company presents:

STONES IN HIS POCKETS
by Marie Jones
directed by Despina Sellar

Winner of the prestigious Olivier and Evening Standard awards for best comedy for the phenomenally successful West End run at The New Ambassador's Theatre in 2000, Stones in His Pockets tells the story of the effect on a small rural Irish community caused by the arrival of a Hollywood film crew, and in particular the effect it has upon Sean Harkin and his family.

Sean's suicide leads to a tension between the budget of the film-makers and the desire of the locals, who are working as extras, to go to Sean's funeral. Set against this backdrop of conflict and loss the play is a touching and insightful comedy. The story is told by Jake Quinn and Charlie Conlon, locals and extras, and pits the make believe dramas of the studio against the real life poverty of the inhabitants of their “set”.

Two actors play a wealth of often outlandish and offbeat characters, ranging from the glamorous film stars and local figures to the beleaguered and hard working on both sides of the divide. It is the interaction of these characters that provides much of the humour, while maintaining the focus of the piece upon the central issues and conflicts, drawing you deeper into the story. As the fears and aspirations of Charlie and Jake unfold they both identify with Sean's suicide for their own very different reasons.


A post performance Q & A session with director, cast and crew takes place on Thursday 12th June 2008.

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.45pm
Extra performance Saturday at 3pm
 

Seat Prices:
All seats £11 (£9 concessions)

Box Office for this production:
020 7353 1700.
or online at: www.towertheatre.org.uk/boxo.htm



Theatre Royal, Stratford East

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Gerry Raffles Square, Stratford, London. E15 1BN
Box Office: 020 8279 1160 or 1161
Online: www.stratfordeast.com
How to get Here: Stratford (Jubilee and Central lines) is the nearest Underground Station. This station also has mainline services from Silverlink, and is connected to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). 

 
Friday 2nd until Saturday 31st May 2008
Press Night: Thursday 8th May 2008

Theatre Royal, Stratford East Presents:

FAMILYMAN
by Rikki Beadle-Blair
directed by Dawn Reid

Caesar Ramsay works hard to provide for his family: Deanna his partner and their 17 year old son, Nelson. But when Nelson drops a series of bombshells, Caesar’s seemingly ordinary life takes an extraordinary turn and rapidly spins out of his control!

This is the story of a man raised by successive generations of single women struggling to be a father when he has no clue what a father really is. Can he support his son’s choices even though he thinks he is making gargantuan mistakes? Can Caesar raise Nelson to be healthy, confident and assertive without killing him before he turns 18?

Fast, furious and very funny, this original script set in London, moves seamlessly between the present and Caesar’s past to learn what life experiences have made Caesar Ramsay the man he is today. A sharp and insightful look at the issues surrounding and affecting parenting and family life in 2008, sure to thrill audiences with its witty writing and fresh theatrical style.

Designed by Nick Barnes
 

Performance Times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm (13th May 2008 at 6.30pm)
Extra performances Wednesday 14th and Saturday 31st May 2008 at 2pm
Extra performance 25th February 2008 at 2pm



Seat Prices:
All seats £19 and £12 (£12 and £8 for children and concessions) EXCEPT:
Previews 2nd to 9th May 2008: all seats £10.
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MONDAY NIGHT
COMEDY EVENINGS

In the theatre bar.

Programme (always subject to change):

Monday 19th May 2008: Robert White with compere Lateef Lovejoy

Monday 26th May 2008: Joe K, with other acts TBC

Monday 2nd June 2008: Dr Brown and Joseph Wilson, Compered by Lateef Lovejoy




EXTRA SUNDAY PERFORMANCES:

Sunday 25th May 2008 at 8pm: Internationally acclaimed comedienne Shazia Mirza is sure to keep you laughing with this one hour special performance.



Performance Times:
Monday performances start at 8pm.


Seat Prices:
Tickets are free, but arrive early to secure a seat... or you could be left standing!
 



Troy Bar