theatre the Get closer to the performance. the crescent theatre company spring/summer 08

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1 crescent the Get closer to the performance. theatre the crescent theatre company spring/summer 08 box office: book online:

2 02 welcome 03 As Spring approaches we look forward to welcoming you to the Crescent Theatre for our Spring/Summer season. March sees a new production of Terry Johnson s Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick - the imagined back-stage story of the famous Carry On team, set in Sid James dilapidated caravan at Pinewood Studios. It s especially poignant with March 2008 seeing the 50th anniversary of the Carry On films. The Crescent is always popular with students of all ages and again we offer two productions this year that are on the syllabus for English and Drama. Don t miss your chance to see these plays staged before exams start! First we continue the recent Harold Pinter revival with The Homecoming in the Studio from 22nd March. Still shocking, darkly comic and razor sharp, this is a 60s masterpiece from a great English playwright. The second syllabus play we present is Caryl Churchill s Top Girls in April. A 80s feminist contemporary theatre classic that takes us on a journey through the ages, as we meet extraordinary women from history and consider womens changing role in society. In May, our Youth Theatre again treats us to a devised production called Killing Time, based on the work of artist Cornelia Parker. Also in May we present the infamous musical about a group of ordinary unemployed men who need to make some money fast! The Full Monty needs little introduction and will be exposed on the main stage from May 17th - hen party organisers take note! In June we present two more wonderful Studio productions. First up is David Hare s Breath of Life - this moral tale of two women, both in their 60s, whose lives are interwoven in ways neither of them yet understands. Following straight after is Beautiful Thing which explores pre-teenage homoerotic sensuality and the frictions and intimacies of living cheek by jowl on an inner-city housing estate. Last year was the highly successful debut of our FourPlay mini-season and June sees a return of the same format four single act plays, from four new directors over 2 weeks. This is a great chance to see what some of our freshest directing talent has to offer. Finally, our Tour this year is an absolute firm favourite - A Midsummer Night s Dream. Perfect for a relaxed summer s evening of outdoor theatre complete with historic backdrop at some of the region s most beautiful locations. In 2008, we invite you to get closer to the performance at The Crescent Theatre. Andrew Lowrie Chairman Andrew Lowrie PS To ensure you receive our latest offers, join our mailing list by calling the theatre on or admin@crescent-theatre.co.uk

3 04 05 Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick by Terry Johnson 15th 29th March pm Matinées - 22nd & 29th March pm Main House Filming s not as glamorous as it s cracked up to be. It s a miserable business if your caravan leaks, your co-star s a manic depressive, and those younger women aren t so young any more. Carrying on in the great British comedy tradition, this play takes some familiar faces and gets a bit familiar with them. It premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 1998 starring Geoffrey Hutchings as Sid, Adam Godley as Kenneth and Samantha Spiro as Barbara and was produced on TV under the title Cor Blimey! Find out how the production is progressing - Tickets: 12 / 11 concessions

4 06 The Homecoming by Harold Pinter 22nd 29th March pm Matinée - 29th March pm Ron Barber Studio Theatre After a six year absence, prodigal son Teddy arrives home to pay his family a visit with his wife Ruth, who settles into the household as if into a well-known niche. Teddy s decidedly odd brothers and his domineering father all take it for granted that she is anyone s for the asking and she is. It is then suggested that they should set her up in trade, in a little flat in Soho. Calmly Ruth lists the conditions she requires before accepting, barely batting an eyelid as Teddy returns to America. Pinter s still shocking portrait of a dysfunctional male family group and their dubious sexual politics is brought to Birmingham in this new production from the Crescent Theatre Company. Tickets: 10 (Concessions 9) Pinter s black comedy remains pretty much as sharp, sleek and shocking as ever Sarah Hemmings Financial Times

5 08 09 Top Girls by Caryl Churchill 5th 19th April pm Matinées - 12th & 19th April pm Ron Barber Studio Theatre Marlene hosts a dinner part in a London restaurant to celebrate her promotion to managing director of Top Girls employment agency. Her guests are five women from the past - Isabella Bird ( ), the adventurous traveller; Lady Nijo (b1258), the mediaeval Japanese courtesan who became a Buddhist nun and travelled on foot through Japan; Dull Gret, who as Dulle Griet in a Bruegel painting, led a crowd of women on a charge through hell; Pope Joan, the transvestite early female pope and last but not least Patient Griselda, and obedient wife out of Chaucer. As the evening continues we are involved with the stories of all five women and the more pressing dilemmas of Marlene herself. Top Girls has a combination of directness and complexity which keeps you both emotionally and intellectually alert. You can smell life, and at the same time feel locked in an argument with an agile and passionate mind Sunday Times A classic of contemporary theatre, Churchill s play is seen as a benchmark for ushering a new generation of playwrights after it was premiered by the Royal Court in Tickets: 10 / 9 concessions

6 10 11 The Crescent Youth Theatre presents Killing Time Devised piece based upon the work of artist Cornelia Parker 10th May pm Ron Barber Studio Theatre An inventive and original piece of physical theatre from the Crescent s own Youth Theatre. The company devised the piece after inspiration from a work based on the concept of the human desire to stop and stare at any incident. The artist created a piece which turned members of the public into the spectacle as we view them observing a scene, oblivious to being watched themselves. Tickets: 10 / 9 concessions

7 The Full Monty Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek Book by Terrence McNally Based on the Motion Picture released by Fox Searchlight Pictures and written by Simon Beaufoy by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited 13 23rd 31st May pm Matinée - 31st May pm Main House Buffalo, New York. It s the story of six out of work men who are faced with no money and no future on the unemployed scrapheap. With children, homes and wives to support, they come up with a crazy money-making idea. Noticing how willingly women were spending money on watching male strippers, they decide to form a stripping group of their own. Unfit, overweight and with no experience whatsoever they rehearse in secret and soon despair of having any chance of succeeding. But they have a trump card to play this group goes all the way! Word soon spreads and dwindling ticket sales for their debut performance rocket. The question is will they or won t they? Based on the original 1997 film of the same name, the first Broadway musical production opened on 26 March 2000 and was directed by Jack O Brien with choreography by Jack Mitchell, and ran for 770 performances. Tickets: 12 / 11 concessions...all the oomph and blue-collar balls of West Side Story. Paul Taylor - The Independent

8 Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge. HEAD BOY The Breath of Life By David Hare Beautiful Thing By Jonathan Harvey 31st May 7th June pm Matinée - 7th June pm Ron Barber Studio Theatre Gauguin s epigram serves as the motto for this moral tale of two women, both in their 60s, whose lives are interwoven in ways neither of them yet understands. Madeline Palmer is a retired curator, living alone on the Isle of Wight. One day to her door comes Angela Beale, a woman she has met only once, who is now enjoying sudden success, late in life, as a popular novelist. The progress of a single night comes to echo the hidden course of their lives. Tickets: 10 / 9 concessions 14th June 21st June pm Matinée - 21st June pm Ron Barber Studio Theatre Sandra works hard to give her teenage son Jamie a good start in life - and her latest bloke Tony seems to have potential. At least their life is more under control than those of their neighbours. On one side Leah is bunking off school and becoming increasingly obsessed with sixties singer Mama Cass and on the other Ste tries single-handed to look after his abusive father. Set in a summer heat-wave, the play touches lightly on the trials and tribulations of living on top of one another in a council estate; and what happens when two sixteen year olds fall in love, and they both just happen to be boys. Deliciously upbeat... seldom has there been a play which so exquisitely and joyously depicts what it s like to be sixteen, in the first flush of love and full of optimism. Truly a most unusual and beautiful thing. The Guardian Tickets: 10 / 9 concessions

9 FourPlay New Director Showcase 17 28th June 5th July pm Ron Barber Studio House Discover some of the Crescent s fresh new directing talent four new directors, four short or one-act plays over a fortnight. This is bite-sized theatre with a buffet of productions to choose from! After last year s highly successful introduction of the format, 2008 sees a return to the idea. The Bald Prima Donna by Eugene Ionesco 30th June, 2nd, 4th & 5th July at 7.45 The Smiths are a traditional family from London, who have invited another family, the Martins, over for a visit. Their married guests, Mr and Mrs Martin, are certain that they have met somewhere before. They are joined later by the Smiths maid, Mary, who reveals that she is Sherlock Holmes, and the local fire chief, who is also a friend and confuses everyone by bobby-knocking at the door. Who is responsible for this misunderstanding? The two families engage in meaningless banter, telling stories and relating nonsensical poems as the play explores the futility as well as the lack of meaningful communication in modern society. The Street Cleaner by Jefferson Collins 28th June, 1st & 3rd July at th July at 2.45 Two friends reunite after six years apart, but have they changed irreparably? As they journey through their pasts, will they find a common future? Or has time and ambition intervened to make their differences unsurpassable. 100 by Neil Monaghan, Diene Petterie and Christopher Heimann 28th June, 1st & 3rd July at th July at 2.45 Imagine that you must choose one single memory from your life and capture it with a magical camera That choosing this memory is your only way of passing through to eternity and that all other memories will be erased forever. The Lesson by Eugene Ionesco 30th June, 2nd, 4th & 5th July at 7.45 A professor awaits a fresh pupil s arrival, brushing off the maid s warnings of the dark things that may come of yet another lesson... But as the pupil s limitations become evident, the professor s frustration grows, and the day s lesson takes its foreshadowed, perilous turn. This potent Comic Drama has the power to frighten and delight as only Absurdist plays can. The schedule of performances has not yet been finalised so specific performance dates will be announced later in the year. Tickets: 10 (Concessions 9)

10 19 Summer Tour 2008 The Crescent Theatre Touring Company presents A Midsummer Night s Dream By William Shakespeare June/July 2008 at venues throughout the region The Crescent s ever popular tour is again visiting beautiful locations around the region bring a picnic and your own seating and sit back and enjoy a classic of outdoor theatre. You can buy tickets from the theatre or the venues directly. Celebrations are planned to mark the marriage of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Egeus brings his rebellious daughter Hermia in front of the Duke. She is refusing to marry Demetrius, her father s choice, because she is love with Lysander. The Duke orders Hermia to obey her father or, according to Athenian law, she must face death or enter a convent. Hermia and Lysander decide to elope that night. They confide their plan to their friend Helena and she, in love with Demetrius and hoping to win his affection, tells him of the plan. That night, all four lovers steal away into the forest. A group of Athenian tradesmen, led by Peter Quince, are planning to perform a play, The Tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe in celebration of the Duke s wedding. They decide to rehearse in the same forest. Oberon and Titania, fairy rulers of the forest, have quarrelled over Titania s refusal to give up her boy page to Oberon. He sends Puck to find a magic plant, the juice of which, squeezed on the eyes of someone asleep, will cause them to fall in love with the first creature they see on waking. Oberon uses the juice on Titania and she falls rapturously in love with Bottom, one of the tradesmen who has been bewitched by Puck. Oberon also tells Puck to use it on Demetrius, so that he will fall in love with Helena, but Puck, mistaking the two Athenian youths, uses it on Lysander instead, who promptly falls in love with Helena... 24th - 26th June pm Botanical Gardens, Birmingham 28th June pm Castle Bromwich Gardens, Birmingham 5th & 6th July pm Hall s Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon 18th & 19th July pm 20th July pm Harington Hall, Nr Kiddermimister For tickets and further information contact the venues directly, call the Box Office on or visit

11 diary march sat 15 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main tues 18 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main wed 19 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main thurs 20 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main fri 21 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main sat 22 2:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main sat 22 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main sat 22 7:45pm The Homecoming Studio tues 25 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main tues 25 7:45pm The Homecoming Studio wed 26 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main wed 26 7:45pm The Homecoming Studio thurs 27 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main thurs 27 7:45pm The Homecoming Studio fri 28 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main fri 28 7:45pm The Homecoming Studio sat 29 2:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main sat 29 2:45pm The Homecoming Studio sat 29 7:30pm Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle & Dick Main sat 29 7:45pm The Homecoming Studio april sat 5 7:45pm Top Girls Studio tues 8 7:45pm Top Girls Studio wed 9 7:45pm Top Girls Studio thurs 10 7:45pm Top Girls Studio fri 11 7:45pm Top Girls Studio sat 12 2:45pm Top Girls Studio sat 12 7:45pm Top Girls Studio tues 15 7:45pm Top Girls Studio wed 16 7:45pm Top Girls Studio thurs 17 7:45pm Top Girls Studio fri 18 7:45pm Top Girls Studio sat 19 2:45pm Top Girls Studio sat 19 7:45pm Top Girls Studio may Sat 10 7:45pm Killing Time Studio Sat 17 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Tues 20 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Wed 21 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Thurs 22 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Fri 23 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Sat pm The Full Monty Main Sat 24 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Tues 27 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Wed 28 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Thurs 29 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Fri 30 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Sat 31 2:30pm The Full Monty Main Sat 31 7:30pm The Full Monty Main Sat 31 7:45pm The Breath Of Life Studio june Tues 3 7:45pm The Breath of Life Studio Wed 4 7:45pm The Breath of Life Studio Thurs 5 7:45pm The Breath of Life Studio Fri 6 7:45pm The Breath of Life Studio Sat 7 2:45pm The Breath of Life Studio Sat 7 7:45pm The Breath of Life Studio Sat 14 7:45pm Beautiful Thing Studio Tues 17 7:45pm Beautiful Thing Studio Wed 18 7:45pm Beautiful Thing Studio Thurs 19 7:45pm Beautiful Thing Studio Fri 20 7:45pm Beautiful Thing Studio Sat 21 2:45pm Beautiful Thing Studio Sat 21 7:45pm Beautiful Thing Studio Tues 24 7:45pm Midsummer Night s Dream BG* Wed 25 7:45pm Midsummer Night s Dream BG* Thurs 26 7:45pm Midsummer Night s Dream BG* Sat 28 7:00pm Midsummer Night s Dream CBG* Sat 28 7:45pm Fourplay Studio july Tues 1 7:45pm Fourplay Studio Wed 2 7:45pm Fourplay Studio Thurs 3 7:45pm Fourplay Studio Fri 4 7:45pm Fourplay Studio Sat 5 2:45pm Fourplay Studio Sat 5 7:45pm Fourplay Studio Sat 5 7:00pm Midsummer Night s Dream HC* Sun 6 7:00pm Midsummer Night s Dream HC* Fri 18 7:00pm Midsummer Night s Dream HH* Sat 19 7:00pm Midsummer Night s Dream HH* Sun 20 3:00pm Midsummer Night s Dream HH* Key BG* CBG* HC* HH* Botanical Gardens, Birmingham Castle Bromwich Gardens, Birmingham Hall s Croft, Stratford Upon Avon Harvington Hall, Nr Kidderminster box office: book online: 21

12 ticket prices how to book 23 Main House Main House: All performances 12 and concessions 11 Ron Barber Studio Theatre All performances 10 and concessions 9 Concessions These are available to children, senior citizens, students, and the unwaged. If you have a disability and you require a companion when attending a performance, both your seat and that of your companion will be half price. For details of group rates please call the Box Office. Ticket Exchange Tickets received at least 24 hours in advance may be exchanged for seats at another performance of the same production, however we cannot guarantee this and the service is offered subject to ticket availability. Please note: There is an administration charge of 1 per ticket exchanged. Ticket Resale The Crescent Theatre will endeavour to resell your tickets if necessary. However, we cannot guarantee this service and tickets will only be resold once no other ticket is available for that performance. There is an administrative charge of 1 per ticket. Online booking Can be made by visiting By Telephone For reservations and credit card bookings please call , 2.30pm 7pm Monday Friday, Midday to 7pm Saturday By post Please enclose a cheque (made payable to the Crescent Theatre Limited) or credit card details together with SAE or add 50p to the total to cover postage. In Person Box Office opens 2.30pm 8pm Monday Friday, Midday to 8pm on Saturday. When there is no performance the Box Office will close at 7pm. Sunday Performances and Saturday Matinées: Box Office opens one hour prior to the performance to personal callers. Bank Holidays on performance days only 4.30pm 8pm. Reservations: Tickets will only be held for 7 working days or 1 hour before a performance whichever is sooner. Gift Tokens Want to surprise a friend or relative with a different kind of gift? Then consider Crescent Theatre Gift Tokens. They re redeemable against any production at the theatre and have no expiry date. Available as 5, 10, 20 or 50 values you can buy in person from the box office, or just call us on Please send to: The Box Office, The Crescent Theatre, Sheepcote Street, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B16 8AE. Crescent Theatre Touring Company Every summer the Crescent Theatre Touring Company performs at beautiful venues around the region such as Ragley Hall, Harvington Hall and the Birmingham s Botanical Gardens. Enjoy a picnic, a glass of wine and sit back while classics plays are brought to life in evocative surroundings. See details of our forthcoming 2008 tour elsewhere in the brochure. box office: book online:

13 information information 23 The Crescent Youth Theatre Two thriving groups that meet every Saturday during term time. Further details are available from the theatre. Wardrobe Hire The Crescent has thousands of costumes for hire to theatre groups, schools and societies. Call between 6.30pm and 9.30pm Monday evenings only for further details (Voice Mail available at other times). Appointments to view costumes necessary. Theatre Hire For information on how to book the Crescent Theatre for your own show, event, meeting or conference please call the Administration Team on Website Visit the Crescent Theatre s website for tickets, up to the minute listings and detailed information about all our activities at Car Parking 5.50 when attending a performance at the Crescent Theatre. Car park prices correct at the time of going to press. Purchase of this voucher does not guarantee you a space in the car park. Dine & Play Enjoy a meal at the CITY café restaurant, bar and terrace (at the City Inn Hotel adjacent to the theatre) and a show at the Crescent Theatre. Just add the price of your meal to your theatre ticket. CITY café Two Courses (pre-show only from 6pm) from set menu. Children We regret that children under 18 months will not be admitted to shows other than Children /Pantomime shows. They must have a ticket whether they sit on the parent s/guardian s lap or not. We ask that you respect the enjoyment of other patrons and in the event of restlessness we request that you take the child from the auditorium. All details contained in this brochure are correct at time of printing. Printed by Central Colour Tel: Production Photography How To Find Us The Crescent Theatre is situated just off Broad Street in the heart of the Brindleyplace development. By car: Turn into Sheepcote Street at the traffic light junction by the Novotel, then follow the signposts for the Brindleyplace Car Park. The 903-award-winning secured space car park is situated next door to the theatre and is safe, clean and bright. Tickets can be purchased from the Crescent Theatre Box Office when buying show tickets. By public transport: New Street and Snow Hill stations are about 15 minutes walk away, whilst Five Ways station on the Cross City Line is just 10 minutes away. The majority of buses run along Broad Street at regular intervals. Taxis can drop passengers by the front entrance on Sheepcote Street. Access The Crescent Theatre has lift or level access to all public areas. There is an adapted toilet on the ground floor and spaces for up to six wheelchair users in the Main House and two in the studio. All staircases have continuous handrails and tactile surfaces at each landing. Both auditoria are equipped with infra red sound transmission systems and headsets are available from the Duty Manager. Audio described performances of Crescent Theatre Company Main House productions are available. Further details are available from the theatre and in the Crescent Theatre Access Guide please state whether required in standard print, large print, audio or computer disk format. Free Mailing List To join and receive regular updates on Crescent Theatre shows call or us at admin@crescent-theatre.co.uk Membership The Crescent Theatre is a voluntary organisation run almost entirely by its members. If you enjoy what you see and would like to learn more about joining the company please write to the Members Manager at the theatre. box office: book online: All production photography by Paul Vokes who is available as a professional photographer at reasonable rates. Call for more details. Production photos can also be purchased from the theatre via our website. crescent the theatre

14 box office: book online: The Crescent Theatre Sheepcote Street Brindleyplace Birmingham B16 8AE The Crescent Theatre is a registered charity. No crescent the Get closer to the performance. theatre