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Award winning rugby comedy is re-written for a unique Welsh tour |
Following their highly successful tour of Bouncers, Black RAT Productions join forces with prolific playwright, John Godber to bring you their latest offering - a brand new adaptation of the award winning rugby comedy Up ‘n’ Under: The Welsh Tour. Originally the play was set in north east England and focused on a rugby league sevens team, but for this unique Welsh tour, John Godber has adapted Up ‘n’ Under to be set in the heart of the South Wales Valleys within the competitive world of amateur rugby union. John Godber explains why the play has been re-written from league to union, ‘I thoroughly enjoyed Black Rat's production of Bouncers last year, and as a former Rugby Union trialist years ago, I have always had a real interest in rugby union. Up ‘n’ Under the film, starring Neil Morrissey and Samantha Janus, was shot in Cardiff, and I had always thought there was not much of a difference between rugby league sevens and rugby union sevens.’ Up ‘n’ Under is the story of Arthur, a retired rugby player. After agreeing to an outrageous bet, he undertakes to train the local sevens side - who can only muster four players! - to play a match against the ‘best side’ in the Rhondda Valleys. Enlisting the help of Hazel, who runs a bodybuilding gym, Arthur is confident of a win. The boys, however, do not share his optimism! With a talented cast of some of Wales’ finest actors, this non-stop comedy is given a genuine Welsh flavour and packed with topical humour and rugby songs. John Godber explains why he is thrilled to see Up ‘n’ Under set in Wales and performed in some of the most intimate theatres in Wales, ‘The chance to bespoke the play for a Country which is rugby mad is a great opportunity and a real chance to bring the play to thousands of theatre goers, giving them the chance to see the vitality of (the play) up close and very personal.’ Up ‘n’ Under will be touring throughout Wales, plus dates in London and Bristol, from Monday 3 October to Tuesday 15 November. The play will be directed Richard Tunley, who was responsible for directing the much acclaimed and very successful re-rival tour of John Godber’s Bouncers in 2010, which toured throughout Wales plus performances in London. The tour is a co-production between Black RAT Productions, Blackwood Miners’ Institute and RCT Theatres, with funding support from the Arts Council of Wales and Welsh Assembly Government. Sharon Casey, Manager of co-producing venue Blackwood Miners’ Institute, ‘Blackwood Miners’ Institute is extremely proud to be co-producing this tour of Up ‘n’ Under. We try to ensure that our local audiences get the opportunity to experience the best quality theatre on their doorstep, so its especially thrilling for us to help create something new and original which we hope will excite and benefit audiences all over Wales and beyond. We are consistently impressed with the standard of production that Black RAT delivers, and are so proud to be associated with them. Encouraging young people to attend the theatre is a high priority of ours, and we think that Up ‘n’ Under is exactly the right kind of production that young people will want to come and see. We hope that this will get them hooked on the power of live theatre, and for this to last a lifetime.’ |
| Black Rat Production web site: www.blackratproductions.co.uk |
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Thursday, August 25, 2011 |
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