08 Oct 10:00 am

The Bristol Arts Show

Presented by Billy Quain

The Bristol Arts Show aims to highlight and discuss the magnificently fertile Bristol Arts and Culture scene.
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1 comment to The Bristol Arts Show

• Bob Walton

  October 5, 2011 at 9:19 am · Reply

  Hi Billy, Hope the following is of interest. It’s been quite some time since the Hen & Chicken hosted theatre, not just stand-up. Cheers, Bob

  PUB THEATRE RETURNS TO THE HEN AND CHICKEN

  LOOSE TONGUES TELL POWERFUL TALES – PRESS RELEASE

  Pub theatre returns to Bristol’s famous HEN & CHICKEN pub in Bedminster this weekend with a superb double-bill of powerful drama from the recently-formed regional scriptwriting company, Inkling Productions. The Bristol premiere of the intense, darkly comic Loose Tongues will be accompanied by the topical short drama, For Jimmy – by Huddersfield-based writer, Lucy Lucy – to mark the anniversary of the death of deportee Jimmy Mubenga in October last year.

  Both plays come to the city following their success in Barnstaple’s Fringe TheatreFest in June where Loose Tongues was acclaimed as ‘superbly executed’ while For Jimmy was hailed as ‘a must must see!!’

  Loose Tongues depicts a jigsaw of interwoven monologues by six characters who are linked in ways they never realised and who come to learn the consequences of the tales they tell.

  ‘Instead of six degrees of separation, you could say there are six degrees of connection in this play,’ says Shepton Mallet-based director, June Trask. ‘As each character’s story unfolds, another dimension to their unexpected relationships is revealed. Every clue raises new questions. Judging by the reception the play received in Barnstaple, we think the audience will find themselves enthralled.’

  In a unique combination of skills, Loose Tongues is the outcome of a collaboration between five West Country writers from Exeter, Bristol and Swindon. Peter Almond, Antony Brown, Susan Offler, Sarah Paviour and Gillian Sweet-Bartley are all graduates of the late-lamented Bristol University Diploma in Creative Writing for Performance.

  June Trask explained, ‘We got such a buzz from working together on the course that we decided to keep going. As twelve writers in Inkling Productions, we decided that to get our work performed we’d become producers, too. ‘It’s great to be putting on our very first show in Bristol where we still meet every month, and the Hen and Chicken is a brilliant venue for theatre, so we are really pleased to be bringing the play home. We’re really excited about producing For Jimmie, too. It’s an important, stunning piece.’

  On 12 October 2010, Angolan deportee Jimmy Mubenga died whilst being restrained by security guards on the plane at Heathrow on BA Flight 77. For Jimmy is ‘an emotional rollercoaster’ that will be performed by popular Bristol actor and playwright, Mike Akers, who recently wrote the script for Bristol Old Vic’s highly successful Treasure Island.

  Loose Tongues and For Jimmy are at The Hen and Chicken, North Street, Bedminster, BS3 1JF from Sunday 9 October to Wednesday 12 October at 8pm. For tickets (£7/£5 concs) contact the Hen & Chicken on 0117 9663143.
  ENDS
  Ffi. June Trask – t: 01749 346697 / e: junetrask@gmail.com
  Or Bob Walton – t. 0117 9272922 / e: waltoncobra@virginmedia.com
  WHAT THE REVIEWER SAID:

  from Fringe Secrets – Barnstaple’s Independent Theatrefest Review

  ‘LOOSE TONGUES’:

  “Bringing individual elements that shadow true life, this script combines entertaining dialogue, full of wit, bursting with humour, yet touching on tragedy that is superbly executed.”

  ‘FOR JIMMY’:
  “Wow! Hold onto your seats for this intensely powerful and thought provoking … emotional rollercoaster. This is an extremely passionate performance and one that is highly recommended.”

  WHAT THE AUDIENCE SAID AT BARNSTAPLE THEATRE FRINGEFEST:

  LOOSE TONGUES:

  “Great fun, thought-provoking and very professional!”
  “Powerful stuff full of humour and pathos…”
  FOR JIMMY:
  “Strong, thought-provoking, a great piece”
  “A very intense piece of theatre – very strong”