Simple8 present "Moby Dick" on tour

Peter Anderson • Apr 04, 2024

October, 1839.

The Pequod is due to sail out of Nantucket

and her skipper,  one Captain Ahab, is in need of a crew.

Seeking fortune and adventure, a humble schoolmaster named Ishmael ships aboard,

joining a company charged with one task: to wreak revenge on the white whale that lost Ahab his leg

– the infamous Moby Dick.


Royal & Derngate is delighted to present Simple8’s critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning stage adaptation of Herman Melville’s masterpiece, Moby Dick, produced in association with the theatre, as part of its Made in Northampton season, taking to the Royal stage from Friday 5 to Saturday 13 April. Before setting sail on a tour of its own. With theatrical flair and thrilling invention, the spirit of the novel – romantic, ambiguous, and rich with allegory – is gloriously captured by Simple8.


Complete with sea shanties played live on stage, planks of wood, tattered sheets and a battered assortment of musical instruments, and  an incredibly multi-talented ensemble of nine actors and musicians will bring this wonderfully vibrant production ingeniously to life. The cast comprises : Mark Arends (Ishmael), Jonathan Charles (Ensemble and Musical Director), Hannah Emmanuel (Starbuck), Syreeta Kumar (Manx), Hazel Monaghan (Ensemble), James Newton (Flask), William Pennington (Stubb), and Tom Swale (Queequeg). Guy Rhys plays Captain Ahab.


Royal & Derngate’s Artistic Director Jesse Jones (a descendant of Davey Jones?) directs this fun, fast and joyous production, with sea shanties played live on stage, taking audiences right to the heart of the hunt for the most famous whale on earth. He said “It is a great pleasure to bring together this supremely talented ensemble of performers. As a company we will conjure the world of the play using their musical ability, dynamic physicality and powerhouse performances to breathe life into this poignant yet playful production. It will be a joy to see this production set sail on tour.”


This inventive staging has been reworked as a brand-new touring production in association with Royal & Derngate, Northampton. It will open in Northampton  ahead of a London debut at Wilton’s Music Hall as part of a UK tour which also travels to Perth, Ipswich, Newcastle, The Isles of Scilly (the first time a midscale tour has ever visited the Islands), Blackpool, York, Malvern & Oxford. The stage adaptation is by Sebastian Armesto. The production is designed by Kate Bunce, with lighting design by Johanna Town. Movement direction is by Rachael Nanyonjo, with Lau Batty as Assistant Director.


Moby Dick can be seen at Royal & Derngate from Friday 5 to Saturday 13 April. Tickets can be booked by calling Box Office on 01604 624811 or online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk. For information on the full tour, please go to http://www.simple8.co.uk/in-production/


Image below: Some of the Moby Dick cast captured in the rehearsal room (c) Rebecca Cockcroft

Sefton Park Social - this weekend

By Peter Anderson • 02 May, 2024
Sefton Park Social is a new boutique music, food and drink festival experience launching in the heart of Liverpool's iconic Victorian park throughout Spring/Summer ’24 .The carefully curated series will be see bespoke genre led music events covering all tastes from Disco, Soul, Jazz, Latin, Folk, Country, Indie, 80’s, 90’s and beyond coupled with cultural, craft and well being activities including vintage stalls, yoga and kid play days for all the family. The events series kicks off on the first May Bank Holiday ( 4 th & 5 th ) with the Saturday hosting an official fundraiser for the award winning city gem Africa Oyé, helping to support their ‘non-profit’ annual event and ensure it remains ‘free for all’. Looking back at a phenomenal Oyé ’23 with headliner Seun Kuti, son of legendary afrobeat originator Fela Kuti. Also now looking forward to Oyé ’24 in June with none other than Julian Marley - son of Reggae godfather Bob Marley - the Sefton Park Social invite you to celebrate the life and music of Fela Kuti X Bob Marley & their influences with vibes supplied by all your favourite Trenchtown and Freetown DJs, plus more! Liverpool Disco Festival takes over Sunday 5 th with an all-star line up including one of the world's biggest DJ/producers, Dave Lee fka Joey Negro, Glitterbox crew Lev & Moplen plus New York House legend Pal Joey, with Secretsundaze founder and NTS Radio’s Giles Smith & LDF DJs on support, making up the bill for what will be a quick sell-out spectacular. Sefton Park Social say “ We are delighted to be bringing this series to the much loved park surroundings away from the hustle and bustle of the city and bringing something for everyone, young and old. We will be bringing you some of the best local talent and traders, plus some very special guests from our wide range of genres. Looking forward to a fantastic summer, see you in the park” Details of other forthcoming events from some of the city's best promoters such as Evol, Downtown Nashville and more will be dropping over the coming weeks along with details of bottomless brunches, outdoor cinema evenings & more. And for all Sefton Park woofers out there they even promise some dog friendly days so you can ‘pooch in the park’ with your best buddies!  Tickets for the first phase of Sefton Park Social events via Skiddle: https://www.skiddle.com/g/sefton-park-social/

Breakin' Convention 2024 - Sadler's Wells venues

By Peter Anderson • 02 May, 2024
Created and emceed by UK hip hop maker, Sadlers' Wells Associate Artist, and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, Breakin’ Convention Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells in Islington to celebrate hip hop culture in all its forms over the Early May Bank Holiday. The Festival showcases international acts from the USA, South Korea and France, as well as performances from local and national talents on Sadler’s Wells stages. The Festival’s programme displays a wide variety of hip hop styles including breaking, popping, krumping, threading, funk and bruk up. Performances, activities for children o f all ages, live DJs sessions , dance and bespoke graffiti workshops, freestyle sessions and shows take over the entire building. From 6pm on Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May, audiences will be able to see performances from some of the world’s leading hip hop acts. Including Femme Fatale (USA), Sons of Wind (France) and Jinjo crew (South Korea); CREATE4 (Netherlands) and Ekleido (UK); Ivan Michael Blackstock ’s company TRAPLORD (UK), Boy Blue (UK), When Time Was New (UK) , Gully South Block (GSB) (UK), Company DHW (UK), Sasha Mahfouz Shadid (UK) and ShaolinOrShao (UK) – plus a solo by Jamal Sterrett (UK). During the interval, Cie Kilaï (France) performs in the Lilian Baylis Studio. Founded in 2017 by Chaquille Forrester-Osborne, Gully South Block (GSB) (Above) is a South London-based krumping collective whose aim is to give an intimate insight into one’s lifestyle, and to highlight that there is strength in vulnerabilities. They took part in the Breakin’ Convention artistic development programme Back to the Lab and return for their second Festival in a row. Femme Fatale (below) is a collective of three female dancers based in Los Angeles, originally from France, Mexico and Korea. Marie Poppins, Lily Frias and Dassy Lee bring their piece UNBOUNDED, showcasing their skills in popping, animation and robot through stories of the street dance scene, gender inequality, self-discovery and the ongoing challenges of being an artist. Femme Fatale performed for famous artists and brands and have starred in So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew. Special activities for families take place front of house. On the First Circle from 4.30pm and again during the interval, the Tiny Totts Workshops are dedicated to children who want to explore various hip hop dance foundations, hosted by two fully qualified facilitators. Live DJ sessions take place in the foyer , featuring DJ Pogo , Cutmaster Swift and Yugson Hawks . Audiences can also learn to tag in the Graff Zone on the First Circle, and in Sadler’s Wells outdoor space, the Yard – while children from all ages are invited to take part in drawing workshops. The main wall in the foyer will be painted by Nean , a Belgian graffiti writer from the Kingdom crew . An hour of improvised theatre, the Freestyle Funk Forum is in the Lilian Baylis Studio. During the interval on both nights, French company Cie Kilaï performs Raw , an intimate show featuring four dancers and spoken word centring women in hip hop in the Lilian Baylis Studio . The company was created in 2014 by Sandrine Lescourant – known as Mufasa – who heads a hip hop troupe with variations on classical, contemporary and traditional African dances. 2024 is a significant year for breaking as it becomes an official Olympic sport for the first time at the Paris Olympics this summer. Academy Breakin’ Convention will open at Sadler's Wells East, offering a full-time further education programme for 16 to 19-year-olds that includes training in all aspects of hip hop – the first of its kind. Academy Breakin’ Convention will have a stall at the Festival on both days, where audiences can find out more about the course, and will host auditions on Sunday 5 May. Find out more information here Home - Academy Breakin' Convention (academybreakinconvention.com) . Breakin' Convention Festival runs on Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th May, for tickets please call the Box Office on 020 7863 8000 or visit the website www.sadlerswells.com . Images above Gully South Block - (c) Belinda Lawley below Femme Fatale - (c) Paul Hampartsoumian
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