Up and Coming

Productions in the pipeline

Rich Seam Theatre & Little Mighty present

Saucy; The King of Seaside Postcards

Written by Nick Lane
Directed by John R. Wilkinson
British seaside holidays. They’ve always been the same, haven’t they?

That first morning, opening the curtains in the B&B and knowing a whole week of sunshine is standing firmly between you and work. That walk along the prom, ice-cream in hand, wind-break tucked firmly under a goose-pimpled arm. That run down the beach in pursuit of an errant kite. That first taste of delicious, minty, sugary rock. That moment when the naked girl sunbathed on the skylight of the hotel roof…

Hold on. That’s not right.

That didn’t happen… did it?

According to the postcards it did. That and countless other innuendo-laden situations. There was a time when no seaside holiday would be complete without sending one or two of these bawdy images home to friends – a six by four inch cardboard wink, as iconic as donkey rides or kiss-me-quick hats (and occasionally featuring both). They say a picture is worth a thousand words… these ones spoke for a nation!

But what of the artists that created these minor masterpieces? They may have appeared in every household, but they were hardly household names – did they always envision themselves drawing buxom women and sex-starved men? Or did they have loftier aspirations?

And what happens when censorship threatens to take the sauce from your bread and butter?

Using actual stories of the artists behind some of the most treasured postcards, Saucy is an exploration of the values of art, of our morals in a more innocent time… and of the Great British seaside holiday itself.

Slap on your sun-cream, strap on your sandals and join us

Rich Seam Theatre presents

Starfish

Written by Simon Jose
Directed by Nick Lane
See it before it becomes real

Tina likes to party. As does her friend Claire. Tina’s brother has just come out of jail and he’s trying to get enough cash together to go legit. Tina has a problem and that’s the government. Unemployed and with a dark secret she encounters Terry an amiable “Back to WorK” officer who’s sent to help Tina back into employment. But as Terry becomes more forceful Tina kicks back against a barrage of rules and regulations that become increasingly more draconian.

Starfish is about how ordinary people struggle to just keep their head above water and the modern, urban, concrete horror stories that often lie behind them.

In a society that is becoming more and more intolerant of those at the bottom Starfish explores the emotional cost of dehumanisation and asks a simple question. Are we taking it to far … or are we there already?

This production will be our first Kickstarter event where we attempt to raise money for the production via Crowdsourcing …. watch this space!