Pulse on a Springboard and Escalator

The time of year is rapidly approaching in which theatre companies with their sights set on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival try out their new productions at various showcases. One of the best-established of these is Ipswich’s Pulse which this year uses four other venues as well as the New Wolsey Theatre and its St George’s Street Studio.

Escalator is an Arts Council England East initiative; it is run by The Junction in Cambridge and the Colchester Arts Centre and helps companies and individual artists to prepare for Edinburgh. Springboard is the New Wolsey’s own series of play-writing workshops; 16 new writers will present their work in rehearsed readings spread across 31 May and 7 June. The director is Rob Salmon.

Write Now is Synergy Theatre Project’s national prison script-writing competition. In a collaboration with the New Wolsey’s Creative Learning Team, local playwright Danusia Iwaszko worked with inmates of Hollesley Bay Open Prison, culminating in rehearsed readings by professional actors of the work produced. Work from the competition can be seen on 6 June.

The Escalator shows, six in number, are grouped together on the 11th, 12th and 13th of June. No Pulse performance costs more than £10 and most are either £3 (for the shorter pieces) or £5. There’s dance as well as drama, performance art, one-man shows, conceptual and visual art exhibitions, a mobile disco and workshops if you need a relaxation from spoken drama or want to learn new skills. Pulse runs from 27 May to 13 June.