Tag Archives: newwriting

BUNNY at Soho Theatre

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Katie’s finally coming to London. After a Fringe First winning Edinburgh run, followed by a critically-acclaimed UK tour, I’m producing Jack Thorne’s searing monologue to Soho Theatre for new writing company nabokov, before taking the show to New York as part of the Brits Off Broadway Festival at 59E59 Theaters.

If you haven’t had a chance to catch this fantastic piece from one of the UK’s most exciting young voices, book now before you miss out! And then check out the series premiere of Jack’s new TV show The Fades which airs tonight.

BUNNY

by Jack Thorne

October – November 2011

Presented by nabokov

“Amusing, poignant, bang on the money real – catch it if you can” – ***** WhatsOnStage

“Pretty much pitch perfect” – ***** Manchester Evening News 

The Fringe First Award winning production goes to London and New York.

“I don’t like thinking. But I do. Think. All the time.”

Scorching heat. A fight. A car-chase. A siege. Feisty 18-year-old Katie is thrust on white-knuckle ride through one extraordinary evening when her boyfriend is attacked on the street. Amidst the baying for blood and the longing for love, Katie is forced to decide her future.

This award winning, deeply personal new play from one of Britain’s most exhilarating young writers is an unflinching, heartbreakingly vulnerable look at the complexities of growing up and the complications of racial diversity in Britain today

“Electrifying” – **** The Scotsman

“Jack Thorne confirms his position as a powerful voice for Britain’s youth” with writing that is “fresh and compelling”. - **** The Independent

“Rosie Wyatt gives a remarkable performance” – **** The Financial Times


BUNNY by Jack Thorne

12 – 29 October

Soho Theatre // Dean Street // London // W1D 3NE // Closest Tube: Tottenham Ct Rd / Leicester Sq.

Tickets // 020 7478 0100, www.sohotheatre.com, or CLICK HERE!

 

2 – 19 November // various times

59E59 Theaters // 59 East 59th St // Between Madison & Park Ave // New York City // NY 10022, USA. // Subway: 4/5/6 or N/R/Q to 59th & Lex.

Tickets // +1 212.753.5959, www.59e59.org

A Producer’s Brand

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Does a producer need a brand? Probably not. It seems unlikely that anyone would choose to go to see a show just because of the producer. Except perhaps one of the biggest producers who would have name recognition with the theatre-going public. And even then you never can tell…

Some audience members of Blue Surge answered a survey about how they heard about the show and why they came, and I can assure you that none of the respondents answered, “because of the producer.” And one of the best things about deliberately not having a mission statement, or artistic policy, is that you can put on whatever work takes your fancy. There’s no need to worry about scaring of your audience base, because in reality you have to build an audience anew for each new show.

Which seems liberating, but also a lot of work. Especially when in London independent producers are competing against the established and nurtured audiences of the National, the Royal Court, the Young Vic, the Bush, the Donmar and every other major subsidised house.

Before now I’d never consciously thought about trying to establish my own brand as a producer. Yet the first two plays I’ve produced had both had performances elsewhere (Newcastle and the US respectively) but had never been seen in London. They were new writing as far as the audiences were concerned, although of course Blue Surge had been written ten years before.

The next show I’m producing, Bunny, has had a run in Edinburgh (where it won a Fringe First) and a UK tour. After that I’m Associate Producer on Herding Cats. This has a two week run at Bath Theatre Royal’s Ustinov Studio before transferring to London, produced by David Luff. So it seems at the moment, the brand has happened…

SANDCASTLES

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I’ve just spent the day working on an exciting new play by young writer Titas Halder called SANDCASTLES. We’ve got a great bunch of actors and Paines Plough have very kindly supported us with rehearsal space.

After an extremely short notice casting (some actors were found only the day before) we nervously met at 10.15am yesterday in the pouring rain. But it was worth it to hear the script read out loud. It’s amazing hearing the difference when actors read a script, even at a first attempt, as opposed to when you sit down yourself. Obviously as a producer I’m trying to read scripts all the time but it really is very different when you hear it read out loud.

After that initial read through director Kate Budgen spent the afternoon working on individual scenes with the cast. I don’t want to reveal too much about the story, but it’s pretty exciting to be involved with a script in such early stages of development.

Every play presumably has a completely different story of how it got from first idea to production. Whether it was commissioned, or sent off by the agent or playwright directly to venues and producers, whether it had three, ten or twenty drafts, all of these go into making the performance you see on stage.

As we go into the second and sadly final day on SANDCATLES I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops beyond this process. But I also have no real idea of where that might be. More drafts, another reading, a production – who knows? But what is exciting is knowing that we’ve got a new story, one that hasn’t been told yet. And hopefully we’ll be able to tell it.