Category Archives: What’s on / Listings

NEWS: Oor Wullie tour announced with dates at Theatre Royal, Glasgow

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Dundee Rep Ensemble and Selladoor Productions in association with Noisemaker, today announced a new musical adventure bringing to life Scotland’s favourite comic strip scamp DC Thomson Media’s Oor Wullie.  The world premiere stage show opens at the Dundee Rep Theatre from 23 Nov – 05 Jan before touring across Scotland with dates at Theatre Royal, Glasgow from 21  – 25 January 2020. Tickets on sale soon.

Oor Wullie has featured in DC Thomson Media comic strips in the Sunday Post for over 80 years, earning him the title of ‘Scotland’s Favourite Son’ in a public vote in 2004.  The iconic laddie from Auchenshoogle is much loved for his big heart, constant war against boredom and his mischievous energetic pranks which often land him in a scrape or two! Now you can see the spiky-haired scallywag live on stage as he embarks on an adventure with pals Fat Boab, Soapy Soutar, Wee Eck, and the rest of the Sunday Post gang – the only question is; where’s his bucket?!

In their 80th anniversary year Dundee Rep is one of Scotland’s most awarded theatres and the only theatre in Scotland to have a permanent company of actors, established 20 years ago as the Dundee Rep Ensemble. Oor Wullie will be directed by Dundee Rep’s Artistic Director Andrew Panton, and adapted for stage by Noisemaker whose previous collaborations include the hugely successful The Snow Queen in 2018 and a brand new musical premiering in the US this Spring Hi, My Name is Ben.

Oor Wullie also marks an ongoing partnership with the internationally acclaimed Selladoor Worldwide who recently commissioned and produced another DC Thomson Media favourite The Broons directed by Andrew Panton in their 2016 critically acclaimed tour.

Noisemaker’s Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie tell us: “We’re very excited to be bringing Scotland’s Oor Wullie to the stage in this unique collaboration between DC Thomson, Selladoor and Dundee Rep. Like so many of us, we grew up reading Wullie’s stories and they’ve remained a treasured part of our childhood. But the enduring appeal of “Oor Wullie” is that he doesn’t remain in the past; the comic has changed and adapted across its 80-year history, heralding Wullie not only as a figure of tradition, but also of Scotland today. We’re thrilled to be bringing his latest adventure to Dundee this Christmas, and to continue our ongoing relationship with the Rep.”

Andrew Panton, Artistic Director at Dundee Rep says: “Oor Wullie is a character that immediately connects with Dundee. I’m thrilled that as part of our anniversary season we’ll be once more collaborating with Noisemaker to bring this story to life on stage at the Rep – surely the only stage he could start this new adventure?”

David Hutchinson, CEO of Selladoor Productions says: “We couldn’t be happier to follow our production of The Broons working in partnership with such a fabulous creative team and theatre to share a story of the superbly observed and fantastically funny Wullie.  He and his gang hold a very special place in many hearts with a history spanning generations and we can’t wait for what promises to be a memorable night at the theatre for the whole family”.

Priority Tickets go on sale to ‘Friends’ of Dundee Rep on Monday 18th March and general sale on Tuesday 19th March across the tour.  See listings for booking details and join the cheeky chap who will prove that even at 80-years old he’s still Oor Wullie! Your Wullie! A’body’s Wullie!

 

NEWS: New Glasgow theatre group Green Door Theatre present Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins at Websters

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A rare treat is coming soon for Glasgow-based fans of musical theatre, as new performing arts company Green Door Theatre bring the darkly comic and rarely-performed musical Assassins to Websters Theatre from 4th-6th April.

A five-time Tony Award-winner, Assassins takes a look at the men and women of American history who took their shot at the big time and tried to assassinate a sitting President — with varying degrees of deadly success. Brought together by Stephen Sondheim’s signature style and a phenomenal script by Emmy and Tony-winning writer John Weidman (Pacific Overtures, Anything Goes, Sesame Street), nine villains take aim in the name of love, rage, patriotism and the promise of the American Dream.

With time periods, gunshots and executions aplenty, Assassins is a complex and intriguing show that’s not often attempted, let alone tackled by a new company. So why have Green Door picked it as their first?

“All of our founding members have been making amateur theatre in Glasgow in some capacity over the last eight years,” producer Rachel Thomson explains, “and when we came together to start Green Door, there was just something about the challenge and excitement of Sondheim’s shows that made them feel like the right place to start. Couple that with being able to do something that nobody in Glasgow has done for years, in the crazy political time we’re now living in, and we thought it would be a great way to start with a… bang. Pun intended!”

New in name they might be, but those in charge of steering this complex production are far from inexperienced. Musical director Erik Igelström has been at the helm of multiple recent acclaimed Glasgow productions including On The Town (Glasgow Music Theatre) and Spring Awakening (Glasgow Live Productions). Assistant director and choreographer Marion Baird is the owner of the thriving Dance Glasgow studios in the west end and city centre, and has over ten years of experience choreographing for high quality theatre and dance shows across Glasgow.

Bringing their combined experience together, Green Door promise audiences for Assassins an evening that’s equal parts gripping and entertaining. Bold, original, and alarmingly funny, it might be the most timely musical for a Western world this divided, and for a Scotland trying to grasp it all from the side lines.

Assassins runs from 4th-6th April at Websters Theatre, Kelvinbridge. Tickets can be purchased via the theatre box office on 0141 357 4000 or at https://webstersglasgow.com/events/assassins-2019-04-04/.

For more information see www.greendoortheatre.com or follow Green Door Theatre on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @wearegreendoor.

 

NEWS: SCOTTISH OPERA YOUNG COMPANY PRESENTS GLUCK’S ORFEO & EURIDICE

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Scottish Opera Young Company (formerly Connect Company) is returning to The Beacon in Greenock this April to perform one of Gluck’s most popular and enduring works: Orfeo & Euridice.

The Company, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018, takes to the stage at The Beacon on April 6 and 7, following the success of its production of Dido and Aeneas there in 2017.

New Artistic Director Jonathon Swinard conducts the young performers, who are aged 16 to 23, and professional singers Daniel Keating-Roberts (The Cabinet of Dr Caligari 2016) as Orfeo and Jessica Leary (Pop-up Opera 2018) as Euridice. A dancer from Dance Studio Scotland at Glasgow Clyde College also joins the cast. Opera and theatre director Caroline Clegg makes her Scottish Opera debut, and designer Finlay McLay (Dido and Aeneas 2017) returns as designer.

Based on the myth of Orpheus, Gluck’s Orfeo & Euridice — at one moment full of fury, the next clear and pure — tells the tale of one man’s determination to defy the gods and rescue his lover from Hades. But can he resist temptation long enough to save her?

Jane Davidson, Scottish Opera’s Director of Education and Outreach said: ‘Gluck’s Orfeo & Euridice was a real game changer in terms of the narrative development of the art form of opera, as we recognise it today. As artistically revelatory and thought-provoking for audiences in 1774 as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is for contemporary theatre-goers, and featuring one of the loveliest and best known arias in the operatic repertoire (‘Che farò senza Euridice’), this might just be the ultimate, universal tale of boy meets girl, boy loses, and then finds girl again.’

Jonathon Swinard, Scottish Opera Young Company Artistic Director said: ‘It is a privilege to be the new Artistic Director of the Scottish Opera Young Company and I’m hugely looking forward to conducting Gluck’s Orfeo & Euridice this April. Curiously, this piece was actually the first opera I ever worked on as a young repetiteur at the age of 18. Fast-forward a few years, and it is a lovely feeling to be rehearsing this work with the exceedingly talented members of the Scottish Opera Young Company, many of whom are also gaining their first real stage experience through this wonderful piece.’

The Beacon Arts Centre, Custom House Quay, Greenock, PA15 1HJ

Sat 6 Apr, 7pm

Sun 7 Apr, 2pm

NEWS: Lesley Joseph joins the cast of Calendar Girls in Glasgow

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Lesley Joseph will join the cast for the Glasgow run of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s musical comedy, CALENDAR GIRLS The Musical, based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play.

Lesley will play Jessie from Tuesday 11 – Saturday 22 June at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow and for all other dates in the UK tour until in Saturday 10 August when Ruth Madoc returns to the role.

Although perhaps best known for playing Dorien Green in the ITV sitcom Birds of a Feather, alongside Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson, Lesley has a wealth of theatrical experience to her credit. Most recently she starred as Frau Blücher in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at the Garrick Theatre, a role which earned her an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

Lesley’s other notable theatre credits include Miss Hannigan in Annie (West End and UK Tour), Chris in the play of Calendar Girls (UK Tour), The Vagina Monologues (West End and UK Tour), and Kathleen in Sir Peter Hall’s production of Home (Theatre Royal Bath).

On television, Lesley played Rachel Culgrin in ITV’s Night and Day for nearly two years. Other TV appearances include Rumble with Brian Glover, Easy Money, Spywatch, Minder, Roots, and The Knowledge to name a few. She played Green Beryl in Channel 5’s series The Secret of Eel Island, and guest starred as Erica in BBC’s The Slammer.

Leslie has also appeared in scores of light entertainment shows. She had a regular spot as glamour correspondent on GMTV, and presented ITV’s Wish You Were Here…?. In 2016, Lesley was partnered with Anton du Beke on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Lesley joins the previously announced cast starring Sarah Jane Buckley (Blood Brothers and Kathy Barnes in Hollyoaks) as Annie, Sue Devaney (the soon to be seen new Russell T. Davies series Years and Years, Jane in Dinnerladies, Liz Harker in Casualty, Scots comedian Karen Dunbar as Cora, Julia Hills (Doctor Kemp in Broadchurch, Annabelle Shrivener in The Archers) as Ruth, Judy Holt (Cold Feet, Scott & Bailey) as Marie and Lisa Maxwell (panellist on Loose Women, Tracey Donovan in Hollyoaks, Samantha Nixon in The Bill and various roles in The Les Dennis Laughter Show and The Russ Abbot Show) as Celia. The new cast will make their debut at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, on 23 April 2019.

Rebecca Storm will continue to play Chris.

Also in the cast are Phil Corbitt as John, Ian Mercer as Rod, Sebastian Abineri as Colin, Alan Stocks as Denis, Derek Elroy as Lawrence, Pauline Daniels as Lady Cravenshire, Ellie Leah as Miss Wilson, Danny Howker as Danny, Isabel Caswell as Jenny and Tyler Dobbs as Tommo.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning production played a six-month London season at the Phoenix Theatre in 2017, and, before that, this musical comedy played sold-out seasons in Leeds and Manchester.

Gary Barlow and Tim Firth grew up in the same village in the North of England and have been friends for 25 years.  With Take That, Gary has written and co-written 14 number one singles, has sold over 50 million records worldwide and is a six times Ivor Novello Award winner.  Tim has won the Olivier Award and UK Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and the British Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film for Calendar Girls.

CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL is inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who decide to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands, and have to date raised almost £5million for Bloodwise. This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary.

Bloodwise, the UK’s specialist blood cancer charity, will continue to receive monies from this production.

CALENDAR GIRLS The Musical is directed by Matt Ryan and designed by Robert Jones, with comedy staging by Jos Houben, movement by Lucy Hind and casting by Sarah Bird.

Calendar Girls The Musical

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Tue 11 – Sat 22 Jun 2019

www.atgtickets.com.glasgow

0844 871 7648*calls cost up to 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge

NEWS: SCOTTISH OPERA REVIVES SIR THOMAS ALLEN’S PRODUCTION OF MOZART’S THE MAGIC FLUTE

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Sir Thomas Allen’s five-star production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute returns to Scottish Opera in May, set in a spectacular world inspired by the Victorian futurism of HG Wells and Jules Verne.

Mozart’s most inventive opera, featuring a handsome prince, a damsel in distress, sorcerers, priests and a bumbling bird-catcher, opens at Theatre Royal Glasgow on Saturday 4 May, and tours to Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, London and Belfast. With set and costume design by Simon Higlett, this production takes inspiration from the city of Glasgow at the height of its industrial powers, drawing on the aesthetics and ideas of the Enlightenment, particularly the work of the Hunter family and the huge scientific collections of The Hunterian Museum.

Conductor Tobias Ringborg (The Marriage of Figaro 2016) is joined by Peter Gijsbertsen (La traviata 2017) as Tamino and Gemma Summerfield, First Prize winner at the 2015 Kathleen Ferrier Awards, as Pamina. Richard Burkhard is Papageno, the role he created in the original production in 2012; Julia Sitkovetsky is Queen of the Night; James Creswell is Sarastro and Adrian Thompson is Monostatos. Scottish Opera Emerging Artist, Sofia Troncoso (Opera Highlights 2018), sings the role of Papagena.

Sir Thomas Allen said: ‘Our production of The Magic Flute, first created in 2012, makes its return to the stage and to theatres around Scotland. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to the rehearsal period and to the performances that follow. There are many changes from our original cast, but one welcome return will be that of Richard Burkhard in the role of Papageno. He brought to the part a really brilliant personal way of playing, just as one would hope for Papageno, and our collaboration was, apart from all else, a lot of fun.

‘As for what you will see, well, if you are familiar with Glasgow and the richness of its constituent parts, then you will recognise all of the references in this show. It is a tribute by designer Simon Higlett and myself to a great Scottish city.’

There will be two Dementia Friendly performances of The Magic Flute, in Glasgow and Edinburgh. These specially abridged performances are carefully designed to make the theatrical experience more accessible to people living with dementia. Sound and lighting levels are adjusted for the comfort of the audience, and the cast is joined on stage by a narrator. Audiences will also be able to go in and out of the auditorium during the performance and see the show in the foyer areas on TV screens. Scottish Opera staged the UK’s first Dementia Friendly opera performance in November 2016, with The Marriage of Figaro at Festival Theatre Edinburgh.

Those who wish to discover more about how the production was created can attend The Magic Flute Unwrapped, one-hour tasters delving further into the show, as well as Pre-show Talks. Audience members with visual impairments can enjoy the full opera experience at audio-described performances, which have a live commentary describing the action on stage without compromising the music.

Cast List

Tamino                                                            Peter Gijsbertsen & William Morgan (14, 18 May, 13,15 June)

Pamina                                                            Gemma Summerfield

Papageno                                                        Richard Burkhard & James Cleverton (20, 22, 27, 29 June)

The Queen of the Night                                  Julia Sitkovetsky

Sarastro                                                             James Creswell & Dingle Yandell (1, 5, 20, 22, 27, 29 June)

Monostatos                                                     Adrian Thompson

Papagena                                                        Sofia Troncoso*

First Lady                                                      Jeni Bern

Second Lady                                                  Bethan Langford*

Third Lady                                                     Sioned Gwen Davies

*Scottish Opera Emerging Artist

Creative Team

Conductors                                                     Tobias Ringborg & Derek Clark (13,15 June)  

Director                                                            Sir Thomas Allen

Set and Costume Designer                                Simon Higlett

Lighting Designer                                            Mark Jonathan

Movement Director                                           Kally Lloyd-Jones

Translation                                         Kit Hesketh-Harvey

Performance Diary

Theatre Royal Glasgow, 282 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 3QA

Sat 4 May, 7.15pm

Wed 8 May, 7.15pm

Fri 10 May, 7.15pm

Sun 12 May, 3pm

Tue 14 May, 7.15pm

Thu 16 May, 3pm (Dementia Friendly Performance)

Sat 18 May, 7.15pm

 

The Magic Flute Unwrapped

Thu 9 May, 6pm

The Magic Flute Pre-show talk

Sat 18 May, 6pm

The Magic Flute Touch Tour

Sun 12 May, 1.45pm

The Magic Flute Audio-described performance

Sun 12 May, 3pm

 

Eden Court, Inverness

Tue 21 May, 7.15pm

Thu 23 May, 7.15pm

Sat 25 May, 7.15pm

 

The Magic Flute Unwrapped

Fri 24 May, 6pm

The Magic Flute Pre-show talk

Sat 25 May, 6pm

The Magic Flute Touch Tour

Sat 25 May, 6pm

The Magic Flute Audio-described performance

Sat 25 May, 7.15pm

 

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen

Thu 30 May, 7.15pm

Sat 1 Jun, 7.15pm

 

The Magic Flute Unwrapped

Fri 31 May, 6pm

The Magic Flute Pre-show talk

Sat 1 Jun, 6pm

The Magic Flute Touch Tour

Sat 1 Jun, 6pm

The Magic Flute Audio-described performance

Sat 1 Jun, 7.15pm

 

Festival Theatre, 13–29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9FT

Wed 5 Jun, 7.15pm

Fri 7 Jun, 3pm (Dementia Friendly Performance)

Sun 9 Jun, 3pm

Tue 11 Jun, 7.15pm

Thu 13 Jun, 7.15pm

Sat 15 Jun, 7.15pm

 

The Magic Flute Unwrapped

Thu 6 Jun, 6pm

The Magic Flute Pre-show talk

Sat 15 Jun, 6pm

The Magic Flute Touch Tour

Sun 9 Jun, 1.45pm

The Magic Flute Audio-described performance

Sun 9 Jun, 3pm

 

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, London, E8 1EJ

Thu 20 Jun, 7.30pm

Sat 22 Jun, 7.30pm

 

The Magic Flute Pre-show talk

Sat 22 Jun, 6pm

 

Belfast Grand Opera House, 2-4 Great Victoria Street, Belfast, BT2 7HR

Thu 27 Jun, 7.15pm

Sat 29 Jun, 7.15pm

 

The Magic Flute Unwrapped

Fri 28 Jun, 6pm

The Magic Flute Pre-show talk

Sat 29 Jun, 6pm

NEWS: GLASGOW WRITERS JOIN FORCES FOR COMEDY FESTIVAL

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Four Glasgow playwrights have teamed up to present a quartet of plays as part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival next month. Short Attention Span Theatre is a method of theatre which delivers exactly what it says on the tin: short dramas for those with short attention spans as well as those who like to experience a variety of works in one evening. 

Karen Barclay, Tom Brogan, Catriona Duggan, and Chris McQueer will each debut a brand new play to audiences in CCA on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 March.

Barclay’s Mortified aims to get to the root of whether or not a person can actually die from embarrassment, while McQueer’s Last Can tells the tale of a couple living in post-apocalyptic Glasgow when Lou discovers John has stashed the world’s last can of Irn-Bru for himself.

Karen Barclay

Duggan’s When The Penny Drops centres around a school teacher who has found the perfect way to deal with the stresses of the job, and Brogan’s Delivery sees a failed comedian confronted by a pupil in his stand-up comedy class.

Tom Brogan

Five local actors will take on multiple roles in the four plays, continuing the Short Attention Span Theatre trope of performing with a small and tight-knit cast. Regulars Mairi Davidson, Johanna Harper, Kat Harrison, and Grant McDonald will be joined by John Love to keep audiences entertained during the two-night run.

Chris McQueer

Writer Chris McQueer, author of the acclaimed Hings, Leathered, and HWFG, said: “I’ve only just got my head around describing myself as an author, so to try my hand at drama and put on a playwright hat for the first time has been a bit of a challenge – but it’s been great fun. I can’t wait for the performances as part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, and for audiences to see these four brilliant plays for the first time.”

Catriona Duggan

Catriona Duggan, who drew on her own experience as a school teacher to bring her play to life, said: “I’ve written for Short Attention Span Theatre a few times before and it’s always been a really wonderful and rewarding experience, but knowing you’re writing something which is going to be performed as part of the Comedy Festival is just a whole new level of excitement! I was really chuffed to be asked to be part of the writing crew for this event and I’m sure the cast will deliver fantastic shows for our audiences.”

For more information, and to buy tickets, visit glasgowcomedyfestival.seetickets.com

NEWS: TRON THEATRE LAUNCHES MAYFESTO 2019: A SEASON OF ESCAPOLOGY

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Mayfesto is the Tron’s mini-festival of edgy and provocative new work and with the world around us seemingly forever on a knife-edge, they present a cavalcade of escape artists. Fierce woman at home and abroad tear apart their societal constraints, lone adventurers strike out in environs new and dreamers to carry us down the rabbit hole and off to karaoke.

Eve Nicol and Andy Edwards are the Resident Artists for the festival, with Eve directing a brand-new work for Scotland, The Mistress Contract (1-11 May), which sets out to establish clear cut rules of engagement between the sexes in a complicated world of blurred lines and grey areas.  Inspired by the memoir of real-life couple, SHE and HE, Abi Morgan’s play is bruisingly candid.  Andy Edward’s work-in-progress piece, Arketype (24 & 25 May, 8pm) is a tragic-comic revisioning of Noah’s Ark – a retelling of the famous flood myth against a contemporary world of rising sea levels and men whose boats we don’t need.

Amid the current political climate, Johnny McKnight reworks Dario Fo’s hilarious 70s farce, Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! as Low Pay? Don’t Pay! (2-11 May) where the action moves to Glasgow and a group of women lose patience with low pay and rising prices and take direct action.  Gav Prentice, fresh from a residency with the National Theatre of Scotland presents his first play, Turn the Night (10 & 11 May), bringing the sounds of a real night out into the theatre.  Apphia Campbell’s Woke (15 & 16 May), set against a powerful soundtrack of original music and traditional gospel and blues, focuses on two women, 42 years apart who become involved in the struggle for human rights and Electrolyte (15 -18 May) is WILDCARD’s multi-award-winning piece of gig theatre that powerfully explores mental health.

There is a piece for younger audiences this Mayfesto, in the shape of Imaginate and Stellar Quines’ This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing (17 & 18 May).  This new play suitable for ages 7yrs+ is an empowering contemporary fairytale about determination, friendship and the ups and downs of growing older. They’res also the Fringe First-winning Status (24 & 25 May), scratch performance from ThickSkin, AWOL (30 & 31 May), the latest rehearsed reading in Fire Exit’s Pyromania programme, Tomorrow, Under Snow (28 May) and a visually sumptuous version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland (29 May – 1 June) from Ireland’s longest running theatre ensemble Blue Raincoat (Shackleton, The Third Policeman).

In the words of resident artist Andy Edwards: “This Mayfesto is a programme of dreams, plots and plans. Chances to escape what you already know, what you already think.you can only escape to come back, but can we return with fresh purpose, open hands, new ideas – ready to go again?”

This year’s Mayfesto is a brilliant opportunity to escape and enjoy the very best in new engaged and engaging work that the Tron and their visiting company partners have to offer.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Wed 1 – Sat 11 May
Tron Theatre Company presents
THE MISTRESS CONTRACT
Changing House
8pm (matinees Sat 4 & 11 May, 2.45pm)
BSL Thu 9 May
Tickets: £11 (£8.50)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

Inspired by a real-life memoir, Abi Morgan’s The Mistress Contract redefines the rules of engagement between the sexes in a complicated world of blurred lines and grey areas.

Thu 2 – Sat 11 May
Glasgow Life presents
LOW PAY? DON’T PAY!
Main Auditorium
7.45pm (matinee Sat 11 May, 2.30pm)
Tickets: £11- £17
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

A timely revival of Dario Fo’s famous satirical farce Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! brings the action to Glasgow in a new version by comedy genius Johnny McKnight.

Fri 10 – Sat 11 May
Gav Prentice presents
TURN THE NIGHT
Victorian Bar
8.30pm
Tickets: £11 (£8.50)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

Musician Gav Prentice writes and performs solo for his first play, portraying a succession of Karaoke night regulars bearing their souls via original songs.

Wed 15 & Thu 16 May
Play the Spotlight Theatre presents
WOKE
Main Auditorium
7.45pm
Tickets: £15 (£11)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

From the creator of the hit show Black Is The Color Of My Voice comes a new story about the 20th Century African American experience. Woke won the coveted Scotsman Fringe First Award for its premiere season and was highly commended by the judges of the Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award.

Wed 15 – Sat 18 May
WILDCARD presents
ELECTROLYTE
Changing House
8pm
Tickets: £11 (£8.50)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

Wildcard’s Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Electrolyte is a multi-award-winning piece of gig theatre that powerfully explores mental health for a contemporary audience.

Fri 17 & Sat 18 May
Imaginate and Stellar Quines present
This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing
Main Auditorium
1pm Fri 17; 2pm & 7pm Sat 18
Tickets: £10 (Family of 3 £27; Family of 4 £36)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

Triplet sisters left in a forest by their Father are forced to find their own way in the world. An empowering adventurous fairytale about growing up.

Fri 24 & Sat 25 May
China Plate and Straatstheater presents
STATUS
Main Auditorium
7.45pm
Tickets: £17 (£13)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

A globe-spanning journey of attempted escape, with songs along the way.

Fri 24 & Sat 25 May
Tron CREATIVE presents
ARKETYPE (Work in Progress)
Changing House
8pm
Tickets: £5 (£3 Maker)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

Arketype is a tragicomic revisioning of Noah’s Ark, a retelling of the famous flood myth against a contemporary world of rising sea levels, mustard knitwear and bearded men whose boats we don’t need.

Tue 28 May
Fire Exit presents
Pyromania (Rehearsed Reading): TOMORROW, UNDER SNOW
Changing House
8pm
Tickets: £5 (£3 Maker)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

Rehearsed reading of Andy Edward’s new work, Tomorrow, Under Snow developed through Fire Exit’s Pyromania programme.

Wed 29 May – Sat 1 June
Blue Raincoat Theatre Company presents
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Main Auditorium
7.45pm
Tickets: £15 (£11)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

From the creative team that brought you Shackleton and The Third Policeman comes a fast-paced visual and imaginative rendition of a timeless classic.

Thu 30 & Fri 31 May
ThickSkin presents
AWOL (Scratch Performance)
Changing House
8pm
Tickets: £5 (£3 Maker)
Tron Theatre
0141 552 4267
www.tron.co.uk

In a cold, controlled world, where we are all expected to conform, two individuals go under the radar to break away from the norm.

WHAT’S ON MARCH: FERGUSON AND BARTON BRING A NEW PIECE OF HITCHCOCK INSPIRED DANCE THEATRE TO PLATFORM

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Ferguson and Barton is an exciting new piece of dance-theatre coming to Platform on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th March 2019, which takes a dark look on gender, relationships and film. Filmic images are re-enacted and destroyed through movement, live video and fragmented text.

Loosely inspired by Hitchcock’s film Vertigo, Ferguson and Barton is a riotous challenge to the Hollywood patriarchy. It asks: ‘how do women play women and men play men?’. And do we have any hope of playing these roles together? In reaching back to Hitchcock’s 1958 classic film, Ferguson and Barton seeks to disrupt our contemporary perception of gender norms.

Show co-creator, Jim Manganello said: “Ferguson and Barton is a show about relationships, how we sustain them and how we mess them up. The two title characters love a bit of mischief. They want to explode the romantic images manufactured by Hollywood. So they make, on stage, a kind of alternative film of their own.”

Lucy Ireland, who also created the show, said: “We hope to bring together audiences that traditionally stick to either theatre or dance, giving them a kinetic experience that’s connected to the big themes of today. With Ferguson and Barton, this means taking on the Hollywood patriarchy and the archaic images of men and women that they’ve fed us.”

Ferguson and Barton is the first full piece presented by Shotput, recently founded in Glasgow as a bridge between theatre and dance. The show is created by Lucy Ireland and Jim Manganello, designed by Anna Yates, with lighting design by Emma Jones. It is made in association with Platform after being developed at Dance Base and The Work Room, with the support of Creative Scotland.

Ferguson and Barton

Platform, The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, G34 9JW

Mon 11th and Tue 12th March 2019 at 7pm

£8.50 (Full price), £5 (Concession) and £4 (Local Links)

Tickets via Platform Box Office: www.platform-online.co.uk / 0141 276 9696 (opt 1)

NEWS: Outlander, The Musical writer pays homage to fellow Scottish writer in upcoming theatre tour of Doorways in Drumorty

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Born and raised in Strichen, Aberdeenshire, Lorna Moon was an author, poet and leading Hollywood screenwriter. For years, she was its highest paid female scriptwriter writing screen plays for movies starring the biggest film stars of the era; Norma Shearer, Gloria Swanson, Lon Chaney Jr, Lionel Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Greta Garbo. Yet her book of short stories ‘Doorways in Drumorty’ was banned from the local Strichen library for 50 years because the town’s inhabitants were horrified at recognising themselves in the book’s characters.
First staged in 2010, this new production of Mike Gibb’s hugely successful play, ‘Doorways in Drumorty’ – based on a book of Moon’s collected short stories – will tour to 18 venues across Scotland between 18 April – 18 May 2019 supported by North East Arts Touring and Aberdeenshire Council. This updated version is produced by Awkward Stranger in association with Hame Productions, and directed by Andy Corelli.

Speaking about this latest tour, Mike Gibb said, “The question I get asked most about my stage work is ‘when are you doing Doorways in Drumorty again?’ and I am therefore delighted that Andy Corelli has put together this amazing tour that will introduce the wonderful world of Drumorty to so many people the length and breadth of Scotland.”

Set in a 1920s gossipy, rural Aberdeenshire community, this witty play is laugh-out-loud funny. Yet it steers through a sharply satirical observation of the personal agonies that individuals endure when beset by the strict observance of moral codes and prohibitions, all for the sake of outward appearance. It is as moving as it is amusing.
‘Doorways in Drumorty’ follows the story of Jessie McLean who seemed destined to become a spinster when at 16 the young man she fell in love with left town never to return, leaving her alone and unfulfilled. 35 years later, a girl in a similar though more extreme version of her own circumstances, helps her discover an inner courage which she uses to foil the myopia of those around her. Set alongside Jessie’s tale, are six vignettes depicting the experiences of other characters in the town.
Playwright and author Mike Gibb has been writing for the theatre since the late nineties and has produced a stream of Scottish-themed musicals and plays including the internationally acclaimed Outlander the Musical.

2019 is the 90th anniversary of Lorna Moon’s critically acclaimed novel ‘Dark Star’ which provides one of the stories for the play.

 

 

Doorways in Drumorty | 1hr 40 minutes plus interval.

Images: Colin Lindsay

NEWS: EASTWOOD PARK PRESENTS NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE

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Eastwood Park Theatre will bring the National Theatre to Giffnock as part of their project ‘NT Live’, which broadcasts world-class theatre across the UK.

Three NT Live performances are lined up this season, featuring renowned, award-winning actors including Gillian Anderson, Sally Field and Bill Pullman.

First on the line-up will be All About Eve, starring Gillian Anderson (X Files) and Lily James (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), streamed live to Eastwood Park Theatre on Thursday 11 April, followed by Arthur Miller’s All My Sons on 28 May and Andrea Levy’s Small Island on 11 July.

Anthony McReavy from East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, said: “National Theatre Live has been experienced by over five million people around the world so we’re excited to bring this concept to our local audience, featuring some of the best productions, with top class casts and performances. We have upgraded our cinema screen and technology with a new Panasonic Laser projector, screen and surround sound system to maximise the viewing experience of the National Theatre productions.

Each broadcast is filmed in front of a live audience in London’s West End with cameras positioned around the auditorium to ensure that our audience at Eastwood Park will enjoy the best possible experience of the show.

All About Eve will broadcast live from the West End in London, lifting the lid on a world of jealousy and ambition. This new production is from one of the world’s most innovative theatre directors, Ivo van Hove and asks why our fascination with celebrity, youth and identity never gets old.

Arthur Miller’s All My Sons will be filmed live at The Old Vic in London, starring Academy Award-winner Sally Field (Steel Magnolias, Brothers and Sisters) and Bill Pullman (The Sinner, Independence Day) and comes to Eastwood Park Theatre on 28 May.

The third show, Small Island, is a new theatre adaptation of Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel featuring a company of 40 actors who will be filmed live on stage as part of National Theatre Live’s 10th birthday, coming to Eastwood Park on 11 July.

Tickets cost £15 standard and students can attend for £12 for All About Eve and All My Sons. Tickets for Small Island are priced at £12 standard and students can attend for £10. Visit www.eastwoodparktheatre.co.uk/boxoffice or call 0141 577 4956. 

Pictured: Lily James, Gillian Anderson.

Photograph: Jan Versweyveld.

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