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WELCOME

N ottingham Playhouse Theatre Company has now been producing theatre for over 65 years since its formation in a former picture palace in Nottingham City Centre in 1948.

From classic texts to new commissions and theatre for all the family, we’re incredibly proud of the work that we produce.

Continuing our long standing 10-year relationship with Polly Teale’s fantastic Shared Experience we’re delighted to be presenting Mermaid - a bold re-imagining of the classic Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’. A more adult-orientated adaptation, the play examines female identity within this traditional fairy tale setting. Later this Spring we shall be presenting an urban fairy tale or sorts – Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing, which is a charming story of young love and self-discovery.

Before we get ahead of ourselves however, we are delighted to announce the regional premiere of the West End hit Posh by Laura Wade to start the Spring season. In the run-up to the General Election, this thrilling and razor-sharp play will headline three pieces of work centring on power and politics.

We hope that this season offers a great range of work that will strike an emotional chord with you, leaving you delighted and enthralled.

We look forward to welcoming you to Nottingham Playhouse soon.

Stephanie SirrChief Executive

Giles CroftArtistic Director

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Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company

SPRING 2015

FRI 13 FEB – SAT 28 FEB

POSH Page 4

TUE 17 FEB – SAT 21 FEB

HOW TO BREATHE Page 6

WED 25 FEB – SAT 28 FEB

TONY’S LAST TAPE Page 8

FRI 13 MAR – SAT 21 MAR

MERMAID

Page 10

TUE 21 APR – SAT 9 MAY

BEAUTIFUL THING Page 12

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POSHBy Laura WadeDirected by Susannah TresilianDesigner Ellan Parry

An elite Oxford dining society has hired a gastro pub for their termly dinner with the sole aim of getting totally ‘chateaued’. As the evening progresses and the booze flows, tempers fray and things get disastrously out of hand.

Darkly comic and disgracefully entertaining, Posh isn’t just one big party though: the boys are planning a revolution.

Based on the real-life Bullingdon Club, which counts the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Mayor of London amongst its former members, Laura Wade’s critically acclaimed play is a razor-sharp portrayal of what Boris Johnson himself described as superhuman arrogance, toffishness and twittishness. As we look ahead to the next General Election, we explore what our leaders were really up to before we handed them the keys to power. Welcome to the Riot Club.

Contains very strong language.

FRI 13 FEB – SAT 28 FEB

‘Savagely funny’Time Out

‘Disgustingly smug, and deeply disturbing’What’s On Stage

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and Salisbury Playhouse present

MAIN HOUSEFRI – SAT EVE £11.50 – £28.50MON – THU EVE £10.50 – £26.50 AGE: 16+

Photographer: Richard Laxos

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• Founded over 200 years ago at Oxford University – originally a sporting club – though not registered to the university and now banned from meeting within 15 miles of Oxford.

• The traditional Bullingdon Club attire – including tailcoats in dark navy blue, matching velvet collar offset with ivory silk lapel revers, brass monogrammed buttons, a mustard waistcoat, and a sky blue bow tie – is all provided by Ede and Ravenscroft at a cost of approximately £4,000.

• Club notably mentioned by Evelyn Waugh twice in Decline and Fall and Brideshead Revisited.

• Past members include David Cameron, George Osborne, Boris Johnson, David Dimbleby, John Profumo and Edward VIII.

• The International Debutante Ball in New York is often cited as the all-female, non-destructive equivalent of the Bullingdon.

A RIOTOUS & SHAMEFUL GUIDE TO THE BULLINGDON CLUB

“A TRULY SHAMEFUL VIGNETTE OF ALMOST SUPERHUMAN UNDERGRADUATE ARROGANCE, TOFFISHNESS AND TWITTISHNESS”

– BORIS JOHNSON, EX-BULLINGDON CLUB MEMBER

NEVILLE STUDIO 8pmTUE – SAT £9 / £11AGE: 12+

TUE 17 FEB – SAT 21 FEB

‘I want to tell you something. I want to tell you the truth. The truth is supposed to set you free, right? I mean how else would you breathe... I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here and I’m scared.’

A man’s instinct in a moment of fear is fight or flight. What if neither is an option?

Joseph a Zimbabwean national, is a soldier in the British army. It’s the eve of his deployment to Afghanistan. He has to pack but first he has a letter to write and a choice to make.

Nottingham based Mufaro Makubika has had a number of readings performed at Nottingham Playhouse including Good Teacher which was part of The Lost Plays Revue. He is a member of the prestigious BBC Writersroom 10 scheme which included a year long attachment with the Nottingham Playhouse..

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and BBC Writersroom present

By Mufaro Makubika Directed by Esther Richardson

HOW TO BREATHE

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 94196

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 9419 5nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 94194

POSHBy Laura WadeDirected by Susannah TresilianDesigner Ellan Parry

An elite Oxford dining society has hired a gastro pub for their termly dinner with the sole aim of getting totally ‘chateaued’. As the evening progresses and the booze flows, tempers fray and things get disastrously out of hand.

Darkly comic and disgracefully entertaining, Posh isn’t just one big party though: the boys are planning a revolution.

Based on the real-life Bullingdon Club, which counts the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Mayor of London amongst its former members, Laura Wade’s critically acclaimed play is a razor-sharp portrayal of what Boris Johnson himself described as superhuman arrogance, toffishness and twittishness. As we look ahead to the next General Election, we explore what our leaders were really up to before we handed them the keys to power. Welcome to the Riot Club.

Contains very strong language.

FRI 13 FEB – SAT 28 FEB

‘Savagely funny’Time Out

‘Disgustingly smug, and deeply disturbing’What’s On Stage

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and Salisbury Playhouse present

MAIN HOUSEFRI – SAT EVE £11.50 – £28.50MON – THU EVE £10.50 – £26.50 AGE: 16+

Photographer: Richard Laxos

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 9419 5nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 94194

POSHBy Laura WadeDirected by Susannah TresilianDesigner Ellan Parry

An elite Oxford dining society has hired a gastro pub for their termly dinner with the sole aim of getting totally ‘chateaued’. As the evening progresses and the booze flows, tempers fray and things get disastrously out of hand.

Darkly comic and disgracefully entertaining, Posh isn’t just one big party though: the boys are planning a revolution.

Based on the real-life Bullingdon Club, which counts the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Mayor of London amongst its former members, Laura Wade’s critically acclaimed play is a razor-sharp portrayal of what Boris Johnson himself described as superhuman arrogance, toffishness and twittishness. As we look ahead to the next General Election, we explore what our leaders were really up to before we handed them the keys to power. Welcome to the Riot Club.

Contains very strong language.

FRI 13 FEB – SAT 28 FEB

‘Savagely funny’Time Out

‘Disgustingly smug, and deeply disturbing’What’s On Stage

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and Salisbury Playhouse present

MAIN HOUSEFRI – SAT EVE £11.50 – £28.50MON – THU EVE £10.50 – £26.50 AGE: 16+

Photographer: Richard Laxos

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 9419 7

• Founded over 200 years ago at Oxford University – originally a sporting club – though not registered to the university and now banned from meeting within 15 miles of Oxford.

• The traditional Bullingdon Club attire – including tailcoats in dark navy blue, matching velvet collar offset with ivory silk lapel revers, brass monogrammed buttons, a mustard waistcoat, and a sky blue bow tie – is all provided by Ede and Ravenscroft at a cost of approximately £4,000.

• Club notably mentioned by Evelyn Waugh twice in Decline and Fall and Brideshead Revisited.

• Past members include David Cameron, George Osborne, Boris Johnson, David Dimbleby, John Profumo and Edward VIII.

• The International Debutante Ball in New York is often cited as the all-female, non-destructive equivalent of the Bullingdon.

A RIOTOUS & SHAMEFUL GUIDE TO THE BULLINGDON CLUB

“A TRULY SHAMEFUL VIGNETTE OF ALMOST SUPERHUMAN UNDERGRADUATE ARROGANCE, TOFFISHNESS AND TWITTISHNESS”

– BORIS JOHNSON, EX-BULLINGDON CLUB MEMBER

NEVILLE STUDIO 8pmTUE – SAT £9 / £11AGE: 12+

TUE 17 FEB – SAT 21 FEB

‘I want to tell you something. I want to tell you the truth. The truth is supposed to set you free, right? I mean how else would you breathe... I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here and I’m scared.’

A man’s instinct in a moment of fear is fight or flight. What if neither is an option?

Joseph a Zimbabwean national, is a soldier in the British army. It’s the eve of his deployment to Afghanistan. He has to pack but first he has a letter to write and a choice to make.

Nottingham based Mufaro Makubika has had a number of readings performed at Nottingham Playhouse including Good Teacher which was part of The Lost Plays Revue. He is a member of the prestigious BBC Writersroom 10 scheme which included a year long attachment with the Nottingham Playhouse..

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and BBC Writersroom present

By Mufaro Makubika Directed by Esther Richardson

HOW TO BREATHE

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 94196

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 9419 7

• Founded over 200 years ago at Oxford University – originally a sporting club – though not registered to the university and now banned from meeting within 15 miles of Oxford.

• The traditional Bullingdon Club attire – including tailcoats in dark navy blue, matching velvet collar offset with ivory silk lapel revers, brass monogrammed buttons, a mustard waistcoat, and a sky blue bow tie – is all provided by Ede and Ravenscroft at a cost of approximately £4,000.

• Club notably mentioned by Evelyn Waugh twice in Decline and Fall and Brideshead Revisited.

• Past members include David Cameron, George Osborne, Boris Johnson, David Dimbleby, John Profumo and Edward VIII.

• The International Debutante Ball in New York is often cited as the all-female, non-destructive equivalent of the Bullingdon.

A RIOTOUS & SHAMEFUL GUIDE TO THE BULLINGDON CLUB

“A TRULY SHAMEFUL VIGNETTE OF ALMOST SUPERHUMAN UNDERGRADUATE ARROGANCE, TOFFISHNESS AND TWITTISHNESS”

– BORIS JOHNSON, EX-BULLINGDON CLUB MEMBER

NEVILLE STUDIO 8pmTUE – SAT £9 / £11AGE: 12+

TUE 17 FEB – SAT 21 FEB

‘I want to tell you something. I want to tell you the truth. The truth is supposed to set you free, right? I mean how else would you breathe... I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here and I’m scared.’

A man’s instinct in a moment of fear is fight or flight. What if neither is an option?

Joseph a Zimbabwean national, is a soldier in the British army. It’s the eve of his deployment to Afghanistan. He has to pack but first he has a letter to write and a choice to make.

Nottingham based Mufaro Makubika has had a number of readings performed at Nottingham Playhouse including Good Teacher which was part of The Lost Plays Revue. He is a member of the prestigious BBC Writersroom 10 scheme which included a year long attachment with the Nottingham Playhouse..

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and BBC Writersroom present

By Mufaro Makubika Directed by Esther Richardson

HOW TO BREATHE

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 94196

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 94198

TONY’S LAST TAPE

WED 25 FEB – SAT 28 FEB

An old man sits in a room faced with a collection of recording devices that he has collected over his long and eventful life. He opens a drawer, takes out a pipe, unscrews his flask and pours himself the first cup of tea of the day.

For more than fifty years he has been recording everything that has happened to and around him, and as the years have passed so the burden of this documentation has grown. And today he has decided to make his last tape.

Based on the diaries of Tony Benn, one of Britain’s most respected, divisive and celebrated politicians, this new play examines the struggle of a man who realises that maybe it is time to withdraw from the fight, to let others take over, but just doesn’t quite know how.

Andy Barrett’s longstanding relationship with Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company has included productions such as The Day that Kevin Came, Garage Band, The League of Youth and most recently the acclaimed touring production of The Second Minute, which was also performed as part of the neat14 Festival.

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company presents

By Andy BarrettDirected by Giles Croft

NEVILLE STUDIO 8pmWED – SAT £9 – £11AGE: 12+

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MERMAID

FRI 13 MAR – SAT 21 MAR

‘Pushing the boat of theatricality way beyond its usual moorings’ The Guardian on Shared Experience

MAIN HOUSEFRI – SAT EVE £11.50 – £28.50MON – THU EVE £10.50 – £26.50AGE: 12+

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and Shared Experience present

Written and directed by Polly Teale

A bold reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of love, loss and desire

Below the ocean there is no death or pain or separation. Above the water is the modern world beset with war, poverty and need.On her sixteenth birthday, a mermaid rises up to the surface, leaving her childhood behind forever when she falls in love with a mortal prince. She knows that she can no longer live at the bottom of the ocean, but must she destroy herself in order to be loved?

Shared Experience is renowned for its thrilling adaptions of literary classics. Plundering Hans Christian Andersen’s haunting tale for its dark, erotic, mythic power, writer and director Polly Teale (Jane Eyre, After Mrs Rochester, Brontë) transports the story to a contemporary setting in this spell binding new production.

Using a choir of local young women to create an unearthly musical landscape Shared Experience conjures the magical world of Mermaids.

11

12

Charlie Brooks

SAM Jackson

THOMAS LAW

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BEAUTIFUL THING

TUE 21 APR – SAT 9 MAY

MAIN HOUSEFRI – SAT EVE £11.50 – £28.50MON – THU EVE £10.50 – £26.50AGE: 12+

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company, Curve Theatre Leicester and Tom O’Connell for QNQ present

By Jonathan HarveyDirected by Nikolai Foster

Direct from a sell-out West End run

Nikolai Foster’s celebrated anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s modern comedy classic Beautiful Thing returns in 2015 to make audiences laugh and cry in equal measure.

Starring multi-award winning actress Charlie Brooks, (‘Janine Butcher’ in EastEnders), Thomas Law,(EastEnders, The World’s End) and Sam Jackson, (Skins, Kes).

Beautiful Thing is a glorious urban love story between two young men set on an inner city housing estate. It tells the story of teenager Jamie’s relationship with classmate and neighbour, Ste. Together the two boys find comedy, warmth and the music of Mama Cass through their loud-mouthed next door neighbour, Leah. Jonathan Harvey wittily combines comedy with drama in his critically acclaimed award-winning play. Beautiful Thing truly captures what it is to be a teenager and to fall in love.

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FOREVER YOUNGNottingham Playhouse Theatre Company and Oldham Coliseum Theatre present

By Erik Gedeon Adapted by Giles Croft & Stefan BednarczykDesigner Rachael Jacks

Welcome to the Nottingham Playhouse Home for Aging Thespians.The times – and hips – might be tight, but in this nursing home for actors, a group of aged panto performers are determined to prove that it’s not all behind them.A devastating, moving and hilarious look at getting on and letting it all hang out with a host of classic routines, surprisingly athletic dancing and a rock ‘n’ roll sing-along. From Nirvana to Tom Jones, Aqua to Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin to Gloria Gaynor, nothing is off vocal limits… or off key!

NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE THEATRE COMPANY ELSEWHERE

THU 29 JAN – SAT 7 FEB Nottingham Playhouse

TUE 10 – SAT 14 FEB Warwick Arts Centre

TUE 24 – SAT 28 FEB Cast, Doncaster

THU 5 – SAT 21 MAR Oldham Coliseum Theatre

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OUR WORK WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES

N O T T I N G H A M

Nottingham Playhouse provides businesses with creative and cost-effective ways to market their brands and promote their products and services. We give companies access to effortless entertainment, excellent networking opportunities and a unique insight into the brilliant theatre that is made right here in Nottingham.

Partnerships with Nottingham Playhouse are also about investing in the local community and supporting the culture of the city and the county – our participation and community programmes reach thousands of people of all ages in Nottingham and the East Midlands every year. Tailor-made sponsorship packages are available for all businesses and budgets.

To find out more, contact Nick Lawford, Fundraising & Development Manager on 0115 873 6235 or by emailing nickl@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk.

Nottingham Playhouse is very proud to work with a range of enlightened local businesses, whose support for the theatre is incredibly important. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to:

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BOX OFFICEOPENING TIMESOpening Hours 10am – 8pm

Two hours before the show on Sundaysand Bank Holidays.

Box Office is sponsored byGROUPS SAVE 20%*

Groups of 8+ save 20% on Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company productions and get one ticket FREE!* Groups of 10+ also save on tickets for pantomime (excludes 24 Dec and 18 Jan). To make booking easier, you can reserve seats now with no deposit and pay for them later. Call the Box Office to book.

TEACHERS GO FREETickets for schools are from just £9* and one teacher goes free with every ten tickets purchased for Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company productions. For more information contact the Box Office.

TICKETS FROM £7Theatre should be accessible for everyone which is why we offer tickets from £7 for community and charity organisations that might otherwise be unable to come to the theatre. Please contact the Box Office on 0115 941 9419 or email enquiry@nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk marking your email HOTNIGHTS.

EXCHANGES AND REFUNDSCustomers may request a refund on tickets that they can no longer use by returning the tickets no later than the day before the first performance of a Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company production. We will also be delighted to exchange your tickets for another performance of the same show. There may be occasions where exchanges are not available and The Management reserves the right to refuse a ticket exchange.

Nottingham Playhouse does not charge you anything in addition to the face value of tickets advertised in this brochure or on our website. An optional postage charge of 75p is made on tickets that customers wish to have sent to their home address.

As part of our audience development programme we reserve the right to introduce and withdraw ticket discounts and special offers at any time.

PHONE 0115 941 9419 ONLINE www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.ukEMAIL enquiry@nottinghamplayhouse.co.ukPOST Nottingham Playhouse, Wellington Circus Nottingham NG1 5AF

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SEATING PLANThere is level access to the auditorium on East Circus Street and we have a lift providing access to all levels from the main entrance. There are three adapted toilets.

We have eight wheelchair spaces available in the Stalls. These can be booked through the Box Office.

Wheelchair users and companions can purchase tickets for half-price (max. 2 tickets per person).

Tickets for Audio-described, Sign Language Interpreted and Captioned Performances can be purchased for half price by patrons requiring these services (max. 2 tickets per person).

Guide Dogs and Hearing Dogs are always welcome. Please advise the Box Office when booking.

For those with partial hearing loss, Sennheiser Infrared Enhanced Hearing headsets are available. Please reserve your headset with the Box Office when booking.

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk I 0115 941 941918

JOIN BACKSTAGE PASS AND SAVE AT LEAST 20% ON EVERY SHOW IN THESE PAGESBACKSTAGE PASS enables you to see all the shows you want – and the savings multiply the more you see.

For every Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company production in the main house, you’re guaranteed to save:· 50% ON EARLY PERFORMANCES· 20% FOR THE REST OF THE RUNFor how many seats? Two per performance when you become a standard member at £35 a year. Up to six per performance when you become a FRIENDS & FAMILY member for £45. Your savings could be massive.

BACKSTAGE PASS ALSO BRINGS:· TWO FREE TICKETS for a preview performance

· 20% OFF many Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company studio shows, including How to Breathe and Tony’s Last Tape

· EXTRA SAVINGS at the Playhouse and beyond· NEWSLETTERS AND INVITATIONS to extra members’ events

FOR MORE DETAILS, VISIT WWW.NOTTINGHAMPLAYHOUSE.CO.UK OR CALL 0115 941 9419.

MORE PLAY FOR YOUR POUND

FOR YOU OR

A FRIEND –

BACKSTAGE PASS

IS A GIFT...

Photography: David Baird

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OPENING TIMESMon – Sat 12 – late, Sun 11 – 6.

Food service timeMon – Sat 12 – 9, Sun 12 – 3

WELLINGTON CIRCUS, NOTTINGHAM NG1 5AN | 0115 852 3898

Check us out on and for details of seasonal specials, new menus and other offers.facebook.com/castrestaurant @CASTnottingham

RELAX AND ENJOY GREAT FOOD AND DRINK, ALL YEAR ROUND – THE PERFECT PLACE TO UNWIND WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.Serving freshly-made food cooked to order, a rangeof ice-cold continental beers, cocktails, cask ale, winesand champagne. For those on the go we also serve a variety of sandwiches, salad boxes, pastries, cakes and snacks to take away.

LOCALEA great way to wind down your weekend. We support CAMRA’s LocALe initiative that promotes pubs stocking locally brewed real ale. We stock some of the best ales produced within 30 miles for our pumps. We also offer the most generous CAMRA discount in the city, 15% off.