Sell a Door Theatre Company

Sell a Door Theatre Company

Sell a Door Theatre Company logo
Address Athelney House, 161-165 Greenwich High Road, London, SE10 8JA
Greenwich
England
Opened 2008
Website
www.selladoor.com

Sell a Door Theatre Company is a West End and UK regional touring theatre company based in Greenwich, London, and company in residence at the Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, Scotland.

History

Sell a Door was formed in 2008 by Alison Carter, Robert Gilbert, David Hutchinson, Aysha Powell and Phillip Rowntree, who were all students at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Its primary focus was to harbour and encourage new writing. The company's début production, The Secrets Inside, written by Hutchinson and directed by Richard Adams, was presented at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Hutchinson was appointed Artistic Director following that production, with Rowntree as Managing Director. Naomi Symeou joined as General Manager in 2013.

Sell a Door soon moved into producing regional touring theatre, starting with a UK Tour of Liz Lochhead's adaptation of Dracula, and the first UK tour of punk-rock musical Spring Awakening. In 2011, the company produced the centenary tour of William Golding's The Lord of the Flies, touring Scotland, England and Wales. Sell a Door also produces an annual Off West End season at the Greenwich Theatre. Recent shows include the London revival of Alan Bennett's The History Boys and Tim Kelly's adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Sell a Door moved to London in 2009 where it now has its head office at Athenley House on Greenwich High Road. The company has since been offered residency at the newly built Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock beginning in 2013, when the company will become a multi-site company with an office on the West coast of Scotland too.[1]

In December 2012 Sell a Door made their West End debut with a production of Seussical, written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, at the Arts Theatre.

In November 2013, Sell a Door was officially made partner theatre company of the Greenwich Theatre and announced that their 2014 season at the South-East London venue would include Avenue Q, Kidnapped and Alice in Wonderland.

Earlier productions

The Secrets Inside

The Secrets Inside follows the imprisonment of Darren Tunstall, a 23-year-old businessman who is sentenced to 8 months in Perth prison, Scotland for possessing indecent images of children. The play follows the rocky relationship between the protagonist and his cellmate, Brian, a volatile inmate. The piece was met with complimentary reviews which described Sell a Door as "... an undiscovered gem..." (Remotegoat)[2] and the piece as "honest" (Three Weeks) in reference to the UK's dysfunctional prison system.[3]

Planning Permission

Planning Permission was Sell a Door's second new writing project, and premièred at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool. The one-act farce, written by David Hutchinson, explores modern stereotypes and how they bleed into even the most innocent parties, in this case a community council meeting of elected representatives. The production marked the beginning of a relationship between Sell a Door and the Unity Theatre, which has since yielded numerous projects. Planning Permission was met with critical praise including: "a very strong production...These bitter-sweet monologues are the highlights of the play and where Hutchinson has allowed his imagination to flesh out his creations." (Liverpool Daily Post)[4]

Six Ways - a new musical

Six Ways was Sell a Door's first new musical, written by David Hutchinson, Paddy Clarke and Michael Bradley. The musical explored three relationships as they struggle with ambition, adultery and addiction - trying to establish the perfect relationship status. The original cast featured Victoria Hardy, Sam Thackray, Katie Bernstein, Paddy Clarke, Terri O'Ryan and Adam Search. It premiered at George Square as part of their Edinburgh 2009 season. Direction was by Gillian Lemon, with design by David Woodhead and lighting and sound by James Haining. The piece received positive reviews: "Six Ways will touch your heart in a number of ways..." (Broadway Baby)[5] "I struggle to find the words for how much I love this"...(Curtain Up)[6] and was voted number 1 musical to watch at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Following the successful run of Six Ways in Edinburgh, it transferred to the Jermyn Street Theatre in London with Take Note Theatre Company under the direction of David Hutchinson, for three dates in September 2009, with Emily Barlow joining the cast in the place of Terri O'Ryan.

Falsettoland

Falsettoland, written by William Finn and James Lapine, performed in the UK for only the second time as part of Sell a Door Theatre Company's 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Season. Performing in rep with Six Ways, Falsettoland performed at the George Square venue in August 2009. The cast included Victoria Hardy, Sam Thackray, Phillip Rowntree, Scott Weston, Paddy Clarke, Katie Bernstein and Terri O'Ryan. The piece received five stars from The Scotsman along with positive reviews: "The cast are confident and talented, filling every crevice of the george 2 hut with sound"...(Broadway Baby)[7] and "sheer brilliance" (Broadwayworld).[8]

UK tours

Dracula UK Tour

Dracula was revived by Sell a Door Theatre Company in 2010 to mark the 25th anniversary of this adaptation by Scottish playwright Liz Lochhead. The production opened at the Palace Theatre (Kilmarnock) in October 2010 and went on to tour to a further eleven Scottish venues including Theatre Royal, Dumfries, Albert Halls, Stirling and Arts Guild Theatre (Greenock). Dracula then transferred to the Greenwich Playhouse in London where it played for a month to sell out audiences. The production was directed by Artistic Director David Hutchinson, choreographed by Carl Vorwerk with an original score composed by David Ben Shannon. Cast included Laura Black, Daisy Burns, Alex Pritchett, Louis J. Parker, Louise Munro, Ellis J Wells, Sophie Holland, Matthew Grace and Kieran Hennigan.

Spring Awakening debut UK Tour

Spring Awakening was toured across the UK by Sell a Door for the first time in 2011. Directed by Pete Gallagher, choreographer by Cressida Carre and musically directed by Michael Bradley - the tour visited venues in Exeter, Stirling, Edinburgh, Manchester, London and Norwich. The production featured a cast of 11 and was produced on behalf of Sell a Door by David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree. Reviews include "... (The Stage)"[9] ***** (Remotegoat)[10]

A Taste of Honey UK Tour

A Taste of Honey was toured to the Palace Theatre, Mansfield, Buxton Opera House and Greenwich Theatre in spring 2011. Directed by Bart Williams, the production starred Jill Regan, Sean Buchanon, Jay Marsh, Sara Mason and Robert Southworth and produced by David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree. [11]

Lord of the Flies UK Tour

Lord of the Flies opened on 25 September 2011 at the Mull Theatre with Robert Sladden starring as Ralph, David Shopland as Piggy, David Hutchinson as Roger and Matthew Grace as Simon. Following a break over Christmas, the company relaunched the tour with Ben Wiggins as Ralph, Daniel Buckley as Piggy and David Eaton taking over as Roger[12] Produced by David Hutchinson and directed by Simon Pollard, designed by Richard Evans with choreography by Nicola London;

The Man Who Had All the Luck UK Tour

The Man Who Had All the Luck was a co-production between Sell a Door and the Mull Theatre with support from Creative Scotland. The tour was directed by Artistic Director David Hutchinson and designed by Sell a Door associate Richard Evans. The tour opened at the Mull Theatre on 25 September 2012 and tours twenty three venues from Orkney to Greenwich Theatre in London. The cast includes Stephen Bisland, Megan Elizabeth Pitt, Edward Corrie, Richard Morse, Kenny Blyth, John Clyde, Iain Ormsby-Knox, Karen Bartke and Christopher Anderton[13]

Recent productions

Avenue Q

Avenue Q (music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty). The production was directed and choreographed by Cressida Carré, set designed by Richard Evans and lighting designed by Charlie Morgan Jones. Recent college graduate Princeton moves to Avenue Q filled with hopes and dreams and in search of his purpose. What he finds is Gary Coleman fixing the toilets, girl next door Kate Monster and her unfulfilled dreams for a Monsterssori school, internet sexpert Trekkie Monster and closet gay Republican Rod. With songs such as "The Internet is for Porn" and "Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist", these funny, fuzzy characters teach Princeton about real life in a mixture of flesh, felt and heart. The show toured after its initial run at the Greenwich Theatre, where it played from April 23 to May 11. After, it began a 22-week tour of the UK, including performances at the Princess Theatre, Torquay, the Palace Theatre, Manchester and G Live in Guildford.[14]

Seussical

Produced in the Winters of 2012 and 2013, Seussical was Sell A Door's first West End Production. Written by Tony Award Winners Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens with additional input from Eric Idle, Seussical, bring the magical “thinks” of Dr Seuss to the stage. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books, but included characters like Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat and The Grinch.[14]

Kidnapped UK Tour

Adapted by emerging playwright Ivan Wilkinson, Sell a Door Theatre Company launched their 2014 season with this highly imaginative re-telling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story. Set against the fierce social and political backdrop of 1750s Scotland, this gripping, fast paced adventure tells the story of Davie Balfour as he survives shipwreck and murder to dramatically escape to the Highlands of Scotland.

Audience engagement and young adults

Sell a Door has a longstanding history of work for/with children and young people and strong links with youth arts, education forums and the formal education sector in the regions. By producing, presenting and touring, Sell A Door engages aims to engage new audience members, both youth (who are the primary focus; ages 16–25), and adults. Sell A Door is aware that there is an age gap in active theatre goers and aims to find what brings people to the theatre and what makes them return.

Co-productions

Sell a Door was made associate theatre company with the Beacon Arts Centre in 2013 and the thirty-two venue tour of 1984 premiered and opened at the Beacon, marking the first production. The Beacon in turn became partner theatre company with the Greenwich Theatre in London, offering us a viable London transfer for our Scottish tours, and allowing us to bring and champion work in the English capital. In addition, Sell A Door has co-partnered with Mull Little Theatre on 2012 tour of The Man Who Had All The Luck.

Past productions

Notes

  1. ↑ "Five Years of Sell a Door". The Herald. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
  2. ↑ http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/review_view.php?uid=2446
  3. ↑ http://edinburgh.threeweeks.co.uk/review/5530&srch=secrets+inside
  4. ↑ http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-arts/2009/05/18/review-planning-permission-at-liverpool-s-unity-theatre-92534-23646424/2/
  5. ↑ http://www.broadwaybaby.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4389:six-ways&catid=46:current-edinburgh-festival
  6. ↑ http://curtain-up.blogspot.com/
  7. ↑ http://www.broadwaybaby.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=46:current-edinburgh-festival&id=3575:falsettoland&Itemid=66
  8. ↑ http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Edinburgh_Festical_2009_REVIEW_FALSETTOLAND_George_Square_2_August_11_20090811
  9. ↑ http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/32242/spring-awakening
  10. ↑ http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/review_view.php?uid=6981
  11. ↑ "A Taste of Honey UK Tour". Newspaper. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
  12. ↑ "Lord of the Flies UK Tour". Newspaper. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
  13. ↑ "The Man Who Had All the Luck UK Tour". Newspaper. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  14. 1 2 "Sell A Door Theatre Company". http://www.selladoor.com. External link in |website= (help);

External links

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