Drama at The Haymarket, Basingstoke

D R AMA AT THE HAYMARKE T, BAS IN G S TO KE

01256 844244 anvilarts.org.uk

JAN – JUN 2016

DRAMA PERFORMANCES AT THE HAYMARKET

01256 844244 | anvilarts.org.uk

27 – 30 Jan, 7.30pm Thu & Sat 2pm Talking Scarlet presents

SECONDARY CAUSE OF DEATH

by Peter Gordon starring Jeffrey Holland (Hi-de-Hi!, The Ghost Train), Judy Buxton (On the Up, The Ghost Train), David Callister (The Bill) The second in the Inspector Pratt trilogy.

Colonel Charles Craddock has converted inherited property into a hotel for the discerning visitor. As guests arrive to participate in a murder mystery evening, Inspector Pratt (possibly the most clueless enforcer of the law ever), arrives bearing grim news.

Is the Colonel who he seems to be and why does it appear that there are two of him? What was the scissoring activity the Housekeeper was indulging in? Who is Miss Maple, anyway? And why does the trolley have a wobbly wheel? As Inspector Pratt ponders these totally irrelevant questions, the body count rises alarmingly.

Wed – Thu £20, Fri – Sat £22, 2pm performances £17 Over 65s £2 off, under 16s and f/t students £11 (includes £1 booking fee)

Sat 30 Jan

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the 2pm performance for a free Q&A with the company.

“Fascinating, intriguing and full of surprising twists and turns.”

British Theatre Guide

DRAMA PERFORMANCES AT THE HAYMARKET

01256 844244 | anvilarts.org.uk

4 – 6 Feb, 7.30pm Sat 2pm Blackeyed Theatre presents in association with South Hill Park and Eastbourne Theatres the world premiere of

THE GREAT GATSBY

by F. Scott Fitzgerald, adapted by Stephen Sharkey

“Truly electrifying theatre… the roaring twenties atmosphere is superbly captured brimming with fine acting ability.”

Eastbourne Herald

Immersing you in the decadence of America’s Jazz Age, The Great Gatsby is brought to life in this sizzling new stage adaptation from nationally acclaimed Blackeyed Theatre.

Recreating the sights, sounds and feel of America’s Roaring Twenties as seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is a brilliant evocation of a society obsessed with wealth and status.

This exciting new production features fabulous live music alongside the timeless language of Fitzgerald’s Great American Novel to create a truly fresh and inspiring theatrical experience.

Thu £20, Fri – Sat £22, 2pm performance £17 Over 65s £2 off, under 16s and f/t students £11 (includes £1 booking fee)

Fri 5 Feb

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the performance for a free Q&A with the company.

DRAMA PERFORMANCES AT THE HAYMARKET

01256 844244 | anvilarts.org.uk Tue 23 Feb, 7.30pm Vamos Theatre presents

THE BEST THING A swinging sixties story of unconditional love from the UK’s leading full mask theatre company.

It’s 1966. The record player’s on, her hair’s bobbed and eye-lashes curled: for seventeen year old Susan, life is an adventure waiting to begin. But what happens next turns everything upside down, and its repercussions will last for decades to come.

Step into the wordless world of Vamos Theatre for this bitter-sweet story of mistaken morals and broken hearts, 45s and beehives, where sexual revolution proves a hard and rocky path to tread.

This production is equally accessible to hearing and deaf audiences. “hugely rewarding” ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Stage £11 Over 65s, under 16s and f/t students £9 (includes £1 booking fee) Suitable for ages 12 and over

1 – 2 Mar, 7.30pm Wed 2pm Talking Scarlet presents

ROUND AND ROUND THE GARDEN

by Alan Ayckbourn Norman, intent on making all the women in his life happy, takes every opportunity to seduce his sister-in-law Annie, charm his brother-in-law’s wife Sarah and woo his own wife Ruth - embroiling everyone in the action along the way with both tragic and comic consequences.

Whatever happened to a peaceful weekend in the country?

Part of the trilogy The Norman Conquests, this award-winning play expertly highlights Ayckbourn’s sharp, acerbic wit to reveal the secrets, lies and deception which simmer beneath the surface of family relationships.

Tue – Wed £20, 2pm performance £17 Over 65s £2 off, under 16s and f/t students £11 (includes £1 booking fee)

Wed 2 Mar

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the 2pm performance for a free Q&A with the company.

“As in all good farces, pace and timing are paramount. This performance has them in spades...” Eastbourne Herald

DRAMA PERFORMANCES AT THE HAYMARKET

01256 844244 | anvilarts.org.uk

16 – 19 Mar, 7.30pm Thu & Sat 2pm Talking Scarlet presents

DEALER’S CHOICE

by Patrick Marber Family, friendship and honour are tested in Patrick Marber’s (Closer, Notes on a Scandal) brilliantly funny story of male camaraderie and obsession, set in the gritty world of amateur poker.

Stephen’s restaurant is a haven of petty gamblers and ineffectual dreamers, until it is threatened by the shady machinations of Ash and the underworld. As events unfold, debts increase, the stakes get higher and someone has to cough up for the bill…

Dealer’s Choice is an uproariously funny, meticulously crafted and wonderfully imaginative exploration of the endless power play between fathers and sons, winners and losers, made men and ambitious outsiders.

Winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy.

Wed – Thu £20, Fri – Sat £22, 2pm performance £17 Over 65s £2 off, under 16s and f/t students £11 (includes £1 booking fee)

Sat 19 Mar

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the 2pm performance for a free Q&A with the company.

20 – 23 Apr, 7.30pm Thu & Sat 2pm Rumpus Theatre Company presents

FATHER BROWN – THE CURSE OF THE INVISIBLE MAN A spine-chilling whodunit based on the classic mysteries

by G K Chesterton starring John Lyons (A Touch of Frost) Multiple murders have been committed, but the culprit leaves no trace.

Can he, or she, be truly invisible? And is it all really due to some malevolent ancient curse? Mild-mannered Father Brown, apparently on the side-lines of this horrific affair, reveals hidden depths as his incisive deductions determinedly peel away the many layers of this haunting case. But in the meantime, when will the murderer strike again?

“Rumpus ... masters of the high-audience appeal production” The Times Tue – Wed £21, Fri – Sat £23, 2pm performance £18 Over 65s £2 off, under 16s and f/t students £12 (includes £1 booking fee)

Sat 23 Apr

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the 2pm performance for a free Q&A with the company.

DRAMA PERFORMANCES AT THE HAYMARKET

01256 844244 | anvilarts.org.uk

11 – 14 May, 7.30pm Thu & Sat 2pm

Wed 25 May, 7.30pm

Talking Scarlet presents the premiere of

GIRLS WITH BALLS

SWAP! written and directed by Ian Ogilvy Be among the first to see SWAP! The hilarious new comedy by star of Return of the Saint, Ian Ogilvy.

Brian Flowers and his wife Susan arrive at their house swapping summer vacation in Spain, only to discover they’ve unknowingly traded houses with a British gangster.

The mess gets bigger and the clean-up gets sillier as exgirlfriends, twin brothers and dead bodies all start piling up in this hilarious farce.

Star cast to be announced.

Tue – Wed £21, Fri – Sat £23, 2pm performance £18 Over 65s £2 off, under 16s and f/t students £12 (includes £1 booking fee)

Sat 14 May

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the 2pm performance for a free Q&A with the company.

Off the Fence Theatre Company presents

by Alison Dunne Football: it’s a game of two sexes.

Nice girls don’t play football, do they? Jaz, Shel and Mo face up to some rough and ready challenges both on and off the pitch in this new play inspired by true events.

In 1971, after fifty years, the FA lifted their ban on women players at their grounds. From factory girls to following your dreams, Girls with Balls tackles football and feminism head on to reveal the true spirit behind the beautiful game. £15 (includes £1 booking fee) Suitable for ages 16 and over.

Wed 25 May

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the performance for a free Q&A with the company.

DRAMA PERFORMANCES AT THE HAYMARKET

01256 844244 | anvilarts.org.uk

8 – 11 Jun, 7.30pm Thu & Sat 2pm Talking Scarlet presents

A ROLE TO DIE FOR

by Steve Burbridge Perfectly manicured claws are sharpened when five fading celebrities accept a mysterious invitation to attend an audition at the remote country mansion of a renowned but reclusive movie producer. Soon, two in the house will be dead and those remaining will have to sweep aside their suspicions of one another and overcome paranoia in a bid to survive their terrifying ordeal and discover who has brought them together and the reason why.

A Role to Die For is a taut thriller exploring the cult of celebrity, the fickleness of fame and the temptations of notoriety in today’s media driven world.

These attention-starved stars may be desperate to revive even the most flagging of careers… but what price are they prepared to pay for it?

Wed – Thu £21, Fri – Sat £23, 2pm performance £18 Over 65s £2 off, under 16s and f/t students £12 (includes £1 booking fee)

Sat 11 Jun

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the 2pm performance for a free Q&A with the company.

22 – 25 Jun, 7.30pm Thu & Sat 2pm Talking Scarlet presents

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

by Stephen Kingsbury and Ben Sleep based on the novel by E. Nesbit Join Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis on the adventure of a lifetime as they tell the story of how they became ‘the Railway Children’ in a wonderful new musical adaptation.

The Railway Children is a family favourite with numerous adaptations for film, TV and radio. This latest version captures all the excitement and emotion of the original, bringing the delights of this literary classic to a whole new generation.

Suitable for ages 5 and over and their families.

Wed – Thu £21, Fri – Sat £23, 2pm performances £18, Over 65s £2 off, Under 16s and f/t students £10 any performance (includes £1 booking fee)

Sat 25 June

POST-SHOW TALK Stay in your seat after the 2pm performance for a free Q&A with the company.

HOW TO BOOK To book call 01256 844244 or visitTHE anvilarts.org.uk

KEY Talk

Schools

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Group booking rate available

F E S T IV

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HOW TO FIND US To The Haymarket By car: From the ring road or junction 6 of the M3, follow signs for Basingstoke town centre and then brown signs for The Haymarket. Parking is available in several surface car parks or in Festival Place shopping centre. Coach drop off point in Red Lion Lane. Visit basingstoke.gov.uk/carparks for more information.

THE HAYMARKET

By train: Basingstoke station is a 10 minute walk away through Festival Place shopping centre.

01256 844244 | anvilarts.org.uk The Haymarket, Wote Street, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 7NW Registered charity no: 1034961 The Anvil Trust is an independent educational charity

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