October 2012
I, Elizabeth
Dyad Productions
At a vital crossroads in history a young queen steps from the shadows to unburden herself of her many troubles and reveal her innermost thoughts on marriage, succession, religion, war, and the challenges to her throne. But time is against her...
Elizabeth I: Queen at 25, political phoenix and famously unmarried, she was the most educated woman of her Age - but who was the woman beneath the crown?
Using only Elizabeth's words, solo performer Rebecca Vaughan (Austen's Women - Edinburgh 2009 and Adelaide 2010 sell out), explores the queen's struggle to reconcile the desires of womanhood with the duties of sovereignty. A five-star hit at Edinburgh 2010.
"A moving, emotional and passionate production ... A definite must see for history and theatre addicts"
- Hairline
"A performance worthy of an Academy Award Oscar"
- The Carrick Newspaper
Eliza Gilkyson
Eliza Gilkyson returns with songs about the exuberant nature of love and life with meditative tunes about the world's rich mysteries. Her new album, Roses at the End of Time, has been described as "a strong, mature work that's also fresh, confident, and full of passion "
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"lush and passionate... edgy lyrics with piercing imagery"
New York Times
A Mr Kite Benefits event.
The Three Billy Pigs
Noisy Oyster Theatre Company
Once upon a time there were three little pigs . . .
. . . and now it is time for them to leave home. They set off to build their dream houses in the green field on the other side of the river. But then these homes are put to the test by a misunderstood wolf who has a little bit of a problem. And who is the grumpy person who lives under the bridge?
The Three Billy Pigs is the new show from Noisy Oyster for children of 3 years and over. The show blends two classic fairy tales The Three Little Pigs and The Three Billy Goats Gruff with beautifully crafted puppets, light hearted story telling, live music and a little bit of eco-awareness in a pig stylie.
Can You Keep A Secret?
Mikron Theatre
Riots in our city streets, the worst economic crisis for decades, a long war fought abroad with no sign of progress.
Sound familiar? Welcome to England 1812. Whilst the country's elite enjoy lavish balls and chattering salons, textile mill workers fight for their livelihoods by smashing up the machinery designed to replace them. Luddism - a fight for rights or fear of progress? Direct action or mindless vandalism?
In the back room of a Yorkshire pub, a young lad takes the oath of secrecy and joins the Luddites. But why won't he give his real name, calling himself instead after the movement's mythical founder, Ned Ludd? What is he hiding? And who was Ned Ludd anyway?
In the bicentennial year of the Luddite risings, which took place around Marsden, West Yorkshire, who better to illuminate their story than fellow Marsdeners, Mikron Theatre - with their unique blend of humour, history and harmonic arrangements!
Dervish
All the elements that make great Celtic music comes satisfyingly together in Dervish - exceptional muscianship, breathtaking vocals, high-energy sets of tunes and instantly compelling songs.
The band's live shows are characterised by their carefully crafted arrangements, as they subtly explore the endless rhythms and complexities that go to make great Irish music.
Home Service
Home Service was the greatest British folk rock band of the eighties. Formed out of the ashes of The Albion Band, for a few short years they burned bright, singing passionate political songs that exposed the rotten heart of Thatcher's Britain. They recorded three great albums, still beloved by fans, climaxing with the iconic Happy Jack. And then they stopped.
Now, three decades later, Home Service are back. Surviving members John Tams, Graeme Taylor, Steve King, Jon Davie, Michael Gregory, Paul Archibald, Roger Williams and Andy Findon have reunited to promote Live 1986, a new album of previously unheard live recordings. Just as powerful and committed as ever, Home Service are back in business.
Please note this event has been re-scheduled from Saturday 5 May with original tickets still valid; original ticket holders wanting refunds can claim up until Sunday 1 July
A Mr Kite Benefits event.
ahab
Ahab emerged from the vibrant music scene in Hoxton and Shoreditch, the creative heart of north London. The band share a love of American music and songwriting, and honed their skills busking throughout London. Mixing Americana with a British folk-rock sensibility, Ahab's music has a laid-back swing but there's also an undercurrent of indie edginess - a lot like the popular Munford and Sons.
"Ahab is the real deal - top-notch UK Americana featuring tight four-piece harmonies."
Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2
The Shee
The Shee are an exceptional all-female band showcasing three powerful vocalists and an astonishing level of instrumental prowess. Their diverse range of individual musical influences combine to produce an adventurous brew of Folk, Scots, Gaelic and Bluegrass and has earned them considerable recognition along with high profile performances at festivals including Cambridge and Celtic Connections, as well as concerts across Europe and Canada.
Their debut album A Different Season was released in 2008, followed by nominations in both the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards and the BBC 2 Folk Awards 2009. The release of their second album Decadence saw them receive a nomination for Best Folk Band in the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards 2010 and went straight in to the World Music Charts Europe for Best Album.
"This is the sort of music that can fill anything from a front room to a concert hall and still have energy enough to launch an assault on the foyer"
- Fatea Magazine
"The Shee are brilliant; their version of Tom Paine's Bones is one of my favourite songs of the last 12 months."
- Mike Harding BBC Radio 2
An afternoon with Henry Blofeld
Shaken not Stirred
There is so much more to Henry Blofeld than the cozy old Test Match Special commentary box. No one has lived life more to the full.
No one's views are more prickly and earth-shatteringly funny. The pompous, the politically correct, the prancing popinjays on every platform of life, are kicked unceremoniously into touch.
"Raconteur, bon viveur, and master of quick wit and stunning repartee, Henry Blofeld's live performance reveals him as possibly the greatest living Englishmen"
- The North East Press
Please note this event has been rescheduled from Saturday 21 July.
Wednesday 17
October 7.30pm
Thursday 18
October 7.30pm
Friday 19
October 7.30pm
Saturday 20
October 7.30pm
£10 Saturday
£9 Wednesday To Friday
Calendar Girls
PADOS
A group of extraordinary women, members of a very ordinary Yorkshire WI, spark a global phenomenon by persuading one another to pose for a charity calendar with a difference! As interest snowballs, the Calendar Girls find themselves revealing more than they'd ever planned...
A very British story, with a very British heart, Calendar Girls is Tim Firth's record-breaking stage adaptation of the 2003 film.
"An uplifting and very inspiring true story that is quirky, poignant and hilarious".
"A show whose feelgood factor is sky-high".
Bob Dylan and The Poetry of the Blues
An Evening With Writer Michael Gray
With wit and style, the author of The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia and Song and Dance Man III: The Art Of Bob Dylan uses records and rare film footage to show how hugely Dylan has been inspired by the blues and how much of its poetry has been smuggled inside his own, highly influential writing.
"Michael Gray, the world's foremost Bob Dylanologist, is telling people how it really is... Entertaining with wit and insight, Gray is clearly enjoying himself."
"A stimulating insight into rock music's premier singer-songwriter."
Ramsbottom Folk Club
Featuring special guests O'Hooley and Tidow
A new regular folk club featuring singarounds, sessions and guest artists.
This month's guest artsists are dapper gentlewomen and purveyors of chamber folk O'Hooley and Tidow. Blessed with sensitivity, coupled with a great sense of humour, Belinda O'Hooley and Heidi Tidow write creatively, expressing new ideas both lyrically and musically in a beautiful way. The duo's unusual songs touch on everything from dark folk tales, ecology and cross-dressing historical figures through to the invisibility of the elderly and the global economy.
A Ramsbottom Folk Club event.
The Enormous Turnip
Stuff and Nonesense Theatre Company
In a tiny house the size of a shed, Mr and Mrs Chickweed live on their allotment surrounded by vegetables aplenty. But they can't resist planting one more seed and as their turnip grows it threatens their house with disaster! Can anyone help pull up their Enormous Turnip?
Stuff and Nonsense return with their unswerving energy, eccentric puppetry and live music in this re-potted version of the world-famous children's story.
"A truly enchanting hour for children and their parents"
- The Stage
For seedlings aged 2+ and their families.
Mark Thomas
Bravo Figaro!
After walking the wall in the West Bank, becoming Guinness World Record holder for political protests and chasing arms dealers around the country Mark Thomas turns his attention to matters closer to home with a show about his father.
First commissioned by the Royal Opera house Bravo Figaro is the true tale of a self-employed builder's love of opera, degenerative illness and how to put opera on in a bungalow in Bournemouth.
It is about love, death and the search for peace in an imperfect world ... with some gags thrown in for luck and told by one of the finest storytellers in the country.
"This powerful story was packed full of emotion, taking the audience on an incredible ride through the decades... an amazing tale. Absolutely superlative stuff."
Chortle.co.uk
Count Magnus - Two Ghost Stories by M R James
Nunkie Theatre Company
2012 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Montague Rhodes James, the master of the English ghost story, whose creations thrill, amuse and terrify as powerfully today as they ever did. To celebrate, Nunkie Theatre Company has brought two of his stories to life, in a thrilling new one-man show.
In Count Magnus a travel-writer's over-inquisitiveness leads to a breathless, diabolical chase from darkest Sweden to rural Essex. Denmark is the setting for Number 13, where a hotel room with the famously unlucky number, conceals a ghastly and baffling secret.
***** "Riveting... wonderful, magical storytelling. A pleasing reminder that the spoken word can be as spine-chilling as anything in the cinema."
- The Daily Mail
Sean Taylor
Sean Taylor has rapidly grown to be one of the hottest new names in the UK blues/acoustic scene. His incredible passion for performance, sheer talent and songwriting of the highest calibre is a testament to his frequent comparisons with John Martyn, Chris Isaak and Tom Waits.
His latest album Love Against Death is a masterpiece. In Sean's words, "a direct challenge to a reality dominated by greed, inequality, and injustice. It's the choice we make at every moment, in every relationship, and by every action". Recorded in Austin, Texas and produced by Mark Hallman (Carole King, AniDi Franco, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lyle Lovett et al), it also features Eliza Gilkyson and Kim Deschamps.
Now touring with a drummer, Sean's live show is at its absolute best. A magnificent, atmospheric snapshot of Sean's insight into the world we live in. Beautiful and powerful songs, outstanding musicianship and a truly intimate, yet intense experience.
"Atmospheric... fabulous music..."
- Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2
"My main listen today... brilliant... stunning songs... GREAT ALBUM"
- Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
"Sean Taylor is the king of singer songwriter styling... mesmerising"
- Maverick