Pleasance Theatre Islington Spring Brochure 2010 by Tim Groves

SPRING 2010

Welcome to our Spring programme

As ever, here at Pleasance we have put together a veritable banquet of theatre, dance and comedy to ease you into 2010 with a smile! With warm-up shows from Dara O Briain, Mark Thomas, Chris Cox and Laura Solon, as well as many other sketch and stand-up comedy favourites this season, most priced at £10 or under, look no further for your January sales bargains! Resident theatre company, The Factory, start the season off with a bang with their dynamic version of Chekhov’s The Seagull, and White Rose Theatre bring us a collection of six new full-length plays in the form of Lost Soul Music in February. You’ll also not want to miss the return of Pentabus to Pleasance, with Tales of the Country - based on the musings of The Independent columnist Brian Viner. Returning for a week long run is also I’ll Always Think Of You That Way, an Edinburgh Festival favourite from 2009. We often add new shows to our programme at short notice, so keep checking www.pleasance.co.uk for up-to-date listings.

‘as unforgettable and moving as any theatre I’ve seen’ Guardian

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov and The Factory Sunday 10 January 5pm

Witness this ever evolving attempt to create a detailed and dynamic, never to be heard again, improvised translation of Chekhov’s masterpiece. The Factory tell their version of this great story in the words that arrive in their heads at each moment, relating the dialogue to what they are being thrown by each other and the environment they find themselves in. NOTE: As The Factory shall bring nothing with them, including sets, costume or props, you may be asked to lend some of your personal possessions for use in the show.

Tickets £10

The Factory at The Pleasance

The last 12 months have seen cutting edge theatre company, The Factory, continue their residency at Pleasance. Following their productions of Hamlet, Round 1 and The Seagull, make sure to keep an eye out for their work at The Pleasance during 2010. www.factorytheatre.co.uk ‘the super cool company’ Independent

Lost Soul Music White Rose Theatre

Tuesday 23 February - Sunday 14 March (not Mondays)

Words by Chris Bush / Music by Ian McCluskey One stage. Six Stories. No Happy Endings. Chase away the winter blues with six deliciously different tales of dalliance and damnation from White Rose Theatre, creators of satirical smash TONY! The Blair Musical. Lost Soul Music is a Talking Heads for the Burlesque generation, a series of darkly intimate and devilishly funny new shows, each offering a unique theatrical treat and original toe-tapping score. Whether sold for a song, sacrificed for love or simply lost in the post, we’re sure you’ll never look at your soul in quite the same way again. CAST: Kristin Atherton, James Duckworth, Alex Forsyth, Roxanna Klimaszewska, Ian McCluskey, Laurence Pears

Schedule:

The Devil You Know / Simon Says:

Tue 23 Feb, 2 & 9 Mar 7.30pm | Fri 26 Feb, 5 & 12 Mar 7.30pm | Sat 27 Feb, 6 & 13 Mar 8pm

All the Best Tunes / Soldier of Fortune:

Thu 25 Feb, 4 & 11 Mar 7.30pm | Sat 27 Feb, 6 & 13 Mar 2pm | Sun 28 Feb, 7 & 14 Mar 5pm

Signed, Sealed, Delivered / Fisher of Men:

Wed 24 Feb, 3 & 10 Mar 7.30pm | Sat 27 Feb, 6 & 13 Mar 5pm | Sun 28 Feb, 7 & 14 Mar 8pm ‘Occasionally absurd and terribly enjoyable – a jolly ripping hour of fun’ êêêê British Theatre Guide

‘Fizzes with style, grace, humour and poignancy’ êêêêê Fringe Review ‘Duckworth is truly excellent’ Scotsman ‘Beautifully described – packed with wit and self deprecations.’ Musical Theatre Matters

Tickets £12 (£10) See all 3 double bills for £30 (£25)

www.whiterosetheatre.co.uk

Pleasance Scratch Monday 18 January 7.30pm

A totally new theatre scratch night at Pleasance. New theatre companies, alongside the more established, try out new and devised pieces in one great night of entertainment. Pick up your scratch ticket from the box office and stay for as many as you like. If you’re interested in performing contact cassandra@pleasance.co.uk

Tickets £3

The Meeting

Reuben Johnson Tuesday 2 - Sunday 7 February 8pm Following the success of his debut play Territory (NSDF Best Emerging Artists Award 2009), Reuben Johnson returns to Pleasance with his second play The Meeting.

Jake is a budding sportsman who is about to embark on a successful career. But his hopes are cut short when he finds himself imprisoned. Four years on Jake is set for an early release, but before he gets out, he has to face his biggest challenge yet..... The Meeting. Engaging, witty, raw and heartfelt. The Meeting is a story of how one incident can change so many lives forever.

Tickets £8 (£6)

Trouble & Desire

Cloud Dance Festival Friday 26 - Sunday 28 March 7.30pm

Cloud Dance Festival returns with its first festival of the year, bringing you a fresh selection of new, exciting, intriguing and quirky contemporary dance, with a few special guests. Past performers have included Pair Dance, FFIN Dance, Ballet Black, Slanjayvah Danza, Drew McOnie Dance Theatre, Hagit Yakira and Dam Van Huynh. The lineup will be finalised on 9 February, so check www.cloud-dance-festival.org.uk for more details. ‘...a medley of enthralling, surprising, moving and intriguing dance’ The Londonist ‘...the general standard was a pleasing cut above Place Resolution and some of the curated Clore Studio events’ Ballet Magazine

Tickets £12 (£8)

Tales of&the Country Pentabus Theatre Trouble Desire Cloud Dance Festival Tuesday 11 - Saturday 15 May 7.30pm, Sunday 16 May 5pm

Friday 26 - winning SundayPentabus 28 March 7.30pm The award Theatre tell the story of Brian Viner and his family as they

Cloud Dance returns its first End festival the year,grange bringing you aHerefordshire. fresh selection move from Festival a terraced housewith in Crouch to aof rambling in rural of new, exciting, intriguing and quirky contemporary dance, with a few special guests. Inspired by his popular weekly dispatches in The Independent and based on the wildly Past performers have included Pair Dance, FFIN Ballet Black, Slanjayvah Danza, of successful book of the same name, Tales of theDance, Country is a heart-warming chronicle Drew McOnie Dance Theatre, Hagit Yakira and Dam Van Huynh. The lineup will be the pleasures and pitfalls that await a family from the city chasing a rural idyll. finalised on 9 February, so check www.cloud-dance-festival.org.uk for more details. ‘Brilliant. Sparkles with anecdotes, good jokes and hilarious observations’ Daily Mail ‘...a medley of enthralling, surprising, moving and intriguing dance’ The Londonist ‘Thegeneral excellent Pentabus’ ‘...the standard wasGuardian a pleasing cut above Place Resolution and some of the curated Clore Studio events’ Ballet Magazine Tickets £10 (£9)

Tickets £12 (£8)

Dara O Briain

Tuesday 5 and Saturday 9 January 8pm Dara O Briain, the award-winning Irish comedian and television presenter, currently host of topical panel show Mock the Week, joins us for two very special ‘Work in progress’ performances. ‘If you don’t laugh at O Briain, check your pulse, you must be dead’ Evening Standard

Tickets £5

Mark Thomas: The Manifesto

Saturday 9 & Wednesday 13 January 7.45pm

Award-winning comedian and activist Mark Thomas brings us his total sell-out nationwide show The Manifesto. Mark creates a manifesto - a policy paddle to help steer our way out of Shit Creek. Every audience gets to vote on the policies they like, Mark road tests them and then sets off to make them happen. So far, policies voted through include: - introducing a national maximum wage - giving everyone their birthday off work - a three-day weekend - land instead of the dole Two policies chosen so far are: 1. Anyone who supports ID cards should be banned from having curtains. 2. No one should be allowed a second home until everyone has a first home. Mark has become one of Britain’s most acclaimed comics as well as one of Britain’s most recognised and influential activists. www.markthomasinfo.com

Tickets £12

The Al Pitcher Picture Show Friday 15 January 8pm

Every day we see things we’ve never seen before, things that strike us as odd or beautiful, and things that we’ve seen so many times we don’t even notice them any more... Not Al Pitcher. His mind is constantly twisting, flipping and distorting what he sees, igniting the mundane, weaving the events of his day into a truly unique and hilarious one-off show. Time Out Sydney People’s Choice Award 2009 Best Show, Leicester Comedy Festival 2009 Director’s Pick, Newcastle Comedy Festival 2009 ‘one of the true gems of the comedy scene’ Time Out

Tickets £6

Rabbit Faced Story Soup Laura Solon Monday 25 January 8pm Perrier award winning comedienne Laura Solon brings us her excellent Edinburgh show. It’s like The Wire. But with character comedy. And EVERYTHING from The Wire taken out. ‘Gag-driven, no-extra-fat character comedy.’ êêêê Independent

Tickets £5

WitTank

Tuesday 26 January 8pm

Witness the unacceptable mess as WitTank mix razor-sharp wit with shambolic charm. An hour of boundless energy, infectious fun and above all great jokes, leaving behind fond memories and possibly a restraining order. Forget your troubles and immerse yourself in theirs. êêêê ‘As uniquely inventive as they are downright funny…. Brilliant’ List

Tickets £5

delete the banjax Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28 January 8pm

Quickly building a reputation as one of the most exciting live sketch acts on the circuit delete the banjax have become known for their charmingly chaotic performance style following two critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringes. ‘Hilarious’ ThreeWeeks ‘They successfully freshen the sketch format ... laugh out loud’ Scotsman êêêê Chortle, ThreeWeeks & EdinburghIsFunny

Tickets £6

Sophie Black: The Lift Friday 29 January 8pm

Sophie Black tries out some new characters in preparation for the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe. Meet Belarus’s first female drag act, the radio DJ who’s the eighth (or ninth) person they call if someone drops out of Hole in the Wall and discover how “an embarrassing mix-up” led to a one-night stand with Norfolk farmer Tony Martin.

As part of Fat Tongue, Sophie was nominated for an if.comedy best newcomer award and Chortle best sketch group award.

Tickets £5

A Study Of Embarrassment By A Guy With Two Bumholes Saturday 30 January 8pm

New comedy show from Joe Bor, one half of superb Edinburgh Festival hits The Gadabouts. ‘...An expert communicator... he has an engaging style of delivery, slipping skilfully into characters and effortlessly spreads good spirits with his chatty, confident and fluid manner… an energetic stage presence and natural comic ability, Bor makes for a solidly entertaining act...’ Chortle ‘Hugely talented character comic’ Scotsman

Tickets £5

Chris Cox : Mind Over Patter Monday 8 - Sunday 14 March 8pm

The award winning, Edinburgh Fringe sell out and self proclaimed mind-reader who can’t read minds.

Chris Cox will perform his 2009 Edinburgh show Mind Over Patter, a selection of previously unseen feats to frazzle your brains. Off the back of a successful UK tour Chris will astound, astonish and make you say the ‘wow’ word with his mongrel hybrid mix of mind-reading related nonsense.

This year he’ll be attempting

to turn you into a mindreader, making the day to day more magical and an imperfect world perfect, in a warm, entertaining, engaging, funny, jaw-dropping and pretty damn amazing show that’ll make you love Cox. ‘Hugely entertaining’ Observer ‘Lovable, geeky and deceptively talented’ Time Out ‘Properly impressive...you’ll be gobsmacked’ Chortle ‘Funny and amazing’ Sunday Times

Tickets £9.50 (£8.50)

I’ll Always Think of You That Way Mackenzie & McGuire Monday 15 - Sunday 21 March 8pm

Alison loves cake, and needs to get over it. Savannah lives part-time in Sunnydale Rehabilitation Retreat, full-time in her head. They meet somewhere inbetween. Eventually one of them is left behind to remember... Mackenzie & McGuire bring you their comic play about two unlikely friends who meet in rehab, and the bizarre array of characters that inhabit their world. ‘Deftly written, impeccably acted. Must see’ Telegraph ‘A French and Saunders for the Facebook generation’ êêêê British Theatre Guide ‘Fresh, zany and surprising’ êêêê List Pick Of The Day - Guardian

Tickets £8 (£7)

Kevin Bridges Warm up show Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 March 8pm

Fresh from a 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Awards nomination (Best Newcomer) and a critically acclaimed sell-out run at this year’s Fringe, Kevin Bridges is Scotland’s ‘young comedy prodigy’ (Guardian). Kevin’s delightfully well observed debut show reveals his innermost thoughts on a variety of topics from his homeland of Scotland to the world beyond. ‘...master of stand up at just 22. This is unmissable stuff’ êêêêê Mirror ‘Observational comedy at its very best’ Edinburgh Evening News

Tickets £6

Idiots of Ants: New Material Nights Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 March 8pm

The Idiots return to their spiritual home to perform a plethora of brand-new sketches. It’s simply too early guess what the sketches will be about but rest assured some of them might be quite good. However, others will never be seen again...but that’s what makes new material nights so exciting! Join Idiots of Ants and guests (To be announced!) on the road to Edinburgh. ‘An astonishing hit rate…stiletto sharp…Everything is executed with verve…Not sick, dark or fashionably twisted, just very, very funny…Laugh? I even put my pen down to applaud’ Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard ‘Very slick and very funny… marvellous’ Time Out ‘Sheer excellence’ Scotland on Sunday

Tickets £6

Crash Test Comedy

Monday 15 February, Monday 22 March 8pm Idiots of Ants host this once a month sketch, stand up, music and character comedy night where the best acts on the London circuit ‘Crash Test’ their most recent material. Acts are announced nearer the time, but previous acts included Stephen Merchant, Pappy’s Fun Club, Tommy and The Weeks, Cardinal Burns, Sunday Defensive, Isy Suttie, Simon Brodkin, Ginger and Black, Zimbani, Nick Mohammed, Wil Hodgson, The Penny Dreadfuls, Steve Mould, Paul Chowdry, Josie Long and many more. Check pleasance.co.uk for full lineup, or join our mailing list to receive listings. ‘Quite simply the best sketch and character comedy night in town’ Time Out

Tickets £6

Drama Classes

Classes are run by Dominique Gerrard who is a professional actress and a highly experienced drama facilitator and director. She has worked with adults and young people in many different settings and prioritises enabling people of varying abilities to use drama to enhance their confidence, self-expression, creativity, vocal and physical flexibility and performance skills. Her teaching style is warm, open, fun and dynamic.

Drama Classes for Adults - Wednesdays 7pm - 9pm

Pleasance Adult Drama Group is a stimulating weekly drama class using games, exercises and improvisation to help you gain confidence and explore ideas. This is a relaxed and fun class suitable for those with all levels of experience including complete newcomers, is open to all levels of ability and focuses on confidence building and performance skills. Prices For 13 week period starting 6 January with a showcase performance on 31 March - £100 We are still offering the chance to ‘drop in’ to this class for £10 per week but you will need to be able to commit to at least Wed 24th & 31st March and sign up in advance to secure your place.

Young Pleasance Drama Classes for ages 7 - 18 years- Sundays Sign up now for Young Pleasance Spring Term Classes!

Come along to play games, build your confidence and learn a whole host of performance skills including improvisation, devising, script work, voice, movement and character work. For younger members, the focus will be on fun, imaginative play and developing social and communication skills. Older members can expect to hone their skills in performance, learning about what it really takes to be an actor and creating their own drama through devising and performing in showcases at Pleasance Islington. Prices For the term starting Sunday 10 January - Sunday 28 March (Half-term 21 February) 7-9 year olds 12:30pm-13:30pm £35 10-12 year olds 13:30pm-15:00pm £50 13+ year olds 15:15pm-16:45pm £50

To book

For more information or to book your place, email yp@pleasance.co.uk or contact Pleasance box office on 020 7609 1800.

Rehearsal Spaces at Pleasance

Pleasance has many fantastic new rehearsal studios for hire. Ranging from smaller sound-proofed studios, to larger glass-fronted rooms, there are many spaces of various square footage that are available to hire for variable rates. In addition, we have two larger self-contained studios with kitchen and bathroom facilities that available to hire from as little as £50.

Studio 106

Partially accessible to wheelchair users. With kitchenette, mezzanine and double height ceiling, Light and airy. Accessible through United House, this space is available every day from 10am - 8pm

Studio115

Large upstairs space, stairs leading down to another large space. Kitchenette, bathroom. Alternative entrance for Wheelchair users.

Rates

Hours of operation

Booking information

10am - 8pm Monday - Saturday Call 020 7609 1800 or email 1/2 day £50 12noon - 6pm Sunday. rehearsalrooms@pleasance.co.uk 1 Day £80 7 Days £400 For floor plans, more photos and further information, see pleasance.co.uk/rehearsal Pleasance Islington, North Road, London, N7 9EF | Nearest Tube: Caledonian Road

Topham Brothers Music & Sound recording studio Introductory rates Engineer included

4 hours £76 (£19 per/hour) 8 hours £149 (£18.63 p/h) 16 hours £ 289 (£18.06 p/h) 24 hours £429 (£17.88 p/h) 32 hours £549 (£17.16 p/h) 40 hours £649 (£16.23 p/h) For all enquiries please contact TophamBrothers@gmail.com

JOIN

KIDS SHOWS MUSIC & DRAMA WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

PLEASANCE.CO.UK/KIDS

HOW TO BOOK

BY PHONE

Call Pleasance Box Office on 020 7609 1800

Open10am-8pm Monday - Saturday and 12noon - 6pm Sundays

ONLINE

Visit www.pleasance.co.uk

for up-to-date listings and to purchase tickets

IN PERSON

at Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, North Road, London, N7 9EF

HOW TO FIND US Pleasance Islington is located halfway along North Road in London N7. We can be easily reached by both public transport and car. There is metered on-street parking outside (charged daytime only)

BY TUBE

Caledonian Road station (Piccadilly Line, Zone 2) is an easy 5 minute walk. Simply turn left out of the station, walk over the bridge, and North Road is the first street on the left. Pleasance is 200m along North Road on the left-hand side.

BY TRAIN

Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Overground service. Pleasance is a 15 minute walk north up Caledonian Road from the station, but buses 259, 17 and 91 all stop outside the station. Kings Cross/St Pancras Mainline Intercity, International and local services: either take the Piccadilly Line northbound one stop to Caledonian Road station or buses 259, 17, 91 northbound outside Kings Cross station.

BY BUS

Bus 393 stops right outside the theatre, and buses 17, 91, 259, and N91 all stop outside Caledonian Road Tube Station, about a 5 minute walk away.

IMPORTANT TICKET INFORMATION

All tickets are sold on a non-refundable, non-exchangeable basis. Tickets purchased over the phone and online are subject to a ÂŁ1 fee per transaction, and there is an additional 50p charge to have your tickets posted to you. Please arrive at the theatre in plenty of time , especially if collecting tickets, because latecomers may not be admitted. This season, Pleasance has been kindly supported by

BOX OFFICE 020 7609 1800 WWW.PLEASANCE.CO.UK

PLEASANCE THEATRE ISLINGTON,

CARPENTERS MEWS, NORTH ROAD, LONDON, N7 9EF