Fantastic last gig at Morecambe Variety Festival in the spectacular
Winter Gardens.
Watch us get-in in under 4 minutes.

A great review from Morning Star.
morningstaronline.co.uk

4 Star review from the Yorkshire Evening Post!
yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

Lisa chats to This Is Lincolnshire.
thisislincolnshire.co.uk

Culture Vulture's review of the show at Square Chapel, Halifax.
theculturevulture.co.uk

Captain Mermaid in The Yorkshire Post.
yorkshirepost.co.uk

Here's another great article about the show from Culture Vulture.
theculturevulture.co.uk

Here's a great news story on the show from Creative Boom:
What the Dickens? An end-of-the-pier show with a difference.

John has just completed the design for a very successful run of Hansel and Gretel at The Berry Theatre in association with Hiccup Theatre. theberrytheatre.co.uk  hiccuptheatre.co.uk

Lisa appeared alongside Phill Jupitus in Red Ladder and Chumbawamba's Big Society at Leeds City Varieties in early 2012. cityvarieties.co.uk redladder.co.uk

29th March, Square Chapel, Halifax. Box Office 01422 349422
squarechapel.co.uk

30th March, The Mart Theatre, Skipton. Box Office 01756 706460
themarttheatre.org.uk

31st March, York Theatre Royal. Box Office 01904 623568
yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

13th April, Leeds City Varieties. Box Office 0113 243 0808
cityvarieties.co.uk

16th and 17th April, Bikeshed Theatre, Exeter. 01392667080
bikeshedtheatre.co.uk

19th April, Plough Arts, Gt Torrington. 01805 624624
theploughartscentre.org.uk

21st April, Burrell Theatre, Truro. Box Office 01872 246038
burrelltheatre.com

23rd April, Artrix, Bromsgrove. Box Office 01527 577 330
artrix.co.uk

Riverhead Theatre, Louth. Box Office 01507 600 350
riverheadtheatre.co.uk

27th April, Otley Courthouse. Box Office 01943 467466
otleycourthouse.org.uk

6th May, Winter Gardens, Morecambe Variety Festival.
Box Office 07776 198332
skiddle.com

We make small-scale touring shows aimed at theatre and cabaret audiences.

We are committed to increasing audience numbers by developing integrated workshops and skills sharing. This reflects a lifelong commitment to promoting theatre skills, raising the profile of our art form and publicising our shows.

John Barber gained his M.A. in Drama and Theatre Arts from Leeds University in 1983, then went on to found the successful Open Hand Theatre Company, of which he was joint Artistic Director for some fifteen years, latterly receiving Arts Council Revenue Funding to produce high quality theatre for young people. In his subsequent career as a freelance artist, he has worked as a performer, puppet designer and animation director in many of the regional Repertory Theatres in the north of England, and many touring companies, as well as four years on the creative team of Green Ginger does Bambi – The Wilderness Years, devising, designing, building and performing internationally. He has taught puppet design at the Institut International de la Marionette at Charleville-Mezieres. John is a Creative Associate of Hiccup Theatre. { Spotlight }

Lisa Howard trained at East 15 Acting School between 1990 and 1993. As a professional actor, for over seventeen years, she has worked in TV, Radio and Theatre. Her extensive and varied theatre experience includes dramatic, comic and musical roles with many Northern Reps and national Theatre Companies such as Hull Truck, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Northern Broadsides, York Theatre Royal, Oldham Coliseum, The Torch Theatre, Northampton Rep, and The Dukes. Lisa has just completed a successful run of Big Society with Phill Jupitus, Red Ladder and Chumbawamba at Leeds City Varieties. Some of this work has involved puppetry and an ongoing professional collaboration with John Barber. As a professional singer, she has performed solo, in bands and duos and in cabaret, nationally and abroad. { Spotlight }

Fiona Penney studied acting as a mature student at East 15 Acting School and is now a freelance actor and director. As an actor she worked in theatre, film and TV, including Family Affairs, Children’s Ward and The Bill. She is the founder and artistic director of a children’s theatre company – Great Shakes and divides her time between running the company, devising and delivering workshops in schools and theatres, and directing. She has directed for The Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, receiving the Time Out ‘Critic’s Choice’ for her production of Henry V. She is a regular associate director with The Young Shakespeare Company, recently directing productions of Macbeth, Henry V and Julius Caesar. Fiona has also been a guest lecturer for the Open University – the theme being ‘From Page to Stage’.

Website @ Greatshakes.org

John Newman-Holden spent five years as Musical Director and Composer with Cumbria Youth Theatre and Kendal’s Brewery Youth Theatre. He has taught music in primary schools as well as to young people with special needs. John was the Musical Director and Composer for Roald Dahl’s The Twits and The BFG at the Dukes Theatre, Lancaster; where he works as Production Manager. As half of ‘Applause Theatre’, John writes and publishes musical plays for primary school children. His other musical experiences range from writing music for corporate videos to touring the seedier parts of Europe with a punk band.

Marcus Rapley has been involved in theatre production for over 25 years, firstly building sets and as technician for Open Hand Theatre Co, then as Theatre Manager of Bradford’s Theatre in the Mill. He now lives in Leeds, and runs his own business, MJR Theatre Services, in which guise he has worked for a huge range of theatre and dance companies, club events, festivals and community and youth organisations, and has taught theatre production at several colleges in the North of England and in workshops.

Recently, he has been Production Manager for Red Ladder Theatre Co and RJC Dance, and is now Technical Manager for Seven Arts in Leeds, which he helped to design; but as lighting designer, set designer, props maker, sound engineer or stage manager, Marcus has worked with Opera North, Major Road, Walk the Plank, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Strangeface, Chapeltown Carnival, Leeds’ City Varieties, Sakoba Dance, Yuva Dance, Interplay, Alison Andrews Co, Harrogate Theatre, Urban Angels Circus, Glastonbury Festival, Leeds City Council, the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry and scores more.

Small-scale touring theatre is his passion, the “sharp end, where all that production finally means something; and sometimes even changes lives”.

Reflecting our commitment to skills-sharing, we have devised a set of Workshops; as a way of increasing participation, of enhancing the profile of ‘Captain Murderer and the Morecambe Mermaid’, and generally getting people through the Venue doors. We plan to collaborate with our host theatres to promote them, and target local groups, be they senior Youth Theatre, drama students in Further or Higher Education, local Amateur Dramatic societies, or, with an appropriate level of support, adults with Learning Disabilities.

1. FIRST STEPS IN PUPPETRY

This is a 2-2.5 hour ‘taster’ Workshop’ for 15-20 participants. It is designed for those with an interest in puppetry, but no previous experience is required. John Barber has been training inexperienced puppeteers to performance standard for touring and building-based theatre for over twenty-five years, so much of the focus is on confidence-building.

The Introduction is a brief, broad overview of current practise and aesthetic considerations.

The Warm-up is also brief, and focussed, leading into a set of ice-breaking exercises which also serve to encourage physical self-awareness, as the participants animate themselves and one another; effectively becoming puppets.

A training session follows, using very simple puppets, to learn the importance of eyeline, and master basic lip-synch. This provides the participants with the skills needed for the remainder of the session.

In small groups, using more elaborate puppets, the participants develop a short scenario, facilitated by the Workshop leaders. The session culminates in a Sharing of each group’s work, and, time permitting, an informal discussion. Minimum age 12 years.

2. PUPPETRY MASTERCLASS

This is a 2-2.5 hour Workshop for up to 10 participants.

It follows a similar structure to ‘First Steps’, but the introductory section is longer and more personal, with a discussion of different styles and worldwide cultural influences, and a more searching look at aesthetics.

The Warm-up is more rigorous, but less time is spent on basic skills-training.

The participants are split into small groups, but the ‘task’ they are given is more challenging than that of the ‘First Steps’ Workshops. It can also be bespoke: if a participant group has a specific project in mind, then the scenario can be tailored accordingly, with a few hours’ notice. The session culminates in a Sharing, with time allotted for notes, feedback and discussion. Minimum age 18 years.

3. CREATING A CHARACTER USING MASKS

This is a 2-2.5 hour Workshop for 10-15 participants.

This Workshop can be adjusted according to the level of experience of the participants.

It begins with a physical and vocal Warm-up, led by John Barber and Lisa Howard, and the theatre games which follow are mostly designed to break down the inhibitions of the participants, so that they are able to commit to the masks.

The participants select a mask each, then they are given a set of individual exercises to help them engage with it imaginatively. This leads on to the ‘Mask’ learning to move, and vocalise in character.

The Mask explores his/her environment, and various objects.

The Mask encounters other Masks.

The session ends with a Cool-down, and an informal discussion in which the participants are encouraged to reflect on the experience. Minimum age 16 years.