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“The Kebabman Cometh”
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“The Kebabman Cometh” is a brand new play which is being performed at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Thursday May 13th. This is with huge thanks to the “Open Platform” scheme run by the Arts Centre which enables new companies to realise their ambitions for performing new theatre.
What makes the “Kebabman” so special is the origin of the story and the recent history of the cast and creative team (they are also the reasons for a premiere in Aberystwyth).
The play is centred around two characters original created for a short film as part of a first year project in the Aberystwyth University Theatre, Film & Television Department, and was shot entirely on location in Efe’s Kebab shop in the town itself.
As for the cast and crew, they nearly entirely comprise of Aberystwyth Alumni (7 of the 9 actors graduated between 2004 and 2005). The play is written, directed and stars Alan Mehdizadeh. Alan may be familiar to theatre goers of Aberystwyth after working on several community productions including the Wardens Pantomime, Aberystwyth Arts Centre Community Theatre productions, and directing & producing productions of “Godspell”, “Jesus Christ Superstar” and producing “Little Shop of Horrors” for his own companies; What Was That? Productions and the student theatre company Curtain Call which he originally founded and presided over in its initial two years.
Alan was fortunate enough to work with well known and respected local directors Harry Durnall, Richard Hull and Richard Cheshire during his four years in the town. His first appearance in Aberystwyth was in Hull’s “Pygmalion” as Alfred Doolittle at the Arts Centre and this is one of the main reasons he was so keen to see the production have it’s first ever appearance take place at the Arts Centre.
Alan is joined by co-star Chris “Stoz” Storozynski who co-wrote and starred in the original short-film, and may be recognisable as the former lead singer of popular band “The Confused Blues”. Stoz has appeared in several plays in Aberystwyth and continues to act in his home town of Southend-on-Sea.
Becky Renton plays one of the two leading actress’ in the piece. Becky played Judas in Mehdizadeh’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”, played the lead in “Return to the Forbidden Planet” and is the inspiration behind the character of Donna.
Adam Lacey again is well known in theatre circles in the town, again an ex-Wardens Panto performer and director of the very successful “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Morlan Hall in 2007. Adam is also Assistant Director of the piece as well as production coordinator.
Our other three Aber alumni are Amy Ross, Steve Humpherson and Sam Keogh. All of whom worked with Alan on 2006’s Godspell. Amy has acted in several plays in and around the town, and again has been a member of the Wardens. Steve may be recognised from his days drumming in several musicals in Aber and maybe even as a cheeky barman from The Orangery during his studies! Sam will always be fondly recognised for his roles in the musicals of Curtain Call as a page turner for the musical director in “Godspell” and the controlling puppeteer of a tongue in “Little Shop of orrors”. On a more serious note Sam has taken leads in Aberystwyth in “The Compleat Female Stage Beauty” and also in “A Winter’s Tale”.
Two brand new actresses to Aberystwyth are also in the cast. Rebecca Black (who trained at Mountview Theatre School) has worked as far afield as Mexico in her career thus far and even turned down a contract offer to be in the sunshine abroad so she could make the long trip to Aberystwyth to appear in the first ever performance of the play. Clara Stephens appears after a role was specially created just for her. She was so impressive in the auditions that a role had to be written in just so she would be part of the project. Having trained at The Bridge in London she is a very funny actress who will bring smiles to the audience.
The play is centred on two illegal immigrants who come to the country to flee war in their homeland, the fictional Bulsek. They work in a Kebab shop which later, they inherit and use to form their own unique partnership. They work next door to Donna and Kirsty, two hairdressers who again have equally tragic backgrounds. Their worlds collide and love begins to bloom, not all remains comic though when immigration catches up with the brothers and the worlds of the four are turned upside down. You have all manner of human life here, from hard of hearing elderly folk to a begging flasher who loves his food. The brothers themselves will provide laughs and hopefully tears with their memories and stories. You will meet the friends of our main characters and witness a roller coaster ride.
The story is believable, funny, sad and fresh. It features many themes you will recognise and of course even the “Credit Crunch” has an important role to play.
Tickets are on sale now for the one night engagement directly from the Arts Centre, the performance takes place on the evening of Thursday May 13th 2010. |
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010 |
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