Nottingham Playhouse has announced a season of live and digital productions that celebrate local stories and support East Midlands’ talent. The shows and events range from dance, music, drama, and Bollywood to horror, comedy and romance. Most the productions will be available to rent for On Demand viewing over five days, with others livestreamed. Prices start from just a small suggested donation to its Curtain Up appeal, to £20 per household. Bookings for live events will go on general sale on Tuesday 23 March. On Demand productions will steadily become available for rental from 16 March 2021 through to June 2021.
Bring On the Bollywood is a Bollywood dance-theatre extravaganza inspired by classic Indian cinema that also revels in the shared dramatic heritage between the UK and India. Created by Phizzical Productions in 2017, it isdirected by its Artistic Director Samir Bhamra and funded by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Grant. This particular production is available to rent for a small suggested donation to Nottingham Playhouse’s Curtain Up appeal.
Available: April 16 – April 30 2021
Price: £0 per household (£5 if including suggested donation)
Funded by Arts Council England, presented by Phizzical Productions
Oh for F*ck’s Sake (I’m in Love with You) is an audio play by Northamptonshire writer Samson Hawkins – winner of the 2020 Take Off Award for New Writing – and produced by In Good Company, Nottingham Playhouse and Arena Wolverhampton. It is a post-apocalyptic comedy set in year 2099 where Alex and Robin fall in love in a world post freedom, democracy and hope – meaning they have to decide whether to fight their robot overlords or run for their lives.
The play – starring the voices of Shaofan Wilson and Ben Norris, and directed by Craig Gilbert – will be available on Nottingham Playhouse’s website for a small suggested donation.
Available: April 16 – May 14 2021
Price: £0 per household (£5 if including suggested donation)
Produced by In Good Company, Nottingham Playhouse and Arena Wolverhampton
West End Leading Ladies
Starring Rosalie Craig, Sandra Marvin, Jodie Prenger and Sara Poyzer
Available for renting On Demand: April 16 –May 25 2021
Price: £15 per household (£20 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Russell Scanlan
Jack and the Beanstalk
Available for renting On Demand: April 16 –May 28 2021
Price: £10 per household (£15 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Nottingham Trent University
Rootless Island Baby
Available for renting On Demand: April 16 –May 28 2021
Price: £6 per household (£11 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Nottingham Trent University
Shuck
Available for renting On Demand: April 16 –May 28 2021
Price: £6 per household (£11 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Nottingham Trent University
Artistic Leadership Panel
Livestreamed via Zoom: April 20 2021, 7pm
Price: £0 per household (£5 if including suggested donation).
Ghost Stories with Mark Gatiss and Adrian Scarborough
Available for renting On Demand: April 23 –June 17 2021
Price: £20 per household (£25 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Brewin Dolphin
A Double Bill of New Work by East Midlands Talent
Available for renting On Demand: April 23 –June 1 2021
Price: £6 per household (£11 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Nottingham Trent University
First Touch: A First Look – excerpt reading and panel discussion
Livestreamed via Zoom webinar: April 29 2021, 7pm
Price: £5 per household (£10 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Nottingham City Transport
Bubble
Available for renting On Demand: April 30 –June 24 2021
Price: £20 per household (£25 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Nottingham City Transport
Hand Me Down by Wayward Thread
Available for renting On Demand: April 30 –June 11 2021
Price: £6 per household (£11 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Nottingham Trent University
Still life: Untold Stories of Nottingham Now
Conceived and commissioned by Nottingham Playhouse, and shot on location around the city, Still Life will pair a group of writers with a member of Nottingham’s communities. Using conversations with these individuals as a starting point, the writers will each create a short piece that sheds light on the previously unexplored stories of how we live now.
The confirmed writers selected as a part of an open call out include Olu Alakija from Northampton (The Promise, Digital Theatre, The End of Term Show, Live Wired Digital Theatre), Nathan Ellis from Oakham in Rutland (SUPER HIGH RESOLUTION, nominated for the Verity Burgate Award, WORK.TXT, VAULT) and Amy Guyler from Nottingham (Doctors, BBC, EastEnders, BBC). Also joining the group is Emteaz Hussain from Nottingham (STRAWBERRIES, Royal Court’s Living Newspaper, CRONGTON KNIGHTS, Pilot Theatre).
And now internationally renowned and critically acclaimed writer Alan Bennett (Talking Heads, Lady in the Van, The History Boys and The Madness of George III) has joined the project with a specially-written vignette.
Still Life will be directed by Adam Penford, Artistic Director at Nottingham Playhouse (Cinderella, An Enemy of the People, The Madness of the George III) and Matthew Xia (Artistic Director ATC, Nottingham Playhouse Associate Artist, Shebeen, One Night In Miami).
Available for renting On Demand: April 30 –June 17 2021
Price: £10 per household (or £15 if including suggested donation)
Private Peaceful rehearsed reading and Q&A
Livestreamed via Zoom webinar: May 6 2021, 7pm
Price: £5 per household (£10 if including suggested donation)
Sponsored by Hollygirt School
An Evening with James Graham
Livestreamed via Zoom webinar: May 19 2021, 7pm
Price: £6 per household (£11 if including suggested donation)
BOAR (followed by free Q&A session)
Lewis Doherty (creator of WOLF) presents a live streamed performance of BOAR – a fantasy adventure set in a distant kingdom where pirates, bounty hunters and thieves do battle.
With a live, in-person audience and available for livestream via Zoom webinar: May 27 2021, 8pm
Price: £12.50 for in-person performance, and £10 per household for the livestream (£15 if including suggested donation)
Co-produced with The North Wall Arts Centre and BEASTHOUSE
LIT
The play LIT will also be newly reimagined and specially filmed for the screen and will be available on demand. This follows rave reviews during its tour in summer 2019 with Nottingham Playhouse and HighTide Theatre. The play explores the turbulent teenage years of a Nottingham girl looking for love in all the wrong places. It places complex, working-class people at the heart of the production, and is inspired by writer Sophie Ellerby’s experience working with young women and mothers in the prison system.
Available for renting On Demand: June 1 – June 29 2021
Price: £10 per household (£15 if including suggested donation)
