Shows at Spotlites

After the unexpected death of their father, Tim and Molly Stourton inherit his beloved smallholding; home of Hambledon Gold Single Varietal Cider. This takes them from wassailing the old mother tree with the enigmatic Knocker, their father’s oldest friend, to a board meeting with Tamara Cavalier, jet-setting owner of Euro-Artisan Ciders. From traditions steeped in the distant past to ultra-modern technologies, Tim and Molly discover ancient secrets and modern truths and eventually decide on their future path. 'Ownership is temporary and often fickle. Kin is all that matters, kin and health and you be full of wealth.'

Presenting contemporary reflections on the role of women in today’s society. The story of three generations of Chinese women combines with the story of Nüshu – Chinese women’s secret writing – to offer contemporary perspectives on a woman’s role in society. The Hua-Dan women consider their roles as wives, daughters, mothers and modern women in China today, while stories, poems, songs and dance from the Hunan Jiangyong Centre for Nüshu further explore the eternality of women’s experiences across the generations. From Hua-Dan: Fringe First winners 2014 and Hunan Jiangyong Centre for Nüshu.

‘I walk to parks and stare into space... just stand there and sometimes I cry I stand with all the fruit bowls, drinking Special Brew and talking to themselves, I'm like a disappointed old man and I'm fifteen years old.’ Jack moves to a new school where he is confronted by aggression, violence and anger, but then he meets Jamie. And suddenly she makes him wish time could just slow down and stop. An emotionally charged and tender story of a year in the life of a fifteen-year-old boy.

Exploring the issue of radicalisation and the powerful allure of online extremism. Why do some British teenagers leave for Syria to become Jihadi brides and fight? Why are others being drawn to the far right? What role does religion, politics and cultural identity play in this? A grown-up play, currently on a high profile national tour of secondary schools. ‘Engaging, challenging, entertaining. A very powerful production. See it!’ (James Howarth, Principal, Hathaway Academy). ‘Tackles the difficult questions head on. A really valuable resource’ (Sophie Young, Department for Education). ‘A fascinating play, very well performed’ (Oxfam Education).

Paul Robeson is a world-famous American actor, singer and civil rights campaigner. When he gets too radical and outspoken for the establishment's liking, he is branded a traitor, is harassed, and denied opportunities to perform or travel. This roller-coaster journey through Robeson’s remarkable life highlights how his pioneering and heroic political activism led many to describe him as the forerunner of the civil rights movement. It features some famous songs (including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River), speeches, and a spectacularly defiant testimony to the Senate House Un-American Activities Committee. ‘First rate’ **** (Guardian).

Sherlock Holmes kidnapped. His father, Professor Holmes, murdered. The Holmes family under siege by shadowy adversaries looking to wipe out the bloodline. Mycroft recruits brash and brilliant American private detective Tyson Jackson to unravel these mysteries and reveal something even more shocking. With Watson’s help and Lestrade’s bumbling, will the truth be revealed? Come discover that all isn’t what it seems in this mile-a-minute comedy that uses innovative lighting and media techniques to get into the brain of the master detective. 'F*cking brilliant!' (Tyson Jackson).

A lingerie party is arranged with a group of women from different walks of life. Add some sexy lingerie, a mix of Caribbean rum punch, some zany characters and a makeover and you have all the ingredients of a very funny and emotional comedy. Femmetamorphosis is the gradual change throughout the play of attitudes, friendships and a makeover in order to help a young woman raise her self-esteem and confidence, with some laughs involved. Femmetamorphosis is a new comedy written, directed and performed by Sharron Spice with the Elicit Theatre Company.

Holly had a career and a normal life, but she got evicted from her flat and became homeless. She has always felt alone and rejected; now she is unseen and trying to regain her old life. An old acquaintance sees her on the street and does her best to help and support Holly who puts on a brave face, but inside she is in despair. Is it better to be restless and strive, knowing her hopes might be dashed for a better life, or to resign herself and accept her circumstances.

The thought provoking story of two strangers with nothing in common. He's a failing salesman and old enough to be her father. What does he want from her? He thought he knew, but now he's not so sure. In strange circumstances can they find comfort in each other? Following the ups and downs of their emotional encounter, Her Slightest Touch is a gentle and moving story of loneliness. British Final Festival winner 2015. 'Full of twists, sprinkled with humour' (Herald, Kirkintilloch) 'Brilliant, drama as we want to see it' ... 'A complete piece of theatre' (Audience comments).

The 20th century has reached middle age and so has Gratiano and, looking back at his life, he questions why he was not written a better part. Taking a new look at The Merchant of Venice through the eyes of one of its minor characters we explore the politics and prejudices that still haunt the modern world, and consider how rarely we are the authors of our own lives. This is our contribution to Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary. From the team that brought you the critically acclaimed The Unknown Soldier ***** (FringeGuru.com), **** (Scotsman) **** (Stage).

Twenty years ago Erik was sent off to a prestigious boarding school. Free from an abusive past, with a new best friend, he dreamt of starting anew. After last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe sell-out show Beethoven in Stalingrad, Arin is back with critically acclaimed show Evil, based on the award-winning bestseller by Jan Guillou. 'This is a masterclass in art of storytelling... distressing... gripping... riveting' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'The play refuses to simplify... leaving us uncomfortably pondering the questions it raises and wondering about the evil lurking in all of us' ***** (ThreeWeeks).

By JW von Goethe. Iphigenia, Diana’s priestess, has to immolate all foreigners entering the country. Her kindness leads King Thoas to suspend this barbarian custom. With no inheritor, Thoas wishes to marry her and, as she refuses, re-establishes human sacrifices. Orestes and his friend Pylades arrive in Tauris. As foreigners, they are destined to be sacrificed by Iphigenia... This classical play of amazing modernity talks about highly topical subjects such as gender equality, rejection of foreigners and triumph of humanity over barbarism. Iannis Xenakis’s Musik gives a fascinating dimension to Simone Rist’s timeless original staging.

An original adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s literary masterpiece, Inferno tells the story of one man’s cathartic voyage in search of spiritual peace. It is a kaleidoscopic story about love, fear and western philosophy. Following Dante and guided by the poet Virgil, we journey through the nine circles of Hell. The stories of the sinners and mythological creatures encountered are told through an exciting visual spectacle including physical theatre, shadow puppetry, UV lighting, liquid light shows and an original soundtrack. Review for The Jabberwocky (2015): 'A sensitive script, relatable characters and exquisite design... marvellous' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com).

New contemporary theatre from Japan depicts the struggles anyone can experience despite their differences. Tent portrays our complex feelings about being an outsider in various ways. Set deep in the mountains, getting lost leads to camping overnight in a tent. When words come out and bring conversations, reality starts breathing. One question will arise. What have you been hiding? www.mycomplex.jp

A dark, funny place. Set in a brasserie, this two-hander about infidelity and infertility pits a Hollywood starlet/bartender against an adjunct professor/cocktail waitress. The bloody riff on maternity, marital troubles and martinis lasts 50 minutes – three rounds, no good decisions! Stars Beth Gudenrath (Princess Diaries 1 and 2) and Professor Rachel Hirshorn (Texas Tech University) reveal more than their troubled souls. Written/directed by LA film parodist, playwright and Toscar-winner, Amy Chaffee. A UK premiere. Summer of ’16 brings the world tour of Your Mother’s Vagina to Hollywood, Dublin, Barcelona and Chicago. Only three UK shows.

This award-winning comedy has a cult following from headlining at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, at the Brighton Festival and in the West End of London. Let renowned actress and speaker Amanda Waring, accompanied by the virtuoso guitarist Andy Robinson, delight you with this highly acclaimed one-woman show, dripping with passion, magic and frivolity. 'A hilarious, sensuous, edible delight' (Daily Mail). 'The show-stopping ending when Waring, covered seductively from head to toe in melted chocolate, rolls around the stage, is unforgettable' (Spirit FM).

Fifteen vignettes utilising a unique cohesion of modern dance, physicalised movement and spoken word. By the Bi unpacks how society's isolation of bisexual culture perpetuates harmful and hurtful stereotypes of bisexuality that include confusion, greediness and promiscuity. By the Bi is an open platform that discusses not only the oppression of the bisexual community, but celebrates the beauty and individuality of its members. It is not only a show, but a proactive step forward in the movement for social equality.

Under the gaze of ancient city walls, two piano-dueting sisters play and sing to the evening star. Their world is one of turmoil as they seek to rescue themselves and others from adversity through the power of music. With twists of cabaret and classical music influences, and some of the dark quirkiness of Tim Burton, these piano-dueting sisters lead six-piece band Vesper Walk in presenting their debut show Fallen Angel. It’s neither musical theatre, nor a standard gig. Songs, linked by narration and photography delve into 21st-century realities in an unreal, fairy tale style.

LCP award-winning professional dance company from London draws awareness to human rights violations through dance. Their forthcoming production, I Am, explores the sensual and spiritual journey of recovery of a trafficked victim. It is a sequel to their highly acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show Am I – successfully performed in 2013 and 2014. It was nominated for the Amnesty International award for the best human rights based performance. ‘The stunning choreography, the impeccable execution and the power of the visual imagery is utterly paralysing’ ***** (Threeweeks on Am I).

Beethoven in Stalingrad. Christmas 1942. The war has twisted boys into men. Twelve true stories explore the deepest existential questions – survival, faith, love – here intertwined with a live deconstruction of music by Beethoven. Scottish violinist Ian Peaston unravels and remixes the Appassionata in distorted electronic strands that mirror the narratives of real soldiers’ letters from Stalingrad, adapted and performed by Swedish actor Jesper Arin. ‘Flawless and unique musical experience!’ ***** (ThreeWeeks) for Peaston’s essens:1. ‘A masterclass in the art of storytelling’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ***** (ThreeWeeks), for Arin’s monologue Evil.

Saturated with vivid memories, it conceals family secrets and stokes inner demons. A young man sits alone in the back shop of his family chippy. Join this lonely soul as he wrestles with manhood, madness and family in an attempt to reconcile past and present. One-man play from a unique Scots Italian perspective.

Hi! It’s the Derek-meister here. You probably remember me for nearly winning The Apprentice (14th place in 2009). Come team-building with me in the Cotswolds. Let’s bluesky our out-the-box thinking and see what sticks to the wall! No refunds. Raucous comedy from the producers of previous Fringe smashes: ‘Critical!’ **** (BritishTheatreGuide.info) A Geek Tragedy 'Hysterically good' **** (ThreeWeeks), 'Allo 'Allo 'Had the audience in fits of laughter' ***** (ThreeWeeks), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie **** (Edinburgh Evening News), Sex, Lies and Eurovision ***** (ThreeWeeks), Trainspotting: ***** (EdinburghGuide.com), The Steamie: ***** (BritishTheatreGuide.info). www.practical-magic.org

Live and undressed, join London Cabaret Award 2015 nominee Miss Glory Pearl, in her sell-out one-woman show. The Naked Stand-Up is a funny and heartfelt exploration of the body in the 21st century. Join Glory on a journey through legal absurdity, feminist cliché and the impossible beauty standards that leave us all feeling a little bit crappy about ourselves. If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and thought ‘Ugh!’ this show’s for you. She’s frank, she’s funny, and she isn’t wearing any clothes. ‘Funny and genuine … feel-good comedy at its best’ **** (BroadwayBaby.com).

There are secret stories behind the great tales of history, and the fables and nursery rhymes used to teach you the ways of the world. Magiko will take you on an unbelievable journey through your own mind. Siegfried Tieber’s up close and personal magic blurs the lines between audience and performer. Questions will abound in the 60 minute magic show and you will not believe your own eyes. With audience participation and interaction, you never know what will happen on any given performance. Everything you think you know will be challenged.

On the eve of his hanging, a death row convict sits alone with his memories. Despite years of relentless straitjacket torture, he remains defiant, spurred by wild visions of past lives and the certainty that after it all, something new awaits. Celebrating 100 years since the publication of Jack London's searing novel, this new stage adaptation, with live music and physical theatre, salutes the incredible resilience and spirit of society's outcasts.

Think the pied piper... on acid... in heels... A multi-dimensional light-being on a mission of love and pleasure – would like to take you higher than the mortal man can measure. On a seething, soaring, flying, flipping, magic road ahead: He’ll take you on a journey if you’re happy to be led. Fusing mythical storytelling, immersive theatre and ecstatic dance. Follow The Faun on a shamagical journey to another dimension! Guaranteed to move your body, blow your mind, open your heart and tickle your fancy! 'Ludicrous, giddy and strangely intoxicating' (Matt Trueman, WhatsOnStage.com).

Renz Novani: Poet of the Impossible. Card magic, illusion and sleight of mind bound by carefully weaved words. This is an intimate, eloquent performance of impossible magic that will leave you spellbound and speechless. Expect audience involvement and moments of wonder. ‘Not just a magician but a poet of the impossible’ (FringeReview.co.uk, 2014). **** (BroadwayBaby.com) on Spellbinder, 2014. ‘A skilful weaving of poetry and prophecy’ (DeadbirdReview.com) on Mystic, 2013. ‘Impressive and compelling’ (STV) on Burn Witch Burn. www.r-e-n-z.co.uk

There is no Ghost. There is no Equivocation. Only Revenge. Hamlet isn't happy. A letter from his dead father explains that Uncle Claudius bumped him off and to rub salt into the wound he's married Hamlet's Mum Gertrude. This injustice will not stand as the murderous teenager sets out on a roaring rampage of revenge. Hot-footing it from their hugely acclaimed London and Oxford tour of Hamlet, English Repertory Theatre bring their 80 minute action packed extravaganza starring a woman as Hamlet to the festival this year. ‘Waring's Hamlet is more punk-rock-f***-you than reserved regal dignity’ (LondonCityNights.com).

A young girl's journey through life seen only from her bedroom. Join her imaginative adventures around her room and follow her as she grows into adolescence; discovering boys, ambition and life beyond until inevitably leaving it all behind.

Martin Hall is having trouble sleeping. Since fleeing from Belfast, his brothers have fallen in and out with the law, his mother has had her heart broken, and he's struggled with his sexuality. Now he must relive it with a psychologist over one unforgettable hour. Purple Penguin Productions return with their sell-out show to the Edinburgh Fringe from their acclaimed tour of Northern Ireland, London and Finland. Critically acclaimed and winner of both the FringeReview.co.uk Award for Outstanding Theatre, and the Stage Award For Acting Excellence, Belfast Boy is a powerful piece of storytelling based on true events.

Jack stayed on when the guns fell silent to search the battlefields for the boys that could not go home, for the dead and the missing, for both enemy and friend. And amongst the rusty wire and unexploded bombs, Jack's looking for something, looking for someone. He's a promise to keep and debt to repay, and now there is this strange request from the generals. A story of comradeship, betrayal and of promises both broken and kept following the carnage of World War One. A new theatre piece by the award nominated writer of Casualties.

Transitioning from her old identity to a new one without her mum around, Ginny fights for survival in an emotional landscape, turning to her mannequin Tracy and art for comfort. Funny, quirky and thoughtful new theatre. 65 Days of Tracy the Marquis Mannequin, based on a true story about love, loss and moving on, is debuting at the Fringe 2015. Does the show mark the end of Tracy's journey, of the project documenting the loss of Ginny's mum?

Whether protective, polite or provocative, we all wear masks to conceal ourselves from others, and sometimes from ourselves. What would happen if we stripped those away? Awakening is an immersive theatrical experience designed to examine those masks from both sides, how they define and confine us individually and collectively. Don a mask and dive into a surreal modern morality play whose story has yet to be told. Directed by us but created by you, each performance creates its own reflection of contemporary society in all its terrifying beauty.

In the studio of a painter, miraculously the colors revive, and he, together with kids, is going to create a picture using live colors. Everything goes smoothly until the colors start arguing which one is the best among them. What color will the kids choose? And what is the painter decision? You’ll find out at the end of the show! Vivid, colorful, musical, dance-acrobatic, interactive, family show Colors will give you and your kids unforgettable impression, that won’t leave you indifferent to genuine values: friendship, tolerance, equality of rights, understanding and, undoubtedly, love to the world.

Written and directed by Lucy Hunter based on the novel by Pat Moon. It is 1996, and having moved into a rambling old house three children find themselves at the centre of inexplicable happenings, and fast running out of time in which to outwit an increasingly cunning ghost. But can Laura get her brother to listen to her concerns? And who is the mysterious old lady who hovers in the background? It is only by combining forces they are jointly able to resolve the confusion and set The Ghost of Sadie Kimber free.

Black comedy from the award-winning Joan Greening (ITV’s Cabbage Patch and Trouble and Strife). Three of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s lovers – the prostitute Fanny Cornforth, the ghost of Lizzie Siddal, and Jane, wife of his best friend, William Morris – fight each other to prove whom he loved best. Past praise for performer Julia Munrow: 'Funny and touching to see her overcome by Love's confusion' (Times). 'Hilarious' (Guardian). 'She exudes a power over the stage that is almost tangible' (Herald). 'Julia Munrow's one-woman show is a funny and engaging piece' (BroadwayBaby.com).

Betrayal and intrigue abound in this brand new political drama. Set in the run-up to a general election, loyalty and ambition lock horns in a constituency office. A backbench MP loses it and those around her exploit her weakness. Up to the minute writing from Cardiff University’s Act One is a must see!

Black Magic: Songs Unchained, a physical drama, digs into the origins of the Negro spiritual and unveils the sorrow which created a powerful music. Take a multimedia journey from the shores of West Africa to North America, where a cappella melodies carrying secret codes transform pain into promise. Music is the magic!

Charolais‘ is an age old tale of female rivalry with a new twist: the other woman is cow, a literal one, a purebred Charolais heifer. Siobhan’s boyfriend farmer devotes considerable attention to his prize heifer at the expense of his pregnant girlfriend. Siobhan has developed a homicidal jealousy for this Charolais and is feeling equally murderous towards her snobbish soon-to-be mother in law. Dark comedy of love and longing. Winner – Little Gem Award, Dublin Fringe 2014. ‘A fast-paced, witty, and intensely emotional tale filled with laughter, loss and despair’ **** (Irish Times). ‘A truly enjoyable show” **** (ThePublicReviews.com).

Bog Polanco is a self-published poet living in Edinburgh. Spawned from the masterpieces in the Scottish National Gallery, Bloodcream interactively acts out what lives in the soul of the canvas. Character poetry with humour and charm.

Hamlet (A One Man Play) is a work of theatrical research where the only limit is the text. The actor explores all the possibilities, restructuring the original order of the fable. ‘There was truth in every character he played’ (Carla Capeáns, TeatroGalego.com). ‘Alfredo Padilla is giving to us a real art lesson on the stage inspired by Thalia’ (Alfredo Conde, Spanish National literature Award). ‘In one naked scenario Alfredo keeps the flight so high. Each and every feeling on the stage’ (Fernando Llorente, Diario Montañés). Winner of Best Actor at Carabanchel Festival, Madrid. www.alfredopadilla.es