The Polish Play by Alison Atikinson directed by Sonia Ritter at the Cockpit Theatre Eastern Poland, September 11 1939. A family of artists are stranded in their forest home. The Germans are invading Poland from the West. The Russians are storming Poland from the East. With music, song, dance and poetry, the artists prepare for death in the only way they know... "Excellent drama....both beautiful and painful"	Boys Life by Howard Korder directed by Michael Redston at the Etcetera Theatre co-produced with Look At Me Productions Howard Korder’s Pulitzer-nominated play: Three long-time friends, Jack, Phil and Don, swap the carefree schooldays for the perils and pitfalls of relationships. "Attention to detail in recreating the looks and sounds of the mid-eighties is spot on...Outstanding performance(s)’"	Entertaining Morocco by Alison Atkinson directed by Sonia Ritter at Teatro Technis Morocco, 1631 A band of English country choristers has been captured by pirates and brought to Morocco. They work up a unique performance combining their own hymns with acrobatics, dance and songs of the orient. Will they ever get home...? Do they want to...? "Engaging, sylised performances... Sonia Ritter's direction...ensures the play's success"
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The Polish Play

by Alison Atikinson

directed by Sonia Ritter

at the Cockpit Theatre

Eastern Poland, September 11 1939.

A family of artists are stranded in their forest home. The Germans are invading Poland from the West. The Russians are storming Poland from the East. With music, song, dance and poetry, the artists prepare for death in the only way they know...

"The impulse for this play arose from two images. The first was of men and women hovering at windows, high up in the World Trade Centre. The second was a painting in my bedroom of shadows of trees, falling upon a piano in an empty living room.

"I started reading about the Polish landowners who lived in the forests of Eastern Poland and who, in September 1939, were caught between two armies: the Germans advancing upon them from the West, the Bolsheviks storming towards them from the East. What followed, as we now know, were mass arrests, exiles and executions.

"I created a family of artists to live in this forest, singing, dancing, story-telling, sculpting as the armies approach. When a Polish soldier happens upon them, he too stays and starts to write poems to the lady of the house.

"I discovered that Poland's foremost poet, Adam Mickiewich, was a native of this forest area and that his “Dziady” drew upon local folk tradition. When I came to write the Second Act, “Dziady” was a constant reference point.

"In the Third Act, the artists are rehearsing for their “final concert”. They know they are going to die. They seek, through art, to make their mark upon a world that will soon be beyond material reach."

Alison Atkinson

"From the very beginning of the play the stakes are high and this obviously makes for excellent drama... Each character is carefully and charmingly written and we care about their futures as much as they care about their individual art froms... The play is both beautiful and painful in its beauty, as we know how it is destined to end"

Review by Talya Klein, Literary Department, Royal National Theatre

"Beautiful and multi-faceted"

Gazeta Niedzielna

Cast:

Arthur Kohn

Layla Nezirovic-Wiseman

Maggie Robson

Mark Luigi

Craig Karpel

Jessica Clements

Diana van Proosdy

Entertaining Morocco

by Alison Atkinson

directed by Sonia Ritter

at Teatro Technis

Morocco, 1631

A band of English country choristers has been captured by pirates and brought to Morocco. They work up a unique performance combining their own hymns with acrobatics, dance and songs of the orient.

Will they ever get home...?

Do they want to...?

"Writer Alison Atkinson evokes a world where the language is intentionally courtly yet earthy and this is reflected in the engaging, sylised performances. This is hard to pull off convincingly but Sonia Ritter's direction consistently meets Atkinson's demands, thereby ensuring the play's success. Things are made all the more attractive by the unexpected way the writing reflects the various specialities of this cast. Some are members of the Lion's part, a company that explores verse drama, bringing a powerful focus for delivery inspired by Morality plays. Overseen by Callum Coates as the slave trader, the county choristers Kali Peacock, Graham Christopher, Maggie Robson and Daniel Wilson show a fine ear for four-part harmony, while Sarah Finch's Aisha is all ariel artistry on suspended silk ropes"

The Stage

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Boys Life

by Howard Korder,

directed by Michael Redston, at the Etcetera Theatre

co-produced with Look At Me Productions

"Attention to detail in recreating the looks and sounds of the mid to late-eighties is spot on in Lookatme Productions’ interpretation of Howard Korder’s Pulitzer-nominated play....George Leggat as Jack gives an outstanding performance. His character tries to hide his deep unhappiness with his marriage and child by hiding behind a jovial veneer. Yet it still manifests itself as a vindictive, bullying relationship with his two friends. Leggat throws himself into the role, pulling the audience along with him.

James Witt...find(s) an endearing quality behind his absolute social ineptitude. Gareth McChlery as Don has the harder, straight role but gives a balanced performance. Of their muses, Sharlit Deyzac is magnificent as the feisty, attitude-overdosed waitress-cum-sculptor Lisa and Clyta Rainford stands out in the sadly underused role of Lisa.

Director Michael Redston uses the space well, his direction unobtrusive and natural."

Jeremy Austin, The Stage