P
R E S S R E L E A S E
P
L A Y B O X
Inspiring young people
PLAYBOX
SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2008
Warwick, 25th July 2008
Playbox Theatre is on course to develop its central
philosophy of providing creative content in the lives of young
people. With many of the younger generation
‘demonised’ by the press and language terms such
as ‘curfew’ regaining a place in our daily
vocabulary, Playbox is actively seeking to fashion a
model environment where engagement with the arts
enables the young to achieve visions and dreams, we
firmly believe that ‘impossible’ is simply a
word.
Playbox
enables creation
Over the last 22 years Playbox has placed emphasis on
developing skills with the young and this continues
as part of a larger vision to place creativity at
the core of young people’s lives and their
development as global citizens. A society that grows
with the arts at its core is fundamentally a healthy
one.
The cause of youth at risk in our society is challenging to
Playbox as we move towards our 10th year
in Warwick at The Dream Factory.
During Autumn 2008 Playbox will work with over
2000 young people from across
Warwickshire, West Midlands, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire
and beyond, “There’s no end of
creative projects at Playbox and we are lucky in
being able to attract both young people and
creatives who want to be challenged. We aim to
explore each work in a new and innovative way.”
AT THE DREAM FACTORY,
WARWICK
Jacqueline Wilson’s
BAD
GIRLS
Described as ‘punchy, stimulating and theatrically
ingenious’, a fascinating new look at Jacqueline
Wilson’s powerful book for young people.
Mandy
has been picked on at school for as long as she can
remember. That's why she is delighted when cheeky,
daring, full-of-fun Tanya picks her as a friend. Mum
isn't happy - she thinks Tanya's a BAD GIRL and a
bad influence. Mandy's sure Tanya can only get her
out of trouble, not into it... or could she?
Opens 19th September
MONKEY
– Journey To The West
Returns
for one performance before its US tour.
Playbox’s acclaimed production of the Chinese tale of Monkey
– Journey To The West returns to The Dream
Factory for one special performance before
undertaking a US tour to California where it will
play at Santa Monica Playhouse.
Monkey has been created as both an indoor and outdoor
carnival production and recently played to 1,500
children at Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens Mad
Hatters Tea Party, organised for disadvantaged young
people from the region.
Wednesday 22nd October
At The Dream Factory, Warwick
Tour dates:
24th October - 2nd November
Santa Monica Playhouse
JINKS supported by
Prince of Wales Arts & Kids creates
JABBERWOCKY
An animation for under 10s
Playbox’s creatives working on developing new projects for
audiences of very young children will make a new
show based on Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky.
Opens
18th October
Playbox develop The Small Faces album
OGDENS’
NUT GONE FLAKE
For its first ever stage performance
Playbox support Oxjam Music Festival with major live music
event.
Following last years acclaimed production of Pink Floyd’s
The Wall, Playbox bring the landmark 1968
Small Faces album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake to
the stage with original narrator Stanley Unwin’s
son John Unwin recreating his fathers role.
Live music from facsimile band The Small Fakers plus live
support bands will feature in a first ever fully
staged production.
Opens 20th November
For Christmas 2008 Lewis Carroll’s
ALICE’S
ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
Playbox transform The Dream Factory into a surreal and
wonderful setting for an all-new version of Lewis
Carroll’s Alice. 11-year-old Abby
Wyatt-Smith takes the central role in a vivid,
colourful and spectacular new creation.
Opens 18th December
Playbox bring to Warwick
OCKHAM’S
RAZOR
Daring aerial theatre in Arc, Momento Mori
and Every Action
Ockham’s Razor is an award winning aerial theatre company
who combine circus, dance and visual theatre to make
work that is arresting and entertaining. They
specialise in creating physical theatre on original
pieces of aerial equipment and create stories from
the vulnerability, trust and reliance that exists
between people in the air.
Fast acquiring a reputation as one of the UK’s most
talented and innovative performance companies,
Ockham’s Razor embark on their first full scale UK
tour performing a triple bill of Arc, Memento
Mori and Every Action…
Friday
10th October, 7.30pm
The season launches on Sunday 31st August with a Playbox fun run and day out involving
1,500 members of the company in a major fund-raising
event with lots of special activities, guests and
surprises. As Playbox move towards 2009, plans are
underway to introduce the concept of Dream Factory the
next phase making the complex the most
outstanding young people’s creative centre in the
UK.
A full studio programme will take place at The Dream
Factory with a season of special projects,
experiments and one-offs especially for young people
in the smaller performance space.
The training and performance studios add Dance and the
Young Shakespeare Company to the regular line-up
with plans for Playbox Film to begin in the late
Autumn.
Playbox feel severely disillusioned with the portrayal of
young people in the UK by the media and will continue during
these difficult times to advance the child-centred
philosophy of active arts.
To book tickets for Playbox in Autumn 2008 call 01926
419555 Ext 2.
Each of the projects outlined in this press kit will
have a special pack available prior to production.
This release is intended as an
Autumn overview.
Attached
images depict Monkey - Journey To The West
and Princess of Mars.