Previous shows

Sun 15th - Wed 18th, Fri 20th - Sun 22nd, Wed 25th - Sun 29th July 2001

Punk meets Disco in an energetic musical romp through Shakespeare's battle of the sexes comedy.

I have seen at least three stage versions of The Taming of the Shrew and every time Kate, the female lead, has either had her spirit broken or merely become the voice of her husband. When I read the play I felt Kate and Petruchio were equals, with the potential to learn from each other and revel in the spirit they both possess. That is what you will see in this performance.
We decided to set the action in 1979 - our winter of discontent - to refelct the fact that the play was written for Elizabeth 1st during her time of polictical dissent.

Enjoy the energy, the passion and the rage.

Dani Doughty - Director.

Vigorous stab at Shakespeare comedy

Crude Apache attacks Shakespeare's controversy of the sexes with a vigour that warms your heart as darkness falls and the air grows colder. Perhaps a little more grace, a touch more elegance would not come amiss in the romance, but energy and commitment are good substitutes.
These qualities come above all from Leighton Williams' Petruchio. With the limbs of a spider, a hairstyle borrowed from a thistle, he attacks difficulties with a brave heart and a character several degrees above proof.
Panda is a contrast who, of course becomes a match, a rare round-bundled spite who uses her fists and knees as well as her tongue.
Some of the dialogue could do with a bit more projection in this open-air production, but the five piece band adds what becomes the essential musical dimension.

Christopher Smith
Eastern Daily Press

Cast:

Lucentio : Tom Bombadil
Tranio : Nicki Dixon
Baptista : Jenny Belsey & Dani Doughty
Katherina : Panda
Bianca : Jo Moore
Gremio : Jo Edye
Hortensio : Russell L. Turner
Biondello : Russell J. Turner
Petruchio : Leighton Williams
Grumio : Richard Brook
Curtis & Widow : Ann Charles
Pedant : Ben Dalley
Vincentio : David Tyrrell

Guitar : Tim Lane
Keybaords : Chris Hylton
Saxophone : Jo Worley
Drums : Tim Dew
Bass : James Bateman

Director : Dani Doughty
Producers : Rascal & Gromore
Stage manager : Gill Emanuel
ASM : Caroline Golding
Set Design : Gill Evans & Jerry Hough
Shifters : Jo Moore, Chris Hylton, Chris Phillips & Julie Curl.
Costume : Amanda Purple
Musical Director : Tim Lane
Music and Lyrics : Time Lane & Panda Monium
Sound : Chris Bond
Publicity : Russell J. Turner & Tom Carver
Stage Crew : Neon tribe, Sam Webbon, Karen Hibberd, Suzanne Fossey, Jo Thompson.

A clash of cultures, a family at war - a tale of love and betrayal
brought to stunning life in the imposing surroundings of Norwich's Dragon Hall.

This prequel to 'Boudicca', set in the early years of the East Anglian warrior Queen's life, was penned by Duncan Rowe and Panda and judged a great success for the company by all.

Despite the threat of cold weather keeping audiences away from the impressive, but unheated, 15th Century Dragon Hall, audience numbers were good and the play was well recieved. People were warned in the pre-show publicity to 'wrap up warm, and bring a cushion to sit on'!

The 'promenade' style of the performance brought a unique and involving perspective:

Panda wrote:

"Promenade theatre has always interested me because it gives every member of the audience a truly unique perspective. During this show you will not see every nuance of expression or movement; just like real life you will only observe things from a particular angle. Promenade is also marvellously informal - sliding around on a cushion on the floor is a great leveller. Please feel free to stand, sit, crawl, wriggle, scratch, twitch, laugh, join in and, oh yes, applaud."

The Eastern Evening News of 21/11/01 featured an article on Duncan by James Bigg:

The show goes on for writer.

"A Playwright from Norwich has overcome a terrifying health scare to attend tonight's opening of his latest production.
Duncan Rowe, 33, suffered a heart attack after an evening out and had to be rushed to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital for emergency treatment. Subsequent tests revealed that Mr. Rowe suffers from a rare genetic disorder that causes his arteries to block, but he has battled back from the brink of death to witness the first night of Celtic drama Cunobelin at Dragon Hall on King Street.
Before the heart attack in early August, Mr. Rowe was meant to be jetting out to Beirut with wife, Sam, to take up a job teaching history.
Now he has delayed his trip while the knock-on effects of the Septenber 11th bombings subside. Instead he can go to the first night of Cunobelin which he co-wrote."

Other points to note were some very effective set-piece speeches by the characters punctuated and emphasised by drumming from the Chorus, an impressive sword fight between rivals Aricia and Eurgaine with sparks flying and fine performances from the children in the cast. Less fun was a damaged arm received by Andy 'the famous one-armed Togodomnus' Bennett during a fight scene on the first night and a break in to one of the cars in the Dragon Hall car park from which a camera containing many photographs of the cast was stolen.

The Britain of Cunobelin was split into numerous tribes. Each tribe was ruled by its own leader, had their own customs and a very definite sense of their own independence. However, the Celtic tribes did have many things in common such as language, religion and lifestyle.

Power lay in the hands of leading personalities within the family groups that made up an individual tribe, these were in turn ruled by the Ricon who would have been elected by an assembly of the tribe.

In general tribes were run by men but there are plenty of documented cases of women ruling, the most famous being Aricia of the Brigantes and of course Boudica of the Iceni. Celtic women fought alongside the men of the tribe and played an active part in all decision-making within a tribe.

Celtic society was warlike with considerable emphasis being placed on fighting. Tribes constantly squabbled with their neighbours and border disputes and cattle-raiding were a part of everyday life.

Internally the tribes were controlled by a powerful sense of personal honour. In a society that placed considerable emphasis on personal reputation, slurs on honour were to be avoided at all costs. Strong family bonds and obligations meant that the threat of blood feuds was never far away and the seriousness attributable to giving offence had a restraining effect on behaviour.

Central to understanding the Celts are the Druids. But who were they? Priest, magician, seer, vision-poet, shaman, judge and doctor. Somewhere in the midst of all these modern terms lies the role and function of the Druids. The degree of Roman animosity towards the Druids, which resulted in the virtual genocide of their order, serves as a testament to their fear of the Druids influence and power.

The Druids were the one element in Celtic society that freely passed between different tribes. As keepers of knowledge they were consulted to help solve disputes, both large and small, domestic or inter-tribal. Travelling with a Druid ensured a Chiefs safety in the camp of an enemy. This diplomatic immunity made them central to any negotiations between tribes and must have considerably increased their power and influence. In Julius Caesar's accounts of his conquest of Gaul he writes of the Druids silent, trance-like presence during meetings with Celtic Chiefs.

Cunobelin made the Catuvellauni tribe the most powerful tribe in Britain, which he did by conquering or cajoling his neighbours into submission. His greatest achievement, however, was in maintaining the delicate balance between encouraging Roman trade while limiting their political influence in Britain. Too great an independence would have made him a direct threat to the Empire while too much accommodation to Roman demands would have undermined his authority. The sheer weight of his personality kept the Catuvellauni powerful during his lifetime but stored up problems for his successor. His long decline into death meant it was a poisoned chalice that he passed onto his children.

From a Celtic perspective the great tragedy of this period was that personal vendettas dictated political decisions and thereby undermined their collective strength. There was no concerted Celtic unity against the Romans until it was too late.

The plot centres around the struggle for control of the most powerful Celtish tribe in pre-Roman Britain, the Catuvellauni. While their chieftain, Cunobelin, lies on his death-bed, his four children fight to succeed him. A proverbial cat among the pigeons arrives in the shape of Subidasto, chieftain of the Norfolk-based Iceni tribe and father to Boudicca. He and his druid attempt to turn the siblings against each other to gain concessions for themselves.

Alliances are made and broken, marriages are brokered and emotions reach a height as the play twists and turns towards the climax. Who will succeed Cunobelin and can they keep the Roman Empire at bay?

Cast:

Togodomnus - Andy Bennett
Aricia - Abi Dent
Eurgaine - Sharon Horth
Caelte - Tim Lane
Adminius - Mark O'Polo
Subidasto - Russell J. Turner
Gwenna - Rosie Walker
Caradoc - Leighton Williams

Felix Keenan-Arculus
Laurence Blamey
Rebekah Caputo
Gill Emanuel
Lottie Evans
Alex Frost
Amanda Frost
Levi Godolphin
Evie Montagu-Shaw
Jakob Montagu-Shaw

Jenny Belsey
Ann Charles
Ben Dalley
Harry Matthews
Steven Rayner
Julie Waterman
Tracy Wild

Crew:

Director - Panda
Script - Duncan Rowe & Panda
Musical Director - Joe Sanger
Lighting - Neon Tribe & Chris Bond
Set - Gill Evans
Stage Management - Nicki Dixon & Gromore
Costume - Amanda Harrold
Fights and armour - Tim Wilson
Make-up & hair - Rachael Drewitt, Catherine Frost & Julie Waterman
Jewellery - Beaujangles
Publicity - Tom Carver
Photographs - Bert Eke
Producer - Jo Edye

And thanks to:

Saffron Paffron, Sam Rowe, Sally Matthews, Sarah Field, Chas Rabey, Jerry Hough, Neil Sigsworth and Dragon Hall, David Fulman and Norwich Labour Club, Dave Popkin, Paul & Rosie at the Billy Bluelight,Tom Francis, Karen Hibberd, Suzanne Fossey, Margaret Beckett, Charlotte Arculus, Sarah Montagu, Amanda Trendell, Nick Warburton, Bert Eke, Gareth Jervis, David Tyrell, Harry Harrold, Jon Creek, Christine Marshall and Wells Field Study Centre, Norfolk County Council, Norwich Arts Centre, the two Turner families as ever and anyone else who has unwittingly helped our dastardly plans.

Light Shining in Buckinghamshire.

by Caryl Churchill

The play is set in England during the years 1640 to 1660, a time usually known as the English Civil War or English Revolution. Histories of this period tend to concentrate on the great battles won and lost, the execution of the King and the final triumph of Cromwell, which would lead eventually to the establishment of Parliamentary democracy. However there is another version of this history: where radical groups such as the Levellers. Diggers and Ranters flourished during a time of great social upheaval, spreading revolutionary political, religious and economic ideas; where ordinary men and women felt empowered to take over their own lives; where people looked forward to the imminent return of Christ and the establishment of heaven on Earth; and where Cromwell's final triumph was not a victory for the people but a betrayal of them .

We can view the play as a social commentry mirroring trends in our own time, as an indictment of authoritarian capitalism, or simply as an entertaining piece of theatre. Whatever, please sit back and enjoy.

Russell J Turner - Director.

DARK, bleak, uncompromising... can anything possibly dispel the gloom of 17th Century England in the middle of the English Revolution?
Crude Apache can.
This illuminating adaptation of Caryl Churchill's murky drama is performed with a crafted professionalism.
Forget the stage, director Russell J Turner brings this play to the floor of the hall. And rather than succumb to spot lit scrutiny the six-strong cast merely revel in it.
They prove that you don't need an enormous West End stage and all its accompaniments to produce real theatre.
The Norwich based troupe flit effortlessly between the numerous elements of this often confusing text, lifting and placing props quickly without distracting its perilously close audience.
It was difficult to pick out a stiking individual amoungst the talented cast; each handled the difficult script well.
Turner also varies the actor playing each part, he says not to confuse but to "create the impression of a larger group living through turbulent times".
The themes persist today; anarchy, revolution, religion, bigotry, discrimination and class.
I found myself wondering where more than two hours went and, indeed, the only disappointing thing about this local adaptation was that not enough punters had taken the time to fill the seats and appreciate such a performance

Orla Moore.

Jeremy Bartholomew
Andy Bennett
Abi Dent
Tom Grey
Leighton Williams
Sam Wright

Director : Russell J Turner
Producers : Rascal & Panda
Stage manager : Ann Charles
Lighting : Jo Edye, Panda Monium & Russell J Turner
Publicity : Tom Carver

A radical re-working of Shakespeare's classic war drama.

As one of Shakespeare's best known and most popular plays, Henry V comes with a certain amount of audience expectation. In mounting this production, we realised that it would be impossible to please everyone. Our rather aggressive cutting of the text will not be to the purists' taste, our mix and match approach to design + costume will irritate the historians and our casting may be somewhat unexpected. Since the opening of the Globe in London there has been a trend towards all male casts in Shakespearean productions. We decided to take a different tack, and completely ignore gender in casting our production, believing that a good actor, of whatever sex, is capable of portraying any part whether that role be male or female. We hope we have succeeded in creating an accessible production that entertains a 21st century audience while keeping to the spirit of the play. Henry V is a wonderful, stirring piece filled with patriotism, poetry and lots of blood - a fine mix, we hope you will agree, for a sunny summer evening.

Jo Edye - Co-Director.

 

The English Andy Bennett - Ely / Bates
Richard Brook - Exeter
Joe B - Boy
Jon Creek - Canterbury / Williams
Steven Rayner - Erpingham
Leighton Williams - Fluellen
Sam Wright - Henry V
Sam Wheeler-Brown - Bedford

The French
Ian Brownlie - French King
Ben Dalley - Rambures
Nicki Dixon - The Dauphin
Gill Emanuel - Orleans
Dugald Ferguson - Montjoy
Sharon Horth - Bourbon
Russell J. Turner - Constable of France

Chorus - Jo Edye
Drum and Pipe - Panda
other parts played by members of the cast

 

Adapted, directed and produced by Jo Edye + Panda
production team: Amanda Purple, Amanda Harrold, Bonnie Wylding + Jo Thompson
Publicity: Tom Carver

Crude Apache would like to thank: David Fulman and Norwich Labour Club, Tim Wilson, Tim Lane, Harry Harrold and the Tribe, Hoopers Army Surplus, Cathie Davis, Helen Selleck + Norwich City Council, Turners of various sexes, ages and denominations, Ann Charles, Jane Wheeler-Brown for the taxi service and Sven-Goran, for allowing us our brief dream.

"more fun than you can shake a very large stick at....

Introduced by:
Thursday - Tim Lane
Friday - Tom Carver
Saturday - Andy Bennett

The Joke
Performed by - Andy Bennett

Afterlife
Written and performed by - Elliot Stewart and Chris Hylton

Poetry
Written and performed by - President Gas

A musical interlude
Thursday - Tim Lane
Friday - Jo Sanger and Alan Southgate

Improvisation
Performed by - Elliot, Debbie, Gemma and Paul

Wash and Go

A short film written and directed by Nick Warburton

Ruthie

Written and directed by - Gill Emanuel
Performed by - Julie Waterman-Drake, Jo Moore and Chris Hylton
Voice of the Judge - Duncan Rowe

Surrealist Electronica from the keyboards of The Internal Telephone Company

Written and Performed by - Chris Bond, Nicki Dixon and Chris Hylton
1. Etude in Bminor with Clattering
2. Children of the Corridors
3. Duchamps (The Given)

The Cryptonerd
Arranged and Performed by - Leighton Williams, Tim Lane and Jo Worley.
1. Distant Sun (L. Williams)
2. Craw (L. Williams)
3. Wild is the place where my true love grows (L. Williams)

Revelations

Written and Performed by - Elliot Stewart and Chris Hylton

Live Tonite...
A short film by Jo Edye

The Tale of Golgafranchan

Written by - Steve Pank
Directed by - Jo Moore
Performed by - The Upper Kingsbottom Players

Sympathy for the Devil?
The First Great Tragedy Retold - With Songs!

A dark musical comedy telling the story of Lucifer's expulsion from Heaven that will have John Milton spinning in his grave. As the former Angel of Light wrestles with the ineffable nature of God, Angels and Demons sing and dance whilst Adam and Eve act like proto tele-tubbies.

"Well I've always wanted to write a musical, so here it is. Although all the real donkey work has been done in the last 18 months, I started writing The Fall Guy five years ago during a rather dark time in my life. In the last few months as the final production has come together I believe the rather bleak nativity of the show is reflected in what you are about to watch tonight. I have described it as a dark musical comedy but despite the tom-foolery, at its heart the show presents Lucifer as a tragic figure who has less control over his life than he belives to be the case, a situation that I certainly recognise. I hope it will make you laugh, tap your feet, and go home with Joe Sanger's fantastic tunes wedged in your brain, and maybe you will find a little sympathy for the Devil."

Tim Lane - Writer & Director in The Fall Guy programme.

 

Jeremy Bartholomew - Mephistopheles
Jenny Belsey - Hench-Demon & Tap Dancing Angel
Andy Bennett - Adam
Ben Dalley - John Milton & Angel Nicki Dixon - Eve
Duncan Rowe - Archangel Gabriel
Dani Sheils - God
Russell J. Turner - Beelzebub
Julie Waterman-Drake - Hench-Demon & Angel
Sam Wheeler-Brown - News Cameraman & Angel
Leighton Williams - Lucifer
Jo Worley - News Technician & Tap Dancing Angel

Chris Hylton - Keyboards
Tim Lane - Guitar
Panda Monium - Bass
Joe Sanger - Keyboards
Trevor Simpson - Violin
Paul Weston - Drums

 

Gill Emanuel - Stage Manager
Sparky - Stage Crew
Amanda Purple - Costumes
Gill Francis - Set Design
Nick Warburton - Ms. Sheil's Suitcase
Chris Bond - Sound
Jo Edye & Neon Tribe - Lighting & Effects
Sherrif Tom Carver - Publicity
Charles Oswald Raaby - Trapdoor Construction
Jo Moore - Producer
Ann Charles - Assistant Director
Joe Sanger - Musical Director
Tim Lane - Director

Script & Lyrics - Tim Lane
Music - Joe Sanger
Rudolph Spurling - Script Editor


Military Costumes supplied by Hoopers.

David Fullman and all at Norwich Labour Club, Ruth Charles, Anmanda and Harry Harrold, The Waterloo Park Pavillion and all at Norwich Arts Centre.
Special thanks and best wishes for the future to Pam Reekie for her support of Crude Apache over the years.

No stuffed animals were harmed during this production