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Local celebrities support festival
LIVERPOOL celebrities have expressed their support for
Liverpool and the North West's only festival dedicated to showcasing new stage
writing talent. Actress and Comedienne, Pauline Daniels; Brookside Actor,
John McArdle; Corrie Actress, Pauline Flemming; Poet and Playwright, Roger
McGough; Actor Joe McGann; Historian, writer and radio presenter Frank Carlysle,
have all offered support for Page to Stage festival, while one of the plays is
directed by Emma Bird (Casualty's Maxine Price)
Page To Stage is a festival of new writing for theatre that will br running
until 17
April 2016. Showcasing 8 new plays from non professional playwrights over 2 weeks, it
gives new and emerging writers valuable experience in producing, casting and
staging their own plays under the guidance of the festival director "I
believe in nurturing new talent. A festival like this is the ideal place for new
writing and new productions." explains organiser John
McArdle.
Actress Pauline Daniels added:- "It is imperative that something as
important as Page To Stage Festival happens here. Merseyside and the North West
are renowned for their wealth of talent"
Each play is performed 5 times in a variety of venues around the city centre,
giving the writers experience of touring their work in the relatively safety of
a festival.
John launched the festival back in September 2014 as Liverpool's answer to
Manchester's 24:7 following the demise of the 4 year old Write Now Festival.
"It just didn't feel right leaving such a vacuum.
Where would be the outlet for new writing in Liverpool? And what about all
the missed opportunities for actors, directors and stage crew?" explains John.
With 24:7's recent announcement that they will no longer run as a festival, Page
To Stage is left as the only such festival of new writing in the North West.
"Our Gift" is a play about the difficulties of grandparents caring for a
severely autistic teenager. "A particularly poignant piece for autism
awareness week." said John. At the other end of the caring spectrum,
"Bricks" deals with 2 sisters' disagreements about the care of their aging father.
Celebrity culture is covered by "A Role", when an actor decides to shadow
a career criminal to research a part, while a father becomes an internet
sensation when his son videos his heart attack in "A Reluctant Celebrity."
Visions of dystopian futures are provided by the Orwellian "Welcome to
Paradise Road" where Neighbourhood Watch really does watch the neighbours
and dissidents disappear overnight, while a married couple in "An Everyday
Apocalypse" fight for the survival of their relationship from the zombies
knocking on the door.
The fantasy dramas:- "Chamber of Beheaded Queens" and "Truly
Exotic"
add an historical element to the festival. 4 Queens meet up in an afterlife
chamber and discuss their various stories and beheadings while a time travelling
trouble maker meets one of Elizabeth's courtiers recently returned from exotic
lands. "A number of venues are on board.., Including the
Zanzibar, Ship and Mitre, Small Cinema, Quaker Meeting House and The Treasurehouse
Theatre in the World Museum; who knew about that one?"
says John.
In addition to these, there are 4 "Scouse and Show" double bill evenings
at:- 'Fruit and Fibres Canteen' with all you can eat Scouse thrown in.
The festival begins, on Sunday, 4 April 2016, with a secret launch event.
Further details and ticket information are on the
website.
The final words go to John McArdle:– "I wish John Mc and his team the
best of luck with it and hope it's a huge success."
And Pauline Daniels:- "Please support this festival,,, WE NEED IT!" |
