2016 was another tremendously busy time for GAMBOLLING ARENA and we are grateful in a year that bore witness to Brexit and President Trump, that sanity ruled within GA headquarters and artistic merit rocked.
Two new pieces of writing took to the boards in 2016. To celebrate DAHL 100, we embarked on a new version of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, with a soundtrack of the best music of 1962 when Roald Dahl wrote this most loved children’s favorite. The show debuted around the north west at Dahl celebrations and then had a 3 day residency at EDDA in Ainsdale for Merseyside schools. Happily, all of these performances sold out and more importantly for some youngsters, it was their first experience of professional live theater – and what an introduction it was!
We are very democratic here at GA and hold an annual meeting for us all to throw ideas into a hat for future work. Interestingly there was an overwhelming urge to attempt a new genre for the company, the much maligned (by me) ‘HORROR’. Specifically Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’.
As an ardent non-horror fan this decision left me reeling (would I be able to pull of an adaptation of such an iconic book?) and obviously the Sissy Spacek film is a classic. So 5 re-writes later and with a cast of 15 (which is HUGE by GA standards), including newcomers and some old faces with whom I had worked 15 years ago, scratch performances aired in early November, and to huge acclaim. We are now booking our 2017 tour – all very exciting but a huge cast and responsibility. Thus far we have dates in Manchester and Chester. Watch this space for more details.
Our residency at Southport Pleasureland continued and culminated in our first ever venture into the world of HALLOWEEN Scare Houses, involving daytime productions of the Twitchy Witch and 29 actors based in The Ghost House and The House of Horror. Great fun, hard work and without my trusty lieutenant Steph Hazlett and costume director Rebecca Wooder none of it would have been possible.
Many more arty farty things happened within the year as well, too many to mention. The important thing is we remained busy and it looks as though 2017 will be the same – we’re already booked to perform James and The Giant Peach, New works about Joyce Grenfell, and celebrations of Enid Blyton. We are also excited to announce that our award winning production of I WISH YOU LOVE will be making a return!
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