Theatre News

Fifth Library Theatre re:play Festival at Lowry 17 – 28 Jan

The full programme has been confirmed for the Library Theatre Company’s fifth annual re:play Festival – the unique event which brings together the most exciting, ground-breaking and talked-about new theatre seen in the previous 12 months on Manchester’s thriving fringe theatre scene for an exclusive ‘second chance to see’, which for January 2012 will be held in three completely different spaces at The Lowry in Salford – the venue’s restaurant for a show which includes a full meal, underneath the stage of the Quays Theatre, and the Lowry studio space.

“The festival is our celebration of the best of Manchester’s fringe,” says Library Theatre Company Artistic Director Chris Honer, “and, as usual, re:play offers a wide range of fascinating work from the quirky and the dark, to the playful and feel-good.”

The festival features six new plays and four complementary events. The six productions are: Sherica by Ian Winterton, a dark drama about a street-worker torn between two of her clients, directed by Trevor MacFarlane and presented by Shred Productions (17 Jan, 8.30pm; 19 Jan, 8pm; 21 Jan, 9pm); Blackbird by Lucia Cox, a one-woman show about a woman held hostage in a basement, directed by Sarah Meadows and presented by House of Orphans (18 Jan, 8.30pm; 20 Jan, 8pm; 21 Jan, 7pm); Future Shock by Richard Stockwell, a time-travelling drama, directed by Elisa Amesbury and presented by Killing Time (26 Jan, 8pm; 27/28 Jan, 7pm); Indigestion by Derek Martin and Michael Betteridge, a piece of musical theatre which explores the relationship between food, music, and theatre directed by Eleanor Craddock and Michael Betteridge and presented by New Space Productions (performed in The Lowry restaurant, 17/18 Jan, 7.30pm); The Crypt Project: New Depths, a psychological drama about addiction directed by Sarah Meadows and presented by Happystorm Theatre (performed underneath the stage of the Quays Theatre of The Lowry, 17/18 Jan, 7pm); and The Rainbow Connection by Joanne Sherryden, a modern fairytale which brings together two complete strangers, directed by Adam Zane and presented by Bitter Little Angels in association with Hope Theatre Company (27/28 Jan, 9pm).

The four related events are Pitch Party (20 Jan), which offers young artists the chance to pitch an idea for a new work to The Library Theatre Company and The Lowry, one of which will be chosen that night for supported development over the next year; Creative Lunch (Sat 21 Jan, 12.30pm), a networking event for emerging performance makers; First Stage (Mon 23 Jan, 7.30pm) which offers writers, devisers and performers the chance to test ideas under development in front of an audience; The Great Fringe Tea Party (Sat 28 Jan, 12.30pm), which brings together writers, performers, and producers with venues.

For more information and a full performance schedule, please visit the Library Theatre website at www.librarytheatre.com/replay.

Tickets are on sale via the Library Theatre website (www.librarytheatre.com/replay), or via Quay Tickets (www.quaytickets.com, 0843 208 6010) at £8 (£6 concessions). Tickets for Indigestion: £22 (£20 concessions), including full set meal in the Lowry restaurant; First Stage £4 (£2 concessions). Multi-ticket deal – see four shows (not including Indigestion) plus First Stage £25 (£23). Tickets for Pitch Party, Creative Lunch, and The Great Fringe Tea Party are free but these three events are ticketed.