Exeter Northcott Theatre have unveiled the shows planned for the Autimn season. They have also just unveiled an exciting new visual identity, and will shortly be launching a new look website as well, harnessing the very latest technologies to streamline our ticketing service and improve the way they interact with our customers.
Kate Tyrrell, Executive Director at the Exeter Northcott, said: “I am delighted to be introducing Exeter Northcott’s Autumn 2011 Season, an exciting mix of the best national touring dance, drama and family theatre, spiced with a healthy dash of comedy, music and personal appearances. We are confident that our ever increasing and broadening audiences will find something to enjoy and, as ever, we look forward to welcoming you to our lovely theatre and sharing our passion for live performance and hospitality with you.”
DRAMA
This season we will be hosting the very best in national touring drama, including the return of English Touring Theatre with Roger McGough’s adaptation of Moliere’s Tartuffe (11-15 October), which was originally presented to great acclaim at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. We will also be welcoming Handspring Puppet Company, the multi-award-winning creators of War Horse with Woyzeck on the Highveld (4 & 5 November), telling the story of a migrant worker’s struggles in 1950’s South Africa, using rod-manipulated puppets and animated film to spectacular and moving effect.
Out of Joint is back with Sarah Feehily’s Bang Bang Bang (9-12 November) a tragicomedy which goes behind the public face of charities, journalists and NGO’s. Internationally renowned touring company Pilot Theatre will also be making a welcome return in November with David Harrower’s remarkable and thought-provoking Blackbird (30 November – 3 December) which won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.
On the back of their triumphant production of Private Peaceful, younger theatre fans won’t want to miss the return of Scamp Theatre with another adaptation of Devon author, Michael Morpurgo’s stories. Friend of Foe (22 – 26 November) is the tale of two boys evacuated from London to Devon at the height of the Second World War and their unlikely relationship with a German airman they discover hiding in their Dartmoor village.
FAMILY THEATRE
There’s another winning selection of popular family shows visiting the Exeter Northcott Theatre over the coming months, including a 40th anniversary production of Mr Benn (27 & 28 August), sure to delight a whole new generation and suitable for those aged four and up. This will be followed by the not-quite so well dressed Mr Stink, a musical adaptation of the hilarious children’s novel by David Walliams, aimed at children seven and over. There’s even a free scratch’n’sniff booklet for everyone, making it the first stage show to actually pong!
This year’s family Christmas show will be We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (8 December – 1 January), adapted from the much-loved children’s book by Michael Rosen and aimed at those three years and up. The show is packed with catchy songs, interactive scenes and plenty of hands-on-adventure and follows a group of intrepid adventurers on their quest to find a bear.
MUSIC
Music lovers won’t want to miss out on our Classical Concert Series, which launches with celebrity pianist Jon Lill. English Touring Opera and the Old Street Band present a festival of baroque and theatrical music (16 – 19 November), with Flavio, The Fairy Queen and Xerxes.
Folk music fans should make a date with the incredible Ian McMillan Orchestra (2 October), for a night that will also take in poems, comedy and improvisation from the “Bard of Barnsley.” The legendary Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band will also be making a welcome return to the Exeter Northcott stage (16 December).
DANCE Those passionate about dance are in for some real treats this season, with Lea Anderson’s all-male company The Featherstonehaughs (19-20 October) hitting the road for the very last time after 25 critically acclaimed years. The Featherstonehaughs Draw on the Sketchbooks of Egon Schiele features an entirely new score and stunning costumes by three-time Oscar winner designer Sandy Powell.
Dance fans should also make a date to see White Caps (1 – 2 November), a thrilling mixture of street dance and film, with two dancers magically jumping in and out of the screen to jaw-dropping effect. This multimedia masterpiece is an unmissable opportunity to see two of the country’s top bboys pushing the boundaries of their craft.
COMEDY
We also have some real treats for comedy fans, kicking off with Fascinating Aïda: The Cheap Flights Tour (18 September). Britain’s best loved comedy cabaret trio will be performing brand new material, as well as a selection of classics, including their infamous anthem to budget travel and global internet hit, Cheap Flights. Familiar personalities from TV and radio comedy visiting the theatre include Robin Ince with Happiness Through Science and Mitch Benn & The Distractions with Ode Warrior.
PERSONAL APPEARANCES
Direct from this year’s Edinburgh Festival, we welcome Julian Sands in a Celebration of Harold Pinter (15 September), which features the actor performing poems and prose selected from the playwright’s huge literary legacy, intertwined with personal anecdotes in an evening directed by none other than John Malkovich.
The charming Hardeep Singh Kohli will be returning with a new show called Chat Masala! Combining a chat show with cookery, this promises to be a gastronomic treat that audience members will also get to sample.
VISUAL ARTS
Exeter Northcott will also be hosting the Devon Open Studios launch event (1 September) and showcasing the work of two artists – Marion Kemp Pack and Nigel Waters throughout the two week event (3-18 September). Throughout October, we will also be hosting a selling exhibition of work by members of the Devon Artist Network.
Tickets for the Summer 2011 Season go on sale on 22nd July 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.
Full Listings
Tall Stories presents
Mr Benn
Sat 27 & Sun 28 August
Sat 1.30pm; Sun 10.30am & 1.30pm
Tickets £9.50
Family Ticket: £24 for 3, up to 3 additional tickets HALF PRICE.
Age: 4 yrs+
40 anniversary show based on the much-loved TV series, featuring catchy songs and astounding magic – perfect for old friends of Mr Benn and new adventurers alike.
Nick Brooke Theatre presents
Julian Sands in a Celebration of Harold Pinter
Thurs 15 September 7.30pm
Tickets £15.50 Conc. £2 off Student Standby £8
Julian Sands combines Pinter’s poems and political prose with personal anecdotes in a show directed by John Malkovich.
Fascinating Aïda: The Cheap Flights Tour
Sun 18 September 7.30pm
£20.50
Age: 16 yrs+
Britain’s best loved comedy cabaret trio present new material and classics such as The Dogging Song and global internet hit, Cheap Flights.
Mr Stink
Tues 20 – Sun 25 September
Tues 20 Sep 7pm, Fri 23 7pm, Sat 24 Sep 3pm & 7pm, Sun 25 Sep 11am & 3pm
Adults £17, Conc. £14
Age 7 yrs+
A musical adaptation based on the hilarious children’s novel by David Walliams. Free scratch ‘n’ sniff booklet for everyone…the first stage show to actually pong!
The Ian McMillan Orchestra
Sun 2 October 7.30pm
Tickets £14 Conc. £2 off Student Standby £8
A scintillating night of poems, music, comedy and improvisation from the Bard of Barnsley and a jaw-dropping band of ensemble players.
Meta Morpho present
Devil in the Detail
Wed 5 – Sat 8 October 7.30pm
£12.50 Conc. £2 off, Student Standby £8
Loosely based on John Morton’s Victorian one-act farce, Box and Cox, this is a manic masked theatre black comedy about greed and deceit.
Seabright Productions present
Hardeep Singh Kohli: Chat Masala
Sun 9 October 7.30pm
£15.50 Conc. £2 off, Student Standby £8
Hardeep returns to Exeter with a show that combines his first true loves – cooking and chatting.
English Touring Theatre present
Roger McGough’s adaptation of Molière’s
Tartuffe
Tues 11 – Sat 15 October 7.30pm. Sat Matinee 2.30pm
Originally presented to great acclaim in Liverpool, this fresh and vibrant translation of the classic comedy is re-told by “Liverpool’s Poet Laureate”, Roger McGough.
John Lill
Sun 16 October 7.30pm
£16.50, Student Standby £8. Series Saver available.
One of Britain’s most popular musicians performs:
MOZART- Sonata in D, K576; BEETHOVEN – Sonata in C, Op 53 ‘Waldstein’; CHOPIN – Ballade No 4 in F minor, Op54; LISZT – Sonata in B Minor. Part of the Classical Concert Series 2011/12
The Featherstonehaughs
Draw on the Sketchbooks of Egon Schiele
Wed 19 & Thurs 20 October 7.30pm
Tickets £10.50 – £18.50. Conc. £2 off, Student Standby £8
Age 14yrs+
A final farewell tour of Lea Anderson’s spectacular all male contemporary dance company, featuring a live score and costumes by three-time Oscar winning designer Sandy Powell.
Bash Street Theatre present
The Lion Tamer
A silent-movie circus show for all ages
Fri 21 & Sat 22 october
Fri 6pm; Sat 11am & 2pm
£10; Family Ticket £24 for 3, up to 3 more £8 each
Age 6yrs+
The Lion Tamer combines circus skills, slapstick comedy and live piano accompaniment to bring you a black-and-white movie show from the golden age of the silver screen.
Stage by Stage present
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Tues 25 – Sun 30 October
Evenings: Tues – Sat 7pm. Matinee: Sat 2pm & Sun 1pm
Tickets £10 – £14; Conc. £2 off; Family Ticket £40 (2 adults + 2 Children)
Age 3yrs+
Local company Stage by Stage present a tale as old as time, bursting with song, dance, laughter and love.
Robin Ince
Happiness Through Science
Sun 30 October 7.30pm
Following on from his sell-out national tour of Uncaged Monkeys, with Professor Brian Cox, and as a co-presenter for BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage, Robin continues his comic exploration of the human condition.
Travelling Light & Sixth Sense Theatre Companies present
Bob, the Man on the Moon
Sun 6 November 2.30pm & 4.30pm
£10; Family Ticket £24 for 3 + up to 3 more for £8 each
Age: 3yrs+
A funny and delightful show inspired by the hugely popular award-winning book by Simon Bartram about a man whose job it is to look after the moon.
Champloo Dance Company and Travelling Light present
A Theatre Bristol and Bristol Old Vic co-commission
White Caps
Tues 1 & Wed 2 November 7.30pm
Tickets £15.50 & £16.50 Conc. £2 off; Student Standby £8
Age 10 yrs+
A jaw-dropping multi-media fusion of lyrical film and explosive breakdance, this is an unmissable opportunity to see two of the country’s top bboys pushing the boundaries of their craft.
Handspring Puppet Company
Woyzeck on the Highveld
From the award-winning creators of War Horse
Fri 4 & Sat 5 November 7.30pm Sat Matinee 2.30pm
£12.50 Conc. £2 off; Student Standby £8
Age: 14 yrs+
A beautiful, haunting production that uses rod-manipulated puppets and animated film to tell the story of a migrant worker’s struggles in 1950s South Africa.
Out of Joint
Bang Bang Bang
Wed 9 – Sat 12 November 7.30pm
Tickets £12.50 – £20.50 Conc. £2 off; Student Standby £8
Age 14 yrs+
Stella Feehily brings her trademark wit and emotional insight to this thrilling new play that goes behind the public face of charities, journalists and NGOs.
University of Exeter Scholars’ Ensemble & Concert Band present
Musical Magic 2: Pirates Ahoy!
Sun 13 November 3.30pm
£5
Age: 5 yrs+
Set sail on a voyage of musical discovery featuring suites from The Pirates of the Caribbean and some of Benjamin Britten’s Sea Interludes, as well as other works inspired by pirates and the sea.
English Touring Opera
Wed 16 – Sat 19 November 7.30pm
Tickets £17 – £30 Conc. HALF PRICE
ETO and the Old Street Band present a festival of baroque opera and theatrical music.
Flavio // HANDEL
Wed 16 November
Handel’s Flavio mixes comedy and tragedy, telling a story of bitter rivalry between families and a pair of star-crossed lovers.
The Fairy Queen//PURCELL
Thurs 17 November
Purcell’s The Fairy Queen is a strange, delicate masque, recreating the enchanted world of A Midsummer Nights Dream.
Xerxes//HANDEL
Fri 18 & Sat 19 November
Xerxes is one of Handel’s most celebrated masterpieces – a comedy in the Venetian style, with many short arias and ensembles including the well-known Ombra mai fu.
Mitch Benn & The Distractions
Ode Warrior
Sun 20 November 7.30pm
£14 Conc. £2 off; Student Standby £8
From BBC Radio 4’s Sony nominated Now Show, BBC1’s One Show and BBC1’s Watchdog, multi-award winner Mitch Benn and his band take to the road in a two hour show packed with new songs and old favourites.
Scamp Theatre and Watford Palace Theatre present
Friend or Foe
Tues 22 – Sat 26 November 7.30pm
£12.50 Conc. £2 off; Student Standby £8
Age: 8yrs+
Adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s thrilling story in which two evacuees embark on a wondrous adventure deep in the Devonshire countryside.
Tim Lowe, Cello & James Baillieu, Piano
Sun 27 November 7.30
£13.50, Student Standby £8. Series Saver available.
This talented performance duo will be performing:
BEETHOVEN – Sonata in C major Op.102 No.1; SCHUMANN – Adagio and Allegro; BRAHMS – Sonata in F major Op.99 and MARTINU – Variations on a theme of Rossini. Part of the Classical Concert Series 2011/12.
Pilot Theatre & York Theatre Royal present
Blackbird
Wed 30 Nov – Sat 3 Dec 7.30pm
£12.50 – £20.50 Conc. £2 off; Student Standby £8
Age: 15yrs+
Winner of the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, David Harrower’s unflinching portrait of two people trying to make sense of a painful past is uncomfortable, tragic and full of tensions.
Kenny Wax and Nick Brooke Ltd present
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
Thurs 8 December – Sun 1 January
Various times
£10
3yrs+
Join the intrepid adventurers on their quest to find a bear, featuring catchy songs, interactive scenes and plenty of hands on adventure.
Le Théâtre De Decadence
Burlesque and Variety Christmas Show
Dress to Impress (optional)
Mon 12 December 7.30pm
£15.50 Conc. £2 off; Student Standby £8
Age: 14yrs+
This naughty and nostalgic show mixes bizarre circus skills, freakishly fun sideshow acts and a generous serving of burlesque, to create a night of sensual and sensational entertainment.
Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band
Fri 16 December 7.30pm
£20.50
One of the most successful and best loved British jazz bands of all time, play Strangers On The Shore and more!
Sitkovetsky Piano Trio
Sun 5 February 7.30pm
£14.50; Student Standby £8
These three young students from the Yehudi Menuhin School perform:
HAYDN – Trio in C HOB XV:27; BEETHOVEN – trio in B flat ‘Archduke’ and SMETANA – Piano Trio in G Minor. Part of the Classical Concert Series 2011/12.
Navarra String Quartet
Sun 4 March 7.30pm
£14.50; Student Standby £8
This talented quartet perform:
HAYDN – Quartet in B Flat Op.76 No.1; BRAHMS – Quartet in C Minor Op.51 No 1 and SCHUBERT – Quartet in A minor ‘Rosamunde.’ Part of the Classical Concert Series 2011/12.