A Nasty Little Play - a dark comedy for the Fringe

Chris Neville Smith is pleased to be returning to the Buxton Fringe for the third year running, with a new play written and directed by Alan Godfrey.

A Nasty Little Play is a dark comedy set in a seedy 1950s Soho 'Books & Mags' shop, where three punters and two dancers from the theatre next door are stuck together during a police raid. But in spite of the title, and in spite of the setting, the play is a comedy, set in a world of outwardly moral decency, Watch Committees, and the then ruling that nudes were only permitted on stage if they were not moving.

Author Alan Godfrey was in Chris Neville-Smith's first play at Buxton, two years ago, and had long ago suggested that Pauper's Pit would be the ideal venue for this little comedy. Professionally he is best known as a map publisher, but in the 1970s he wrote several plays for children, for touring nationally to schools. A Nasty Little Play is one of three dark comedies he has written recently, in a revived interest in the theatre, the first of which, Plan C, was performed as part of a 'New Writing Festival' at Durham's City Theatre in 2011, and in which Chris Neville-Smith played a leading role.

All three plays take laughter into otherwise dark or ambiguous settings in the belief that all of us have the capacity to be sad, funny and even ridiculous, often at the same time. Chris Neville-Smith's previous appearances at Buxton included The First Sign of Madness, as a writer/directory in 2013, and Waiting for Gandalf, written by Adrian Marks, in 2014, which was nominated for Best New Writing. This time he takes the - relatively - easy role of actor and producer. The cast of six are all members of Durham Dramatic Society.

A Nasty Little Play is showing at Underground Venues at 10.15 p.m. on the 19th July, 8.30 p.m. on the 20th July, and 5.45 p.m. on the 21st-22nd July.

Further details, including cast information, can be found on Chris Neville-Smith's website. 


Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

7 Reasons to try New Writing at Buxton Fringe

Buxton Fringe has always been proud of its reputation for encouraging artists to take risks and this year’s bumper Theatre section is particularly rich in new writing. Here are 7 reasons why you should make sure you try something new at this year's Fringe:

1.      You are a thrill-seeker: Safe Mode from Theatre by Numbers offers an edge-of-your-seat sci-fi ‘fairytale’ in which refugee Mia runs to a deserted city after watching her home burn down. A chance encounter in the park changes her life forever in this multi-media play. Orange and Pip’s Ugly by Lilly Posnett, twice nominated for a Fringe New Writing award, also offers a fairytale with a twist as we hear the Ugly Sisters’ side of the story in a thought-provoking piece of physical theatre taking off where Cinderella left off.

2.      You like your stories told in new ways: Lightspeed from Organised Chaos Productions actually unfolds backwards as it depicts a fateful romance between Charlie and the game-playing Emma. Last year’s theatre production Fringe Award winner, Arletty Theatre, is back with an all-singing, all dancing musical, The Unfurling of Indigo Higgins focusing on a demanding fashionista. Live music and life-sized puppetry help Sparkle and Dark convey bewitching comic book fantasies in I am Beast and live music of a different kind is integral to Re-Sound’s After Party, recreating one amazing evening in 1820 when Franz Schubert and his friends gathered in a Viennese pub under the noses of the secret police.

3.      You like to think big: No subject is too big for intrepid Fringe writers so in Tattyband’s G&D, the earth is bleeding into the sea, Satan is looking for trouble and God Himself is about to get a wake-up call. Religion and faith are discussed in Two Yolks Theatre’s The Small Things in which two brothers who die together have contrasting experiences at the Pearly Gates. Sheepish Productions offers a black comedy with faith at its core: The Life and Crimes of Reverend Raccoon, profiling a US Army reservist, preacher and healer.

4.      You like intrigue: The secrets and lies of mere mortals are the focus of several new plays. Award-winning young theatre company Shadow Syndicate presents Redaction, a drama conceived in the wake of Wikileaks about the pervasive culture of deception. A husband and wife battle over the authorship of a controversial book that may or may not be about their marriage in Write Yourself Free: Female Facts or Male Fiction? This new work from Dolls House is produced in parallel with a published book of the same title. Popular Fringe regular Chris Neville-Smith meanwhile presents Alan Godfrey’s A Nasty Little Play, a dark comedy set in the back room of a seedy Soho ‘book’ shop in the 1950s as a police raid takes place next door.

5.      You want a taste of fame: Secrets can be especially explosive for the famous. In From the Mill’s Life’s Witness, a famous author finds himself on live television battling with memories that refuse to stay private, while Follow/UnFollow from ShinyNewTheatre/LanternTheatre takes us into the world of the good-looking but vapid male video blogger questioning whether social media is ready for a different kind of v-logger who may actually have something to say.

6.      You’re a history fan: Aulos Productions takes us back to Ancient Rome to consider the Women of the Mourning Fields – Agrippina, Octavia and Poppaea, slandered in their time and subsequently forgotten. Dreamshed Theatre is working hard to make sure we do not forget the legacy of the pre-First World War Dymock Poets in Voices from the Forest. The Second World War provides a poisonous backdrop for the brave characters on the Home Front depicted in Ashrow Theatre’s Troublesome People. Sometimes what we think we know from the past turns out not to be the case. Lucky Dog theatre Productions goes beyond fiction to deliver the truth about Mr Merrick, The Elephant Man.

7.      You like a laugh: Make a date with Lucky Dog Theatre Productions and their show Hats Off to Laurel and Hardy, or check out an excruciating meeting between Sir Clive Sinclair and Sir Alan Sugar recreated in Scytheplays Ltd’s Together in Electric Dreams.

There is always something new in the Fringe and we never forget the contribution of the writers behind our fantastic shows. Look out for the words "New Writing" at the bottom of listings in all categories of our programme and if you see something brilliant be sure to leave a comment about the writing at our Fringe Information Desk or on our website's Enhanced Diary pages. Happy Fringeing!

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

Going Underground for a laugh

credit: Ian J Parkes

With the Fringe's notorious cartoon sheep still to be found somewhere on our website (answers on a post card please) let it not be said that we at Buxton Fringe don't know how to have fun!


So with the sun shining, here's our look-ahead to a host of fantastic Fringe shows that we think will have you laughing this July.
 Underground Venues offers a packed programme with TV and radio stars including Max & Ivan from BBC1’s W1A with The End; ex-policeman and Radio 4 comic Alfie Moore with A Fair Cop Stands Up; and Juliet Meyers, BBC comedy writer for Sarah Millican, with her show None of the Above.

Buxton also boasts the best in sketch comedy this summer: Fringe Comedy Award winners The Dead Secrets offer a whirlwind odyssey through the wondrous exhibits of the Curiositorium; Beasts, familiar from Radio 4’s Sketchorama, make their Fringe debut and LetLuce presents Let Progress Luce, enticingly described as a “weird but relaxing show set at sea”.

Fans of improv comedy will not want to miss the Edinburgh sell-out, Absolute Improv, bringing its quick wit and audience participation to the Fringe again. There is also Rhinoceros, an interactive, virtual board game by Harry Carr, and for one night only, Right Here Right Now Impro, accompanied by Fringe favourite Sam Dunkley on piano. For improv with a difference, Oliver Meech’s magic show is created at the drop of a (top) hat from audiences’ suggestions, and Ben Van der Velde promises to “empty his brain out onto the stage” in his madcap show, Strudelhead.

The Fringe is proud to have thought-provoking shows covering every topic from weddings - with Caimh McDonnell’s Bride and Prejudice and Tilly Mint Theatre’s The Best Man? - to children, with Andrew Watts’, How to Build a Chap, exploring fatherhood. Mortality also gets a look in with Older than the Oldest Dog that Ever Lived from comedian Peter Brush and Stories About Love, Death and a Rabbit from Ms Samantha Mann (aka Charles Adrian Gillott). Phil Buckley’s Big Idea finds the comedian in reflective mood as a chance encounter makes him decide to turn his life around, while comic and poet Rob Gee presents a guide to losing the plot in his show Fruitcake: Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward.

Two shows even offer to solve audiences’ problems with Danny Pensive: Life Coach, by John Cooper, promising to leave us believing we can achieve anything, and Tina Bradshaw bringing her unique brand of warm-hearted life-coaching to Tina’s Proverbials.

The contemporary world proves a huge inspiration with Sajeela Kershi exploring society’s mixed-up views about Muslims in her show Shallow Halal; Three’s Company & KPS Productions tackling the life of Britain’s favourite comedy politician in Boris: World King; and Abi Roberts (now only performing on July 21 because of TV commitments) referencing ITV’s favourite stately home in her show Downtown Abi featuring Labrador, Al Qaeda.

Also offering a great sense of place is award-winning Amadeus Martin in God Created Brixton and local Derby boy Chris Fitchew with his show Oops!, recounting his hilarious journey from Derby to London and back again. Comedian Maxine Jones has been there, done that but is about to come Full Circle as she plans to move back to the UK after 25 years away.

Tackling matters futuristic, 2014 Fringe Comedy Individual Award winner Nathan Cassidy brings two shows, Back to the Future I and II, reflecting on the one thing that really has changed over the last 30 years, whilst Paul Kerensa in his show, Back to the Futon Pt2, expresses his regret that there are still no hover boards in 2015. Time travel is also a theme in MJ Hibbett (and Steve)’s two-man comedy rock opera, Hey Hey 16K.

In a Comedy section boasting all types of entertainment, there is also a musical parody of the funniest disaster in cinematic history in The Room: The Musical and razor-sharp comedy songs from James Sherwood in Sherwood Jam.

Spoilt for choice? Underground Venues’ Barrel of Laughs offers a great selection of sketch and character comedy talent, alongside fantastic stand up all in one show. The three performances sell out every year so early booking is advised.

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

Why One is Wonderful

Not long to go before this year's Fringe is underway and groups are busy rehearsing to make sure they put on their best show ever. For solo performers there is even more pressure to get it right. It is no surprise to see that theatre is once again the biggest category at this year’s Buxton Festival Fringe (July 8-26) with many performers daring to tread the boards alone in some exciting solo shows. Here's our round-up of some of them.

Never afraid of a challenge, Uproot Theatre Company, whose acclaimed past Fringe shows include Around the World in 80 Days, brings a brand new, one-man War of the Worlds. Equally adventurous is Joue Le Genre’s Emma Bentley who uses comedy, clowning and storytelling to describe the perils of playing Shakespeare’s men without a codpiece in To She or Not to She. Marrying Mr Darcy once seemed an impossibility for Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice. In Little Red Hen Theatre’s Lizzy Bennet Remembers, Prudence Edwards looks back on the incredible drama that led to their union.

The intimacy of a one-person show tends to suit reflective pieces. Nominated for an Actor Award at the Fringe last year, John Martin Stevens of Dreamshed Theatre returns with His Letters, in which long-lost love letters chart a touching wartime romance. In Skimming the Stones from Tilly Mint Theatre, the past exerts a particular pull on Alison, a woman surveying the house where she grew up and wondering if she can ever escape her memories. Meanwhile library theatre touring company offer a classic from Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads series, A Cream Cracker Under the Settee, with widow Doris, alone in her house, reminiscing about her life and confronting her own vulnerability.

Intimacy becomes a theme in itself in a number of taboo-breaking shows. Cameryn Moore returns with Phone Whore (A One-Act Play with Frequent Interruptions) about a telephone sex operator, as well as exploring relationships in a new show merging memoir and manifesto, Slut R(evolution): No One Gets There Overnight. M.A.I.R.O.U.L.A from Sturgeon’s Law is a one-woman show combining both insights into Greece with musings on sex, death and the human condition. Feminine sexual power is also explored in FoolSize Theatre’s bold, tragic-comic show, Women Who Wank.

For Ava Hunt, Acting Alone has become the title of her show with her comical journey as a TV actor and her contrasting experiences of working in refugee camps in Palestine leading her to question whether any one person can make a difference. With last year’s Fringe Actor awards both going to solo artists, it is clear that in theatrical terms at least, one person certainly can. For further details on a wealth of Fringe theatre see www.buxtonfringe.org.uk

Interest is certainly building with enquries this morning from a group travel organisation and Buxton Tourist Info - wanting more programmes!

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

Local and Vocal at Buxton Fringe

Buxton Festival may have its own prestigious Literary Series but Buxton Fringe should not be overlooked, boasting a thriving Spoken Word section featuring the Derbyshire Poet Laureate as well as many talented local writers.

Taking advantage of its position on the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, the Packhorse Inn at Crowdecote features Poets Laureate from both counties – Helen Mort from Derbyshire and Gary Longden from Staffordshire – both appearing as part of its Packhorse Poets evening. Meanwhile a new generation of young war poets can be heard at St John’s Church in New Thoughts – Old War. TheFED, performing at Buxton Tap House, also celebrates new writing offering five-minute performance slots. And poems go for a wander thanks to Stone and Water’s exciting Grinlow Poetry Trail, taking place in Grinlow Woods in conjunction with the Grinlow Art Trail which features enticing storytellers of its own.

True stories are often the most arresting so Vera Mellor’s A Cuppa, A Natter & Hidden Gems based on her published life story should be intriguing (thanks for coming to the Fringe programme launch, Vera!) as will Rob Coleman’s Ocean Going Idiot in which he describes his attempt to cross the Atlantic in a rowing boat. As he says himself: “Why?”

Frank, autobiographical stories and poetry combine in Melody at Buxton Methodist Church from performance poet Jemima Foxtrot, whose show also features soul and folk music.

And the Fringe itself offers a longstanding tradition, Fringe Readings – a glorious lucky-dip of free readings in the cosy environment of the Old Hall Hotel. The late great Peter Low, former Fringe chair, will be sorely missed as a reader but he would be happy to see it continue - as he would that other great tradition, Fringe Beer, which he organised for us every year. Why not raise a pint in his memory at The Old Clubhouse and the Tap House thanks to Mobberley Fine Ales and Buxton Brewery respectively?

Over the next few weeks we will be highlighting further categories from our bulging Fringe programme - enjoy!

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

Curtain Rises in Three Weeks

Suzanne Pearson - of The Green Man Gallery - and Fringe chair at the official launch of this year's programme

Apparently the football season is over and the tennis season hasn't started yet. [That stuff on clay in Europe doesn't count; the greatest tournaments are played on grass by all accounts]. So we can concentrate 100% on the only annual event of significance to this Blog.

Rather more than half of our 18,000 52 page full-colour programmes have now been distributed throughout Derbyshire and the north-west. One or two have even been posted to (whisper) London. So what can we look forward to in Buxton between 8-26 July?

Taking place at The Green Man Gallery is: 
JACQUES BREL : UNE VIE A MILLE TEMPS

Stockport-based theatre company Far West Theatre bring the world premiere of their new musical to the Green Man. There are just 4 performances; 9th July (7.30pm), 12th July (6.30pm), 23rd July (7pm) and 25th July (7pm).

The seminal biopic of Jaques Brel, written by company member Simon Pennicott, incorporates his world famous songs, interspersed with his true words on the loves, lyrics and life of their famous creator. Une Vie a Mille Temps is a celebration, presented as a musical conversation between 
Father and Daughter, set in cabaret style within the fabulous old ballroom that now houses the Gallery.  The first of its kind to be approved by éditions Jacques Brel, headed by his beloved daughter, France, this promises to leave its audience with renewed love for Belgium’s favourite son. 

Born in 1929, Jacques became the most successful chansonnier of his generation, later influencing such artists as Rod McKuen, David Bowie and Scott Walker.  The show includes both well-known Brel classics and hidden gems, all set in cabaret style within the glorious surroundings of The Green Man Gallery.

Writer of the show, Simon Pennicott, says “For many years I have felt that people only remember Jacques Brel through songs other people have sung. The truth is that there is so much more to the man than you can glean from “Seasons in the Sun” or “If you Go Away”. The purpose of writing this was to try and reclaim Brel’s original songs and tell his story in a way that people can rediscover the genius he was”.

“It has been a project of mine for many years and includes several brand new translations of Brel’s work as well as many songs sung in the original French. The script has had to go through several changes and also the authorisation of the Brel Estate to get to the stage where we can present it at Buxton.  We are absolutely delighted to be premiering it here and we know people will love the show whether they are familiar with Brel or not”.

Tickets are priced at £7.50, and include a glass of wine or a soft drink. Tickets can be purchased direct from the venue via their website (www.thegreenmangallery.com), email (hello@thegreenmangallery.com) or their telephone number 01298 937375.

Anyone wanting further information regarding the show should  contact Simon Pennicott on 0783 3511980 or simon.pennicott@gmail.com.


Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

Optical Illusions at Buxton Fringe

In the weeks leading up to the 26th Buxton Fringe, we will be trying to bring you a flavour of the different categories in our programme.

The Visual Arts component of this year’s Fringe is a good deal bigger than it looks with the revival of Buxton Art Trail bringing a host of artists and exhibitions to the town, many to be seen in their own homes and studios.

By the same token, Grinlow Art and Storytelling Trail, last year’s Fringe Visual Arts award winner, is an event that features many different artists, creators and storytellers in its quest to turn Buxton’s local Grinlow Woods into something magical.

Equally massive in a different way is The Great Dome Art Fair, a prestigious annual gathering of over 60 members of Peak District Artisans and featuring free talks and demonstrations. Another Fringe regular is the Derbyshire Open at Buxton Museum presenting traditionally very high quality works on a Derbyshire theme.
Lest all this should feel faintly overwhelming, don’t forget that Buxton is a small place. One visit to the Museum will also allow you to check out the fascinating collection of 1920s’ famous-names artwork amassed by Arto Funduklian, as well as some atmospheric landscape photography by Brian Adams. And just behind the Museum is The Green Man Gallery - our Fringe programme launch hosts - where you can see the exhibition Fragile Dreams in Solid Stone inspired by the history of the gallery’s new home, Hardwick Hall.

Exhibition-going is thirsty work so why not enjoy a break at the Pavilion Gardens Art Café where you can also see Derbyshire Stone, an exhibition from High Peak Artists? The nearby Pavilion Gardens conservatory will be blooming a little more than usual thanks to High Peak Community Arts’ Making Your Garden Grow show of ceramic flowers. A one-off exhibition by Burbage Art Group on July 18 at Burbage Institute meanwhile offers free tea and cakes alongside plentiful art works.

And if all this inspires you to have a go yourself, Dr Sketchy Sheffield is returning to the Fringe for one of its cheeky cabaret evenings where burlesque performers will pose to be sketched. Buxton Fringe - naughty but nice? We like to think so...

  Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

From Buxton to Las Vegas

SEE DALEDIVA AT BUXTON FRINGE BEFORE IT TAKES ON THE WORLD!

Award-winning Derbyshire women’s chorus DaleDiva will be performing at Buxton Festival Fringe for the first time this year as part of its lead up to the World Championships.

The group will be performing ‘Feelin’ Good with DaleDiva’ at St John’s Church, Buxton on Saturday 25 July ahead of its preparations for international competition in Las Vegas.

The Divas won gold in national competition last year which has earned them the opportunity to represent their county and their country in the USA in October.

DaleDiva musical director Ally Law said: “We’re thrilled to be performing as part of Buxton Festival Fringe this year – it’s a fantastic opportunity to be involved in such a popular and well-loved local arts event.

“We’re working hard in the lead up to the World Championships so we’ll have an extra edge to our performance as well as some new material to show off.

“We haven’t performed in Buxton before so will be great to welcome a new audience to see us perform as well as see some of our loyal fans.” 

DaleDiva sings a variety of acapella pop, show tune and barbershop arrangements and has more than 65 members aged 24 to 72 from Matlock, Wirksworth, Cromford, Belper, Derby and surrounding areas.

Since the chorus was formed seven years ago it has taken numerous medals on the national competition stage, performed as part of the BBC’s Last Choir Standing show and annual ‘Children in Need’ appeal and was invited to take part in Radio 3’s ‘Choir of the Year’ competition. 

The Divas also won the final of Channel 5’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ search to find Britain’s best show choir and has now set its sights on ‘Going for Gold’ singing against some of the best choruses in the world on the famous MGM Grand stage at the World Championships in October.

DaleDiva will be performing at Buxton Festival Fringe at St John’s Church, St John’s Road, Buxton, SK17 6XQ on Saturday 25 July from 7pm to 9pm. 

Tickets are £10 (children and concessions £7) and now on sale from 
www.buxtonfringe.org.uk or www.dalediva.com/shop or call the Divas on 07594 890 625.

For more information about DaleDiva visit www.dalediva.com or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalediva


Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

Buxton Art Trail returns for Fringe 2015

Over 100 artists take part in 2015 Buxton Art Trail!

The award-winning Buxton Art Trail (BAT) is back at the Fringe this year with 
a whopping 100 plus artists taking part in 26 venues around the town.

The buzzing event takes place on the final weekend of the Fringe from 2-8pm 
on Friday 24th and 11am to 5pm on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th with a 
fantastic variety of painters, printmakers, photographers, illustrators and 
craftspeople, professional and amateur, exhibiting and demonstrating in 
homes, gardens, studios, galleries, church halls and business premises. 

There will also be art displayed in shop windows such as One Small Step on 
Hall Bank as the entire town comes together to celebrate this popular 
initiative. 

5,000 BAT leaflets complete with handy map and artists’ listings have now 
been published and are being circulated round the town in cafes, shops, the 
Tourist Information Centre and the library. They will also be available from the Fringe Information Desk next to the Opera House once the Fringe starts on July 8th.

BAT was founded in 2010 by a small group of local artists who felt that visual 
arts had a larger role to play during Buxton Fringe. Over 70 artists and more 
than 30 venues came on board with the Trail being repeated in 2012, winning 
the Fringe’s prestigious Visual Arts Event prize that year. 

Says BAT member Linda Rolland: “We are delighted that BAT has taken off in 
such a big way again this year and are indebted to our sponsors Discover 
Buxton, Buxton Film, Gallery in the Gardens, The Green Man Gallery and 
Buxton Spa Prize as well as the dedicated team who have worked so hard to 
put the Trail together.”

Anyone looking for further information can visit the BAT website 
at www.buxtonarttrail.com, featuring news and contact details for the artists 
involved plus electronic versions of the map and trail leaflet. There are also 
links to BAT’s social media profiles on Facebook and Twitter where there is 
an opportunity to join organisers and the artists in conversation about all the 
exciting displays and demonstrations at BAT 2015.


Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

Fringe Programme 2015 - Launch Party

"Carthorses" by Rachel Slaney of the Burbage Art Group

We're having a modest party to launch publicly our printed programme. If you are in Buxton on Friday, June 5th please join us at The Green Man Gallery between 7-10pm. There will be some drink, some nibbles and something that we hesitate to call entertainment. It will be a fairly casual sort of do so drop in and join us if you can, when you can. While you are there you can enjoy the new photographic exhibition - The Quarrymen - which draws on a massive local archive of work in the local limestone quarries.

Here is news from the Burbage Art Group about their Fringe show:

THINKING BIG – AND SMALL – AT BURBAGE ART GROUP

Burbage Art Group’s 2015 Art Exhibition, a highlight of the Buxton Fringe, will be featuring a bumper crop of works of every size and in every medium.

With one of its artists, Laura Critchlow, having had a painting exhibited by the Royal Society of Miniature Painters in London, there will be some beautifully detailed mini-works to enjoy as well as large-scale oils, watercolours and collages from other members of the group, with subject matter ranging from animal studies and Derbyshire landscapes to abstract designs and exotic views from as far a-field as China!

The popular Burbage exhibition takes place on Saturday July 18^th from 11am to 3pm. A free event, it has attracted a good deal of attention over the years with several of its artists, including Laura, receiving nominations for Fringe Awards. But organiser Rachel Slaney is keen to explain that the Group is as friendly as ever with a mixed range of abilities and a supportive atmosphere. “We’ve had plenty of beginners and it’s great to see how they have improved and enjoyed themselves.”

The group meets weekly during school term times on Wednesday nights at Burbage Institute in Buxton and has both male and female members with ages currently ranging from 20 to 80 plus. It also sponsors young artists from Buxton Community School, generally featuring their exciting new work at the exhibition.

The one-off summer art show is supremely family-friendly offering free cakes and refreshments plus a children’s quiz with sticker and balloon for all completed sheets! Says Rachel: “It’s great for the group to have a chance to display its work plus we are always keen to meet people who might want to join us in the future!”

Anyone wanting further information about the exhibition or classes should contact Rachel Slaney on 01538 266220.

  

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe

The Ugly Face of the Fringe

THINGS TURN UGLY AT BUXTON FRINGE

Buxton-based theatre trio Orange and Pip show there is no such thing as a fairytale ending in their latest production, Ugly, a dark new drama exploring what happens to the Ugly Sisters after Cinderella’s marriage to the Prince.

With Disney’s recent film of Cinderella taking a more traditional line on the classic fairytale, Orange and Pip have put a new spin on the story, offering something that’s angry, moving and decidedly Grimm.

Author Lilly Posnett, who has twice been nominated for a Fringe New Writing award and is studying English and Drama at Cambridge, explains: “I was keen to give the Ugly Sisters a voice for a change... The play is about learning the true meaning of beauty - learning to be free to be who you are.” 

Orange and Pip formed last year when former Buxton Community School students Lilly Posnett, Annie Osborne and Poppy Forshaw-Perring, now at university, teamed up for After Alice, an inventive piece of physical theatre acclaimed for its “excellent” script and “talented” cast (Fringe Review).

The actors are seasoned performers. Annie was nominated for Young Actor in the Fringe Awards in 2011, as well as performing in the production of Red Red Shoes ("a captivating actor" - Fringe Review) which won the award for Young Drama in 2013. Poppy has performed in many Buxton Fringe productions, including a version of Wyrd Sisters which was nominated for Best Young Drama. As well as writing numerous plays, Lilly has taken leading roles including Sandy in the Community School’s production of Grease.

 

Ugly looks set to build on the success of After Alice, offering accessible physical theatre, dance, poetry and music in one spell-binding show. "It’s so exciting to be bringing a new production to life this year, and it's fabulous to see our new theatre company going from strength to strength" says Annie. “The play is really thought-provoking, offering a fascinating, feminist perspective, questioning the whole idea of ‘happily-ever-after’.”

Orange and Pip’s Ugly will take place at Underground Venues, underneath Buxton’s Old Hall Hotel, on July 8th (7.15-8pm), then July 9th and 23rd (8.45-9.30pm). For more information and for bookings see orangeandpip.wix.com/orangeandpip 

If you want us to share information about your show on the Fringe Blog send it to us and we'll use it.

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe