Salisbury Playhouse Announces its Autumn/Winter Season

Salisbury Playhouse has announced its Autumn and Winter 2014/15 Season, with highlights including in the round productions of Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce and Rattigan’s Separate Tables, a visit from the acclaimed production of Nottingham Playhouse’s The Kite Runner, and a return for its annual Yuletide productions, with its musical celebration Come Fly With Me in the Salberg and the Christmas pantomime Mother Goose playing its main stage.

For the first time since Way Upstream, the Main House auditorium will be transformed into the round with seating on all sides, bringing audiences closer to the action for both Alan Ayckbourn‘s Bedroom Farce, running from 4 September to 4 October, and Terence Rattigan‘s Separate Table, playing from 16 October to 8 November. Both productions will be directed by Salisbury Playhouse’s artistic director, Gareth Machin, with design by Tom Rogers and lighting by Howard Hudson.

Salisbury Playhouse will also welcome the acclaimed stage production of The Kite Runner. Based on the best-selling novel and film, the production will visit Salisbury for just one week from 17 to 22 November as part of a major national tour.

Christmas sees Kieran Buckeridge return for his third consecutive year for the Salisbury panto, this time playing the title role in Mother Goose. The creative team also returns, including writer Andrew Pollard, director Joyce Branagh, and designer Keith Orton. Mother Goose runs from 3 December to 10 January.

In The Salberg there will be a pre-Christmas treat for 3-7 year olds, as Stuff and Nonsense returns from 2 to 13 December with Little Red Hen, whilst the ever-popular annual Christmas musical celebration will be Come Fly with Me. This travel-themed collection of music through the decades will be directed by Adam Lenson, who has worked extensively on musicals at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory, and will include favourites such as "Fly Me to the Moon", "Beyond the Sea" and "Leaving on a Jet Plane".

The celebrated Bristol-based Mark Bruce Company will bring its award-winning dance production of Dracula to the Main House for just two performances on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 November. The haunting and heart-wrenching tale is brought to life by a company of ten dancers in this magical production which won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance.

On Saturday 25 October there will be the opportunity to visit the backstage areas, watch demonstrations, and take part in question and answers sessions and family activities at the Playhouse Open Day. This free all day event is the perfect opportunity to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes in a producing theatre.

A variety of touring productions will visit The Salberg, including Theatre Centre with Muddy Choir, Living Spit with Elizabeth I: Virgin on the Ridiculous and there will be a fresh and inventive adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, with all the characters played by just two performers.

Special one night events in the Main House include visits from Nicolas Parsons, Lord Paddy Ashdown, and Joanna David and Martin Jarvis will perform in Odyssey of Love.

Public booking opens on Friday 16 May with tickets available from the box office on 01722 320333 or from www.salisburyplayhouse.com where you can also find more details regarding the season.

– Kris Hallett