“We flock like pilgrims to the jewel of the North
On the road to Mecca Bingo our numbers spew forth”
This August, Blackpool based Community Theatre Company Th’ESPs are bringing their first ever full-scale theatre production to The Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. Sandgrown Tails is a collection of familiar stories retold in unfamiliar ways and promises to show audiences a different and somewhat whacky perspective on the town.
Through poetry, puppetry, singing and storytelling, an ensemble cast of 16 local players retell a selection of well-known tales in surprising, funny and memorable ways.
Th’ESPs is a group of creative-minded adults who meet to learn more about different theatre techniques and to put their skills into practice. Lottery funding received in January 2018 has enabled the group to meet weekly at Blackpool & Fylde College and work towards this performance, with input from a professional creatives including vocal, musical, movement, mask and puppetry practitioners.
Artistic Director of The Electric Sunshine Project CIC and Th’ESPs group leader Melanie Whitehead, told us: “Since I first set up the community theatre in September 2016 we have retained a core group of people who come back each time we start a new project, but we’ve also gained new members who bring different skills and experiences which keeps the energy of the group vibrant and ever-changing.
“Sandgrown Tails has been completely conceived, devised, written, adapted and performed by the company; it’s great to see them applying the skills they learned in exciting ways and growing in confidence and performance ability every time we meet. The company have worked really hard to give some well-known stories their own spin; to make them feel relevant to where we are geographically and in time. We have spent a lot of time playing with and discussing themes that we feel are important for people to see and hear. We wanted to tell Blackpool’s story from a different perspective.
“We’ve got mermaids, man-eating lions and men dressed up like your nan plus everything else in between that gets washed up on Blackpool’s shores and we know that audiences will delight in how we tell their tales.
“There’s nothing quite like what Th’ESPs are offering in this town and we really hope that Blackpool communities of all ages get behind this production and come to see it – tickets cost just £5 after all.”
So with mermaids, man-eating lions & men dressed up like your nan, this sounds like a fun show for all the family. Tickets are limited so don’t delay and reserve your seat for a Pleasure Beach ride like no other.
This is a roving show told in different locations within the venue. Expect to move around. All areas are accessible.
Performances take place at The Attic at the Pleasure Beach. Friday 3 August at 7.30pm, Saturday 4 August at 11.30am, 3pm and 7.30pm, and Sunday 5 August at 2pm and 5pm.
Tickets are priced at £5 and are available online here or from members of the company. For further information please contact TESP by email at [email protected]
Show Comments (0)