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MARKETING PACK
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Contents:
1. General Information/Contact Sheet (2)
2. Sample Press Release (3)
3. Touring Schedule (5)
4. Information Page on the show (6-7)
5. Biographies (8)
6. Past Shows (9-12)
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Date / January 2010
Icarus Theatre Collective, Original Theatre Company, and Anvil Arts
in association with South Hill Park Arts Centre present:
A national tour of
Journey’s End
By R.C. Sheriff
Co-Produced & Directed by Alastair Whatley
Produced by Max Lewendel
Starring:
-Graham Seed from The Archers and lead from Midsummer Murders
-Adam Best from Holby City and Waking the Dead
The young, talented and war-weary Captain Stanhope is confronted with
the fresh face of his past as an old schoolmate joins his platoon. As the
offensive looms ever closer, Stanhope must inspire his men to make the
ultimate sacrifice for a war he no longer understands and for a cause he
no longer remembers.
This compelling play based on R. C. Sherriff's own experience in the
trenches of World War I with its heroism, humour and inevitable tragedy
shows courage in the face of uncertain odds.
All staged within Stanhope’s claustrophobic dugout, time creeps to a
standstill as soldiers await their orders before racing to its heart
wrenching climax as these young men face their ‘Journey’s End’.
Following on from the success of their co-production of Othello, Icarus
Theatre Collective and Original Theatre Company are creating a very
traditional take on this compelling play, setting the ten-person cast in a
realistic Dugout filling your theatre with the sights and sounds of WWI
Journey’s End is touring UK theatres during spring 2009 and is showing at the
[VENUE, TOWN] on [DATE]. To book tickets, contact the Box Office on [BOX
OFFICE NO.] or, for more details, visit
www.icarustheatre.co.uk
RELEASE ENDS / Word Count: 253
EDITORS’ NOTES & FULL TOUR SCHEDULE FOLLOW /
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EDITORS NOTES /
The Original Theatre Company - Operating and touring since 2004 we have toured
extensively all over the UK playing venues ranging from Accrington Stanley Football club
to Cornish cliff tops to top London venues to regional theatres to schools and every
where in between. We started out as an Outdoor touring company picking up The Max
Cary Award for Enterprise and Innovation presented by The University of London in
2005. We moved into theatres last year with our National Tour of Joe Calarco’s
Shakespeare’s R&J which toured with great success all over the UK between June and
November. Most recently we produced the Oliver award winning Vincent in Brixton by
Nicholas Wright. We are very much a hands-on company, we are a small tight team and
everyone is and will remain involved in all aspects of any given production.
Icarus Theatre Collective - Icarus is unique as a mid-scale theatre company in that it
functions as a collective. A team of highly qualified Producers lead the company under
the measured Artistic Direction of company founder Max Lewendel. Each Producer acts
part-time on each project and has set tasks and responsibilities. In this way many
projects can happen simultaneously and the company maintains a clear, strong Artistic
Vision. Once per year, each producer leads one major project. This can be a play, a tour,
a major education project, a devised piece, virtually anything approved by the Collective.
They act full time for the duration and have a team of part time staff made up of the
other Producers in the collective with clearly defined roles.
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TOUR SCHEDULE /
Tue-Sat
Thu & Sat
Tue-Sat
Wed & Sat
Tue-Wed
Wed
Fri-Sat
Sat
Mon-Wed
Wed
Mon
Tue
Thu-Sat
Mon-Tue
Wed-Sat
26-30 Jan
28&30 Jan
2-6 Feb
3&6 Feb
9-10 Feb
10 Feb
12-13 Feb
13 Feb
1-3 Mar
3 Mar
8 Mar
9 Mar
11-13 Mar
15-16 Mar
19.30
14.30
19.30
14.30
19.30
13.30
19.30
13.30
19.30
14.30
19.30
10.30
19.30
19.30
14.00
17-20 Mar 19.30
19 Mar 13.30
Mon-Sat
Wed&Sat
Tue-Wed
Wed
Mon-Wed
Fri-Sat
22-27 Mar
24&27 Mar
30-31 Mar
31 Mar
12-14 Apr
16-17 Apr
19.45
14.30
19.30
13.30
19.30
19.30
Fri-Sat
23-24 Apr
24 Apr
27-28 Apr
28 Apr
30 Apr
01 May
01 May
19.30
13.30
19.30
14.30
19.30
13.30
19.30
Tue-Wed
Wed
Fri
Sat
Sat
The Haymarket,
Basingstoke
The Lighthouse, Poole
Post-show disc 10pm Thu
The Hexagon, Reading
01256 844244
Adam Smith Theatre,
Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Kings Theatre, Portsmouth
01592 583302
Loughborough Town Hall
01509 231914
Gala Theatre, Durham
Buxton Opera House
01913 324041
0845 1272190
South Hill Park Arts
Centre,
Wilde Theatre, Bracknell
Devonshire Park Theatre
Eastbourne
Theatre Royal Winchester
01344 484123
Key Theatre, Peterborough
Brunton Theatre
Musselburgh, Scotland
Derby Theatre
01733 207239
01316 652240
Harrogate Theatre,
Yorkshire
Byre Theatre, St Andrews,
Scotland
01423 502116
08444 068666
01189 606060
02392 828282
01323 412000
01962 840440
01332 255800
01334 475000
For interviews, images, tickets and/or further information, please
contact Louise at Icarus Theatre Collective on telephone 0207 998
1562, or by email on louise’at’icarustheatre.co.uk
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R. C Sherriff’s
Journey’s End
Cast
Stanhope: Christopher Harper
Raleigh: Tom Hackney
Osbourne: Graham Seed
Hibbert : Rhys King
Trotter: Gareth Davies
Hardy : Alastair Whatley
Mason: Adam Best
Sergeant Major: Zac Holton
Colonel: Knight Mantel
German Soldier: Hubert Mainwaring-Burton
Creative Team
Director/Co-Producer : Alastair Whatley
Producer : Max Lewendel
Set Design : Victoria Spearing
Composer : Ron McAllister
Costume Design : Fiona Davis
Assistant Costume Design: Margarita Pokhrel
LX Designer : TBA
Sound Design : TBA
Stage Manager : Steve Tyler
Deputy Stage Manager : Zachary Holton
Rehearsal ASM : Caroline Saunders
Graphic Artist : John Good
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Some things one might wish to know:
1) This is the third collaboration between the Icarus Theatre Collective
and the Original Theater Company. Their first collaboration,
Vincent in Brixton, was extremely well received and won huge
acclaim and praise and extended its run into the summer. Venues
included Theatre Royal Windsor, Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford and
Devonshire Park in Eastbourne. The second was a highly successful
UK wide tour of Othello in Autumn 2009
2) Both companies are associate companies at South Hill Park and will
collaborate again in 2010 on The Madness Of George III
3) The Artistic Team is adding an educational component to
Journey’s End. Workshops are offered for children from year 6
through secondary school. They include:
a. Conflict on Stage: It has been suggested that for a good story
to occur there must be an element of conflict- whether this is
in action, character aims and objectives or the story itself. In
this 1.5 hour workshop, work with a professional actor and
theatre practitioner to explore conflict on stage, with
particular reference to RC Sherriff’s Journey’s End. Using
drama games and exercises and text based work to
investigate the themes of war and character relationships
present in the text, pupils will examine how moments of
conflict make for compelling theatre and how conflict and
resolution affects the audience.
b. Performing History: How does an actor approach a part set in
a particular period? With specific reference to RC Sherriff’s
Journey’s End and the British Servicemen of WWI, we examine
the journey an actor takes to prepare for a part, using
modern and contemporary resources and rehearsal
techniques to produce a short performance at the end of the
session.
4) Co – produced with South Hill Parks Art Centre, which has had past
successes with Shakespeare’s R + J by Joe Calarco, Kill Macbeth,
and Othello.
Target Audiences:
Mainstream Theatre Audiences
School and College Students
Drama and Theatre Students
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Biographies:
Alastair Whatley - Director/Co-Producer
Director, actor and producer, Alastair founded The Original Theatre Company in 2005
having graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London. Directing credits for the
company include the national tours of Shakespeare’s R&J (2008), Twelfth Night (2005),
The Taming of The Shrew (2006) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (2006). Other
Directing credits include The Merry Wives of Windsor (2006) and Henry V (2007) for
South Hill Park Arts Centre and the rehearsed readings of Mallard and Beneath The
Marble Palace.
In January 2007, Alastair worked as The Director in Residence at The Powell Theatre in
Sherborne for six months where he directed Twelfth Night for the second time, Journey’s
End and a series short plays by Harold Pinter.
His acting credits include Henry V at The RSC and at South Hill Park (both 2007),
Romeo and Juliet, Robin Hood, Twelfth Night (National Tour), A Midsummer Night's
Dream (Harrogate Sun Pavilion and National Tour), A Desire to Kill on Tip of The Tongue
(Edinburgh Festival) and Vincent in Brixton (Mid-scale and No 1 Tour).
As a producer he has worked on all the Company's past shows, from Twelfth Night in
2005 to Vincent in Brixton in 2009. Forthcoming work includes a national touring
productions of Othello produced with The Icarus Theatre Collective, Norfolk’s Rose a
new play by Bart Lee both opening this coming Autumn followed by a large scale revival
of R.C.Sherriff’s Journey’s End produced with Anvil Arts opening in January 2010. He is
also starring in Michéal MacLiammóir’s one man show, ‘Importance of Being Oscar’ next
summer.
He is the recipient of The Max Cary Award for innovation from The University of London
Max Lewendel – Producer
In 2004 Max Lewendel founded The Icarus Theatre Collective (www.icarustheatre.co.uk)
where he directs most of their plays. The Finborough Theatre commissioned Max to
direct James Graham’s Albert’s Boy (which won the Pearson Playwright Award) starring
Tony Award winner Victor Spinetti. Max also directed Coyote Ugly (no relation to the
film) and co-produced the British premiere of Frank McGuinness’ Gates of Gold for the
Finborough, both Time Out Critics’ Choice. He is developing a World Premiere of Philip
Ridley’s next play and directing two mid-scale tours in 2009: Othello & Nicholas Wright’s
Vincent in Brixton. Last year Max directed an international tour of Ionesco's The Lesson
which transferred to the Assembly Rooms, Old Red Lion Theatre, and Romania. He also
co-directed Engage's production of Lost Children in September which tours East Anglia,
Holland, and Kenya.
At Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, Max completed a Bachelor of Arts
(Honours) degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on directing and minors in French
Language and Business Administration
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PAST WORK
Vincent in Brixton by Nicholas Wright
A collaboration Between the Icarus Theatre Collective and the Original
Theatre Company (2009)
"Brooding, malevolent, marvelous and
magnificent...it is a work of art"
-Paul Thomas, Bucks Free Press
"It is rare to come across a show with such
artistry, intelligence and talent and for that
reason this is a must-see show. So far this is
the play of the year and if patrons see nothing
else this year, this is the show they need to
see."
-Paul Bowers, Farnham Herald
This play is a must-see
-Anya Hastwell, Remote Goat
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The Lesson by Eugène Ionesco
The Icarus Theatre Collective in Association with the South Hill Arts
Centre
Directed By Max Lewendel
International Tour
12 April 2007 - 07 April 2008
"Directed so specifically that the beast of chaos
that charges through Ionesco's work like his own
rhinoceros is safely routed through the play." Rebecca Banks, Ham & High
The Times
Won Special Jury Prize in Romania
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Amy Loughton in
Romania
or better in 15 out of 17 reviews
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R + J by William Shakespeare
The Original Theatre Company (2008)
Directed by Alastair Whatley
"If you see just one Shakespearean play this year, make this one" Nina
Romain, as featured on Whatsonstage.com *****
"What makes this production so mesmerizing is that while you are
watching the Shakespeare classic you are also seeing the relationship
between the four young men unfold. And although most of the dialogue
is done through the words of Shakespeare, double meanings are rife
through much of the language, as well as the action. Some fight scenes
almost become real, for example, and the way
the boys react to parts of the play sheds a
fresh light on some of the dialogue." Anthony
Dearie, Jersey Evening Post
"Art imitates life and life is enriched by the
power of theatre...as Alastair Whatley's
production casts new light on this most
romantic of plays"
Michael Stewart, The Morning Star, 30th
July 2008
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Othello by William Shakespeare
The Icarus Theatre Collective and The Original Theatre Company, in
Association with the South Hill Arts Centre
Directed by Max Lewendel
“This is a performance
with music but not at
all a musical. The
strings catch the
musicality of the text,
although not every
time an actor speaks.
Turmoil and anxiety
are heightened,
passion brushed and
coloured with a
moment of melody.
Then, when there is
heightened dramatic
tension, the
instruments strike
emphatic chords.”
“Othello was a dramatic
and spectacular show
presented by Icarus
Theatre Collective,
Original Theatre
Company and South
Hill Park Arts Centre.”
Sonia Kapur,
The Maidenhead
Advertiser
Kevin Berry, The Stage
“Completely encapsulated, the audience, along with Othello, did
indeed “lay down and roar’” for the tragedy of the deception. Both as
actors and musicians, the level of talent was astounding.”
Alice Williams, The York Press