Contra Puntal
An exhibition of painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media work by Beatrice Lacey and Carola Colley. These are contemporary artists whose work differs in approach, technique and material; yet there are underlying strands of connection that have become increasingly apparent over the 30 years they have known each other. This exhibition is the result of a decision to pull those strands together, beginning with a sketching tour in a VW Campervan from Olhao to Bilbao.
The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare.
“A stage where every man must play a part …”
Sussex-based touring theatre company, Bowler Crab, bring their 12th Shakespearean production to Sussex, Kent and London this summer. The Merchant of Venice is an edgy comedy filled with romance, laughter and the odd tear.
Three love stories roll into one as we follow young lovers on a voyage to woo the women of their dreams; but how dark will the tale turn when their friend must pay their debts? How accountable can friendship be when wagered with of a pound of human flesh?
A comedy full of love, riddles, disguises, song and dance – but also one that questions the topics of race, class, worth, gender, religion and, ultimately… revenge.
A Bowler Crab Production.
Song To The Siren
Directed by Niall Whitehead and Barbara Ward.
‘Song To the Siren’ is a magical exploration of haunting myths and true stories from the oceans of the world.
Tales of adventure, danger, magic and mystery, interweave to create an enchanting piece of storytelling which will take the audience on an incredible theatrical journey over and under the waves.
1066 Youth Theatre is an outstanding ensemble for young people, consistently producing engaging and relevant theatre for today.
‘Song To the Siren’ is an entrancing play which explores stories, past and present, to create a spectacular modern theatre production.
Legends of voyagers, pirates, ghosts and mythical creatures are brought to life through this extraordinary drama. A vibrant mix of physical theatre, music, comedy and drama combine to create an inspirational theatrical experience.
Cast
TBC
You can find out more about 1066 Youth Theatre here.
A Bunch of Amateurs
a comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.
In their introduction to this play Ian Hislop and Nick Newman describe it as ‘a love letter to amateur dramatics’ and so it is.
‘A Bunch of Amateurs’ started life as a film screenplay for a movie released in 2008 starring Burt Reynolds, Sir Derek Jacobi, Imelda Staunton and Samantha Bond. To quote Hislop and Newman again ‘The experience of writing the film was to have a direct impact on the writing of the subsequent play. Whereas the film was written from the imagination, the play was based far more on our experience of working with a bona fide Hollywood star. Like our hero the former Hollywood legend Jefferson Steel, Burt Reynolds was looking to reboot his career. Like Steel, Reynolds was surrounded by actors more versed in Shakespeare than he. Like Jefferson, Burt had a problem remembering some of his lines. The words “ I can do it with a look” saw a page of dialogue disappear on screen. So when the Watermill Theatre, Newbury finally commissioned us to write Amateurs for the stage in 2014, we knew we could make it much richer and more realistic.’
The Plot
Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steel arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but a sleepy Suffolk village. And instead of Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench, the cast are a bunch of amateurs trying to save their theatre from developers. Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity, and insecurity are tested to the limit by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians. As acting worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers some truths about himself – along with his inner Lear!
Whatsonstage gave it 5 stars and described it a ‘terrific comedy packed with killer comic dialogue .. and plenty of twists and turns’. Just the show for carnival week in Hastings.
A Stables Theatre production directed by Chris Lacey.
The Cast
Jefferson Steel – David Morley
Dorothy Nettle – Jenny Lloyd-Lyons
Nigel Dewsbury – Michael Wilson
Mary Plunkett – Sally Ann Lycett
Denis Dobbins – Mark Lee
Lauren Bell – Madeleine Lee
Jessica Steel – Katie Marks
Assistants to the Director/ Prompt /Off stage voices – Libby Annetts. Bez Cuss
Props Manager – Carrie Beeson
Austen’s Women
From the creators of Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Christmas Gothic, Dalloway, I, Elizabeth, Female Gothic and The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe…
Thirteen of Jane Austen’s heroines come to life in this bold revisiting of some of literature’s most celebrated works. In this much-loved Edinburgh sell-out hit, using only Austen’s words, Rebecca Vaughan (Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Dalloway, I, Elizabeth, Christmas Gothic) becomes Emma Woodhouse, Lizzy Bennet, Mrs Norris, Miss Bates and nine other beautifully observed women in critical moments from Austen’s major novels (including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma) and lesser known or unfinished works.
Directed by Olivier Award winner, Guy Masterson (Morecambe).
★★★★★ ’Truly extraordinary… one of the most exciting young performers on the British stage’ (British Theatre Guide)
★★★★★ ’A theatrical masterpiece… utterly faultless and vastly entertaining’ (Three Weeks)
Diary of a Nobody
by George and Weedon Grossmith, adapted for the stage by Hugh Osborne.
One of English literature’s finest comic novels is brought to life in this fast-paced and lively show that promises fun, laughter, music and theatrical ingenuity.
‘Diary of a Nobody’ describes, in painfully hilarious detail, the simplicities and humiliations, trials and tribulations of 15 months in the life of bumptious and self-important Victorian bank clerk Charles Pooter.
In this inventive stage adaptation, Pooter has decided the world needs to hear his diary, so has enlisted three esteemed thespian chums to help impart the woes of his humdrum existence to anyone who will listen.
A show not to be missed for fans of this classic comic novel and anyone else looking for an evening of hilarity and madcap entertainment.
A Stables Theatre production directed by Rob Hustwayte. Music by Robert Connelly.
Starring
Ups and Downs
Credit: Annie Soudain.
Experience the joy of Spring through the eyes of selected local artists, who reveal how deeply they are inspired by the endlessly changing diversity of sea and sky, hill and heartland, song and celebration.
Prints with a Point
Credit: Emily Johns
Talented printmakers reveal how innovation and imagination have elevated this ancient decorative art beyond the bounds of mere illustration.
