New Old Friends presents: Crimes, Camera, Action WORLD PREMIERE Set off for golden-era Hollywood in the latest instalment of New Old Friend’s hilarious Crimes… series of comedy thrillers Written by Feargus Woods Dunlop Theatre Royal Bath, Main House 25th – 28th August 2021 |
“Celebrations of theatricality… low budget aplomb worthy of Patrick Barlow’s stage version of The 39 Steps” The Times (on Crimes on the Nile)
When a glamorous Hollywood starlet is stabbed on-set in a fatal mix-up of props, there’s only one man fit for the job of solving the crime: Detective Stan Shakespeare. Award-winning company New Old Friends return once again with the latest instalment of their ever-popular Crimes… series. Inspired by the classic English writing of Agatha Christie, Noël Coward and PG Wodehouse, the madcap comedy thrillers have so far seen the company head to locations as varied as the English Riviera, Siberian railways and the banks of the Nile. This time, they’re in Golden-era Hollywood bringing in the world of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett with a slippery, hilarious case ready and waiting to be solved.
When a crucial mix-up of theatrical props results in the accidental stabbing of a movie star, it sets in motion a bizarre chain of increasingly unfathomable events. Paying respectful, yet playful, homage to Humphrey Bogart, the latest creation by New Old Friends is every bit as energetic, inventive and amusing as the previous offerings in the series.
A cast of just four actors will again tackle multiple roles – sometimes within the same scene – bringing the full force of New Old Friend’s talent for skillfully ramshackle comedy to the stage. After originally being slated for a 2020 run, Crimes, Camera, Action is premiering in Bath before a national tour in Spring 2022.
Feargus Woods Dunlop from New Old Friends said “We couldn’t be happier to be returning to live performance after the Covid shutdown at Theatre Royal Bath, a venue which has supported us from day one. We have always loved Film-Noir and knew we wanted to take the Crimes… series into a slightly new world to give us fresh tropes to play with and new landscapes to create nonsense in. There is a slightly different structure to a Hollywood private-eye story than an English cosy-crime one and that has been great fun to explore. We are very excited to present this fresh spin on the popular series.”
New Old Friends are an award-winning theatre company dedicated to creating original comedy theatre, founded in 2008 and run by husband and wife team Feargus Woods Dunlop and Heather Westwell. Last year saw New Old Friends release the first in a new audio drama series Comedy Whodunnits For Your Ears, with Crimes Against Christmas (OnComm Award winner) charting at #2 in the Apple iTunes Fiction chart and inside the top 200 overall podcast charts as well as featuring on BBC Radio 4's Front Row. The next audio instalment, Crimes on Centre Court, is set to be released this summer. Meanwhile Crimes in Egypt (formerly named Crimes on the Nile) will return to the stage this Autumn for a national tour. In 2017 and 2018 New Old Friends were awarded the Creative Bath Award for writing. Previous shows also include five installments of the hugely popular Crimes… series of comedy thrillers, including 2019’s spring hit Crimes on the Nile. In summer 2019, their adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’ The Falcon’s Malteser enjoyed a six-week run at London’s Vaults Theatre. It was selected as a ‘Critic’s Choice’ for ‘Best Family Shows’ by the Guardian. Their latest show for families, Swiss Family Robinson (Top 40 Christmas shows 2019, inews) premiered at The Core at Corby Cube in 2019.
@newoldfriends | #CrimesCameraAction | www.newoldfriends.co.uk
Running Time: 105mins | Suitable for ages 12+
Company Information
Writer: Feargus Woods Dunlop Director: James Farrell
Set: Connie Watson
Lighting: George Seal Sound: Fred Riding
Music: Guy Hughes
Cast: Kirsty Cox, Heather Westwell, Feargus Woods Dunlop & Mark Collier
Listings information
Theatre Royal Bath, Main House
Sawclose, Bath, BA1 1ET
Wednesday 25th August – Saturday 28th August 2021
2.30pm Sat matinee, 7.30pm evenings | £23-£37.50
www.theatreroyal.org.uk | 01225 448844
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