Arts Centre Washington has announced its theatre programme from February to June 2016. For the first time ACW is introducing “pay what you decide” for some productions, following the lead of some other NE venues.
The season begins on 4th February with Squirrels from Operating Theatre, a play about how some young people who are experiencing mental illness are being left to fend for themselves.
A month later, on 3 March, Cap-a-Pie presents The Town Meeting, set in a small, remote, picturesque mining town. In this interactive and immersive piece of theatre members of the audience become residents and have their say in the town’s future.
On 10 and 11 March, Analogue presents Stowaway. As a Boeing 777 begins its descent towards Heathrow. The landing gear unfolds and the frozen body of a stowaway is tipped out and cuts through the morning sky. In the car park of B&Q, Andy looks up. A man crash-lands on the ground in front of him.
On 21 April, Baby Love Productions presents a revival of NE writer Tom Kelly’s 2004 play Baby Love. Shelley and Darren sing sixties songs to declining crowds in North Eastern club-land. It may be all Sonny and Cher onstage, but offstage the cracks are starting to show. Shelley’s need for a baby is taking her over as Darren refuses to make a commitment.
There are three productions in June: on 2 and 3, Stan’s Café presents Made Up, a play about friendship and the faces we show the world. This will be a “pay what you decide” production.
On 9, Operating Theatre returns with State of the Nation, looking at how we see the most vulnerable in society and combining all three plays previously performed at the arts centre, For the Best, Sitting Room and Squirrels.
Edith and Lionel Bosh (The Lovebirds) are a music hall double act. Married for 25 years, their only desire now is to kill each other. That’s the scenario for Cloud Nine’s The End of the Pier, written by Washington-based writer, actor and director Neil Armstrong, which comes to the venue on 23 June.
On May, ACW yet again plays host to Sunfest, Sunderland University’s drama department showcase which this year features two contemporary plays (yet to be announced), Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock and The Plough and the Stars, Wycherley’s The Country Wife and Shakespeare’s King Lear and The Tempest.
During the season, there will also be five productions for children, beginning with M6 Theatre Company’s show for the over-5s, Tadpoles, a play about rivalry, strengths, weaknesses, superheroes—and a tadpole-catching competition, which will be in Washington on 13 February at 11AM and 2PM.
On 30 March at 11AM and 2PM, WinterWalker presents Three Keepers, set in Flounder Rock Lighthouse, where three men live and work, with only each other and the seagulls for company. Then the storm of the century threatens. Will disaster strike? Will the lamp shine true? Will they run out of biscuits? For age 6+.
On 6 April at 2PM and 7PM, The Pantaloons present The (Almost) Complete History of Britain for age 8+, the whole history of the country in less than two hours. The Spanish Armada as a musical anyone?
Unlimited Theatre Company presents Play Dough on 14 April (10:30AM & 1:30PM), an interactive game show for children aged 7+ where they can play with 10,000 real pound coins.
Finally, on 16 July (11AM and 2PM), Blunderbuss presents My Pet Monster and Me, a show for children of 3+. One day, Sophie Bucket, who lives on a farm with her dad, finds an egg. She keeps it warm, and eventually out pops a cuddly, toothy, burpy, baby MONSTER! And so, the fun begins...
There is one dance performance during the season. On 28 April, Kelly-Abbott Dance Theatre presents Launch Day, inspired by the paintings of regionally based artist Alexander Millar and featuring music by Mark Knopfler and composer Breifne Holohan. This will be a “£pay what you decide” event.