Traditional and Unexpected Feel to East Riding Company Theatre Tour

Beverley-based actors Neil King and Richard Avery say the tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve is the inspiration behind their latest touring production, which is launched later this month in the East Riding (Friday 19 November).

The duo, who run Other Lives Productions, have toured for the last three years with a first half of semi-dramatised readings around a theme, followed by a second half featuring a new play. “Is There Anybody There…? provides a light-hearted journey into the world beyond the normal. Neil says: “We decided to take tales of the metaphysical, supernatural and the unexplained as a starting point. We’d also be interested in hearing anecdotes from members of the audience.”

The second half of the 2010 tour is the world premiere of  The Counsellor, co-written by Richard and Neil. It tells the story of Sydney, a recently-retired Underground train driver who visits a counsellor to help with his depression and finds the session is not what he thinks it will be.

The 12-date tour starts on Friday 19th November at Bishop Burton Village Hall.  The dates are, 8pm nightly (unless otherwise shown): Saturday 20th November: Walkington Village Hall; Sunday 21st November: Ellerker Village Hall (2.30 pm); Monday 22nd November: Etton Village Hall; Tuesday 23rd November: Lund Village Hall, tickets £10 – ring 01377 217352; Wednesday 24th November: Driffield School, the Block Theatre; Thursday 25th November: Skidby Village Hall, Friday 26th November: Wawne Church, tickets £5 – 01482 370414; Sunday 28th November: North Dalton, The Old Chapel. For this performance,  supper and wine are included in the unique atmosphere of the Old Chapel. Tickets are  £25, concessions £22.50, details:  01377 219135; Wednesday 1st December: Beverley Friary; Thursday 2nd December: Beverley Friary; Friday 3rd December: Swanland Village Hall.

The pre-Christmas tour is earlier this year as Other Lives are also in rehearsals for one of their most ambitious productions yet. After a three-year wait, they secured the professional rights to stage Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, which will go on a 13-venue tour around the East Riding in mid-January 2011, including five performances at Hull Truck’s Studio Theatre.

Neil says: “It’s a moving and funny story of two tramps down on their luck, waiting for a man called Godot to come and see them. The audience will enjoy the games they play with each other.”

More details will be released about this production closer to the time.

Tickets for “Is There Anybody There..?”/The Counsellor cost £6.50 unless otherwise stated, and are available from 01482 862752 or 07780 734330.