Search results for ""salamander street limited""

Widely studied, frequently staged—verbatim theatre is everywhere. In this new book, Mark Wheeller, the author of verbatim hits Too Much Punch for Judy, Hard to Swallow, Missing Dan Nolan and Game Over, and the most performed living playwrights in the UK, takes a personal journey through the form, and demystifies the making process. For Mark, his verbatim theatre journey all began with a man called Graham Salmon – the world's fastest blind runner. Verbatim: The Fun of Making Theatre Seriously is a perfect handbook for teachers, educators, students and anyone interested in the creative process.

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‘We were always here a constellation of hearts beating all over the world. Our stories matter. Don’t let anyone tell you any differently.’ In an empty library, under a blanket of watchful stars, four friends come together after suffering a bitter loss. Something precious has been taken from them. But the discovery of an old sepia photograph changes everything. A spark is rekindled and an idea blossoms that will shine a whole new light on the small LGBTQIA+ community in their quiet seaside town. Valentine, Luca, Dove and Quill share their own personal experiences of struggle and acceptance, friendship and isolation, despair and irrevocable hope in this tender and poignant exploration of loneliness and belonging. Duration: 90 minutes Cast: x4.

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Revised 2022 version including additional testimony from Ruth Dearnley (CEO of STOP THE TRAFFIK) One Million to STOP THE TRAFFIK tells true stories of people who are trafficked. Sunni and Whinney, at just six and eight years old, were sold by their parents and their story inspired the formation of the charity STOP THE TRAFFIK. Their mantra? ‘People should not be bought and sold’. One Million to STOP THE TRAFFIK goes on to tell the incredible true story of the charity’s determined quest to get 1,000,000 signatures to enable them to go to the United Nations and call on governments to fight human trafficking. ‘I was blown-away. It was like watching Slumdog Millionaire only this was live theatre... the young actors’ hearts are beating and breaking in front of you. One Million to STOP THE TRAFFIK should be recognised as Mark Wheeller’s most far-reaching, insightful and accomplished play to date.’ Paul Mills, Head of Drama, Westgate School, Winchester ‘The hour long show was spellbinding and quite disturbing... it was one of the best productions I have seen in a long time, anywhere.’ Ian Murray, Chief Editor Daily Echo Duration: 70 minutes approximately Cast: 20 characters The play is suitable for a large cast and multi-roling is also possible.

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Nightclub, theatre, creative hub, party place, and one of the most important venues in Scotland, Britain and Europe: for almost 25 years, The Arches was the beating heart of Glasgow. In 1991, former punk-turned-theatre director Andy Arnold walked into the disused red brick Victorian railway arches underneath Glasgow's Central Station and immediately saw the potential of the space. Not even he could have imagined its future, as simultaneously one of the biggest and most famous nightclubs in the world and a major player on the European theatre scene. Until its closure following a drug-related death in 2015, The Arches carved its own, indefinable path, playing a vital role in the lives of many Scottish artists along the way. Some of those stars of the future began their careers taking tickets, hanging coats and serving drinks there. For the first time, the people who made the venue get to tell their story. Piecing together accounts from directors, DJs, performers, clubbers, artists, bar tenders, actors, audiences and staff, Brickwork writes the biography of a space that was always more than its bricks and mortar.

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We live in times of crisis. How has the theatre responded? Has the theatre lived up to its essential purpose: to “hold up the mirror” to our turbulent times? This book will look at the courageous responses from dozens of playwrights over the past hundred years, writing about urgent issues – from World War II to communism, apartheid, the AIDs epidemic, gay hate crime, urban race riots, conflict in the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan, systemic racism, immigrant identity, the refugee crisis, authoritarianism, failing educational systems, environmental peril, and, most recently, the pandemic. These dedicated writers (from four continents) and the theatres who support them have taken huge risks to heighten our awareness to the urgent issues of our times. This book will acknowledge the exciting new dramatic forms they have created, their heroic efforts, and the changes that they have provoked and continue to do so. CRISIS contains discussion of the following plays: Disgraced; Grounded; Mother Courage and Her Children; Guantanamo: ‘Honor Bound to Defend Freedom.’; The Niceties; Black Watch; An Ordinary Muslim; A Number; Blue Heart; Cloud Nine; Escaped Alone; Far Away; American Moor;Ain’t No Mo; Fairview; Death of England and Death of England: Delroy; Blood Knot and Other Plays; Three Port Elizabeth Plays; “Master Harold”… and the boys; Eclipsed; Beat the Devil: A Covid Monologue; Stuff Happens; Slave Play; 1984 by George Orwell; An Octoroon; The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later; Mosquitos; The Children; Angels in America; Death of a Salesman; Hamilton: The Revolution; In the Heights; Pipeline; The Jungle; The Guys; The Apple Family: A Pandemic Trilogy; Ruined; Pass Over; Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2, & 3; The America Play and Other Works; Topdog/Underdog; White Noise; Rockets and Blue Lights; The Lehman Trilogy; Notes from the Field; Twilight Los Angeles: 1992 and others.

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Five women go camping in a remote mountain range. None return. Chloe, Hayley, Rachel, Lisa & Zoe. Each has their own reason for needing to get away. But what starts as a camping trip takes a dark turn when they start to question if they’re really alone on the mountainside. What really awaits the girls outside the relative safety of their tent? And more importantly, do they really know who’s inside it? Based upon the real events of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, this psychological thriller transfers the setting to the modern day, but explores the mysteries that have remained unsolved since the 1950s. Why was the tent cut open from the inside out? Why were the bodies partially dressed in each others’ clothing? And what was meant by the group’s chilling final journal entry: ‘We know now snowmen exist.’ ‘A production that proves why thrillers work so well in the theatre.’ London Theatre Reviews

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The Ching Room A pitch-black two-hander set in a toilet cubicle. Rory realises he is out of his depth once he becomes trapped by the terrifying and enigmatic drug-dealer, Darren. Cast size: 2M. “Has subtle depth as a meditation on drug culture… The character of Darren is a demon for our times.” The Scotsman “Exudes the same sort of self-assurance as Gregory Burke’s debut, Gagarin Way… You can see real talent at work here.” Metro “As tight as a short drama set in a toilet cubicle should be…A curiously compelling little play… A script riddled with priceless back-alley gems.” The Herald “It’s exciting, totally absorbing theatre.” City Life, Manchester Turbo Folk A sharp look at Scottish nationality at home and abroad. Set in the sort of bar you wouldn’t take tourists to, in an unspecified Balkan country, Turbo Folk earned Bissett a nomination for Best New Play at the 2010 Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS). Cast size: 3M. “Tells its story with pace and economy and delivers a real and frightening dramatic punch… The games Bissett plays with language are dazzling.” The Scotsman

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New revised 2020 version Set text for OCR GCSE 9-1 Drama exam This play tells the tragic true story of Dan Nolan, a teenage boy who went missing on the 1st January 2002 after a night out fishing with his best friends. The play explores the mystery of Dan’s disappearance and the tragic events that occurred that night; raising issues concerning personal safety and the importance of looking out for each other. A verbatim play, it uses only the words of his family, friends and the Detective Superintendent in charge of the police investigation. This revised 2020 edition of the play includes a new foreword reflecting on the original production by Mark, a new interview with the original cast and a new note on the original lighting design by Danny Sturrock. Suitable for: Key Stage 3/4, GCSE, BTEC, A-Level to adult 
Duration: 60 minutes approximately
 Cast: Up to 18, or 2 female, 2 male with doubling.
 "Heart-rending, bold, direct and simple. Even on the bare page this is a powerful piece of drama...” 
 Paul Fowler, GODA 2003
 "This play is not just about Dan Nolan, it's about all of us and our responsibility to and for each other."
 David Dykes, Head of Creative and Performing Arts, King Edward VI School, Southampton (Dan's former school)

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This is an educational book about a real life story and contains some upsetting themes. It should be introduced in an environment where children can talk and learn in a supported way. For children with the cognitive age of 8+. Breck is a strong and fearless knight. When he is be-friended by a Troll called Lewis, all is not as it seems. Is it all just a fantasy? Or a terrible truth within? Based on the tragic events around the grooming of Breck Bednar. ‘Breck and the Online Troll’ is designed for special needs and lower age students to introduce basic online and grooming safety to children. This book has been created to be used with children with the cognitive age of 8+. Share the message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebreckfoundation/ Instagram @breckfoundation Twitter: @thebreckfound Website: www.breckfoundation.org

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2020 Edition Set text for Eduqas GCSE 9-1 Drama exam Based on Maureen Dunbar’s award-winning book and film Catherine: The Story of a Young Girl Who Died of Anorexia Nervosa. Catherine Dunbar died in 1984, after a seven-year battle against anorexia nervosa. She was just twenty-two. Mark Wheeller’s potent documentary play uses the words from Catherine’s diaries and also of those most closely involved and affected. This 2020 edition includes a foreword by the late Maureen Dunbar, unseen extra scenes and a reflection by Mark, on the astonishing journey of this widely studied play since its first performances, including one by OYT on the Olivier Stage of the Royal National Theatre. Suitable for: Key Stage 3/4, BTEC, GCSE Duration: 75 minutes approximately
 Cast: 6 female, 3 male, 22 female/male, or 3 female and 2 male with doubling. “This play reaches moments of almost unbearable intensity… naturalistic scenes flow seamlessly into sequences of highly stylised theatre… such potent theatre!”
 Vera Lustig, The Independent “Elegantly structured, highly informative, and imaginatively theatrical. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.”
 Anne McFerran, Stage and Television Today

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Cinderella and the Beanstalk is a family Christmas pantomime, done the Sleeping Trees way! After writing the script, booking the venue, building a set and hiring a musician, the trio realise they've forgotten one vital component; a cast. The boys have no option but to perform the entire pantomime themselves, with only their dear friend Mark Newnham on piano for compny. A glorious cocktail of your favourite pantomimes! Follow Cinderella on a perilous adventure as the scheming Rumple Stiltskin blackmails the would-be princess into retrieving the coveted golden eggs from the top of the beanstalk. Cinderella must complete her quest in order to recover her glass slipper, but with Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother and Jack’s pregnant cow all doing their best to get in the way, these delicious, oversized eggs may not be so easily sought out… Scrooge & the Seven Dwarves is the second Sleeping Trees pantomime and it enjoyed a hugely successful run over Christmas 2016, selling out over seven weeks at Theatre 503. The show sees a Wicked Witch steal all of the Christmas spirit from Santa Claus, which he needs to power his sleigh. Taking matters into her own hands, Santa's mother decides that there is only one person who can save Christmas from being ruined, the man who hates Christmas most of all, Ebenezer Scrooge... "It’s pantomime with a jaunty twist and an intelligent exuberance. Even the biggest pantomime cynic would find enjoyment in this infectiously fun production." - A Younger Theatre

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It’s the near future and Europe has failed. A domino effect of nationalist, isolationist policies has left the continent’s economies on the brink of collapse, and citizens of the countries who closed their borders to immigrants are forced to flee across the seas. In a claustrophobic shipping container, three unnamed travellers place their lives at the mercy of a mysterious people-smuggler. Forced to exist on the brink between civility and chaos, they pray that they will reach their destination. And yet there are natural - and human - forces at work which are far beyond their control. This darkly comic, absurdist, and political piece offers us a refracted story of European migration - asking us how well we would fare if we were forced to make a perilous journey across the sea, and what lengths we would go to in order to survive. Playwright Emanuele Aldrovandi is one of Italy’s foremost theatre-makers. His work has been performed across Europe and the United States. ★★★★ ‘Ambitious, darkly funny and absurd... an extremely memorable night’ Everything Theatre ‘Emanuele Aldrovandi is on the rise, with a unique talent for off-kilter stories, situations and characters’ La Repubblica Casting: 4 actors (1 female / 3 male) Duration: 75 minutes

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“This book is a fascinating cri de coeur and made me question everything I think about musicals” Alan Cumming A book for those who can’t stand musicals, those who love them, and every theatregoer, academic, practitioner and student in between. Breaking Into Song explores theatre’s most divisive genre, and asks the fundamental questions: What makes a musical? Why are they so polarising? And why have we allowed a form so full of possibility to become so repetitive and restrictive? Through a series of essays, London-based director, dramaturg and musical theatre specialist Adam Lenson asks what audiences can do to stay open minded and what creatives can do to make new musicals better. Examining both sides of the divide, he explores how those who both love and hate musicals can expand the possibilities of this misunderstood medium. Dive in and discover the political foundations of the form, the difficulties in pinning down exactly what it is, the connections between musicals, video games, opera and comic books, and why a musical is, actually, a lot like a poopy baby. “A passionate and cogently argued call to arms and a very enjoyable read” Lyn Gardner “This book is really brilliant. If you care about/enjoy/work in/struggle with/want to understand/have concerns for the state of musical theatre, it is essential reading. Hugely recommended” Howard Goodall “I would advise anyone who… hates musicals… to read this book” Musical Theatre Review “Bold, inclusive and willing to adapt, Adam Lenson’s blueprint for musical theatre above all looks at sustainability.” The Reviews Hub Contents: Breaking Into Song The Wound On Hating Musicals Cash Machines Musicals and Comic Books Superpowers Musicals are Political Poopy Babies When Words Are No Longer Enough Collaboration Time and Memory Photocopying a Photocopy I’m Not a Genre, Not Yet a Medium Expertise What’s The Point? Definitions Audiences Musicals and Video Games Can Musicals Ever Be Cool? The Triangle Tiny Bowls Musicals and Opera Digging vs Telescopes The Musical Cardboard Cities Musicals Cost Too Much Autobiography Opposites Build it and They Will Come What’s in a Name? Replicas Stacks Making Space

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“This book is dedicated to those that kept skating alive. It is a testament to the perseverance and talents of a rare breed, the ones that kept at it against all odds and paved the way for generations to come.” – Tony Hawk FULL BLEED: New York City Skateboard Photography captures over 40 years of skateboarding in New York City with seminal work from 90 legendary photographers. The new 10th Anniversay Edition of FULL BLEED features an extra 96 pages of photography and a new foreword from skatebording icon Tony Hawk. Featuring the work of: Spike Jonze, Larry Clark, Willaim Strobeck, Ed Templeton, Atiba Jefferson, Neck Face, Alex Corporan, Kenneth Cappello, Charlie Samuels, Patrick O’Dell, Tobin Yelland, Jessica Bard, Ted Newsome, Zephyr, Ivory Serra and more. The skaters in FULL BLEED include Kids star and late skateboarding hero Harold Hunter, the original Supreme skate team, “the godfather of modern street skateboarding” Mark Gonzales, Jason Dill, the late Dylan Rieder, Kareem Campbell, Keith Hufnagel, Zoo York co-founder Rodney Smith, Andy Kessler, Leo Fitzpatrick (Kids, The Wire), Mike Vallely and Alex Corporan. From unknown teenage skaters to trailblazers like Jaime Reyes and a double-page spread taken during the filming of KIDS in Washington Square Park. FULL BLEED was edited by Ivory Serra, Andre Razo and Alex Corporan. Alex is a pro-skateboarder, photographer and native New Yorker. In the mid-90s Alex managed Supreme’s first skate shop for 10 years when it was their only location. Supreme would go on to become a two billion-dollar streetwear brand. Around the same time Alex appeared as himself in Larry Clark’s 1995 cult classic film Kids. Larry would later contribute photos to FULL BLEED. Today Alex is revered as the virtuosic photographer, skateboarder and curator who co-created, then updated the only truly definitive, essential photobook of New York City skateboarding – the scene that shook youth culture, fashion, streetwear, film, music and art. “Captures the beautiful grit of New York City’s skateboard culture” – GQ “The photographs take us to hotspots like Brooklyn Banks and introduce the characters who would personify and capture a culture.” – The New Yorker

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Anthony Burgess was an energetic writer and composer, whose work for the stage is widely admired. In Two Plays, we see him tackling major monuments of French and Russian theatre: The Miser by Molière and Chatsky by Alexander Griboyedov. Miser, Miser! is a bold reworking of Molière’s classic comedy of 1668. Harpagon the miser is hoarding a pile of gold, which he has buried in his garden. As he tries to sell off his daughter, catch himself a beautiful young bride and outwit his scheming household of clever servants, the comedy of errors intensifies. Although the original French play is written in prose, Burgess remakes it in a mixture of verse and prose, in the style of his famous adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac. This translation, discovered in the author’s archive, is the work of a writer at the height of his powers, reinventing Molière for modern audiences. Chatsky, subtitled ‘The Importance of Being Stupid’ is another verse comedy. The theme is that of the intellectual hero who rebels against the smug, philistine society in which he finds himself. First performed in 1833, Griboyedov’s play was so heavily cut by Russian censors that it was barely recognisable. The play is a virtuoso vehicle for male actors, and the source of many famous quotations. It is also notoriously difficult to translate. In Chatsky, Burgess remakes a classic Russian play in the spirit of Oscar Wilde. It is a great feast of language and invective. The complete texts of both plays are published here for the first time. Two Plays confirms Anthony Burgess’s reputation as a gifted writer for the stage, and as a translator of great wit and sophistication. MISER, MISER! CASTING: 7 men, 3 women CHATSKY CASTING: 9 men, 7 women

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What would you risk to build a better world? It’s been a harsh winter. Outside the city walls, people are starving. Inside, the rich townspeople hoard their grain and gold. Like his father before him, Jacob must serve the elite and keep those who steal in order. He fixes their broken bones, sews up their wounds, and then chops off their heads. Jacob believes he will keep the peace better through solely healing, but he desperately needs the town’s blessing. Little does he know that others close to him have far more radical plans for change. Grounded in the past but distinctly contemporary, this unique debut from Theo Chester uses bold storytelling to create an uneasy yet wonderfully strange new world. Stray Dogs is the work of writer Theo Chester and director Tommo Fowler. Produced by Cindy McLean-Bibby and Theatre503. Running time: 2 hours 30 mins (inc. 15 minute interval) Age guidance: 14+

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A play about youth work. In one of the thousands of forgotten youth centres across our country, Eric works for a single hour each week to break Daniel out of his spiral towards jail or the grave. But what happens when the work itself becomes a matter of life and death? The Shit by Kenny Emson is an honest, unflinching examination of the relationship between those on the margins of society and the people employed to help them.

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In 2019 poet-artist Gommie began walking the coastline of an England with nothing but a backpack, a tent and an unusually large collection of pens. His aim? Searching for hope during increasingly hard times. From losing his way on the Dover Hills to bankruptcy in Rhyl and wild camping in Scarborough, Gommie’s extraordinary journey is still ongoing, and his findings, a deeply moving mixture of texture, illustration, poetry and verbatim conversations, are a gentle homage to the often-overlooked places we inhabit and the frequently forgotten voices we hear. Follow him @gommie_poem on Instagram.

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'There are children in Holbeck without crayons. Living in a city with an opera company. An opera company paid for with money from all of us. Until everyone has crayons no one gets opera. That’s what I believe.' A deeply moving memoir of how a group of artists fed their local community during the Covid pandemic. When crisis hits, and audiences stay home, what’s the most useful thing a theatre company can do? The answer was to become a food bank and one-stop-help-shop for those in need. In fifteen months, Slung Low would go on to deliver over 15,000 food parcels.

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Funny Peculiar Zsa Zsa, Raquelle, Blanche and Cuba are in quarantine – four disabled women locked down, locked in, shut up and shouted down. While the rest of the nation is in meltdown, it takes a lot to phase this quartet. The new terrain is worrying and frustrating but these women are prepared - perhaps they have waited for a moment like this their whole lives. In a sequence of four original, cross-cutting, witty and wise monologues, broadcasting from their own homes during quarantine, these women are myth-busters giving their all to expose the lie of vulnerability. 'Acted with verve, wittily scripted, both funny and hard-hitting' ★★★★ The Stage Siege Siege is a short, filmed character monologue exploring what it means to be disabled and ‘looked at’. It’s from a longer-term piece of work and centres on the character of Mim (rhymes with quim). Mim is a funny, edgy radical, trying to live a subversive lifestyle right slap bang in the middle of the radar, with a shame-free approach to the disabled female body, who can’t get a gig. What’s it gonna take to change that? “Chock-full of witty and cleverly explored disability politics and feminist issues.” Disability Arts online

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Revised and expanded 2021 edition Race To Be Seen was nominated as the Scottish Evening News Critics Choice Best Play and Pick of the Fringe by Radio Forth at the 1984 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Race To Be Seen tells the story of how an award-winning play came to be written about the amazing World Champion Blind Athlete Graham Salmon MBE, who tragically died in 1999. It charts his parents story when, as a baby, Graham had to have both eyes removed due to an incurable eye cancer. It follows his schooldays and how he was expelled for running a book as well as his trials in trying to secure a job and finally, his incredible sporting success! Graham went on to play golf for the international visually impaired team. He hit the headlines again for hitting a «hole in one». His final battle was against cancer. Graham surrendered first his leg and then his life … but never became downcast … he wanted his autobiography to be called “Wide Eyed And Legless”! Graham Salmon is the most inspiring athlete I have met; I say this without a moments hesitation even though I have enjoyed the rare privilege of sharing the company of Muhammad Ali, Stanley Matthews, Gary Sobers, Martina Navratilova, Nadia Comaneci, Arnold Palmer and countless others in the course of my job. – Robert Philip Daily Telegraph. A remarkable play ... a story of great courage and dedication; It is also entertaining and good Theatre, with plenty of scope for imaginative direction. – Amateur Stage Book Review (of the original Race To Be Seen). Snappily written episodes ... a moving, eminently performable show. Get this book if you are looking for something of real substance. – H. Wright National Association of Drama Teachers Broadsheet (of the original Race to Be Seen). Duration: 55 minutes Cast: 6 (3m 3f with doubling). Can be performed with a cast of up to around 30. (10m, 8f & 12 m or f)

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Game Over tells the harrowing true story of teenager Breck Bednar, who was groomed over the internet and brutally murdered on 17 February 2014 by a supposed ‘friend’ that he met online. Breck's story is told in Mark's potent verbatim style, using the words of his family, friends and the killer. It's a shocking but deeply powerful play, with a unique 21st-century message. The play is particularly suitable for ‘socially distanced’ or online performances in students’ own homes and can be easily adapted to suit this medium. Suitable for: Key Stage 3/4, GCSE, BTEC, A-Level to adult Duration: 75 minutes approximately
 Cast: 24 characters total. 8 male, 9 female and 7 male or female. The play is suitable for a large cast and multi-roling is also possible. “[A] chilling and harrowing tale, skilfully written using the words of Breck’s family, friends and his killer. It deals with the potentially disastrous effects of social media and how to keep safe online by recognising the signs of grooming and exploitation.” Vivienne Lafferty, Trustee National Drama

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This is an educational book about a real life story and contains some upsetting themes. It should be introduced in an environment where children can talk and learn in a supported way. For children with the cognitive age of 4+. Breck is a 14-year-old boy who loves computing and gaming. However, things go wrong when he makes a new friend online. Based on the tragic events around the grooming of Breck Bednar, ‘This is Breck’ is designed for lower age students and those with special needs, to introduce basic online and grooming safety to children. This book is ideal for those children with the cognitive age of 4+. Share the message Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebreckfoundation/ Instagram @breckfoundation Twitter: @thebreckfound Website: www.breckfoundation.org

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Bernard Miles was a force of nature. Actor, writer, director, life peer and founder of the Mermaid Theatre, Bernard Miles was a visionary who made an indelible impact on British Theatre. In 1959, in a post-Blitz area of London, amongst the ghosts of Shakespeare and Marlowe, Bernard and his wife Josephine Wilson fought every obstacle to establish a truly remarkable theatre that brought new plays to the British public and revitalised the classics. Alan Strachan’s fascinating biography shares the adventures of Bernard Miles from film set to stage door, covering his personal and professional life and revealing the man and his mission. The talented and eccentric characters who worked and supported the Mermaid Theatre fill the pages of this inspiring memoir. And the man at the helm, the Adventurer, has earned his place in theatre history. Whether filming in an oily tank for In Which We Serve, or on stage with his parrot on his shoulder for Treasure Island; whether arranging inspired ‘get rich quick’ schemes to finance the theatre or bringing the house down as ‘The Uncrowned King of the Chiltern Hills’, Bernard Miles was a determined and passionate idealist. Alan Strachan’s book shows the talented, flawed, beloved, troublesome man in all his glory. “This full, rich and enthralling account of the making of one of the British theatre’s great figures is long overdue. Bernard was one of its most important – and most original – standard bearers, for whom we have much to be grateful, as any reader of this riveting book will discover.” - Simon Callow

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In this throat-ripping zombie play, Tobias hates mash and Steve hates Tobias, but when they discover their Mom is patient zero in a world of flesh-eating zombies, there’s no time left for ‘feelings’. Pitting the gore of horror against the hysterical instability of family life, we watch brothers torn apart get pieced back together, only to be torn apart all over again. Steve and Tobias versus Death is a comedy about two brothers trapped in their living room during a zombie apocalypse. Under-pinned by a deep sense of tragedy through a kaleidoscope of black comedy, we follow Steve and Tobias as they care for their infected mother, fend off the incoming zombies and mend their fractured relationship. Improvised physical comedy and a post-modern backdrop collide to tell the nightmare story of an absentee father, an uncommunicative mother and a zombie apocalypse bursting through the door. CASTING: 3 women / 3 men This book is illustrated with blood-curdling anime by Daniel Kettle, introducing the characters and action in all their gruesomeness. "Borderline anarchic and beyong absurd" - LondonTheatre1 "Hilarious script - perfect comic timing" - Korean Theatre Review "An onglaught of bloody good fun" - Theatre Weekly

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Pandemexplosion shares positive journeys through the pandemic, contrasted with the horror of the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion, as a verbatim play. Commissioned by International School of London, Pandemexplosion offers a diverse ensemble cast ample opportunity for imaginative theatrical interpretation typical of a classic Wheeller play. Commissioned by The International School of London. An actor (Top Boy), a rapper, a group of school students, a university scientist and two NGO activists from Beirut have little in common but their lives are all affected by Covid-19. Mark Wheeller’s new verbatim play tells their stories. It is explosive and fascinating in turns… it is not only their story… it’s ours too. These recollections offer positive journeys through the pandemic, contrasted with the horror of the 2020 Port of Beirut explosion, included as one of the student’s family decided to return to their Lebanon home during lockdown. This story provides the most heartbreaking moments. Duration: 75 minutes approx Cast: 20 (8f, 9m, 3m or f) The style of the play enables performer gender flexibility. It works with a larger cast or with doubling a smaller cast. ‘The script is a prime example of what a powerful medium theatre can be… sharp ensemble worked seamlessly together, choreographed like a modern day Greek chorus… slick theatre conventions were visually striking… transported between a party and a grizzly accident scene with just a few banged up car doors and props.’ Catherine Smith - Timaru Herald - New Zealand Mountview High School’s production of Mark Wheeller’s Too Much Punch For Judy

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It’s easy to blame the difficulties theatre now faces on the longest shutdown of stages since the mid-seventeenth century. But these problems began some time before a global pandemic. Decades of free market ideas, ten years of austerity, and the slow encroachment of private space have all worked together to create an industry struggling to define its purpose. The virus was a symptom, not the cause. In Towards A Civic Theatre, director Dan Hutton argues that a theatre which isn’t civic in outlook is not worth fighting for. Full of ideas and provocations from a range of theatre practitioners, and drawing on examples from inside and outside of the performing arts, it makes the case for a new kind of theatre fit for purpose in an already tumultuous twenty-first century. It is a toolkit, a guide, an offer to audiences and a call to arms for artistic leaders of tomorrow.

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‘I just need someone to hear these words to know what it’s like for me and people like me.’ Unmute is an arresting and essential collection of contemporary monologues written by young people, for young people. In the wake of the pandemic the theatre company LUNG, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Salamander Street launched a call out for 11-18 year olds in order to find the next generation of socially engaged playwrights. This anthology features fresh and original young writing talent from across the UK. Investigating mental health, sexuality, racism, culture, class, unrequited love and so much more, these remarkable voices unflinchingly tackle some of the most pressing issues young people face today. Packed with fury, honesty and playfulness, this is a collection from a generation that won’t be silenced and will be heard.

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