what we're up to
Big news!
Arts Council England have approved the funding for a 'proof-of-concept' year that will see a group of young professional theatre-makers - Theatre Workhouse - creating new work in and around Barnstaple. We will be advising and mentoring.
Find out all about it from their website: www.theatreworkhouse.co.uk
And in other news!
We continue to tour Last Dance Saloon. As part of the adventure, we've been learning to tango - and we're hooked!
To book tickets, click on the appropriate venue on our schedule page.
To find out more about the production, click on the image below:
"Utterly fascinating. Your weaving of human-driven climate change with the challenges that most people of middle age and beyond face, and with learning to tango, was a master stroke.”
Next up for Last Dance Saloon, two performances with Live & Local rural touring scheme - Caistor on Oct 2 and High Peak on Oct 3 - and then Stroud on Oct 9 as part of the Play On Stroud theatre festival.
"Stripped right back, the strength comes from the union of intelligent writing and the word-perfect power of the performances."
plays for adult audiences that respond to the world we live in.
plays for young audiences - myths, legends and traditional tales that speak across the ages.
multi story know the day-to-day pressures and plan their work appropriately. We recommend this company unreservedly."
traditional tales
The Firebird, full of adventure, with a large cast of colourful characters played by just two actors and featuring music and song, is a great introduction to multi story's bravura style.
We aim to introduce traditonal stories that are not so well known - like Twelve Wild Ducks or East o'the Sun, West o'the Moon - but we do have our version of Beauty & the Beast which children might like to compare with the familiar Disney treatment.
"Best visiting production we've ever seen - it really captured their imaginations."
greek myths
The inter-active nature of Jason & the Golden Fleece has proved very popular and hugely enjoyable. The Labyrinth combines Theseus & the Minotaur with the story of Icarus - Icarus's father designed both the Labyrinth and Icarus's wings! The Adventures of Perseus thrillingly recreates the showdown with Medusa. And we have recently created a truly delightful verion of Pandora which features some rather special original music.
"I have highly recommended you to other schools."
workshops
a comprehensive workshop programme plus bespoke learning events and longer-term projects.
"The range of theatre skills and styles that Beast! employs makes for essential viewing for students currently working on devising projects."
plays that older students particularly respond to
Beast! goes down well with Years 10 & 11. It is a published text and has been used for exam purposes by a number of schools.
Medea has proved very popular over the years with Years 11 - 13, including with colleges in Chile, Peru, Norway, Portugal and Ukraine!
Pericles - All At Sea and Digging the Dirt also work well for older students. Both have formed the basis of a day long programme of performance and workshops.
"The resulting reviews for the Ed Excel portfolio are an insight into the way young people think, written with considerable fervour and a credit to multi story and their talent to enthrall the teenager. Nothing short of magnificent."
plays for younger students
Some schools regularly use one of our children's shows to introduce Year 7s to a variety of drama techniques that take them away from a reliance on TV naturalism. Particularly popular in this context are The Firebird and The Adventures of Perseus, - though any of our children's plays fit the bill.
"The company offers students a vision of how to make exciting devised theatre with minimal set, costume and props, but masses of invention, energy and creative use of dramatic techniques and conventions."
a comprehensive workshop programme
A range of skills workshops plus bespoke learning events and longer term projects. A recently developed day-long workshop package that schools are finding very useful is a mix of excerpts and practical exercises that examine structuring and devising.
"multi story illuminate their chronicles with intelligence and theatricality. Their approach is spare - no wasted movements or empty ideas. And they are marvellous actors."