In this acclaimed one-woman play, the true story of Mary Seacole is brought vibrantly to life, revealing how this fearless medical practitioner used traditional remedies to treat the sick and wounded, challenged racism in high places and won the hearts and minds of those she helped across the globe.
2016 marked the 400th anniversary of the deaths of two of the world''s most famous authors, William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. This comic romp through the lives of literary masters William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes charts their influence on the modern world. It contrasts the fortunes of two contemporaries whose native countries'' - England and Spain - went from alliance to enmity in a short space of time and shows how different their fortunes were as they grappled with the politics of their age. Pioneering writer and director, Asa Palomera ("a powerhouse on Melbourne''s independent theatre scene"): "I''ve tried to bring forth the sheer humanity of their lives, to present them as it were in their underwear, to show that the emotions we feel from their work are as human as the emotions they, in turn, experienced when they were alive." Productions of The Curious Lives of Shakespeare & Cervantes: Adam House Theatre (Edinburgh, 2010), Bloomsbury Theatre (London, 2010), Thai premiere (Bangkok Theatre Festival, 2014). Staged reading at Tara Theatre (London, November 2016).
"I have lived with these trees and watched them grow. You have been away from here for too long, you don't see it. Or you have simply forgotten...""I have lived with these trees and watched them grow. You have been away from here for too long, you don't see it. Or you have simply forgotten..."Responding to a call-out, a repairman finds himself inexplicably drawn to an old woman and her house in the woods. At first it seems like a simple fix, but as a storm starts to close in, he is forced to confront the ghosts from his past.A tale of guilt and childhood memory - can we ever really mend what is already broken?A tale of guilt and childhood memory - can we ever really mend what is already broken?
Ping, the daughter of Chinatown's Pipa Queen, loves Weng, the voice of the people, but family circumstances drive them apart. Ping is forced to leave suddenly for the USA, where she creates a different life for herself. Many years later, Ping returns to a country transformed by prosperity. Gone are the boatmen and hawkers who once lived along the river. In their place, rise luminous glass and steel towers proclaiming the power of the city state. Can Ping face her former lover and reveal the secret that has separated them for over 30 years? A beautifully written exploration of identity, love and loss, set against the dramatic upheaval unleashed by the rise of Singapore. SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE MONTH
Mattieu Macanan has fled his home in France, to work as a doctor in a remote region of South America where his past is unknown. There he tends to the local tribes and tries to avoid contact with European settlers. When Silke Khan and her husband Theo fly into his world with plans to run an airmail service in the area his reclusive life is irrevocably altered. While Mattieu struggles to resist his attraction to Silke, hostilities created by the coming war escalate, drawing the local people into their orbit and forcing the doctor to decide which side he is on. But what is he hiding from? Can he really help the local tribes survive the disease and trouble the Europeans unleash? In offering refuge to Silke Khan, has Mattieu finally committed a fatal move?
Thrown off the train for not having a ticket, Mona finds herself, alone, in a rural town at night. Although she is fashionably dressed, she has no money and nowhere to stay. Fortunately, the local schoolteacher, Marin, invites her to stay at his home while he sleeps over at a friend's place.However, an attraction soon develops. Marin, a keen astronomer, reveals that he has discovered a star which is not marked on any star chart. They share a wonderfully happy night together. But their idyll is soon shattered by the arrival of Mona's boyfriend, Grig. Will Mona choose to return to her old life in the city or settle for a quieter life with Marin?This play was a hit play in Romania at the time it was written and has subsequently been adapted for film in both France and Russia. Available for the first time in a new English translation by Gabi Reigh.ABOUT THE AUTHORMihail Sebastian was the pen-name of the Romanian writer Iosif Hechter. Born in the Danube port of Braila, he died in a road accident in 1945. During the period between the wars he was well-known for his lyrical and ironic plays and for urbane psychological novels tinged with melancholy, as well as for his extraordinary literary essays. His novel For Two Thousand Years is a Penguin Modern Classic.ABOUT THE TRANSLATORGabi Reigh's translations and fiction have been published in Modern Poetry in Translation, World Literature Today and The Fortnightly Review. She has won the Stephen Spender prize for poetry in translation and was shortlisted for the Tom-Gallon Society of Authors short story award. She is currently engaged in a translation project called Interbellum Series focusing on works from the Romanian interwar period, including the poetry of Lucian Blaga.Introduction by Alex Boican Dr Alex Boican was born in Bucharest, Romania, and since 1990 has lived in the UK. He studied at Birkbeck College and University College London. He holds a PhD in Romanian literature from UCL, where he is currently a Teaching Fellow in Romanian Literature and Culture. His main interest is in contemporary novelistic representations of class and gender.
Durban Dialogues, Indian Voice is an anthology of five engaging and eclectic South African plays by award-winning playwright Ashwin Singh. The plays selected, namely To House, Duped, Spice 'n Stuff,Reoca Light and Beyond the Big Bangs represent the complete array of Singh's storytelling skills in drama as well as satire.Each play reflects, in different ways, on the complexities and contradictions of life in post-Apartheid South Africa, and focuses particularly on people of Indian origin and their relationship with other South African communities.The plays present a moving portrait of a unique array of characters and are also punctuated by Singh's trademark humour. Each one is set in Durban, South Africa's third largest and most diverse city, and they are described by renowned academic and critic Betty Govinden as 'undressing Durban, as they take us away from the neon lights and "candy floss" to the reality of the underbelly of post-Apartheid urban and suburban existence'.
“It’s not about whether or not the stories are being told, because they are. Every day, all around you, stories are told. It’s not about that. It’s about whether or not you choose to listen.”Investigating a dusty museum after dark, the discovery by a group of teens of a shining sword thrust into an ancient stone resurrects a figure from Arthurian legend – Merlin!As the wizard weaves his words and magic, a group of friends are transported on an incredible journey – into the past and the future – to shadowy caves in dark forests and rocketing beyond the stars.The Tales of Merlin proves that the world is made up of stories and we all have a part to play in telling them …
A novel by the distinguished Romanian author translated into English for the first time and published in the UK.
. Publishing to coincide with major tour of the UK. Deals with issues such as enforced migration and refugees. Won the IOM Arts Council Prize in 2017Three women, two children, one story...Set in present day Senegal, Bavaria and post WW2 Sudentenland, > immerses the audience in the personal lives and the dilemmas facing its three female characters. The story follows their lives as they attempt to make difficult decisions that will change their lives forever. Enforced migration and refugee status are the backdrop to this inspiring, uplifting and intertwined story spanning a time-frame of 60 years, of women's determination to carry on and create a new life.
Three stories, three lives, three journeys to find a place called home. Cheung Wing is escaping from war, Mei Lan's had enough of the potato peeler, and Yi Di wants the impossible - her parents' approval. Award-winning writer Mary Cooper and multilingual collaborator MW Sun have woven together stories of love and loss, struggle and survival into a powerful drama. Blending English, Mandarin and Cantonese, From Shore to Shore tells the untold stories of Chinese communities in the UK. From Shore to Shore website.
A new trilogy of plays inspired by Portuguese visual artist Paula Rego, specifically commissioned for children and young people. This anthology also contains useful teacher's notes and colour images of the artworks mentioned.
A new comedy about life in Brexit Britain, the lies we tell to each other - and to ourselves.
A deeply felt love story between people of different nations, cultures and religions and the unseen impact of local and global events on individual lives.
Bradford, in the month of Ramadan. Shaz, a local garage mechanic, is trying to keep his business going despite the terrible scandal of Asian men involved in grooming young girls for sex in the area. Racists plan to march through the city in protest and Samina, Shaz's sister wants to make a speech at a counter-demonstration. Shaz just wants a quiet life so that his prospective in-laws will let him marry their beautiful daughter, but as the city gets swept up in the protest, his world gets turned upside down.
An entertaining collection of new short plays specially commissioned for young people, this book is a great resource for schools, colleges and youth theatres. With contemporary themes and a wide variety of roles, this collection enables young people to engage with serious topics while enjoying all the fun of performance. Contents: LOL: LAUGHING OUT LOUD, CRYING INSIDEThis is a play about bullying and bystanding – exploring the complex new world of cyber-bullying and internet trolling. ''With the tragic consequences of cyberbullying being seen regularly in the media it is important that students are educated about the impact of their actions and the law surrounding this crime… LOL is a script I will return to again and again.'' Year 10 teacherROCKETFUELA forum-theatre play about peer pressure, making responsible choices about drinking and looking after your friends. ''Every child in my class was so absorbed in the play. You seem to have really hit the message home to them. A fantastic starting point for the rest of the year’s PSHE curriculum.'' Year 8 TeacherTHREE SHOESA play which explores children working on stage and screen in the past and present, taking in the backstage life of a choirboy at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, a pantomime babe in Victorian England, and a pair of young film stars in the glare of the media today.NOAHA colossal storm is brewing and the great flood is coming. Yet only one man and his family are doing anything to prepare. The rain starts to fall, the Ark’s doors close and an extraordinary journey must begin. ''a terrific re-imagining of the biblical story. Rachel Barnett’s writing is immediate, intelligent, bold, quirky, consistently surprising and compelling for young people.'' Youth Theatre Director, Chichester Festival TheatreReviews:“It’s never easy to find inclusive, meaty plays suitable for youth theatres or schools so this contribution from well-established children’s playwright Rachel Barnett is very welcome. Rocketfuel is a nicely balanced piece about risk taking and boundaries commissioned for gap year students to perform in secondary schools.'' Susan Elkin, The Stage''Rachel Barnett’s excellent play texts give voice to the concerns of young people, exploring options for dealing with the pressures of teenage life. Her production of Noah, which was performed by our Youth Theatre in 2012, was a gem of a show and makes you wonder why schools are still performing musicals and pantos when there is new writing of this standard out there.'' Jonathan Church, former Artistic Director, Chichester Festival Theatre
Suitable for use in schools, colleges, youth theatres. Perfect for family audiences
A collection of seven of the best suffrage plays written to encourage their audiences to allow women the vote. Funny, biting, short and powerful, these plays are perfect for colleges, youth theatres and amateur dramatic societies who want to explore how an earlier generation dealt with misogyny.The astonishing women involved in the Actresses Franchise League set up their own theatre companies and engaged with the battle for the vote by writing and performing campaigning plays all over the country. They launched themselves onto the political stage with their satirical plays, sketches and monologues whilst at the same time challenging the staid conventions of the Edwardian Theatre of the day. The legacy of their inspiring work to change both theatre and society has survived in the political theatre, agit-prop and verbatim theatre we know today. Introduced and set in an historical context by Dr Susan Croft together with a chronology of suffrage drama.
This is a topical play about society's war against terror and its consequences. Inspired by events such as the De Menezes shooting, when an innocent man was mistaken for a terrorist, it is suitable for schools, colleges and youth theatres. It features: Tony, a policeman, wishes he could turn the clock back; Jack who knows that what's done is done; Parvez, a young Asian man, who can't believe that Sara is back from beyond and this time she seems to have all the answers.
Balkan Plots: Plays From Central And Eastern EuropeIntroduced by Gina Landor This unique collection features four new plays about war, tyranny and discrimination by Eastern and Central European writers. Includes the plays: "The Body of a Woman as a battlefield in the Bosnian war" by Matei Visniec, "Cordon" by Nebojsa Romcevic, "When I want to whistle, I whistle..." by Andreea V¿lean and "Soap Opera" by György Spiró.The title of this volume alludes to the history of political double-dealing in a troubled region within southern Europe, surrounded by the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas. G.B. Shaw wrote "Arms and The Man" about a small Balkan plot in the 19th century. It's in this tradition, rather than in a geographical sense that we use the title "Balkan Plots". The plays in this volume are dramatic works which have emerged from, or which take as their subject matter, the struggle of individuals within societies affected by recent political upheaval. The writers explore aspects of freedom and rebellion, ethnicity and discrimination, loyalty and betrayal in situations where conventional attitudes and beliefs are severely tested. In some plays, the conflict is between traditional socialist attitudes and western capitalism. In others, the values and beliefs of the younger generation collide with and challenge those of the older generation. Within each of the plays, the way in which the personal and the political interacts, is very much in evidence. The PlaysThe Body of a Woman as a Battlefield in the Bosnian War by Matei Visniec, translated by Alison Sinclair: Two women meet in the aftermath of the Bosnian War. Both are struggling to find release from their inner battlefields."Incontestably one of the best, the most powerful plays of the Avignon Festival." La Gazette ProvencaleCordon by Nebojsa Romcevic, translated by Sladjana Vujovic: A group of Special Police in Belgrade incite a riot at a peaceful protest, maliciously beating a student. A harsh indictment of the brutality and corruption of the Milosevic regime. Banned throughout Yugoslavia. The film adaptation won the 2003 Montreal Film Festival.When I Want to Whistle, I Whistle... by Andreea V¿lean, translated by Cheryl Robson and Claudiu Trandafir: A female student visits a youth Detention Centre for a research project. Her interviewing of three young offenders has disastrous consequences for all involved.Soap Opera by György Spiró, translated by Andrew Bock: A salesman wants to sign a woman up for a Jewish reparations scheme. The play raises questions about Western methods of compensation for war crimes.
"Scars are like medals. They show we have taken part in the life."Crocodile Seeking Refuge is the second play to be inspired by author Sonja Linden''s writing residency at The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture. It deals with the lives of several refugees struggling to gain the right to residency in a Britain which is hostile to immigrants and refugees.
I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document... was inspired by the real life experiences of Rwandan refugees in the UK. The play tells the story of two people from entirely different worlds who meet at a Refugee Centre in London: Juliette is a young Rwandan asylum seeker, determined to write a book on the genocide that killed her family; Simon is a middle-aged failing novelist, whose job is to help people write. The play follows their funny and touching relationship and tackles issues that face many refugees who live in the UK today.I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document... was a Time Out Critics' Choice and was broadcast by BBC World Service as well as touring nationally and internationally. Following a London run and National UK tour, the play received its American premiere at Kansas City Rep in March 2005 and has subsequently gone on to receive more than 30 productions across the US.
The Arab-Israeli Cookbook is a drama created from the everyday realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The project began when the Caird Company sent the writer Robin Soans and directors Rima Brihi and Tim Roseman to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank in 2003. There they sampled a variety of dishes in homes, restaurants, shops and cafes and met dozens of people with different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs. Each person had a story to tell and a recipe to cook. Robin Soans has constructed a verbatim play from the words he collected. Arab and Israeli voices come together to bring insight and understanding to the melting pot of Middle Eastern affairs.There is a cookery book that accompanies the play with photographs of the people he met and their recipes.
In a country torn by war, two kids escape from a POW camp. Chased by the enemy, they steal a car and head for Paradise. Captured by a lone soldier, the two kids are forced to fight for survival, forced to choose where and what paradise really is. A provocative, bleakly humorous play for young people.
English version of Carriere''s popular French play L''Aide Memoire.One morning, confirmed bachelor Jean-Jacques leaves his door ajar-and a total stranger slips into his life. Is she a squatter, somewhat deranged, or a woman from his past? Jean-Jacques'' orderly world is turned upside down, when what started as a comic encounter changes his life forever.
A story of mishaps and adventure on the beautiful French canals in which a grumpy grandfather learns to love his feisty granddaughter, and along the way uncovers a burning secret about his son, locked up in a French prison. A beautifully written and expertly plotted tale from a critically-acclaimed novelist.
By Mick Jackson, adapted for the stage by Nick WoodStage adaptation of Mick Jackson's celebrated novel (1997), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award and winner of the Royal Society of Authors' First Novel Award.Adapted by Nick Wood, critically acclaimed playwright and bestselling author of A Girl With A Book and Other Plays; his works are performed extensively in the UK, USA and Europe.Co-produced by Nottingham Playhouse (co-producer of the critically acclaimed stage version of 1984) and Nick Wood's AJTC (A Girl with a Book). A life of fascination, obsession and deep scientific curiosity.William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck is an eccentric Nottinghamshire aristocrat whose imagination and curiosity know no bounds. This deceptively simple man struggles to come to terms with a world that is teeming with new knowledge, ill-founded opinion and gossip.Why does he hide himself away? What is his fascination with tunnels? Will he ever unearth the secrets hidden in his memory?In a sequence of events that are often curious and frequently hilarious, he reveals moments of surprising perception and wisdom. The Underground Man is a delectable blend of fact and fiction in which the intriguing details of a complex life are richly explored through the vibrant imagination of a gentle soul.
"You''ve heard of an Essex Girl or even a Chelsea Girl and now there is a Hounslow Girl, geared up and ready to take on the world. The Diary of a Hounslow Girl is told through the eyes of a 16-year-old British Muslim teenager growing up in West London. From traditional Pakistani weddings to fights on the night bus this is a funny, bold, provocative play highlighting the challenges of being brought up as a young woman from a traditional Muslim family alongside the temptations and influences growing up in London. First, there was Bridget Jones''s Diary, then Legally Blonde, but now there is The Diary of a Hounslow Girl geared up to take on the world. A comic story of dreams, aspirations and coming of age.
Anyone with an interest in the history of UK rock 'n' roll is familiar with the Cavern Club and the role that Merseyside played in the story of the British Beat scene. But on a far less celebrated but no less significant path, over a small bridge on an island in the middle of the Thames, another great 60s club night played host to acts that would later make a global name for themselves. The Rolling Stones, Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, the Small Faces, the Yardbirds and David Bowie are among the many acts who performed at the legendary Eel Pie Hotel during its 50s and 60s heyday, as did jazz greats such as Cyril Davies, Ken Colyer and Acker Bilk.In this collection of essays from the likes of Zoe Howe (music journalist), Michele Whitby (exhibition curator) and Gina Way (co-owner of the current Eel Pie Club) as well as the musicians themselves, we trace the origins of a scene that is long overdue for recognition.About the AuthorsMichele Whitby has spent most of her life in the Twickenham area. She discovered Eel Pie Island whilst looking for somewhere to set up a photographic studio after leaving college in 1988 and has never really left the place since. A jack-of-all-trades (hopefully master of some!) she has been amongst other things, a photographer, leather-worker, puzzle writer, comic-book colourist and shopkeeper. She became good friends with Arthur Chisnall around 1996 while beginning to research Eel Pie's musical past. She coauthored the book Eel Pie Island with Dan van der Vat, published in 2009. Michele has two children, Louie and Leila, and lives very happily aboard a boat on the Island, venturing off here and there to catch some live music.Zoë Howe is a writer, musician and visual artist based in Essex. Current projects include a film and book about the life and work of X-Ray Spex singer Poly Styrene. Previous books include, 'Lee Brilleaux - Rock 'n' Roll Gentleman', the bestselling 'Stevie Nicks - Visions, Dreams And Rumours', 'Barbed Wire Kisses - The Jesus and Mary Chain Story', 'Typical Girls? The Story Of The Slits', 'How's Your Dad? Living In The Shadow of a Rock Star Parent', 'Florence + The Machine - An Almighty Sound' and 'Wilko Johnson - Looking Back At Me'. She was a contributing author to 'British Beat Explosion - Rock 'n' Roll Island' and to Julien's documentary The Ecstasy Of Wilko Johnson. In 2015, Zoë joined the Doc 'n' Roll Film Festival jury, and as of 2016, she is The Blues Magazine's resident 'rock 'n' roll agony aunt'.
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