After a wonderful response to their call out for participants, Theatre by the Lake is delighted to have selected four acts to perform at their first ever scratch night, Open Space, on Wednesday 5 February.
The four acts are: Stephanie Bradshaw performing a stand-up comedy set, Steve Wharton presenting Lailoken Loop, a piece of storytelling incorporating live and pre-recorded loop pedal soundscapes, Hannah Roze-Lewis and Amy Allenby presenting an excerpt from Dear Beryl, a work-in-progress play, and Ewan Pollitt and Nina Berry presenting fission, a piece of theatre looking at family, reconnection and sibling rivalry.
Performer Stephanie Bradshaw said: “It’s amazing to be given this opportunity. It’s so important with stand-up to get it on its feet as soon as possible, as so much of it is in the timing and reacting based on the audience. Some of my best material has come from going off on a jaunt led by the audience’s response! It’s great to perform in my home-town too, as I often have to travel to Kendal or Manchester for a 5 min spot.”
Steve Wharton added: “This will be the first time I have performed spoken word and instrumental music together, without the safety net of the traditional song format. I’m looking forward to the audience feedback, which will help me develop Lailoken Loop into a full show.”
Open Space has been developed by TBTL in order to discover and develop local creative talent, and to offer an opportunity for artists to explore new ideas, experiment, and test material in front of an audience in a professional venue.
The selected performers have been asked to prepare three questions which will be handed to audience members prior to the performance, with feedback being collected at the end of the event. TBTL will also encourage conversations to continue in their Spotlight cafe after the event.
Producer Zoe Bailey said: “We were really thrilled with the response we got to our call out for participants – there is clearly a huge amount of creative talent in the area. The performances are all by Cumbrian artists and include theatre, music, storytelling and comedy, so there will be a fantastic variety on the night. Do be quick to grab a ticket as they are selling fast!”
Tickets to attend Open Space are £6; to find out more about the acts or to buy tickets, visit www.theatrebythelake.com or call the Box Office on 017687 74411.
