Caroline Mutton takes a look at some of the highlights of the Autumn/Winter season at Ilkley Playhouse.
Our first Wharfeside Theatre production of the Autumn/Winter season is Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, opening on 12th September. When Dr Teresa Stockmann discovers the town’s famous spa waters are contaminated, she expects she’ll be treated as a heroine for saving the community from the “damned cesspit” which is a “health hazard of the highest degree”. But instead, she is accused by the town’s mayor, who also happens to be her brother, of destroying the town’s livelihood and deterring tourists from visiting. The community ostracises her and she is left to fight a lone battle for her revelations to be accepted. Would you make a stand even if it led to your family’s social isolation? And when does a moral campaign tip into ego-driven martyrdom? While Ibsen’s original play was written over a hundred years ago, the themes it deals with – the corrupting influence of power, how commercial gain can trump morality, humankind's damaging effect on the environment and the importance of protecting the truth and freedom of speech – remain timely and pressing. As well as tackling those thorny issues, the play also explores family dynamics, passion, ambition and personal integrity. This devastating and timeless play about the true cost of honesty runs until 21st September.
This season’s poetry and literature course is a combined ten-week course starting on Thursday 5th September. The literature element of the course tackles the work of French novelist Marcel Proust and attempts to remove the intimidation factor that his writing can sometimes present. The course offers a friendly, supportive and encouraging environment in which to delve into his work. The poetry section of the course concerns ‘place’ – a subject that has long fascinated poets. Pastoral, landscape, cityscape, nature – a host of locations have inspired poets to contemplate the relationship between humans and the places we inhabit. The course features poetry from the Romantics to the 21st Century, from Wordsworth to Armitage. The course tutor is Dr Robert Hemmings who has been teaching, researching and writing about literature and culture for more than twenty-five years. He is passionate about lifelong learning and is delighted to have this opportunity to read and discuss poetry and literature at Ilkley Playhouse.
The first of our two fringe productions of the Autumn/Winter season is Sam Steiner’s 2015 play Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons which will be performed in the Wildman Studio from 26th to 28th September. The play follows Bernadette and Oliver’s romance as they negotiate a society in which a law is imposed permitting each person to use only 140 words a day. It is an amusing examination of romance, from the couple’s meeting in a pet cemetery, to Bernadette’s jealousy of Oliver’s ex-partner Julie and Oliver’s problems with Bernadette’s career as a lawyer. The play explores their differing perspectives on the impeding ‘quietude bill’. Bernadette approaches the law naively, claiming that ‘apparently it’s been really good in Norway’, Oliver joins a march against it. However, as Steiner’s narrative unfolds, questions emerge about the importance of language for communication. When the bill is passed, the couple are forced to choose what to talk about and how many words to save to share with each other.
Popular Celtic folk trio band Roisin Ban return to Ilkley Playhouse on Friday 1st November for an evening of lively, Celtic folk music and song. Playing a mix of traditional Irish and Scottish folk songs and tunes, this accomplished band is well-respected on the UK folk scene.
Our first Stagefright Comedy Club of the season takes place on Saturday 2nd November. The event will be frontlined by Mick Ferry who is renowned as a fine purveyor of surrealism and voted best UK Stand-Up in a national poll of his peers. Mick has starred in The Comedy Store for Comedy Central, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Edinburgh Comedy Fest, The World Stands Up aswell as the Ken Loach film Looking for Eric. Joining him will be comedian Karl Porter – a fantastic natural born gagster from the North-West England. A ‘Lad of the Year’ nominee, you can’t but help love his cheeky and unique self-deprecation, laced with tall tales and hilarious observations. Stevie Cairns will also be performing, described as having ‘an immediately likeable stage presence, delivering inventive storytelling material and memorable punchlines’. Joining them will be Andy Ellis, described as ‘one of the best new acts around’ (Micky P Kerr – Britain’s Got Talent Finalist). The event will be compered by Anthony J Brown.
To book tickets for all our plays and events visit www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk or contact Ilkley Playhouse box office on 01943 609539.