The Northern
Premiere & re-mount of award winning play; the untold story of WW1…
‘The Glasshouse’
Nominated: 3 Off West End Awards
Winner: Off West End Award Best Supporting Actor
1-11th
November
53two,
Manchester
Directed by Sonnie Beckett
Confined in a cramped, makeshift prison on the
back line
of the Somme, two men stand charged with cowardice and desertion.
Trapped inside the damp, cold and oppressive walls of this ‘Glasshouse’, a
beautiful friendship crystallises between them. But how long can
friendship last? And how much can a man withstand before
he breaks?
In the 100th anniversary year of the end of
World War I,
acclaimed emerging company Grindstone team up with MAP Productions to remount Max Saunders-Singer’s emotional,
award-winning drama, THE GLASSHOUSE for a Northern Premiere. Based
on extensive research into true stories of soldiers on the front lines,
this powerful work explores a rarely seen side of trench
warfare.
Horrifying and immensely
provocative, this is a WWI centenary play that has an intelligence and power
beyond expectations. A show that shreds heartstrings and decimates
sensibilities, it’s theatre at it’s most outstanding.
- James Waygood, ‘The Glasshouse’, London, 2014
Following the intertwined stories of the
misfits,
idealists and tragic victims who pass through this hastily constructed trench prison cell, THE GLASSHOUSE is a moving, blood-pumping and powerful play. Through these stories, it also shines
a stark new light on the effects of 'Shell
Shock' and
failures in the treatment of so called 'Cowards' and 'Conchies' who were unable or refused to fight.
This piece will be supported by and mark the
launch of the brand new and brilliant Switch MCR who will perform their devised
‘curtain raiser’ as a response to the script, on the 2nd, 3rd
& 4th of November. The piece will also headline a rapid-response
night on the 5th.
SWITCH MCR
SwitchMCR
is a brand new theatre collective of young artists aiming to bring original and
accessible work to Manchester stages. SwitchMCR’s creative team met through the
Royal Exchange's Young Company after working collaboratively alongside
directors Matt Hassall, Nickie Miles-Wildin and Andrew Barry.
Switch
are currently working towards their debut performance in February 2019!
Give
them a follow on Twitter @switch_mcr and Instagram @switchmcr to keep updated
with our theatrical escapades!
Manchester Actors’ Platform &
MAP Productions
The
Manchester Actors’ Platform, MAP, was created in 2015 by actor/acting coach
Simon Naylor. Designed to benefit adult actors, its focus lies primarily on
providing services required at an affordable cost. MAP hoped to bridge the gap
between the affordable and the achievable. Simon’s background as an actor means
that he has, and still is, experiencing just how tough the industry can be, not
just to break into, but to survive in. Combining his 10 years teaching experience
at some of the country’s leading drama schools, a rich and varied experience on
stage, screen and radio and some reassuring Northern roots, all of the services
MAP provide aim to cut out the b*******t. MAP Productions was established in
2016 and launched with a sell-out show of Andrea Dunbar’s ‘Shirley’. Since then
they have gone on to produce their own work both in Manchester and across the
country, providing paid work for primarily working class actors, in new-writing
and re-imagined regional productions. MAP Productions and their work have been
nominated for and received both Manchester Theatre Awards and Northern Soul
Awards and manage Manchester’s largest independent theatre, 53two.
Grindstone
Formed in 2012 by director Sonnie Beckett and
playwright Max Saunders-Singer, Grindstone is an innovative and tenacious
company dedicated to creating theatre and film of the highest calibre.
Productions in London include RIP, Write Christmas, Black Star and Glasshouse
for which the company have been nominated for three OFFIES and have won one.
They are delighted to be bringing their work to Manchester to share it with the
North of England.
53two
'53two'
is Manchester’s, biggest and most versatile Arts Venue, managed by Manchester
Actors’ Platform. Spanning two of Deansgate’s famous tunnels, the venue is made
up of two separate components; ‘53’ & ‘two’. The venue will be operated
primarily as a theatre and cafe, with the space also offering room for
exhibitions, gigs, events, celebrations, rehearsals, classes, conferences,
banquets, weddings and more. 53two has enjoyed two years in the heart of the
city, forging a strong presence and priding itself on creating a platform for
new and emerging talent.
Max Saunders-Singer –
Writer/’Pip’
Max
trained as an Actor, graduating in 2009 and in 2017 completed his Masters in
Creative Writing. Since ’09 Max has worked extensively in Acting, Writing and
Directing theatre and film and is now a Creative Writing teacher on the Italia
Conti BA (Hons) Course. In 2012 Max formed the critically acclaimed production
company Grindstone with its Co-Artistic Director Sonnie Beckett and went on to
write several successful pieces; the most notable being critically acclaimed “The
Glasshouse” which enjoyed a sell-out run at the Tristan Bates Theatre. Max is
currently adapting the piece for film, going into production in 2020.
Sonnie Beckett – Director/Producer
Sonnie Beckett, Artistic Director of Grindstone trained as an
actor and has performed in theatres across the country.
Since graduating in 2010, she has turned her hand to directing and her work has
seen her take shows to sell-out performances in some of London’s most acclaimed fringe theatres
including The King’s Head, Oval House, The Cockpit & Southwark Playhouse
receiving rave-reviews and firmly
stamping her name on the ever-important list of rising, female directors. She
received the ‘Work in Process’ award from Iris Theatre for emerging theatre
practitioners and has also produced many shows both for Grindstone as well as
other companies.
Sonnie teaches and directs at some of the country’s leading
Drama Schools
including Italia Conti, Central School of Speech and Drama and
Identity School of Acting, where she practices the work of Stanislavski and
Meisner, both of which have a massive part in the process of bringing The
Glasshouse to life.
Simon Naylor – ‘Harper’
As an actor, television includes Dane
Hibbs in 'Coronation Street', Corporal Johnson in '24: Live Another Day',
'Casualty' as Officer Peter Dowling, 'Michael Ray' in Obsession for SKY TV
&DC Croker in 'Emmerdale'.Films include BAFTA winning, 'The Mark of Cain'
& James Corden’s, 'One Chance'. Other credits include: 'Creeped Out' (BBC),
Doctors (BBC), Day Of The Triffids (BBC), The Bill (ITV), Primeval (ITV),
'Eastenders' (BBC). Theatre credits include 'The Shawshank Redemption'
(Wyndhams Theatre), Palindrome (Arcola Theatre), 'Funny Peculiar' (Kenwright -
UK Tour) and 'When Both Sides Surrender' (53two), Nominated for Best Fringe
Production - Northern Soul Awards.
In the world premiere of 'The
Glasshouse' Simon was nominated for an OFFIE as ‘Best Actor’.
Simon is also co-producer with MAP
Productions and Artistic Director of 53two.
The Glasshouse
1 - 11 November
7:30pm nightly
tickets £10
Running Time
1 hour and 45 minutes
(Inc Interval)
Twitter
@maplatform
@53two
Facebook
Instagram
@maplatform
@53two
Notes
Ages 16+
Cast
Pip – Max
Saunders-Singer
Harper – Simon Naylor
Moon – Sam Adamson
Blythe – Corin Silva
Director
Sonnie Beckett
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