Blue Apple Theatre

Blue Apple Theatre's logo

Blue Apple Theatre is an award-winning inclusive theatre company based in Winchester, England. It was founded in 2005 by Jane Jessop to pioneer the inclusion of actors with intellectual disabilities on mainstream stages.^[1] In May 2012, six Blue Apple actors made history by touring a ground-breaking re-imagining of William Shakespeare's Hamlet around the South of England.^[2] They were the first actors with Down Syndrome to perform the play professionally.^[3]

In June 2012, Blue Apple Theatre was named as the 1000th winner of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service^[4] in recognition of the great efforts of its voluntary staff.

History

Blue Apple Theatre was founded in 2005 by Jane Jessop as an activity for the users of Winchester & District Mencap. About 20 actors with learning disabilities met every Monday evening at the Tower Arts Centre to learn about story and performance. The company's first show was a basic Variety show called "New Beginnings". It was such a success that the company put on a second show, "Born to Be Blue" that Christmas, and has created two full-scale productions a year ever since. The company now has over 60 members including actors, volunteers and freelance creatives. Jane Jessop is the Founding Director, and Louise Sarton is the Administrator.

Since Autumn 2009, Blue Apple's Artistic Director has been Peter Clerke,^[5] who has worked with the playwright William Jessop ^[6] to create various productions including promenade performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream to mark Blue Apple's fifth anniversary in June 2010,^[7] an original play called "Captain Miserable and the Book Guardian" for Christmas 2010, a lively comic adaptation of Gogol's The Government Inspector for Summer 2011, and a touring version of Hamlet for 2012.

Apple Cores

The Apple Core Actors

In Autumn 2009, Blue Apple Theatre introduced an intensive training scheme for professional actors. The "Apple Cores" create various theatre and dance productions for performance at local and national events such as the Winchester Hat Fair, Mencap conferences, and Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

In Autumn 2011, the six Apple Core actors (Four of the six have Downs's syndrome) created the company's first touring production, "Living Without Fear", which addressed the difficult subject of disability hate crime. The Hampshire Chronicle described the play as 'the most powerful production seen in Winchester for many years'.^[8] "Living Without Fear" had its second tour in March and April 2013.^[9] In March 2012, Blue Apple Theatre received funding from the Home Office for the filmmaker William Jessop to create a film adaptation of the play for and with Hampshire Constabulary.^[10]

In May 2012, the Apple Core actors created a radical new touring production of Hamlet.

Hamlet

The Cast of Blue Apple's Hamlet Tour

In 2012, Blue Apple received Arts Council England funding^[11] for its Core actors to tour a groundbreaking production of Hamlet to theatres across the South of England, playing at illustrious venues like the Minack Theatre in Cornwall and the Rose Theatre, Kingston. The production received positive reviews in The Stage^[12] and the Hampshire Chronicle.

The role of Hamlet was played by the Down Syndrome TV actor Tommy Jessop, who starred in Coming Down the Mountain and has appeared in Holby City, Casualty, Monroe and Doctors. The other actors were Anna Brisbane, Ros Davies, James Elsworthy, Katy Francis and Lawrie Morris.

At the end of June 2012, the Core actors returned to the main company for three performances of "Hamlet" at the Theatre Royal, Winchester.

The story of Blue Apple's Hamlet is the subject of a feature documentary, "Growing Up Down's".^[13][14]

Other work

As well as producing plays, Blue Apple Theatre makes films including the training video "Freddie's Story", which is being used by the National Health Service in hospitals across Britain,^[15] and runs an award-winning dance programme led by choreographer Jo Harris.

References

External links

• Official website