NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE CELEBRATES A RENAISSANCE

A new adaptation placing Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children in contemporary West Africa; Angels Among the Trees, a Nottingham Playhouse commission from Jonathan Holloway; the regional premiere of Alistair Beaton’s political satire Feelgood a new staging of the noir classic Double Indemnity; and family favourite The Railway Children are the hallmarks of Giles Croft’s new spring season for Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company.

LIFE BEGINS AT 40

The current Nottingham Playhouse, designed by award-winning architect Peter Moro celebrated it’s 40^th anniversary this December and to mark this, thanks to support from The Heritage Lottery Fund, Nottingham City Council, Sir Harry Djanogly, Arts & Business and theatre-goers, a programme of work has been carried out to restore the theatre sympathetic to original designs.All the seats in the auditorium have been replaced and a major refurbishment carried out which includes improved access and facilities including a new deli, restaurant, café and bar due to open in January.  Aptly named CAST, this marks a partnership between Nottingham Playhouse and a couple of the City’s entrepreneurs, Ashley Walter and  Duncan Craig. This goes hand in hand with a focus on customer service across the operation to ensure Nottingham theatergoers experience the very best both on and off stage.

A NEW TRANSLATION, A WORLD & A REGIONAL PREMIERE FOR NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE

The Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company season opens with a new adaptation by Oladipo Agboluaje of Bertolt  Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children (Fri 6 – Sat 21 Feb). Oladipo is one of only a handful of writers to be granted permission by the Brecht Estate to create a new adaptation, set in contemporary West Africa. One of the country’s most exciting directors, Josette Bushell-Mingo, has cast C4’s Desmond’s actress Carmen Munroe in the title role.

This remarkable story is told with humour and song and the new setting provides a particularly powerful reminder of human resilience and loss in times of war.Produced by Nottingham Playhouse, this is the second Eclipse Theatre production, in association with the New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich and Birmingham Repertory Theatre.  It opens at Nottingham Playhouse prior to an 8 week tour which visits Bristol Old Vic, Contact Manchester, Cheltenham Everyman, Birmingham Rep, Northampton Theatre Royal, The New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, Liverpool Playhouse and Theatre Clwyd.

To coincide with Nottingham performances writers Jonzi D, Andy Barrett and Steven Lowe are taking part in a unique theatrical experiment under the bannerSeason of Courage (Tues 10, Weds 11 & Thurs 12 February). Each will have just a day to prepare a short uncensored statement inspired by the news of the day, delivered in the sprit of Brecht before evening performances of Mother Courage and Her Children.

Alistair Beaton’s Feelgood (Fri 30 April – Sat 22 May), sponsored by Insurance Brokers Russell Scanlan, makes it’s regional premiere in a script to be brought bang up to date by the author and directed by Playhouse Associate Director Richard Baron. The play had its first outing at Hampstead Theatre, before a successful West End Run. Alistair Beaton, whose writing credits include Spitting Image and Not the Nine O’clock, turns his attention to the culture of spin and counter spin in this witty satire set in a seaside resort at a party conference. It promises to provide the perfect antidote to the imminent local elections and ongoing political debate.Former ITN political editor John Sergeant (Sun 9 May) appears for one night during the run to share his stories of 30 years in broadcasting.

A couple of years ago Nottingham Playhouse staged the Irving and Mallory story Because It’s There and now writer Jonathan Holloway returns with a new commission Angels Among The Trees (Sat 5 – Sat 19 June).Giles Croft directs this equally ambitious play based on the true-life story of a group of pioneers who head West across America to California in 1846 only to be faced with one of the harshest winters in Sierra Nevada history. They are surrounded by death, battle with starvation in a piece which is ultimately disturbing an a testament to the heroism and determination of the human sprit.

ALL TIME CLASSICS

Fresh from his West End production of Rat Pack Confidential, Artistic Director Giles Croft follows Mother Courage with the noir classic Double Indemnity (Fri 12 March – Sat 2 April).  Based on the book by James M Cain, David Joss Buckley has adapted the original novel for the stage. This is one of the greatest guides of how to plot the perfect murder and is set to make you check your insurance policy when you get home.Roundabout & Education Director Andrew Breakwell follows the success of last summers production of The Silver Sword, with a new staging of the family classic The Railway Children (Fri 25 June – Sat 10 July).E Nesbit’s story is adapted for stage by Mary Elliott Nelson and aptly sponsored by Midland Mainline. The production falls in the 30^th year of one of Britain’s leading TIE companies Roundabout which reaches over 24,000 young people per year through a programme of plays, workshops and training programmes in schools, community centres and businesses. Plus the popular monthly series The Saturday Club for Children between the ages of 3-8yrs continues with 2 performances per month throughout the spring, sponsored by Mapperley Park based Ark Day Nursery.

PLAYHOUSE FIRST FOR NITRO

Britain’s leading Black Theatre Company Nitro make their first Playhouse visit with a brand new show Slamdunk (Tues 25 – Sat 29 May), a hip-hop musical using basket ball as its language. Blending fast-paced action, stunning basketball moves, rap and street dance, Slamdunk features original music by MOBO award winner and Mercury Music Prize nominee Soweto Kinch.

THE BEST IN CONTEMPORARY DANCE

Season highlights are the explosive Wim Vanderkeybus and Ultima Vez with Blush (Fri 30 & Sat 31 January) which mixes physical dance, theatre, film, text with a rock soundtrack and Stephen Petronio Company (Fri 23 & Sat 24 April) who integrates new music, visual art and high fashion to great effect.

Spring 04 also welcomes the return of Richard Alston Dance Company (Thurs 22 & Fri 23 Jan), Phoenix Dance Theatre (Weds 3 & Thurs 4 March), virtuoso guitarist Paco Pena & his Flamenco Dance Company (Fri 5 & Sat 6 March) all back by popular demand and a one night visit from Czuplak Ukrainian Folk Dance Company (Sat 24 Jan).

CELEBRATING TALENT

Nottingham Playhouse showcases a wide range of local talent and events. Contributors this season include Femmes Fantastic (Sat 6 March) an event to celebrate International Women’s Day, the new writing youth festival Shell Connections (Mon 19 & Tues 20 April) in conjunction with the Royal National Theatre and Carlton Operatic with The Sound of Music (Tues 24 – Sat 28 Feb). Perrier award-winner Dylan Moran (Weds 21 April) brings his hilarious new stand up show to the Playhouse.

There’s even an opportunity to look behind the scenes at the Family Open Day (Sat 20 March) and as if next Christmas weren’t far enough away tickets are already selling hard and fast for next year’s Kenneth Alan Taylor pantomime Sleeping Beauty (Fri 26 Nov 04 – Sat 15 Jan 05), marking his 21^st year at the Playhouse.

FOR AUTUMN 2004

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company productions of The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sat 4 – Sat 25 Sept) in a new adaptation by Clive Frances and Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Fri 29 Oct – Sat 20 Nov), both to be directed by Playhouse Associate Richard Baron are scheduled for the autumn.

For further information please contact STACEY ARNOLD on 0115 947 0882, stacey@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk

NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE PRESS NIGHT DIARY

Season sponsor by The Nottingham Nuffield Hospital

Tues 10 February       7.15pm            Season of Courage prior to

                                  7.45pm            MOTHER COURAGE & HER CHILDREN*

Weds 3 March             8pm                 Phoenix Dance Theatre

Fri 5 March                  8pm                 Paco Pena

Tues 16 March            7.45pm            DOUBLE INDEMNITY*

Mon 19 April                 7pm                 Shell Connections

Wed 21 April                8pm                 Dylan Moran

Fri 23 April                   8pm                 Steven Petronio Company

Tues 4 May                 7.45pm            FEELGOOD*

Sun 9 May                   8pm                 An Evening With John Sergeant

Tues 25 May                7.45pm            Slamdunk

Weds 9 June              7.45pm            ANGELS AMONG THE TREES*

Fri 25 June                 7pm                THE RAILWAY CHILDREN*

Weds 8 September    7.45pm            THE HOUND OF THE BASEKERVILLES*

Tues   2 November    7.30pm            THE TEMPEST*

Sat 27 November       7.30pm            SLEEPING BEAUTY*

*NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTIONS