An evening of Gunpowder Plots - and More

Described as 'a masterclass in the art of farce', the play is sheer joy from start to finish. An ideal tonic for early winter nights and a warning of the perils of bigamy in the age of the internet!

Created for Refugee Week 2003 by Exiled Writers Ink! With Somali Women from Horn of Africa Women's Association in collaboration with Evlynn Sharp and Dictynna Hood

Somali women proclaim with anguish, "Our voice is not heard, our voice is silenced. The world only hears the man's voice, not the woman's."

Neither does the UK hear the voice of this hidden group. Now they speak out, breaking the silence, sharing with you their journeys, struggles and innermost thoughts.

Breaking the Silence is a powerful and emotional work of experimental multi-media theatre created by Exiled Writers Ink! with the Horn of Africa Women's Association.

Annabel is in her eighties and in the early stages of dementia. She not only hears voices but argues with them. Confused and alone, she has been found by police wandering in a churchyard in the early hours of the morning. What events in Annabel's past are coming back to haunt her? Can she resolve her differences with her daughter before her mind fails her completely? A poignant look at one of the tragedies of the ageing process.

Cast includes Dorie Steward, Rosemary Goodman, Caroline Fantozzi, Martin Goodman and Charonne Boulton. Directed by Jon Russell

You are once again cordially invited to join our dysfunctional family for a get together, this time to celebrate Christmas. After the fiasco of the wedding back in May, can they put their problems behind them and celebrate Christmas together with a healthy dollop of goodwill to all men? Probably not. Families and Christmas? Nearly as bad as families and weddings! Mingle with the family, pull a cracker and get the Christmas season off to a fun start.

Cast includes Dorie Steward, John Stenhouse, Rosemary Goodman, Martin Goodman, Alan Herring, Will Franklin, Chrystalla Spire, Philip Reardon, Jon Russell, Rebecca Russell, Tanya Spencer and Lucas Russell

Buy a combined ticket for both Tidemark perfomances at a discount of £2.50

Set in Brooklyn in 1938, Miller's play deals with personal and global issues as news filters through of the growing persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. Written by an acknowledged giant of 20th century theatre, Miller's play is typically wise, humane and moving.

A special concert edition of the Company of Ten's funky, fun family show for younger children

Join ageing Lothario Dino Martino and his star-struck showgirls as they attempt to bring all the glamour and excitement of uptown Las Vegas to downtown Holywell Hill!

"This hilarious sketch show is a total tail-shaking, lipstick, powder and paint affair!" - The Stage

When the canal broke its banks and a holy statue burst up through the floor of 12 year old Veronica Sheehan's bedroom, no one was more surprised than she was. With the help of her best friend Zelda, the two girls set about using their new found skills to help their community, and the townspeople find something magical comes into their lives.

Lin Coghlan is a playwright who has written for for radio, television, film and theatre.The Miracle is one of the ten new plays commissioned for the 2006 Shell Connections programme.

The Marriage of Figaro (Italian: Le nozze di Figaro), K. 492, is an opera buffa (comic opera) composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Beaumarchais, Le mariage de Figaro (1784). Although the play by Beaumarchais was at first banned in Vienna due to the mockery of the upper class, the opera became one of Mozart's most successful pieces of work. The work is now commonly regarded as a cornerstone of the standard operatic repertoire. The opening overture is especially famous, and is often played in concerts on its own, without the rest of the opera.

Playing their first principal roles since joining the group will be Chloe McAllister as Laurey and Edward Webb as Curley, supported by Joshua Bird as Jud Fry, Joanna Oram as Aunt Eller and Daniel Barry as Ali Hakim. Making his SAYMT debut will be Joseph Giacone (Kerpow!) as Will Parker with Cara Rodford as Ado Annie.

St Albans Youth Music Theatre is well known for the high standard of shows (Broadway Pirates (2005), Pendragon (2004), Godspell (2003)) and this is definitely one NOT to miss!

The season will now run from Wednesday 19th April to Saturday 6th May 2006, with performances planned for each evening, including Sundays, during that period. There will now only be three different productions, playing in repertory.

To see which plays are on which nights, please see the Booking Form (link below)

The productions are as follows :

Bash, by leading American playwright Neil LaBute, directed by Steve Cunningham. Two monologues and one duologue, dark in character, often disturbing. Thought provoking and brilliantly written, Bash received high critical acclaim when at the Almeida two or three years ago.

My Night With Reg, by Kevin Elyot. has been cancelled

The World's Wife, to be directed by Margaret Metcalf, is a collection of satirical poems by Carol Ann Duffy on the little known wives of well known husbands. The poems are wonderfully varied, from the extremely funny (imagine Mrs Rip van Winkle or Mrs Quasimodo!) to the very dark and powerful. Some are quite rude, but never offensively so. There will be music and songs interspersed with the poems.

Talking Heads, by Alan Bennett, needs little introduction. The monologues have become classics, and we will be repeating three of the six which played to full studio audiences in January 2005. They will be performed by the same actors. Each monologue reflects in its own way Alan Bennett's razor sharp and deeply observant view of life, seen through the eyes of six very different characters. The plays are poignant, yet very funny.

In this seminal classic, the late Marlon Brando is unforgettable as Terry Malloy - a brooding misfit among the rampant corruption of the New York docks, and was rightly awarded an Oscar for best actor (the youngest ever at the time). The movie works on several levels: on the surface it's an extremely well-crafted and entertaining crime drama, but peel away some of the layers and you'll discover an apologia for informing. It's fascinating, then, to discover the superb direction is by Elia Kazan, who himself 'named names' in McCarthyite America. Mix in Leonard Bernstein's Oscar-nominated score, memorable dialogue from screenwriter Budd Schulberg and truly great performances from screen newcomers Eva Marie Saint and Rod Steiger. If ever a movie deserved its eight Oscars, it was this one. Brando added the BFA award - the equivalent then of the Baftas - for best foreign actor to his Oscar.

Marlon Brando Terry Malloy Karl Malden Father Barry
Lee J. Cobb Johnny Friendly Rod Steiger Charley Malloy
Pat Henning 'Kayo' Dugan Eva Marie Saint Edie Doyle
Leif Erickson Glover James Westerfield Big Mac
Marty (Martin) Balsam Gillette Fred Gwynne Slim

Dir: Elia Kazan; Screenplay: Budd Schulberg
from a series of articles by Malcolm Johnson
Cinematographer: Boris Kaufman
Music: Leonard Bernstein
Art Director: Richard Day

The first part of Claude Berri's adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's novel L'Eau des Collines is, quite simply, a tour de force. The screenplay (by Berri and Gerard Brach) is wholly cinematic, Bruno Nuytten's shimmering cinematography avoids mere pictorialism, while Berri's direction captures both the pace of the changing seasons and the unique atmosphere of Provence. The acting is also of the highest order. Gerard Depardieu is perhaps a little too insistent in asserting the worthiness of the hunchback, but Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil are outstanding as the scheming Soubeyrans. The second part Manon des Sources continued the tale.

French with English Subtitles - contains swearing and sexual references.

Yves Montand Cesar Soubeyran, Le Papet Gerard Depardieu Jean de Florette (Cadoret)
Daniel Auteuil Ugolin Soubeyran, 'Galignette' Elisabeth Depardieu Aimee Cadoret
Ernestine Mazurowna Manon Cadoret, Marcel Champel Pique-Bouffigue

Director: Claude Berri
Screenplay: Gerard Brach, Claude Berri
from the novel L'Eau des Collines by Marcel Pagnol

Representing the East of England counties, only one of the four plays will go forward to the English Final. The Adjudicator for the evening is Tony Rushforth of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators.

(2004/5, US, Colour, 112mins, 15)

A cross-section of Los Angeles residents interact in unpredictable ways in debuting director Paul Haggis's interwoven urban drama. The characters - the corrupt cop (Matt Dillon), the highly-strung wife (Thandie Newton), the sharp detective (Don Cheadle) among them - are fully developed, connected to each other by their very personalities as well as their proximity. Haggis's film offers innovative surprises while remaining dramatically accessible, as events, both kind and cruel, occur that even the most practised moviegoer cannot foresee. Cinematic, entertaining and edifying. Contains swearing and violence.

Sandra Bullock Jean Don Cheadle Graham Walters
Matt Dillon Officer Ryan Jennifer Esposito Ria
William Fichtner Flanagan Brendan Fraser Rick
Terrence Howard Cameron Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges Anthony
Thandie Newton Christine Ryan Phillippe Officer Hanson

Dir: Paul Haggis
Scr: Paul Haggis/Bobby Moresco (from a story by Paul Haggis)

(Documentary, 2003, Ger/Mongolia, Colour, 86 mins, U)

When Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni arrived in the Gobi Desert, they had only ten hours of Super-16 film stock. So the fact that this study of a family of Mongolian camel herders is both compelling and charming owes as much to luck as judgement. When a mother camel begins to neglect her new-born white calf, the action becomes increasingly affecting, especially after a local musician is summoned to perform a mystical ritual to bond the intransigent mother and her adorable offspring. But the human side of the story is equally poignant, with the final arrival of satellite television symbolising a threat to this ancient and arduous way of life.
In Russian with English subtitles.

Director: Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni

A musical revue featuring the songs of Richard Rodgers (who wrote Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The Sound of Music among many others) is being presented for one night only before it travels to the Edinburgh Fringe.

Tickets are £8, with concessions at £7, and can be purchased by phone on 07770 666275, (NOT from the Theatre Box Office.)

The show is 1 hour and 15 minutes long, and the bar will be open before and after the performance.

Back from a sell-out London run, and before it goes to the Edinburgh Fringe, Tidemark Theatre are proud to present this brand new comedy drama directed by Rosemary Goodman. Six modern women have also married one man. Their experiences ? miscarriage, love affairs, betrayal and a shared loathing of all things ginger are portrayed with humour and pathos.

?brilliantly conceived? extremely funny? took the audience by storm?? Herts Ad / BBC 3

The hit children's show from Edinburgh 2004. A magical and exciting journey through Ancient Greece with Odysseus. Original music, puppetry, jolly big swords and a splash of irreverent humour for children aged 4+ years and their parents, by Tidemark Theatre.