Exeter Northcott Theatre is delighted to announce details of its full Autumn 2010 programme of events, packed full of classic and contemporary plays, music, comedy, dance and family shows, there is sure to be something to tempt everyone.
The season opens with Filter Theatre’s Twelfth Night (5 – 9 October), an irreverent and fast-paced take on this much-loved comedy. Originally performed in the RSC’s Complete Works Festival, it’s one of the freshest and most acclaimed Shakespeare productions of recent years.
The drama continues with Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds’ production of George Lillo’s The London Merchant (20, 22 & 23 October), a lost dramatic gem of the Georgian era, presented as part of their Restoring the Repertoire residency, which includes a Script In Hand reading of John Bull (21 October) and a free illustrated talk on the history and restoration of the Regency Theatre Royal (The Georgian Globe, 23 October).
Other drama includes English Touring Theatre’s heart-warming Rum and Coca Cola (10 – 13 November), directed by Don Warrington (Rising Damp, Manchild) and Simon Ward and Susan Penhaligon star in a new touring production of Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III (23 – 27 November).
For fans of new writing, ScriptUnscript present The Sugar Syndrome (17 & 18 November), the debut play by the award-winning young playwright Lucy Prebble of Enron fame.
For families, international collective Peut-être Theatre invite you to meet The Bug and The Butterfly (10 October), an exciting new show for adults and children that fuses dance and music with Spanish and English text, inspired by the poems of Frederico Garcia Lorca.
Vamos Theatre’s Nursing Lives (1 – 3 December) is a full-mask theatre production, designed to appeal to audiences from 8 to 108, that celebrates nurses at work and play during the years of World War II.
Exeter Northcott will also be hosting a series of events as part of EXE-treme Imagination (1 – 7 November) – a new festival of literature for children and young people packed with amazing things to do with stories and texts. Highlights include the chance to meet celebrated authors Floella Benjamin (6 November), Michael Morpurgo (4 November), Bel Mooney (7 November) and John O’Farrell (7 November), and Show of Strength Theatre Company & Travelling Light Theatre Company present Celebration (6 & 7 November), a wonderful collection of plays written just for children and performed at different times and locations over the weekend.
For Christmas 2010 our family show is Tall Stories’ Room on the Broom (Tues 14 December – Sun 2 January). From the creators of The Gruffalo, and based on the best selling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the show features songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up (and their grown ups).
The ever popular Jasmin Vardimon Company return with their new work 7734 (2 & 3 November), which once again combines dance, video, text and music to create an awe-inspiring performance, and English Touring Opera present a double bill of operas set to texts by famous playwrights: Promised End (29 October) is a new opera by Alexander Goehr based on King Lear, one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays, whilst The Duenna (30 October) is the first new production after hundreds of years, of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s play. This opera, the most popular of the Georgian period, is tuneful, sabre-tongued, light-hearted and irreverent.
Music this season comes in a variety of forms with the return of the ever popular Classical Concert Series, featuring Pianist Freddy Kempf (17 October), classic jazz performed by Mitch Winehouse (19 November), spectacular song and dance numbers performed by a West End cast in Gotta Sing Gotta Dance (14 – 16 October), and Hit Me! The Life & Rhymes of Ian Dury (11 October), which is a warts-and-all portrait of the Blockhead’s lead singer, featuring many of his best songs performed live.
On the comedy front, Ardal O’Hanlon promises lots of topical gags in his new stand-up show (31 October), as he laughs in the face of mounting adversity – recession, inclement weather, an ageing body, and impending doom, and you’re invited to ‘tuck in’ as a guest of Hardeep Singh Kohli in The Nearly Naked Chef (14 November), as the celebrated broadcaster, raconteur, writer and cook combines comedy with inventive cuisine in a wonderfully funny, laid back evening’s entertainment.
Times are tough for everyone so we’ve made sure that there are prices to suit every pocket, including a new concession for patrons aged 60+ on most shows. Further savings can be made by buying a Season Saver, which allows customers to see up to 4 plays at a discounted price. For younger members of our audience we’re pleased to continue to offer FREE tickets for Under 26s through Arts Council England’s A Night Less Ordinary scheme.
Tickets are already on general sale for the Autumn 2010 Season on and are available by calling the Exeter Northcott Theatre Box Office on 01392 493493, or choose your seats online at www.exeternorthcott.co.uk Alternatively buy in person from Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, EX4 4QB.
Exeter Northcott – Autumn 2010 Listings
OCTOBER
Filter in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company presents
Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
Tues 5 – Sat 9 October 7.30pm
Thurs Schools Matinee 2.30pm
Sat Matinee 2.30pm
Post Show Talks Wed 6 & Thurs (matinee) 7 October
Tickets: £12 to £20, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C & D)
An irreverent and fast-paced take on this much-loved comedy that was originally performed in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works Festival.
Peut-être Theatre presents
The Bug and The Butterfly
Sun 10 October
2.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 all seats;
Family Ticket: £24 for 3, additional tickets half price.
Age: 4yrs+
International collective, Peut-être Theatre fuse dance and music with Spanish and English text in this exciting new show for adults and children, inspired by the poems of Federico Garcia Lorca.
Seabright Productions present
Hit Me! The Life & Rhymes of Ian Dury
Mon 11 October
7.30pm
Tickets: £15 all seats
Age: 16yrs+ contains strong language
This warts-and-all portrait of the Blockhead’s lead singer tours direct from its second West End season, exploring the highs and lows of Ian Dury’s extraordinary career and inspirational life story.
Gotta Sing Gotta Dance
Thurs 14 – Sat 16 October 7.30pm
Sat Matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £14 – £20
A top West End cast and live band promise an unforgettable night at the musicals. Featuring show stopping numbers from Hairspray, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Les Miserables, 42nd Street, Barnum, Mamma Mia and many more.
Classical Concert Series
Freddy Kempf, Piano
Sun 17 October
7.30pm
Tickets: 16 all seats.
One of today’s most successful young classical artists performs works by Beethoven, Liszt and Chopin.
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds present
The London Merchant
by George Lillo
Wed 20, Fri 22 & Sat 23 October
7.30pm
Post Show Talk: Wed 20 October
Tickets: £12 – £20, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C & D)
As part of its nationally acclaimed Restoring the Repertoire programme, the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds presents the latest in its exquisite series of period productions. A tragic tale of seduction, betrayal and murder, The London Merchant was written in 1731, and was one of the most popular and enduring dramas of its age.
Presented as part of the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmund’s Restoring the Repertoire residency.
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds present
A Script in Hand reading
John Bull; or, An Englishman’s Fireside
Thurs 21 October
7.30pm
Tickets: £12, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C & D)
Followed by post show discussion
A comedy in five acts by George Colman, originally performed in 1803. Local performers will join the cast of The London Merchant for this exciting opportunity to rediscover a lost work together.
Presented as part of the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmund’s Restoring the Repertoire residency.
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds present
The Georgian Globe
An Illustrated talk by Colin Blumenau
Sat 23 October
5pm
FREE admission
An illustrated talk by artistic director Colin Blumenau on the exquisite Regency Theatre Royal, so admired by many of our finest actors.
Presented as part of the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmund’s Restoring the Repertoire residency.
English Touring Opera present a
Double bill of Operas set to texts by famous playwrights
Fri 29 & Sat 30 October
7.30pm
Promised End – Fri 29 October
A world première production of a new work by Alexander Goehr, based on Shakespeare’s King Lear.
The Duenna – Sat 30 October
A comic opera by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Tickets: £17 to £30, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (price bands B, C & D).
Mick Perrin for Just for Laughs Live Ltd presents
Ardal O’Hanlon
Sun 31 October
8pm
£18 all seats
New stand-up show from star of TV’s Father Ted, My Hero and Big Bad World.
NOVEMBER
Jasmin Vardimon Company present
7734
Tues 2 & Wed 3 November
7.30pm
Tickets: £10 to £18, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C & D)
Age: 14yrs+ contains material of an adult nature
Post Show Talk: Tues 2 November
Jasmin Vardimon uses video, text, music and awe-inspiring performances by a nine-strong company of international dancers in her latest work. Questioning the human forces and weaknesses that have manufactured hell on earth, this piece also illuminates our capacity for survival and the poetry of hope.
EXE-treme Imagination
Festival of Literature for Children and Young People
A fabulous new festival for children and young people packed with amazing things to do with stories and texts. These events at Exeter Northcott are just some of the exciting things that will be happening all over the city from 1 – 7 November.
Imagine There’s a Future
Thurs 4 November
(time TBC)
School choirs from across Devon perform winning poems about how they imagine themselves and our world in the future, set to music by composer Jonathan Lee.
Tickets: £3
Floella Benjamin
Sat 6 November
11am
An opportunity to meet the multi-talented actress, television producer and author, as she talks about her new books Arms of Britannia and My Two Grandads.
Tickets: Adults £4, Children £2
Michael Morpurgo
Sat 6 November
2pm
The bestselling author of War Horse and former Children’s Laureate talks about how he became a writer and his new books An Elephant in the Garden, Running Wild and Not Bad for a Bad Lad.
Tickets: Adults £5, Children £3
Musical Magic
Sat 6 November
4.30pm
A magical tour of the Orchestra with Exeter University Music Scholars as they perform music from the films Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Beauty and the Beast and Lord of the Rings.
Tickets: £3
Bel Mooney
Sun 7 November
2pm
An opportunity to meet children’s author Bel Mooney, as she talks about her funny and heart-warming new series of books featuring Harry and a very small white dog called Bonnie.
Tickets: Adults £4, Children £2
Age: 6yrs+
John O’Farrell
Sun 7 November
4.30pm
Best-selling author, newspaper columnist and comedy writer John O’Farrell talks about how he got started as a writer and shares some of the hilarious highs and lows of his journey.
Tickets: £4
Age: 13yrs+
Show of Strength Theatre Company & Travelling Light Theatre Company present
Celebration
Sat 6 & Sun 7 November, various times
Not just your average theatre, Celebration is a wonderful collection of plays written just for children and performed at different times and locations over the weekend.
Tickets: £3. Family Ticket: £7.50 for 3, additional tickets half price.
Age: 8yrs+
English Touring Theatre, Talawa Theatre Company & West Yorkshire Playhouse present
Rum and Coca Cola
by Mustapha Matura
directed by Don Warrington
Wed 10 – Sat 13 November
7.30pm
Tickets: £12 – £20, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C & D)
Age: 12yrs+
Post Show Talk: Thurs 11 November
Set on the beautiful island paradise of Trinidad, under the fiery heat of the Caribbean sun, Slim and Professor play sweet calypso for passing tourists. This gently humorous, bittersweet tale marks the directorial debut of Trinidadian born Don Warrington (Rising Damp, Manchild).
Seabright Productions and Gilded Balloon Productions present
Hardeep Singh Kohli
The Nearly Naked Chef
Sun 14 November
7.30pm
Tickets: £15.
Age: 14yrs+
Grab a seat and tuck in, as the celebrated broadcaster, raconteur, writer and cook combines comedy with inventive cuisine in a wonderfully funny, laid back evening’s entertainment.
ScriptUnscript present
The Sugar Syndrome
by Lucy Prebble
directed by Madeleine Vose
Wed 17 & Thurs 18 November
7.30pm
Tickets: £12, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C, D)
Post Show Talk: Wed 17 November
Age: 16yrs+
As her sell-out west end hit Enron begins its national tour, this is a unique opportunity to see award-winning playwright Lucy Prebble’s debut play about adolescence and fractured identity, in its first professional UK revival.
Mitch Winehouse
Fri 19 November
7.30pm
Tickets: £16 to £20
Mitch performs a selection of classic jazz songs including Please Be Kind, How Insenstive and You Go To My Head, from his new album Rush of Love.
Chance to Dance 2010
Sat 20 November
6.15pm
Tickets: £8, Conc. £1 off for Under 16s and 60+
An evening of dance and performance featuring children from local dancing schools and after-school dance clubs.
Wilde Enterprises in association with South Hill Park, Eastbourne Theatres and Anvil Arts present
The Madness of George III
by Alan Bennett
Starring Simon Ward and Susan Penhaligon
Tues 23 – Sat 27 November 7.30pm
Sat Matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £12 to £20, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C & D)
Post Show Talk: Thurs 25 November
Age: 12yrs+
Gripping drama, dangerous politics and irreverent comedy collide in a rollercoaster ride where the health of the nation is at the mercy of the mental health of one man. Simon Ward and Susan Penhaligon star in this new touring production of Alan Bennett’s celebrated play.
Classical Concert Series
Katie Stillman, Violin
Sun 28 November
7.30pm
Tickets: 13 all seats.
Canadian violinist Katie Stillman and pianist Simon Lane perform works by Schubert, Ravel, Britten and Elgar.
DECEMBER
Vamos Theatre present
Nursing Lives
Wed 1 – Fri 3 December
7.30pm
Tickets: £12, 60+ £2 off, half price concessions (bands B, C & D)
Post Show Talk: Thurs 2 December
Age: 8yrs+
Full-mask theatre production that celebrates nurses at work and play during the years of World War II, with evocative music and song, physical theatre and 1940s dance sequences.
Tall Stories present
Room on the Broom
Tues 14 December – Sun 2 January
Schools: (14 – 16 Dec) 10.30am & 1.30pm, £7.50 groups 10+
Family: (18 Dec – 2 Jan) 11am & 2pm
£10 all seats. Groups 10+ get 11th ticket free.
A magical Christmas family show for all ages 3yrs+, adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, and brought to you by the creators of The Gruffalo.