Wednesday 30 September 2009

Daniel Defoe: Him to the Pillory

July 31st 1703, Charing Cross: Daniel Defoe is pilloried for upsetting Anglicans and Dissenters alike with his satirical pamphlet The Shortest Way With The Dissenters. Does he survive?

October 5th 2009, The Green Man: Come and fling stones, rotten vegetables and animal excrement* at Defoe as he argues his cause, discusses life in early Eighteenth-Century London and challenges you to consider your own views and beliefs. This one man show is written and performed by Tim Gambrell.

* not obligatory!

That lot was written by the great Gambo himself, so I have nothing to add. Well, except this. Any excuse, really.

The Gift

Fresh from his artistic and - even more important - his commercially successful run at the Etcetera Arms with Safe House, Eamon McDonnell has hit the ground running, and brings The Gift to the Greenwich Playhouse. It first appeared as Calum and Ned, then got retitled for last year's showcase, where it played in an edited form, but this is the full unexpurgated version. Once again, Eamon is bringing in such P-P stalwarts as Victoria Johnston, Chris Prior, and Phil Philmar, and it's being directed by Dimitry Devdiani, who's directed his fair share of P-P showcases.

According to the flier:

"The Gift is a hauntingly lyrical one-act drama set around the Irish borderlands, where lonely, widowed farmer Ned works his land, not so much for wealth as to wash away the days. When Belfast stranger Callum inherits a nearby farm, Ned looks forward to making friends with his new neighbour, only to find the other man is a reticent loner.

"Callum carries a burden of guilt. But as the drama unfolds, we discover he is not alone in harbouring a dark secret, for Ned has one of his own..."


Yes. I remember. I think I even chaired the discussion afterwards. Anyway, I shall certainly be going, and I suggest you do too. It's a four week run, from 13th October, to 8th November at 8 o'clock with a four o'clock showing on Sundays. Tickets are 12 quid, and 10 quid for senior citizens, registered disabled, students and the unemployed.

Thursday 24 September 2009

Booklovers

Monday brings us a new, one act play by Kevin Mandry. Kevin's previous play for us, CLIMBING MOUNT MCKINLEY was shown in February. Let's see how this one goes down on Monday 28th. 7.45. at the Green Man. Be there.

Don't Worry About Me

Remember The Pool, a play by Jamie Brough and Helen Elizabeth that premiered at P-P three years ago? Since then it's gone from strength to strength. A Fringe First at Edinburgh, followed by a run at the Arts in Soho. It's now been turned into a feature film directed by David Morrissey. It's now called Don't Worry About Me, though it still contains the original duo.

The film is being shown as part of the 2009 London Film Festival in the New British Cinema category, and we have three dates at the end of October:
Saturday 24th October at the Vue, Leicester Square, 18.30 (£12)
Monday 26th October at the National Film Theatre, 14.00 (£9)
Thursday 29th October at the National Film Theatre, 19.00 (£9)

Booking opens to the public on Saturday 26th September, and I would recommend booking early as one of the venues in particular is quite small and won’t seat many people.

You can book online, or call 020 7928 3232 from 09:30 - 20:30 daily.

If you unfortunately can't make it to see it on the big screen, worry not!! It is also to be shown on BBC tv towards the end of November.

Here, to whet your appetites, is a short clip.

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Tourist Trap

Next week, Monday 21st, brings us the above play, by me. Daniel Dresner asked last night what kind of play it was and in keeping with the comments of the evening, we agreed that unclassifiable would do nicely.

At any rate, it concerns a couple of English people, Paul and Maggie, who have just arrived at their holiday home on Ibiza, where they meet American couple Joshua and Melody.

What could possibly go wrong?

The last time I used this photo it was for Peter McKelvey's Scorching. This time, it's even more suitable, as we do indeed have a pair of sun-loungers in the staging. Not this evening, but if it ever got produced, those are the most significant pieces of scenery.

Anyway, for this reading we shall be having Clive Greenwood, Belinda Blanchard, Paula Gilbert, and making his P-P debut, Richard Danum.

Come along on Monday, and enjoy! If not, slag me off afterwards in the discussion. But be warned. I bite.

Thursday 10 September 2009

Jack in the Box

Hello once again. We're back on Monday in our new home at the Green Man with a full length stage play by one of our most distinguished writers, Peter Vincent.

The fun starts at 7.45.