SHOW PROGRAMME
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE ROYAL COURT LIVERPOOL! Welcome to this performance of Shed! There are many different ways to choose a play that goes on here at the Royal Court. Sometimes a script arrives that is perfect, sometimes a Director comes to us with an idea and sometimes we pick a title and start writing from there (Christmas)! This was none of those. Mickey and Paul have known each other for a long time and have worked together for most of it. They always had an idea that they wanted to write something together and so we started with “OK, how about you two, in a shed” and finished with the show that you are about to see tonight. Bob Eaton, a great writer and director, came in to write the show with them and direct and the three of them have worked hard and put a lot of energy and passion into the show. What you are about to see is a performance that has been fuelled by imagination, coffee and a little bit of panic! They have done a brilliant job and there are definitely more nerves backstage as it is their work. Relax lads, you have done a great job. 2015 is looking like an exciting year for us. As well as the great shows that we have coming up, including the West End smash hit Let It Be, we have got the builders in at the moment. We are now well into Act II of the big refurbishment
which will see new bars and toilets, a lift to all floors a beautiful new foyer space and a brand new Box Office. The Royal Court Liverpool Trust have done a great job with the refurbishment, raising £2.8m with the help of European Regional Development Fund, Liverpool City Council and, of course, you lot buying tickets. We know that the foyer and circle areas look a bit rough around the edges at the moment and we’re grateful for you bearing with us. It will look great when it is finished – we promise! That’s enough from me, it’s time for you to sit back and find out what happens when you shut two of our favourite actors in a Shed. Enjoy the show!
Kevin Fearon Chief Executive
oops upside your shed Mickey Starke and Paul Broughton talk Alan Titchmarsh, writing and sheds. Interview by Catherine Jones An Englishman’s Shed is his castle – as Liverpool artist Joel Bird proved when he won TV’s Shed of the Year competition. Now the humble allotment shed is proving a fertile background for a new bittersweet comedy co-written and performed by Liverpool actors Mickey Starke and Paul Broughton at the Royal Court.
And we’ve talked for years about doing something together. It could have been anywhere, but there was nowhere else where we could have been given a chance like this. Kevin just turned round and said ‘well, do this’. We were just dumbfounded. Not many people get that chance because most places can’t afford to just do that.
Shed was written by Paul, Mickey and director Bob Eaton, who promise it is packed with laughs – and a few home truths too.
I hope they go away and say it was lovely, it was nice, it was about friendship, we enjoyed it and it was a nice theatrical experience, with some surprises.
I dropped in to rehearsals to talk to the pair of actors about friendship, audiences....and, of course, sheds.
Paul: It surprised me, it wasn’t the usual fare.
Where did the idea for Shed come from? Paul: We’d always wanted to do something together. First of all it was OK, let’s get a play that’s ready made. And then Kevin (Fearon - Royal Court chief executive) said why don’t you do something together? And we said that’s a good idea. But finding the time....we kicked a few ideas about, but it was always set on an allotment. Mickey: The original idea was the economy in microcosm., using that thing of it being on an allotment. But it’s a real political hot potato now.
Do either of you own a shed? Mickey: No. I’ve never been a shed person. But we did have a Wendy house once. Paul: My mum’s partner Alf is on an allotment, and he’s had a look at the script – and said he fell asleep by page five! He gave me all the books, the Alan Titchmarch ones. A lot of the early thinking was, it was a place to hide. Although it does have its own small community, and we’ve encountered some of them and some of the stories have been brilliant. But for our purposes it’s somewhere you can spirit yourself away and not be seen, keep yourself to yourself.
Paul: There was lots of talk about these allotments being flogged off, and so that was it. But also, Mick and I know a lot of the same people, and we always wanted to give it that darker shade. We had some ideas from that.
Mickey: It could have been called Attic or Basement, but it gives a different kind of connotation doesn’t it?!
Mickey: A lot of the themes that actually happen and we talked about, happened to one of us. Everything in it has been a real situation. The names have been changed. But one or two of the characters are an amalgamation of a couple of people.
There’s a sort of mystique about the place, and there’s a reason things happen that we hope the audience will be pick up on.
How have you found it, working so closely together? Paul: I hate him! I’ll never work with him again. I’ve seen another side to him. Mickey: He won’t warm up in the mornings! Paul: I’ve loved it. Mickey: It’s great fun, and we’ve done a few jobs together now and know each other well enough. There are no trying to skirt round things - we’re both very straightforward, Paul: It’s unique for us because we’re involved in the whole thing. And it’s that thing I learned very quickly when I was told, you have to learn to kill your babies. If it doesn’t fit in the scheme of things then you’ve got to be able to let it go. And I’ve found that difficult I have to say. But everything is a learning curve isn’t it? Royal Court audiences are used to seeing you in quite broad comedies. What can they expect from this? Mickey: We’ve taken a chance, because yes, there is a Royal Court audience and we don’t want to alienate them. We want to bring them in and hopefully they’ll enjoy it. But the diehard Royal Court fans might be a little bit surprised. We could have just run at each other! We wanted something a little more than that.
We wrestled with how organic the shed would be within the story.
Because in a way, their being in there it’s like the shed points things out to them. There are things in there that link with all their lives. What is it about the Royal Court that keeps you coming back? Mickey: For me, I have an affection and an association with all the theatres in this city. But I’ve done about seven or eight plays at the Royal Court in the last three years. It’s amazing and I love it, it’s got a great atmosphere and a wonderful space to work. It’s got the intimacy of the Playhouse and the size of the Empire. And the audiences are so different. They get involved. People love it. It’s approachable. Some cities would give a limb to have a theatre like that, which puts on homegrown stuff. Paul: I think with me, it’s all of that but also it keeps me a foothold in this city. Because I don’t live here any more, although I’m spending a lot more time her because I stay at my mum’s. So I’m able to see friends, work with friends, at a fabulous space. I’ve known Kevin a long time. And all of that stuff enables me to still feel as if I’m a part of the city. And it gives new writers a platform.
ROYAL COURT STAFF Chief Executive Finance Director Assistant Producer Marketing Manager Technical Director Head Chef Finance Officer Front Of House Manager Sales Manager Box Office Manager Costume Supervisor Resident Stage Manager
Kevin Fearon Kevin Dunn Jess Bolger Iain Christie David Gordon Simon Collard Alison Ward Steve Smith Jamie Jenkin Katy Skidmore Marie Jones Mick Bawden
Box Office Assistants Danielle Goodfellow, Laura Lees, Isabelle Litwin and Sarah Randle Front of House Stephen Briggs, Collette Burgess, Lewis Edwards, Peter Gornell, Kathy Hutson, Jake Jones, Emma Keig, Sven Key, Christopher Kidd, Ricci Kinsella, Melanie Lovett, Hazel Patterson, Siobahn Spear, Adam Thompson, Sophy Vicary, Christina Wiggins and Thomas Wright Stage Door Allan Dodd, John Evans Kitchen David Assall, Billie Chisam, Carl Chisam, Debbie Chisam, Libby Hind, Alicia Harris, Robert Hughes, Eileen Lawless, George Schott, Doreen Uber Cleaners Billie Chisam, Carl Chisam, Debbie Chisam, Gillian Stephenson, Doreen Uber And a big thank you to all of our security staff for their hard work throughout the year
Cast Donny Paul Broughton Davey Michael Starke
company Writers Paul Broughton, Michael Starke and Bob Eaton Director Bob Eaton Designer Richard Foxton Lighting Designer Ian Scott Sound Designer Kate Harvey Stage Manager Snowzie Rose Production Manager Izzy Circou Costume Supervisor David Gordon Chief LX / LX Op Marie Jones Crew James Haining Workshop Manager Michael Bawden Set Builders Sightlines
THANKS! Danny O’Brien Pearl Emmy Singleton Edie Rose Singleton Roger Phillips and BBC Radio Merseyside Roger Whitehead Lol Kirkwood
cast and company
MICHAEL STARKE Davey
Michael began his professional career at Liverpool Playhouse in the 1984 production of Cavern of Dreams by Carol Ann Duffy. The next few years saw him appearing almost exclusively at the Everyman in Liverpool, where he appeared in such shows as The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui, Hamlet, The Winter’s Tale, The Taming of the Shrew, She Stoops to Conquer, Three Sisters, and No Holds Bard. Michael was the first ‘guest star’ in the Olivier Award winning The Play What I Wrote, directed by Kenneth Branagh. Other theatre work includes Be Bop A Lula, Blood Brothers (Leicester Haymarket) Anything Goes (National Tour). Film work includes: No Surrender by Alan Bleasdale, Distant Voices, written and directed by Terrence Davies, The 51st State directed by Ronny Yu and starring Samuel L Jackson. Michael is probably best known to TV viewers as Sinbad, a role he played for fifteen years in Channel 4’s Brookside. He then spent six years playing Ken Hopkirk in Yorkshire TV’s The Royal, and was most recently Jerry Morton in Coronation Street. Michael also played Howard in the Manchester 24/7 Festival production of Dancing To The Sound Of Crunching Snails by Joe Graham and directed by Joyce Branagh. In 2010 Michael was one of the three Edna Turnblads in the national tour of Hairspray with Michael Ball and Brian Conley. He followed that with the role of Monsignor O’Hara in the Whoopie Goldberg produced national tour of Sister Act. Since his last appearance here in A Nightmare on Lime Street, Michael has done Special Measures and completed two films: Jack Ryan directed by Kenneth Branagh and a British film, Longtails, produced and directed by Elizabeth Arends.
PAUL BROUGHTON Donny
This is Paul’s 5th appearance at the Royal Court following on from Dave Kirby’s Council Depot Blues, Jim Cartwright’s 8 Miles High, the first run of Bouncers and Mark Davies Markham’s Special Measures. He is currently teaching drama students how not to do it at Arden School of Theatre in Manchester, in the language of Scouse…as a missionary. Other credits before he was rumbled as an Actor, included; Theatre: On the Ledge (Alan Bleasdale,) Democracy (Michael Frayn) – The National Theatre. The People are Friendly (Michael Wynne) – The Royal Court, London. Musicals: Billy Elliot, Closer to Heaven – West End, London Television: Brookside, Liverpool One Films: 51st State, Like it is, Awaydays
BOB EATON DIRECTOR
Bob’s first job was in 1971 as Assistant Director at the Victoria Theatre Stoke. During the mid 1970s he was a member of Alan Ayckbourn’s Scarborough company as actor, director and writer. In the late 70s he was Associate Director of Contact Theatre Manchester and in 1981 became Artistic Director of the Liverpool Everyman. His productions here included Alan Bleasdale’s It’s A Madhouse, his own show, Lennon which subsequently transferred to The Astoria Theatre, London and the Entermedia Theater New York, winning the Sunday Times award for Best Musical of 1986, and the stage musical version of Our Day Out on which he collaborated with Willy Russell. In 1984 he became Artistic Director of the London Bubble Theatre and from 1996 to 2003 he was Director of The Belgrade Theatre Coventry. Bob has written many plays and musicals including Good Golly Miss Molly, Three Minute Heroes and the lyrics for Face. His many collaborations with Sayan Kent include The Good Companions, Limestone Cowboy and Silas Marner. Last year he directed a new musical Soul Sister based on the life and times of Ike and Tina Turner, at the Hackney Empire, which transfered to the West End and is now on a national tour. He has recenetly directed Twopence Across The Mersey at the Epstein Theatre which is now on tour in the Northwest. Bob is delighted to be back in Liverpool and working in the wonderful Royal Court where he has directed Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Good Golly Miss Molly, Two, Stags and Hens – The Remix, On The Ledge, Council Depot Blues, Slappers And Slapheads, Merry Ding Dong, A Fistful Of Collars, Willy Russell’s Our Day Out - The Musical, the hugely successful revival of his own show Lennon, Scouse Pacific, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Bouncers and Reds & Blues: The Musical.
RICHARD FOXTON DESIGNER
Previous design work for the Royal Court, Liverpool: Eight Miles High, Ladies Day. Design work elsewhere includes: And Then The Dark, Bedroom Farce, A Passionate Woman, Up on the Roof, Noises Off, Vincent in Brixton, The Price, Chimps, A Family Affair, Double Indemnity (New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich), Garage Band, Absent Friends, The Winter’s Tale, Beauty & The Beast, Jack & the Beanstalk, Aladdin (Mercury Theatre, Colchester), Takeaway (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Office Suite (Theatre Royal Bath & national tour), Brassed Off (Sheffield Theatres national tour), Blue/Orange; The Country Wife, Queen’s English (Palace Theatre ,Watford), Blonde Bombshells of 1943, Dumbshow, Deathtrap, Stepping Out, Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Kes, The Sunshine
Boys, Perfect Pitch, On the Piste, Good Golly Miss Molly (Coliseum Theatre, Oldham), Equus, Macbeth, The Miser, Dead Funny (Salisbury Playhouse), The Rise & Fall of Little Voice, Jack & the Beanstalk (Harrogate Theatre), Kvetch (West Yorkshire Playhouse), All My Sons, Neville’s Island, Brassed Off (York Theatre Royal), Things We Do For Love, Death of a Salesman (Library Theatre, Manchester), Desperate To Be Doris, Hector’s House, The Importance of Being Earnest (LipService national tours); The Lighthouse on Shivering Sands (North Country Theatre, tour), Happy Jack, A Kind of Loving (John Godber Co./Wakefield Theatre Royal), Loot, Pub Quiz is Life, Macbeth, The Flags, Ladies Day, Wuthering Heights, 1984, Toast, Up on the Roof, Under the Whaleback (Hull Truck); and over fifty productions for the Octagon Theatre Bolton including And Did Those Feet…, The Crucible, The Caretaker, Four Nights in Knaresborough, Saved, Blood Wedding, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Pitchfork Disney. He has twice been nominated for the TMA Design Award & has won the Manchester Evening News design award five times, most recently in 2008 for Oh What a Lovely War (Octagon Theatre). His work was included in the British exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial (1995), he was a judge of the Linbury Prize (1997). Forthcoming work includes: Chicago (Oldham Coliseum Theatre), Sleeping Beauty (Harrogate Theatre).
IAN SCOTT
LIGHTING DESIGN
Ian has designed the lighting for many shows at the Royal Court including A Nightmare on Lime Street, Our Day Out, Scouse Pacific, On The Ledge, Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues and Ladies Day. In 2012 he designed the set and lighting for the Lodestar/Royal Court co-productions of Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other recent projects: Marco Polo (Bergen National Opera), Where The Wild Things Are/Higgelty Piggelty Pop (Aldeburgh Festival, Los Angeles Philharmonic & Barbican), The Victorian in the Wall (Will Adamsdale/ Fuel), The Ugly Spirit (Fittings/South Bank), Touch Me (Coisceim Dance Theatre), Blok/Eko (The Wrestling School), The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre) and Reasons To Be Cheerful (Graeae). As an Associate Artist with the experimental theatre company Suspect Culture Ian designed the set and lighting for much of the company’s work including Timeless, Mainstream and Lament.
KATE HARVEY SOUND DESIGN
Kate was born in Blackpool and at the age of 15 went on work experience at Blackpool Opera House. At 16 she was offered the job of lighting operator on Danny La Rue’s summer season show and has enjoyed a career in technical theatre ever since. Shows worked there
include Blood Brothers, Dr. Dolittle, Grease, Sunset Boulevard and Boogie Nights. She then spent two years at Stageworks Worldwide Productions designing and operating two pantomimes and working many corporate and conference events. Six months at Butlins in sunny Skegness saw her sound engineer for famous acts such as Slade, Bad Manners, Chesney Hawkes, Sinitta, Right Said Fred and many more. A move to the ocean waves to work as a production technician for Island Cruises let her enjoy four months in Brazil and six months in the Mediterranean before securing a job as production manager for P&O cruises. Mixing sound to the stars all over the world including Jane McDonald, Brian Conley and Petula Clark she then felt it was time to come home. In June 2008 dry land was calling and Kate is now delighted to be working at Royal Court Liverpool where she recently designed Night Collar, Shirley Valentine, Our Day Out - The Musical, Lennon, Scouse Pacific, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Little Scouse on the Prairie, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Reds And Blues - The Musical and Ladies Day.
MARIE JONES
COSTUME SUPERVISOR
Marie studied fashion and then moved on to theatre costume interpretation at Mabel Fletcher College. Marie’s work as a freelance costumier has included costumes for Oldham Coliseum, The Royal Exchange, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Jimmy McGovern’s film Liam, Beyond Friendship for Mersey Television and the many pantomime dames who have appeared on the Everyman stage. She has worked extensively at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and has recently been employed as full time Wardrobe Supervisor. Most recently Marie’s work at the Everyman and Playhouse has included: Much Ado About Nothing, The Electric Hills, The Flint Street Nativity, The Tempest, Unprotected, Billy Liar, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, Urban Legend, Fly, Breezeblock Park, The Entertainer, Still Life And The Astonished Heart, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Anniversary, Dr Faustus, The May Queen, Cruel Sea and All My Sons. Marie’s other credits include: Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul, Good Golly Miss Molly, Stags and Hens - The Remix, On The Ledge, Misery, Eight Miles High, Council Depot Blues, Night Collar, Dirty Dusting, Shirley Valentine, Our Day Out - The Musical, The Salon, Funny Money, Merry Ding Dong, A Fistul Of Collars, Lucky Numbers, Lennon, Scouse Pacific, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Little Scouse on the Prairie, Reds And Blues - The Musical and Ladies Day for Royal Court Liverpool, Brouhaha International Street Festival, Working Class Hero on the recent Imagine DVD, Costume Supervisor for many shows at LIPA, The Splash Project at MYPT and Twopence To Cross The Mersey at the Liverpool Empire.
THE TAXI PLAY IS BACK! FURLONG & POWER’S
“Go for it. Scream with laughter!” Liverpool Echo
STARRING
ALAN STOCKS
DIRECTED BY
BOB EATON
15 May - 13 June
TICKETS FROM £13 BOX OFFICE 0151 709 4321
royalcourtliverpool.com