Colchester Arts Centre: Never Knowingly Understood
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Theatre
| Wed 10 | Prototype Theatre: Third Person: Bonnie & Clyde... |
| Wed 4 | Paines Plough: Tiny Volcanoes | Strap yourselves in for a full throttle rollercoaster ride through the dilapidated attractions of broken Britain, exposing the millions of tiny volcanoes bubbling up through our green and pleasant land… Two actors play a host of characters in a fast-paced, hilarious and excoriating inquisition into noble old Blighty that fuses theatre, comedy, dance and tub-thumping tunes. With hymns… |
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| Thu 26 | Triumphant Desire | Theatre Nomad: A night of depravity, horror and ectasy. Inspired by the poems and dances of Anita Berber and Sebastian Droste (Berlin/Vienna 1922) |
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| Thu 12 | Cepheus | Zagreb 1912 and students are rising against the Empire of the Two Headed Eagle. Spring 2011 Croatian theatrical innovators The House of Extreme Music Theatre explore the revolutionaries’ story to create a visual and sound world which could be both 1912 and 2011. At its heart is the simple question : ‘what more could I have done?’ Surprising, stimulating and provocative - European theatre at its best. |
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| Wed 13 | Martin Figura: Whistle | At the centre of Martin Figura’s Whistle is his mother’s death at the hands of his father when he was nine years old. The show goes beyond this shocking central event to tell a moving comingof- age story. Figura depicts a post-war British childhood through poetry, story-telling and striking visuals created by Andre Barreau and Karen Hall. In this hour-long multi-media piece, he explores themes of identity, forgiveness, loss, adoption and family with insight and gentle humour to give the audience a profound and uplifting experience. |
| Thu 23 | Susanne Hawkes: Refugee Cafe | Sudan, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq... Escaping from oppression is just the beginning. Based on true life stories and experiences of refugees and asylum seekers who have found their home, this play celebrates their courage and tenacity with humour and pathos. Supported by the Suffolk Refugee Support Forum, The Refugee Council and the Heritage Lottery. |
| Thu 6 | THE CABINET OF LEOPOLD THORN | The creator of ‘Manly Truelove’ turns literary detective to perform this extraordinary story of ambition, loss, scandal and deception which took place in the obsessive, clandestine and occasionally ridiculous world of 19th Century Stage Illusion... So prepare yourself for an evening of sleights, misdirection and Steam-Punk Victoriana as Darren unwraps the mysterious life of Leopold Thorn: Illusionist (professionally), Murderer (reputedly), Scientific Genius (quite possibly) and Strutting Dandy (unquestionably) and attempts to answer the question of how a man who invented the greatest illusion ever known was so comprehensively erased from the history of stage magic... WARNING – THIS PLAY MAY CONTAIN CARD TRICKS... |
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| Thu 27 | LIMBIK: GHOST TOWN | Every boom has its bust. Nestled high in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the town of Bodie was one of the richest mining camps of the Californian Gold Rush. After years of prosperity, good fortune and greed, the streams are about to run dry. Ghost Town follows the inhabitants of Bodie fighting to survive as the mines shut down, jealousies spark and a final showdown looms. With breathtaking imagery and virtuosic live music, Ghost Town continues Limbik's search into the stories buried in epic landscapes. A western for our times, the company explores the lengths we go to avoid the ghosts of our past and how we cope when the facts get in the way of the legend. |
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| Wed 5 | THE CABINET OF LEOPOLD THORN | The creator of ‘Manly Truelove’ turns literary detective to perform this extraordinary story of ambition, loss, scandal and deception which took place in the obsessive, clandestine and occasionally ridiculous world of 19th Century Stage Illusion... So prepare yourself for an evening of sleights, misdirection and SteamPunk Victoriana as Darren unwraps the mysterious life of Leopold Thorn: Illusionist (professionally), Murderer (reputedly), Scientific Genius (quite possibly) and Strutting Dandy (unquestionably) and attempts to answer the question of how a man who invented the greatest illusion ever known was so comprehensively erased from the history of stage magic... WARNING – THIS PLAY MAY CONTAIN CARD TRICKS... £6 / £3.50 concs Doors open 7.30pm, show starts 8pm. |
| Fri 17 | John Peel's Shed | In 2002, John Osborne won a competition on John Peel’s Radio One show. His prize was a box of records that took eight years to listen to. This is an ode to radio, those records and anyone who’s ever sought solace in wireless. Script edited by Joe Dunthorne (Writer of the novel Submarine). Direct from a five-star, complete sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival, comes John Osborne’s debut storytelling hour partly adapted from his acclaimed book Radio Head (Radio 4’s Book Of The Week). The hit of the Edinburgh Festival comes to Jackson’s Lane in London in October; and tours the UK in February 2012. “Shy and awkward but with a keen eye for a killer line and the significance of the trivia of daily life, Osborne sits somewhere between Tom Wrigglesworth and Daniel Kitson, which a very good place to sit. I could have listened for hours” – ★★★★★ The Independent “Beautifully-written, funny and poignant… Just as John Peel’s records changed his life this lovely, simple, beautifully executed show has enriched ours” – ★★★★★ The Scotsman “One of the Top Ten Theatre Highlights of the Edinburgh Festival… Funny, perceptive and charming” – ★★★★ The Telegraph “One of the loveliest things you’ll see all year” – ★★★★ The Herald “Genius… A comic highlight” – The Guardian “I heartily recommend John Peel’s Shed. It is a gentle tale of one man’s passion for obscure music and the radio which has been compared to the work of Daniel Kitson” – Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard “John Osborne captures the intimacy of the medium, the startling human connections and priceless stories. Its an uplifting if occasionally twee story that makes a classic, nostalgic fringe piece” – Total Theatre ★★★★ Sunday Express ★★★★ Edinburgh Evening News ★★★★ What’s On Stage ★★★★ Fest Magazine £10 / £8 concs Doors open 8pm, show starts 8.30pm. |
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| Thu 29 | Curious Directive: Your Last Breath | CURIOUS DIRECTIVE: YOUR LAST BREATH 1876 - Christopher leaves his young family behind to work in Norway. He will map the uncharted mountains for the very first time. 1999 - Anna’s body freezes after an extremeskiing accident and her heart stops. But doctors gradually warm her until it miraculously starts beating again. 2011 - Freija, a successful business woman, has just lost her father. She travels to scatter his ashes in Norway. 2034 - Nicholas explains a medical breakthrough which saved his life as a baby, whereby the human body can be ‘suspended in animation.’ Spanning 150 years, Curious Directive fuse movement, live piano score and video unravelling the landscapes of the heart and our own personal geographies. FRINGE FIRST WINNER 2011 “Connections of many different kinds lie at the heart of this rigorous, inventive and intelligent show from bright young company curious directive.” The Guardian “Supremely imaginative.” The Telegraph £6 / £3.50 concs Doors open 7.30pm, show starts 8pm. |
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| Tue 17 | Lucy Foster & Improbable: The Pirate Project |
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