Productions - Page 2 of 16 - The Hope Theatre

Malachy has just turned 25, and he has a few things to say about that. Dealing with the death of his younger brother, he is struggling to come to terms with all that he is, and everything that he’s not.

Working as a customer support advisor in a call centre at a bin disposal company and experiencing many different escapades with his best friend Pauline, Malachy is eager to take some time to reflect and move on with his life. He quickly comes to realise, however, that it’s not as easy as it seems on paper.

A new play about growing up, and the lessons we learn along the way.

Written/performed by Conor Burke and directed by IFTA nominee Lesley Conroy. Featuring light and sound design by Aidan Cooney and produced by Lisa Nally. Originally developed with the aid of Dublin Fringe Festival.

Latecomers may not be admitted. Please arrive in good time for the start time of 7:45pm.
Under 18s are not permitted into the theatre for this performance.
No re-admittance once the performance has commenced. Refunds and exchanges are not available.

Sooz Kempner: PlayStation
Award-winning viral sensation Sooz (Best Newcomer Musical Comedy Awards, Funny Women Variety Award Winner, Broadway World Best Comedy Show Nominee) got a PlayStation, the first adult console, in 1998 and finally felt grown-up. But is she? Growing up is a stand-up show for anyone who remembers the 90s, had big dreams as a kid and has struggled with the very notion of being an adult. Suitable for gamers and non-gamers alike!

‘a new wave of comedy’
– The Guardian

‘incredible… it shouldn’t work but it really, really does’
– The Independent

‘brilliant’
– Chicago Tribune

Top Shows of the Fringe 2018 (Comedy Central)

‘Fantastically funny‘ ★★★★
– Chortle

‘An absolute joy‘ ★★★★
– Fest

‘Delightfully shambolic‘ ★★★★
– Funny Women

‘Very snazzy trainers‘ ★★★★
– Reviews Hub

Juliette Burton: No Brainer (work-in-progress)
We’ve all got a brain. Some work better than others. Juliette’s brain was broken, so she tried to fix it – but is recovery a no brainer?

‘Joyous‘
– Times
‘Fringe favourite’
– Guardian
★★★★★
– Mirror
‘Hilarious’ ★★★★★
– EdFestMag
★★★★★
– Broadway Baby

This event is part of Measured Festival. All profits made by Forward Thought Theatre will go to charities Rethink Mental Illness and Beat. The festival comprises a roster of electric late-night preview and work-in-progress shows, presented after each performance of Emma O’Brien’s witty and moving new play Measured. Award-winning comedy, improv, spoken word and performance art celebrate mental health awareness and foster a lively and enthusiastic environment in which frank discussions about the difficulties of living with a mental health illness can be had.

Rethink Mental Illness improve the lives of people severely affected by mental illness through their network of local groups and services, expert information and successful campaigning. Their goal is to make sure everyone severely affected by mental illness has a good quality of life.
For advice and information: https://www.rethink.org

Beat are the UK’s eating disorder charity, their mission is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders, for both those suffering and those living alongside them.

Latecomers may not be admitted. Please arrive in good time for the start time of 9pm.
Under 18s are not permitted into the theatre for this performance.
No re-admittance once the performance has commenced. Refunds and exchanges are not available.

Alice hasn’t been home for a while. Seven years in fact. But when her little sister, Lo, attempts to take her own life, the journey from London to Norfolk proves to be more than just a simple change of pace. Disney VHS tapes, walkmans and the shared memories of two estranged sisters fill the family home. Now Alice must confront what she left behind, and what exactly brought her back.

With the help of their friend Charlie, together, the three try to rekindle a family broken in the Norfolk wilderness.

“When it’s this quiet all the time, you can’t help but hear voices, right?”

Fridge is a play about familial ties and the importance of giving support to those we love against the backdrop of the mental health crisis in the UK, particularly in rural communities. This show has magical realism, poetry and folkloric writing at its heart. A story about a broken family that has been brought back together despite themselves and their past trauma.

“Fridge is an arresting piece of new drama which delivers a powerful emotional punch, often undercut by moments of bittersweet humour.”
– A Younger Theatre

Written by BBC New Creative & Soho Theatre Writers Lab Alumna Emma Zadow, who has been shortlisted for both the Vaults Five Award and ETPEP Award. She has also been longlisted for the Tony Craze Award, Bread & Roses Playwrighting Award & was awarded a Theatr Clwyd Bursary in 2021.

£10 tickets available for preview performances on 15th and 16th March.

Running time: approximately 80 minutes with no interval

Content warning: references to suicide and self-harm

This production features flashing lights

Raucous, thought-provoking but mostly very funny. There’s even a song or two.

Four women multi-role their way through imagined historical scenarios inspired by real events.

Horrible Histories meets 39 Steps. This is a dangerously entertaining show for adults.

Fresh from its first performance at the Harringay Fringe Festival, co-produced by Newsroom Theatre company, we present an indoor version of the show. This time without geese.

This is a show which tackles the tough questions –

What happens if the wrong address is printed in the 18th century Covent Garden catalogue of prostitutes?

How does gender equality work when you’re the Queen of England?

If I ride a bike will I die, or worse, get aroused?

Tales from history, that definitely didn’t happen.

The Collider Sessions are back!

Collider Sessions are playful spaces to offer ideas, meet creatives, and develop work with a diverse range of potential future collaborators. The sessions are open to any artist from any discipline, so come and experiment with your ideas!

How does it work?
1. Bring an idea. It could be something you are already working on, an early concept, or just something that interests you.
2. Share your idea with the group and get immediate feedback and responses.
3. Work in quick-fire groups to practically explore and create something.
4. Meet new creatives and leave feeling energised with fresh ideas.

Who are the sessions for?
The sessions are open to anyone, We believe that by sharing ideas we grow them with the help of new perspectives. You could be a theatre-maker, a writer, an actor, a poet, a dancer… We believe that by practically exploring your ideas with a diverse range of creatives, you will leave full of possibilities for your project!

What kind of ideas can I bring?
Your idea can be at any stage, but here are some examples of the kind of things we’ve looked at in the past:

* exploring broad themes through exercises and discussions
* reading scenes from new writing, published plays and poetry, to provide feedback
* creating movement sequences to test new approaches
* experimenting with writing tasks to develop new characters, scenes, and dialogue
* developing a marketing strategy for a touring show

What if I don’t have an idea?
No worries at all! If you just want to come and play, you are more than welcome!

The sessions are led and facilitated by the Fable Workshop team.

You must be 18 or over to attend these workshops.
Each workshop will run from 12.30pm until approximately 6.30pm, with plenty of breaks.
Refunds and exchanges are not available.

Careless follows best friends Sam, a care assistant, and Bryony, a struggling actor. Their typical working days couldn’t be more different, but they still manage to make time for one another. It’s the night of Bryony’s 25th birthday. Over prosecco, shots and killer dance moves, they are suddenly faced with truths neither of them can avoid. On the day of Bryony’s party, Sam forgets who she can turn to and makes a choice with severe consequences. Bryony thought she knew Sam inside and out, but now all is turned upside down.

Careless examines the complexities of female friendships when worlds collide under the pressures of working in social care. Will their friendship survive the night, or are they fighting a losing battle?

Written Off Theatre was founded by 2019 graduates Emma François and Eva Tritschler who have written and perform their debut play Careless. The play was inspired by experiences of caring in the community and the trials and tribulations of being a recently-graduated actor. Written Off Theatre are a dynamic femaleled company who are excited to be performing this limited run at the Hope Theatre.

A dinner party.
A dark secret.
A damn good time.

A group of university friends reunite over dinner with lots to catch up on. One’s getting married, one’s working for the BBC, one’s just returned from a war zone…

But what happens when someone isn’t quite how you remembered?

When the group discover a troubling secret about one of their oldest friends, the night soon spirals as they must come to a difficult decision…

A Good Time Was Had By All is not for the faint hearted. In an unpredictable show that changes every night, this darkly satirical play explores justice and who has access to it.

“People aren’t always what they show you, do you understand? People hide things.”

Running time: approximately 80 minutes with no interval

Content warnings: scenes with sexual content; references to sexual assault and drug use

“I’m going to have to make a few more economies – still, that’s alright, Scarlett O’Hara ended up digging her own potatoes.“

Maddie, fifty, invites you into the intimacy of her dressing room for a conversation. Open yet guarded, the pieces gradually reveal a portrait of a flawed, funny, resilient and very real woman. From marauding rats to dishy vets, unfaithful husbands to a haunting photograph of a happy young woman frozen in time, your evening immersed in her world will be joyful, ridiculous, uncomfortable and heartbreaking. Always living through cinema, is Maddie more Dirk Bogarde or Vivien Leigh? James Dean or Julie Christie? Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a… you get the picture.

Originally a television series starring Joanna Lumley, Hugo Blick’s (Emmy-Nominated, The Honourable Woman) Up in Town honestly portrays an older woman’s appeal to be visible. Marking the twentieth anniversary of the broadcast, join us for David Fairs’ new stage adaptation, performed by Priti Colbeck.

Praise for David Fairs’ I Know You Of Old, Hope Theatre 2017 & RSC Dell 2018:

“Writer David Fairs discovers a much blacker comedy at the heart of Much Ado About Nothing”
– The Stage

“Even more compelling – and certainly more intriguing – than its source material”
– TheatreThings

★★★★ WestEndWilma

★★★★ LondonTheatre1

Latecomers may not be admitted. Please arrive in good time for the start time of 7:30pm.
Under 18s are not permitted into the theatre for this performance.
No re-admittance once the performance has commenced. Refunds and exchanges are not available.

“But where the fuck have you actually been though? What have you really done? It’s been… I hardly recognise you mate.”

A cliffside hangout. A friendship. A forgotten town.

Summer 2013, a warm evening by the sea. James is home from University with his new girlfriend Charlotte. John, James’ best friend, can’t wait to reunite.

Until they do.

Something is changing, something seismic.

And none of them knows how significant this day will be for the rest of their lives…

A story spanning eight years, If. Destroyed. Still. True. shines a stark light on life between the cracks, and asks what happens when the place you were born can no longer be called home. Identity, class and cultures clash as life pulls childhood best mates apart. We bear witness to what we stand to lose when we cannot truly communicate, and the lengths to which we must go to find peace…

If. Destroyed. Still. True. is the debut production from JAWBONES Theatre, telling the epic stories in everyday lives.

Keep in the loop: Twitter – @JAWBONEStheatre / Instagram – @jawbonestheatre

Content warning: refences to suicide, and discussions of class, race and sexuality

What is anxiety?
Why do I have it?
Where does it come from?

Anxiety has become an ever-growing issue in today’s society and it comes in many forms. Some people have to battle with it every day and it can be crippling, whilst others experience short bouts of it. It has a tendency to creep up on you when you least expect it.

Just Relax is a new play, inspired by the writer’s own journey with anxiety, which delves into the minds and lives of people experiencing anxiety & mental health challenges. It draws in real people’s experiences of anxiety; the ups, the downs, the madness and most importantly, the truth.

Using the words of honest and brave people who opened up about their experiences, Just Relax explores anxiety, grief, therapy, OCD, self-harm and depression.

Theatrical and hard-hitting, with a sprinkling of humour to offer some light relief, this new play will resonate strongly with those who have battled with their own thoughts.

For more information or support with anxiety or mental health concerns visit anxietyuk.org.uk or mind.org.uk.

Latecomers may not be admitted. Please arrive in good time for the start time of 7.45pm.
Under 18s are not permitted into the theatre for this performance.
No re-admittance once the performance has commenced. Refunds and exchanges are not available.