Something Underground Theatre Company Presents THE SILENT STREAM, May 10-24

This May's Brighton Fringe, sees another new play about Brighton's hidden past.

Beneath Brighton once lay an ancient river, put aside so a prince could build a palace.

The Silent Stream is a one-man show telling the true story of how The Prince Regent, (later George IV) patronised the town, partook of some of the town's women, fathered unwanted children, and engaged in a battle to wrestle the land, on which he wished to build, from the forces of nature. In so doing, he clashes with early environmental activists.

Something Underground Theatre Company, who last year Won the Best New Play Award at The Brighton Fringe, have created for this year a trilogy of plays that explore Brighton's lost stories. The Silent Stream is just one of them.

5/5 "A perfect piece of fringe theatre. Writer/actor Jonathan Brown takes you on a complex, funny and harrowing journey. Brown has a terrific eye for social observation and his one man show is a profoundly moving piece of theatre. If you're only going to see one play this festival, you'd be hard pressed to beat this." Latest 7 Magazine, Brighton Fringe 2010 on Licence.

Written and directed by Jonathan Brown, who was born in Brighton, and played at Hove Town Hall, it is set in early 1800's Brighton, where The Prince Regent has taken a fancy to the town, to Dr Russell's "sea-water cure", to Maria Fitzherbert, and against an old underground stream that threatens his scheme to build his Pavillion. Unbeknownst to him, the ancient river has its allies in the underworld, and George finds himself caught up in adventures, that his father considers unholy, in a bid to find out what wisdom his own unbidden children have to tell him.

".... really impressed with both the script and the performance. You are a wonderful, wonderful storyteller and totally captivated us. I thought you managed the multiple characters with elegance and the physical and vocal characterisation was very strong. I loved the humour, the darkness, the dangerous territories and the power of the message. I felt in that intimate space we were seeing you unravel a part of your soul...." Anita Sullivan, Playwright, on Licence

And Something Underground Theatre Company is adding value to The Fringe experience this year, bringing out two other historical plays, which happen to all be linked.
"Betsy: The Wisdom of a Brighton Wh*re" a deeper tale about Betsy from "The Well", is set in early 1800's Brighton, and is played by Rachel Guershon, deep in the highly atmospheric Old Police Cells Museum, under Brighton Town Hall.

"The Well", playing at Hove Town Hall, is stunning plot-driven physical theatre about the world's deepest hand-dug well, (that exists in Brighton) and is a sequel to both Betsy: The Wisdom of a Brighton Wh*re and to The Silent Stream

All three shows, written by Jonathan, can be seen on a special deal ticket through the Fringe Box Office.

Says Jonathan, "We're all incredibly excited to have these three shows in The Fringe this year and everyone is working so hard to find the most impactful ways to relate these lost Brighton stories. And they are excellent stories!"

Tickets are now on sale. To book yours, go to the Brighton Fringe Website at www.brightonfringe.org

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