Welcome!

Welcome to Phil Mansell's Paperblog Writer Blog.

Thursday 5 April 2012

'Poor Yorick' Rides Again

Really looking forward to reprising my play 'Poor Yorick' at Blackwood Little Theatre as part of the Gwent Festival of One Act Plays. It proved successful when it was premièred at the No Holds Bard festival at the Dolman Theatre in mid-March.
Since then I have revised the play and re-cast two of the parts - my wife Caroline takes over from Clare Drewett as Yorick's lady friend Bess and David Eynon-Williams steps into the ghostly shoes of Hamlet's late father.

'Poor Yorick' tells how Hamlet’s jester tries to pioneer stand-up comedy but fails and is forced to return to Elsinore to get his old job back, only to become embroiled in Hamlet’s plans for revenge. Complete with busty tavern wenches, domineering mothers, ghosts and the invention of the exploding whoopee cushion, it promises to be a laughter-packed production.

Bruce Campbell, Sue Morgan, Chris Powell and Will Smith-Haddon
in the No Holds Bard production of 'Poor Yorick'

It was one of four one act plays that won a competition organised by Newport Playgoers as their contribution to the nationwide Royal Shakespeare Company’s Open Stages project. One of the plays that was a runner-up in the competition, 'In The Spirit Of Things' by Steven Quantick is being staged by Playgoers New Generation at Blackwood, while Dolman Youth Theatre present another Shakespeare-inspired play, 'Bottom's Dream'. Both of these are also being produced at the Studio Theatre at the Dolman from 12th - 14th April.

Tickets are available online at http://gwentdrama.weebly.com/ or  http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/blt. Alternatively, customers can phone 01495 223485.