AS IF IN SLEEP
The UK Premiere of a performance piece by Tim Barsky
Direct from the United States of America
The UK Premiere of a performance piece written and performed by Tim Barsky
Direct from the United States of America
Presented by Everyday Theatre
2 - 5 January 2002
"Tim Barsky's radical one-man show. Magical, mystical. [He has] an intimate, conversational style with the audience, while highly rhythmic hip hop musical interludes add to the atmosphere. One story, for instance, about a 17 year old HIV-positive girl, whose highly infectious TB denies her the hugs she so desperately craves is particularly poignant and epitomises the humanity and compassion underlying the show" Colin Shearman, The Stage

THE ALCHEMIST
The UK Premiere of Cornish Theatre Collective's adaptation of Paulo Coelho's novel
Directed by Dominic Knutton
Designed by Paddy Haughton and Suki Haughton
Presented by Cornish Theatre Collective in association with The Steam Industry.
Cast includes: Deborah Chatterjee. TJ Holmes. David Kershaw. Tim Molyneaux. Helen Speed.
8 January - 2 February 2002
This production subsequently toured and received two further sell-out London runs.
Pick of the Week - The Guardian.
" A genuinely transporting experience. They create theatrical alchemy with a captivating simplicity. The company’s work demonstrates a rare and risky ability to be wide-eyed, charming and almost naive without being in the slightest bit fey. It is artfully artless. The production greatly benefits from the intimacy of the Finborough, which allows the actors - all wonderfully still and measured - to really communicate with the audience. A delightful, unexpected treat, and perhaps a good omen of what the fringe may bring this year." Lyn Gardner, The Guardian "
"Dominic Knutton and the Cornish Theatre Collective have now adapted the book from page to stage using only the author’s dialogue and narrative. They tell the story with a marvellous blend of movement, mime, puppetry, percussion and songs of the desert. It vividly conjures up the hot bustling markets of Tangier, or a bumpy camel ride across dangerous deserts." John Thaxter, What’s On
"Cornish Theatre Collective’s bold, inventive adaptation. Coelho’s tale is squeezed and stretched by a truly three-dimensional theatrical imagination. Unexpected perspectives, both physical and emotional, are apparent from the opening moments. The evening’s success is ensured by Dominic Knutton’s ingenious fluid production that recreates Coelho’s primitive world with startling vividness. Their inventiveness is riveting. Recommended." Kate Stratton, Time Out
"Elegant and inventive" Rhoda Koenig, The Independent

OUT IN THE GARDEN
The World Premiere of a new play by Carolyn Scott-Jeffs
Directed by Caroline Hadley
Designed by Robin Husbands
Presented by Bear and Ragged Staff Theatre Company
Cast includes: Joy Aldridge. Anna Barker. James Collins. Nicola Delaney. James Levison. John Pickard.
6 February - 2 March 2002
repertoire season - In repertoire with Tarnished Angel
Transferred to the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, following a sell-out run
"A pacy farcical comedy. The dialogue is hysterical and utilised to the full by the fluidity of Caroline Hadley’s direction." Robert Speight, The Stage
"Carolyn Scott-Jeffs boisterous comedy is a compassionate look at the choices we all face. Scott Jeffs has the Ayckbourn-like knack of soaping up her characters problems in a genial, mildly farcical froth. The whole things a hoot and leaves you with a glow that cant be beat" Jonathan Gibbs, Time Out
"A well-crafted modern farce. Another feather in the Finborough Theatre's already well-decorated cap" Tim Harrison, Kensington and Chelsea Informer

TARNISHED ANGEL
The World Premiere of a new play by Carolyn Scott-Jeffs
Directed by Caroline Hadley
Designed by Robin Husbands
Presented by Bear and Ragged Staff Theatre Company
Cast includes: John Hasler. Lexi Rose.
7 February - 1 March 2002
repertoire season - In repertoire with Out in the Garden
Subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 4
"A polished and thought-provoking new play, A first-rate new play" Tim Harrison, Kensington and Chelsea Informer

MIRITA
The World Premiere of a new play by Chris Dunkley
Directed by Martin Harvey
Designed by Kamal Desai
Presented by Asylum Theatre
Cast includes: Daniel Barzotti. Michael Bottle. Steve Crump. Leah Fells. Leslie O'Hara. Patrick Romer. Pippa Sparks.
5-25 March 2002
repertoire season - In repertoire with Bread and Circus Freaks
Time Out Critics' Choice
"This absorbing fictional account of the fate of one Kosovan village in 1999. When conflict erupts, it happens between characters we believe in, with motives we understand. Its fine, focused writing, which pushes the story forward with every exchange. Martin Harvey’s production keeps it strong and simple. There’s not much wasted in this glimpse of another world, not so far away. Wonderful" Dominic Maxwell, Time Out
"Martin Harvey’s well-played production is staged with effective simplicity. An 80-minute drama that offers no simple moral choices but movingly conveys the corrosiveness of conflict" Ian Johns, The Times

BREAD AND CIRCUS FREAKS
The World Premiere of a new play by James MacDonald
Directed by Martin Harvey
Designed by Kamal Desai
Presented by Asylum Theatre
Cast includes: Michael Bottle. Su Elliot. Leah Fells. Leslie O'Hara.
6-30 March 2002
repertoire season - In Repertoire with Mirita
“We are immediately drawn into the narrative. Married to a Russian and born with cerebral palsy, MacDonald knows what he’s talking about. The references to disability are frank and upfront. Always unsentimental, evocative and surprising" Madeleine North, Time Out
"Squarely addresses the clash between old and new Russia... and brings contemporary Russia interestingly into view." Times Literary Supplement
Script on sale here

DRAWN FROM LIFE
The world premiere of a new play by Michael J Flexer
Directed by Jo Combes
Designed by Jo Riddell
Lighting by Stuart Burgess
Assistant Design by Katherine Law
Presented by Bare Boards Theatre Company
Cast: Rosanna Mason. Andrew Musselman. Laura Maclean. Alex Ratcliffe.
10 and 17 March 2002

CALL IT PEACE - MEDITATIONS FROM NORTH AMERICA
The World Premiere of a new play by Anthony P. Pennino
Direct from the United States of America.
Directed by Missy Somers
Presented by Elite Fighting Crew
Cast includes: Brian Hedden. Clayton B Hodges. Natalie O'Hara, replaced by Esther Elizabeth.
2-27 April 2002
in a doublebill with Syndrome
Call It Peace went to play successfully in New York City where it sold out and was Pick of the Week on the acclaimed Off-Broadway website nytheatre.com.
"Wrenchingly resonant. Call It Peace is raw and emotional and unpolished, which is probably why it’s finally so cathartic - with its defiantly life-affirming stance, its the first 9/11 play I’ve seen that has actually helped me feel a little better. " nytheatre.com
"Interesting double bill from New York, the first a European Premiere of an off-Broadway hit about Tourette’s Syndrome - performed by Joshua Lewis Berg who has Tourette’s Syndrome himself - the second a world Premiere inspired by the War on Terrorism presented by Elite Fighting Crew, involving a kidnapped American journalist and featuring a hot-shot US cast." What’s On
"The play resonates as a metaphor for America post-September 11 - which is explicitly invoked. Effective theatrical moments. Earnest performances" Gerald Berkowitz, The Stage

SYNDROME
The UK Premiere of a new play by Kirk Wood Bromley.
Direct from the United States of America
Directed by Rob Urbinati
Presented by Legend Entertainment
Cast includes: Joshua Lewis Berg.
2-27 April 2002
A doublebill with Call It Peace
***** What's On in London Five Stars
"Syndrome is a quite extraordinarily brilliant piece of theatre: scintillatingly written by Kirk Wood Bromley, stunningly well-performed by Joshua Lewis Berg and tightly, inventively directed by Howard Thoresen. It is a rocket trip through the mind of someone with Tourette Syndrome. What raises the stakes, however, is that Berg actually suffers from the disease. The energy level rarely falls below that of a Rangers Celtic derby. But that’s not to say that are aren’t many subtle variations to the evening. The myriad characters, portrayed by Berg, which bring painful, hilarious, glorious variety to the action. But this isn’t a play just about disease - It is a cathartic life affirming statement about the nature of human identity" Joe McCallum, Whats On
"This is not only a remarkable technical performance but one that becomes in itself an evocative theatrical metaphor. We are held by the absolute authority Berg brings to the role" Gerald Berkowitz, The Stage
"Joshua Lewis Berg’s intriguing one-man-show which has been imported from off-Broadway proves to be a fascinating evening. Bromley and Berg are wise to the humour of a disease that compels the sufferer to blurt out uncensored thoughts. Painfully funny, there is no self-pity on view here, just a disarming honesty that sheds light on an otherwise hidden personal battle. Berg turns compulsive behaviour into compulsive viewing. " John Nathan, Jewish Chronicle
"One of the single most astonishing performances in London right now has to be Joshua Lewis Berg’s in this one-man play about Tourettes Syndrome, since the actor himself has the condition. Blurring the edges of real-life and acting so totally that you don’t know where one begins and the other ends, this is one of the most utterly inhabited and directly experienced plays I’ve ever seen. While the production - imported directly from off-Broadway is never comfortable to watch, its utterly compelling and uncompromisingly unsettling." Mark Shenton, BBC Radio
"A powerful solo about a medical condition reaches far beyond its specific subject. Bergs high-energy, swift-moving performance. Surprisingly, if aptly, compulsive viewing." Timothy Ramsden, ReviewsGate.com
"This decidedly odd, curiously engaging play. The play has a devious sense of humour. Compelling" Maddy Costa, Time Out

MAN IS MAN
by Bertolt Brecht
Translated by Steve Gooch
Directed by Mervyn Millar
Designed by Ana Mestre
Musical Direction by Annemarie Lewis Thomas
Sound by Adam Keeper
Presented by The Steam Industry
Cast includes: Simon Balfour. Adam Buckles. Leonard Estranero. Matthew Hendrickson. Claire Lubert. Sandra Patton. Simon Purse. Simon Holland Roberts. Jonathan Tanner. Jamie Zubairi.
30 April-25 May 2002
"This is an evening of constant delight...It is an exhilarating experience in the theatre. Hugely hilarious. The cast is exemplary. It is another super evening from the by now formidable Steam Industry who once again have transformed the interior of this tiny space" Paul Nelson, IndieLondon
"The production triumphantly vindicates Brecht’s continuing relevance as political theatre but it is just as important that it shows off his mischievous, ironic style at its best. The cast are uniformly excellent. Mervyn Millar’s production has pace, imagination and a thoroughly Brechtian black humour - recommended to Marxists, humanists and everybody else." Michael Caines, Theatreworld Internet Magazine
"Immediate relevance. Rousing and comic." Mark Espiner, Time Out
"This black comedy is pacy and driven…an intense theatrical experience."
What’s On

ROME
by Ewan Bailey and Jonathan Chesterman
Directed by Toby Hulse
Presented by Rubbaball
Cast: Ewan Bailey. James Wallace.
2, 3, 9 and 10 June 2002
Previously performed at the Finborough Theatre in 1999

SCHWARTZ IT ALL ABOUT
The World Premiere of a new musical revue based on the music and lyrics of Stephen Schwartz
Devised by John Cusworth and Mark Powell
Directed by John Cusworth
Musical Direction by Simon Sharp
Presented by End Products
Cast: Juliette Caton. John Cusworth. Carys Gray. Alana Phillips. Mark Powell. David Shannon.
16-22 June 2002
Subsequently transferred for a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival and a run at the King’s Head Theatre as Schwartz Stories in Autumn 2006.
"Outstanding. The evening is one to highly recommend." Paul Nelson, IndieLondon
"One of the best night’s entertainment I’ve experienced in a while" Dress Circle Website
"This exemplary revue richly deserves far wider exposure" Mark Shenton, The Stage

THE VERY NEARLY LOVE LIFE OF MY FRIEND PAUL
A new play by Adam Smethurst
Directed by Phil Setren
Designed by Simon Kenny
Lighting by Peter Harrison
Costume Design by Ilona Karas
Presented by The London New Play Festival and Rainrose Entertainment
Cast includes: David Conolly. Sandra Huggett. Adam Smethurst.
25 June-20 July 2002
In repertoire with Japes
"Sandra Huggett’s performance is truly remarkable. Immensely entertaining. A drama which surprises and delights throughout. This is a show which richly deserves coach-loads of spectators" Tim Harrison, Gazette Westside

JAPES
The first London revival of the play by Simon Gray
Directed by Romilly Walton Masters
Presented by Echo Productions
Cast includes: Karen Fisher-Pollard. Alex Macqueen. Fred Perry.
26 June-20 July 2002
In repertoire with The Very Nearly Love Life of My Friend Paul
"It is not hard to see from this production why Japes was so well received in its original form and it is heartening to see such a strong revival at the Finborough. Well worth catching." Michael Caines, Theatreworld Internet Magazine
"A revelation. It shows how a winning combination of cast and director can transform a bloated piece into a tight bitter-sweet study of misplaced love. Romilly Walton Masters has worked a minor miracle to produce that rarest of creatures, a play that is as entertaining and it is thought provoking. Combined with her extraordinarily talented cast, a national tour must surely beckon" Nick Awde, The Stage

ANTIGONE
by Jean Anouilh
Directed by Jane Billett
Presented by In The Light Theatre Company
July 2002

MIRANDA HART - THROBS!
Written and Performed by Miranda Hart
Pre-Edinburgh Preview
Top Five Comedy Choice in The Times
Reviews from The Pleasance, Edinburgh, run
“I hit on a genuinely funny show called Miranda Hart-Throbs. It is a sketch of the desparate last-minute rehearsals for a show in which the understudy is to take the lead because the principal is drunk. 'This,' I thought, 'is my discovery. I shall hurry home and tell my son of this brilliant unknown comedienne.' Then I discovered the comedienne is called Miranda Hart, and everyone knows about her except me, as she was in the television show Smack The Pony.” Edward Enfield, Daily Mail
“Funny and well-written... Hart triumphs in some style” Sunday Times
“In a word: galumphing. Miranda Hart now tops my list of fantasy sleep-over guests, and had me praying that every middle-class woman with an Alice Band was this hysterical. This is a drop-dead silly hour of entertainment that has no pretensions other than being a ramshackle, conspire-with-the-audience mess. Each laugh was prolonged, often coming in a second and third wave, egged on by Miranda's magnificent gawkiness and even more magnificent breasts. Her supporting cast were fine send-ups of Fringe staples (particularly the incompetent Northern work-experience lighting girl) and every pun and concept was a cheesy delight. It's all been seen before, but it's delirious fun to revel in such non-postmodern treats as comedy glasses and 'audience plants'. This is a big and sweaty triumph. Go go go! *****” Three Weeks
“Hart has a posh, ditzy charm and is at her best when improvising and feeding off the audience” The Scotsman
“One of the top six comediennes at the Edinburgh Festival 2002” Daily Telegraph
28 - 29 July 2002

THE DESTINY OF ME
A Finborough Theatre co-production. For details, click here

FALKLAND SOUND
A Finborough Theatre co-production. For details, click here

FRANK PIG SAYS HELLO
The first UK revival of the stage version of The Butcher Boy by Booker Prize-nominated writer Patrick McCabe.
Directed by Caitrionia McLaughlin
Lighting by Jerry Smyth
Sound by Darren Murphy
Presented by Penny Dreadful Productions
Cast includes: Wayne Leonard. Madeleine Moore. Tom Power.
20 August-14 September 2002
A doublebill with Falkland Sound
"Two-plays-in-one-evening run, pairing a hard-hitting, factual look at the Falklands War with the tale of a damaged childhood in rural Ireland in the Sixties. Falkland Sound, originally seen at the Royal Court in 1983, is based on the book A Message from the Falklands: The Life and Gallant Death of David Tinker. Using Tinkers letters home as a basis, this tells the story of a young lieutenant in the Royal Navy who was killed in action in the South Atlantic. Frank Pig Says Hello is author Patrick McCabe’s own adaptation of his 1992 Booker Prize-nominated The Butcher Boy. Young Francie Brady has to cope with an alcoholic father and a hospitalised mother, and this find himself turning increasingly to a grotesque fantasy world. Well worth a look." Fiona Mountford, Hot Tickets.
"If there is a bridge between the Finborough’s current double showcase of first-time revivals, then it is one of looking back to a tragically lost innocence. Both plays can be seen separately, but together they offer a demonstration of how two pieces, wildly skewed in style, can be so vividly moving. Both plays are well worth the trip to SW10" Richard Stearn, Time Out
"A wildly wondrous and macabre creation, that takes dark humour to far-flung and tragic depths. Mesmerising performances" Richard Stearn, Time Out
"McCabe’s adaptation is completely theatrical and Director Caitriona McLaughlin’s production is impressively fluid. The three actors spin off each other in a series of fragmented, cartoon like scenes. Thomas Power is utterly convincing, a fireball of restless energy and manic cheerfulness. Wayne Leonard also gives intensely physical (and sometimes very funny) performances in multiple parts. Madelaine Moore is similarly versatile" Neil Dowden, The Stage
"Inventive staging. A uniquely theatrical sense of black humour." Michael Caines, Theatreworld Internet Magazine
"It is not easy to fault the excellent production qualities. The acting by Wayne Leonard, Madelaine Moore and, especially, Thomas Power is excellent, and director Caitriona McLaughlin is really sharp, assisted by a vivid imagination and a great soundscape by Darren Murphy" Philip Fisher, British Theatre Guide

UNDER COVERS
The world premiere of a new play
Written and Directed by Melanie Challenger
Assistant Direction by Tanya Rodrigues
Presented by YinYin Theatre Productions
Cast: Tamsyn Challenger. Brigitte Jarvis. Adam Pomeroy.
2 September 2002

NATURAL INCLINATIONS
A Finborough Theatre co-production. For details, click here

The Finborough Theatre closed from 13 October 2002 - 31 March 2003 for a major refurbishment of the building.
“At the Finborough Theatre, Neil McPherson is currently in the interesting position of running a theatre above a pub that is presently shut! But the box office staff (usually Mr McPherson himself) helpfully directs you to the shop next door for refreshments, though its his bold artistic policy that regularly provides sustenance. New landlords for the pub are in the process of refurbishing it; the theatre will get its own make over next” Mark Shenton, BBC Radio