New Old Friends' CRIMES ON CENTRE COURT Comes to Theatre Royal Bath

The latest comedy thriller from Theatre Royal Bath favourites New Old Friends will see the action play out on the courts of Whombledun with another dose of mirth, murder and mayhem, this time with a side of tennis. Crimes on Centre Court, based on a story from New Old Friends' award-winning podcast (#2 in iTunes fiction chart), will open in Bath in May before a national autumn tour, serving countless characters with quick-fire changes and quicker wits.

Lord Knows, the chair of The Whombledun International Invitational Tennis Tournament, has died and his son Hugh, is suspicious. The police won't take the case so Hugh calls in Perry & Penny Pink, private investigators. This deucey summertime treat will rally the spirits and leave you wanting a second serve-ing of the volley of gags and visual delights. The Bath based company have built a national reputation with their wildly inventive set-pieces, twisty plots and commitment to unadulterated entertainment.

Feargus Woods Dunlop said, "We are utterly thrilled to be presenting a brand-new show despite the impact of the pandemic still being keenly felt. We hope that this blast of tennis-inspired nonsense can kick off a summer of joy and laughter. Setting a murder mystery against the backdrop of a sporting competition gives us a whole new palette of cliches and expectations to play with. Staging a tennis match safely on stage has been a hugely fun challenge and this time we've decided to add in close four-part barbershop harmonies too. Sung by the hedges of Whombledun obviously."

New Old Friends are an award-winning theatre company dedicated to creating original comedy theatre, founded in 2008 and run by husband and wife team Feargus Woods Dunlop and Heather Westwell. Most recently, they staged the 2022 national tour of Crimes, Camera, Action following festive farce A Christmas Getaway at Theatre Royal Bath (December 2021) which was highlighted as one of inews' Top Christmas shows for 2021. 2020 saw New Old Friends release the first in a new audio drama series Comedy Whodunnits For Your Ears, with Crimes Against Christmas (OnComm Award winner) charting at #2 in the Apple iTunes Fiction chart and inside the top 200 overall podcast charts as well as featuring on BBC Radio 4's Front Row. Recent instalments also include Crimes, Clues and Christmas, Crimes of a Country Garden and the original podcast form of Crimes on Centre Court.

In 2022, New Old Friends were awarded the Bath Life Arts Award, having previously been awarded the Creative Bath Award for writing in 2017 and 2018. Previous shows also include six instalments of the hugely popular Crimes... series of comedy thrillers. In summer 2019, their adaptation of Anthony Horowitz' The Falcon's Malteser enjoyed a six-week run at London's Vaults Theatre. It was selected as a 'Critic's Choice' for 'Best Family Shows' by the Guardian. Their latest adaptation for families, Swiss Family Robinson (Top 40 Christmas shows 2019, inews) premiered at The Core at Corby Cube in 2019.

Running Time: 105mins | Suitable for ages 12+

Company Information

Writer and director Feargus Woods Dunlop

Set designer Caitlin Abbott Costume designer Connie Watson

Composer & musical director Guy Hughes Lighting designer George Seal

Sound designer Fred Riding Movement director Sam Archer

Production manager Becky Vowles Creative producer Heather Westwell

Associate lighting designer Lizzie Donaldson Assistant director Oliver Young

Rehearsal Stage Manager on the Book Katie Melinda Show Stage Manager on the Book Melody Cooper

Cast

The cast are all returning New Old Friends performers.

Sedona Rose - Penny Pink, Erica Wise & others

Kirsty Cox - Wendy Weaver, Ingrid Ergätson, Notta Damclu, Jean Samson & others

Ben Thornton - Perry Pink, Lord Knows, Ivan Borodl, Owen Owens & others

Emile Clarke - Hugh Knows, Helmut Hachenburg, Fred Digby, Jon Samson & others

Tour Dates

24th-28th May Theatre Royal, Bath

Saw Cl, Bath, BA1 1ET

Tues-Sat, 7.30pm, 2.30pm Sat Matinee | From £24.75

www.theatreroyal.org.uk | 01225 448844

12th-14th Sept Lyceum Theatre, Crewe

Heath Street, Crewe, CW1 2DA

Mon-Wed, 7.30pm| £25/£23

www.crewelyceum.co.uk | 0343 310 0050

15th-17th Sept Palace Theatre, Southend

430 London Road, Westclliff-On-Sea, SS0 9LA

Thurs-Sat, 8pm, 2.30pm matinee Sat | £22-£29

www.Southendtheatre.org.uk | 01702 351135

20th-21st Sept Theatre Royal, Winchester

Jewry St, Winchester SO23 8SB

Tue-Wed, 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinee Wed | £21

https://www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk/ | 01962 840440

22nd Sept Worthing Theatre

Connaught Theatre, Union Place, BN11 1LG

Thurs 7.30pm | £15-£16.50

www.wtm.uk | 01903 206206

23rd-24th Sept Northcott Theatre, Exeter

University of Exeter, Stocker Rd, Exeter, EX4 4QB

Fri-Sat 7.30pm | £15-£16.50

www.exeternorthcott.co.uk | 01392 726363

26th Sept Stafford Gatehouse

Eastgate Street, Stafford, ST16 2LT

Mon 7.30pm | £17

www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk | 01785 619080

27th Sept Wyvern Theatre, Swindon

Theatre Square, Swindon, SN1 1QN

Tues 7.30pm | £17

www.swindontheatres.co.uk | 0343 310 0040

28th Sept Octagon Theatre, Yeovil

Hendford, Yeovil, Somerset, BA20 1UX

Wed 7.30pm | £15-£16.50

www.octagon-theatre.co.uk | 01935 462341

29th Sept Marina Theatre, Lowestoft

Marina, Lowestoft, NR32 1HH

Thurs 7.30pm | £15-£16.50

www.marinatheatre.co.uk | 01502 533200

30th Sept Newbury Corn Exchange

Market Pl, Newbury RG14 5BD

Fri 7.45pm | £18.50/£17

https://cornexchangenew.com/ | 0845 5218 218

4th-6th Oct The Haymarket, Basingstoke

Wote Street, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 7NW

Tues-Thurs 7.30pm, 2pm matinee Thurs | £23

https://www.anvilarts.org.uk/whats-on/ | 01256 844244

7th-8th Oct The Theatre, Chipping Norton

2 Spring Street, Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5NL

Fri-Sat 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinee Thurs | £16/£14

www.chippingnortontheatre.com | 01608 642350

9th Oct South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell

Ringmead, Bracknell, RG12 7PA

Sun 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinee Thurs | £16/£14

www.southhillpark.org.uk | 01344 484123

19th-20th Oct Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford

Milbrook, Guildford, GU1 3UX

Wed-Thurs 7.30pm, 2.30pm Sat matinee | From £26.50

www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk | 01483 440000

25th Oct Lighthouse, Poole

21 Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG

Tues 7.30pm | £15-£16.50

www.lighthousepoole.co.uk | 01202 280000

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