University of Bedfordshire Theatre May - June 2014 programme

Arts and Culture

Photo by Simon Richardson

Music – Theatre – Dance – Family

Bedford and Luton

May - June 2014 Student Performance Season

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

Come and see‌

Music Page 6

Theatre Pages 4, 5, and 6

Dance Pages 7 and 8

Family Page 9

‌and more professional dance, theatre, comedy, music, spoken word and family shows coming up in the autumn.

Ticket and Venue information Contact the University box office: Tel: 01234 793197 Email: boxoffice@beds.ac.uk Visit: www.beds.ac.uk/theatre Twitter: @UoBarts Facebook: /Uobtheatre University of Bedfordshire Theatre Polhill Avenue, Bedford MK41 9EA Parking: free onsite parking available during evenings and weekends.

Ticket prices vary and concessions are available. Concession prices are for those over 60 or under 18 years of age, unemployed, people with a registered disability, and students (evidence is required on arrival).

Welcome This term the University Theatre is a hive of activity with the back to back rehearsals, assessments and public performances that make up our annual Student Performance Season. We are pleased to be able to share some of this work with a wider audience and I would encourage you to come and see some new writing, leading edge theatre or family friendly dance.

We are also busy preparing our autumn programme of visiting professional theatre, dance, comedy, music and family shows and look forward to sharing details of these events with you soon.

Collaboration is vital in the performing arts – bringing together a range of skills both on and off stage in order to achieve the best possible outcome. Collaboration and partnership also sit at the heart of our work as an educational institution and our mission to widen participation. This season I am delighted to celebrate some of our partnerships with leading arts organisations.

In May, we present Classical Fusion, a unique collaboration with Symphonia Academica, one of the country’s most exciting classical ensembles, and dance students from Luton Sixth Form College and University of Bedfordshire. This partnership gives students the opportunity to choreograph and perform with live music and to work with gifted classical composer Richard Sisson.

We are delighted to support Milton Keynes Theatre’s Stage Experience again this summer. Their production of The Wiz will enable more young people to have the opportunity to work with industry professionals, perform with a live orchestra and consider further study in the performing arts.

With 3,500 international students spanning 83 nationalities currently studying with us, international partnerships and a global perspective are also vital to the University. Milton Keynes International Festival is therefore an obvious cultural partner and through our support for the Festival this year, students have had the opportunity to participate in the development of an open air dance commission by award-winning choreographer Rosemary Lee. We are looking forward to experiencing Under the Vaulted Sky when it is performed in Milton Keynes’ Cathedral of Trees this July and hope to see you there.

Professor Helen Bailey Executive Dean of Academic Partnerships

4

Theatre SMALL SCALE PRODUCTIONS In their final year, English and Theatre Studies and Theatre and Professional Practice students come together as small production companies to create and present new theatre in one-act plays of no more than 50 minutes. These plays may contain strong language and adult themes. A pass for all four plays in this series is £10/ £5.

Ihren Kampf CORPOREAL THEATRE Wednesday 30 April, 7.30pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £5, Concessions £3 (pass for all four nights £10/£5)

Set in Nazi Germany, Corporeal Theatre Presents: Ihren Kampf follows the rise and tyranny of Hitler and his Nazi regime from a number of different perspectives. We challenge what is ‘acceptable’ to put in front of an audience. We are totally respectful of this topic but what gives us the right to put this show on? Should we even respect the Nazis? Or Hitler? Daring the audience to laugh with us at Hitler’s regime, we take his power away – something he seems to have to this day.

Inoudidit LA FIN THEATRE Thursday 1 May, 7.30pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £5, Concessions £3 (pass for all four nights £10/£5)

Who dunnit? A murder has occurred. But it is unclear of how or why. All suspects have a motive but not everything is as clear as it seems. Through the exploits of the ‘uncorrupt’ police detective, Detective Inoudidit, La Fin invites you to take a look at the inner workings of investigation.

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

5

Theatre

Bad Hand INEXACT THEATRE Friday 2 May, 7.45pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £5, Concessions £3 (pass for all four nights £10/£5)

Inexact Theatre would like to introduce you to Oak Hill School’s performance. Inexact theatre spent a term working with these imaginative pupils in order to showcase their talents to parents and the community. Bad Hand is a satirical comedy inspired by courtroom drama and the forgotten imagination of youth.

Where is Margie?

LOST & FOUND Saturday 3 May, 7.15pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £5, Concessions £3 (pass for all four nights £10/£5)

Dreams: a series of thoughts, images and sensations occurring in a person’s mind during sleep.

Every day you think. You think about dreaming. You dream about the everyday. You buy what you want and you dream about wanting what you buy.

Please insert your card into the chip and pin device.

Margie, do you have a clubcard?

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

6

Music

Theatre

Classical Fusion

Making Performance

Symphonia Academica with dancers from the University of Bedfordshire and Luton Sixth Form College

Thursday 8 May, Friday 9 May, 7pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford

Sunday 4 May, 7.30pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford

Can you tell them apart?

Tickets: £5, Concessions £3

Love and hate: how close are they?

Tickets: £10, Concessions £7

In a unique collaboration between the University, Luton Sixth Form College and this leading classical ensemble, dancers perform new works choreographed to live music.

Symphonia Academica will perform music by baroque masters Henry Purcell, Arcangelo Corelli and Johann Sebastian Bach together with the music of living composer Kevin Volans and the world premiere of a ballet by Richard Sisson.

Directors in their second year of Theatre and Professional Practice or English and Theatre Studies, present an evening of short performances inspired by these themes. Ten performances a night – a different bill every night. Will you love them all?

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

7

Dance

Proximity Monday 19 May, 7.30pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £5, Concessions £3

A dance theatre performance fusing contemporary dance with fluid digital projections, all created by first year Dance and Professional Practice students.

Dancing for Younger Audiences Thursday 22 May, Friday 23 May, 6pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £5, Concessions £3

The unit Dance and Leadership focuses on community dance practices, dance pedagogy and making dance for a range of audiences. Over two evenings, second year students will perform work created for a range of younger audiences from five year olds to teenagers.

Age guidance: 5+/12+

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

8

Dance

Student International Festival of Dance IV Saturday 31 May to Monday 2 June

SifDans IV Performance Monday 3 June, 7pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £8, Concessions £5

The University of Bedfordshire’s SifDans IV festival is designed to celebrate and inspire audiences, dance students and academics from UK and international institutions. This annual, three-day event is packed with professional and student performances, workshops and social events and culminates in a public performance of work developed over the weekend.

Confirmed artists include hip hop dancer, teacher and business woman Vicki Stavrinos; commercial dancer and choreographer Glenn Ball and contemporary dancer Luke Jessop who works with internationally renowned choreographer Wim Vandekeybus.

To find out how you can get involved visit www.beds.ac.uk/sifdans find us on Facebook or call the box office.

Choreographic Resolutions Wednesday 28 May, Thursday, 29 May, Friday 30 May, 7.30pm, University of Bedfordshire Theatre, Bedford Tickets: £5, Concessions £3 (Pass for all three nights £10/£5)

Third year undergraduates showcase their final choreographic projects.

Ranging from screen dance, narrative work, interdisciplinary practices and pure dance these three evenings explore the breadth of choreographic practice of these emerging practitioners.

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

9

Family

Full House Theatre presents

The Snow Dog Friday 25 July, 6.30pm University of Bedfordshire Theatre Bedford Tickets: £8, Concessions £5

Exclusive Edinburgh Preview Written by Sarah Atherton Original Score by Rebecca Applin

A poignant and playful exploration of love and loss for children and their families. Bedford’s own Full House Theatre fuses music, song, dance and puppetry to create children’s theatre at its spellbinding best. The story follows a young girl’s journey around the world as she discovers her grandfather’s magical past as an arctic explorer. The show also features a real life Siberian Husky!

Age guidance: 6+.

Photo © Shaun Armstrong / mubsta.com

‘Imaginative and ingenious’ (The Stage)

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

10

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

11 Stage Experience Presents

Milton Keynes Theatre Creative Learning department is thrilled to announce it will once again be producing Stage Experience with the Broadway hit The Wiz. The new musical version of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. Winner of 7 Tony awards, this beloved Broadway musical sets Dorothy's adventures in the Land of Oz to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel, and soul!

The Wiz will feature a talented cast of 100 local performers all aged between 10-21 years who, led by our team of industry professionals and live orchestra, will take to the Milton Keynes Theatre stage this summer, not to be missed.

Fri 8 – Sat 9 Aug 2014 Fri – Sat eves 7pm, Sat mat 2pm Tickets £14-£16* 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee) www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes (bkg fee)

sponsored by

*When booked in person. For full details of pricing please visit the Box Office in person, online at www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call 0844 871 7652

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

01234 793197

Arts and Culture Bedford and Luton

www.beds.ac.uk/theatre

Diary May to June 2014 Wednesday 30 April

Ihren Kampf

Bedford

Thursday 1 May

Inoudidit

Bedford

Friday 2 May

Bad Hand

Bedford

Saturday 3 May

Where is Margie?

Bedford

Sunday 4 May

Classical Fusion

Bedford

Thursday 8 May

Making Performance

Bedford

Friday 9 May

Making Performance

Bedford

Monday 19 May

Proximity

Bedford

Thursday 22 May

Dancing for Younger Audiences

Bedford

Friday 23 May Dancing for Younger Audiences

Bedford

Wednesday 28 May

Choreographic Resolutions

Bedford

Thursday 29 May

Choreographic Resolutions

Bedford

Friday 30 May

Choreographic Resolutions

Bedford

Saturday 31 May - Monday 2 June

SifDans IV Festival

Bedford

Friday 25 July

The Snow Dog

Bedford

Friday 18 - Sunday 22 July

IF:MK 2014

Milton Keynes

Friday 8 - Saturday 9 August

The Wiz

Milton Keynes

Music – Theatre – Dance – Family

www.beds.ac.uk /theatre

01234 793197