April 2017 Newsletter

 

Some Treachery: A Miss McSkimming Mystery

A live radio play (hilarious sound effects included).

 

What at first seems like a trivial case soon reveals a plot that could shake the very foundations of the British Empire. With her faithful valet by her side, Miss McSkimming must deal with butlers, the police, mysterious men in the shadows and a hippo, to get to the bottom of what could be her biggest case yet.

 

Have a peek at the skillz of our sound man, Andrew Crane – a taste of what you’ve got to look forward to…

 

Date: Saturday 13th May 2017

Venue: Putney Arts Theatre, Ravenna Road, Putney, SW15 6AW

Time: 6pm (running time 1hr)

Tickets: £8-10 bit.ly/SomeTreachery

 

Book Tickets Now! 

 

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Ch-ch-changes…

We’re making a change to our 2017 plans – we won’t be hosting any more New Writing Nights in 2017, BUT we will keep running the Showcase Award, so will have an annual New Writing Night for the shortlisted pieces.

 

PLUS our doors are open to scripts/script extracts, so we can pick up on anything that catches our eye, for full live or radio production. If you’ve got something you’d like us to see, send it to submissions@blackshawonline.com

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Now, why on earth would someone want me to break a leg onstage…?

 

When is a ‘broken leg’ a good thing? Well actually there are a couple of theories as to why we wish this blight on one another before a show. The first, is that old stage curtains used to have little legs at the base of them. If a show was well received they would bounce the curtain repeatedly for extra curtain calls, which would sometimes break the little legs. The other is that theatres used to book lots of individual acts for shows, but not all would get to perform. The leg is also the name for the line between offstage and on. Therefore, if you were needed to perform that night you would cross the line, breaking the leg, and get paid that night. Phew. That’s a weight off my mind…

NEWS – lineup announced for Scare Slam at London Horror Festival, 17th Oct, 9.30pm

**ANNOUNCEMENT KLAXON**

 

The following acts are going to be strutting their scary stuff at the Scare Slam on 17th October.

 

Book now to avoid disappointment!

 

Tickets only £7/5

 

Lucy’s Tea Party by Molly Beth Morossa

Chug Life by Dave Bibby

The Dewey Ones by Ben Whitehead

The Flat Upstairs by Paul Joseph

Skag n’ Bone Man by Stack 10 Theatre

At The Edge by Ed Bailey

The Haunt by Stack 10 Theatre

 

 

Coming up in 2016

So, ‘What’s next for Blackshaw?’ I hear you cry!

It’s a box-fresh new year, and we’ve got lots to look forward to in 2016…

 

Great Expectations: a radio drama adaptation of Dickens’ classic

A fantastic collaboration with Cyphers theatre, the first episode of this epic adaptation will be aired tomorrow evening (Sunday 3rd Jan), 6-7pm on Wandsworth Radio for The Blackshaw Arts Hour.  Tune in live or listen again by subscribing to our podcast on iTunes (or stream online via podbean).

Read more about the project, its cast and creatives, here.

 

Industry performance of Blackshaw’s Showcase Award Winner 2014: Call it Even by Naila Vázquez Tantinyà

11th January 2016 – StageSpace, Pleasance, London, 7.30pm

“Dad, you couldn’t even get dying right…”

Jamie’s father has died. In Gran Canaria. And now he’s got to deal with it – all of it.

Call it Even follows the struggle of a young transgender man to reconcile with his Dad, after he’s gone. Feeling like a stranger in a land where he doesn’t even speak the language, Jamie has a lot of tidying up to do. Uncle Dave isn’t much help, but will he find an unexpected ally in Macarena, the new woman in his Dad’s life (death)?

Booking open for industry only.

 

New Writing Nights at The Horse & Stables, Lambeth

Weds 30th March – Shortlist for the Showcase Award 2016 (submission deadline: Fri 11th March)

May TBC (submission deadline: Fri 29th April)

Weds 27th July (submission deadline: Fri 8th July)

Weds 28th September (submission deadline: Fri 9th September)

Weds 30th November (submission deadline: Fri 11th November)

You can submit your writing, or get involved as an actor or director – see our website for details.

(Seeing) Black Shuck by D. J. Hands at WAFF 2016: Wandsworth Arts Festival & Fringe

A fantastic piece of new writing from emerging playwright, D. J. Hands, who is working with us to develop the piece. A tragi-comedy about two would-be smugglers, this play explores the treacherous relationship between Martha and Andy as they await a shipment from Holland on a beach in Norfolk. The possibility of a ghostly visit from ‘Black Shuck’ and the tense situation put additional stress on their already strained relationship.

6-22nd May 2015 (exact dates TBC), The Bedford, Balham

Gormenghast: Titus Groan at Battersea Library

3rd November – 4th December, Battersea Library, Clapham Junction

We’re thrilled to be staging a full run of our adaptation of Mervyn Peake’s cult classic.

With some cast from our original (2012) production, we will be opening auditions for some new faces (around June/July) and recruiting a top creative team so keep your eyes peeled for upcoming opportunities.

This production is contingent on funding – we’re beavering away already and will keep you updated on our progress.

 

NEWS: Early Bird Discount Code for ‘Staying Alive’

We’ve got a cracking ‘early bird’ discount code for our upcoming production of ‘Staying Alive’ – there’s only 100 available so use it quick.

Valid on any show, the code gets £2 off full price ticket. The code is ‘EARLYSA’.

Book now! 

NEWS: July New Writing Night Selections & Tickets

*ANNOUNCEMENT KLAXON*

 

Selected pieces for our New Writing Night at The Horse & Stables on Weds 29th July are…

 

Age UK, by Kat Roberts

Carer by Dermot Dolan

The Gates by Emily Jane Kerr

The Open Road by Perry Sophocleous

Trick or Treat by Tonnvane Wiswell

 

Let us know you’re coming via the facebook event.

 

Tickets £4

 

NEWS: Alice tickets now on sale!

Tickets have gone on sale for Alice in Wonderland at the Streatham Festival – book early to avoid disappointment (we’ve sold a bunch already!).

Clicky clicky.

NEWS: ‘Staying Alive’ at the Pleasance 10-29 Nov 2015

*ANNOUNCEMENT KLAXON*

 

We are running 2014’s Showcase Award winner, Kat Robert’s Staying Alive at the Pleasance Theatre (Islington), 10-29 Nov 2015 *excited face*

 

Tickets will be on sale soon, and we’ll have lots of research and development, cast, crew, and backstage japes to share with you soon.

 

NEWS: Blackshaw’s 5th Birthday

*sings* Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday to Blackhaw, Happy Birthday to us!

 

We turn 5 today, and to celebrate we’re going to be sharing some photos from past projects on our facebook and twitter this week (of course you can browse through 5 years of photos on our facebook page any time you like).

 

Thanks to everyone who’s supported us, acted for us, crewed for us, seen our shows and otherwise been somehow fabulously connected to us in our first five years.

 

Here’s to many more!

NEWS: Big New Writing Night Selections

We’re pleased to announce that the pieces selected to be performed at our ‘Big New Writing Night’ at the Selkirk in Tooting (as part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe) on 17th May, 7,30pm are…

 

Beige by Dan Weatherer

 

The Pecking Order by Sadiq Jaffery

 

Making a Difference by Steven Fernandez

 

The Brain by Diana Vlase

 

Tickets are available now!

 

 

The Year Ahead

COMING UP…

New Writing Nights 2015
The last Wednesday of every other month*: 25th March, 16th May, 29th July, 30th September, and 25th November.

*except May…tricksy!

We’ll be launching our weekly Arts Show on the brand new Wandsworth Radio station. Sundays 6-7pm, from Jan 2015.

On 15th January, we’re staging a one night industry showcase at the Pleasance Theatre (Islington). It’s the world premiere of brand new play Staying Alive by Kat Roberts, the winner of our 2014 Showcase award.

Character by Florence Vincent will see a second run with us (after success at the Wandsworth Fringe ’14), this time at the Tristan Bates Theatre 9-15th March 2015.

Following great success in 2014, we’ll be staging Richard Stratton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland at a Wandsworth Library as part of Wandsworth Fringe, 1-17th May 2015.

Our May New Writing Night will be part of the Wandsworth Fringe, and somewhat of a Wandsworth Extravaganza, on 16th May (the last Saturday of the Festival) at our home from home, the Selkirk Upstairs.

We’ll also be celebrating our 5th Birthday in 2015 – plans are a-brewin’ for a spectacular party.

Halloween Tales – we’ll be getting all spooky with our storytelling, come All Hallows Eve.

Sign up to our mailing list at http://www.BlackshawOnline.com to be sure to hear all about shows, casting opportunities, events, and more!

 

– Ellie Pitkin, Managing & Artistic Director