- November 2008
It's EXTREME. It's TERRIFYING. It's MILDLY PERILOUS. Buckle your seatbelts. Pull on your crash-helmets. Fill out your risk assessments. And welcome to the brand new sketch show from the pens of seasoned Cambridge comedians Will Hensher, David Isaacs, Lucien Young and Tom Ovens. This is the fast-acting, long-lasting, zero-calorie show which guarantees all-year-round protection and cleans, even beneath the rim. Ladies and gentlemen, we present SCENES OF MILD PERIL. Bring your own defibrillators.
- November 2008
Frank is an English professor with the Open University. He has taken the job for the money, drinks, and is a terrible teacher. Rita is a loud, Liverpudlian hairdresser- and she wants to learn ‘everything’. When Rita tumbles- literally- into Frank’s office, an unlikely relationship develops between the two. Comic, yet at times deeply poignant, Willy Russell’s “Educating Rita” follows the developing friendship between the couple, highlighting the issues of class divide, human relationships, and the value of education. Whilst Frank may be the educated one, it is clear that Rita has a thing or two to teach him.
- November 2008
Based on the book, 84 Charing Cross Road is a collection of letters between a poor writer and an antique bookshop owner in London. Throughout the twenty years of their correspondence, the two become friends, they exchange more than simple ordering letters; talk about their lives, send each other presents, learn from one another. The letters are a testimony of a lifestyle, a time and simply of the lives of two people at two ends of the globe.
- June 2008
'Hell is - other people.' In one of the 20th Century's most prominent and philosophical plays we see how three intriguing characters; a lesbian, a woman desperate for the touch of a male, and a man agonised by his cowardice; each face an eternity of cruel self-realisation. Set against the eloquent backdrop of a Second Empire style drawing room, Sartre's haunting depiction of Hell manages to stimulate the audience's thoughts, as we are forced to question our ideas on the meaning of life.
- May 2008
- April 2008
Rachel and Peter are seventeen. They have been going out for six months and its love’s young dream. Then Rachel gets ill. She doesn’t want her mum to fuss; she doesn’t want Alice to pretend to be her best friend; and she certainly doesn’t want Alice’s boyfriend telling bad jokes at her bedside. The only person she wants is Peter, but Peter doesn’t know what he wants. 'When You Cure Me' is a bittersweet and poignant tale of love and misunderstanding, a story about discovering that what you say and do can be very different from what you think and feel.
- March 2008
- February 2008
'If I could grow six inches and be as fat as I am now I'd be really tall and thin.'
Jo wishes she could be the object of men's desires. Mary wishes she wasn't. Celia just wants to use the bathroom. Low Level Panic examines in detail the emotions and opinions of three 20-something flatmates in an inspiring journey through insecurity, self-consciousness, and bitterness, eased by an accompaniment of wit and entertaining jokes.
This one act play is typical of the late 80’s drama of London’s Royal Court Theatre, as it demonstrates the tribulations of these three young women dealing with the issues of personality, partying and pornography. The script offers a wide creative scope for both cast and crew, as the audience is transported from the familiar setting of a bathroom, to the more obscure places of the characters’ memories and thoughts. The combination of naturalistic interaction between the characters, and the more abstract monologues and soliloquies provide an excellent showcase of the actors’ talents, whereas the abrupt transformation from the realistic to the not-so-real affords a fantastic opportunity for the technical side of the production to shine through.
This engaging production with its mature humour will amuse a later evening audience, and will be sure to be a resounding success.
- November 2007
The scheming fraudster Tartuffe has weaselled his way into the house (and heart) of Orgon, a wealthy old man whose desire to emulate his 'saintly' friend has resulted in giving Tartuffe almost all of his possessions. Not content with Orgon's monetary gifts (and the offer of marrying his daughter Marianne) Tartuffe attempts to seduce Orgon's wife, Elmire, who is having none of it. With the entire household desperate to reveal Tartuffe's true nature to the deluded Orgon (and his even more deluded mother Mme Pernelle) they set up a trap to catch him out. Orgon finally sees things for what they truly are...but is it too late?
- October–November 2007
"The tale of the impossible. A house with its own soul. A death. A resurrection. A moor’s pestilential environment. A house that outwardly manifests the crumbling nature of Roderick’s inner decay."
A hypnotizing new production of Steven Berkoff’s extraordinary adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s, “febrile fantastical story that served as an occult tale for our voices and senses, to find their expression through”. Physical theatre pushed to the limits, a deeply chilling soundtrack and haunting film images combine to create a late night gothic spectacle.
Incest, catalepsy, premature burial, and mental disorder, “no, not madness. More an ability to see beyond madness… May I tell you something, may I? One step nearer the light and you have genius. One step nearer the dark and you have madness. Between the two is an indefinable region”. May I tell you something……?
- June 2007
"'Yes'" "But why 'yes'?" "That's why 'yes' " "And what if I say 'no'?" What happens when a frightened old man marries a young flirtatious girl? Lorca's lesser known play 'The Love of Don Perlimpin and Belisa in the Garden' takes centre stage in the haven of Homerton College. Spanish passion infiltrates this magical fairytale, complete with flamenco dancing, puppetry and sumptuous costumes. A touchingly tender romance unfolds but all is not as it seems. Take your pick between a matinee performance from 2pm - 3pm and one from 8.30pm-9.30 at sunset, both June 19th. Let the magic begin!
- March 2007
A Shakespearean masterpiece of the highest order, Romeo and Juliet know all about love, hate and passion. But two worlds exist: one of dignity and tradition, where appearance is everything and the family is king; and one of fantasy, overshadowed by the lovers’ morbid destiny. Don’t expect a mere portrayal of a classic; this new HATS production delivers a powerfully colourful spectacle, which entices both artistically and emotionally.
- February 2007
An Englishman, an Irishman and an American are locked up in a cell in the Middle East. McGuinness explores the way these individuals cope with their struggles and reveals the survival mechanisms inherent in human nature. The result is a humorous and deeply moving piece of theatre in which the character relationships and dynamics that develop are fascinating to watch. In our current political climate this play is not only poignant but it also offers an insight into the reality of what some prisoners might face. It is a compelling portrayal of three characters who show determination not only to survive but to retain their sanity and identity in the most challenging of circumstances.
- January 2007
In conjunction with Amnesty International peripheral vision, a devised and fully collaborative project incorporating an exciting range of media from film and testimony to poetry and music, will look at the experience of displacement in the twenty-first century.
- November 2006
“Dear Diary, Since you and I will be great friends, I will start by telling you about myself…”
A dramatisation which successfully captures the spirit of a teenage girl pre-occupied with film stars and boys and the energy and enthusiasm for life so evident in the diary which immortalised Anne Frank.
Tense and poignant yet hopeful throughout, this account of the years Anne endured in hiding with her family and four others explores their day to day survival in a cramped and strained environment.
Despite cat allergies, cigarette cravings and rotting potatoes a tragically overwhelming sense of optimism prevails from a girl whose life was turned upside down yet still had the faith and maturity to believe “in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart".
Each show will be followed by a talk from a Holocaust survivor.
- July 2006
Anna has come to visit her old flatmate Kate and relive their carefree youth of twenty years before. But nostalgia turns to conflict and she is soon at war with Kate's filmmaker husband Deeley over his wife's affections. As Anna and Deeley battle using vintage songs and films as ammunition it becomes clear that no amount of duelling will win Kate over - it only serves to demonstrate the fragility of their happy memories and expose the rottenness of their present lives.
Nobel prizewinner Harold Pinter is at the height of his powers here. By turns lyrical and menacing, this play explores both the light and the dark side of looking back to Old Times.
- March 2006
Written just prior to her death, 4.48 Psychosis is Sarah Kane's final work. Throughout her career, Kane explored the boundaries of theatre and 4.48 Psychosis pinpoints her most drastic move away from conventional form. Without any discernible, regular plot and with no defined characters, it is a challenging and interesting piece of theatre. Through an interminable number of voices we explore the inner realms of the mind, and more specifically, a mind attempting to cope with depression. The voices are numerous, the perspectives multifarious and the language wide-ranging. This production is filled with colour, with sound, with movement and with emotion. Come and be challenged by this interesting, truly exciting piece of theatre.
- November 2005
Terry is waiting. Always waiting. But what is he waiting for? Happiness? Satisfaction? Death? Trapped in the 'perspex purgatory' of an airport waiting lounge he waits, confronted by strangers who stop him from doing what he wants to do - be alone. This new play seeks to examine what we mean by fear and loss through a series of seemingly meaningless conversations. Everyone discovers a secret, but only the audience know the truth.
- November 2005
'Orgy' is a shocking masterpiece by Italian filmmaker and playwright Pier Paolo Pasolini (Salo, the Gospel According to Matthew) that lays bare the seedy underside of middle-class existence.
- October 2005
The play tells the story of Jack, a proud Yorkshire miner and his long-suffering wife Liz, who, every September go to Blackpool for their holidays. As they look back over their lives during their final holiday, Jack and Liz remember Blackpool’s heyday of the 1950’s and 60’s creating a nostalgic, bittersweet comedy which is sure to evoke happy memories of family holidays by the seaside in a celebration of donkey rides and deckchairs, sun cream and sandcastles and of course, the good old British weather!
- June 2005
Who said 'Bugsy' was just for kids?
More details on this year's biggest (and messiest) May Week extravaganza coming soon...
- May 2005
"Clap hands for you and me and all of us whose voices count for nothing in this world." As a young boy awaits his release from prison after serving time for the murder of a child, a mother pushes her small daughter into a stage career in which the rule for success is "Talent, Teeth and Tits". Written at the time of the impending release of the Bulger killers, Peter Morris' controversial work was hailed by The Telegraph as "a brilliant play that begins by making you laugh and ends by making you shudder".
- March 2005
HATS in association with the Cambridge Mummers presents an innovative piece of new writing from a team including professional TV script writer Phil Gerard.
In a media-soaked world a few decades in the future, Ellie and Trent find themselves living under the same roof. The situation is far from ideal: whilst Ellie is a passionate campaigner, Trent is an American environment-eating businessman.
What Ellie and Trent don't realise is that they are meant for one another. Because they have been programmed as such. They are pixelated characters in an internet computer game, created by Conrad and Todd, a successful writing partnership who have been employed to oversee the game and can control their entire environment. The action moves between the 'real' world characters: the writers and the viewers at home, and the characters in the game.
A bizarre string of situations that Ellie and Trent are thrown into reveal that perhaps the viewers are not taking the game as seriously as Conrad and Todd had planned. Yet, Conrad and Todd soon realise they are dealing with another kind of resistance. A resistance from inside the game. How can this be explained? Can the computerised characters be behaving of their own accord? Is it possible…?
- February 2005
Relax with nibbles, jazz, and your favourite monologues performed to the
highest degree. From Shakespeare to Pinter, from Marlowe to Kane, old
favourites and modern classics alike – sit back, relax and watch some of
the funniest and most poignant monologues ever written.
This is a laid back event that’s bound to delight thesps and non-thesps
alike, and a great way to end your week.
Visit http://www.hatsdrama.co.uk for further details.
- November–December 2004
Kane's 'Cleansed' written midway through her infamous career on the cusp of her naturalistic and expressionistic phases, is perhaps the cruellest yet most redemptive of Kane's plays. It is a world where love is on trial but justice is aptly perverse and brutally ministered. Set in University buildings transformed into a sanatorium, Tinker's inmates kindle the personal and human within the institution, clinging onto scraps of faith, promise and trust where no values prevail and where ideals are defunct.
CLEANSED is presented as part of HATS's PLAYROOM DOUBLE BILL:
'The Pitchfork Disney' at 7pm
'Cleansed' at 9pm
every night November 30th - December 4th
- November–December 2004
The Pitchfork Disney is the first of Philip Ridley's grotesque and disturbing plays that were met with almost universal critical acclaim and revulsion in the nineties. In an East London flat the agoraphobic Stray twins live the world differently, surviving on chocolate and Barbiturate fuelled dreams of oblivion. A darkly comic play that unsettlingly reflects the tensions and contradictions of post-modern London life.
THE PITCHFORK DISNEY is presented as part of HATS's PLAYROOM DOUBLE BILL:
'The Pitchfork Disney' at 7pm
'Cleansed' at 9pm
every night November 30th - December 4th
- November 2004
Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest, is a triumphant comedy of magic, love, and forgiveness. The exiled duke Prospero uses his magic powers to guide his enemies to repentance, his attendants to freedom, and his daughter to marriage. An enchanting classic celebrating some of the most complex and exciting characters Shakespeare has written.
HATS and Blank Theatre Company, in association with the Amateur Dramatic Club, join forces to bring to the stage this brilliant play. Blank Theatre Company, Cambridge's first dedicated Theatre in Education company, specialize in infusing the plays of William Shakespeare with a new form of ensemble ‘total theatre’ – utilizing physical theatre, naturalism, mask theatre, puppetry, verse, music, dance and voice – often bringing new and remote forms of international theatre to the stage wherever it advances the clear and entertaining telling of a story. Be moved, be inspired, be entertained.
Praise for Blank Theatre: 'Servants and Masters', (Blank’s first production), breathed new and dynamic life into familiar Shakespearean territory through a battery of multimedia, physical theatre and musical techniques – a really exciting and accessible piece.’ (Steve Waters, playwright)
- November 2004
"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."
Government agencies and private companies are authorized to violate the
privacy of people everywhere. Powerful technical systems are being created
to monitor our lives, collecting, storing and processing enormous amounts
of personal data. Orwell’s description of a totalitarian society where the
Government has complete control, citizens are under 24hour surveillance and
pumped with endless propaganda seems not too far from our own society where
we exist in databases, learn from screens and are followed by CCTV. How can
we be truly free if we are always being watched? How can we trust the truth
when it comes to us through controlled mediums? This production of Orwell’s
infamous dystopian worldview will question the authority of our society
through a physical, contemporary, experimental and implicative theatrical
form. Utilising the immense space of Homerton Auditorium together with
extensive film work, this production will provide a total theatre experience probing questions of society, the individual, freedom and responsibility.
Nineteen Eighty-Four plays on November 16th, 18th & 20th, in repertoire with [SHOW:364] on November 15th, 17th & 19th.
- November 2004
‘Hear the hoofbeats of tomorrow,
See the golden futures rise.’
Peter Hall’s adaptation of ‘Animal Farm’ was first performed 20 years ago. Frenetic dialogue interpolated with narrative prose, set against Adrian Mitchell’s militant yet haunting music fires this play with different modes of expression; reflective, active and descriptive. This particular production adds further dimensions by combining cinema with theatre, giving it a largely Brechtian appeal that echoes the nature of the novel as an allegory for twentieth century European history.
Don't miss George Orwell's cult tale brought to the stage in this unique and thrilling multimedia adaptation.
Animal Farm plays on November 15th, 17th & 19th, in repertoire with [SHOW:366] on November 16th, 18th & 20th.
- June 2004
HATS (Homerton Amateur Theatrical Society) and King's Drama are proud to come together to present our May Week Spectacular - an exotic adaptation of the well-loved ARABIAN NIGHTS tales! HATS and King's Drama are proud to join forces to present this exotic may week spectacular!
Come along enjoy an evening of outdoor theatre and the finest middle eastern ambience as the sun sets on the last few days of term...drama, music, food and more: and best of all, it's all absolutely FREE!
A collection will be made for charity.
Further details at www.hatsdrama.co.uk
- May 2004
- April–May 2004
Provocative new writing, part of the HATS SEE:IT New Writing Season
- April 2004
Take Stanislavski, mix him with physical theatre, throw in some What Lies Beneath and a bit of postmodernism. Do you get comedy? Farce? Drama? Who knows, but dropping seven actors and a somewhat-director in a room should come up with an answer.
Provocative new drama combining everything from cowboys, tramps, Cambridge students, housewives, little girls, poets and a waitress - HATS invites you to experience the provocative devised/new writing piece Rubbernecking.
We'll be waiting.
RUBBERNECKING is part of the HATS SEE:IT New Writing Season
- March 2004
First staged in 1928 at the Theater am Schiffbaurdamm, Berlin (now the home of the Berliner Ensemble), The Threepenny Opera was Brecht?s first and most outstanding success. Based on John Gay?s eighteenth-century Beggar?s Opera, the play is a satire on the capitalist bourgeois society of the Weimar Republic despite its setting in a mock-Victorian Soho. With Kurt Weill?s music, which was one of the earliest and most successful attempts to introduce the jazz idiom into the theatre, it became a popular hit throughout the western world. Filmed three times, it remains one of Brecht?s best loved and most performed plays.
- November 2003
Homerton Amateur Theatrical Society presents Brian Friel's acclaimed play 'Dancing at Lughnasa'
