A Sleeping Beauty show is to tour Cumbria after a partnership was announced.
Eden Valley Shared Experience is working with the University of Cumbria on developing new talent for the creative industries with a programme of activities that will start this Christmas with their first festive family show Sleeping Beauty.
The production will be rehearsed at the university in Carlisle before opening at the Kirkgate Arts Centre in Cockermouth on December 16.
In spring/summer 2022 the company will be working with the Institute of the arts to present a series of monologues commissioned during the COVID-19 pandemic by acclaimed writers including Bryony Lavery, Frog Stone, Sasha Hails and Christine Entwistle entitled How Was it For You?, the Shared Experience team will be working with students on the performing arts course programmes during the rest of the academic year and will present a series of performances in the summer term.
Sleeping Beauty marks the launch of Shared Experience – Local, a new strand of work creating small-scale work for audiences across the UK, giving opportunities to up and coming creatives to work with the Shared Experience team. This first production will be directed by University of Cumbria graduate Lexie Ward.
Richard Humphrey’s Chair of Shared Experience said: “We are thrilled to be working with the University of Cumbria and look forward to making work in Cumbria again following our fresh take on As You Like which we co-produced with Theatre by the Lake in 2017.”
Dr Colette Conroy, Director of the Institute of Arts said “Shared Experience is an important UK theatre company and has made a real mark on the practice of contemporary theatre making over many years. We are pleased to host them for this project and are excited by this partnership and its potential.
“Shared Experience is providing our students with professional theatre experience, giving them a chance to apply their academic learning and to experience skills workshops, mentoring and placements. We are looking forward to working with them and to seeing more of their ground-breaking work here in Cumbria”.
Dr Jez Colclough, Senior Lecturer in Performing Arts added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the university, our current students and alumni to work in partnership with a well-respect, locally based, professional theatre company to create work for Cumbrian audiences and strengthen the links between the University and the community.”
A Shared Experience – Local Production
Sleeping Beauty
- By Sarah Punshon & Daniel Bye, with additional lyrics by Zaid Jabero
- Directed by Lexie Ward
- Designed by Lu Herbert
- Movement by Sian Williams
- Lighting by Paul Russell
- Sound by Mark Webber
- Co-produced with TEAM
- Cast – Coral Sinclair & Eliza Beth Stevens
Audiences are invited to join two fairy godmothers as they tell the tale of Rose, a bold and daring young girl whose journey into the unknown depths of the forest puts her face-to-face with hidden castles, magic spells and a wicked, wicked fairy. Will Rose be able to break the curse and find her way home again?
Full of music, storytelling, joy and love, the show promises to be an enchanting theatrical and festive treat to warm hearts this winter.
This project is a partnership with the University of Cumbria. Funded by the Department of Education, Eden District Council and supported by At the Helm.
The show will tour across Cumbria to Alston, Appleby, Barrow, Carlisle, Cockermouth, Kirkby Stephen, Millom, Penrith, Whitehaven and Wigton from December 16 to January 4.
