Archive
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MARCH 2010
TOMB TO WOMB + SHORT SHARP SHOCKS (DOUBLE BILL)
Local theatre company 2 Boards & A Passion present their Edinburgh Festival 2009 hit Tomb to Womb. 'What makes us who we are and who we become?' (50 minutes)
Breathe Out Theatre presents Short Sharp Shocks, three stand-alone pieces of new writing. Rob Johnston's Verbally Challenged winning (and Embryo hit) comedy Head Space, Brett Westwell's surreal Smoking Kills, and Pat Ashe's powerful Satellites. (30 minutes)
Wed 3rd Mar - Sat 6th Mar '10
FEBRUARY 2010

EMBRYO 58
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 19th Feb '10
DECEMBER 2009

EMBRYO 57
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 11th Dec '09
THE SEASON OF GOOD CHEER
By Mike Heath. Presented by Mediamedea.
Letitia wants an unforgettable Christmas day.
Ruth, Letitia's daughter, still hasn't forgiven her for the divorce from her father and subsequent, whirlwind marriage to Terry.
Terry is not best pleased that his world class Christmas dinner menu is not going the way he planned.
Christmas crackers, party hats, secrets and Gamy Lettuce Casserole - will this be the unforgettable Christmas day Letitia is counting on?
The seventh play from Mike Heath debuts at Studio Salford this Christmas.
DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY Sarah Adams, Chris Barlow, Mark Butt, Corinne Coward, Phil Dennison, Tom Hogan and Denice Hope.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE
Wed 2nd Dec - Sat 5th Dec '09
NOVEMBER 2009
WAITING FOR GODOT
By Samuel Beckett. Presented by Cul-de-Sac Theatre.
After their success with Samuel Beckett's Endgame (Winner 'Best Drama' Award, Buxton Festival, 2003), Cul-de-Sac Theatre return with perhaps Beckett's most well known play. Utilising slapstick and physical theatre, the hilarity of hopelessness is highlighted through the sheer desperation of the situation and the players. Echoes of silent films resonate throughout the farcical absurdness of everything.
And meanwhile, we wait...
DIRECTOR: Julia Nelson and Eric Northey. PERFORMED BY Clyve Bonelle, Phil Dennison, Martin Drew, Dolly Rose Campbell, Terry Naylor.
NEW PRODUCTION / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 18th Nov - Sat 21st Nov '09
HUMAN HABITATION
By Rob Johnston. Presented by Breathe Out Theatre.
Michael has come to a new town looking for a new life. Frank is meant to help him find one. But who’s going to help Frank find a new life of his own?
A play about finding your way back.
First performed in the 24-7 Manchester Theatre Festival 2008.
From the writer of Now Breathe Out and The Opposite of Claustrophobic (Studio Salford, April 2009) and Fencing for Losers (long-listed for The Kings Award for New Writing at The Courtyard Theatre, London, and soon to be seen in Jan 2010 at The Lowry Studio). www.breatheouttheatre.org
"smart jokes and an uncompromisingly happy ending" - Manchester Evening News
"fresh and challenging" - Altrincham Messenger
DIRECTOR: Ed Barrett.
Wed 4th Nov - Sat 7th Nov '09
OCTOBER 2009

EMBRYO 56
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 30th Oct '09
MY LIFE'S WORK
By James Allen. Presented by Trickster Theatre.
Trickster Theatre resurrects one of the strangest and most popular slices of the absurd to come kicking and screaming out of the critically acclaimed 24:7 Theatre festival...
A tale of a man's struggle with himself, his grief and a guilty conscience that keeps smoking his last fag...
"I defy anyone not to enjoy this show...a series of surreal sketches involving James Allen (the soft hairy one) and Cellan Scott (the scary Irish one) are perfectly cast as an oddball couple. The physical theatre style is reminiscent of work by The Right Size - slapstick surrealism and audience participation make this a fun-packed show not to be missed" - UK Theatre Network
DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil. PERFORMED BY James Allen, Cellan Scott & TBC
NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE
Wed 14th Oct - Sat 17th Oct '09
SEPTEMBER 2009
EIGHT
By Ella Hickson. Presented by NewUpNorth Theatre Company.
Having finished hugely successful runs in New York and in London’s West End ‘NewUpNorth’ theatre company are pleased to be staging the award winning ‘Eight’ for the first time to a Northern audience.
The play swept the boards at the Edinburgh Festival in 2008, winning a Fringe First, the NSDF Edinburgh Emerging Artists Award and the prestigious Carol Tambor Award.
The audience will see four out of our selection of eight oddballs, hitting adulthood in the Naughties, have their lives invaded by notions of normality. Existing on the fringes of society, Eight sheds light on these societal refugees wrestling with their identity within a spiritually bankrupt Britain.
Sharply written, it rebuffs the definition of contemporary youth as apathetic, drug-munching, no-brainers.
"You’re blown away by four terrific monologues that succeed in saying far more about the mood of modern Britain than some of the nation’s leading playwrights can manage in a two-hour drama. ****" - Joyce McMillan, Scotsman
DIRECTOR: Trevor MacFarlane. PERFORMED BY Peter Hunt, Elizabeth Lowe, Scarlett Mack, Timm Dann.
Wed 30th Sep - Sat 3rd Oct '09
OCTOBER 2009
GOING LIVE: NORTHWEST PLAYWRIGHTS SHOWCASE - Out & About
Script in hand performances from two exciting new plays:
The Sin by David Whalley, and The Package by Tam Hinton (Swine Theatre - a Studio Salford In-House Company) - a touching tale of lost love and desperate people with a pinch of absurd class war hyperbole.
CAPITOL THEATRE, MMU, Thu 1st Oct '09
SEPTEMBER 2009
WATCHING STARS
By Kate Gilbert. Presented by Don't Look Up.
Set on a deserted riverbank in the early hours of the morning, Matt and Faith who met in a club earlier decide to finish the night under the stars. Dealing with their lives as dawn arrives and feeling their way through the dark, a simple one night stand turns into a roller-coaster ride where the past comes back to haunt them.
Watching Stars was originally performed as part of 24:7 Theatre Festival in 2008 to much acclaim. This production is a revamped version in collaboration with Chris Sudworth (Mind The Gap, Shadow Companion)
"A minutely-observed slice of an encounter of the human kind." - Manchester Evening News
DIRECTOR: Chris Sudworth. PERFORMED BY Kate Gilbert & Dean O'Sullivan
VISITING PRODUCTION / NEW WRITING
Wed 16th Sep - Sat 19th Sep '09

EMBRYO 55
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 4th Sep '09
JULY 2009
'WEDNESDAY' & 'PARADISE WOOD' DOUBLE BILL (Not Part Of Festival 2009)
By Ian Winterton.
Studio Salford is proud to announce its hosting of the 'Not Part Of' Festival this year at the lovely King's Arms. We wish 'Not Part Of' Festival all the best in the world and are proud to support an event such as this. This is a one-off in between our 2 seasons at the King's so be sure not to miss out!
Suicide & God, kidnap & Corrie...
Two darkly funny new plays. Paradise Wood sees two strangers meet at a suicide black-spot, while in Wednesday, Rose and Daniel wake up in a cellar, tied to a bed...
Contains strong language, mild nudity and adult themes. Suitable for ages 15+ only.
DIRECTOR: Trevor Macfarlane / Clare Howdon. PERFORMED BY Simon Bates, James Boyland, Tara Lofthouse, Ruth Middleton, Iain Peacock.
Wed 15th Jul - Sat 18th Jul '09
JUNE 2009

EMBRYO 54
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 12th Jun '09
VINCE ATTA IS... NOT BLACK ENOUGH
"Being black is hard, especially if you aren't..."
Vince Atta is confused. The former City Life Comedian of The Year is a massive player on the Mancunian black comedy circuit; he’s the only one! The North West's pastiest Nubian and reluctant ethnic flag-bearer explains why he, Manchester Comedy and his best shoes... are 'Not Black Enough!'
"Engaging... one of the circuit’s most promising acts!" - The Guardian
"Brilliant writing!" - Robin Ince
"Star of the future. Fact!" - Student Direct
"An unstoppable force... forging a brilliant rapport with the audience" - Chortle.co.uk
"He sparkles, he’s energetic, animated with a gift for characterisations" - Unity
Sat 6th Jun '09
DEAD AT THE CAFE STYX
Presented by Debt Productions.
The solitary victim of a mysterious bordello blaze enlists with the Hades musical floor-show. Joined by his guardian demon, a crumbling jazz poet, a filthy blitz-era warbler and an old flame, he soon realises that the love of his life will be the bane of his death.
"One of the best and unique acts for their music, theatre and entertainment that the UK has produced this century" - USA Weekly News
"Excellent in every way" - BBC Radio 6
Wed 3rd Jun, Fri 5th Jun '09
MAY 2009
PLUS ONE....?
By Mike Heath. Presented by Mediamedea.
When Jay gets an invitation to his competitive cousin's wedding, he decides that he cannot go alone.
However, being overly choosy, he realises that he's going to have to make some changes before that significant other is going to land in his lap.
WORLD PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE
Wed 20th May - Sat 23rd May '09
THE TRUTH IS I CAN'T STOP TELLING LIES
By Tam Hinton. Presented by Swine Theatre.
Tam Hinton - a cast of thousands in a one-man show and the creator of such brain boggling solo performances as THE NAKED SOUL OF KIRK GODLESS (Award Winner: Best Comedy - Buxton 2007) and THE MAN WHO SAID TOO MUCH, as well as soul-altering play THE PACKAGE and boxing/poetry spectacle HARD BARDS comes to Studio Salford.
Through the artistic medium of LIES, Hinton will seek that elusive creature, the TRUTH.
Can Mr. Hinton’s dry brained hogwash offer us insights into the soggy eyed truth? Are these mangled forms a glimpse into heart wrenching reality? Or is he just MAKING IT ALL UP?
Give a man a mask and he’ll tell the truth... or rob the post office.
"extraordinary, mind-bending and exhilharating" - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
PERFORMED BY Tam Hinton
NEW WRITING / VISITING PRODUCTION
Thu 7th May - Sat 9th May '09
PLANET YOUNG
By Gerry Potter. Presented by Art Bandit.
Brand new show brought to you by the much celebrated and award-winning underground poet and creator of the sadly late Chloe Poems and the smash hit play "Miracle". This full length show charts the highs and lows of a very full and varied life.
Using theatre, monologue and poetry to explore the domestic and fantastic, Gerry Potter promises you a no holds bard performance. So if you want to visit Planet Young for one last time, you will finally be able to.
This brand new show comes ahead of his book of the same name coming out this June.
Do not miss out on this rare and special event.
PERFORMED BY Gerry Potter
WORLD PREMIER / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Wed 6th May '09
APRIL 2009

EMBRYO 52 & 53
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Thu 23rd Apr & Fri 24th Apr '09
RAVING BEAUTIES
By Dave Simpson. Presented by Broken Echo Theatre Company.
The claws are out...
In their backstage dressing rooms, the competing girls eye each other in a cockpit of tension and jealousies.
Out front, their hopes, fears and frictions are orchestrated by contest organiser Jack Bailey as each of them run the gauntlet of the catwalk and the interviews.
Roving eyes (and roving hands) prepare to lead them into battle...
The play started life as The Beauty Game at the Library Theatre in Manchester in 1986, and was revived a number of times in the early 1990s starring actors including Minnie Driver, Jan Graveson, Sarah Lancashire, John McArdle, Seamus O'Neill, and Diane Whitley. This new production will be presented by Broken Echo Theatre Company, and will be directed by Bolton-born Paul Walker.
Raving Beauties recalls a time when hundreds of millions of TV viewers world-wide tuned in every year to watch Miss World. It’s 1985, and in Salford, the girls competing for the title of Miss Golden Gate Club 1985 are eying each other in a cockpit of tension and jealousy. As they prepare to run the gauntlet of the catwalk and the press interviews, they’ve all got one eye on the roving hands of contest organiser Jack Bailey. As the contest unfolds, so too do the hopes, fears, and preconceptions of the competing girls. Is the long-term cost of body beautiful too high?
DIRECTOR: Paul Walker. PERFORMED BY Ian Curley, Ryan Greaves, Jo Haydock, Jennifer Jordan-O’Neill, Katie McArdle, Amanda-Leigh Owen, Eleanor Samson
Wed 15th Apr - Sat 18th Apr '09
THE OPPOSITE OF CLAUSTROPHOBIC / NOW BREATHE OUT
Presented by Breathe Out Theatre.
A double bill from writer Rob Johnston. Two plays for the price of one!
The Opposite of Claustrophobic: An unhappy housewife's axe-filled encounter with a would-be burglar leads to more than either of them could have bargained for. A dramatic comedy about breaking in and breaking free.
Now Breathe Out: A young man's surreal journey through the perils and pitfalls of finding an unexpected lump in his undies.
Now Breathe Out was Winner of Best Play in the Partington One-Act Play Festival, and Runner-up in the Scottish Community Drama Association's Play on Words Festival.
"The dialogue throughout was sharp and punctuated by moments of pure Britishness." - BBC Manchester
"biting black comedy" - Altrincham Messenger
DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil / Brainne Edge.
NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 1st Apr - Sat 4th Apr '09
MARCH 2009
HALFWAY - Out & About
Presented by Vista Theatre Company.
Come and join us and enter a world you probably had no idea existed.
A young mans rite of passage exploring sexuality, coming of age and the mortality of those closest to him.
Text and movement intertwine to create images of his thoughts, feelings, real moments and most importantly human contact and intimacy. One body speaks the other becomes shadows, people, his thoughts, material objects and fantasy beings to help him escape the trappings and feelings of his real life.
Originally a ten minute monologue in the successful “Silent Joys and Broken Toys” (nominated for best drama Buxton Festival Fringe 2006) that has been developed into this 60 minute tale of love, affection and the feeling of being wanted…. That warm embrace of another human. The play looks back with hindsight “…I didn’t need the sex… I just wanted the contact… then it became habit, a routine to get out of the house not being able to break the cycle…”
Phil Minns and Sue Jaynes perform the piece exploring this dark and damp interesting world with honesty and power. The performance contains moments that will make you feel uncomfortable, then before you know it you will be laughing as your drawn into this world of a naïve teenager.
Nominated for 2 Buxton Festival Fringe Awards 2008 - Best New Writing and Best Actor.
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
"...the poetic writing and the precision of the choreography make Halfway highly recommended." - Robbie Carnegie, Buxton Festival Fringe, 2008
"...Crackles with energy and commitment." - Kevin Bourke - Manchester Evening News
"...And so it was. An Extravaganza, an Entertainment, an Education. If it upsets you - good - so drama should. And it will, and move you and grow you. You'll be better for seeing this show (Silent Joys and Broken Toys)" - John Wilson - Festival Chair – Buxton Festival Fringe 2006
"...this production both challenges perceptions of the gay scene and reminds us how far we have come in such little time... Phil Minns' performance is outstanding... Halfway is a well-paced energetic and thought provoking production, well worth a night out." - Mark Eastwood – Out North West – March 2009
PERFORMED BY Phil Minns and Sue Jaynes.
THE LOWRY, Thu 26th Mar - Sat 28th Mar '09
FEBRUARY 2009

EMBRYO 51
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 20th Feb '09
THE GAME OF TWO HALVES - Out & About
By Mike Heath. Presented by Mediamedea.
Another chance to see the hilarious comedy which premiered at Studio Salford last year. Pete and Simon are a couple. Tom, Pete's loud-mouthed work colleague, gets some tickets for the footy. The only problem is that Tom doesn't know that Pete's gay. Simon invites himself along...
Will Simon be able to "straighten" his act up for the afternoon to protect Pete? Will Pete be able to deny his own lifestyle to perpetuate his big secret with Tom?
Relationships are put to the test as Simon is forced to endure football chat, Yates wine lodge and the discovery of Pete's well-intentioned hypocrisy. A fish-out-of-water comedy about secrets, assumption and football.
"..perfectly scripted, paced and with real bludgeoning mood swings between humour and frivolity and the darker side of human behaviour... not to be missed!" - BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE REVIEW, 2007
DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY Dan Atkinson, Ian Curley and Steven Mark.
THE LOWRY, Thu 12th Feb & Fri 13th Feb '09
HALFWAY - Out & About
Presented by Vista Theatre Company.
Come and join us and enter a world you probably had no idea existed.
A young mans rite of passage exploring sexuality, coming of age and the mortality of those closest to him.
Text and movement intertwine to create images of his thoughts, feelings, real moments and most importantly human contact and intimacy. One body speaks the other becomes shadows, people, his thoughts, material objects and fantasy beings to help him escape the trappings and feelings of his real life.
Originally a ten minute monologue in the successful “Silent Joys and Broken Toys” (nominated for best drama Buxton Festival Fringe 2006) that has been developed into this 60 minute tale of love, affection and the feeling of being wanted…. That warm embrace of another human. The play looks back with hindsight “…I didn’t need the sex… I just wanted the contact… then it became habit, a routine to get out of the house not being able to break the cycle…”
Phil Minns and Sue Jaynes perform the piece exploring this dark and damp interesting world with honesty and power. The performance contains moments that will make you feel uncomfortable, then before you know it you will be laughing as your drawn into this world of a naïve teenager.
Nominated for 2 Buxton Festival Fringe Awards 2008 - Best New Writing and Best Actor.
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
"...the poetic writing and the precision of the choreography make Halfway highly recommended." - Robbie Carnegie, Buxton Festival Fringe, 2008
"...Crackles with energy and commitment." - Kevin Bourke - Manchester Evening News
"...And so it was. An Extravaganza, an Entertainment, an Education. If it upsets you - good - so drama should. And it will, and move you and grow you. You'll be better for seeing this show (Silent Joys and Broken Toys)" - John Wilson - Festival Chair – Buxton Festival Fringe 2006
PERFORMED BY Phil Minns and Sue Jaynes.
THE ROSE THEATRE, Wed 4th Feb '09
JANUARY 2009
UNDER THE DIRT - Out & About
By Claire Berry. Presented by Trickster Theatre.
Hurt people, hurt people.
Four lives lived at the extremes, beyond 'normal'.
Burrowing under the surface of the face we present to the outside world, ‘Under the Dirt’ by Claire Berry is a powerful story about the dark side of human nature, and moves to the Lowry after successful runs at both Studio Salford and the 2007 Buxton Festival Fringe.
"..this is a play which demands for excellent performances, and Trickster Theatre and Vista Theatre provide those in spades... highly recommended." - BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE REVIEW, 2007
DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil. PERFORMED BY Donna Coleman, Annamarie Bayley, Andrew Yates, TBC Produced by Cellan Scott
STUDIO SALFORD AT THE LOWRY PREMIERE/IN HOUSE COMPANY
THE LOWRY, Thu 29th Jan - Sat 31st Jan '09
THE BENCH - Out & About
By Joe O'Byrne. Presented by Albino Injun & Spark Plug Productions.
Over a year, the lives of an eclectic group of Paradise Heights residents - a boxer, his trainer, a thief, a fake medium, a homeless man, an artist, a widow, a dealer, a loan shark, an angel and a ghost - intersect around a bench in the local park. Some are holding on to the past, others are even more desperate to escape it, and the unbearable pain that has made them who they are. Before the end of the year, someone will die on it…
After its succesful debut at Studio Salford, and a run at the Lowry Theatre, The Bench returns as part of the Library Theatre's Re:Play Festival 2009, showcasing some of the best theatre from Manchester’s independent theatre scene.
"Highly recommended... Sharp and telling… A play, and writer, which will surely go on to greater things" - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
"Loved it! Wonderful gags out of left field, intrigue, suspense, heart-rending scenes and heart-warming moments. A great night of theatre!" - David Slack, Director, 24/7 Theatre Arts Network
DIRECTOR: Joe O'Byrne. PERFORMED BY Clyve Bonelle, Ian Curley, Stella Grundy, Ben Hood, Phoebe Marie Jones and Ste Myott.
THE LIBRARY THEATRE, Tue 27th Jan - Thu 29th Jan '09
BEAUTIFUL HOUSE - Out & About
By Cathy Crabb. Presented by Mediamedea.
After spending 30 years living in a house made in heaven, Ronnie and Bridgette have gone 10 flights up in the world and moved into a tower block above Otis and Paula, the neighbours from hell - or so they appear.
Beautiful House is a tall tale of love and belongings, relics and regrets, trinkets and tombs - the story is both heartbreaking and achingly funny.
After its succesful debut at Studio Salford, Beautiful House returns as part of the Library Theatre's Re:Play Festival 2009, showcasing some of the best theatre from Manchester’s independent theatre scene.
"Surely deserving of a wider audience... observational comedy with moments of real insight and pathos... such cleverly balanced writing brings the likes of Craig Cash or Caroline Aherne to mind, a realistic slice of northern life that can also chime with people from any background. Highly recommended." - Aaron Lavery, Metro
"a terrific piece of work - acute, heartbreaking and achingly funny" - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
DIRECTOR: Neil Bell. PERFORMED BY Cathy Crabb, James Foster, David Slack and Francine Rees (Studio Salford Awards 2007 Best Actress winner, for Beautiful House).
THE LIBRARY THEATRE, Thu 22nd Jan - Sat 24th Jan '09
DECEMBER 2008
STUDIO SALFORD LOTTA BOTTLE AWARDS
Our annual awards and end-of-season bash...
...
...
Sat 13th Dec '08

EMBRYO 50
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 12th Dec '08
DEATH OF A LILY
By Andrew Yates. Presented by Tatty Band.
Set in Berlin in the 1930's, the show is an impressionistic trip through the world of a troupe of cabaret performers, stuck in a never ending cycle that spirals them into the depths of despair and hopelessness.
The spirit of the age is captured by the music - with songs by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, Cole Porter and Jacques Brel, and original music by Andrew Yates and Barry Thompson, plus the odd showstopper made famous by the likes of Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich.
Music, images and video at www.tattyband.com.
DIRECTOR: Claire Berry. PERFORMED BY Andrew Yates, Charlotte Hodgson, Dora Cruz, Ian Curley, Kate Gilbert, Melissa Ward, Patricia Hartshorne, Phil Dennison, Sian Haslock, Sue Jaynes, Terry Naylor. THE TATTY BAND: John Scott (Musical Director), Lawrence Marshall, Brian Grantham, Ros Hawley.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY / MUSICAL
Wed 3rd Dec - Sat 6th Dec '08
NOVEMBER 2008
NICO ICON PLAY - Out & About
By Stella Grundy. Presented by Ultraviolet.
An exploration into the life and times of Christa Paffgen - Model, Actress & Singer with the Velvet Underground.
After its successful debut at Studio Salford, Nico Icon Play has an extended run at the Lowry. Starring Stella Grundy with a special guest appearance by the legendary Arthur Brown on the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th.
From the glamour, hedonism and coldness of the Warhol years through to the drug addiction and squalor of the 1980s, Nico Icon Play chronicles her meeting and close friendship with Manchester svengali Alan Wise and her many ill-feted attempts to re-establish herself as a credible artist. Stella Grundy, creative force behind 90s group Intastella, reveals the dark uncompromising humour and tragedy of 80s urban Britain through Nico’s eyes.
More info: www.nicoiconplay.com
"I've always thought Stella to be very talented... a true bohemian. She is Nico's natural successor." - Alan Wise, Music Promoter & Manager
"I am glad she has written a play about my Mama." - Ari Paffgen, Nico's son
"Grundy…has crafted an ingenious narrative…(she) is utterly engaging and convincing as the iconic singer…the cast are also excellent." - Manchester Evening News
THE LOWRY, Wed 12th Nov, Thu 13th Nov, Fri 14th Nov, Sat 15th Nov, Mon 17th Nov, Tue 18th Nov, Wed 19th Nov, Thu 20th Nov, Fri 21st Nov, Sat 22nd Nov '08
THREE SHEETS
By Christine Marshall. Presented by Jelly Shoe Productions.
Once again award winning playwright Christine Marshall chooses Studio Salford to premiere her already Award winning piece Three Sheets, following that of the multi-award winner, Salford Stuffers.
Three Sheets, winner of the Royal Exchange Writers prize 2008 and Bruntwood listed has been incubating for a quarter of a century from the time of the final miners' strike in 1984; and now it's time to tell the tale.
Based on a set of true events, a miner Tommy, is dying at the same speed as his beloved industry. Tommy has owned nothing in his hard life but is now determined to own his own death. Set in an NHS hospital the play follows Tommy's last quest to the very end, as his mates picket at the hospital gates and Thatcher gains strength to go in for the final kill. The characters surrounding Tommy parallel the political players of the time.
A play which will make you laugh out loud as the nurses caring for Tommy battle with his demands and their own demons and make you cry inside as the full gravity of the situation hits you. And it will hit you.
In 1984 this country had 170,000 miners now it has approx 300. In 1984 there were 186 collieries in this country now there are 9.
Destined for bigger stages on the anniversary of the strike in 2009, see it first on a 'real' stage in Salford!
DIRECTOR: Christine Marshall.
WORLD PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 19th Nov - Sat 22nd Nov '08
MIRACLE - Out & About
By Gerry Potter. Presented by Art Bandit.
Miracles come in all shapes and sizes and this one is ten inches long...
Miracle tells the story of Will Hung, an ex-rentboy, now porn star who is the miracle cure for all terminal disease, but to cure you he has to have sex with you.
Miracle is set in 1994, just before the onset of combination therapy started saving the lives of many gay men. In these dark days, Will Hung is their only hope.
Written by Gerry Potter, creator of Chloe Poems, Miracle is part urban fairy-tale, part farce and part Greek tragedy. It's a drama that asks questions that have never been asked before. Never have morality and mortality been so controversially entwined.
Miracle moves to The Drill Hall after its successful debut at Studio Salford in 2007.
DIRECTOR: Mike Heath.
THE DRILL HALL, Fri 14th Nov & Sat 15th Nov '08
EMBRYO 49
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 14th Nov '08
MIRACLE - Out & About
By Gerry Potter. Presented by Art Bandit.
Miracles come in all shapes and sizes and this one is ten inches long...
Miracle tells the story of Will Hung, an ex-rentboy, now porn star who is the miracle cure for all terminal disease, but to cure you he has to have sex with you.
Miracle is set in 1994, just before the onset of combination therapy started saving the lives of many gay men. In these dark days, Will Hung is their only hope.
Written by Gerry Potter, creator of Chloe Poems, Miracle is part urban fairy-tale, part farce and part Greek tragedy. It's a drama that asks questions that have never been asked before. Never have morality and mortality been so controversially entwined.
Miracle moves to The Unity Theatre after its successful debut at Studio Salford in 2007.
DIRECTOR: Mike Heath.
UNITY THEATRE, Fri 7th Nov & Sat 8th Nov '08
THE JUDGEMENT OF MR JENKINS
By Ross Andrew. Presented by Second Nature Theatre Company.
Mr Jenkins wakes from a disturbed sleep in the early hours of the morning to find a smartly dressed stranger in his living room. The stranger is as reluctant to give answers as he is to leave... Can our everyday choices and seemingly irrelevant actions have serious consequences? Has anyone told Mr Jenkins?
Ross Andrew's Manchester Evening News Award Winning dark comedy is touring again! If you missed this last time around in the 24:7 Theatre Festival, here's another chance to see it, and if you've already seen it - thanks and come and see the new extended version. Developed with the support of Oldham Coliseum.
"Sharply written by Ross Andrews and compellingly presented..." - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
"The drive and pace were fantastic and the packed audience were howling with laughter. Make sure you don't miss this show - even if you have to bring your own seat!" - Caroline May, UK Theatre Network
DIRECTOR: Sue McGeorge.
M.E.N. THEATRE AWARD WINNER / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 5th Nov - Sat 8th Nov '08
OCTOBER 2008
HOTSHOT - Out & About
By Mike Heath. Presented by Mediamedea.
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY! This show fully sold out every night when it debuted at Studio Salford in May, so now's your chance to come and enjoy the fun one more time.
If the Summer Holidays feel like a distant memory, come and bask in the sun in this holiday comedy about running away.
From MEN Theatre Award winning Mediamedea and the writer of “The Game of Two Halves” (winner Best New Writing, Best Director, nominated Best Comedy, Buxton 07 and Re:Play festival at The Library Theatre), “The Rise and Demise of Kenneth Kennedy-Smythe” (Best New Writing, Best Actor, Best Actress 06), “Cake” (24:7 2007) and “Jam” (24:7 2004).
"FAST, funny and deliciously rude, this is another winner...another demonstration of just how often new writing outshines – and is potentially more popular than – the same old shows being put on at bigger theatres in town.." - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
PERFORMED BY James Allen, Ian Curley, Jeni Howarth-Williams, Joe O'Byrne, Elizabeth Poole.
TV21, Wed 29th Oct '08
SCIENCE FICTION RUINS MY LIFE
By Laurie Rea & Cathy Crabb. Presented by Mediamedea.
They may very well be convention-bothering virgins with Doritos bellies and apron string rashes, but sci-fi fans have feelings too and are, at the very core, human.
Laurie Rea's play (meddled with a bit by Cathy Crabb) is homage to the sad loser of this world, and explores what happens when a person who has wasted their life reading comics, playing with action figures and dressing up, faces the prospect of fatherhood.
Expect klingons, comics, light-sabers and loners in this tale of love and heroes.
Check out the M.E.N. City Life preview.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE
Wed 15th Oct - Sat 18th Oct '08
EMBRYO 48
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 10th Oct '08
HALFWAY
Presented by Vista Theatre Company.
Come and join us and enter a world you probably had no idea existed.
A young mans rite of passage exploring sexuality, coming of age and the mortality of those closest to him.
Text and movement intertwine to create images of his thoughts, feelings, real moments and most importantly human contact and intimacy. One body speaks the other becomes shadows, people, his thoughts, material objects and fantasy beings to help him escape the trappings and feelings of his real life.
Originally a ten minute monologue in the successful “Silent Joys and Broken Toys” (nominated for best drama Buxton Festival Fringe 2006) that has been developed into this 60 minute tale of love, affection and the feeling of being wanted…. That warm embrace of another human. The play looks back with hindsight “…I didn’t need the sex… I just wanted the contact… then it became habit, a routine to get out of the house not being able to break the cycle…”
Phil Minns and Sarah Bacon perform the piece exploring this dark and damp interesting world with honesty and power. The performance contains moments that will make you feel uncomfortable, then before you know it you will be laughing as you're drawn into this world of a naïve teenager.
Nominated for 2 Buxton Festival Fringe Awards 2008 - Best New Writing and Best Actor.
"...the poetic writing and the precision of the choreography make Halfway highly recommended." - Robbie Carnegie, Buxton Festival Fringe, 2008
"...Crackles with energy and commitment." - Kevin Bourke - Manchester Evening News
"...And so it was. An Extravaganza, an Entertainment, an Education. If it upsets you - good - so drama should. And it will, and move you and grow you. You'll be better for seeing this show (Silent Joys and Broken Toys)" - John Wilson - Festival Chair – Buxton Festival Fringe 2006
PERFORMED BY Phil Minns and Sarah Bacon.
NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE
Wed 1st Oct - Sat 4th Oct '08
SEPTEMBER 2008
MIRACLE - Out & About
By Gerry Potter. Presented by Art Bandit.
Miracles come in all shapes and sizes and this one is ten inches long...
Miracle tells the story of Will Hung, an ex-rentboy, now porn star who is the miracle cure for all terminal disease, but to cure you he has to have sex with you.
Miracle is set in 1994, just before the onset of combination therapy started saving the lives of many gay men. In these dark days, Will Hung is their only hope.
Written by Gerry Potter, creator of Chloe Poems, Miracle is part urban fairy-tale, part farce and part Greek tragedy. It's a drama that asks questions that have never been asked before. Never have morality and mortality been so controversially entwined.
Miracle moves to The Lowry after its successful debut at Studio Salford in 2007.
DIRECTOR: Mike Heath.
THE LOWRY, Thu 18th Sep - Sat 20th Sep '08
DAISIES
By Alistair McDowall. Presented by Cheap Seats. Produced by Lucille Oliver-Harrison.
Lucy and Isabel are floating.
Using cardboard, glitter, glue, stories and songs, they attempt to define the undefinable: Love.
Daisies is Alistair McDowall’s thirteenth written play, and his fifth play as director. It was previously performed for one night at the Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, to a sold out audience, before transferring to the 24:7 Festival in July 2008, for a well-received run of six performances. He has worked on several projects with the Royal Exchange, as well as the Contact Theatre.
"Radical...Disturbing...Alistair McDowall directs his own script with economical flair and Lisa Gill and Beattie Edmondson wade in with enthusiasm and conviction" - Manchester Evening News
"An intriguing study of love, loss and regret" - Metro
"Laurie Anderson (meets) Samuel Beckett…Lisa Gill and Beattie Edmondson act with real conviction and appear completely secure in their roles, due in no small part to a script which perfectly captures the modern urban idiom" - UK Theatre Net
DIRECTOR: Alistair McDowell. PERFORMED BY Beattie Edmondson and Lisa Gill.
NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY / 24:7 PICK OF THE BEST. Contains mature content / coarse language.
Wed 10th Sep - Sat 13th Sep '08
AUGUST 2008
EMBRYO 47
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 29th Aug '08
THE BENCH - Out & About
By Joe O'Byrne. Presented by Albino Injun & Spark Plug Productions.
A homeless man sleeps on it... A girl draws on it...
Two lads plan a burglary on it... A couple shag on it...
Two war veterans reminisce on it... A boxer skives on it...
A street sweeper takes a break on it... But who haunts it...?
It’s just a bench in the park. The one by the war memorial...
A boxer, his trainer, a thief, a fake medium, a tramp, an artist, a widow, a dealer, a loan shark, an angel and a ghost. They’ve all sat on this bench at least once this year. Before the end of the year, someone will be killed on it...
The Bench moves to the Lowry after its succesful debut at Studio Salford earlier this year.
"Highly recommended and a play, and writer, which will surely go on to great things. Be the envy of your friends and be able to say you saw it first..." - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
"Loved it! Wonderful gags out of left field, intrigue, suspense, heart-rending scenes and heart-warming moments. A great night of theatre!" - David Slack, Director, 24/7 Theatre Arts Network
THE LOWRY, Fri 22nd Aug & Sat 23rd Aug '08
JULY 2008
HALFWAY (Buxton Festival Fringe 2008)
Presented by Vista Theatre Company.
Come and join us and enter a world you probably had no idea existed.
A young mans rite of passage exploring sexuality, coming of age and the mortality of those closest to him.
Fringe favourites Vista Theatre Company Return to Underground Venues and the Paupers Pit for the third year with the premiere of their new show Halfway, a performance about a young mans rite of passage exploring sexuality, coming of age and the mortality of those closest to him.
Text and movement intertwine to create images of his thoughts, feelings, real moments and most importantly human contact and intimacy. One body speaks the other becomes shadows, people, his thoughts, material objects and fantasy beings to help him escape the trappings and feelings of his real life.
Originally a ten minute monologue in the successful “Silent Joys and Broken Toys” (nominated for best drama Buxton Festival Fringe 2006) that has been developed into this 60 minute tale of love, affection and the feeling of being wanted…. That warm embrace of another human. The play looks back with hindsight “…I didn’t need the sex… I just wanted the contact… then it became habit, a routine to get out of the house not being able to break the cycle…”
Phil Minns and Sarah Bacon perform the piece exploring this dark and damp interesting world with honesty and power. The performance contains moments that will make you feel uncomfortable, then before you know it you will be laughing as your drawn into this world of a naïve teenager.
"...the poetic writing and the precision of the choreography make Halfway highly recommended." - Robbie Carnegie, Buxton Festival Fringe, 2008
"...Crackles with energy and commitment." - Kevin Bourke - Manchester Evening News
"...And so it was. An Extravaganza, an Entertainment, an Education. If it upsets you - good - so drama should. And it will, and move you and grow you. You'll be better for seeing this show (Silent Joys and Broken Toys)" - John Wilson - Festival Chair – Buxton Festival Fringe 2006
PERFORMED BY Phil Minns and Sarah Bacon.
PAUPERS PIT, Thu 10th Jul, Mon 21st Jul, Tue 22nd Jul '08
JUNE 2008
EMBRYO 46
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 6th Jun '08
MAY 2008
HOTSHOT
By Mike Heath. Presented by Mediamedea.
The new comedy by Mike Heath will be debuting at Studio Salford.
Come and bask in the sun in this holiday comedy about running away.
From MEN Theatre Award winning Mediamedea and the writer of “The Game of Two Halves” (winner Best New Writing, Best Director, nominated Best Comedy, Buxton 07 and Re:Play festival at The Library Theatre), “The Rise and Demise of Kenneth Kennedy-Smythe” (Best New Writing, Best Actor, Best Actress 06), “Cake” (24:7 2007) and “Jam” (24:7 2004).
"FAST, funny and deliciously rude, this is another winner at one of Manchester’s hidden theatrical gems." - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE COMPANY
Wed 28th May - Sat 31st May '08
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
By Patricia Hartshorne and Michael Elphick. Presented by Gloves Off Productions.
Imagine ‘Talking Heads’ with something extra thrown in.
Meet Mrs.Harris, the cleaner, who is game for anything. Join Enid Pringle, the receptionist who isn’t... but whose eyes are opening. Get to know the doctors, the patients...
Follow Enid on her helter-skelter journey of self-discovery. Laugh and cry with her – and then, celebrate!
"If you like Alan Bennett, you’ll love this." - Buxton Fringe 2007
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 14th May - Sat 17th May '08
APRIL 2008
RICHARD III
By William Shakespeare. Presented by Trickster Theatre.
Trickster returns to Shakespeare with Richard III, a political thriller focusing on the pursuit of power.
The notorious monarch, a ruthless villain hero, plots and schemes to become ruler and is prepared to do anything to achieve his goal.
Seduction without conscience... manipulation without hesitation... brutal murder without remorse.
DIRECTOR: Chris Neil. PERFORMED BY Cellan Scott, James Boyland, Emma Laidlaw, Gemma North, Jonathan Davies, Jaimie Scott, James Allen, Jenny May Morgan, Jeryl Burgess, Joan McGee, Lewis Marsh, Noel Wilson, Richard Sails, Sian Haslock. Music by Barry Thompson.
IN-HOUSE COMPANY
Wed 30th Apr - Sat 3rd May '08
EMBRYO 45
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 18th Apr '08
THE BENCH
By Joe O'Byrne. Presented by Albino Injun & Spark Plug Productions.
A tramp sleeps on it...
Someone takes pictures of kids on it...
A girl has drawn on it...
Two scroats plan a burglary on it...
A couple shag on it...
A boxer skives on it...
War veterans reminisce on it...
But who haunts it...?
It’s just a bench in the park. The one by the war memorial. A boxer, his trainer, a thief, a fake medium, a tramp, a paedophile, an artist, a widow, and a ghost. They’ve all sat on this bench at least once this year.
Before the end of the year, someone will die on it...
The Bench. A comedy of love, life and loss...
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 9th Apr - Sat 12th Apr '08
MARCH 2008
THE REHEARSAL - CLINGING ON
Presented by Pigeon Theatre.
At the end of a long night’s drinking, two performers/lovers collaborate with their audience in the planning and rehearsal of a theatrical performance event.
Read the Manchester Evening News review.
This is a rehearsal of a ‘new’ show but also a rehearsal of, and attempt to come to terms with, the inevitability of the death of ourselves and our loved ones.
Pigeon Theatre are presenting Part 2 of the trilogy: Clinging On - a rehearsal for a show about the breakdown of a relationship.
"exhilarating... exciting... be dazzled, challenged, amused and perhaps even a bit frightened" - Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 26th Mar, Thu 27th Mar, Fri 28th Mar, Fri 28th Mar, Sat 29th Mar, Sat 29th Mar '08
TO BE CONFIRMED
By Charlotte Henry. Presented by b-about-it Theatre.
Michael Jefferies is an ordinary man who knows that he wants his life to change, but can't quite put his finger on how.
B-about-it Productions would like to present 'To Be Confirmed...'. A comedy for anyone who's ever thought that there must be more to life than working in a colostomy bag factory...
DIRECTOR: Danielle Henry.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING COMPANY
Wed 12th Mar - Sat 15th Mar '08
EMBRYO 44
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 7th Mar '08
FEBRUARY 2008
EMBRYO 43
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 1st Feb '08
JANUARY 2008
KARRY OWKY - Out & About
By Michael Stewart.
An evening of bawdy comedy, though as the piece progresses and the characters collide in their grotesque and vile manner the comedy gradually bleeds out, leaving a tragic finale. It is a pub opera in the vernacular.
Karry Owky was used as a scene study at The Royal National Theatre Studio in 2001 and was nominated for the King's Cross Award for New Writing in 2004.
More info at the Library Theatre website. Read the Metro review.
"Starting out packed full of bawdy joks and one-liners, the play slides into something a whole lot darker and grotesque... closer to the truth than many of us would dare to admit" - Manchester Metro, Jan 2008
DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil. PERFORMED BY Alana Gorman, Cellan Scott, Jonathan Davies, Laurie Rea, Lisa Whiteside, Noel Wilson, Stefan Bird.
THE LIBRARY THEATRE, Thu 24th Jan - Sat 26th Jan '08
THE GAME OF TWO HALVES - Out & About
By Mike Heath. Presented by Mediamedea.
Another chance to see the hilarious comedy which premiered at Studio Salford last year. Pete and Simon are a couple. Tom, Pete's loud-mouthed work colleague, gets some tickets for the footy. The only problem is that Tom doesn't know that Pete's gay. Simon invites himself along...
Will Simon be able to "straighten" his act up for the afternoon to protect Pete? Will Pete be able to deny his own lifestyle to perpetuate his big secret with Tom?
Relationships are put to the test as Simon is forced to endure football chat, Yates wine lodge and the discovery of Pete's well-intentioned hypocrisy. A fish-out-of-water comedy about secrets, assumption and football.
"..perfectly scripted, paced and with real bludgeoning mood swings between humour and frivolity and the darker side of human behaviour... not to be missed!" - BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE REVIEW, 2007
DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY Dan Atkinson, Ian Curley, and Steven Mark.
THE LIBRARY THEATRE, Fri 18th Jan & Sat 19th Jan '08
DECEMBER 2007
STUDIO SALFORD LOTTA BOTTLE AWARDS
Our annual awards and end-of-season bash...
...
...
Sat 15th Dec '07

EMBRYO 41 & 42
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new! - Two nights, both completely different!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 7th Dec & Sat 8th Dec '07
NOVEMBER 2007
BEAUTIFUL HOUSE
By Cathy Crabb.
The latest from acclaimed & award winning writer Cathy Crabb. Bridgette and Ronnie have just moved in and invited their friendly and welcoming new neighbours - Otis and Paula from the flat below - to share a drink with them on their first night as a bit of light relief from their torturous and suffocating demise, now that they have swapped their much loved home in the country to live out the rest of their days in this little box of a dwelling in a run down area. A comedy with sad bits.
DIRECTOR: Neil Bell. PERFORMED BY Cathy Crabb, Francine Rees, David Slack and James Foster.
NEW WRITING / WORLD PREMIERE / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Wed 28th Nov - Sat 1st Dec '07
THE BALACHITES
By Stanley Eveling. Presented by Cul-de-sac Theatre.
The Balachites was the inaugural production at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in 1963. It is a wonderfully surreal tale of three ghosts in an old house.
The Corporal is stuck in the trenches of WW1, while Albert and Benjamin philosophise about the meaning of life. When a young couple threaten to disrupt their world, things transform... the Garden of Eden is created and destroyed and we experience a vision of Heaven and Hell. We promise a comic/cosmic blend of philosophy and mixed-media mayhem in a delightful evening of physical and visual theatre.
"I was writing about the future... a kind of magic realism" - Stanley Eveling
DIRECTOR: Eric Northey. PERFORMED BY Clyve Bonelle, Ian Curley, Martin Drew, Emily Manley, Terry Naylor.
IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Wed 14th Nov - Sat 17th Nov '07
THE GAME OF TWO HALVES - Out & About
By Mike Heath.
Another chance to see the hilarious comedy which premiered at Studio Salford last year. Pete and Simon are a couple. Tom, Pete's loud-mouthed work colleague, gets some tickets for the footy. The only problem is that Tom doesn't know that Pete's gay. Simon invites himself along...
Will Simon be able to "straighten" his act up for the afternoon to protect Pete? Will Pete be able to deny his own lifestyle to perpetuate his big secret with Tom?
Relationships are put to the test as Simon is forced to endure football chat, Yates wine lodge and the discovery of Pete's well-intentioned hypocrisy. A fish-out-of-water comedy about secrets, assumption and football.
"..perfectly scripted, paced and with real bludgeoning mood swings between humour and frivolity and the darker side of human behaviour... not to be missed!" - BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE REVIEW, 2007
TAURUS BAR, Sun 11th Nov '07
OCTOBER 2007
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
By Nadia Drews.
A story for those who need to have the balls to address their issues and for those with shoes and a dress who need to have a ball! Your head throbs, your back aches, you break out in a sweat, then break out in a rash. You are cut, you are bruised, you are sick, you are tired, you open your mouth and no one hears what you say. These are symptoms of a chronic condition... WORK.
You are a shop assistant but you can't help yourself. You are a cleaner with a dirty mind. You are a mechanic who can't put it together. You are a TV repair man but you can't see how it all works. You are a teacher with no answers... you know that... we are not what we do.
And if you know that, then you'll know how it feels to be an Occupational Therapist who has a hard job managing the pain that stops her life from working and a bin man who can't sort out the rubbish... in his head.
If you long to tear off your uniform to reveal the inner you... or just something figure hugging in taffeta. If you want the world to see the man you really are... or the woman you really want to be. Sit down in the therapist's chair and listen... and look... and if you listen and look really hard you might even see... yourself.
DIRECTOR: Nadia Drews. PERFORMED BY Ian Curley, Carolyn Hood.
WORLD PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Wed 31st Oct - Sat 3rd Nov '07
KARRY OWKY - Out & About
By Michael Stewart.
An evening of bawdy comedy, though as the piece progresses and the characters collide in their grotesque and vile manner the comedy gradually bleeds out, leaving a tragic finale. It is a pub opera in the vernacular.
Karry Owky was used as a scene study at The Royal National Theatre Studio in 2001 and was nominated for the King's Cross Award for New Writing in 2004. More Info: www.cragratstheatre.com
DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil. PERFORMED BY Alana Gorman, Cellan Scott, Jonathan Davies, Laurie Rea, Lisa Whiteside, Noel Wilson, Stefan Bird.
WORLD PREMIERE / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION / NEW WRITING
CRAGRATS MILL, HOLMFIRTH, Wed 31st Oct - Sat 3rd Nov '07

EMBRYO 39 & 40
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new! - Two nights, both completely different!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 26th Oct & Sat 27th Oct '07
KARRY OWKY - Out & About
By Michael Stewart.
An evening of bawdy comedy, though as the piece progresses and the characters collide in their grotesque and vile manner the comedy gradually bleeds out, leaving a tragic finale. It is a pub opera in the vernacular.
Karry Owky was used as a scene study at The Royal National Theatre Studio in 2001 and was nominated for the King's Cross Award for New Writing in 2004.
DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil. PERFORMED BY Alana Gorman, Cellan Scott, Jonathan Davies, Laurie Rea, Lisa Whiteside, Noel Wilson, Stefan Bird.
WORLD PREMIERE / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION / NEW WRITING
BRADFORD LOVE APPLE, Wed 17th Oct & Thu 18th Oct '07
KARRY OWKY
By Michael Stewart. Presented by Vista Theatre Company.
An evening of bawdy comedy, though as the piece progresses and the characters collide in their grotesque and vile manner the comedy gradually bleeds out, leaving a tragic finale. It is a pub opera in the vernacular.
Karry Owky was used as a scene study at The Royal National Theatre Studio in 2001 and was nominated for the King's Cross Award for New Writing in 2004.
DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil. PERFORMED BY Alana Gorman, Cellan Scott, Jonathan Davies, Laurie Rea, Lisa Whiteside, Noel Wilson, Stefan Bird.
WORLD PREMIERE / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION / NEW WRITING
Wed 10th Oct - Sat 13th Oct '07
SEPTEMBER 2007
MIRACLE
By Gerry Potter. Presented by Art Bandit.
Miracles come in all shapes and sizes and this one is ten inches long...
Miracle tells the story of Will Hung, an ex-rentboy, now porn star who is the miracle cure for all terminal disease, but to cure you he has to have sex with you.
Miracle is set in 1994, just before the onset of combination therapy started saving the lives of many gay men. In these dark days, Will Hung is their only hope.
Written by Gerry Potter, creator of Chloe Poems, Miracle is part urban fairy-tale, part farce and part Greek tragedy. It's a drama that asks questions that have never been asked before. Never have morality and mortality been so controversially entwined.
DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY Warren Brown, Jenni Howarth-Williams & Gerry Potter.
VISITING PRODUCTION
Wed 26th Sep - Sat 29th Sep '07
NICO ICON PLAY
By Stella Grundy. Presented by Ultraviolet.
An exploration into the life and times of Christa Paffgen - Model, Actress & Singer with the Velvet Underground.
Through the use of live music, film & theatre, Ultraviolet Productions present three decades capturing the glamour, hedonism & coldness of the Warhol years through to the drug addiction and squalor of the 1980s. It chronicles her meeting and close friendship with Manchester svengali Alan Wise, and her many ill-fated attempts to resurge as a credible artist.
Written by the front woman of the '90s band Intastella , the fascination with Nico began after the discovery of how little was known about the artist during her Manchester years. Through extensive research and interviews, Nico Icon Play reveals, to a new audience, the dark uncompromising humour and tragedy of a city familiar to those who grew up in '80s Britain.
In the words of the writer.... "Nico Paffgen was a woman who occupied a man's life, accused of theft, voilence and racism. She sang like the angel that was banished to hell. She could never stop performing because she had no money and didn't know what else to do. Spending the last eight years of her life in Manchester and touring the toilets of the world. Through interviews I've discovered many fabulous stories which has enabled us to document some of her less well known adventures; from dancing with Allen Ginsberg to pissing in sinks - a proper Rock & Roll adventure."
Read the Manchester Evening News article, or listen to the interview on Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4.
More info: www.nicoiconplay.com
"I've always thought Stella to be very talented... a true bohemian. She is Nico's natural successor." - Alan Wise, Music Promoter & Manager
"I am glad she has written a play about my Mama." - Ari Paffgen, Nico's son
DIRECTOR: James Foster, Stella Grundy, Steve Manford. PERFORMED BY Lee Antley, Clyve Bonelle, Ian Curley, Stella Grundy, Josh Moran, Terry Naylor, Julia Nelson FILM PRODUCTION MANAGER: Russell Moss PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Jane Moore. FILM PERFORMANCES: Dave Ball, Arthur Brown, Cathy Crabb, Martin Drew, James Foster, Peter F.Garrett, Charlene G., Andrew Yates. MUSICIANS: Elvis & John Scott
WORLD PREMIERE / VISITING PRODUCTION / NEW WRITING / MULTI-MEDIA
Wed 5th Sep - Mon 10th Sep '07
AUGUST 2007

EMBRYO 37 & 38
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new! - Two nights, both completely different!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 31st Aug & Sat 1st Sep '07
JULY 2007
MANCHESTER 24:7 THEATRE FESTIVAL 2007
CAKE
Presented by Mediamedea.
Latest comedy from the ever popular, up and coming and multi award winning writer, Mike Heath. Julian comes out to his parents Linda & Jim and doesn't quite get the response he'd hoped for. Val & Tommy - competitive neighbours - arrive with ecstatic news of their son - Dave - he's just got engaged. But did Jim really see what he thought he saw in the garage...?
"...an Ayckbourn-esque comedy of manners... Mike Heath's script mines the situation for every conceivable laugh, and director Julia Nelson deploys a superb cast... A hugely enjoyable show." - UK Theatre.net
WRITER: Mike Heath. DIRECTOR: Julia Nelson & James Foster. PERFORMED BY: Andrew Conroy, Dave Midgley, Finn Glendon, Ian Curley, Lynn Roden & Stella Grundy.
JOB #143
Presented by Mediamedea.
Angry at life....and the wife, Alfie finds himself kidnapped, handcuffed and thrown into a cell. Not long in isolation he is soon joined by another hooded victim. Who is he? Why are they both there? Who is behind it? And why oh why don't they have convincing sound effects?
"An intriguing and funny look at the way most men are still competitive little boys at heart." - MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 24 July '07
WRITER: Ian Curley. DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY: Dan Atkinson, Ian Curley, Kate Gilbert & Terry Naylor.
EMBRYO 35 & 36
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new! - Two nights, both completely different!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Thu 19th & Fri 20th July '07
BUXTON FRINGE FESTIVAL 2007
THE GAME OF TWO HALVES
Another chance to see the hilarious comedy which premiered at Studio Salford last year. Pete and Simon are a couple. Tom, Pete's loud-mouthed work-mate, gets some tickets for the footy. The only problem is that Tom doesn't know that Pete's gay. Simon invites himself along... Relationships are put to the test as Simon is forced to endure football chat, Yates wine lodge and the discovery of Pete's well-intentioned hypocrisy. A fish-out-of-water comedy about secrets, assumption and football.
WRITER / DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY: Dan Atkinson, Ian Curley & Steve Mark. Presented by Mediamedea.
"..perfectly scripted, paced and with real bludgeoning mood swings between humour and frivolity and the darker side of human behaviour... not to be missed!" - BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE REVIEW, 2007
BUXTON FESTIVAL (OLD CLUBHOUSE - VENUE 21), Wed 11th - Sat 14th July 2007.
JOB #143
Angry at life....and the wife, Alfie finds himself kidnapped, handcuffed and thrown into a cell. Not long in isolation he is soon joined by another hooded victim. Who is he? Why are they both there? Who is behind it? And why oh why don't they have convincing sound effects?
"An intriguing and funny look at the way most men are still competitive little boys at heart." - MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 24 July '07
WRITER: Ian Curley. DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY: Dan Atkinson, Ian Curley, Kate Gilbert & Terry Naylor. Presented by Mediamedea.
BUXTON FESTIVAL (OLD CLUBHOUSE - VENUE 21), Thu 12th - Sat 14th July 2007.
UNDER THE DIRT
Vista (nominated for Best Drama at last year's festival) take on the show which our other In-House Company, Artemis Theatre, premiered at Studio Salford last year. Teaming up with visiting company, Trickster Theatre (Closer 2006), this pair of award-winning theatre companies take Under The Dirt Out & About in a much deserved second outing.
This show will leave you deeply affected. "Hurt people, hurt people". A collection of four urban tales about those who live life in the extremes. Each displaying behaviour outside of what is deemed acceptable in a mixed up and hypocritical world. Out of control and seemingly powerless to change, they live out their anguish with ridiculous, tragic and disturbing results. Under The Dirt is a powerful black comedy exploring the darker side of human nature.
WRITER: Claire Berry. DIRECTOR: Christopher Neil. PERFORMED BY: Cellan Scott, Donna Coleman & more TBC. Presented by Vista Theatre Company.
"..this is a play which demands for excellent performances, and Trickster Theatre and Vista Theatre provide those in spades... highly recommended." - BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE REVIEW, 2007
BUXTON FESTIVAL (OLD HALL - PAUPER'S PIT), Sun 8th, Mon 9th, Wed 11th & Thu 12th July 2007.
YESTERDAY, WHEN I WAS YOUNG
Erin Shanagher brings Josie Pickering to life superbly in this factual drama brought to you by our increasingly popular Hope Theatre Company, specialists in the field of Verbatim Theatre. Hear the actor bring Josie to life, WORD FOR WORD!!! All collected then rearanged for timescale and dramatic purposes by Adam Zane of the hit TV series, Queer As Folk.
DIRECTOR: Adam Zane. PERFORMED BY: Erin Shanagher. Presented by Hope Theatre Company.
"Erin Shanagher inhabits her extraordinary role with real conviction" - BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE REVIEW, 2007
BUXTON FESTIVAL (OLD HALL - PAUPER'S PIT), Fri 6th, Mon 9th, Tue 10th, Tue 17th & Wed 18th July 2007.
JUNE 2007
EMBRYO 33 & 34
The start of something new...
Embryo has showcased the new and developing work of over 900 individual performance related artists. From film to performance poetry, stand-up comedy to the most sophisticated singer / songwriters, individual musicians, new & developing drama performed live, dance troupes, comedy sketches, live bands and so much more! All delivered in ten minute slices, Embryo has proved itself an ideally different antidote to the normal pre-club night out (unless you're actually planning to go for a meal or going home to stay in - we don't mind) and all delivered to you by a specially selected team based at the King's Arms - Studio Salford.
Get involved! Like / didn't like what you saw? Why? Write it down - we'll tell them a couple of days later! Fancy feeling a bit daft when you're pulled to stage for winning a crap prize? - Buy a raffle ticket! Wanna take part? - No vetting policy - just make sure your stuff is no longer than ten minutes (apart from 1 x 15min slot each night before the break, 1 x 25min slot each night at the end) and make sure it's NEW!
Embryo - Two Nights - Both Completely Different!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 8th & Sat 9th June '07
APRIL 2007
EMBRYO 31 & 32
The start of something new...
Embryo has showcased the new and developing work of over 900 individual performance related artists. From film to performance poetry, stand-up comedy to the most sophisticated singer / songwriters, individual musicians, new & developing drama performed live, dance troupes, comedy sketches, live bands and so much more! All delivered in ten minute slices, Embryo has proved itself an ideally different antidote to the normal pre-club night out (unless you're actually planning to go for a meal or going home to stay in - we don't mind) and all delivered to you by a specially selected team based at the King's Arms - Studio Salford.
Get involved! Like / didn't like what you saw? Why? Write it down - we'll tell them a couple of days later! Fancy feeling a bit daft when you're pulled to stage for winning a crap prize? - Buy a raffle ticket! Wanna take part? - No vetting policy - just make sure your stuff is no longer than ten minutes (apart from 1 x 15min slot each night before the break, 1 x 25min slot each night at the end) and make sure it's NEW!
Embryo - Two Nights - Both Completely Different!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 13th & Sat 14th April '07
FEBRUARY 2007
EMBRYO 29 & 30
The start of something new...
Yes ladies and gents our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development celebrates its 30th NIGHT! By the time Saturday 17th Feb ends, Embryo will have showcased the new and developing work of over 900 individual performance related artists. From film to performance poetry, stand-up comedy to the most sophisticated singer / songwriters, individual musicians, new & developing drama performed live, dance troupes, comedy sketches, live bands and so much more! All delivered in ten minute slices, Embryo has proved itself an ideally different antidote to the normal pre-club night out (unless you're actually planning to go for a meal or going home to stay in - we don't mind) and all delivered to you by a specially selected team based at the King's Arms - Studio Salford.
Get involved! Like / didn't like what you saw? Why? Write it down - we'll tell them a couple of days later! Fancy feeling a bit daft when you're pulled to stage for winning a crap prize? - Buy a raffle ticket! Wanna take part? - No vetting policy - just make sure your stuff is no longer than ten minutes (apart from 1 x 15min slot each night before the break, 1 x 25min slot each night at the end) and make sure it's NEW!
Embryo - Two Nights - Both Completely Different!
FRIDAY - Music from Ryan, Gary Binks, Pablo's End & The Waverton Collective. Sketches from James Boyland & Gary Binks. Comedy from Mr Parsnip. Poetry from Jo Carlon, Gus Fairman, + more slots currently being filled. SATURDAY - Sketches from Cathy Crabb, Elizabeth Poole & Patrick Hollis, Chris McCrudden, Peter Eastbrook. Comedy from Paul Dixon, The Toothpaste Expedition. Music from The Rascals, The Plague Of Sound, The Lady Gardens. Poetry from Matt Panesh, + some short films currently being confirmed.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 16th & Sat 17th February '07
DECEMBER 2006
EMBRYO 27 & 28
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new! - Two nights, both completely different!
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE / VISITING / FILM / POETRY / MUSIC / COMEDY / CABARET
Thu 7th & Fri 8th December '06
NOVEMBER 2006
ONE WAS NUDE AND ONE WORE TAILS
Presented by Cul-de-Sac Theatre.
A new project from the award-winning In-House Company, Cul-de-sac Theatre - a one-act play, published in 1985, by Dario Fo, author of such classics as Accidental Death Of An Anarchist and Can't Pay, Won't Pay. The play is a farcical comedy concerning two road sweepers, a naked man, a prostitute, a flower-seller and a policeman. Drawing on pantomimic 'Commedia-style' performance, the characters play around with ideas about philosophy, status, class and 'uniform', i.e. the idea that 'You Are What You Wear' ("naked outside, but clothed within"). As in all Fo's work, serious ideas about society pigeon-holing its citizens are explored satirically, with great humour, knockabout slapstick and vaudeville song and dance.
Cul-de-sac Theatre continues its celebration of modern classics - previous productions include Beckett's Endgame (Best Drama, Buxton Festival), a production which caught the playwright's black humour perfectly. Like Beckett, Dario Fo doesn't preach or lecture, but instead uses clowns and buffoons to portray society's foolish pretensions.
"A theatre, a literature, an artistic expression that does not speak for its own time has no relevance" - Dario Fo, from Nobel Lecture, 1997.
WRITER: Dario Fo. DIRECTOR: Julia Nelson. PERFORMED BY: Andrew Yates, Warren Brown, John Scott, Julia Nelson, Kate Gilbert, Phil Dennison, Terry Naylor.
IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tue 28th Nov - Sat 2nd December '06
UNDER THE DIRT
By Claire Berry. Presented by Artemis Theatre.
Hurt people, hurt people.
A collection of four urban tales about those who live life in the extremes. Each displaying behaviour outside of what is deemed acceptable in a mixed up and hypocritical world. Out of control and seemingly powerless to change, they live out their anguish with ridiculous, tragic and disturbing results.
Under The Dirt is a powerful black comedy exploring the darker side of human nature.
WRITER: Claire Berry. DIRECTOR: Claire Berry. PERFORMED BY: Andrew Yates, Donna Coleman, Ian Curley, Rachel Priest.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tue 14th - Sat 18th November '06
THE RISE AND DEMISE OF KENNETH KENNEDY SMYTHE
By Mike Heath. Presented by Mediamedea.
From the writer of the very well received The Game Of Two Halves earlier this year, comes this exciting piece of new work.
The Americans have struck France with no apparent motive. Kenneth, war correspondent for the BBC, finds himself publicly disgraced and silenced after expressing personal disgust at the actions of the attackers.
Kenneth's girlfriend, Jennifer Talia, royal correspondent for the BBC and ceaseless social climber, finds herself caught up in a propaganda trap after being given a position of media power. Her task - to detract the media away from the war...
The Rise and Demise of Kenneth Kennedy-Smythe is a darkly comic political satire about two characters who have to make serious choices, exploring the power of the media during times of war.
WRITER: Mike Heath. DIRECTOR: Mike Heath. PERFORMED BY: Richard Howell-Jones, Sue Jaynes.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tue 7th - Sat 11th November '06
OCTOBER 2006
YESTERDAY, WHEN I WAS YOUNG
Created by Adam Zane. Presented by Hope Theatre Company.
Earlier this year, in-house company Hope Theatre presented the critically acclaimed show Village Voices as part of the Queer Up North International Arts Festival and for BBC Radio Manchester. The show featured the fascinating, laugh-out-loud, true stories of Josie Pickering - housewife turned lesbian dominatrix madam!
This November, Josie's story continues in a brand new show here at Studio Salford. The play tells the incredible story of how a back-street housewife discovered her true self in 1960's Salford.
"Innovative, inspirational and thoroughly enjoyable... One of Manchester's most exciting theatre companies" - Outnorthwest.
WRITER: Verbatum theatre piece created by Adam Zane. DIRECTOR: Adam Zane. PERFORMED BY: Erin Shanagher
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tue 31st Oct - Sat 4th Nov November '06

CHLOE POEMS
The evening's entertainments provide a preview of Chloe Poem's forthcoming book, an appropriately genre-bending work that employs performance, poetry, monologue, prose, a fairy story and theatre to weave a series of interlinked narratives.
This one-off live show will reveal the multiple personalities and histories of the enigmatic and beguiling gingham diva. Our no-holds-bard Voice of Treason proves once again that she is the classiest iconoclast on the block. Come and be a better gay!
This show is part of the Manchester Literature Festival (12th - 22nd Oct), and will be recorded for a live DVD which will accompany the book. More info: www.chloepoems.org.uk / www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
PERFORMANCE POETRY / PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING PRODUCTION
Sat 21st October '06

XXX CLUB
Presented by Kinofilm.
As part of a series of new nights in Manchester and Salford, Kinofilm will be launching The XXX Club exploring the Wonderful World of Exploitation Cinema. The club commences with Part 1 - SeXploitation. An evening of 1960s SeXploitation movies, rarely seen XXX feature (title to be announced), Nudie Cutie clips, Trailers & Shorts, Go Go girls & Burlesque.
SEE SCENES THAT MAY SHOCK YOU!! PROVOCATIVE IMAGES THAT WILL EXCITE YOU!
Future Nights will include specials on: Blaxploitation and Racial tension, Atomic War Scare movies, Teenage Awareness films, Biker movies, revenge movies, B movie monsters galore, hippies, mods and hallucinogenic trip movies. Exploitation has it all and often features ample of nudity, sex and titillation, so be warned - if you are offended by explicit images, sex or other controversial subject matters please stay away, as this night may not be for you!
Warning: The producers advise audiences that may be offended by nudity, sex, violence, or good ol' fun, not to attend this screening. Strictly for Mature Adult Audiences Only. Under 18s will not be admitted to this theatre.
To be continued at a theatre near you soon. NB: The XXX Club is a Hardcore Free Zone - if you expect it, you will be disappointed.
FILM / VISITING PRODUCTION
Thu 19th October '06
LOVE ME TENDER
Looking for a bit of light hearted fun? Well look no further than the next offering at Studio Salford, Love Me Tender. Presented by Wilde Fox Productions and written by Manchester based actor Liam Fox and actor / comedian Sam Lee.
Originally conceived after Liam worked with Victoria Wood in BBC TV's Dinnerladies, this ensemble comedy follows the fortunes of Dwayne Marley as he prepares for the re-opening night of his late father's pub. However when the local comedy act Sticky Nicky fails to turn up Dwayne is left without an act to launch the event. Will he find a replacement or will the ghost of his dead Dad scare everybody off?
Directed by Hollyoaks' Nicole Barber Lane (Myra McQueen) and with a cast that includes amongst others ex-Hollyoaks cast member Warren Brown (Andy Holt), Love Me Tender is hoped to be the first of many new plays launched by Wilde Fox Productions.
Writer: Liam Fox, Sam Lee. Director: Nicole Barber-Lane. Performed by: Warren Brown, Liam Fox, Phil Marley, Jacqueline Dillon, Toby Haydoke, Faye McKeever, Chris Buckley, Robert Maxfield, Gina Lamb, Alan Keogh.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING PRODUCTION
Tue 10th - Fri 13th October '06
SEPTEMBER 2006
EMBRYO 25 & 26
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our five In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new! - Two nights, both completely different!
IN-HOUSE / VISITING / NEW WRITING / PREMIERE / FILM / COMEDY / MUSIC / POETRY
Fri 15th & Sat 16th September '06
CLOSER
By Patrick Marber. Presented by Trickster Theatre.
Trickster Theatre present Patrick Marber's searingly honest dissection of love and sex. Following the intertwining lives of two couples over the years, Closer celebrates the struggle to connect with another human being and asks what lengths we'll go to for the sake of that connection.
Directed by Christopher Neil (Othello - Best Show, Studio Salford Awards 2005), and produced by Cellan Scott (Othello - Best Male Actor, Studio Salford Awards 2005), Closer continues Trickster Theatre's reputation for storytelling that depends on the connection between audience and actor. Performed by: Anarosa Butler, Bronwyn Ebdon, Cellan Scott, Phil Minns.
VISITING PRODUCTION
Dates: Tue 19th - Sat 23rd September '06
STARCROSS'D
By Carole Solazzo. Presented by Physico Theatre in conjunction with HOPE Theatre Company.
SEX + SECRETS + SHAKESPEARE = 'STARCROSS'D'. Religious fanaticism. A paranoid state. Fear and suspicion. Shakespeare lived in dangerous times.
What if he really spent some time here in the north west in 1581, working for a subversive religious group? What if that led him to meet Lady Dorothy, the daughter of a stubborn Catholic? And what if he introduced her to the love of her life, a Protestant?
Could he have been inspired by their story to write Romeo & Juliet years later? And could Shakespeare also have met the love of his life here?
Sexy, funny and moving, the play explores the consequences on a group of teenagers of religious fanaticism and their search for identity through religion, love and sex. It features Physico's exciting signature blend of drama, dance, movement and film, and is enhanced with a specially commissioned digital soundtrack.
Written by Carole Solazzo (BBC TV & Radio) and directed by Adam Zane (Village Voices / Get Happy, The Lowry). Performed by: Madeliene Solazzo, Matthew Ganley. www.physicotheatre.co.uk
"The premise is interesting... and performed by a handsome and dedicated cast." - Three Weeks, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006
NEW WRITING / NORTH WEST PREMIERE / VISITING PRODUCTION. UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN.
Tue 26th - Thu 28th September '06
JUNE 2006
EMBRYO 23 & 24
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
Two nights, both completely different!
IN-HOUSE / VISITING / NEW WRITING / TEST-BED / SHOWCASE / MUSIC / FILM / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 16th & Sat 17th June '06
LANDSCAPE and THE LOVER
By Harold Pinter, presented by Moment Productions. A double bill of Pinter's work in honour of the winner of the Noble Prize for literature 2005 and his 75th birthday.
The Lover, written in 1963, is from what has been described as Pinter's phase of 'psychological realism', while Landscape, written four years later, derives from his 'lyrical phase'. These two plays, therefore, were not written as a double bill but they complement each other well. In both instances we see couples trying to find an escape for their feelings beyond the traditional and mundane exchanges that familiarity breeds.
In The Lover, Richard and Sarah, married for ten years, conduct themselves with apparent respectability in the mornings, whilst living out a sequence of erotic rituals in the afternoon.
"Beautifully written...the sexiest play I remember seeing..." - Sunday Times.
Landscape is a beautiful, poetic drama about a couple in their fifties, Duff and Beth. Whereas Duff is very present, telling his wife about his daily routine, it would appear that she would rather stay focused on her memories, speaking lyrically and sensually of a time in the past.
These plays are directed by Katie Read, new to Manchester from London where she assisted Harold Pinter on his last directing job, The Old Masters, by Simon Gray. Cast: The Lover : Mark Taylor-Batty & Sandra Patton. Landscape : Martin Reeve & Maria Gough.
VISITING PRODUCTION
Tue 6th - Sat 10th June '06
MAY 2006
SILENT JOYS AND BROKEN TOYS
By Vista Theatre Company, as part of the Queer Up North International Festival.
"Leader of the Pack" and "Past, Present and Future" are two of the hits from the sixties girl group sensation The Shangri-Las. Their music is a jolt to the memory banks and their songs were an inspiration to a whole generation. The swinging beats of the Shangri-Las, 25 heart-wrenching, echo-laden, drama-filled odes to bad boys, forbidden love, quivering anticipation, loss of virginity, teenage pregnancy, dead lovers and furtive meetings with leather-jacketed guys are the perfect back drop for this up-tempo, toe tapping production exploring growing up, coming out and life choices.
So join the drag trio at Silent Joys Nightclub as they lead us through personal encounters, and some of the songs of the Shangri-Las.
Featuring writing from last year's Best Comedy (Buxton and Slamchester) winner Cathy Crabb.
NEW WRITING / PREMIERE / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION | www.queerupnorth.com
Tue 16th - Fri 19th May '06
THE GAME OF TWO HALVES
By Mike Heath, presented by Mediamedea. Pete and Simon are a couple. Tom, Pete's loud-mouthed work colleague, gets some tickets for the footy. The only problem is that Tom doesn't know that Pete's gay. Simon invites himself along...
Will Simon be able to "straighten" his act up for the afternoon to protect Pete? Will Pete be able to deny his own lifestyle to perpetuate his big secret with Tom?
Relationships are put to the test as Simon is forced to endure football chat, Yates wine lodge and the discovery of Pete's well-intentioned hypocrisy. A fish-out-of-water comedy about secrets, assumption and football.
NEW WRITING / PREMIERE / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tue 9th - Sat 13th May '06
EMBRYO 21 & 22
The start of something new...
Studio Salford, our four In-House Companies, visiting companies & special guests present our eclectic cabaret of performance work in development. Expect to see stand-up poetry, singer / songwriters, comedy, musicians, 10 min excerpts of scripts currently being written, short films, live bands and much more - all new!
Two nights, both completely different!
IN-HOUSE / VISITING / NEW WRITING / TEST-BED / SHOWCASE / MUSIC / FILM / COMEDY / CABARET
Fri 5th & Sat 6th May '06
APRIL 2006
DIG INFINITY ! - LORD BUCKLEY LIVE !!
Richard "Lord" Buckley was a jazz poet, philosopher and stand up comic whose career began in the walkathon marathons of depression America, and passed on through to the speakeasies of Al Capone's Chicago and the jazz venues of Be-Bop New York and San Francisco.
Along the way he picked up a remarkable way with language and lived a remarkable life - a way of life that gave birth to "The Church Of The Living Swing", which had belly dancers instead of alter boys and declared that love and laughter were the only truly religious truths.
C.P. Lee first celebrated Lord Buckley's life in 1982 and has since performed his one-man show in London, Amsterdam and New York.
Come along to Studio Salford at The King's Arms and get hip to the cool sweet groove that says "every cat and kitty, wherever red, white and blue is created solid, level and in-front".
Presented by It's A Hot 'un. For more information plus links to various Lord Buckley websites, visit www.itsahotun.com
MUSIC / DRAMA / COMEDY / VISITING PRODUCTION
Tue 4th - Sat 8th April '06
MARCH 2006
CLARE SUMMERSKILL - ACTS HER AGE
Clare presents a brand new stage show with a moving mixture of comedy monologues, stand-up and original songs. A ONE NIGHT STAND YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!
A dramatic tale of a forty year old lesbian who finds her long-term relationship coming to an unexpected end. After her initial knee-jerk reaction of writing the definitive "revenge song" and vowing that she will sing it to thousands of lesbians around the country, thus naming and shaming her ex, we find Clare facing the issues of ageing, betrayal and the more important and immediate task of looking for a new lesbian love interest in her life!
Sponsored by DIVA. More info: www.claresummerskill.co.uk
"A lesbian Victoria Wood" - Women's Hour, BBC Radio 4
"Unorthodox and uninhibited" - The Independent
COMEDY / VISITING PRODUCTION
Thu 23rd - Sat 25th March '06
ABU BEN/ADAM
A new play by Andrew Norris, Joanne Street & Jane Hollowood. Adapted for the stage by Joanne Street. Presented by AJN Productions
Ben is a 30 year old journalist. He sleeps, he eats, he goes to work and comes home again. Everyday the same. When his Mother dies of cancer Ben is forced to re-evaluate his relationship with the world. Through his struggle to re-connect with the people around him he meets his guardian angel in human form who, through the course of events forces him to re-discover his relationship with his Father, and come to terms with his own sexuality, both of which have been dormant for so many years.
Abu Ben/Adam is a funny, poignant and touching portrayal of how one devastating event can transform a life forever.
More info: www.ajnproductionsltd.co.uk
DRAMA / VISITING PRODUCTION
Tue 14th - Sat 18th March '06
ME AND MARLENE plus DIE BERLIN BLAU
Gloves Off Productions present Me And Marlene. "There's nothing new, darling" says Marlene Dietrich, but come and see Me And Marlene at Studio Salford and you might just learn something!
Glamour, sex and a penchant for men's clothing... an extraordinary life that spanned the twentieth century and many of its most dramatic moments. From inter-war Berlin to the golden age of Hollywood and beyond - she was there! Marlene did it all - very beautiful, bi-sexual, cross-dressing, a long line of lovers - and she defied Hitler! A free spirit who answered to nobody. Partricia Hartshorne takes a haunting and humorous look at the colourful life of Marlene Dietrich through the songs and experiences of this Hollywood legend.
"This show is impeccably well researched, and Hartshornes impressions are eerily accurate. Dietrich's voice is easy to parody, less easy to tribute, but Hartshorne treads this gravely path with panache." - Adi Bloom, T.E.S.
"Hartshorne gets under the skin of Marlene Dietrich. Intersperced with songs, she creates a biographical picture of Dietrich which is entertaining and solidly professional." - Thom Dibdin, The Stage
"Patricia Hartshorne really brings Marlene's stage presence to life before us. And there are some beautifully performed songs." - Neil Ingram, Edinburgh Guide.com
More info: www.glovesoff.co.uk
And after Marlene? Die Blau Ribbon Club completes the evening with...
Die Berlin Blau
A wonderfully satirical trip to the Weimar Republic. It is 1930's Berlin and the main act has left the stage. Now the club has closed due to the rising Nazi dictatorship, where will the characters of Die Blue Ribbon Club go?
This cabaret piece tells a story of political domination and the crushing of creativity with the eventual exodus to America and Film Noir. The piece also represents the cycle of running to and then from what we think we desire and the bitterness that ensues through the constant scaring of this transient lust. Sadly short and bitterly sweet this musical piece of 1930s cabaret sketches and songs with its multitude of characters should thoroughly entertain you.
Die Berlin Blau will take you on a wonderfully satirical trip to The Weimer Republic with its troop of individuals. The messages come through the subtext to tell a sad tale of a cycle that will never be stopped. The lust for an audience and creative freedom has created bitterness but from America comes a glimmer of hope - can it be substantiated? This musical trip using 1930's German cabaret sketches offers sex glamour and most of all delusion.
MUSIC / DRAMA / VISITING PRODUCTION
Tue 7th - Sat 11th March '06
FEBRUARY 2006
TWISTED NERVE PSYCHEDELIC FILM NIGHT
As a testimony to Kino's ongoing dedication to the creative unison of oblique cinema and popular music, Manchester's premier psychedelic sibling record labels Twisted Nerve and Finders Keepers present a baroque banquet of veritable audio-visual vol-au-vents combining a freshly prepared masala of vintage psychedelic cinematics (from the four corners of our savage planet) with some jawdropping improvised soundtracks from acidic-folk fuelled, Kraut rocking sonic cult bishops Voice Of The Seven Woods and Samandtheplants. Expect sporadic selections from Czech animation to Japanese theatre performance and unidentifiable audio abstractions from some rather unique musicians.
Sowing the psychedelic seeds amongst avant gardeners and experimental music lovers alike DJ's Andy Votel and Dominic Thomas will supply a selection of seldom aired, fuzz-ridden, global platters.
Supported by Baby Cow Manchester.
More info: 0161 288 2494 / www.kinofilm.org.uk |
www.b-music.co.uk |
www.finderskeepersrecords.com
MUSIC / FILM / VISITING PRODUCTION
Sat 18th Feb '06
EMBRYO 19 & 20
Studio Salford's bi-monthly eclectic cabaret, featuring performances of scripts currently in development, stand-up poetry and comedy, short films, bands, and much more...
Two nights, both completely different!
Fri 10th & Sat 11th Feb '06
DECEMBER 2005
EMBRYO 17 & 18
Studio Salford's bi-monthly eclectic cabaret, featuring performances of scripts currently in development, stand-up poetry and comedy, short films, bands, and much more...
Two nights, both completely different!
Thu 8th & Fri 9th Dec '05
NOVEMBER 2005
PAPERBOYS
By Cathy Crabb. Presented bu Cul-de-Sac Theatre.
From the writer of Moving Pictures (winner of the best comedy award at Buxton earlier this year), and a cast of award winning actors, this is a story set in a pub: whilst two brothers grapple with their bitterness and affections over a pint, two girls bring a myth to the table and a drunk plays Greek chorus, dipping in and out of the conversations with his mix of profunditiy, predictions and blabber.
Presented as part of the Manchester Comedy Festival.
Directed by: Cathy Crabb. Performed by: Terry Naylor, David Slack, Neil Bell, Stella Grundy, Jeni Howarth-Williams & Elizabeth Poole.
NEW WRITING / PREMIERE / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tue 22nd - Thur 24th & Sat 26th Nov '05

OTHELLO
By William Shakespeare. Presented by Artemis Theatre.
Jealousy is a violent emotion.
Artemis Theatre present Shakespeare's darkest tragedy with a twisted thriller at its heart. Using film and in-the-round storytelling to submerge the audience into the story's heart of darkness, Othello's corruption, by the hand of his friend Iago unleashes a sickening chain of events. All directed by vanity and isolation, all reaching a tragic conclusion.
Artemis Theatre, emerging from the highly successful company, Dark Profit (productions since 2004 include Claire Berry's Relativity at Studio Salford and Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues at the Frog & Bucket, Manchester), looks forward to its first production of a classic text.
Directed by: Christopher Neil. Performed by: Dan Atkinson, Donna Coleman, Richard Delafield, Martin Drew, Bronwyn Ebdon, Kate Gilbert, Phil Minns, Chinedu Okolie, Andrew Rankin & Cellan Scott.
IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tue 8th - Sat 12th November '05
OCTOBER 2005

BITE ME
By Carole Solazzo. Presented by Physico Theatre.
IN A BUSY KITCHEN, NO-ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM...
Can a girl with a phobia of food make a success of her late, lamented papa's kitchen?
In Bite Me, set in an Italian restaurant in a small northern town, Gioia battles against her fears, her mother, and some very unusual suspects, to carry on her father's life's work.
A topical subject, Physico Theatre's new comedy is a very funny and satirical look at current attitudes to food, families and fulfilment. "In Britain, we have developed a very screwed-up relationship with food over the last few years" says the play's author, Carole Solazzo. "We're given contradictory advice about what's good for our health, our finances and our planet. People are confused. It's very different in Italy."
Physico, however, use their unique approach to bring a light touch to the subject. Their distinctive blend of physical comedy, sparkling dialogue, movement and dance all add up to a highly entertaining evening. Based in Leyland, Physico stages new writing and classic adaptations for a multi-generational audience, with support from South Ribble and Lancashire councils and the Arts Council. They tour productions all over the North West, but this is their first visit to the Manchester area. Brian Porter, one of Physico's members, says "We previewed the show to very varied audiences and everyone has been enthralled and in stitches. We are really looking forward to bringing Bite Me to Studio Salford for a week in October. It's a respected venue, and shows there will raise our profile and widen our audience base."
Directed by: Carole Solazzo. Performed by: Penny McDonald, Brian Porter, James Shakeshaft & Madeliene Solazzo.
NEW WRITING / MANCHESTER PREMIERE / VISITING PRODUCTION
Tue 18th - Fri 21st Oct '05
EMBRYO 15 & 16
Studio Salford's bi-monthly eclectic cabaret, featuring performances of scripts currently in development, stand-up poetry and comedy, short films, bands, and much more...
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by John Scott & Ken Norbury.
Fri 14th & Sat 15th Oct '05
JULY 2005
24-7 THEATRE FESTIVAL 2005
CABBAGES by Lawrence Ghorra & Mark Winstanley.
After the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend, Geoffrey is sent to The Asylum for evaluation in a psychological black comedy about librarians, love, conformity and cabbages!
HERE IN THE NIGHT by Sheryl Clowes.
Influenced by the dance theatre and aesthetics of Pina Bausch, the language of Shakespeare and Beckett's "Godot". A tragic "game".
I'M FRANK MORGAN by Joe O'Byrne.
Frank. Loan shark. Hard man. It's a black night for Frank as he invites us into his world. Sometimes things go too far.
LOVESICK by Steve Timms.
Once in a lifetime there comes along a drama that makes you feel like falling in love all over again. This is not that play.
VODKA KNICKERS by Darren Gallagher.
When Orla and two workmates visit Barry Island and become trapped, she reveals a dark secret buried in her past - and on the island!
WHITE WEDDING by Maria Roberts.
This is a wedding with a difference: the bride's teenage son is bridesmaid and the groom-to-be has a penchant for wearing women's thongs.
PREMIERES / NEW WRITING / VISITING PRODUCTIONS
Sunday 24th - Saturday 30th July '05
JUNE 2005

SALFORD STUFFERS
By Christine Marshall. Presented by Jelly Shoe Productions.
Joint winner of the W. R. Foundation as voted by Tim Firth & Willy Russell
Christine Marshall's newest play comes to Studio Salford before heading off to the Edinburgh Festival. Set in the eighties, Salford Stuffers concerns itself with a group women working on the side inserting junk offers into newspapers throughout the night. As we relive some of the most famous headlines of the decade, the petty, sensationalised headlines seem to mirror the lives of the illegaly working women. Then comes a headline which has explosive consequences.
But if YOU had to stuff newspapers throughout the night to make ends meet you'd have to laugh wouldn't you?
Wouldn't you?
WORLD PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / VISITING PRODUCTION
Tuesday 28th June - Saturday 2nd July '05
COACH G
By Stephen Morris. Presented by Monkeywood Theatre.
"LEAVES ON THE TRACK WILL NOT STOP US..."
As Stephen Morris' surreal and edgy new play arrives in Manchester, COACH G is a black comedy which takes it's passengers on a nightmare train journey with Matthew Clarke, who finds himself trapped in disconcerting company - a femme fatale, the board game-addicted Big Frank and Big Phil the Hitman, to name just a few - and a train manager who veers alarmingly between eccentric and terrifying. Clarke can leave the train when he gets his story straight...but which story will it be...?
Shot through with violence and humour, this train should not be missed. "This is the age of the train". You may never view train travel in the same way again...
ANNOUNCEMENT: "Would passengers please be advised that Coach E is today's designated quiet carriage, the dining car is currently serving hurtful comments and vague threats to anyone foolhardy enough to venture in, and Coach B is but a distant memory. Thank you."
"Hip... edgy and watchable... compelling and intriguing new play... well-served by a talented young cast." - Manchester Evening News
NEW WRITING / VISITING PRODUCTION
Tuesday 21st - Saturday 25th June '05
EMBRYO 13 & 14
Studio Salford's bi-monthly eclectic cabaret, featuring performances of scripts currently in development, stand-up poetry and comedy, short films, bands, and much more...
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by John Scott & Ken Norbury
Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th June '05
MAY 2005
THE LARAMIE PROJECT
By Moises Kaufman & members of the Tectonic Theatre Project. Directed by Adam Zane. Presented by Hope Theatre Company.
In the Autumn of 1998, Mathew Shepard, a gay college student, was found beaten, tied to a fence and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Shortly afterwards, members of the Tectonic Theatre Project from New York, set out for Laramie to explore a town and the crime that occurred there. After interviewing more than 200 residents, they created a deeply moving play about bigotry and tolerance, fear and courage, hate and hope. The play was first performed in Denver in February 2000 and from there moved to The Union Square Theater in New York City. In November 2000 the play was performed by the original cast in the town of Laramie, Wyoming.
This is a true story. All the people you see portrayed are real. All the words you hear were spoken. All the events you see happened between 1998 and 1999 in the town of Laramie, Wyoming.
VISITING PRODUCTION / QUEER UP NORTH FESTIVAL
Tuesday 24th - Saturday 28th May '05

A LOAD OF OLD WOMEN & A BIT OF A SLAPPER
A double bill featuring COACHING and CYCLING by Christine Marshall. Presented by Jelly Shoe Productions, Two thirty minute plays that can't fail to please.
From award winning playwright Christine Marshall, COACHING and CYCLING won Best Comedy Writing and Best Overall Performance at the Buxton Festival 2003 and went on to be adapted for BBC Radio 4 in the same year.
COACHING - Ivy has persuaded Jean on a coach holiday using the second-hand ticket of recent stroke victim, Joyce ("She's lost her speech and her deposit"). A couple of old women, Ivy and Freda wait at the bus stop, still ahead of the game as long as they're feeding themselves unaided and can remember the name of the Prime Minister. Coaching is a play of hope, friendship, memory and future.
CYCLING - Mary bumps into "Daft Sandra" in a laundrette as Sandra skives from her mad sisters, her mad mother and her baby, Courtney ("I don't know how old she is, but she's some months. It's like loose change - I can't do that either"). Over the time it takes to complete a full cycle and spin, Mary sees a side of Sandra which no one else has ever been bothered to look for.
AWARD WINNER / VISITING PRODUCTION / DOUBLE BILL
Tuesday 10th - Saturday 14th May '05
KAMA SUTRA
By Peter McGarry. Presented by Eye Witness.
Tristan's sex life changes dramatically when Pamela discovers a copy of the Karma Sutra in the cookery section of the local library.
Kama Sutra will represent the UK in the 2005 International Theatre Festival, Orlando.
"Orgasmically funny" - Orlando Weekly
BRITISH PREMIERE / VISITING PRODUCTION
Monday 2nd, Wednesday 4th, and Saturday 7th May '05
APRIL 2005
HOWARD BRENTON TRILOGY
Vista Theatre Company present Gum and Goo, Heads and The Education of Skinny Spew. Experimental and challenging pieces that take you on a journey through an autistic child's perception of the world, a woman's desire for the perfect lover, and a disturbed child's murderous demise.
GUM & GOO - Two boys are transformed into fantasy gremlins (Gum & Goo) through the mind of an autistic girl. The girl is pushed into a hole and found "not dead - but worse, she's silent"
HEADS - A girl is torn between her love for two men, one for his mind the other for his physique. Cutting off their heads she switches them from one to the other to get the perfect man. Is this for the better or for the worse?
THE EDUCATION OF SKINNY SPEW - Still in the womb Skinny Spew has adult wisdom, once he is born he drowns his parents for treating him as a moron. Sent off to an orphanage where he escapes and is captured and regress to babyhood under rigours of "proper" education.
IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Tuesday 26th - Saturday 30th April '05
EMBRYO 11 & 12
Studio Salford's bi-monthly eclectic cabaret, featuring performances of scripts currently in development, stand-up poetry and comedy, short films, bands, and much more...
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by John Scott & Ken Norbury
1st & 2nd April '05.
FEBRUARY 2005
15 MINUTES WITH YOU
Written & directed by Cathy Crabb : Presented by Mediamedea
A thought-provoking, explicit journey through a one night stand. A raw insight into the lasting effects of a brief relationship.
NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION.
Tuesday 21st - Saturday 25th February '04.
EMBRYO 9 & 10
Directed & co-ordinated by Julia Nelson & James Foster
Embryo 9 : Libby's Lovelies (psychedelic dance troupe of sexy ladies), Mike Crook (singer & guitar), Dan Atkinson's film "Government Health Warning", Riverbank Media ("Perfect" - written & performed by Klare Gaulton), Sam U. L. Wasp - Bus Spotter, Greg Kelly (singer & guitar), Christine Proud (stand-up comedy), Cul-de-sac Theatre (Terry Naylor & John Scott - improvised music piece), "Bob" - Robert Wright-Smith, poetry, singing and monologue), Urban Theatre (Laura Caine - piece from "Chain Saw Manicure"), Albino Injun Productions (edited excerpts from their film "Lookin' for Lucky"), Albino Injun Productions ("Trinity" performed & written by Joe O'Byrne), Dark Profit (excerpt from "The Vagina Monologues" performed by Sue Jaynes, advertising the forthcoming charity production on 8th March at The Frog & Bucket in aid of V Day (Putting a stop to violence against women) and thanks to Claire Berry for her explanation of this charity event), Tracey Tray, The Pimhole Group (band).
Embryo 10 : Gareth Evans (Singer & Guitar), Riverbank Media ("Fridge Mountain" written by Mike Heath and performed by Denice Hope, Klare Gaulton & Rob Collier), Mediamedea (excerpt from "Fifteen Minutes With You" - written & directed by Cathy Crabb, performed by Neil Bell & Stella Grundy, Dark Profit (more from "The Vagina Monologues"), Ian Docherty & John Scott (improvised music piece), Julian Daniel (stand-up comedy), Dean Ashton (stand-up poetry), Claudine Kline (stand-up comedy), Me & Her (musical duet), Kate McCoy & Neil Bell (stand-up poetry), Belle of Le Bois (band).
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by John Scott & Ken Norbury
11th & 12th February '05.
NOVEMBER 2004
MOVING PICTURES
By Cathy Crabb : Directed by James Foster : Presented by Mediamedea
Tina is selling up and moving on, then Anne comes to view the flat and the two women's lives take a different turn.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION.
Tuesday 23rd - Saturday 27th November '04.
EMBRYO 7 & 8
Directed & Co-ordinated by Julia Nelson & James Foster
Performances by: Andrew Yates, John Scott, Tight Fisted Cow, Neil Bell, Kate Higgins, Winston Carrington, Lee Atley, Albino Injun Productions, Baby Grand, Hyashi, Thick Richard, Cathy Crabbe, Tony Walsh, Sue Jaynes, Ian Docherty, Richard Howell-Jones, Dan Atkinson, Lynne Roden, Claudine Cline, Julia Nelson, Katie B, Hovis Presley.
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by John Scott & Ken Norbury
5th & 6th November '04.
OCTOBER 2004
36 HOURS (The John Cooper Clarke Story)
By Jon West & Neil Bell : Directed by Neil Bell : Presented by Eat Theatre
Pigeon-holing John Cooper Clarke is difficult and unnecessary.
It's not everyone's cup of tea but you might like it... Eat
Theatre's 36 Hours takes you on a ramshackle meander through the
highs and lows in the life of one of Britain's greatest, most notorious
and warmly loved living poets.
John Cooper Clarke is sitting in the corner of a pub surrounded by a bunch
of hacks from the Northern press. Penn, his escort from CBS, is telling
them about John's visit to some radio station or other the previous
day. Asked for an opinion on the latest Bay City Rollers single, John
had replied "I think I'd like to hear it through rapid mortar
fire", which had apparently so nonplussed the DJ that the station
had been broadcasting complete silence for quite some while. Consciously
or not, his appearance is uncannily like the mid 60's Dylan, a man
who incidentally has heard PSYCLE SLUTS and pronounced Clarkey -
"INTERESTING!"
POETRY: an art barely alive. We can revive it. We have the technology.
We have....
John Cooper Clarke....
ON STAGE HIS POEMS OVERWHELM. THE WORDS SHOOT AT THE AUDIENCE LIKE THE
BURST OF A MACHINE GUN....ON STAGE HE CANNOT BE BEATEN.
PREMIERE / NEW WRITING.
Tuesday 26th - Saturday 30th October '04.
LIFE'S A GATECRASH
By Terry Hughes : Directed by Terry Hughes : Presented by Hit & Run Productions
Edinburgh Fringe First Winner.
"A tale built with Hitchcockian skill" The Independent
"Taut as a whip and crackling with suspense" Time Out
A gripping well made thriller!
AWARD WINNER / IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION.
Tuesday 12th - Thursday 14th plus Saturday 16th October '04.
PER VERSE
As part of the Manchester Poetry Festival.
An experiment in performance poetry / Take the old and the new from the Manchester poetry scene / Ask them to read some poems / Get them to try something new / Give them a few ideas / Let them make stuff up as they go along / Add an audience who'll let them and love them for it / Do it regularly / And 2 years later you have the most popular open mic night in Manchester. The experiment goes on.
Friday 15th October '04. Special Guests : Trish Casey (Ire) / Tony Walsh (M/cr)
SEPTEMBER 2004
CREDITORS
By August Strindberg : New version by Julian Hill & Jenny Forslund
Directed by Julian Waite : Presented by Paper Cut Theatre Company
Strindberg's rarely performed classic in a spare and raw production.
Gustav divorces Tekla. Tekla marries Adolf. Adolf meets Gustav. Gustav dissects...
"Directed with verve, zest and conviction" The Scotsman.
Tuesday 21st - Saturday 25th September '04.
DOUBLE BILL
RELATIVITY
By Claire Berry : Directed by Clare Berry : Presented by Dark Profit
A dark comedy, by Manchester based writer Claire Berry, tells the story of Helen, a woman on the verge of her own sexual revolution. Helen will talk to anyone who will listen as she recalls her encounter with an angel in Tesco and the chance she had to flee her demons of the past. Charged with an intense and desperate sensuality, the piece explores Helen's search for her sexual identity in a warmly comic way.
Tuesday 14th - Saturday 18th September '04.
GET 'EM IN!
By Stella Grundy : Directed by Stella Grundy : Presented by Ultraviolet
"The best thing about getting wrecked is that no two days are the same".
Zoe & Bet are two people who like to get wrecked. Each day revolves around this pastime and this play takes a peek at the chaotic world of the professional escapist. There is drinking, singing, dancing, flashbacks, home truths and of course the hangover.
Tuesday 14th - Saturday 18th September '04.
EMBRYO 5 & 6
Directed & Co-ordinated by Julia Nelson & James Foster
Performances by: Tam Hinton, Mike Heath, Riverbank Media, Tiffer Productions / Chris Leonard, Paper Cut, Dan Atkinson, Fiona Dickson, Nichola Dixon, Gino Evans, Claudine Cline, Ian Docherty, Stella Grundy, Reel To Reel, Julian Hill, Julian Waite, John & James Scott, Neil Bell, Jo O'Byrne, Sue Jaynes, Strange Street.
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by John Scott & Ken Norbury
3rd & 4th September '04.
AUGUST 2004
PERIBANEZ
By Lope de Vega : Presented and performed by St Joseph's Academy
Directed by Ben Davis : Lighting by James Foster & Ben Davis
8th August '04.
JULY 2004
24-7 THEATRE FESTIVAL 2004
JAM by Mike Heath
Directed by Mike Heath : Presented by Riverbank Media : Performances by Julia Nelson, Tamasin MacCarthy, Richard Howell-Jones, Dan Atkinson, Steve Mark & Gino Evans
Lighting by Alice Bate : Sound by Barry Thompson
MODERN AMBERGRIS by Brendan Quinn & Curtis Threadgold
Directed by Brendan Quinn : Presented by Ambergris : Performances by Rachel Gooding, Julia Maiden, Billy Pretsall, Brendan Quinn & Curtis Threadgold
Lighting by Alice Bate
O'LEARY'S DAUGHTERS by Elizabeth Baines
Directed by Rhonwen McCormack : Presented by Eye of the Storm : Performances by Amanda Hennessy and Lynn Roden
Lighting by Alice Bate
PEOPLE'STALKING by James Shakeshaft
Directed by James Shakeshaft : Presented by Explosive Minds : Performance by James Shakeshaft
Sound and lighting by Alice Bate
PREMIERES / NEW WRITING / VISITING PRODUCTIONS
24th - 30th July '04
SUE THOMPKINS
A night of poetry by Sue Thompkins : Produced by Julie Crawshaw : Presented by Midwest
Sound and lighting by Ken Norbury
17th July '04.
EMBRYO 3 & 4
Directed & Co-ordinated by Julia Nelson & James Foster
Performances by: Stella, Tight Fisted Cow, Mediamedea, Lynne Roden, Julia Nelson, Claudine Kline, Maria Ioannou, Hit & Run Productions, Tam Hinton, Baby Grand, Eliza P, Sam U. L. Wasp, Issac Bickerstaffe, Ian Dogherty, Buzz Hawkins, Error 5, Gareth Evans, Elizabeth Poole, Richard Howell-Jones, Tamasin MacCarthy, Riverbank Media, Tiffer Productions, Joe O'Byrne, David Russell, Strange Street, Tracey Tray, Julia & Claudine
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by Mike Heath, John Scott & Ken Norbury
1st & 2nd July '04.
JUNE 2004
WHERE'S ALEX?
By Phil Minns & Sarah Bacon : Directed by Phil Minns, Sarah Bacon & Jess McGruther : Presented by Vista Theatre Company
Performances by Phil Minns & Sarah Nichols.
Lighting by Jess McGruther : Sound by John Scott
1st - 5th June '04.
PORTRAITS
By Cathy Crabb & Mike Elphick : Directed by Cathy Crabb : Presented by Mediamedea
Performances by Cathy Crabb, Mike Elphick and their audience members.
1st - 5th June '04.
MAY 2004
EMBRYO 1 & 2
Directed & Co-ordinated by Julia Nelson & James Foster
Performances by: Stella Grundy, Ian Curley, Mike Heath, Cathy Crabb, Steven Stuart, Alan Hibberd, Tight Fisted Cow, Katie B, John Scott, Lovewood, Neil Bell, Tom Charnock, Eat Theatre, Mediamedea, Lynne Roden, Terry Naylor, Cul-de-sac Theatre, Jex, Me & Her, Julia Nelson, Claudine Cline, Hit & Run Productions, Tam Hinton, Joe O'Byrne, Albino Injun Productions, Robert Wright-Smith, Jo Wynne-Eyton
Lighting by Ken Norbury : Sound by Ken Norbury & John Scott
14th & 15th May '04.
HAVE I NONE
By Edward Bond : Directed by Julian Hill : Presented by Foundland Theatre
Performances by Julian Hill, Maureen Hughes & Terry Hughes.
Lighting by Cara Plummer
4th - 8th May '04.
APRIL 2004
OUR DAILY BREAD
By Peter McGarry : Directed by Jo Haydock : Presented by This Theatre Company
Performed by Jo Haydock & Sadie Maddocks.
Tuesday 13th - Saturday 17th April '04.
MARCH 2004
BARE
By Renny Krupinski : Directed by Renny Krupinski : Presented by Itheka Productions
Performance by Renny Krupinski
29th March '04.
ENDGAME
By Samuel Beckett : Directed by Eric : Presented by Cul-de-sac Theatre
Performed by Terry Naylor, Robert Smith-Wright, Gordon
29th March '04.
NOVEMBER 2003
THE WEIR
By Conor McPherson : Directed by James Foster : Presented by Albino Injun Productions
Performances by Josh Moran, Ian Curley, Neil Bell, Joe O'Byrne & Sue Jaynes.
Lighting by Ken Norbury & Phil Minns
Sound by John Scott
25th - 29th November '03.