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2019/20 Season · All tickets £16 or under
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New Diorama Magazine
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Vol. 3 AUGUST '19
The best Off West-End theatre at the best prices
Peter Brook Empty Space Award 16/17
“A must visit destination for all London theatre-goers” Time Out The Stage's Fringe Theatre of the Year 17/18
Welcome back. If you look closely, there’s a theme that runs through this season of work. Made by the best new theatre companies the UK has to offer, all the shows we’re presenting as part of our 2019/20 Season re-examine the world we think we know to unearth new truths. This season we will relitigate our past from new perspectives – looking again at our recent history, our oldest stories and even our well-worn traditions – to discover new aspects of where we have come from, to better prepare ourselves for an uncertain future.
Each show in this season has been commissioned because it speaks to wider debates we’re having in the city. Regular audience members will see that we’re still programming fewer shows than ever before. This is because, among the lights and noise, we want to focus. The artists contained in these pages, the stories they want to tell, and the ideas they want to debate are the ones that need your attention. This season let’s look back to move forward. Let’s rediscover who we really are. And together, maybe, let’s get a true glimpse of ourselves for the first time. Team NDT
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2019/20 Season 10.09.19 — 05.10.19 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
08.10.19 — 12.10.19 | 19.30 + Sat 15.00
Princess Diana never landed on the moon. Elvis lives in Area 51. JFK did 9/11. 60% of Brits believe in at least one conspiracy theory. And not all of them are wearing tinfoil hats. Barrel Organ stage THE TRUTH.
Burnt Lemon turn back the dial to 1949. Iva d’Aquino stands accused of treason in one of the most controversial trials in American history. Iva becomes known as the notorious Tokyo Rose – but was she the villain she was made out to be?
P. 5 — 8
P. 9 — 12
03.12.19 — 21.12.19 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
07.01.20 — 01.02.20 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
In a 14th Century convent Sister Joan is blessed with unholy visions. Sinful saints exalt the pleasures of forbidden sex. Joan will stop at nothing to spread her carnal creed. A new Christmas show by Breach.
The war is over. People are ready to start again. But Antigone is not. Lulu Raczka’s searing adaptation for Holy What hands the reins of Sophocles’ classic text to the young people at the heart of the play.
P. 23 — 28
P. 29 — 32
19.05.20 — 06.06.20 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
Dates to be announced | Various times
Nobody talks about death. The only certainty in life is that we're going to die. So why do we shy away from talking about it? The PappyShow asks how we can celebrate the end of our stories.
Incoming Festival returns with some of the very best emerging theatre companies from around the UK. All Tickets £5
P. 41 — 44
15.10.19 — 26.10.19 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
29.10.19 — 06.11.19 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
Three thieves break into the same gallery on the same night. They’re all intent on stealing the same Extremely Valuable Painting. They’re bound to meet and it’s bound to get messy. Hide your Hoppers, Poltergeist Theatre are on a heist.
The early hours of the morning. You’re alone, with only your thoughts. How did you get here? And how do you get out? Deafinitely Theatre’s extraordinary production of Sarah Kane’s masterpiece returns for two weeks.
P. 13 — 18
P. 19 — 22
11.02.20 — 14.03.20 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
31.03.20 — 02.05.20 | 19.30 + Sats 15.00
1975. Leeds, the Millgarth Incident Room is the epicentre of the biggest manhunt in British police history. New Diorama Theatre follows Sergeant Megan Winterburn’s pursuit of the Yorkshire Ripper.
Underwear sales are down. Manufacturer Admiral need a new product. They strike a deal to design the Leeds United kit. Lost Watch Theatre unravel the farcical true story of the nun’s underwear company that stumbled into a billion-pound industry.
P. 33 — 36
P. 37 — 40
020 7383 9034 newdiorama.com /newdiorama @newdiorama @newdiorama
P APPY SHOW THE
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By Barrel Organ Incident Room
Photo: Guy J Sanders
10 Sept – 5 Oct 2019 Tues – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“A brilliant Princess Diana never landed on theatrical the moon. Elvis lives in Area 51. brainteaser ” JFK did 9/11. HHHH 60% of Brits believe in at least one conspiracy Fest
“A fantastic piece of text by Jack Perkins, a show that epitomises fake news and fantasy ” HHHH Miro Magazone
“A haunting picture of a world whose future is void of truth” HHHH The Upcoming
theory. And not all of them are wearing tinfoil hats. Multi award-winning Barrel Organ returns with a larger-than-life, cartoonish show about conspiracy theories, fake news and an epidemic of mistrust. Conspiracy tells the stories of people brought crashing together – to find the truth, to exploit hysteria and to fight the rising tide. _ Barrel Organ is a touring company founded by eleven theatre-makers from across the UK. They collaboratively create politically engaged shows, which interrogate 21st century culture. The live experience of the audience is central to their work. Barrel Organ’s productions include Anyone’s Guess How We Got Here (2017), Some People Talk About Violence (2015) and NOTHING (2014). £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Thurs 3 Oct | 19.30 Relaxed Performance Weds 2 Oct | 19.30
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The Virgin Queen wasn’t actually a queen at all. Henry VIII’s second daughter was whisked away to Gloucester at age 10 to escape the threat of plague in London, but fell ill and died regardless. Elizabeth’s governess decided that she would dress up a playmate of the young princess to fool the King into thinking his daughter was still alive. But there was a problem; this child was a boy. Rather than fess up to the king, the governess hoped nobody would notice. Over 300 years later a coffin was discovered near the grounds which contained the remains of a young girl in Tudor dress, but was hastily reburied elsewhere in order to cover up the cover up. The fact that Henry apparently never noticed his daughter had been replaced is somehow never called into question.
Holograms of Mars are used to control the human population by giving us hope that life on another planet is possible. Ever since we first came to understand that our time on this planet might be finite, They have found ways to project a red dot into the night’s sky. Red is the first colour on the spectrum, the easiest to extract from white light, which in ancient times made it is easy to refract from the sun’s light to create the illusion. However, in the last century, as telescopes have become more and more advanced, those behind the scenes have had to turn to ever-more sophisticated techniques, from film projection to realer-than-real holograms. Of course, whenever we see ‘photos’ of the surface of Mars we are actually just seeing the arid, lifeless desert behind the fences in Area 51.
Oslo is not a city in the country we know as Finland. Despite its visibility on countless maps and satellite images, the landmass we think is Finland is actually a secret sea which has been covered up by Russia and Japan since the Cold War. According to the theory, they plotted to spread the idea that Finland was a real country in order to throw people off the scent of a fantastic fishing location. Rather than worrying about international fishing laws, the Japanese and Russians made a pact that they would share in the spoils of the Baltic, building the TransSiberian express in order to transport the goods. Even airlines are in on it with flights to Finland actually being diverted to other towns and cities in Scandinavia. Who is the biggest importer of Nokia products? Apparently, it’s Japan.
The oldest surviving scrolls from ancient Egypt talk about “beastly creatures” of “enormous size” helping to build the Great Pyramid. Conspiracy theorists allege that an Egyptian God beast, Ra Nt-Ka, bears a striking resemblance to dinosaurs. Hieroglyphics depict giant lizards with long necks, mythical creatures known as Serpopards, suggesting that the pharaohs were able to harness their power for major construction projects. Indeed, some tablets picture them on leashes held by humans, which has led some to suggest they were able to drag the huge blocks used to build the pyramids. No other evidence for such a story exists, however, and it’s commonly acknowledged that the dinosaurs died out 66 million years previous to the Egyptians. Go figure. 8
By Burnt Lemon Theatre
Untapped 2
Photo: Guy J Sanders
8 Oct – 12 Oct 2019 Tues – Sat 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“Dazzling… Turn back the dial to 1949. a must-see” Iva d’Aquino stands accused HHHHH of treason in one of the most Musical Theatre Review controversial trials in American “A powerhouse history. of a production ” Toguri is charged with treason in one of the most HHHH Iva controversial trials in American history. Iva stands A Younger Theatre
“Stunning ” HHHH Broadway Baby
“An intelligent, inventive new musical” HHHH Fest
accused of being the notorious 'Tokyo Rose', a Japanese wartime disc jockey who broadcast Axis propaganda to the Allied forces in the Pacific. But was Iva the villain she was made out to be? Award-winning Burnt Lemon Theatre spit piercing verse in an electric new musical broadcast going live in 5, 4, 3... _ Let’s have a Riot! Burnt Lemon Theatre is an award-winning, female led company launching work from gut to stage. They focus their skills of musicianship & new writing to tackle tough topics surrounding gender & politics. Artistic directors Hannah Benson and Cara Baldwin bring the heat with a vision to create ballsy theatre (without the balls). £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Sat 15 Oct | 15.00
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Axis Sally World War II
anda From Broadway boards to propag e nam l (rea broadcasters, Axis Sally i Naz Midge Gillars) was an American lin in Sympathiser, who moved to Ber was e” Hom et 1934. Her show, “Home Swe an eric directly aimed at homesick Am ing troops camped out across Europe. Play es wiv r thei g lyin on the usual tropes of imp ful aith unf g and girlfriends were likely bein ed an in their absence, Axis Sally also play re her American Mother in radio plays whe After th. dea son would die a “needless” ned the war, she was arrested and impriso for 12 years.
Hanoi Hannah Vietnam War
“GI, your government has aba ndoned you. They have ordered you to die ”. Hanoi Hannah's voice would ring ove r the airwaves to the listening American soliders across Vietnam.“Don’t trust them. They lied to you, GIs, you know you cannot win this war. ” Hanoi Hannah, real name Trinh Thi Ngo, broa dcasted for eight years and, when interviewed in her later years, said she totally believed in the prop aganda scripts she was given to read out over the air.
The Lincolnshire Poacher Unknown
Leni Riefenstahl World War II
Leni had the dubious honour of being Hitler’s favourite film propagandist. Leni started her career as an actress and dancer, but soon turned her creative energies to filmmaker. Her most famous film, The Triumph of Will, which documented the Nurenberg Rally in 1934, landed a commission direct from Hitler himself to document the Berlin Olympics. After the war, she was held under arrest for three years, before being cleared of Nazi collaboration. Speaking after Leni died, aged 101, the head of Berlin’s Jewish cultural centre commented: “She was a contradictory personality. She was an artist, but she was also a propagandist for the Nazi system. Do I believe her denials that she was a Nazi supporter? Of course I don't."
Almost the opposite of propaganda, the Lincolnshire Poacher started broadcasting in the mid-1970s and was on the air until June 2008. The voice of a clipped British woman would read out groups of seemingly random numbers, followed by the recording of a British folk tune. Broadcast several times a day, the broadcasts could be picked up by domestic radios, on the outer edges of the wave bands. Rather than aimed at demoralising soldiers away from home, it is likely that the Lincolnshire Poacher was delivering secret, coded messages to spies and agents in the field. No government has ever admitted to being behind the broadcasts and nobody has come forward as the face of the recorded voice which read strings of numbers out on-air for almost half a century.
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Untapped 3
By Poltergeist
Photo: Guy J Sanders
15 Oct – 26 Oct 2019 Tues – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“Beneath its (often Three thieves break into the hilarious) gags same gallery on the same night. and comic chaos, They're all intent on stealing the same Extremely the show worries Valuable Painting. They’re bound to meet and it’s away at questions bound to get messy. of value, meaning Join our thieves as they discover what makes art Valuable and what Extremely Valuable and expression” Extremely really means. An existential comedy caper about HHHH the power of frames and the absurdity of labels. The Guardian
“A cleverly choreographed comic crime caper ” HHHH The Scotsman
“Wacky, weird and wonderful” HHHH Three Weeks
From the team behind multi award winning Lights Over Tesco Car Park. Art Heist is produced by Poltergeist in association with the North Wall Arts Centre. _ Poltergeist make joyful, inclusive theatre with an experimental edge. They push boundaries of structure and form, break rules and tackle big, difficult ideas. They stage risk and play games. Sometimes, they dance. Poltergeist are an Associate Company at The North Wall, Oxford, and a New Diorama Graduate Emerging Company 2018. £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Thurs 24 Oct | 19.30 Relaxed Performance Weds 23 Oct | 19.30
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Negotiating with Art Thieves Five stories from a world leading expert on art theft
by Sandy Nairne Sandy Nairne is former Director of Programmes at Tate and the author of Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners, Reaktion Books, 2011
1. Two Turner paintings come back _
J.M.W.Turner, Light and Colour (Goethe's Theory), The Morning after the Deluge - Moses writing the Book of Genesis 1843,Tate Collection; stolen in July 1994
In January 2003 two paintings by J.M.W. Turner were put back on display at Tate Britain. Stolen in July 1994, while on loan to the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt, I coordinated Tate’s efforts over eight and a half years to recover these important works. It was a triumphant moment, but it took another eight years before I could tell the story. Originally valued at £24m they had become worth some £35m and an authorised fee of £3.2m was paid ‘for information leading to recovery’ (with the approval of the authorities). The processes were tortuous, involving a case heard in camera in the High Court in London and the close supervision of experienced undercover officers from Scotland Yard.
J.M.W. Turner, Shade and Darkness - the Evening of the Deluge 1843,Tate Collection; stolen in July 1994
2. Obstructive myths _
Still from Dr No, 1962, when Sean Connery encounters a portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Francisco Goya, Stolen from the National Gallery in 1961
If art theft is mentioned many people think of Pierce Brosnan in the second version of The Thomas Crown Affair [1999]. The film brilliantly portrays a suave male collector desiring a painting so much he has to steal it (he desires women and wants to possess them too). But it replays the myth that evil secretive collectors (like Dr No in the first Bond film) accumulate stolen paintings in hidden lairs. There is no evidence for this. But it’s a stubborn myth and can get in the way of catching real-world art thieves.
When criminals trade stolen goods amongst themselves they negotiate a new price – perhaps between five and ten percent of the actual value. 3. The Value Question _ When criminals trade stolen goods amongst themselves they negotiate a new price – perhaps between five and ten percent of the actual value. For paintings in public collections (and in the case of the two stolen Tate paintings Turner had valued them highly and included them in his bequest to the nation) the ‘use value’ matters much more than market value, because they will never be sold. But after a very public theft, it’s not unusual for the papers to trumpet a ‘24 million pound theft’ thus advertising to all interested criminals the huge value level of what has just been misappropriated.
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Conservator, Roy Perry, and Sandy Nairne, examining Turner's 'Shade and Darkness' in Frankfurt, 19 July 2000
4. Motivations _ If desire to possess valuable paintings isn’t the primary desire of art thieves, then what motivates them? The short answer is greed. To organise highly risky and complex operations to break into private collections or public museums the level of greed is very high. Arguably stealing jewellery is smarter as items are harder to track down, being more ‘anonymous’ than art. High profile stolen paintings are very public losses, so another motivation may be added, which is perhaps a certain chutzpah – promoting a criminal’s abilities within the underworld.
5. Preventing Future Thefts _ Art theft from public museums is getting more difficult. Museums aren’t employing armed guards, but the quality of digital surveillance has improved and is better combined with stronger physical barriers and more focused human supervision. The circulation of information about stolen works between public agencies (including Interpol) and well-established private initiatives (like the Art Loss Register) is more effective and auction houses and dealers scrutinize closely what they offer for sale. All of which makes it more difficult for stolen works to be re-sold as if legitimate. But not impossible, so constant vigilance is crucial.
Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners 2011, by Sandy Nairne
Evening Standard coverage of the return of both Turner paintings London December 2002
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Deafinitely Theatre
Photo: Guy J Sanders
29 Oct – 6 Nov 2019 Mon – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“The sheer courage and passion that has been thrown behind this intelligent production ... wins out, and what lingers is its cry for love” HHHH Time Out
“A heartfelt look at what it feels like to live with a profound disability, and just how isolating that can be ” HHHH The Guardian
After a sell-out run in 2018, Deafinitely Theatre’s extraordinary production of Sarah Kane’s masterpiece returns for two weeks. The early hours of the morning. You’re alone, with only your thoughts. How did you get here? And how do you get out? Award-winning director Paula Garfield brings Deafinitely Theatre’s celebrated bilingual approach to Sarah Kane’s lyrical and haunting final play about mental health, which was nominated for the 2018 Broadway World UK Award for Best Direction of a New Production of a Play and the 2018 Off West End Theatre Award for Best Set Designer (Paul Burgess). _ Deafinitely Theatre is the UK’s first deaflaunched and led theatre company, staging productions of classic and contemporary plays for deaf and hearing audiences that combine the visual storytelling of British Sign Language with the immediacy of spoken English. £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Tue 5 Nov | 19.30 Every performance is performed in both British Sign Language and spoken English.
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A Way to Go Charlie Swinbourne Two days ago I logged onto Facebook and saw an old photo of a deaf friend of mine, a funny, confident young lad who played football brilliantly in several deaf teams I played with as a teenager. Drink in hand, arm round his mate, he was grinning at the camera, not a care in the world.
Deaf people may not be able to communicate fully with their GP. When they’re offered treatment such as counselling, their counsellor may not be able to sign, meaning that they can’t talk directly and openly. Often, they disengage from seeking support, coping with their problems alone.
It took me a moment to realise that above his photo were written three letters: ‘RIP.’ In the two days since, numerous tributes have been posted - photographs, BSL videos, written tributes - as the deaf community came to terms with the fact that my friend had become the latest in a string of suicides among young deaf people.
Even before my friend’s death, concern was growing among deaf people about mental health problems. In early June, two deaf men, Mark Hodgson and Daniel Dorney, started walking from John O’Groats to Lands End to raise £10,000 for mental health charities working with deaf people. Their journey is called ‘2 Deaf Foot’ and as I write, they have passed halfway having raised nearly £25,000. (£58,000 at time of publication - ed.)
It took me a moment to realise that above his photo were written three letters: ‘RIP.’
According to the charity SignHealth, deaf people are twice as likely to experience mental health problems as the rest of the population. And if the barriers deaf people face in life are part of the reason for this, further barriers appear when it comes to getting appropriate treatment for mental health issues.
Their walk has had a galvanising effect on the community. Deaf clubs have raised money from their members and many deaf people have met the men on their journey to support them. Along
with the money and awareness the two men have raised, they’ve started conversations at the roadside about mental health, which is vital, because people don’t tend to talk about it. The sad thing is that as they’ve walked, they’ve found out that two more people have taken their lives. During its existence, Deafinitely Theatre’s important work has brought subjects such as eugenics, deaf prisoners, and deaf refugees to the stage. The company’s production of 4.48 Psychosis is timely, for it is a vital part of the conversation about deafness and mental health. It’s through the arts, and specifically drama, that we are invited as audiences to put ourselves in other people’s shoes, to experience what they experience, to engage sometimes with subjects that we may not talk about otherwise. To see the side of life which is lived out behind closed doors, in houses, bedrooms, and in the mind.
As the original production played around the country last year, audiences both deaf and hearing came away affected and impacted by what they’d seen on stage. We need to talk about deafness and mental health, and to do that, we need to see a portrayal of it, to help encourage further conversation and to work towards change that can transform, and even save, deaf people’s lives. The fee for this article has been donated to the ‘2 Deaf Foot’ campaign. Donate to ‘2 Deaf Foot’ at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/2deaffoot. Charlie Swinbourne is a deaf scriptwriter, director and journalist. Find out more about him at charlieswinbourne.com and read deaf blog Limping Chicken at limpingchicken.com
Mental illness and depression have rarely been portrayed to deaf audiences in a performance that is accessible to them, let alone depicting deaf characters experiencing it.
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By Breach
Photo: Guy J Sanders
3 Dec – 21 Dec 2019 Tues – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“Consistently "She perverted her path of life exciting ” arrogantly to the way of carnal HHHHH lust ... to the notorious peril to Financial Times on It's True, It's True, It's True her soul." “Raw, joyous psych-rock freakout ” HHHH The Scotsman on Tank
“Theatrically ambitious and boldly political” HHHH The Guardian on The Beanfield
In a 14th Century Yorkshire convent Sister Joan is blessed with unholy visions. A seductive serpent and sinful saints exalt the earthly pleasures of forbidden sex. Her visions cause a scandal in the order but Joan’s determined to spread her new carnal creed... even if it means getting a little creative. An obscene medieval mystery play with live music, based on the miraculous true story of a nun on the run. A new Christmas show by multi award-winning devised theatre makers Breach. _ Breach is a devised theatre company creating bold, innovative shows that blend drama and documentary. Previous shows include Fringe First and The Stage Edinburgh Award Winning It's True, It's True, It's True, Fringe First Award-winning Tank and Total Theatre Award-winning The Beanfield. Breach are a New Diorama Theatre Associate Ensemble. £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Thurs 19 Dec | 19.30 Relaxed Performance Weds 18 Dec | 19.30
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Picture this: it’s your wedding night and you’re ready to get down to business with your beloved. You’ve had a few drinks (not as many as your newly-minted mother-inlaw) but, despite the heady combination of true love and good wine, you feel nervous. Unfortunately for you, it’s 1438 in the west of England and the entire village is in your bedchamber, clamouring for your first marital shag.
“Penitentials detailed the wrong ways to do it — standing up, during Lent, more than once, with the same sex, with yourself” Similarly, the medieval Church wouldn’t let you get it on in peace. Religious leaders compiled so-called penitentials, which were exhaustive lists of sins and their accompanying punishments. Sex was a hot topic. These penitentials detailed the wrong ways to do it — standing up, during Lent, more than once, with the same sex, with yourself — and the only correct way was between a husband and wife, as long as it wasn’t on a holy feast day and you didn’t enjoy it too much. And you definitely couldn’t be naked.
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The only people subject to more rules than those having sex were the ones who had opted out. Medieval monks and nuns made vows of celibacy and had carefully timetabled days within their monasteries. Their waking, working, eating, and sleeping were punctuated by regular church services, and they would rise in the middle of the night to chant and recite prayers. Some ardently religious people chose this life, but others were forced into it. They may have been an inconvenient child from a previous marriage, or perhaps their parents had promised one of their offspring to God to keep up their side of a divine bargain. With this in mind, misbehaviour in monastic orders should come as no surprise. Medieval women were considered to be highly sexed temptresses who could lead virtuous men into sin, having inherited Eve’s manipulative apple-munching tendencies. Nuns were not exempt from this stereotype so many took special measures to purify their sinful bodies, which led to the (kinky?) practice of wearing collars, manacles, and hair shirts in the convent. Nun-on-nun fun was an option for those who had tired of chastity, however. There are surviving love letters between medieval nuns, some romantic (‘Have of me all the faith and love there is’) and some saucy (‘with tender words you caressed my little breasts’).
Scribes, who were predominantly monks, decorated the manuscripts of the period with all manner of frolicking flora and fauna. The texts themselves were overwhelmingly religious in nature until the later medieval period, which sometimes led to the jarring juxtaposition of pious words and racy marginalia. Naked women suggestively ride suspiciously shaped dragons; nuns, complete with habits, pluck disembodied penises from a penis-growing tree; snail-cats, jousting bunnies, and fornicating priests abound. Was this how artistic monks got their kicks after spending weeks copying out the Gospels? Are lewd depictions of nuns intended to be erotic or a rebuke? Perhaps these pictures are indicative of a wider culture of female promiscuity, with sexually autonomous women frightening men into monasteries? We’re not sure. Just know that, when you carved a rudimentary phallus into your desk during Geography, you were following in a well-established artistic tradition. Mary Hitchman is a writer and medievalist. You can find her on Twitter: @maryhitchman
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By Holy What
Photo: Guy J Sanders
7 Jan – 1 Feb 2020 Tues – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“A resounding The war is over. shot in the dark” The dead have been buried. The traitors have been HHHH punished. People feel more alive than they have in The Guardian on A Girl in School Uniform (Walks Into a Bar)
“Intelligent ultralive production of a chilling, funny, contemporary new play ” HHHH The Stage on A Girl in School Uniform (Walks Into a Bar)
“A voice so distinctive and fully formed it's hard to believe she's so young ” Lyn Gardner in The Guardian on Lulu Raczka
a long time. They are ready to start again. But Antigone is not. She will not move on, and she will not forget. She will drag everyone back if she has to. Anything to get justice for her brother. Lulu Raczka’s searing adaptation hands the reins of Sophocles’ classic text to the young people at the heart of the play creating something messy, irreverent and vital. _ Holy What is a new theatre company founded by writer Lulu Raczka, director Ali Pidsley and producer Imogen Clare-Wood. Formed after their hugely successful production of A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar), the company have come together to continue creating irreverent character-based new writing pieces that interrogate theatrical form. Ali and Lulu previously worked together on the critically lauded NOTHING and Some People Talk About Violence for Barrel Organ Theatre. £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Thurs 23 Jan | 19.30 Relaxed Performance Weds 22 Jan | 19.30
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Acts of Rebellion by Mary Hitchman ‘Wellbehaved women seldom make history.’ Time and again this line has been quoted and misquoted, plastered on postcards and placed into the mouths of various famed women from Anne Boleyn to Marilyn Monroe. What is it about a rebellious woman that captures our imagination? And what does it mean for a woman to behave badly? Women have long been subject to social norms that confine and limit and oppress, be this the obligation to marry a man, to raise children, to set aside their books, or to remain silent rather than venturing an opinion of their own. The consequences for the women who break these rules are severe: Joan of Arc was burned at the stake aged only nineteen, but not before she donned men’s military clothing and led a French army to victory over the English, a testament to her belief in her God-given mission. The ‘Bandit Queen’ Phoolan Devi was an impoverished child bride who left her abusive husband and joined a gang of bandits, exacting violent revenge upon the men who dared to cross her and stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Phoolan Devi became a Member of Parliament; Joan of Arc was made a saint. Societies organised by oppressive norms create oppressive laws. When asked to consider the archetypal revolutionary, people are more likely to imagine Marius Pontmercy waving his red flag atop a stack of chairs than an unnamed female counterpart.
A woman rebelling against the law reckons with the prevailing notion of men as revolutionaries and women as nuisances. Nine months before Rosa Parks’s historical refusal to give up her seat for a white woman on the bus, Claudette Colvin was arrested for making the same bold protest against segregation at only fifteen years old, saying
Dora Thewlis was arrested after attempting to break into the Houses of Parliament when she was seventeen, earning her the nickname ‘Baby Suffragette’. The efforts made by young women to improve their circumstances are often undermined, and there is doubtless a gendered element at work here: how can a young woman adrift in a man’s world possibly know what is best for her?
‘I paid my fare and it’s my constitutional right.’
Within the last five years, social media has empowered teenage girls by enabling them to educate themselves on issues affecting their lives. They have a voice, a platform, and the ability to collectivise. Greta Thunberg is an exemplary case in point. On 15 March 2019, Thunberg led a worldwide school strike in response to climate emergency that involved 1.4 million pupils. Her profile skyrocketed, opening her up to personal attacks that were often made by male politicians. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, has made numerous high-profile speeches, and holds an honorary degree. She is sixteen years old. History’s rebellious women appeal to us because of their ability to envision a better future for themselves, and for their courage in bringing that future closer. In 1976, then-student Professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich wrote in an academic paper that ‘Well-behaved women seldom make history’. She created a phrase that we were all-too keen to attribute to our heroines because women, regardless of their behaviour, are largely written out of history’s great sweeping narratives. The actions of rebellious young women capture our imagination by cutting across centuries and speaking to us in the present. Each act of defiance has carved out a space for women — good or evil, cis or trans, young or old, of all races, abilities, and backgrounds — to make history. Mary Hitchman is a writer and medievalist. You can find her on Twitter: @maryhitchman
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THE INCIDENT ROOM By New Diorama Theatre
Photo: Guy J Sanders
11 Feb – 14 March 2020 Tues – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“The ingenuity of this piece is that it gives you a pacey, clockticking sense of what things were like” HHHH
It’s 1975. In Leeds, the Millgarth Incident Room is the epicentre of the biggest manhunt in British police history.
“Tense and chilling” HHHH
With public pressure mounting, the investigation resorts to increasingly audacious attempts to catch one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers.
“The ensemble cast are all excellent” HHHH
Following our award-winning productions of Secret Life of Humans and Down & Out in Paris and London, we go behind the scenes and investigate the case that broke the British police force. _
The Telegraph
The Daily Mail
The Scotsman
“Completely compelling to watch” HHHH The Stage
We follow Sergeant Megan Winterburn as she joins hundreds of officers working around the clock to find the man known as the Yorkshire Ripper.
The Incident Room is directed by Beth Flintoff and New Diorama Theatre's Artistic Director, David Byrne, and is written by Olivia Hirst and David Byrne. It is co-production with The Pleasance and Greenwich Theatre, and is supported by Arts Council England. £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Thurs 5 March | 19.30 Relaxed Performance Weds 4 March | 19.30
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A Timeline of Women in the British Police Force
1915
1918
The first policewoman in the UK with the power of arrest, Edith Smith took it upon herself to spy on the wives of and girlfriends of men who were away at war. Checking on their fidelity, Smith kept lists of women who fell beneath her moral standards and added them onto a blacklist, which saw them barred from theatres, cinemas and some of them even received official cautions. It was recorded that it took less than a year for women of Grantham to start relocating because “the policewoman was such a nuisance”.
Appointed by Salisbury Town Council to head a woman’s patrol to “take evidence of women and girls and children”, Mildred was the first female police officer to have the same rights as her male counterparts, including the first woman to receive a police pension. However it took her a year of fighting to be awarded equal pay.
Edith Smith
Florence Mildred White
1919
Lilian Wyles Starting as one of three female Sergeants, Lilian joined the Metropolitan Women Police Patrols, covering the East End and Central London – becoming a visible target for scorn and mockery, yet denied the power of arrest. After years of campaigning , she finally was given the power of arrest in 1923, but relations with her male colleagues still were tense. Despite becoming one of the first Chief Inspectors, Lilian was buried in an unmarked grave, until, in 2019, she was given a new gravestone, one hundred years after her landmark appointment.
1949
Elizabeth Bather The first female police Commander, Bather campaigned for the women’s police uniform to be overhauled to make it more practical, and even successfully lobbied for women officers to be allowed to wear make-up on duty. In 1946, before she rose to the level of Commander, she successfully removed the ban on married women joining the police force, allowing serving policewomen to get married without losing their jobs. She was also publically in favour of decriminalising homosexuality.
1968
Fay Allen Sislin Fay Allen was the first nonwhite British policewoman, joining the force in 1968. "On the day I joined I nearly broke a leg trying to run away from reporters," Allen told an interviewer later. "I realised then that I was a history maker. But I didn't set out to make history; I just wanted a personal change of direction."
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Lost Watch Theatre
Photo: Guy J Sanders
31 March – 2 May 2020 Tues – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“Outstanding” Knitwear sales are down. HHHHH Manufacturer Admiral need to find
Everything Theatre on Left My Desk
“A testament to the power of storytelling” HHHH The Stage on Flew The Coop
“Honest, funny and true” Lyn Gardner on Goodstock
a new
product or it’s all over. Riding high on post-66 World Cup fever, they decide sportswear is the winning investment. After striking a deal to design the away kit for Don Revie’s ruthless champions, Leeds United, things are on the up. All they need now is a designer. Lindsay has just graduated art school. She has no idea who Don Revie is, but she knows a lot about collars, sashes and chevrons. Fashion in football is about to be born. Lost Watch Theatre unravel the farcical true story of the nun’s underwear company that stumbled into a billion-pound industry. _ Multi-award-winning Lost Watch present a brand new ensemble show. Previous shows include Left My Desk, Goodstock and Flew the Coop. Lost Watch are a New Diorama Theatre Associate Ensemble. £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Thurs 30 April | 19.30 Relaxed Performance Weds 29 April | 19.30
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In 1973 the first ever replica football shirt is sold - a Leeds United jersey that costs £5. In 2018 replica Juventus shirts with Cristiano Ronaldo’s name go on sale for $123. 24 hours later the Italian club has sold $63m worth of product. Over the past few decades the football shirt economy has grown enormously. In 2017/18 the world’s top ten teams together made upwards of £820m in football shirt sales. There is a good chance that when the figures for the 18/19 season are released that this number will reach £1bn. So what ignited this phenomenon? Nowadays Nike and Adidas might be the two giants dominating the market, but the 1973 Leeds shirt that changed the game forever was in fact made by Leicester-based knitwear firm Admiral. A small brand that were nevertheless influential in shaping football culture as we know it today.
e only ever ball shirts wer ot fo , 73 19 to dmiral, and Prior s themselves. A er ay pl e th by on Revie, worn ted manager D ni U s ed Le en show their the th ntial for fans to te po e th ed is recogn shirts. As part eir own replica th g rin ea w by itted some pride l were also perm ira dm A , al de of the their logo on g - emblazoning tin ke ar m l na g to appear additio was the fir st thin go lo is Th . irt ns started the sh ’s own crest. Fa ub cl e th m fro football’s aside d the wheels of an s irt sh e th buying l and truly in isation were wel al ci er m om r-c hype motion. r two key kit before the othe ng lo t n’ as w It bro and Bukta at the time - Um rs y re kl tu ic ac qu uf an es m pani ese English com followed suit. Th than a simple e or m be irt could sh a at th ed is al re s. If fans were rentiate two team ffe di to er ifi gn si the match then a ring it away from ea w d an ng yi bu s more aesthetic tential to posses po e th d ha irt sh be colourful, opportunity to an as e w It e. lu va t followed wer shionable. Wha fa , d es an ap sh tic tis ith ar ted w s that experimen ey rs in je ul ity tif tiv au ea be d cr timately inspire patterns and ul r. ve sign fore football shirt de pitalist game e was set for a ca en sc e th re he From rs came and year s, contende 30 r fo ed st la that e countr y, the up and down th ld so ts ir sh t, wen and fell. And ufacturers rose an m of s ne fortu these English tually most of en Ev ll. e fe nd A fell. red, and saw th e out-maneuve er w by es ni ed pa at m in co dom they had built buisiness model ts. ar rp te un erman co American and G
But of cour se, none of this w ould have been possible with out football’s meteoric rise worldwide. Billi ons of people are Football Crazy™, drawn to superstar play er s and soap opera drama. These fans cr eate identities around clubs' success stories and histories, and they show their loyalty by wearing shirts they can easily order online. Clubs have iden tified the sheer scale of this commercial op portunity and aggressively marketed their br ands in regions where football faces stiff compe tition from othe r sports. There have been pre- se ason tour s to In dia, a friendly between Barcel ona & Real Mad rid in Miami - Wolverhampt on Wanderers have even just opened a club shop in Shangh ai. But on top of th e global growth , the role of the football shirt ha s changed signifi cantly over the past couple of decades. It’s no w ubiquitous: fully ingrained in society, a key part of culture. A PSG shirt isn’ t just seen in th e Parisian rues that surround th e Parc Des Prince s anymore. It’s on stage at Glast onbury as thou sands of music fans go mad. It’ s hanging in th e wardrobe of juggernaut influ encer Kendall Je nner. Where it was once a sarto rial gesture for de dicated local fans, the footba ll shirt has cros sed over into fashion and wid er culture, goin g far from local.
So what might the future hold for the football shirt? The year is 2022. Leeds have just been promoted to the Premier League thanks to funding from their new Malaysian owners. That Summer they stage an astonishing coup in the transfer market signing a very old (but still functioning) Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer. Days later, the launch of their new Adidas kit takes place on a rooftop in Kuala Lumpur. By the end of the week over 1,000,000 shirts (£130m) have been bought worldwide. By the end of this season Leeds United are one of the most well known and popular football brands on the planet We laugh, but with the way this industry is developing the above scenario might not end up being too far from reality. Yes, this topic is symptomatic of the extreme way in which Modern Football is now commercialised. But there remains something particularly unique about the football shirt’s role amid all the madness. These garments always have - and always will - mean something. Whether it’s the intense pride to many, the cultural credibility to some or the dollar signs to others..
40
The PappyShow
Photo: Guy J Sanders
19 May – 6 June 2020 Tues – Sats 19.30 Sat Matinees 15.00 | £16
“Truly beautiful Nobody talks about death. movement” of the only certainties in life is that we're HHHHH One going to die. Why then, do we shy away from Theatre Weekly on Boys
“As moving and truthful as it is humorous and powerful” Exeunt on Boys
“[An] explosion of energy and feeling” British Theatre Guide on Boys
talking about it? Why can't we talk about our relationship to death in the same way we talk about our dreams and aspirations? Through joyful and tender physical work The PappyShow explores if we can find life in death. How do we celebrate the end of our stories? Written by Aaron Gordon, directed by Kane Husbands and performed by The PappyShow ensemble. _ The PappyShow are a playful physical and visual ensemble theatre company. Formed in January 2013 by Kane Husbands in order to provide a much-needed space for actors to train in physical theatre, we use exercise and training to devise and create work. We believe that having a space to play, devise and fail improves us as performers, and informs the way we approach our work. The PappyShow are a New Diorama Theatre Associate Ensemble. £3 Job Seekers Preview Tickets StageText Captioned Thurs 28 May | 19.30 Relaxed Performance Weds 27 May | 19.30
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Celebrating Death
DĂa de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Mexico
Jazz Funeral New Orleans
This famous Mexican holiday dates all the way back to the Aztec Empire. Over time, it has merged with the Catholic holiday, All Souls’ Day, to become a colourful and vibrant celebration of the dead. Friends and family come together to pray for those who have passed on and aid their spiritual journey to the afterlife. The revellers believe the dead awaken on this day and so they celebrate with them. Although, away from the music and the dancing, families often build private altars for their loved ones including their belongings, favourite foods and glass of their favourite drink.
The iconic New Orleans jazz funeral is a fusion of West African, French and African-American traditions. They strike a unique balance between joy and grief as mourners are led in a procession by a marching band. The procession takes mourners from the church or funeral home to the cemetery. At first, the band play a sorrowful dirge; often traditional hymns. Throughout the procession the rhythm builds. At the point the body is buried they transition to an upbeat tune and the dancing begins. The dancing becomes a cathartic act for those mourning the loss of a loved one.
Funerals aren’t always solemn affairs; different cultures mark death in different ways
Turning of the Bones Madagascar
Fantasy Coffins Ghana
Every five to seven years families in Madagascar gather together to celebrate the lives of family members who have passed on. There’s a huge celebration held in family crypts and bodies, wrapped in cloth, are doused in wine or perfume. Often accompanied by live music, families will dance with the wrapped corpses. The ritual originates from the Malagasy people and is known as “famadihana”. The turning of the bones serves many purposes: to pass on family news to the deceased, to celebrate the lives of those no longer with us and to bring families together.
A relatively new tradition to Ghana is the ‘fantasy’ coffin. The person who has passed away is buried in an elaborately decorated coffin that represents something about them or their life. A pilot might be buried in a replica aeroplane. A fisherman in a giant fish. A pastor in a bible. A musician in a grand piano. People have been buried in everything from giant beer bottles to giant onions. Each coffin is a work of art and the makers are considered artists of the highest calibre.
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Your Visit
Our Box Office is open an hour before each performance for audience members to collect tickets. All tickets ordered over the telephone and on the internet are held by the Box Office and are available to pick up in person before each show. At the box office you can also purchase tickets for future performances.
Box Office Number: 020 7383 9034 between 14:00 - 18:00, Monday - Friday
Where We Are New Diorama Theatre is located in Regent’s Place, just off Regent’s Park. Regent’s Place is a pedestrian campus, that is well-lit and features cafes, restaurants, bars, and many pieces of public art – including works by Anthony Gormley and Julian Opie. Visit www.regentsplace.com for more details.
By Tube
We’re close to many London Underground stations including Great Portland Street (3 mins walk), Warren Street (4 mins walk), Euston Square (5 mins walk), Regent’s Park (5 mins walk), Euston (10 mins walk) and Kings Cross (15 mins walk).
By Bus
New Diorama Theatre is also on the following bus routes: 18, 27, 30, 88, 205, 453, C2, N18.
By Overground
We’re within walking distance of both Kings Cross St. Pancras (15 mins walk) and Euston station (10 mins walk).
By Car
Full directions from your location can be found using our postcode (NW1 3BF) but please note there is no parking at the theatre and Regent’s Place Estate is pedestrianised. Taxi drop-offs can be made using the taxi loop off Osnaburgh Street.
By Bike
There are a number of bike stands on the Regent’s Place campus.
Food & Drink
The ND Café & Bar is open from 7:30am every morning serving breakfasts and coffee. The café serves a wide range of quality salads, soups and sandwiches, including baguettes, bagels and brioche. On performance evenings, the bar is open to provide you with pre or post-show drinks and nibbles. The bar stocks a variety of wines, beers and spirits. There are also several bars and restaurants located at Regent’s Place. Visit www.regentsplace.com for details.
Ticket Concessions
Our standard ticket price is £16. Across the season, there are several concessionary rates. For all previews £3 Job Seekers’ Allowance tickets are available. All residents in NW1 are entitled to £10 tickets to all productions. For more information please call Box Office on 0207 383 9034.
Access
We're proud that New Diorama is one of the very few small theatres in London to be access friendly to visitors using wheelchairs, guide dogs and other mobility aids. New Diorama has entrance level access with a push button controlled wide entrance door. The auditorium, café/bar and accessible toilet are all at this entrance level. A baby changing facility is available in the accessible toilet which has a wide, outward opening, door. Disabled customers may use the Box Office telephone to arrange a pick up or call a taxi, or can ask a member of staff to do this. Hearing dogs and guide dogs are welcome. We have accessible captioned and relaxed performances available across our whole season, details of which are listed on every show page in this brochure. For more detailed access information, visit our website (www.newdiorama.com) or call the theatre office on 020 7916 5467.
Our Community & Youth Theatre
New Diorama is the creative heart of the West Euston community. We are the local theatre for Regent’s Park and Fitzrovia residents, students at UCL and many secondary and primary schools. We directly engage with more than 9,000 local residents each year. We have four NDT Community Partners: Fitzrovia Youth in Action, Third Age Project, True Heart Theatre and West Euston Partnership. Together they represent the breadth of work supported in our local community, and the cross-section of residents that directly benefit from New Diorama’s Community Programme. Working with Camden People’s Theatre, we also run Camden Youth Theatre, a free youth theatre for local 13-19 year olds. To find out more about New Diorama in the community or Camden Youth Theatre, head here: www.newdiorama.com/community or give us a call on 0207 916 5467.
Support Us
Love the work we do? Become an NDT Supporter. We are a registered charity (278795) and could not continue our artistic or community work without your support. We’ve launched the NDT Supporters’ Scheme – giving audiences who value our work a simple way you can help secure our future. Become an NDT Supporter for an annual fee of just £50. This donation will help our support of emerging theatre companies and our community engagement. We wouldn’t be able to thank you enough! If you are a past or present NDT Artist, we know you value what we do and we’d love your support to help us to continue. You can become an NDT Supporter for a special yearly rate of just £30. For more information, please visit: www.newdiorama.com or call us on 0207 383 9034.
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