For theatre... online, non-professional, amateur
Charles Dickens’ classic festive tale of redemption and compassion, retold by cellar door in promenade style. Follow the actors from room to room in the cornerHouse as Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghostly spirits on Christmas Eve.
Image: Part of the Royal Docks Originals Autumn programme; Royal Docks Rainbows – featuring the world’s first-ever Flavour Rainbow produced by Bompas & Parr, ARRIVAL produced by imPOSSIBLE and Dunster/Bausor
The Royal Docks Team is delighted to announce it has commissioned two world-renowned production teams to produce new immersive experiences for the public in October as part of its Autumn cultural programme Royal Docks Originals, following the success of its summer outdoor arts programme.
Situated in the heart of East London, the Royal Docks is offering an exciting schedule of cultural activities for Londoners of all ages. Royal Docks Originals is part of the Royal Docks Cultural Placemaking Strategy, an ambitious vision to make the Royal Docks ‘the cultural engine’ of London – a major new cultural quarter. It will nurture and support the existing creative communities and provide new employment opportunities in the cultural sector, delivering on its commitment to bring world-class culture to the doorstep of Londoners.
Bompas and Parr to launch the first ever flavour rainbow
On 15 October Bompas & Parr, a leading experience design and creative studio originally known for its giant jelly sculptures, will unveil its commission Royal Docks Rainbows – featuring the world’s first Flavour Rainbow, inspired by the meteorological phenomenon and the history of the Royal Docks.
The two-part installation will introduce Londoners to the world’s first Flavour Rainbow beneath Silvertown Way. Guests will be invited to experience flavours of the rainbow inspired by Royal Dock’s commercial history and the imagination of its residents, such as spices from across the world, coffee, flour and sugar. The installation uses white light refracted through falling moisture that appears multicoloured in the eyes of its viewer, as part of a multisensory experience.
The second half of the commission, will feature a Giant Rainbow built over the Royal Docks, and made visible when the sun shines inspiring its audience to reflect on the pandemic. The installation, like rainbows seen many times before, will be synonymous with hope, prosperity and a sense of community.
Sam Bompas, Co-Founder of Bompas & Parr studio said: “With the Royal Docks once London’s gateway to world trade, the celebration of rainbows that have a flavour has important local resonance. Many of the foods, new tastes and scents coming into London from across the world passed through this area in terms of import, warehousing and manufacturing. The Royal Docks is the obvious place to showcase the world’s first Flavour Rainbow as we share its history and celebrate its vibrant future as the new cultural engine of London. It’s a joy to be able to create a sense of wonder particularly within the grandeur of Europe’s very first flyover.”
Renowned West End Director to create community led immersive theatre production
This October will also see the launch of a brand new promenade production set in the Royal Docks iconic landscape called ARRIVAL. Led by film and theatre director, Matthew Dunster who is currently directing the West End production ‘2.22 – A Ghost Story’ with Lily Allen, ARRIVAL is also co-Directed by Jon Bausor, an International stage and costume designer known for designing the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games.
Produced by imPOSSIBLE and Dunster/Bausor, ARRIVAL invites the audience on an exciting storytelling journey of the docks filled with live performance, food, film, beatboxing, music and dance. The docks have historically been a place of arrival – of people, stories, songs and products and ARRIVAL will showcase the people, place, past, present and future of this extraordinary area of London.
The public will be able to experience this live immersive theatrical performance set in the streets, bridges, paths, greens and around the stunning waterscape of the area on Thursday 21, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 October.
Matthew Dunster, co-director, ARRIVAL, said: “We are thrilled to have been given the opportunity to make an ambitious event with, and for the local community this autumn. We’re calling it ARRIVAL. The docks are historically a place where things arrive – boats, people, timber, cloth, oranges, elephants – you name it, it’s been through the docks and helped to make London the city it is. We want to draw on the rich history of Newham, its current realities and vibrancy and the community’s hopeful dreams for the future of the docks to create an exciting evening to remember. We’re raring to get started and invite anyone local to get in touch with us to hear more about being involved.”
Mayor of Newham and Co-chair of the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone Board, Rokhsana Fiaz, said: “It’s really exciting to see our diverse culture drawn from all around the world and the home grown talents of Newham people combining to make the Royal Docks the centre of the creative culture and the new enterprises that will drive our future prosperity.”
Once the beating heart of the first industrial revolution, the Royal Docks is currently being regenerated to again rise as a driving force behind the fourth industrial revolution. Where once it was the nation’s gateway to the world, today it is London’s only Enterprise Zone, providing tax breaks and other incentives to drive the UK’s economy, helping to attract substantial foreign investment into the country.
The Royal Docks will also soon be home to City Hall, the beating political heart of the Capital. Mayor Sadiq Khan announced plans to move from the GLA’s current home in Southwark last year to The Crystal, a move that is expected to be completed in the coming months.
To find out more information about Royal Docks Originals including Royal Dock Rainbows – featuring the World’s First Ever Flavour Rainbow and ARRIVAL commissions you can visit: https://www.royaldocks.london/whats-on
Squad Goals to have world premiere at Dagenham and Redbridge FC
Monday 14th September – Saturday 10th October 2020
Squad Goals is a brand-new immersive show from Caspa Productions, opening for its world premiere at Dagenham & Redbridge Football Ground. Where better than to launch a show about football than in a football stadium as a socially distanced outdoor experience!
This lively and inspiring play tells of the lives, ambitions and relationships among a diverse group of young female school leavers who are inspired by the success of England’s lionesses and form a 5-a-side squad in their home town, Dagenham. Squad Goals follows the challenges they face as they struggle to be taken seriously in a world seemingly designed to stop them reaching their potential.
Writer and co-director Michelle Payne comments Growing up in Essex, football was really important to me, I wanted to create show that fully embraced that sense of community. We need something positive for our young people and our local community that’s supports both the sports and arts industry. Act one is a full immersive experience where you pick a side and meet your squad. Act two consists of a 5-a-side football match in the style of a dance routine. We’re massively inspired by Essex dance troupes such as Diversity and wanted to create a spectacle where people can be rooting for their chosen teams.
This highly physical show, filled with dance and drama, will be brought to life by a cast of incredible local Essex-based actors, recent graduates and West End performers including Jade Marvin (Six, NCL), Annie Southall (The Boyfriend, Menier Chocolate Factory) and Lucy Aiston (Six, Bliss Cruise production). The ten roles have been double cast, with 4 swing performers, meaning the production is secure from cancellations even if any of the cast need to self-isolate.
Squad Goals originated as a highly-acclaimed one-act play at The Other Palace Studio after scratch nights at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Mercury Theatre Colchester. Now Caspa Productions have reimagined the production with a new and exciting approach to socially distanced theatre, providing employment opportunities for a large cast and numerous creatives. The team seek to engage with a young and diverse audience through workshops, Q&As and special performances for schools, colleges and community groups.
In a time when the world seems pretty dark, it’s lovely to see such an uplifting piece of theatre that highlights the importance of passion, hard work and friendship (★★★★ RewriteThisStory).
Title Squad Goals
Performance Dates Monday 14th September – Saturday 10th October 2020
Mondays – 4.30pm, 7.30pm
Tuesdays – 7.30pm
Wednesdays – 4.30pm, 7.30pm
Thursdays – 4.30pm, 7.30pm
Fridays – 4.30pm, 7.30pm
Saturdays – 1.30pm, 4.30pm, 7.30pm
Location Dagenham and Redbridge FC, Victoria Road, Dagenham,
Essex, RM10 7XL
Box Office Tickets are available from https://www.ticketsignite.com/event/3138/squad-goals.
Preview – £22.50 (£12.50)
Standard – £25 (£15)
Weekday Matinee ‘Straight from School’ – £10
Running Time 1 hour 30 minutes plus a 20 minute interval
How to get there The nearest tube to the stadium is Dagenham East (District Line). After exiting the station turn left and the ground is the fifth turning on the left about 400 metres from the station. If you are coming by rail, board the Greater Anglia service from London Liverpool Street to Romford Station. When exiting Romford station turn left where the 103 bus (towards Rainham Station) will stop at the nearest bus stop. The 103 bus will stop outside the ground and the ground is to the right of the stop.
Age Guidance 13+, contains explicit language
Social Media @CaspaProds, #SQUADGOALS
CAST:
Ellie Seaton – Lexi
Ashley Runeckles – Misha
Morag Davies – Scrappy Doo
Holly Richard Smith – Mel
Bessy Ewa – Amanda
Holly Liburd – Missy
Joe Thompson-Oubari – Shane
Jade Marvin – Sharky
Alice Gruden – Assassina
Annie Southall – Ellie-Mae
Lucy Aiston – Lexi
Annie Service – Misha
Charlotte Payne – Scrappy Doo
Yasmine Gazzal – Mel
Tianna Sealy-Jewiss – Amanda
Jasmine Davis – Missy
Jamie Corner – Shane
Kia Brame – Sharky
Giorgia Falconi – Assassina
Victoria Louise – Ellie-Mae
Leonie Wall – Swing/ASM
Oliver Bower – Swing/ASM
Pippa Conway – Swing/ASM
Creatives:
Michelle Payne – Writer and Co-Director
Morag Davies – Creative Producer
Pippa Conway – Assistant Producer
Mia Jerome – Co-Director
Sundeep Saini – Movement Director and Choreographer
Holly Ellis – Lighting Designer
Nicola Chang – Sound Designer
Sophia Tuffin – Company Stage Manager
Emily Blaxland – Deputy Stage Manager
Sarah Jenkins – Deputy Stage Manager
Sydney Aldridge – Casting Director
This is an open-air performance. In the event of bad weather, the show will continue unless it is deemed unsafe by the venue or the producer. All audience seating is under shelter.
Please be aware this production is double cast. The actors on stage will rotate throughout the production’s run.
GATSBY’S PARTY RE-IMAGINED AS A 1920s MASQUERADE BALL. SOCIALLY DISTANCED OPENING ON THURSDAY, 1 OCTOBER IN THE WEST END. BESPOKE FACE MASKS TO BE DESIGNED FOR PATRONS TO PURCHASE WITH PORTION OF PROCEEDS GOING TO THE THEATRE ARTISTS FUND.
Immersive Everywhere’s critically acclaimed THE GREAT GATSBY, created and directed by Alexander Wright– which had previously set a record as the UK’s longest running immersive production –is set to re-open at West End venue IMMERSIVE | LDN on Thursday 1 October 2020, with a press night on Thursday 22 October.
Olivier Award winning producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook have re-imagined and re-set the production as an Art Deco Masquerade Ball, with audience members wearing compulsory face coverings to complement their fabulous attire. The show’s costume designer, Heledd Rees is to create a bespoke face covering that will be available to purchase at the venue should patrons require, with a portion of the proceeds going to The Theatre Artists Fund.
Jay Gatsby invites you to one of his infamous large parties. Re-imagined and re-set to meet covid-19 secure guidelines, the champagne flows and as the drama unfolds the man himself will be the perfect host. As invites go, this is the hottest in town.
A hedonistic world of red hot rhythms, bootleg liquor and pure jazz age self-indulgence awaits. Don your masquerade, dress to the nines and immerse yourself in this heart racing adaption of F Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal tale of the Roaring Twenties.
Full casting has been announced: Craig Hamilton will play ‘Gatsby’, Lucinda Turner will play ‘Daisy’, James Lawrence will play ‘Nick’, Dean Graham will play ‘Tom’, Lucas Jones will play ‘George Wilson’, Ivy Corbin will play ‘Jordan’, MJ Lee will play ‘Myrtle Wilson’, Hugh Stubbins will play ‘Rosy Rosenthal’, Aimee Barrett will play ‘Lucille’ and Alex Wingfield will play ‘Joey’.
Thanks to the recent announcement of Stage Four of the government’s roadmap for theatres’ re-opening allowing socially distanced indoor performances, the producers of The Great Gatsby continue to refine plans and measures to ensure full compliance with government Covid-Secure guidelines at IMMERSIVE LDN.
The capacity of the venue has been significantly reduced to help patrons – coming as individuals or in household groups – to keep a safe distance from others; and the nature of the show means that audience members can choose where they stand and move throughout the performance, naturally enabling social distancing. The show content is being altered and updated to avoid any activity that would be considered high risk, and the actors will be further trained to keep groups of audience following the story, whilst remaining at a safe distance. Temperature checks will be undertaken for audience and staff on arrival. The venue will be deep cleaned before and after every performance, bar equipment sterilised, and hand sanitisers will be available throughout the venue. The Producers are confident that the immersive nature of THE GREAT GATSBY will enable it to be the first long running show to responsibly re-open in 2020. The Producers are also still planning for the eventuality that the show can’t proceed, or individual patrons can’t attend, and are offering a no-questions-asked exchange policy.
Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook said “We’re delighted The Great Gatsby is returning to its London home. We’re deeply proud of the team who have worked so skilfully and passionately – with input from the Culture Task Force, Equity, and Westminster, – to welcome back our audiences and restore some of the cultural offering in London that has been missing for far too long.
We are really excited to welcome folks back to Gatsby’s mansion in a responsible and measured way, and to be one of be the first shows in the West End that is able to re-open its doors to fans. At IMMERSIVE|LDN we will always lead the way with innovation, and we’re hoping this can be a blueprint to help our other productions around the world begin to open.
We’ve definitely missed telling this beautiful story each night. It has been a joy to bring back some of the original creators of Gatsby after half a decade, to revisit, revive and augment the production, with new scenes and new choreography that should be exciting for fans old and new.”
These Covid-Secure policies will be under continuous review and are by no means exhaustive – any additional measures recommended will be adopted as appropriate.
Tickets can be booked via www.immersivegatsby.com.
Olivier Award winning producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook, who are currently co-producing the immersive production of DOCTOR WHO TIME FRACTURE – launched a new company in 2019, IMMERSIVE EVERYWHERE, entirely dedicated to developing and staging theatre-led immersive experiences, and immersive | ldn is the newest of their network of venues, which will house cafes, bars and rehearsal and workshop spaces to help the development of new work.
IMMERSIVE | LDN is a 32,000sq ft historic building in the heart of Mayfair, which was home to the Queen Victoria’s Rifles Association until 2017. It includes three floors of immersive theatre and event spaces designated for performance, live gaming, events, escape rooms and private parties. For information about programming and venue hire visit www.immersiveldn.com
First conceived in 2015 when director Alexander Wright and producer Brian Hook were running The Fleeting Arms – a pop arts and community pub in an abandoned building in York, the show then ran in York in 2016 with a parallel production in Sheffield, and was produced by the Guild of Misrule . The Great Gatsby first came to London as part of VAULT Festival in 2017 and sold out before the show opened. Since then the show has run in Wales in co-production with Theatr Clwyd, at Halifax’s Square Chapel, and at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. All the while the show has played night after night at Gatsby’s Drugstore in London SE1, inviting audiences into the hedonistic world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s extraordinary tale, and in 2018 it became the UK’s longest running immersive production.
Amie Burns Walker and Oliver Tilney are Associate Directors. Choreography is by Holly Beasley-Garrigan, design by Casey Jay Andrews, costume design by Heledd Rees, sound design by Phil Grainger and lighting design by Rachel Sampley. The original score was composed and produced by Glen Brown and Tendai Humphrey Sitima, with arrangement and additional composition by David Sims. The original production was created by Holly Beasley-Garrigan, Amie Burns Walker, Hannah Davies, Phil Grainger, Michael Lambourne, Thomas Maller and Oliver Tilney.
This new production of The Guild of Misrule’s THE GREAT GATSBY is produced by Immersive Everywhere with co-producer Gavin Kalin Productions, and with Glynis Henderson Productions, Theatr Clwyd, We Culture Connects and Damier NV as Associate Producers.
VENUE SOCIAL @ldn_immersive
SHOW SOCIAL @immersivegatsby