Performances - Forthcoming Events
Thirty years ago, choice was the political buzzword that seemed to offer much. Today, it is change. The theatre knows about change; it is the fundamental element of all the crafts that are practised here. Creating brave new worlds, becoming new people, altering perception and transforming expectations - these are at the heart of the life of The Stahl.
This new season will see the familiar space of the stage change from the Thracian shore via an English country garden to the apartment buildings of New York; from a 1930s Vaudeville Theatre via a modern casino to a school coach. We hope that in this page you will find an invitation to your imagination that you would like to accept and that you will join us on these theatrical journeys.
The new season starts with The Open Stage Company's new production of Hecuba, the startling Greek tragedy that has stood since its creation as one of the great dramatic examinations of women's suffering in war. More domestic examples of suffering and moral complexity will be found in Alfie from the Blackeyed Theatre Company and starring Edward Elks on a return visit to the stage of his schooldays. Blackeyed have become regular visitors with Arturo Ui and O What a Lovely War proving previous hits here. Not one but two School musicals are on offer: Sondheim's COMPANY, an elaborate and witty dissection of marriage played out against the backdrop of Manhattan life and showcasing in this production Oundle School's finest musical theatre singers, and a new and home-grown musical set in the world of gambling from Laura-Jane and Emily Keston called Hold ‘Em. Catch this exciting work-in-progress on its first public outing.
Dance is on the menu with Hot Dots as are stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses performed by the Oundle School Third Form. The magnificent garden at Cobthorne will be the setting for a summer show for children of all ages from Alan Ayckbourn, The Boy Who Fell Into A Book - a hilarious tale of the power of the imagination complete with mad chess pieces, slapstick physical comedy ... and jelly!
We look forward to seeing you soon.
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January
The Open Stage Company presents Hecuba
by Euripides
The suffering of women in war is no less today - nor is their strength and endurance. This great play, however tragic, is not depressing. It is a hugely powerful piece of theatre. Directed by John Harrison and using his own recently published translation, the production deploys contemporary designs and a strong musical element, with music composed by Jenny Firth, distinguished soloists and a highly talented cast, including an ever-present chorus of female prisoners.
This is a rare chance to experience the power of a fullystaged Greek tragedy, with highly focused dialogue, music and dance. Written two and a half thousand
years ago, Hecuba is a dynamic, startlingly 'modern' and topical play - visually and musically exciting, tense, thought provoking and profoundly moving.
Saturday's performance will be followed by a post-show discussion with the director and members of the cast.
Recent productions by the company in Oundle:
- John Masefield's The Midnight Folk (2004)
- Tales from the Arabian Nights (2005)
- After Eden (2007, St Peter's Church)
- Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor (2008)
- Lessing's Nathan the Wise (2008, St Peter's Church)
Friday 15, Saturday 16 January at 19:45, Sunday 17 January at 15:00, tickets £12.00 (Concessions £9.00 (Pupils, Students and Senior Citizens))
Gerard Logan (dir. Gareth Armstrong) presents The Rape of Lucrece
by William Shakespeare
Theatre at its purest: a single actor, an empty stage - and the torment of rapist and victim spring brilliantly to life.
Don't miss this show ... this performance is one the Royal Shakespeare Company could be proud of having produced ***** Fringe Review 2008
Brilliantly recounted and eloquently spoken by a consummate story teller ...unmissable for all Shakespeare fans British Theatre Guide
Great acting meets classic writing - Shakespearean acting at its absolute finest Three Weeks (Brighton Festival 2009)
'Sensational!' Sir Trevor Nunn
Wednesday 20 January at 19:45, tickets £9.00
Blackeyed Theatre in association with South Hill Park Arts Centre present Alfie
by Bill Naughton
Made famous by movies starring Michael Caine and more recently Jude Law, Alfie is the brilliant, original stage play about a young man with an overwhelming desire for the ladies. You might say that 'birds' are irresistible to him, sort of second nature. There's Ruby - 'A lust box in beautiful condition'; Clare
- 'You're all lathered in sweat, Alfie'; and Siddie, and Clara, and Annie - but who's counting? Certainly not Alfie. Three in one evening if necessary. And necessary is the right word!
Alfie combines great comedy and genuine pathos, as well as live '60s music, as it tells the story of a cockney 'Don Juan' who swaggers and philosophises his way from conquest to conquest, carefully rejecting anyone or anything that might touch him too deeply.
Alfie remains the randiest and most shameless Casanova south of the river The Sunday Times
From the artistic team that created the hugely acclaimed 2008 production of Oh What A Lovely War and starring Edward Elks (Old Oundelian) in the title role comes a major revival of Bill Naughton's classic comedy drama.
One of the most innovative and critically acclaimed theatre companies on the touring circuit today The Stage
www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk
Suitability: Age 12 +
Thursday 28 January at 19:45, tickets £9.00
February
Oundle School presents The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde
In pursuit of Jack's ward, the beautiful, young Cecily Cardew, Algernon joins Jack at his country mansion and the two engage in a thrilling escapade of deception, love, confusion and 'Bunbury'-ing.
Oscar Wilde's most loved and enduring play, The Importance of Being Earnest is here directed by Oliver Bowley in a new production starring
talented pupils from Oundle School. Join them for a hilarious and satirical examination of the quirks and eccentricities of the late Victorian aristocracy, all flavoured with Wilde's trademark wit and brilliance.
Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 February at 19:45, tickets £5.00
So & So Circus Theatre present The Hot Dots
Frank is a juggler who is happy with his lot. From the moment the ambitious Evie walks in to his dressing room at the beginning of the summer season, sparks fly, and Frank's world is turned on its head. They begin performing together, wowing crowds who travel from miles around to see them. As their
reputation grows, so does Evie's thirst for fame, and it isn't long before the cracks begin to show. What's more important - love or fame?
The show is directed by Tamasha Theatre founder Kristine Landon-Smith (director of East is East at The National Theatre and recently Wuthering Heights at The Lyric and touring the UK) and features fantastic design by Sue Mayes and film by Mark Morreau.
So & So make work which is both entertaining and emotionally engaging. Their use of film is and, combined with some of the most stunning acrobatics you will ever see, they create an unforgettable theatrical experience.
It's clever and funny and poignant - really entertaining! Liz Arratoon, circus correspondent of The Stage
Outstanding The Observer
Tuesday 23 February at 19:45, tickets £9.00
March
Oundle School presents Company
by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics), book by George Furth
Bobby is 35 and it's his birthday. He has everything - money, a comfortable life, the whole
of New York to play in ... The only thing missing is that special 'Someone' who will make him feel truly alive. As Bobby looks around him at the marrying, divorcing, fighting and occasionally crazy people he calls his friends, he questions how he wants to celebrate this milestone anniversary. Will he turn up to his surprise party? Or will he try to find his own path into middle age?
Stephen Sondheim's multi award-winning musical COMPANY is a witty, sometimes brutal, often tender and always engaging dissection of a single man's relationship with his friends. The powerful and varied score (everything from Andrews Sisters style ensembles to brassy torch songs) reflects the dynamism of New York and the sheer variety of human experience - especially when it comes to finding a mate. This new production under the direction of Ali Boag and the musical direction of Andrew Forbes will be staged by senior musical theatre singers from Oundle School and designed by Ali Dean.
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LTD. on behalf of MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL of NEW YORK.
Thursday 11, Friday 12, Saturday 13, Sunday 14 March at 19:45, tickets £9.00
Oundle School presents A Level Theatre Studies Practical Exam Pieces
The later performance from the Upper Sixth will be a wholly original piece of devised theatre, with the potential to challenge and confront the audience and explore themes and issues of the pupils' own choosing. It promises to be an exciting theatrical event that pushes the boundaries of these actors and technicians working at their very best.
Audiences should be advised that an examiner from AQA will watch the performances and that intervals between pieces will be longer than usual.
5.00 p.m. AS scripted pieces – admission free, booking advised.
7.45 p.m. A2 devised work – tickets £3 (proceeds to The Stahl hearing loop).
Wednesday 24 March at 17:00, Wednesday 24 March at 19:45, tickets £3.00 (proceeds to the Stahl hearing loop, AS scripted pieces - free)
April
Kirkeby House presents Winter Glory
by Peter Coke
A talented cast from Kirkeby House and under the direction of Kate Beckwith promise an evening of laughter and surprise.
Thursday 22, Friday 23 April at 19:45, tickets £5.00 (free to Oundle pupils and parents of Kirkeby House)
May
Oundle School presents Hold 'Em
by Emily and Laura-Jane Keston
Set in modern day London with the casino at the forefront of the action, the gamblers and female escorts are at the heart of the plot. When Angus loses
another game of Hold 'Em he returns home disheartened - but what is the real nature of his defeat?
We follow this new musical story through every twist and turn as we embark on an adventure of family relationships, love and gambling.
Friday 14, Saturday 15 May at 19:45, tickets £5.00
Stahl Productions presents West End in West Street
Oundle School pupils will join West End performers on stage in an eclectic mix of show tunes from the '40s to the 'noughties'. Music and dancing, ballads and ballet, torch songs and toe tapping - join us for a great evening for a great cause.
All proceeds from this production will go towards the Thommy Purbrook General Scholarship fund established with the Oundle School Foundation to provide an Oundle education for a pupil whose parents would not otherwise be able to afford the fees. Thommy was a pupil at Oundle School who tragically died of meningitis in December 2008. She was a talented actress and director - a Drama Scholar with a great love of theatre.
Sunday 16 May at 19:30, tickets £15.00
Oundle School presents School Journey to the Centre of the Earth
by Daisy Campbell with Ken Campbell
Is their teacher kidnapping them as part of a worldwide conspiracy? Are they going to have to face The Doctor? Is Tricia really a schoolgirl spy? Or are they simply on a day trip to Alton Towers? Oh ... and who nicked James' Twix?
A First and Second Form cast directed by Andrew Martens invite you on an odyssey into the paranoid, unscrupulous and hilarious world of the imagination.
Thursday 27, Friday 28 May at 19:45, tickets £6.00
June
Oundle School presents Tales from Ovid
Join members of the Third Form, many of whom will be appearing on stage for the first time, as Echo, Narcissus, Tereus and Philomela are brought boldly to life in the final performance of their Drama course.
Now I am ready to tell how bodies are changed into different bodies ...
Monday 14, Tuesday 15 June at 19:45, (Admission Free - Booking Essential - Donations welcome for The Stahl Theatre hearing loop.)
Oundle School presents The Boy Who Fell into a Book
by Alan Ayckbourn
Rockfist Slim's enemies have just plunged him into yet another desperate situation when Kevin has to close his detective book and go to sleep. His own adventure, however, is only just beginning. Can Kevin and Rockfist Slim escape the baddies in time? Only by plunging into and becoming part of various books - Kidnapped, Chess for Beginners and Grimms' Tales.
Juliette Coles directs a lively, colourful and fastpaced production in an idyllic setting. This is a must for anyone who has wanted to keep the light on for one more chapter ...
Friday 18 June at 19:45, Saturday 19 June at 18:00, tickets £5.00 (Under 13 years old - £3.00)
The Oundle Lecture: Anthony d'Offay
Tickets for the lecture, which include a drinks reception and a Black Tie dinner, are priced at £45.00 each and can be obtained by sending a cheque payable to Oundle School to Dr Richard McKim, Sanderson Fellow, Oundle School, Church Street, Oundle, Peterborough PE8 4EE.
Email: rjm@oundleschool.org.uk
No bookings can be taken without payment. All profits from the lecture will be given to charity. Tickets for this event cannot be obtained from the Stahl Theatre.
Thursday 24 June at 18:00, tickets £45.00
Box Office
Tel 01832 273930
Stahl Performance Booking Form Jan to June 2010
Holidays
The Theatre and Box Office will be closed from 5 July - 1 September inclusive and 18 October - 1 November inclusive. Postal bookings will be dealt with during these periods.
Term Time
During School term time the Box Office in the Theatre foyer is open from 10.30 a.m. til 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday to Saturday and for an hour before performances. Telephone/Fax bookings to the Theatre (01832 273930) may be made at any time. It is also possible to book by post: tickets will be sent if a stamped addressed envelope is included. Cheques should be made payable to 'OUNDLE SCHOOL'. You may also email your ticket requests to stahltickets@oundleschool.org.uk. The Box Office is unable to refund money or exchange tickets. Tickets will be accepted for resale, on the understanding that Stahl Theatre unsold tickets take priority. The allocation of seats is at the discretion of the Box Office.
Facilities for the Disabled
Please ring for advice. We have no special facilities, but are very willing to help.
Bar
The bar will be open one hour before performances and during the interval.
Car Park
The nearest public car park is in Benefield Road. Limited parking is available in West Street and around Jesus Church.