Come and enjoy a very special Sunday evening of award-winning live theatre at The Lyric on Sunday 11th November 7.30pm.
Prodigal Theatre Company present THE TRAGEDIAN – Part I – The Rise to Fame of Edmund Kean
On the 26th of January 1814, Edmund Kean made his Drury Lane Debut as Shylock and changed the history of British Theatre forever. He was a grieving, drunk megalomaniac, but was still considered poetry in motion.
Prodigal’s multi award-winning “The Tragedian” is everything you don’t expect from a solo-performance or historical biography. Original & existing texts are fused together with stylized naturalism and dramatic a physicality which breaks through the usual conventions of theatre.
This unique piece is staged in the round, to make direct contact with the audience in a playful way, and makes us realise that we were a celebrity-obsessed society even in Shakespeare’s day. The Tragedian has toured festivals and venues winning critical acclaim in eight countries. Alister O’Loughin who performs the piece also won Three Weeks Award & Stage Best Actor Nomination Edinburgh Fringe 2005 and Brighton Festival Best Actor in 2005.
Niki McCretton, The Lyric’s owner says, ” I saw this production in Prague a few years ago and I’m not surprised it has gone on to gather so many accolades. It is brilliant and tremendously exciting theatre.”
Described by theatrical legend Steven Berkoff as “Extraordinary, inventive, imaginative, dynamic” in the Times, this production is being re-mounted to bring to Bridport’s Lyric as a one-off performance and cannot be seen anywhere else. Several years ago, Niki performed one her award-winning solo productions at Prodigal’s own theatre, The Nightingale in Brighton to help raise funds to renovate that building. Prodigal are now doing the same by bringing this production to help the Lyric.
Alister O’Loughlin, who plays Edmund Kean in the show says “When we heard that Niki was involved in bringing life back to the Lyric, we wanted to be able to help. Her and her partner Marc have a great vision to support artist’s and the community’s creativity. We are thrilled to be able to bring The Tragedian to such a wonderfully theatrical setting. It will be a very special evening for us and I hope for the audience too.”
Tickets are £10 and can be reserved online at www.the-lyric.com, call 01308 423951 or visit the Lyric or Instant ReDress on Barrack Street, Bridport to buy tickets in person.
