Due to the overwhelming success of Pontardawe Art Centre's 2012 and 2013 Shake It Up Shakespeare Project, The Arts Council of Wales have awarded substantial funding to enable the 2014 production to grow and tour to six theatres across South Wales. Last years production of Macbeth was seen by over 1500 young people as well as being enjoyed by record breaking audiences for Shakespeare in the valleys. This year sees Derek Cobley direct 'The Merchant of Venice', a story of prejudice, love and hatred, greed and revenge which will take to the stage as part of our Shake It Up Shakespeare Series this September and October. Will Love conquer self interest? The Shake it Up Shakespeare series has been developed to introduce young people to Shakespeare. Too often Shakespeare is dismissed because of the school's examination systems. Shakespeare's work was written to be performed, not read or examined and the aim of this series was to create a fast paced, full of power and emotive production, which could be enjoyed just as it’s audience might enjoy video, film and television with the added bonus of being in the same space as the actors. The live interaction of the audience with the actors, both in the performance and the workshops which precede the schools performances has become the feature of the project most often commented on and appreciated by the audiences, many of whom had had the chance to see a live play for the first time. The best introduction to Shakespeare is to see it not in cut down versions but in clear versions that don't patronise by simplifying but allow the beauty of the language and the excitement of the drama, acted by a cast of professionals to come through clearly. This production sees the return of Michelle McTernan who plays Portia and whom many will recognise from Sky1's successful TV series 'Stella' and Lady Macbeth. She is joined on stage by her husband Christian Patterson who plays Shylock, who has been seen on TV in the drama 'Mr Selfridge' and the newly released film 'Pride'. Simon Nehan plays the Merchant 'Antonio' and has just finished the successful UK tour of 'Under Milk Wood' with Christian. The company of professional actors all live, work and were educated in South Wales and includes many faces from Macbeth including Huw Richards, Daniel Hanna, Chris Morgan, James Scannell, Robert Hopkins as well as new additions Joe Sarrington, Doug Gray, Crisian Emanuel and Rhiannon Wallace. The Merchant of Venice tells the story of a society that was blatantly racist during the time it was written In Tudor England. The behaviour and words of the characters have many modern parallels so this modern day take will be set in 1930's Germany with the rise of Hitler and Mussolini where prejudice and anti-Semitism were as open and widespread as Elizabethan London. A heartless world, with money being the guiding principle for many of the characters, and the dark clouds looming, for the young and the privileged world of the rich. In a year which has seen the anniversary of the D-Day landings and a lot of attention on the Second World War, this production will also give young people a chance to see Shakespeare in a context that relates to their history studies. All school performances will be accompanied by a workshop run by the whole company that introduces the play and allows the young people to get to know the actors before the performance. The ‘Merchant of Venice’ runs at Pontardawe Arts Centre from Monday 22nd September until Friday 26th September with public performances being on Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 26th September. The company will then tour the production to The Park and Dare Treorchy (29th/30th Sept), The Memo Arts Centre Barry (1st/2nd Oct), Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff (6th October), The Metropole Abertillery (7th/8th October) before finishing at Y Ffwrnes Llanelli (9th/10th October). "Pontardawe Arts Centre deserve an enormous vote of thanks for its vision in building accessible full cast productions of Shakespeare that can tour South Wales" (Derek Cobley Director). Don’t miss out on this brilliant opportunity to experience the thrill of Shakespeare’s words in one of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed plays, where the complexity of characters such as Portia, Antonio and Shylock continue to intrigue actors, critics, and audiences alike as one of the stage's most famous stories unfolds. With three couples in the production all working together for the first time, will this be the end of some beautiful relationships? £10 £8 £5 student Tickets available from: 01792 863722 www.nptartsandents.co.uk @npttheatres Tuesday 23rd and Thursday 25th September at 7.30pm The Merchant of Venice Pontardawe Arts Centre £10 £8 £5 student Park and Dare Treorchy September 29th/30th – 08000147111 Memo Arts Centre, Barry, October 1st and 2nd – 01446 738622 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, October 6th – 02920 304400 The Metropole, Abertillery, October 7th and 8th – 01495 355800 Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, October 9th and 10th – 0845 2263510 |
| web site: www.nptartsandents.co.uk |
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Thursday, September 4, 2014 |
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