Touring theatre group take on the ultimate villain
Friday, 22nd July 2011.
Haverhill’s outdoor touring theatre group Outspoken Theatre brings Shakespeare’s ultimate villain to venues around the area next week.
Richard III has become notorious as the hunchbacked killer of the little princes thanks to the Bard’s smash-hit play which has been taking audiences by storm in various versions for over 400 years.
Outspoken Theatre will be performing the play in Haverhill, Hundon, Stoke by Clare and Hildersham.
Local actors, many of whom are familiar to audiences of Centre Stage Company’s productions, will be directed by David Hart, and are taking on one of the history plays for the first time.
“It doesn’t really bear much resemblance to what really happened,” said Mr Hart. “It’s a mixture of a hilarious black comedy and a vicious political thriller, and anyone expecting a history lesson will be disappointed.
“Richard himself is one of the most demanding and the most entertaining of all Shakespeare’s roles – clever, funny, ruthless, psychopathic and unashamedly villainous.”
Steve Murray plays Richard, with Alan Davison as his partner in crime the Duke of Buckingham, Andy Letcher as his brother the Duke of Clarence, Catherine Keeble as his mother the Duchess of York, Debbi Walters as Queen Margaret, Jane Baillie as Queen Elizabeth, and Emily Mizen as Lady Anne who, amazingly, agrees to marry him.
Performances are at East Town Park on Tuesday, July 26, 7.30pm, Hundon Plough on Wednesday, July 27, 7.30pm, Stoke Lion, Thursday, July 28, 7.30pm and Hildersham churchyard on Saturday, July 30, at 6.30pm. Please note start time at Stoke Lion is 7.30pm and not 6.30pm as previously publicised.
Tickets are available on the gate at all performances. In some cases it is advisable to bring a chair, and at Haverhill and Hildersham you can also bring a picnic.
Outspoken Theatre has staged a Shakespeare play most summers for the last ten years in the open. Previous triumphs have included The Tempest, The Merry Wives Of Windsor, Measure For Measure, Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale, Much Ado About Nothing.
It was formed by local actors who got together in 2001 to perform Twelfth Night at Haverhill Arts Centre on two weeks’ rehearsal, and decided to expand the project into summer tours, which have since included various villages around Haverhill, often in pub gardens.
Richard III has become notorious as the hunchbacked killer of the little princes thanks to the Bard’s smash-hit play which has been taking audiences by storm in various versions for over 400 years.
Outspoken Theatre will be performing the play in Haverhill, Hundon, Stoke by Clare and Hildersham.
Local actors, many of whom are familiar to audiences of Centre Stage Company’s productions, will be directed by David Hart, and are taking on one of the history plays for the first time.
“It doesn’t really bear much resemblance to what really happened,” said Mr Hart. “It’s a mixture of a hilarious black comedy and a vicious political thriller, and anyone expecting a history lesson will be disappointed.
“Richard himself is one of the most demanding and the most entertaining of all Shakespeare’s roles – clever, funny, ruthless, psychopathic and unashamedly villainous.”
Steve Murray plays Richard, with Alan Davison as his partner in crime the Duke of Buckingham, Andy Letcher as his brother the Duke of Clarence, Catherine Keeble as his mother the Duchess of York, Debbi Walters as Queen Margaret, Jane Baillie as Queen Elizabeth, and Emily Mizen as Lady Anne who, amazingly, agrees to marry him.
Performances are at East Town Park on Tuesday, July 26, 7.30pm, Hundon Plough on Wednesday, July 27, 7.30pm, Stoke Lion, Thursday, July 28, 7.30pm and Hildersham churchyard on Saturday, July 30, at 6.30pm. Please note start time at Stoke Lion is 7.30pm and not 6.30pm as previously publicised.
Tickets are available on the gate at all performances. In some cases it is advisable to bring a chair, and at Haverhill and Hildersham you can also bring a picnic.
Outspoken Theatre has staged a Shakespeare play most summers for the last ten years in the open. Previous triumphs have included The Tempest, The Merry Wives Of Windsor, Measure For Measure, Macbeth, The Winter’s Tale, Much Ado About Nothing.
It was formed by local actors who got together in 2001 to perform Twelfth Night at Haverhill Arts Centre on two weeks’ rehearsal, and decided to expand the project into summer tours, which have since included various villages around Haverhill, often in pub gardens.
Comment on this story
[board listing] [login] [register]
You must be logged in to post messages. (login now)