The Down Arts Centre is delighted to welcome two very different performances that celebrate the wonderful women of stage and screen.
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An intriguing musical performance… The Playhouse Creatures coming to the Down Arts Centre.[/caption]
On Friday 9 October, Fiona Scott Trotter brings her musical tribute, The Divas Story, to DAC, followed on Saturday 10 October by the very welcome return of Bruiser Theatre Company and its new production celebrating restoration actresses, Playhouse Creatures.
Following the great success of An Evening With Ella, Fiona Scott Trotter is now delighted to bring her new celebration of female performers, The Divas Story, to Down Arts Centre. This fantastic night of music will transport audiences back in time to the glitz, glamour and mystique of the golden era of The Divas. With her 5-piece band, Fiona will sing the songs and tell the tales of the secret lives of legendary divas including Billy Holiday, Peggy Lee and Nina Simone, amongst others.
Fiona’s elegant and powerful stage presence paired with her ability to glide from sassy blues to heart-wrenching ballads to up-tempo swing, will bring you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and swing you off your seats!
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Playhouse Creatures… come see the creatures who do not want to be tamed![/caption]
Fizzing comedy, gutsy heroines and female camaraderie are all featured as aspiring actresses rise from the gutter in Bruiser Theatre Company’s new production, Playhouse Creatures.
With a vibrant, female cast, Playhouse Creatures depicts the lives of five gutsy women who have the opportunity to become the first actresses to perform on stage with some credibility. The era is 1670 and women are finally permitted to tread the boards following a decree by King Charles II.
The play is marvellously entertaining with feminist undertones peppered throughout, showing how the careers of actresses gradually became an essential part of theatre, traditionally the realm of men. Bruiser’s production is a ballsy, sassy and brash, wickedly funny and vivacious account of the fight these women faced to be recognised as theatre’s first legitimate actresses.
Audiences will gain a dark glimpse into the real lives of some of the pioneering English actresses that fought hard for equality, yet spent most of their time deflecting the unwelcome advances of some rather unsavoury men. Playhouse Creatures deals with modern issues seen through the eyes of 17th Century women.
The cast comprises the very best of Northern Ireland’s female acting talent; Claire Burns, Jo Donnelly, Roisin Gallagher, new-comer Amy Molloy and Roma Tomelty. Their corsets are tightened, their faces are daubed and they are living in the bear-pit of the theatre-world. These are the creatures who no longer want to be tamed! Recommended for age 15+
To buy tickets (Both performances £12/£10) and for further information on any Down Arts Centre events, please contact the box office on 028 4461 0747 or visit:
www.downartscentre.com]]>
