'Sunday Morning..' was inspired by Under Milk Wood and originally written for BBC Radio Four. Louis de Bernieres has since expanded and developed the play and the CTC’s adaptation will be the first national tour of the work. It is very much a contemporary version of Dylan Thomas’ masterpiece but set in Earlsfield; the centre of the world! It is de Bernieres lyrical and colourful tribute to the unlikely inhabitants of this inner-city part of London, where Louis lived "for ten years above a small shop on Garrat Lane that had been by turns an outlet for naughty clothes for transvestites, a West Indian hairdressers, and a junkshop". Whereas poetically de Bernieres has "not attempted any special effects to equal Dylan Thomas", he certainly more than makes up for it with hilariously mischievous wit, meticulous observation of real characters, places and even the "twit bloody twitting" sparrows and pigeons of Earlsfield. His writing is of our time, reflecting the hustle and bustle and the anarchic inconsistency and fast moving pace of our lives to the point where Dylan Thomas’ seedy Welsh village pales into a quaint community of the past to feel nostalgic about!

The company has chosen 'Sunday Morning...' as it has national significance and fits well within the criteria of mainstream British theatre, giving as it does, exposure to an unusual piece of work from one of our most renowned living writers.


Above all, the piece offers the company an abundance of valuable opportunities for creativity, imagination and innovation in transposing work that is intended for the aural medium into performance suited for the visual arena of the stage.

The project is fully supported by Louis de Bernieres, who as well as performing as the 'Narrator' will also be writing original music score for the production.

The production will  tour nationally in spring 2007

 

2. The Christmas Play

Since 2005 Cherwell Theatre Company has produced a community pantomime at The Mill Arts Centre, written by award-winning playwright Nasser Memarzia . The productions involved professional actors, local performing arts students and young people from local primary and secondary schools. As part of Cherwell Theatre Company’s annual programme, this project would continue and further establish a tradition of festive Christmas plays at The Mill. The productions will always draw on the expertise of professional writers, directors, actors and designers and at the same time, utilise spontaneity, enthusiasm and fresh talent from the local community and schools. TV personalities and celebrities need not apply!

In January 2007 the company will be staging an innovative production of Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol

Adopted and directed by Nasser Memarzia, A Christmas Carol will retain the heart warming Christmas spirit of the original. A real treat for all generations

3. Young Peoples Drama Festival

Over the last three years a student company supervised by CTC has written, directed and performed new work at The Mill Arts centre. Cherwell Theatre, in collaboration with The Mill, have developed this into an "Annual Drama Festival For Young Adults". Young people from Oxfordshire are invited to submit scripts for short (twenty minutes) performance pieces. Up to ten selected scripts will be staged over a three day festival. The production of the works will involve students of drama, dance, directing, set, costume and lighting design; working under professional supervision of directors from Cherwell Theatre Company and the technical department at The Mill Arts Centre.

This event aims to nurture and raise the profile of young people’s performance work. Both the Mill and CTC are committed to expanding the size of the festival in response to its increasing popularity. From the autumn of 2007 the festival will also embrace a film and animation element with support from Cherwell Animation Station.


4. The Buzzed

Those who witness, at first hand, what addiction can do to others, are least likely to fall victim to drugs. Powerful and believable drama can be as effective as real life experience in forming attitudes.

On the morning of her 10th birthday, CHARLOTTE sees the news of her own death, on the local TV from a heroin overdose at the age of 22. As her father emotionally appeals to other parents to educate themselves about drugs, Charlotte's Mum turns off the TV and tells her to get on with her homework.

A childish fantasy, or a chilling premonition of a fait accompli?

Like Alice, Charlotte sets out on a strange and puzzling journey. This turns out to be the world of her own future where she meets her older self, at the ages of thirteen; eighteen; and twenty-two on a one way street to addiction. To young Charlotte, her older selves seem more like strangers. To them, Charlotte is nothing, but a distant memory. They invite her to experience the 'ultimate buzz' - heroin. She meets her future boy-friend with whom she is to leave her parental home. She comes face to face with herself as a single mother who is caught in a perpetual and lonely battle with addiction whilst struggling to raise her two year old daughter, Lucy. At the end of her journey, on her 10th birthday, Charlotte becomes determined that she will never lose control of her own destiny.

After eleven years of touring Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, a phenomenal one hundred thousand young adults have seen this powerful play. Cherwell Theatre Company is launching the first professional production of the play the next academic year, with a view to an even more extensive tour.