Tobacco Factory Theatres Announces Ambitious 2017 Season, Creation of Factory Company

This week Tobacco Factory Theatres launches its most ambitious ever season of productions for Aug - Dec 2017, including five in-house productions throughout the autumn and at Christmas. In addition, the theatre announces a new chapter in its history: the creation of the Factory Company which will perform two electrifying plays between February and May 2018.

HIGHLIGHTS THIS AUG - DEC 2017

At a bustling season launch earlier in the week, Mike Tweddle, Artistic Director announced the new autumn season and was joined by a host of speakers to introduce several of its numerous highlights. The season will kick off in celebratory mood with the return of Bristol Festival of Puppetry and Chris Pirie, Co-Director of the festival, introduced the events that will make this fifth outing its best yet! Kate Yedigaroff, Co-Director of MAYK, spoke about the award-winning, genre-defying hit Two Man Show which Tobacco Factory Theatres will co-present with MAYK at Circomedia as part of its autumn BEYOND season. Mark Rosenblatt, director of the previously announced Waiting for Godot, gave an insight into his vision for the production in October - the first major solo production by Tobacco Factory Theatres. Finally, Heather Williams and Nathan Bessell from Myrtle Theatre Company gave a beautiful preview of Up Down Man, the long awaited sequel to the internationally acclaimed Up Down Boy.

Other particular highlights this season include the latest co-production between Opera Project and Tobacco Factory Theatres - Puccini's Tosca. Heather was commissioned by Tobacco Factory Theatres as part of its a Play, a Pie and a Pint series in 2014 with the title Helen and this Dancing Brick and Paul Jellis production returns as part of a national tour. Also playing as part of Tobacco Factory Theatres BEYOND, the fabulous comedy musical How To Win Against History by Seiriol Davies comes to the Wardrobe Theatre. Finally, The Ugly Duckling (co-produced with Travelling Light) and Living Spit's Nativity join the previously announced Beauty and the Beast to complete the Christmas line-up at Tobacco Factory Theatres offering shows for all members of the family, from 2 to 102!

A NEW CHAPTER FOR TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRES

Mike also announced at the launch the latest and biggest expansion of Tobacco Factory Theatres's production repertoire. Spring 2018 will see the inaugural season of the Factory Company - Tobacco Factory Theatres's own company of actors drawn from across Bristol and further afield. The esteemed Adele Thomas will direct Shakespeare's Macbeth from Thu 22 February - Sat 07 April 2018 and Mike Tweddle will direct his first play for Tobacco Factory Theatres - Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge from Wed 18 April - Sat 12 May 2018. The Factory Company will bring together new voices and emerging talent alongside experienced actors - the best of the best - for a ground-breaking, high profile season of dynamic work. Performed in-the-round in this intimate, immersive venue, Macbeth and A View From the Bridge will resonate like never before. The Factory Company season will also connect with the local community, artists and audiences through an inspirational series of events, talks and masterclasses.

The Aug - Dec 17 season is now on priority sale for Tobacco Factory Theatres Members and Business Club and will go on general sale on Tue 01 August at 11am. For more information read on. You can also view the brochure online or download it.

The Factory Company season will be on priority sale for Tobacco Factory Theatres Members and Business Club from Mon 18 September and will go on general sale on Mon 25 September.

FULL AUG - DEC 2017 SEASON

Bristol Festival of Puppetry takes over the building at Tobacco Factory Theatres from Fri 01 - Sun 10 September with its celebration of all things animated. Tobacco Factory Theatres is home to the live programme of events, including shows, workshops, talks and films, as well as the much-loved parade and Smoking Puppet Cabaret. Animated film screenings will take place at the Watershed cinema. As part of the events at Tobacco Factory Theatres, the theatre is excited to present its established Prototype platform on Tue 05 September. Prototype: Experiments in Puppetry will showcase new work being made in the fields of puppetry, mask, object manipulation and physical theatre. Details of the full BFP17 line-up can be found at bristolfestivalofpuppetry.org

A celebration of new writing marks out the second week of September. Beginning and ending the week are two solo shows that stormed the Edinburgh Fringe in 2016 - Team Viking from Tangram Theatre (Mon 11 September) and Daniel Bye's Instructions for Border Crossing (Sun 17 September). Sandwiched in between are Thomas Eccleshare's disturbing and provocative Heather (Wed 13 - Sat 16 September) and Two Man Show from RashDash and Soho Theatre (Wed 13 - Sat 16 September) which uses live music, dance, theatre and comedy to bring a searing examination of masculinity. Two Man Show is also the first BEYOND show for the season and plays at Circomedia.

Mark Lockyer's Living with the Lights On from Actors Touring Company explodes onto the stage on Mon 18 - Fri 22 September, telling Mark's true story of living life at the edge and coping with his bipolar disorder.

Next up in the BEYOND season is The Truman Capote Talk Show, brought to Bristol by Richard Jordan Productions and playing at the Redgrave Theatre (Sun 24 - Tue 26 September). The acclaimed Bob Kingdom holds audiences spellbound in his one-man show about the infamous writer of Breakfast at Tiffany's.

This autumn's co-production with Opera Project is Tosca (Wed 27 September - Sat 14 October), Puccini's intensely dramatic and riveting opera which sees the demise of all of its major protagonists. Singing in English with a masterful translation by Amanda Holden, Opera Project presents another stunning cast including Opera North principal soprano Kate Valentine, Welsh tenor Robyn Lyn Evans and internationally renowned baritone Nicholas Folwell.

October half term heralds Bristol puppetry geniuses Pickled Image and their stunning show for children Yana and the Yeti. Playing as part of BEYOND at the 1532 Performing Arts Centre from Sat 21 - Wed 25 October, the show is about friends that come in the most unexpected shapes and sizes and features, of course, a real life Yeti.

Preparations continue apace for Tobacco Factory Theatres's production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot (Thu 19 October - Sat 04 November). Now a classic of 20th century literature, the play changed the rules of theatre when it premiered in 1955. Following its run here, the production will tour to the Dukes Lancaster and the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough in November.

Henry Cyril Paget (AKA the 5th Marquis of Anglesey) was one of the world's wealthiest men until he lost his fortune in the pursuit of diamonds, fabulousness and the staging of plays to which nobody came. Seiriol Davies's new musical How To Win Against History celebrates the life of someone that history tried to forget and is presented as part of the BEYOND season at the Wardrobe Theatre from Thu 02 - Sat 11 November.

The brilliant Up Down Boy premiered at Tobacco Factory Theatres in 2010. Now its sequel, Up Down Man, presents the next chapter in the life of Matty Butler, exploring bereavement, learning disability and growing up (Wed 08 - Sat 18 November). A co-production for Myrtle Theatre Company and Tobacco Factory Theatres in association with Salisbury Playhouse, Up Down Man is funny and moving and could change the way you see the world.

For Christmas 2017, Tobacco Factory Theatres has something to entertain all the family! It is delighted to join forces with New International Encounter and Cambridge Junction for a mischievous and music-filled co-production of Beauty and the Beast for audiences aged 5+ (Thu 30 November 2017 - Sun 14 January 2018). Playing on top of Beauty and the Beast, the first ever co-production for Travelling Light and Tobacco Factory Theatres, The Ugly Duckling, makes a very welcome return for children aged 2+ and their families (Sun 10 December 2017 - Sun 14 January 2018). Finally, not forgetting the adults, local legends Living Spit bring their wonderfully naughty Nativity to the Theatre Shop in Clevedon on Tue 12 - Sat 30 December. Not for the faint hearted or pure of soul, this will be the final BEYOND show for 2017.

Keeping audiences chuckling through the autumn, The Comedy Box present another season of top-notch comedians: Andy Parson (Tue 12 September), Phill Jupitus (Sun 01 October), Robin Ince (Thu 05 October), Tom Stade (Thu 12 October) and John Hegley (Sun 29 October).

Finally, Tobacco Factory Theatres continues to present its regular Hosted Shows - productions and events from emerging artists, local community and education and amateur groups. Events include 5X15 (Mon 02 October), Milk Poetry (Mon 09 October) and the return of the UK's largest youth drama festival Shakespeare Schools Festival (Mon 20 - Fri 24 November).

ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

BSL interpreted performances

This season the following productions will have BSL interpreted performances:

Meet Fred (Bristol Festival of Puppetry) Mon 04 September 7.30pm

Waiting for Godot Fri 03 November 7.30pm

Up Down Man Thu 16 November 1.30pm

Beauty and the Beast Fri 15 December 7.30pm

Seats have been reserved for customers using the BSL interpreter to ensure a good view of the interpreter. To book these seats, please email tickets@tobaccofactorytheatres.com or call 0117 902 0344.

RELAXED PERFORMANCES

Tobacco Factory Theatres regularly offers relaxed performances; a specially adapted performance to ensure a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for those with additional needs and their families.

There will be relaxed performances of the following productions this season. A pre-show information pack and set tour will be provided, the house lights will be on, sound and lighting effects will be lessened and a chill out space will be available.

Meet Fred (Bristol Festival of Puppetry) Mon 04 September 2pm

Up Down Man Thu 09 November 1.30pm; Thu 16 November 1.30pm; Sat 18 November 2.30pm

Beauty and the Beast Wed 10 January 1pm; Tue 11 January 6pm

TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRES CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE PROGRAMME AND GET INVOLVED PROGRAMME

The CYP programme at Tobacco Factory Theatres has something for young people of all ages, offering the opportunity to work with the most exciting theatre practitioners of the region. The new term for the Young Theatre Maker companies (three groups aged between 8 and 19 years) starts from Mon 18 September whilst later that month, Take It On sessions begin again offering 6-9 year olds the chance to learn specialist theatre skills (Mon 25 September, Mon 30 October & Mon 27 November). Workshops during October half term will give 7 to 11 year olds an introduction to theatre, as part of Bristol Family Arts Festival. Plus schools can work with Tobacco Factory Theatres too on tours, talks and show-related workshops!

The GET INVOLVED programme at Tobacco Factory Theatres offer opportunities for audiences to get under the skin of productions and take part in activities to enhance the shows they come to see. This autumn, GET INVOLVED has a focus on younger audiences. A workshop for Waiting for Godot for young people aged 16-21 will explore the themes and text of the play. There's another REACT evening for young people aged 14-25 to engage in an evening of festivities and post show discussion with the makers of Up Down Man and a pre-show workshop and Play in a Day workshop for Beauty and the Beast. Finally, acclaimed local theatre company DragonBird will visit the theatre every month from September to offer a unique theatre experience for 0-5 year olds.

Tobacco Factory Theatres produces and presents excellent art in unique, intimate spaces at Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol, as well as off site in Bristol and in venues across the country. It presents a jam-packed programme of diverse and exciting shows, workshops and events, from classic and contemporary theatre, to theatre for families, comedy, dance, music, opera and puppetry. It also runs an expanding programme of engagement, learning and participation opportunities for audiences, young people and artists.

For more information, visit tobaccofactorytheatres.com, email tickets@tobaccofactorytheatres.com, or follow on Twitter @tftheatres | Facebook/Instagram Tobacco Factory Theatres.

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