behold ye ramblers
Townsend Theatre Productions
In association with The Society for the Study of Labour History
Neil Gore (The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists) returns to the Theatre Shop with his new play
From the voices of ramblers and campaigners to the songs and poetry inspired by past and current struggles, “Behold Ye Ramblers” is a new play about The Clarion newspaper and the organisations formed by its readership, including the famous rambling club, The Sheffield Clarion Ramblers. Along with the Clarion Cyclists, these early Edwardian pioneers promoted healthy outdoor pursuits, organising expeditions across open moors and mountains whilst campaigning for the right to roam, bringing them into conflict with landowners’ hunting and shooting activities and laws that prioritised private property over the wellbeing of others.
25th April 2024
7.30pm £15
‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is a fantastic evening’s entertainment’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sheffield Star
Woodland tales with
Granddad
Pickled Image & Hattie Naylor
Olivier-nominated Hattie Naylor has teamed up with Pickled Image once again, crafting a magical tale with an urgent environmental message.
Something is happening in the woods, voices can be heard, and a strange metallic smell fills the air. Machines are gathering at its edge and a mysterious call is heard across the valley. Laura the ladybird, Jeffrey the spider, Brett the Woodlouse and Willoughby the Woodpecker are worried. Velda the Vixen knows there’s only one person who can help them – Granddad. But is there enough time? Can they save the wood? And will the mysterious stranger help?
Featuring a cast of extraordinary puppets, this uproarious family show not only entertains, but has an important and timely environmental message to share.
28th April 2024
2pm £8
“A delightfully designed family show”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Stage
The Passion
of Living Spit
Get ready to witness the most divine comedy of all time. Join us for a hilarious theatrical journey through the life and unfortunate death of the bearded, ethnically ambiguous offspring of God, Jesus H. Christ.
Featuring a smattering of JC’s greatest hits; water into wine! Loaves and fishes! Parables! Miracles! Animals! Vegetables! Minerals! And with a holy host of reimagined Easter hymns, this is a Sunday school lesson unlike any other…
With a dash of irreverent wit, a sprinkle of divine inspiration and a hearty helping of tasteless biblical buffoonery, The Passion of Living Spit promises to give a whole new meaning to the term ‘Cross-dressing’.
They’re going to nail it!
29th April - 11th May 2024
7.30pm £15
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Corinne Harragin
Tam lin retold
The Scots/English border ballad may be known as Tam Lin, but he’s only a part of it. Orally told with live music, this collection of enchanting and sharp stories explore folklore’s unsung voices. Come as you are and these tales of temptation, pluck and changing shape will take you under the green hill and bring you back out again.
With a harmonious blend of oral storytelling and melodic interludes, this mesmerising tale uncovers untold stories and forgotten voices, breathing new life into traditional folklore. Prepare to be captivated by the powerful fusion of Corinne's enthralling storytelling and the atmospheric, immersive music of Nick Hart.
17th May 2024
7.30pm £15
song of the forest
Wild Words
A smorgasbord of tantalising tales with characters strangely familiar, live music, spontaneous theatre and song all expertly mixed together by Michael Loader and Simon Blakeman.
Jakob and Wilhelm came from a big family of noisy supper tables, parental love and gripping stories of their forest home. One day their father died, the family became poor and the brothers went their separate ways, adopted into the jungle of the city where they continued their passion for stories. Years later above the hubbub of the city they hear the hum of the forest calling, they follow the breadcrumbs of ‘story’ along separate paths, leading them closer to the truth of their own.
Step into the tangled forest of tales, with roaming wolves and flying witches, cages and cauldrons, paths that disappear, trees that talk ‘und ein bisschen Deutsch’. Will the brothers find their way through their greatest challenge, to untangle the story created with the help of you, the audience, or will they be lost forever in the darkness between the trees?
2pm Pre show Playshop when we will create our own ‘Song of the Trees’ to sing in the show.
2.45pm Performance
18th May 2024
2pm £8
"Wild Words’ rendition of Don Quixote with Michael and Simon was fantastic with just the right amount of slapstick. The characterisation was spot on, the show entertaining, the music enjoyable. A good introduction for children to one of the classics”
Frome Children’s Festival
Playtime
The Last Baguette
Play-along theatre adventures for 2-6 year olds and their grownups!
Come along for a fun, relaxed participatory theatre session with The Last Baguette theatre company. There’ll be silliness, play-acting, games and music... Expect to play, move, watch and laugh.
Join Ratty and her friends for a fun and gentle introduction to theatre with play-along storytelling, original music, puppetry, theatre games, movement, and lots of imaginative play. Ratty has a lot of ideas but sometimes things don’t go according to plan....can you help her by playing along and working together?
Sessions last 1 hour, and are created for ages 2-6 and their grown-ups. Younger and older siblings welcome
24th May 10am & 11.30am
A Woodland Wonder – join Ratty as she learns about the environment
21st June June 10am & 11.30am
Pie-Rat Island – a journey on the high sea £8
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sardines
The Blank Slate Ensemble
15th June 2024
7.30pm £15
The Blank Slate Ensemble presents an hour of must-see non-stop laughter. Embark on a voyage with new comedy Sardines, where stranded on a raft with no provisions, you'll witness the uproarious antics of English poets Coleridge and Wordsworth. Set in the 1800s, but packed with historical inaccuracy, this explosive show weaves storms, sea-monsters, and a haunting albatross into one absurd misadventure. As Coleridge seeks joy, Wordsworth wallows in misery, creating a clash of optimism and pessimism. Don't miss this rollicking journey, previously applauded at venues across the South-West, now set for the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
The Four reasons
21st March/20th June/19th September/19th December
Somerset Storyfest
Clevedon LitFest presents four evenings throughout the year
celebrating the seasons through spoken word and music
Spearheaded by storyteller Michael Loader and poet Isabel White each evening will bring a host of wordsmiths, musicians and singer/ song writers that delve into, discover and deliver familiar and unknown treasures associated with the time of year
the four reasons
For our second evening on June 20th, celebrating Midsummer, our featured artist will be singer/ songwriter Tom Veck
“An interactive, made in the moment, comedy music dynamo!”
20th June 2024
7.30pm £15
Adolf & winston
Living Spit
Two Actors. Two World Leaders. One Black Dog
London 1939.
Winston Churchill looks in the mirror, realises that only he can steer our great nation through its darkest hour and steels himself for the hard road ahead.
Bristol, 2023.
Craig Edwards looks in the mirror, realises that, despite his advancing years, he still looks good in a pair of union jack speedos and steels himself to take on the role of a lifetime.
Clevedon, 2023.
Stu Mcloughlin looks in the mirror and realises that he’ll have to grow a little moustache.
Characteristically unafraid to tackle colossal, morally questionable subjects in an essentially inconsequential way, Craig & Stu are back walking the tightrope of taste and decency with another slice of poorly-researched history. But will either of them escape from this war alive?…
Riotous, rebellious and ridiculously rib-tickling by turns, Living Spit’s Adolf and Winston leaves other two-man comedic, musical retellings of the history of the second war in the shade, and poses the question: “who thought this was a good idea, again?”
25th -27th June 2024
7.30pm £15
The Wave
Calf 2 Cow
The pirate ship, Wave Goodbye to Your Sanity, has been lost at sea for weeks, or perhaps it is years? Crewed by three buffoonish, broken, musical playing sailors, they need your help on a journey of incredible highs and hidden lows as they battle against the stormy seas.
The Wave is a bonkers, riotous, clowning show, brought alive through water-fights, sea shanty, trembling drums, electric guitars, colour bombs, flares, floor stomping songs and lots of falling over! And if that’s not enough, seagulls and mermaids! Join us aboard as we share a tale of isolation, love, loneliness and hysteria.
A perfect party for big kids and small. So come along, bring your water gun and sing your heart out! Let the mayhem be unleashed!
“A perfect night out for all the family…fantastic music and more laughs than I thought were possible! A must see!”
Radio Bath on Calf 2 Cow’s The Wind in the Willows
3rd August 2024
11.30am & 2.30pm
Free Show in Queens Square
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Sponsored by Clevedon BID