LONDON.- A ‘BBC Introducing’ singer, an award-winning playwright and an eclectic comedian are among the performers announced for an open stage night at The Stage, the site of Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch. The open stage night takes place on Tuesday 18 July from 7pm, with performers ranging across the arts, who will showcase their wide variety of talents where Shakespeare himself once performed.
A full list of the performers is as follows:
• Amaria Braithwaite: ‘BBC Introducing’ vocalist
• Perdy Vydra: Vocalist and instrumentalist, covering ‘The Cure’
• The Malachites: ‘Shoreditch’s Shakespeare Company’, performing scenes from Richard III
• Paul McGarrity: A MOLA archaeologist by day, and stand-up comedian by night
• Lizzie Conrad Hughes: Artistic Director for ‘Shake-scene Shakespeare’, a group of actors who will perform using the original cue-script technique used by contemporary actors at the Curtain Theatre
• Alexander Lass: A freelance theatre director, directing a new short play reimagining Shakespeare’s ‘A Winter’s Tale’ in a modern context. This has been written by Caitlin Shannon
• Bill Rosenfield: Winner of the Richard Rodgers award in 2006, here presenting his new play; a performance where Viola and Count Orsino have found themselves on ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’
• Roland Saunders: A hilarious lip-synced journey through popular characters and celebrities
• Taurean Garrick: a selection of monologues in the style of the Bard with Jamaican patois
The performances will take place in the marketing suite at The Stage, an atmospheric venue moments from the recently excavated Curtain Theatre. Tickets are free to the general public, with food and drink available for all attendees. Guests must sign-up through Eventbrite otherwise they will not be granted entry: http://bit.ly/2u40yvN
The Stage is a £750m mixed-use development that has put Shoreditch on the world map thanks to the fascinating findings from the excavation of Shakespeare’s Curtain Theatre. When complete, the Curtain Theatre will be preserved in situ within a purpose-built visitor centre. The Stage will also feature more than 400 homes, 33,000 sq ft of retail, over 200,000 sq ft of
recently launched office space, as well as over an acre of vibrant public space including a performance area and a park.
Robert Allan, Development Director at Cain International, commented: “The evening promises to be a fantastic occasion, and will be a wonderful opportunity for aspiring local performers to showcase their talents at a venue where some of Shakespeare’s finest plays were performed.
“We are expecting great music, inspiring spoken-word performances, and even a performance where Shakespeare meets Jeremy Kyle! The diversity of this vibrant area of London is reflected in our artists, who have been given the freedom to perform absolutely anything, and will surely take inspiration from these culturally rich surroundings.
“This free event is a tremendous chance for local people to learn more about the history of this site, and will help to further reconnect Shakespeare with Shoreditch.”
