PRESS RELEASE

Playbox Theatre celebrate the spirit 
of 2008 Olympics with its new production 
Monkey - Journey To The West for UK & US dates

  Waitrose Kenilworth support Playbox Theatre’s Olympic event

Warwick, 7th May 2008

Playbox Theatre celebrate the spirit of 2008 Beijing Olympics with a live-action animé Monkey – Journey To The West, based on the Chinese literary classic.

Monkey an all-new Playbox Theatre creation will premiere in Warwick at The Dream Factory on Wednesday 28^th May with performances until Saturday 31^st May. Following these dates segments of the show will be transformed for events and carnivals before a complete restaging in October when the entire production is presented in California at the famous Santa Monica Playhouse.

About Monkey

Created by Playbox Director, Emily Jane Quash the production is freely adapted from the Chinese tale of The Monkey King. The epic journey of the quest for enlightenment is as important to the Chinese as Shakespeare or Dickens to Britain. A version of the story inspired a cult 1980s TV show and only last year, Gorillaz head-honchos Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett created an opera based on the story.

Playbox Theatre’s production features a company of 20 young actors blending storytelling, dance, movement, acrobatics and strong visuals highlighting the popular, almost ‘animation’ based style. Returning to Playbox Theatre to design the lighting is award-winning Wayne Dowdeswell whose creation for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (April 2008) was a major talking point of the show.

Monkey – Journey To The West is developed with Literary Director Toby Quash and the company featuring: Lawrie Abdullah, Chloe Allsopp, Cressie Arkwright, Tom Ball, Liam Bessell, Sophie Drew, Charli Gower, Kezia Harper, Lydia Harper, Isaac Hickinbottom, Becky Hill, Mike Hood, Hannah Johnson, Theo Lamb, Danny Loveridge, Miles Lynch, Aimee Matthews, Lauren Orrock and Holly Robinson.

Director/Designer is Emily Jane Quash with Lighting Design by Wayne Dowdeswell

Why Monkey for 2008?

This all-new, fresh interpretation of the magical Chinese legend is conceived to celebrate an Olympic year, Director of Playbox Stewart McGill said, “This year’s Olympic event is, as we know, surrounded by political controversy and much protest. Playbox acknowledge that there is a major issue here and hope that beneath the politics we can still enjoy the spirit of the Chinese Olympics in Beijing. The story of The Monkey King is simply wonderful and our version is designed to be a live stage animé style event. Our planned staging takes us indoors and outdoors – we are even planning events outdoors in Santa Monica. It’s the first time we have tackled this type of show and already, in the rehearsal room, it’s looking great!”

The same spirit is present in the number one film right now in the US, The Forbidden Kingdom which stars Jet Li and Jackie Chan, this also draws on the source story of characters in the tale of The Monkey King. The fast and furious pace is quite breathtaking!

Monkey – Journey To The West is supported by Waitrose Kenilworth. The Waitrose investment will enable the show to be readapted for carnivals and outdoor presentations during the summer months and as the new store opens in Kenilworth, young actors will provide street theatre on site.

Liane Howard, Director of Corporate Alliances for Playbox said, “We are thrilled that Waitrose Kenilworth have chosen to partner us on this project, which offers many new and exciting opportunities for young people across the region and will be a real spectacle for local audiences.”

Waitrose Community Liaison Manager, Tina Varns said:

“Waitrose is passionate about encouragement of a healthy, active lifestyle and about being a part of the local community. Playbox Theatre has given the tremendous opportunity to combine the two as we look forward to opening our first food shop in Kenilworth in the summer.”  

Monkey for The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Playbox Theatre will take an outdoor adaptation of the new show to The Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the Botanical Gardens, Birmingham on Monday 14th July. Further details will be available shortly.

Biographies

Emily Jane Quash
Director

Emily Quash was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and grew up with Playbox Theatre from the age of 9, during which time she trained as an actress, director and workshop facilitator.

Emily then spent 3 years studying theatre at Bristol University, and simultaneously headed up the hugely successful Playbox Centre in Bristol.

Upon graduation, Emily returned to Warwickshire in time to join the Playbox team for the opening of The Dream Factory, and has been a company director ever since.

Directing for Playbox Theatre since 1999 includes O.U.T Spells Out, The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase, James & The Giant Peach, Peter Pan, Dark River, The Snow Queen, His Dark Materials, The Wizard Of Oz, Framed and Winnie-The-Pooh.

As an actress, Emily’s work includes Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Duchess Of Malfi, Richard II, Henry V, Henry VI Parts 1 & 2, Twelfth Night and A Doll’s House (Generator Theatre); The ‘Oddweek’ Quartet, The Little Match Girl, Haito The Tree Wizard and The Magic Swan (Jinks Company); The Red Shoes, The Winter’s Tale, Pinocchio, The Trojan Women and Kindertransport (Playbox Theatre); Chomp & Play and Chalk Walls (Dead Protest).

Emily is currently planning an exciting new staging of Alice In Wonderland with Alice Through The Looking Glass for Christmas 2008.

Wayne Dowdeswell
Lighting Designer

Wayne Dowdeswell was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, and trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He spent three years as a technician at Sheffield University Theatre producing scenic and lighting designs there. He later joined Contact Theatre, Manchester as Chief Electrician and Lighting Designer.

He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1978, and designed many notable productions for The Other Place and The Pit Theatre, Barbican. Until September 2007 he was Resident Lighting Supervisor at the RSC’s Swan Theatre. Among the almost fifty productions he lit for the RSC his most recent designs to transfer to the West End are Canterbury Tales, Breakfast with Mugabe, Tynan and the 2005 Jacobethan season.

Design work outside the RSC includes Not About Heroes, Macbeth, The Vanek Plays, Sweeney Todd, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Trial, Medea (West End and Broadway), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Piaf and Mysteries 2003 (Belgrade Theatre at The Galway Festival and Cathedral Ruins, Coventry): Present Laughter (Clwyd 2006); The Birthday Party and Not The End of The World (Bristol Old Vic 2006/2007).

In 2000 he designed the Grange Park Opera season of Eugene Onegin, The Mikado and Renaldo as well as D’oyly Carte’s production of The Mikado at the Savoy Theatre. In 2007 he designed the lighting for a new Scottish Opera production of Lucia Di Lammermoor.

He was nominated in the 1992 Olivier Awards for Edward II, and again in 1994 for Tamburlaine The Great and Medea.

Performance Schedule

The Dream Factory, Warwick

Tickets: £10.50, £7.50 Concessions

Tickets are on sale for performances at The Dream Factory, Warwick and can be purchased online at www.ticketweb.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01926 419555.

Santa Monica Playhouse, California
Dates to be announced. Call 001 310-394-9779 for details.

Images available upon request
Images are available featuring the Manager of the new Kenilworth Waitrose, Nick Harris with Monkey cast members Tom Ball (Kenilworth), Kezia Harper (Warwick) and Lawrie Abdullah (Solihull).

Interviews available upon request

• Emily Jane Quash - Director
• Cast Members on the making of Monkey
• Wayne Dowdeswell – Lighting for Playbox Theatre

About Playbox
Playbox Theatre is a creative organisation developing theatre for and with young people. Based at our own custom designed complex The Dream Factory in Warwick we aim to develop the skills talent and confidence of young people in the performance arts through exciting and innovative methods.

Founded in 1986 Playbox serves young artists and audiences across the Warwickshire and West Midlands regions with training and performance studios supporting our main creative base.

Playbox Theatre places at its heart young people as artists and audience.

Source:
Nikki Claire Cross   Playbox Theatre Ltd
Tel: 01926 419555   Email: nikki@playboxtheatre.com

Playbox Theatre, The Dream Factory, Shelley Avenue, Warwick, CV34 6LE
Tel: 01926 419555 | Fax: 01926 411429 | www.playboxtheatre.com