'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.

Countdown begins to No Holds Bard!

So we’re a mere 13 days away from the opening of the No Holds Bard festival, which features my one act play ‘Poor Yorick’ – and panic has begun to set in as we’ve yet to run the play all the way through..

Yorick (Will Smith-Haddon) makes himself at
home in Hamlet's (Chris Powell) room
at Elsinore

 Focusing on Hamlet’s story as seen through the eyes of his court jester who has gone on tour pioneering stand-up comedy, the play is at least getting plenty of laughs from the cast during rehearsals.

It’s quite a cast too! Will Smith-Haddon is great as Yorick, the clown who’s ahead of his time with his observational humour – “What is it with the Black Death? That's a bit depressing isn't it?” 

Yorick (Will Smith-Haddon) and Bess
(Clare Drewett) may not have much but at least
they have each other

Clare Drewett plays his bawdy wench girlfriend Bess who specialises in knocking back ale and making rat stew. Chris Powell excels as a whinging Hamlet who is fed up of his moaning mother, Gertrude – played to perfection by Sue Morgan in a glittering gown, tiara and Marigold gloves. Bruce Campbell makes a brief appearance as a surprisingly chirpy ghost of Hamlet’s father, offering words of advice such as "Don't drink the wine".

Yorick and Hamlet discuss vacancies for court jester
while Queen Gertrude (Sue Morgan) attempts to
clean the room

The festival is Newport Playgoers’ contribution to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Open Stages project which aims to reunite the worlds of amateur and professional theatre. With four plays offering a mixture of slapstick, bloody sword fights and romantic mix-ups it promises to be an evening of lively entertainment that gives a thoroughly modern take on Shakespeare and turns his plots into plays for today. For more information check out http://newportplaygoers.wordpress.com/

We're all really excited that our local newspaper, the South Wales Argus, is sponsoring the festival.  Please come along and support us from 15 – 17 March at the Dolman Theatre, Newport. Tickets, which are just £5 and £7, can be booked by phoning the box office on 01633 263670 or visiting www.dolmantheatre.co.uk.