A Reflection in Time

Monday 28 November brings us the welcome return of Roger Mayhew. Here's his take on his new, hour long stageplay:

"Although Harold and his fiancée Amy live in different parts of the country they are in constant communication with each other. As the New Year dawns – a year of national celebration – they face the challenge of trying to plan their future together. The play charts the development of their relationship during this one year……".

It stars Fiona McKinnon and, after an even longer period away recovering from getting married, former actor of the year Tim Gambrell. Say hello to them all at 7.45 on Monday.

Hen Night

It's that time again. Conkers, clocks going forward and the autumn leaves are the first signs, and the second is the John Lewis ad and the big displays at the supermarket. Yes, Winterval will soon be upon us, which means the term is nearing its end, which means it's... Competition Time! The time for all our writers to fight it out to the death, and our newest actors to show us what they are made of.

This term's theme is Hen Night. I'll be very disappointed if there isn't one piece at least about chickens. See you on Monday.

A Russian Play

There was some confusion about the scheduling of "A Russian Play" last week. Well, it's on this week, Monday November 14th. It's by new writer John Thompson, and is a tragi-comedy set in Petrograd in 1916. It's already got a production lined up for The Lion & The Unicorn in Kentish Town from 7th Feb-26th Feb 2012. The parts include the following:

Fyodor: A consumptive, hyper-sensitive and very deluded writer in his twenties;

Alexei: A larger-than-life, mercurial revolutionary (also in his twenties);

Alosha: A naive young man from the country, who comes to Petrograd to seek his fortune;

Vladamir: A sinister secret service agent (in his early fifties ).

Come along on Monday at 7.45 to see what the good people of Kentish Town have in store for them.

Spring Chix Confidential & Don't Call Me Gran

Two weeks after Brokeback Britain went down a storm, Player-Playwrights bring you another show that got cancelled from this year's Camden Fringe. Let me quote the press release:

The Spring Chix - Julia Collier and Clare Jones - have been flying around the comedy circuit in London and Margate and are now returning to their Camden Fringe nest for the third year running with an absolutely fab new sketch show.
'Chix Confidential' exposes the dark (overweight) underbelly of rampant youthfulness. Sexy cougars and puerile pussies purr their way into - and out of - cosmetically enhanced loveliness.
Their comic sketches and new 'dance' routines are not to be missed. Unless Clare dislocates a hip at her new Zumba classes or Julia falls off her bike again - but then for her it's just an achievement to be back in the saddle.
The Chix write and perform their own take on life, with additional writing by journalist Lyndsey Jones and cartoonist Judith Walker.
Julia and Clare have been writing and performing sketch comedy since 2005 and starred in The Seven Ages of Woman at the Camden Fringe last year and Super Birds Are Go! in 2009. The comedy duo have backgrounds in acting and dance: a young Clare danced on BBC tv's 'Come Dancing' before ballroom became cool. More recently, the Chix perfomed their sketches in revue at one of the oldest theatres in Britain, the Margate Theatre Royal, to local acclaim: 'I nearly wet my knickers'and 'I laughed and then cried'.

Then, after a short break, we will have a thirty minute radio pilot, Don't Call Me Gran by Ian Davidson and Peter Vincent. Aside from writing legendary TV comedy Sorry! they are the brains behind the current radio 4 smash When The Dog Dies which also stars Ronnie Corbett. So there must be a pretty good chance that this will also end up on the radio. Come along to P-P at 7.45 on Monday 7th of November to find out what all the fuss will be about.

"Quietly entertaining, brilliantly original"

There is one week left to see Player-Playwrights first production - Country Life at the Old Red Lion. If you're poor, come on Thursday for Pay What You Can Night. If you're rich, you're welcome any time!

Barmy!

Less than two years ago both Napoleon Ryan and Sherrill Turner went to Hollywood. This is one of the many things they've been up to.

The Maids

It seems like only yesterday when I was writing about a production of the Maids starring a P-P member. Now along comes another one. This time it's Philippa Tatham at the Tower Theatre and it runs from November 15th to the 19th.