MACBETH – BLOOD WILL HAVE BLOOD Marketing pack ! China plate Macbeth - Blood Will Have Blood, Marketing Pack info@chinaplatetheatre.com China Plate © 2014. All rights reserved. Registered in England. Company No. 5979326 CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 1 ! contents 03 04 05 06 08 09 10 12 13 14 CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com Official Copy Tour dates Target audiences Creative team biographies Cast list Sample direct letter Sample press release Box Office notes About the companies Contacts 2 ! Official copy Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre present Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood A macabre porter invites us into Macbeth’s castle, taking us right into the dark heart of Shakespeare’s play. Razor sharp storytelling, eerie projections and a heart-stopping soundtrack take us on an immersive, break-neck journey through the blood-soaked world of Macbeth. Reinvented for young audiences, Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare’s shocking story of ambition, greed and the abuse of power. Following a hugely successful tour in spring 2013, Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre once again join forces to present this unforgettable reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth for children aged 9 to 13. ‘I have rarely witnessed such brilliance of design, delivery and direction. My advice for those considering bringing their children to see this groundbreaking production is: kill to get a ticket.’ Roy Leighton, educator and author of Success in the Creative Classroom www.contendercharlie.com/macbeth-blood-will-have-blood.htm Trailer - http://vimeo.com/64882722 70-word copy: Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre present Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood A macabre porter invites us into Macbeth’s castle, taking us right into the dark heart of Shakespeare’s play. Razor sharp storytelling, eerie projections and a heart-stopping soundtrack take us on an immersive, break-neck journey through the blood-soaked world of Macbeth. Reinvented for children aged 9 to 13, Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare’s shocking story of ambition, greed and the abuse of power. 10-word tagline: Reinvented for young audiences, an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 3 ! On Tour Schools performances Fri 7 Feb (Previews), Mon 10 - Fri 14 Feb Public performance(s) Sat 8 Feb (6.30pm, press night) Warwick Arts Centre £14 / £10 conc. & under 26s Box Office 024 7652 4524 www.warwickartscentre.co.uk Schools performances Tue 25 - Fri 28 Feb Public performance(s) Sat 1 March (11am) Spennymoor Leisure Centre £5 / £3 conc Box Office 0300 026 1161 www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/Service.aspx?ServiceId=7059 Schools performances Wed 5 - Fri 7 March Public performance(s) Tues 4 March (7.30pm, guest night), Sat 8 March (1.30pm) The Albany £10 / £8 conc Box Office 020 8692 4446 www.thealbany.org.uk Schools performances Tue 11 - Fri 14 March Public performance(s) Sat 15 March (11am) Z Arts £7 / £5 conc Box Office 0161 232 6089 www.z-arts.org Schools performances Tue 18 - Fri 21 March The Core at Corby Cube www.thecorecorby.com Schools performances Tue 25 - Fri 28 March Public performance(s) Sat 29 March (11am) DanceEast Jerwood DanceHouse £8.50 / £5 Under 26s Box Office 01473 295230 www.danceeast.co.uk *School performances are booked directly with China Plate and all public performances booked directly with venues. Contact for any school performance enquiries, Education Co-ordinator – Andrea Pierides (schools@chinaplatetheatre.com / +44 (0)78 1080 3778) CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 4 ! Target audiences on tour and Key messages/benefits • Young people aged 9-13. Quality re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic from established touring companies - specifically adapted as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare. An immersive, accessible, timely and relevant production. • Previous China Plate, Contender Charlie and Warwick Arts Centre audiences – revival of acclaimed, sell out production building on success of 2013 production and tour. Quality reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic from established touring companies in a co-production with Warwick Arts Centre. An immersive, accessible, timely and relevant introduction to Shakespeare’s work. • Existing drama audiences – Quality re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic play produced by award-winning established companies. An immersive, accessible, timely and relevant production. • Arts professionals – Opportunity to see innovatively re-imagined production of Macbeth staged on tour. Quality re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic play produced by awardwinning established companies. An immersive, accessible, timely and relevant production. • Existing and potential drama/creative writing/script writing groups - Quality re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic. Opportunity to learn about quality adaptations of Shakespeare’s work and making it accessible for younger audiences from award-winning established companies. • School / college / students – Quality re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic from established touring company in a co-production with Warwick Arts Centre. An immersive, accessible, timely and relevant introduction to Shakespeare’s work, for young people to learn from and about, potentially at reduced cost for groups. Workshops and post show talks potentially available on request. • Amateur Dramatics and student drama groups – Quality re-imagining of Shakespeare’s classic play produced by award-winning established companies to learn from and aspire to. CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 5 ! Creative team Paul Warwick – Co-Director Paul Warwick is a theatre director and producer. He is Co-Director of China Plate, a company that producers high quality, exciting and innovative new work that is formally adventurous and narratively engaging. He and his colleague, Ed Collier, are currently Associate Producers at Warwick Arts Centre, Directors of Pulse Festival and Artistic Associates at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. The company also work with a number of the UK’s most exciting and innovative artists and are currently creating work with Caroline Horton, Action Hero, Chris Thorpe, Contender Charlie, Dan Jones and Inspector Sands. In 2002 they set up The John Osborne Arvon Centre in Shropshire and prior to that Paul was the founding artistic director of award-winning Unlimited Theatre. He is also an alumni of The Royal National Theatre's Directors Scheme and currently sits on the Board of Dialogue Productions. Directing credits include Stones In His Pockets (The New Vic); Stormchasers (BBC Radio 4); Macbeth (Contender Charlie/China Plate/Warwick Arts Centre); Nick Walker’s We Love You City (Belgrade Theatre); Dwr Caru (Talking Birds); Arabian Nights (The New Vic); Laurel and Hardy (Stephen Joseph Theatre); Home Street (Stella Quines / Traverse Theatre); Laurel and Hardy (The New Vic); The Windmill (The Drill Hall); Nick Walker’s The Last Lot (Talking Birds); Evensong (Landscape); Love Letters (Middle Temple Hall); Promises to Keep (Duke of York’s Theatre) and Static, Clean, Dead In the Water, Shades, No Brave World, The Dumb Waiter and Uncle Vanya (all Unlimited Theatre). Ben Walden Co-Director Ben is the founder and Artistic Director of Contender Charlie. His work with staff and students has received major acclaim at education conferences around the world. He has given main keynote addresses for groups such as the ICP Convention in Australia, the ESF Principals in Hong Kong, ESSARP schools in Buenos Aires, the Latin America Head teachers Conference and the 3 International Baccalaureate conferences for Europe, Asia and the Americas, as well as the IB World student Conference. He has also been a regular speaker at the New Heads Conference for the National College of School Leadership in the UK. He is an actor and presenter who has played a number of leading roles on television and for the Donmar and Almeida theatre companies as well as at Shakespeare`s Globe. Having run many master classes for the Shakespeare`s Globe Education Centre he has worked in close collaboration with Mark Rylance and Richard Olivier in the development of an experiential theatre learning technique called Mythodrama. As a Senior Associate at Olivier Mythodrama, Ben is now running sessions bringing this work at Leadership level into a broad range of organisations across the world. He has also run projects at a number of leading business schools including Columbia, OSBS, the London Business School and Instead. Nick Walker – Writer Nick is a writer and producer. He was co-founder of Talking Birds, a Coventry-based theatre company whose work has been presented across the UK, Europe, and the USA. He has worked with some of the country’s leading new work theatre companies including Stan’s Cafe, Insomniac, Debbie Isitt’s Snarling Beasties, NoFit State (on their international hit Barricade), Action Hero, and Kindle Theatre. His plays and short stories are regularly featured on BBC Radio 4, including 3 series of The First King of Mars (starring Peter Capaldi), and 3 series of The Bigger Issues. His new Scandinavian thriller series, Annika Stranded, was broadcast on Radio 4 in Jan 2013. He is director of independent radio company Top Dog whose series The Music Teacher was nominated for a Writers Guild of Great Britain award. He is the author of two critically acclaimed novels Blackbox and Helloland. He is CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 6 ! currently working for on a new drama series for BBC1, and on a screenplay with Black Camel pictures. Fiammetta Hovart – Designer Fiammetta Horvat trained at Central School and Speech and Drama. Previous design: Das Marchen vom Alten Mann (Theater Montagne Russes, festival Wien Modern.Vienna); Undiscover (Inspector Sands); On the one hand (Paper Birds, Northern Stage); The Man Jesus (Joseph Alford, Lyric Theatre); Mess (Caroline Horton); Thirsty (Paper Birds); Slick (National Youth Theatre); Ghost (Sophie Hunter, Extant Company); Terrific Electric (Boileroom, Barbican); Achidi J’s Final Hours (Che Walker); Finally the Girl (Paul Robinson). Assisting includes (Dreamthinkspeak; David Glass Ensemble; Yellow Earth Company; designers Noami Wilkinson, Laura Hopkins, Dick Bird and for the opera –Rossini festival Pesaro. Teatro Massimo Palermo. Arena di Verona. San Carlo Napoli. Theatre des Champs Elysees. Covent Garden. Grange Park Opera). She is a lecturer at CSSD. www.fiammettahorvat.com / Illustration: www.littleflamme.com. Elena Peña – Sound Designer Sound Design credits include: The Planet and Stuff (Polka Theatre), Undiscovered (Inspector Sands), Pim & Theo (NIE / Odsherred Teater, Denmark, Unicorn Theatre), Hackford Road (Art Angel), A High Street Odyssey (Inspector Sands), Flashes (Young Vic), Macbeth: Blood Will Have Blood (China Plate), Rock Pool (Inspector Sands), Cooking Ghosts (Beady Eye Theatre), Mass Observation (Almeida Theatre), Brimstone & Treacle (Arcola Theatre), The Littlest Quirky (Theatre Centre – Stratford Circus, Bath Egg), 12 Years (BBC Radio 4 Drama), Polar Molar (MacRobert Arts Centre), The Village Social (National Theatre Wales), Bette & Joan: The Final Curtain (Foursight Theatre / Jacksons Lane), A Mini Mass Observation Project (Royal Festival Hall South Bank Centre), Quimeras (Edinburgh International Festival, Sadlers Wells), Love & Money (ArtsEd), The 13 Midnight Challenges of Angelus Diablo (RSC), Gambling (Soho Theatre), Under Milk Wood (Northampton Royal Theatre), One Night In Iran (Oran Mor), Unbroken (Gate Theatre), Plasticine (Southwark Playhouse) Arnim Friess – Lighting and AV Designer Arnim specialises in designing dynamic performance environments, blending lighting, video, photography and motion graphics. His lighting and projection designs have been seen not only in theatres around the world, but also in a zoo, a monastery, an abandoned pub and deep down in a cave. Recent designs include ‘Ghosts in the Wall’ for the RSC, ‘42nd Street’ and ‘Gypsy’ at The Curve Leicester, ‘Ravenboy’ at Jacksons Lane, ‘Fog’ at the Finborough Theatre, ‘Wander’ at the Jockey Club Theatre Hong Kong, the National Holocaust Memorial Day, ‘The Rememberers’ for Apple & Snakes, a roof of light for Coventry Cathedral’s Blitz commemoration, 'Lucky Seven' for Hampstead Theatre, ‘Looking for JJ’ for Pilot Theatre at the Unicorn, ‘One Night in November’ for the Belgrade Theatre Coventry, 'The Suicide' and 'An Inspector Calls' at Theatr Clwyd, 'The White Album' at the Nottingham Playhouse. www.pixelbox.ltd.uk CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 7 ! Cast Jack Bannell – Macbeth http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M137696.html Toby W Davies – Macduff http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M98225.html Jack Parry-Jones – Banquo http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M155814.html Richard Kidd – The Porter http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M99214.html Esther McAuley – Lady Macbeth http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/F99542.html Jonathan Mulquin – Duncan / Malcolm http://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/1/M156458.html CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 8 ! Sample Direct Letter Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is an immersive re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth for young people aged 9 to 13, and is on at [YOUR VENUE] on [YOUR DATES]. A macabre porter invites us into Macbeth’s castle, taking you right into the dark heart of Shakespeare’s play. Razor sharp storytelling, eerie projections and a heart-stopping soundtrack take us on an immersive, break-neck journey through the blood-soaked world of Macbeth. Reinvented for young audiences, Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare’s shocking story of ambition, greed and the abuse of power. Co-Directors Paul Warwick and Ben Walden say of the play: “We’ve created a 360 degree environment which is full of projections and an amazing soundscape so that the kids feel like they’re not just watching a play but are actually inside it.” Paul Warwick “Macbeth works particularly well with young people…it’s violent, it’s grizzly, there’s a lot of blood, there’s witches, there’s killings…it’d be ridiculous to say that they’re not interested in things like that as they love it! But most importantly, in grabbing their attention like this we’re then able to ask them some big questions about the themes in their own lives and in the society they see around them. The production and the play is designed to be a very exciting hour for them which will lead them in an experience they’ll hopefully never forget.” Ben Walden Reinvented for young audiences and their families, Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare’s shocking story of ambition, greed and the abuse of power. Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is at [YOUR VENUE] on [YOUR DATES] at [YOUR TIME]. Tickets are [YOUR TICKET PRICE] and are available from [YOUR VENUE] Box Office on [YOUR BOX OFFICE NUMBER] or online at [YOUR WEBSITE]. CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 9 ! Press Release CONTENDER CHARLIE, CHINA PLATE AND WARWICK ARTS CENTRE PRESENT AN IMMERSIVE RE-IMAGINING OF SHAKESPEARE’S CLASSIC Following the hugely successful, sell-out tour in spring 2013, Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre once again join forces to present the immersive re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth for young people aged 9 to 13. A macabre porter invites us into Macbeth’s castle, taking us right into the dark heart of Shakespeare’s play. Razor sharp storytelling, eerie projections and a heart-stopping soundtrack take us on an immersive, break-neck journey through the blood-soaked world of Macbeth. Reinvented for young audiences, Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare’s shocking story of ambition, greed and the abuse of power. Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood will be co-directed by China Plate’s Paul Warwick and Contender Charlie’s Ben Walden. “We’ve created a 360 degree environment which is full of projections and an amazing soundscape so that the kids feel like they’re not just watching a play but are actually inside it.” Paul Warwick “Macbeth works particularly well with young people…it’s violent, it’s grizzly, there’s a lot of blood, there’s witches, there’s killings…it’d be ridiculous to say that they’re not interested in things like that as they love it! But most importantly, in grabbing their attention like this we’re then able to ask them some big questions about the themes in their own lives and in the society they see around them. The production and the play is designed to be a very exciting hour for them which will lead them in an experience they’ll hopefully never forget.” Ben Walden Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood opens at Warwick Arts Centre on 7th February before commencing a five-week tour of the UK. www.contendercharlie.com/macbeth-blood-will-have-blood.htm Trailer - http://vimeo.com/64882722 Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood comes to [YOUR VENUE] on [YOUR DATES] as part of its tour of the UK. For more information please visit www.contendercharlie.com/macbeth-blood-will-haveblood.htm Notes for Editors For further information, photography, interviews or to arrange reviewer tickets, please contact: [YOUR PRESS CONTACT] on [YOUR CONTACT NUMBER] or email [YOUR CONTACT EMAIL] OR Iain Goosey on +44 (0)78 2843 2238/ iain@chinaplatetheatre.com China Plate China Plate are producers of high quality, exciting and innovative new work that is formally adventurous and narratively engaging. CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 10 ! The non-building based theatre studio (run by Ed Collier and Paul Warwick, supported by Assistant Producer, Iain Goosey) work with artists, venues and festivals - delivering new work to the forefront of our theatrical landscape. China Plate work with a number of the UK’s most exciting and innovative artists and are currently creating work with Caroline Horton, Action Hero, Chris Thorpe, Contender Charlie, Dan Jones and Inspector Sands. The company are Associate Producers at Warwick Arts Centre, Directors of Pulse Festival and Artistic Associates at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. Contender Charlie Contender Charlie use the power of storytelling and mythology to enhance and inspire the creative learning of young people as well as their teachers and school leaders. The company’s mission is to support young people in the exploration of their emotional development and creative potential. To support those who mentor, teach or lead students in the promotion of inspiring, effective and ethical practice. For more information about China Plate and Contender Charlie, visit www.chinaplatetheatre.com and www.contendercharlie.com Warwick Arts Centre Warwick Arts Centre is one of the UK’s largest and most outstanding presenters of contemporary live and visual arts. It aims to be a place of creative stimulation, refreshment, and artistic adventure for audiences and artists alike; and is one of a small group of significant presenters and co- producers of contemporary performing and visual arts outside London. Based at the heart of the University of Warwick in Coventry, our vision is to present and produce outstanding work by artists of both international standing and with exciting reputations. Our artistic programme at Warwick Arts Centre is diverse and eclectic, ranging from the best UK and international theatre, prestigious orchestras and big-name comedians to music gigs, experimental studio work and accessible work for children and families. In addition we house the acclaimed Mead Gallery, a distinctive space exhibiting works by the UK’s best contemporary visual artists. Warwick Arts Centre is delighted to be co-producing Macbeth – Blood will have Blood with China Plate as part of its ongoing commitment to show the very best contemporary theatre produced both in the UK and across the globe. Listings information Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre present Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood Directed by Paul Warwick and Ben Walden Written by Nick Walker Designed by Fiammetta Hovart Sound Design by Elena Peña Lighting and AV Design by Arnim Friess CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 11 ! Box office notes Dates and Times [Your Dates and Times] Company Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre Production Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood, presented by Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre Ticket Prices [Your Ticket Prices] Show Copy A macabre porter invites us into Macbeth’s castle, taking us right into the dark heart of Shakespeare’s play. Razor sharp storytelling, eerie projections and a heart-stopping soundtrack take us on an immersive, break-neck journey through the blood-soaked world of Macbeth. Reinvented for young audiences, Macbeth – Blood Will Have Blood is an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare’s shocking story of ambition, greed and the abuse of power. Following a hugely successful tour in spring 2013, Contender Charlie, China Plate and Warwick Arts Centre once again join forces to present this unforgettable reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth for children aged 9 to 13. ‘I have rarely witnessed such brilliance of design, delivery and direction. My advice for those considering bringing their children to see this groundbreaking production is: kill to get a ticket.’ Roy Leighton, educator and author of Success in the Creative Classroom http://www.contendercharlie.com/macbeth-blood-will-have-blood.htm Trailer - http://vimeo.com/64882722 Images For all high res images, please contact Iain Goosey. Rehearsal and production photography will be forwarded once available. Capacity School Performance: 100 students + 10 teachers Public Performance: 75 audience members Age Guide Most suitable for 9+ years and their family. Running Time 65 minutes. No interval. Twitter Hash tag #MacbethBWHB CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 12 ! The Companies China Plate China Plate are producers of high quality, exciting and innovative new work that is formally adventurous and narratively engaging. The non-building based theatre studio (run by Ed Collier and Paul Warwick, supported by Assistant Producer, Iain Goosey) work with artists, venues and festivals - delivering new work to the forefront of our theatrical landscape. Underpinning this activity is a desire to make and facilitate inventive, original theatre that connects with people and matters to them. We believe that exciting, innovative theatre can have popular appeal and reach a large and diverse audience. China Plate work with a number of the UK’s most exciting and innovative artists and are currently creating work with Caroline Horton, Action Hero, Chris Thorpe, Contender Charlie, Dan Jones and Inspector Sands. The company are Associate Producers at Warwick Arts Centre, Directors of Pulse Festival and Artistic Associates at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. Contender Charlie Contender Charlie use the power of storytelling and mythology to enhance and inspire the creative learning of young people as well as their teachers and school leaders. The company’s mission is to support young people in the exploration of their emotional development and creative potential. To support those who mentor, teach or lead students in the promotion of inspiring, effective and ethical practice. For more information about China Plate and Contender Charlie, visit www.chinaplatetheatre.com and www.contendercharlie.com Warwick Arts Centre Warwick Arts Centre is one of the UK’s largest and most outstanding presenters of contemporary live and visual arts. It aims to be a place of creative stimulation, refreshment, and artistic adventure for audiences and artists alike; and is one of a small group of significant presenters and co- producers of contemporary performing and visual arts outside London. Based at the heart of the University of Warwick in Coventry, our vision is to present and produce outstanding work by artists of both international standing and with exciting reputations. Our artistic programme at Warwick Arts Centre is diverse and eclectic, ranging from the best UK and international theatre, prestigious orchestras and big-name comedians to music gigs, experimental studio work and accessible work for children and families. In addition we house the acclaimed Mead Gallery, a distinctive space exhibiting works by the UK’s best contemporary visual artists. CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 13 ! contacts Assistant Producer - Iain Goosey* iain@chinaplatetheatre.com +44 (0)78 2843 2238 Education Co-ordinator – Andrea Pierides** schools@chinaplatetheatre.com +44 (0)78 1080 3778 *Contact for all production matters and general marketing enquiries **Contact for all marketing and promotion relating to schools performances Twitter @youroldchina www.facebook.com/chinaplatetheatre/info CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 14 ! China Plate China Plate © 2014 CHINA PLATE www.chinaplatetheatre.com 15