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JAN
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“Making the reality more wonderful than the dream.” (From an article in The New York World about Nellie Bly, Nov 30, 1889)
I first suggested that we should create a summer show based on Around the World In 80 Days last Autumn – somewhat jokingly, as an acknowledgement of the way travel around the world had ground to a halt, and it looked like none of us would be going anywhere again anytime soon. I thought the piece would conjure up exotic places and give audiences a taste of somewhere else when we were all well and truly grounded. I must confess that at this point in time I hadn’t actually read the book, and only had a faint impression of the story from probably having seen a film of it a long time ago – I was also convinced there was a hot-air balloon in it, much like my Passepartout! When I did read it, I was very amused by the way that Jules Verne, a Frenchman, poked fun at the stiff upper lip English gentlemen, and I loved its fast paced, adventurous storyline, but I was also surprised how little detail there was of the countries Phileas Fogg journeys through. Perhaps inevitably as they are trying to make it around the world in as little time as possible, and Verne hadn’t visited many of the places on the route when he wrote it. As I was pondering how to introduce more of this into the play, I came across the real life journalist, Nellie Bly, who did her own trip around the world in 1889, and even got to meet Jules Verne himself on the way. I was astonished. How could it be that we all seem to know so much more about a fictional character created by Verne, than the real woman who set the first record for circumnavigating the globe by both land and sea? And what’s more, she was a pretty good travel writer! As I began to imagine a world where both narratives could co-exist, the theme of travelling developed into a travelling theatre show, and I began to notice how many references there are to circus and processions in both stories, and so my circus troupe were born. After all, who better to conjure up many different locations and forms of transport in an exciting way, than those who are experts at selling what isn’t there? So this play is about the joy of movement, in every sense. Juliet Forster (Adaptor & Director)
Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet and playwright. He is often regarded as the father of science fiction. Born in Nantes, France, Verne ran away to sea at the age of 11, only to be sent home in disgrace. After this experience, he vowed to travel only in his imagination, and carried out this pledge in more than 50 works that combine scientific fantasy and exciting adventure. Verne studied law in Paris, and from 1848 until 1863 wrote opera librettos and plays. His interest in science and geographical discovery led him to write on the possibility of exploring Africa in a balloon. Many publishers rejected this work, until one suggested he rewrite it in the form of an adventure story. The result was Five Weeks in a Balloon, and its success encouraged Verne to write other tales of adventure in distant lands. Laying a carefully documented scientific foundation for his fantastic adventure stories, Verne rode the wave of 19thcentury interest in science and invention to enormous popular favour. He forecast with incredible foresight many scientific achievements of the 20th century such as flights into outer space, submarines, helicopters, air conditioning, guided missiles, and motion pictures. Verne's best-known work is Around the World In 80 Days, published in 1873. Among his other classic books are Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Mysterious Island. His works have been the source of many films, beginning in 1902 with Le voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) by the pioneering French film director Georges Méliès. He has been the second most-translated author in the world since 1979, ranking between Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare.
Verne’s influence extends beyond literature and film into the world of science and technology, where he inspired generations of scientists, inventors, and explorers. In 1954, the United States Navy launched the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, named for Verne’s Nautilus. And for more than 130 years, adventurers such as Nellie Bly (1890), Wiley Post (1933), and Steve Fossett (2005) have followed in the footsteps of Verne’s fictional hero Phileas Fogg by attempting to circumnavigate the globe in record-breaking times. Verne and his enduringly popular Voyages extraordinaires continue to remind us that “What one man can imagine, another will someday be able to achieve.”
ALI AZHAR THE CLOWN / PASSEPARTOUT Ali is a French-Moroccan actor born in Paris. He studied classical theatre in Paris, at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London and dance at Broadway Dance Centre in New York. CREDITS INCLUDE: Glory (Red Ladder Theatre Company); Landscapers (HBO/SKY); Henry V, The Tempest (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre); Top Boy (Netflix); Macbeth (BBC/Screen Northants).
EMILIO IANNUCCI THE RINGMASTER/ PHILEAS FOGG Emilio graduated from Royal Central's Acting, Collaborative & Devised Theatre course in 2015. SCREEN CREDITS INCLUDE: The Death of Stalin; Traitors (Channel 4); Gloss. RECENT THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE: Hello & Goodbye, The Book of Dragons (York Theatre Royal); Romeo & Juliet, Richard III, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare‘s Rose Theatre); Peter Pan (The Mercury Theatre); The Snow Dragon (Tall Stories’ UK Tour); Twelfth Night, Henry V (The Pendley Shakespeare Festival). He is a co-founder of the physical theatre collective, Vantage Point, who debuted with their show This Might Be It at the Theatre N16. Emilio is also a singer/songwriter.
ULRIKA KRISHNAMURTI THE TRICK RIDER / AOUDA Ulrika’s artistic journey began at age 12 with Rockford. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting. THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE: Made in India (Belgrade Theatre/Soho Theatre/UK National Tour); Pink Sari Revolution (Curve Theatre/UK Tour/NCPA-India); The Government Inspector (Electric Theatre); Checkpoint Chana (Finborough Theatre); Echoes Within Walls (Tristan Bates Theatre). FILM/TELEVISION CREDITS INCLUDE: Holby City (BBC); The Anushree Experiments; Dead Men Tell No Fairy Tales. Her performance as Aditi in Made in India earned her an Off West End award nomination. Ulrika is also a singer of jazz and Indian classical music and has her own theatre company, Transcend Drama.
EDDIE MANN THE KNIFE THROWER / DETECTIVE FIX This summer, Eddie celebrates his 10th year of calling the UK his home after travelling halfway around the world (in 24 hours) from his native New Zealand. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and a member and songwriter of the post-punk trio, Circus of Bones. THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE: Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night, As You Like It (Three Inch Fools, UK Tours); Summer Of Love, Creedence Clearwater Reimagined (Mapletree Productions, UK and European Tours); Diary of a Scoundrel (Escapade, Versus Teatre Barcelona); The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare's Globe Theatre). FILM, TELEVISION & RADIO CREDITS INCLUDE: Rocketman (Paramount); Matriarchy (Picpoul Films); No Code; The Christchurch Murder (BBC Radio 4).
DORA RUBINSTEIN THE ACROBAT / NELLIE BLY Dora trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE: Love Bites (York Theatre Royal); Cinderella (CAST, Doncaster); Digital Ghost Hunt (Kit Theatre/Pilot Theatre); Peter Pan, Aladdin (The Dukes, Lancaster); The Wizard of Oz (Leicester Square Theatre), Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth (The Young Shakespeare Company); The Ballad of Robin Hood (Southwark Playhouse). AUDIO CREDITS INCLUDE: A Page A Day (Northern Stage); The York Mystery Plays (York Theatre Royal/BBC Radio York); The Voices of Clifford's Tower (Gobbledegook Theatre). Dora also regularly teaches and runs workshops in acrobalance, handstands, flexibility, contortion and aerial in York and Leeds. She is so happy to be spending the summer with her local theatre!
Inspired by Jules Verne’s hit novel, Around the World In 80 Days, infamous investigative reporter Nellie Bly has set off on a mission to circumnavigate the globe in less than 80 days. After reading Verne’s novel, Bly approached her editor at the New York World with an outrageous pitch: she would make the journey proposed in Verne’s popular novel and document her experience for the paper. She is aiming to beat the time of fictional Englishman Phileas Fogg, and hopes to be on the road for no more than 75 days and four hours. When senior male staff suggested it would be more appropriate for a man, who would be stronger and burdened by less luggage, to attempt the journey, Bly responded; “Very well. Start the man and I’ll start the same day for some other newspaper and beat him.” The editors conceded.
Bly took along just a single piece of luggage, sixteen inches wide and seven inches high. She packed a few changes of underwear, toiletries, writing implements, a dressing gown, a tennis blazer, a flask, a cup, two caps, three veils, a pair of slippers, needles and thread, and some handkerchiefs and a single jar of cold cream. She packed not a single spare dress, wearing only the garment she commissioned from a dressmaker made of “a plain blue broadcloth and a quiet plaid camel’s-hair.” Bly set off from Hoboken Pier in New Jersey, marking her departure on the Augusta Victoria at 30 seconds after 9.40pm on November 14, 1889. Telegraphs from the first-time traveller suggest that her journey got off to a rough start as Bly found herself violently seasick on the transatlantic crossing to London. However, we are told that she feels just fine after a long sleep of 22 hours. We are delighted to report that after forgoing two nights sleep in order to make a speedy connection between France and London, Bly was able to briefly meet with author Jules Verne himself, and his wife, at a French train station. They were said to get along wonderfully, with the help of a translator. However, hoping to ride the wave of Bly’s publicity, Cosmopolitan magazine has sent rival reporter Elizabeth Bisland to race Bly, headed in the opposite direction. Sources tell us that Bisland left New York the same day as Bly, with only six hours’ notice to prepare for her journey. Will either reporter make it? And who will win? By Kitty Wenham-Ross
Who was Nellie Bly? BIRTH NAME: Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman PEN NAME: Nellie Bly - derived from the Stephen Foster song PET PEEVE: Being told I can’t do something FIRST PUBLISHED WORK: ‘Little Orphan Girl’ STRANGEST WORK EXPERIENCE: Pretending to be insane to gain access to a women’s asylum.
21 ST F
EBRU ARY,
1890
SASSIEST MOMENT: Resigning from Dispatch publication - my note read ‘I am off for New York. Look out for me. - Bly’. BEST TRAIT/BIGGEST FLAW: Being a straight talker HOPEFUL PREDICTION FOR THE FUTURE: The Mexican government will forgive me for my articles and allow me back into the country.
Photo by Charlie Kirkpatrick
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE DESIGN? I have been looking at circus artwork, architecture, and lettering. In particular I looked at Carters Steam Fair. The Carter family have been touring a traditional victorian steam Fair for decades. Under the guidance of Joby Carter they restore and repaint all their rides, wagons and stalls in beautiful and amazing designs. Co-incidentally , I did a short course on Fancy Lettering during lockdown, run by Joby - it has proved useful! So when Juliet said - what about a Circus theme it just seemed a wonderful fit - an outdoor theme; with a small group of actors able to tell the story of an entire journey around the world. It enables a group of creative people do what theatre does best - that is playing to inventiveness and creativity. Within a circus environment, you already have all the props and tools to conjure all the boats, bikes, journeys and countries thats you might need. As a designer I just have to choose wisely about what those tools are. Then as a director, Juliet can work with the actors in the ‘playground’ that I have given them.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE AMBITIONS WITH PRACTICALITIES? First of all, there’s the joy of doing it outside, that's brilliant! But obviously we're also doing four sites so, once that decision was made, there was a sort of tentative idea put to me about doing it on the back of a flatbed trailer that we could then tour around. I suppose the big inspirational moment for me as a designer was: you've got your flatbed truck and you normally open up just one side of a truck. But, once you turn it round end on, you can use the ‘walls’ to fold down, and create more stage area. That was sort of a breakthrough moment. It's much bigger than everyone thought’, and it can be a really beautiful open platform. The upper platform works as a good siteline but also works as a stabiliser when the set is folded up and is in transit.
DID YOU COME ACROSS ANY CHALLENGES WITH THE DESIGN? Well, the set itself is all marine ply so it's all waterproof. And it's got a particular coating on it, called griptex, which is effectively granules of sand in the paint, and then some sort of binding agent that sticks it, so it becomes less slippery and more grippy, as well as the bigger bits such as the elephant stands. Also, drainage! We've got gaps in between the planks so that the water runs between them. Costume wise, we’ve got a few doubles of stuff so if there’s a two-show day you might have a dry under-layer to put on and we’ll look at possibly drying costumes in between shows. And footwear, as well: we’ve got wet-weather versions, but the actors will get as wet as the audience this time around. It is what it is and you have to embrace it. We are the British public, so we are used to it!
FAVOURITE DESIGN? The clowns! They’re all in these sort of giant pantaloon silk pierrot-esques, with little tiny hats. The inspiration for that was from Victorian photographs and 1950s circus costumes, with a really nice vintage feel to everything. We’ve got a beautiful acrobat costume and headdress, the trick rider with big feather plumes on her head, and the classic ringmaster costume as well with the red velvet coat and big top hat. Interview by Kitty Wenham-Ross
CAST
THE SHOW
The Clown / Passepartout | Ali Azhar
A York Theatre Royal production
The Trick Rider / Aouda | Ulrika Krishnamurti
Photography and video/audio recording are not permitted at any time during the performance.
The Ringmaster / Phileas Fogg | Emilio Iannucci The Knife Thrower / Detective Fix | Eddie Mann The Acrobat / Nellie Bly | Dora Rubinstein
Opening Night
CREATIVE TEAM
Friday 06 August 2021
Adaptor & Director | Juliet Forster
THANK YOU TO
Designer | Sara Perks
Movement Director | Asha Jennings-Grant Music & Sound Designer | Ed Gray Lighting Designer | Mike Redley Fight Director | Jonathan Holby
Voice & Dialect Coach | Yvonne Morley-Chisholm Assistant Director | Sam Bond
PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager | Henry Thomas
Stage Manager (on Book) | Helen Ashman Assistant Stage Manager | Sara-Lee Bull
Company Stage Manager | Clare Bewers Costumes | The York Theatre Royal Wardrobe Department Press Officer | Steve Pratt
Production Photography | Charlotte Graham Photography
Rehearsal Film | Kirkpatrick Photography Production Film | Pilot Theatre
Jen Parry, Vicki Kerr, Caroline Fletcher, Dave Medley and Emma Savage. Thanks to our host venues for the warm welcome they have shown us: Archbishop Holgate’s School Carr Junior School Copmanthorpe Primary School Joseph Rowntree School With special thanks to Ainsty Gymnastics and Trampoline Club. Our sponsors and supporters:
JULIET FORSTER
SARA PERKS
ADAPTOR & DIRECTOR
DESIGNER
Juliet is Creative Director at York Theatre Royal.
Sara has had a long and varied career in theatre. She has designed over 250 shows for tours, regional theatres, studios, the West End and National Theatre, for sites including fields, arboretums, bus depots, crypts, bars and railway arches, and for genres including devised work, children and family shows, classics, new writing, comedy and many musicals.
RECENT DIRECTING CREDITS INCLUDE: Romeo & Juliet (CBeebies); The Travelling Pantomime (York Theatre Royal); The Radio Mystery Plays (York Theatre Royal/BBC Radio); Less Than Human (Out of Character Theatre Company); A View from the Bridge (York Theatre Royal); Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, Blenheim); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, York); Sense and Sensibility (Theatre by the Lake). OTHER DIRECTING CREDITS FOR YORK THEATRE ROYAL INCLUDE: Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes, The Machine Stops, The Crucible, Twelfth Night, Betrayal, See How They Run, In Fog and Falling Snow, Two Planks and a Passion, A Number, Angels & Insects, Blue/Orange, Morgana le Fey, Escaping Alice, Oleanna, Rupert Brooke, Beyond Measure, The Journey, The Elves and the Shoemakers, The Book of Dragons, Whatever Next and Rabbit and Hedgehog, as well as The Trumpeter’s Tale, The Photographer’s Portrait, The Shopkeepers Story and Tales From Camelot for touring into schools, and Objects of Terror, Henry IV and Tales from Kafka with Out of Character Theatre Company. OTHER DIRECTING CREDITS INCLUDE: The Tempest (Winchester Theatre Royal); The Devil at Coventry, View, Alien Invasion, Five Princes and a Wedding (Belgrade Theatre); The Legend of Perseus, The Night Before Christmas, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Big Wooden Horse); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Tale of Two Cities (Wolverhampton Grand).
For York Theatre Royal she designed Brideshead Revisited, Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes and Brighton Rock (with Pilot Theatre). Extensive work of hers could also be seen here in York more recently at Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre where she designed Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night and Hamlet as well as the interior stage and facade as Head of Design for the 2019 season. She holds an Edinburgh Fringe First, John Elvery Theatre Design Award and Vision Design Award (from the BBC). She was nominated for Broadway World Awards (Set Design/Costume Design), What’s On Stage Award (Set Design) for American Idiot, the Green Day rock opera. She is hoping her design for much delayed UK tour of Footloose will finally open next year, as well as a delayed tour of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Needless to say, she is delighted to be back working in theatre and thanks the audience for their support of all live arts.
ASHA JENNINGS-GRANT
MIKE REDLEY
MOVEMENT DIRECTOR
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Asha is a London-based Movement Director and Intimacy Director & Coordinator. She holds an MA in Movement Studies (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama) and a BA (Hons) in Dance Performance (Middlesex University).
Mike is a technical polymath, happily bounding between all areas of the backstage world, but is particularly delighted to be lighting for York Theatre Royal again. A graduate of the University of Hull and after training for a year at Steppenwolf Theater Chicago, he has worked across much of the UK and further afield.
Whilst working across a wide range of projects and productions, Asha also teaches movement as a visiting tutor at conservatoire drama schools including The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford College, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. CREDITS INCLUDE: Miss Wales Musical R&D (Theatr Clwyd); Shuck ‘n’ Jive – film version (Soho Theatre); HONK! (Trinity Laban); Closer Than Close (KYRA); The Taming of the Shrew (Arts Theatre, London); The Magna Carta Plays (Salisbury Playhouse); PUSH (The New Diorama Theatre); Clemency (Union Chapel); The Caligari Experience (Motion Bristol); HERO (Tristan Bates Theatre); Noye's Fludde (Union Chapel); Machinal (Rose Bruford); Watership Down (Watford Palace Theatre).
ED GRAY MUSIC & SOUND DESIGNER Ed is delighted to be back in York, after being here a couple of years ago for Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre), and to be working again with Juliet following their last collaboration on the York Mystery Plays (BBC Radio York). Outside the theatre, Ed is an award-winning composer for TV and film. York has always held a special place in Ed's heart: "Being here is always a treat as the people are so friendly and, most of all, you know how to make a proper brew...I even met my wife here!"
LIGHTING DESIGNS INCLUDE: Ugly Duckling, Underneath A Magical Moon (Tutti Frutti); The Travelling Pantomime, The Mercy Seat, Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down (York Theatre Royal); Helver’s Night (Company of Angels); The Serpent Woman, 24-hour Theater (Tantalus Theater Company); Whoops! Macbeth, 1926 (uncleSIDS); Hysteria, Shaving Grace (Re:Action). He loves a good story and will trade your words for as much tea as you can drink.
JONATHAN HOLBY FIGHT DIRECTOR FIGHT DIRECTOR CREDITS INCLIDE: Orfeus (Young Vic); Ghost Stories (Ambassadors); Waitress (Adelphi); Summer and Smoke (Duke of York’s); The King and I (London Palladium); Killer Joe (Trafalgar Studios); The Way of the World (Donmar); Strictly Ballroom (Piccadilly Theatre); Oslo (National Theatre & Harold Pinter); Oliver Twist (Regent’s Park); The Wild Party (The Other Palace); The Spoils (Trafalgar Studios); The Trial of Jane Fonda (Park); The Duchess of Malfi; Machinal, Summer and Smoke (Almeida); Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre); Private Peaceful, Holes, Lit, Coram Boy, The Madness of George III, The Memory of Water (Nottingham Playhouse); The Be All and End All, Robin Hood (York Theatre Royal); Project Mayhem (Hong Kong); Hell Hath No Fury (Singapore). FILM CREDITS INCLUDE: Tuesday; Tiny Dancer; Swing for the Fences; Amaranthine; Lily; Damned; Protecters of the Dawn; My Mother; Work; Crossed; Hal.
YVONNE MORLEYCHISHOLM VOICE & DIALECT COACH FOR YORK THEATRE ROYAL: The Crucible, Two Planks and a Passion, See How they Run, A View from the Bridge. OTHER THEATRE CREDITS INCLUDE: The King and I (Palladium); Foul Tide, Agamemnon, The Accrington Pals (Courtyard Theatre); Katrina (Young Vic /Jericho Productions); The Priory, Constellations, Road (Royal Court, Sloane Square); Our Town Kingston, The Vortex, Ghosts, The Wind in the Willows (Rose Theatre, Kingston); Kill Me Now, The Knight from Nowhere (Park Theatre); Salaam Bethlehem, Baked Alaska (Riding Lights, York); The Hairy Ape (Southwark Playhouse); A View from the Bridge (The Touring Consortium); One Man, Two Guvnors, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (National Theatre West End transfers); The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare’s Globe); Tours for the RSC include Romeo & Juliet, Measure for Measure,
Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, First Encounter tour of Julius Caesar and work to develop the Next Generation ACT company. For Shakespeare’s Rose Theatres (York and Blenheim Palace seasons): Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Hamlet, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Henry V, Richard III. TV, FILM & RADIO CREDITS INCLUDE: Vain Glory (BBC / A.D. Cox Productions); The Forsaken Promise, Exile to Restoration (Hatikvah Film); Road to Riches (BBC); Panorama (BBC); Newsnight (BBC); Eastenders (BBC); Woman’s Hour (BBC).
SAM BOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR A new face at the theatre, Sam is excited to work on Around the World In 80 Days as his first assistant director job. Sam is a recent university graduate and also works in film directing and writing.
CARR JUNIOR SCHOOL FRIDAY 6 - SUNDAY 8 AUGUST
COPMANTHORPE PRIMARY SCHOOL TUESDAY 10 - THURSDAY 12 AUGUST
ARCHBISHOP HOLGATE’S SCHOOL SATURDAY 14 - MONDAY 16 AUGUST
JOSEPH ROWNTREE SCHOOL WEDNESDAY 18 - SATURDAY 21 AUGUST
YORK THEATRE ROYAL MAIN HOUSE WEDNESDAY 25 - SATURDAY 28 AUGUST
HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOGA AND CIRCUS? My mum's a yoga teacher. So, I started yoga when I was small. I went to kids yoga sessions above a swimming pool. But I found it really boring and then it wasn't until I was about 17 at drama school and all the other kids have been dancing since they were two. I wanted to improve my flexibility and my ability to copy people moving in a certain way. I wasn't naturally good at it, at all! I found it all really hard. But I just liked that my body ached in ways that it had never done before.
HAVE YOU NATURALLY BEEN ATHLETIC? No, I was so not sporty at school at all. I was quite a sedentary child. The subjects I was best at were English and Drama. I hated anything sporty, but I always loved activities. I loved climbing trees and climbing frames and stuff like that. For me, it was absolutely huge finding activities that I could use for fitness.
HOW HAS LEARNING ALL THESE SKILLS DEVELOPED YOU BEYOND JUST THE PHYSICAL ASPECT? Just having something that's a tricky goal that feels like a long way off. For example, when I learned to handstand, it felt like I was never gonna be able to do it. But I just did, you know, a tiny bit every day, a minute, or two minutes practice every day and I got there. I think it's just been amazing for me particularly, as a freelancer and as someone whose industries are very up and down and very inconsistent, to have that consistency of ‘this is something that if you practice every day, you will adapt and you will be able to achieve your goals’. So, it's made me more determined, more resilient, and surer of myself.
WHAT'S THE ONE SKILL/POSE THAT YOU'D LOVE TO MASTER? I'm still working towards one arm handstands. That's my main thing when I started training for it, I was like, ‘Oh my god, it's like learning to handstand all over again.’ But harder, more than twice as hard! So that's something that I only started working on in the pandemic. I want them hands down, for sure (pardon the pun!).
IN TERMS OF YOUR CHARACTER IN THIS PRODUCTION, WHAT ASPECTS OF NELLIE BLY DO YOU THINK YOU RELATE TO MOST? I love how determined and stubborn she is, the fact that she starts this journey around the world because someone tells her that she can't do it and she's like, well, ‘I'm going to prove you wrong.’ I really relate to that. I'm a vegetarian purely out of stubbornness. When I was six, I said that I wanted to be a vegetarian. My sister said, you're never going to be able to not eat sausages. I was like, just because you've said that, I'm never gonna eat meat again. So I think I've definitely got that stubbornness and that determination.
CONVERSELY, HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AND NELLIE BLY DIFFER? Well, I guess she was in Victorian England and what people might not know is that she became a journalist, because someone had written an article, basically saying that women weren't good for anything other than being in the kitchen. She wrote an anonymous letter, arguing against that. The anonymous letter was so impressive that the editor of the newspaper did a call out to say, we need to find out who wrote this letter. I think it's amazing that Nellie Bly, in those times, had the foresight to be a feminist in the 1870s - it’s crazy. I've not needed to fight for rights in the same way. I am a feminist, and there's still work that needs to be done for women and non-binary people across the world, but she had to really fight in a way that I've not had to because I've grown up in a loving family where people of all genders are seen as equal. I think she’s an amazing role model. I'd really encourage people if they don't know her story to look into her because she's super cool and an amazing woman! Interview by Hamza Iqbal
1. Hawaii is the best place in the world to see rainbows 2. Climate change is causing flowers to change colour 3. The entire world's population could fit inside Los Angeles 4. More people visit France than any other country 5. The Canary Islands are named after dogs, not birds 6. The longest place name on the planet is Taumatawhakatangihanga-koauauotamateaturipukakapikimaung-ahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, New Zealand 7. Japan is the world's most earthquake-prone country 8. Muhammad is the most popular name in the world 9. Only two countries use purple in their national flags; Nicaragua and Dominica 10. It's estimated that Sweden has more islands than any other country 11. More people speak Mandarin Chinese than any other language 12. Copenhagen is the most bike-friendly city in the world 13. New Zealanders have more pets per household than any other country 14. Tokyo is the world's largest city with 37 million inhabitants 15. The national flag with the most colours in it is Belize, with 12 16. Egypt is the oldest country in the world, dating back to 3100 BCE 17. The Statue of Unity in China’s Henan province is the tallest in the world 18. Brazil is the most biodiverse country on the planet 19. In 2019, scientists discovered the world’s oldest known work of art on an Indonesian Island 20. China is the world’s most populous country, with around 1.4 billion people 21. Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Isle of Man all have claims to having the oldest governments in history 22. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller than Everest if you follow the mountain to its base at the bottom of the Pacific 23. Iceland is growing 5 centimeters per year 24. Mexico City is sinking by about 3.2 feet per year 25. Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt 26. The largest rock on the planet is in Australia and can be seen from nearly 100 miles away 27. The oldest city in the world is Damascus, Syria 28. Kentucky, USA has more caves than any other place on earth 29. Istanbul is located in both Europe and Asia 30. The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is the deepest place on Earth 31. Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway crosses 3,901 bridges 32. It snows in the Sahara Desert – the last recorded snowfall was in January 2018 33. The city with the longest name in the world is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit but is more widely known by its nickname: Bangkok. 34. The most remote place on Earth is called Point Nemo, or, the Pole of inaccessibility 35. 20% of oxygen is produced by the Amazon 36. You could walk to Russia from Alaska 37. Papua New Guinea has 840 languages 38. Brazil has more than 300 indigenous tribes 39. The world's shortest commercial flight is between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray in Scotland and lasts 57 seconds
40. The world's longest commercial flight connects Newark, New Jersey, to Singapore in 19 hours 41. Oymyakon, Russia is the coldest inhabited place on earth reaching as low as -71 degrees Celsius 42. Dallol, Ethiopia, is the hottest inhabited place on the earth reaching as hot as 41 degrees Celsius 43. Mawsynram, India is the rainiest place on earth with an average 724 inches of rain each year. 44. Aomori in Japan gets the most snow per year, with an average of 312 inches 45. Yuma, Arizona, USA is the sunniest place on earth with more than 4,000 sunlight hours per year 46. China is the most hurricane-prone country in the world 47. During 2018's World Cup play, seismologists in Mexico City noticed small earthquakes taking place when Mexico's soccer team scored a goal against Germany 48. Colombia has the world’s largest number of birds 49. China is home to the tallest bridge 50. Nepal's flag is the only flag in the world that is not a rectangle 51. The Burj Khalifa, Dubai, is the world’s tallest skyscraper at 2,717 feet. 52. The Sahara Desert was once a lush rainforest with thick vegetation and high rainfall 53. Macchu Pichu is an earthquake-proof city 54. Ethiopia has its own calendar so is always 7 years behind the rest of the world 55. Giethoorn Village in the Netherlands has no streets, only canals 56. Indonesia has so many islands that no one has yet been able to precisely count them 57. Ukraine is the only country in the world to have a 100% literacy rate of its adult population 58. People in Iraq invented the world’s first writing system 59. The University of Al-Karaouine in Morocco is the oldest known university in the world 60. People in Kazakhstan were the first to domesticate wild horses 61. Guatamela is the birthplace of chocolate 62. Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the highest spot on Earth and closest to outer space 63. In 2015 laser scanners found ancient cities buried under the jungle near Angkor Wat in Cambodia 64. Of the 14 million camels in the world, more than half reside in Somalia 65. The Victoria Falls waterfall in Zimbabwe is so massive that the sound of water crashing down can be heard 25 miles away, and the spray and mist can be seen from 31 miles away 66. The world’s largest rideable waves can be found in Nazare, Lisbon, with waves reaching up to 100 feet high. 67. Sweden has not fought in a war in more than 200 years 68. The world’s first zoo, founded in 1752, is still in operation in Austria 69. The sky is so clear at night in Nicaragua that stargazers can see 86 of the 88 constellations 70. In 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to allow women to vote 71. Uruguay has the world’s longest national anthem 72. Qatar is the safest country in the world from natural disasters 73. The Namib Desert, Namibia is the oldest desert in the world 74. Australia is the only continent in the world to have no active volcanoes 75. The longest street in the world begins in Toronto, Canada and ends on the border with the USA 76. Russia produces the most oxygen on the planet, due to its expansive forests 77. The newest country in the world is South Sudan 78. The people of Switzerland eat the most chocolate in the world 79. Canada has the most lakes on the planet 80. Rwanda has the highest percentage of women in government
MEET OUR STAFF PATRONS HRH Princess Beatrice of York, Dame Judi Dench, Ferdinand Kingsley BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ann M Green CBE (Chair), Tiggy Clifford, Dr Avijit Datta, Richard Jagger, Nick Rust, Romana Shah, John Short, Paul Smith, Richard Smith, Will Zhuang. Julie Crampsie (Company Secretary) DIRECTORS OF ENTERPRISED LTD Richard Smith (Chair), Tom Bird, Julie Crampsie, Ann M Green CBE, Susan Helmont, Mike Hughes, John Short
Chief Executive | Tom Bird CREATE Creative Director | Juliet Forster Artistic Associate | John R. Wilkinson Producer | Thom Freeth Head of Creative Engagement | Julian Ollive Youth Theatre Director | Kate Veysey Community Connector | Lydia Crosland Create Coordinator | Megan Bailey Kickstarter Create Administrator & Projects Assistant | Zoe Colven-Davies Kickstarter Assistant Director | Sam Bond Youth Theatre Freelance Practitioners | Fiona Baistow, Jenna Drury, Matthew Harper-Hardcastle, Nicolette Hobson, Janet Hull, Anna Johnson, Bev Veasey Youth Theatre Assistants and Mentors | Annie Chave, Aracelly Firmino, Emma Johnson-Hirt, Becky Lennon, Leo McCall, Alice Merritt, Erika Noda, Kirstie Owen-Tipping, Isobel Scott, Ana Silverio PRODUCTION Head of Production | Henry Thomas Company Stage Manager | Anna Belderbos Chief Electrician | Mike Redley Deputy Chief Electrician | Craig Kilmartin Technical Stage Manager | Andy Furey Stage Technician | Ian S Murphy Head of Wardrobe | Hazel Jupp Wardrobe Assistant | Mei McKenna Casual Wardrobe Assistant | Chloe Moore Work Placements | Ellie Batley, Amelia Shortman
Wardrobe Volunteer | Abi Flack Freelance Makers | Paula Grosvenor, Julia Perry Costume Hire Supervisor | Pauline Rourke Costume Hire Assistant | Claire Spooner COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT Communications & Development Director | Vicky Biles Marketing Officer | Olivia Potter Kickstarter Marketing Assistants | Hamza Iqbal, Kitty Wenham-Ross Kickstarter Membership & Fundraising Assistant | Ross Wilson Box Office Manager | Richard Bayton Box Office Assistants | Megan Bailey, Ann Forshaw, Jo MacLellan, Fiona Welburn OPERATIONS Operations Director | Michael Slavin IT & Facilities Manager | Matt Savage Administrators | Clare Bewers, Jenny Jenkins Visitor Experience Manager | Carol Henderson Casual Duty Managers | Judith Elliott, Ryan Kiernan Café Manager | Stephanie Fawdington Chef | Chris Ward Welcome Assistants | Sophie Addison, Kareen Andrews, Ted Andrews, Alicia Arkless, Matthew Ashby, Pauline Atkins, Wendy Avison, Fiona Baistow, Eleanor Ball, Amber Barras, Hugo Bentley, Rosemary Bentley, Maria Bewers, Ulricke Casterton, Emily Chattle, Priscilla Hoi Ning Chu, Hayley Clark, Helen Clarke, Matthew Dangerfield, Sheila Derrick, Eden Doherty, Judith Elliott, Louisa Emms, Dan Freeman, Joshua Gateshill, Jane Halnan, Victoria Haworth, Jack Higgott, Catriona Hudspeth, Esther Irving, Lukas Jones, Sophie Kilmartin, Helen Lewis, Charlotte Lincoln, Naomi Lombard, Alina Longmore, Thomas Mann, Harriet Mayne, Leo McCall, Jean McDonald, Kat McLennaghan, Niamh Minogue, Candice Newman, Ela Portnoy, Florence Poskitt, Bev Precious, Rita Ridgeon, Richard Safhill, Mark Scully, John Soper, Adam Sowter, Anneka Spence, Noel Stabler, Victoria Stone, Sophie Trippett, Favour Ukaegbu, Alex Walmsley, Susan Whitehouse, James Wilson, Natalia Wilson, Alice Wimbles, Sarah Woodmansey
FINANCE Finance Director | Julie Crampsie Finance Supervisor | M D Haq Payroll Officer | Jean Harvey Finance & Payroll Assistant | Matt Reynolds ACCESS TEAM Audio Describers | Gill Kendall, Edward Kendall MBE, Jill Quarmby, Tina Wright MBE Captioner | Ann Forshaw British Sign Language Interpreters | Steven Conlon, Julie Fletcher, Julie Thompson YORK THEATRE ROYAL CHOIR Musical Director | Madeleine Hudson Administrator | Lynn Allington Librarian | Julie Wood Minutes Secretary | Rebecca Magowan Shirley Reay, Alan Rome, Debbie Wilson, Sarah Mellard Wollny
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