Image: The Nature of Forgetting.
Theatre Royal Winchester is hosting a number of fresh and experimental shows later this month as part of RAW – Winchester’s new contemporary performance week, which runs from Tuesday 25 – Saturday 29 March.
RAW will offer audiences a range of innovative shows featuring drama, dance, music, song, spoken word and immersive elements; they will be performed at the theatre, The Arc and The Nutshell – and people are encouraged to ‘try something different’ during the week.
Theatre Royal Winchester will host three of the eight shows that form the RAW programme including The Alice Project (25 March) – a journey through the Wonderland of Alice, weaving together original music, Lewis Carroll’s text, and voices from interviews exploring transformation, identity and growing older. It is created by Platform 4 – an artist-led company that creates playful and unexpected worlds, highly visual and musical shows, in which performers and participants explore their creativity and the things that matter to them. Following the performance there will be a post-show chat.
The Nature of Forgetting (26 – 27 March) tells of a man called Tom who, living with young onset dementia, is preparing for his 55th birthday party when past memories come flooding back. A powerful and joyous show that explores what is left when memory fades, it has sold out venues worldwide. It is by Theatre Re who combine striking visual theatre with original live music to create non-verbal productions about universal human challenges and was developed with the Alzheimer’s Society and UCL Neuroscience Professor Kate Jeffery. Wednesday’s performance is BSL interpreted and there will be a post-show chat.
Finally, BACH Reimagined (29 March) breathes new life into the works of composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, through powerful dance and electrifying music that transcends classical to create a soundscape with a heavy metal twist. The show also explores the passion that fuelled Bach’s music and the scientific revolution that occurred during his time. On stage, James Wilton Dance – a European company known for their grace as well as their athleticism – with internationally-renowned Canadian cellist Raphael Weinroth Browne who combines classical training with progressive metal and Middle Easten music.
The RAW programme also features shows at The Arc including Lose Your Own Adventure (29 March) – a comedic new work in progress where the audience dives into a nostalgic world of 1980’s fantasy and video games, and gets to choose how the story plays out; Tomorrow Might Not Happen; Now (28 March), featuring the ‘inventive left field comic’ Nate Kitch; and Mind Games (27 March) by Panda-monium duo, which includes current Hampshire Poet Laureate Damian Kelly-Basher and comedy poet, Stewart Taylor.
While at The Nutshell, Sunday’s Child’s five-star production of Eva O’Connor and Hildegard Ryan’s play, Chicken (29 March) tells the story of Don Murphy – a proud Irish man, ketamine addict and great actor – who also happens to be a chicken; plus, cabaret legend and musical comedian Lady Carol performs her solo show (28 March).
RAW is brought to Winchester by three of the city’s performing arts charities – Play to the Crowd, Hampshire Cultural Trust and Discarded Nut – and the inaugural week has been made possible due to UK Shared Prosperity Funding through Winchester City Council.
Deryck Newland, Chief Executive of Play to the Crowd, which runs Theatre Royal Winchester, said: ‘I am very excited about RAW! The aim of the collaboration is to bring the best national contemporary performance to Winchester, alongside providing a platform for emerging local creative talent. We want to encourage the public to step out of their comfort zone, take some risk and try something a little different to what they may normally choose to see. We are thankful to Winchester City Council for supporting this idea through their UK Shared Prosperity Funding.’
For more information or to book tickets, visit www.RAWwinchester.co.uk or www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk for a multibuy offer for the aforementioned shows.
The Alice Project will be at Theatre Royal Winchester on Tuesday 25 March at 7.30pm; The Nature of Forgetting will be at the theatre on Wednesday 26 March and Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm (plus a Thursday matinee at 1.30pm); and BACH Reimagined on Saturday 29 March at 7.30pm. Writer’s Workshop with David Palin will take place in the theatre bar on Saturday 29 March from 11am – 3pm.
In addition, during RAW week, but separate to it, there will be a Writers’ Workshop with author David Palin (29 March). Held in the theatre’s bar, he will share his approach to writing, plus provide practical tips and advice; and help participants delve into plot and character development.
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