Burlesque is a new play written by the poet Murray Lachlan Young and directed by Paul Jepson. The play was first developed in workshops at Beaford Arts and at Dartington prior to a first public reading at The Drill Hall, London.
Following two more readings in September the play is planned to go into full production in July 2012, touring nationally in Autumn 2012 prior to a short London run.
[Murray Lachlan Young and Paul Jepson in rehearsal at Dartington]
THE SIZZLE….
A full moon rises over a windswept cottage in the middle of nowhere.
Children are in bed, wine is breathing nicely and dinner is in the oven.
It’s Gordon and Celia’s tenth wedding anniversary. They wanted to ask their oldest and best friends Zach and Jane, down from London. The only problem is that Zach and Jane aren’t Zach and Jane anymore.
Jane has gone and Julia has taken her place. Julia is: twenty-five, French and a Burlesque performer. She is: annoyingly bright and disgustingly gorgeous.
[the company in rehearsal at Dartington - photo Kate Mount]
As the wine flows and the food reaches dizzying new heights of culinary distinction. Each course seems to bring a new revelation. Until we become aware that no one seems to have been telling the truth to anyone about anything, for a very long time.
Gordon, our host: Beneath his rugged countryman exterior, has become spiritually and financially involved with the mysterious local fisherman, Graham Trelew and did I hear someone mention Graham’s sister as well?
About the only thing ‘millionaire financier’ Zach hasn’t lost: is his breathtaking cocaine habit. He is here to see if he can get some payback on a secret and very personal investment…. Celia?
Celia, wife of Gordon and local cup cake mogul; has drifted into a web, of Faustian proportions, involving just about everyone, apart from Julia but Celia is working hard on that one.
Julia: Free as a bird, honest as a brick; puts petrol on the long smouldering flames of events, that took place when she only seven years old- when Oasis had just released Wonderwall.
Caught in the teeth of this hideously funny black farce, we watch the characters slowly stripped of all pretensions and secrets. Savaged in the glorious downward spiral of an evening that will leave them with no option but to take a good hard look at just about everything.
Spoken completely in verse and set to a fabulous soundtrack of evocative nineties sounds,
A burlesque: dances, lies, laughs, sings and cries its way to the simple questions:
How much do you really care about other people?
Just what is a real man/woman?
Are you happy with your choices?
What would you honestly sacrifice to see a French girl naked?
How did life suddenly get so complicated?
Production Details
Touring 14 September-19 October 2012
Touring to Theatres, arts centres
On the road 4 actors plus 1 dedicated stage manager (late night ‘after show’ performances with Murray Lachlan Young can be arranged on request for an additional fee)
For further details (and a copy of the script) please contact Matthew Linley on matthew@matthewlinley.com / 079897 48350
Find out more…
An independent review of the reading here
Relevant posts on this blog:-
The Residency at Dartington:-
- The Script Arrives
The Work Begins
Friday Morning and 6 Music Calls
Pushing On
About Murray Lachlan Young
Stand up poet, Playwright and Satirist.
Murray Lachlan Young is one of the UK’s most dynamic and best-known exponents of spoken-word and stand up poetry.
Known best for his satirical commentaries on the bizarreness of contemporary life. Murray is known for punchy wit, brooding subtext & occasional attacks of unaccompanied erotic folk song. Murray has played the main stages at Glastonbury, T-in-the-Park and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre & has toured with The pretenders, Julian cope, Morcheeba, The Pet shop boys amongst others. Having recorded with Chuck D, Morcheeba, Jools Holland, Shriekback & many unknown bearded weirdoes, Murray has also appeared in Movies opposite, Gerard Depardieu, Hugh Grant, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Tim Spell, Rachel Weiss.
Currently 6 Music’s resident poet, the original regular on Sony Gold winning Radio 4 Saturday Live show, regular on BBC radio 2 Culture show & contributor to the BBC’s test match special. He is currently touring his own self-titled one man show, as well as his Modern Cautionary Tales For Children II. He writes regularly for The Times, Guardian, Erotic review & The Chap Magazine. Published in UK Italy & USA. Commissioned by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre News Night, BBC, ITV, MTV channel 4 & more. He has just completed his first play (Burlesque) and a new musical is in development.
“The best since Betjeman” – Neil Tennant
“The Best children’s entertainer working in the UK Today” – The Scotsman
“Simply brilliant – hysterically funny and strangely moving” – Claudia Winkleman
“A Noel Coward for the Noel Gallagher generation” – The Times
About Paul Jepson (Director)
Paul has directed classics, contemporary classics and new plays at the Royal National Theatre, the major regional theatres, the new writing theatres and in the West End. He has been joint AD of an Arts Council funded new writing and site specific theatre company, an associate of the Nottingham Playhouse, a referee for theatre applications for the Wellcome Trust and is on the board of the Northcott Exeter. He is an experienced dramaturg and a published playwright.
Target Markets
The play will appeal to audiences aged 12 plus. However specific groups would include:-
- new drama audiences / previous theatre audiences
- spoken word audiences
- -BBC Radio 4 and 6 Music audiences
- audiences with an interest in the urban / rural interest groups
- other arts attenders
Marketing support
The performance will come with a complete marketing support pack. The Windswept team will work with you to help sell the production to your audiences, providing you with the marketing support you need in a package tailored to your needs. Packages will include:-
- sample press release
- key selling points
- copies of Murray Lachlan Young merchandise (for prizes and giveaways)
- Murray and cast members will be available for media interview and appearances
- sample direct mail letters
- tour e flyer
- tour print and posters (with space for over printing)
- -play synopsis and advance copies of the script
- box office briefing sheet
- video blogs, blogs and other on line material from the rehearsal process
We will also send information to all our mailing list members (including Murray Lachlan Young’s own lively facebook page).
Technical:-
A plying areas of 7m wide by 6m deep x 4m high, two dressing rooms, system capable of playback from the shows lap top, lighting rig. We prefer pre rigging where possible
The production lasts approximately 2 hours, plus interval
For further information – and to book BURLESQUE
Contact Matthew Linley on 079897 48350
matthew@matthewlinley.com / windsweptproductions@gmail.com
