1. art and entertainment
2. theatre

PRESS RELEASE
- for immediate release -
JIM CARTWRIGHT’S AWARD-WINNING PLAY
RETURNS TO LONDON AFTER 25 YEARS
Listings
Above the Arts
6-7 Gt Newport St
London WC2H 7JB
8th - 22nd April 2015
Mon - Sat, 7.30pm
+Sat matinees 2.30pm
artstheatrewestend.co.uk
+44 (0) 207 836 8463
Tickets: £18
TWO
by Jim Cartwright
Directed by Darren R L Gordon
Starring Jamie Shelton
and Chelsea Halfpenny
Produced by Paul Virides
for Shrapnel Theatre and
Hartshorn - Hook Productions
Shrapnel Theatre
Web: shrapneltheatre.com
Social media: @ShrapnelTheatre
Artistic Director: Isla van Tricht
Executive Director: Paul Virides
Emmerdale’s Jamie Shelton (Robbie Lawson) and Chelsea Halfpenny (Amy
Wyatt) will be reunited this April when they tread the boards in the first
revival of Jim Cartwright’s TWO in a SOLT affiliate theatre since its run 25
years ago at the Young Vic.
Two actors take on the roles of twelve patrons of a pub in the north of England,
hosted by its landlord and landlady. This timely revival of Jim Cartwright’s third
play is a playful, confessional and moving account of human relationships in the
heart of their community - the pub.
Taking the stage at London’s newest studio theatre, Above the Arts, TWO is
directed by Darren R L Gordon, who is well known in the Manchester circuit
for the DNA Performance Resource, which has offered tuition, support and
advice to actors over the last ten years. He has directed over 60 pieces of
theatre, and worked with over 1500 performers in the last fifteen years. TWO
will mark the first full production in Above the Arts since its opening with
Rachel’s Garden - an installation pop-up bar - in March this year.
Cartwright wrote TWO, which first premiered at the Bolton Octagon in 1989
before transferring to London in 1990, for Sue Johnston and John McArdle
after they left Channel 4’s soap-opera Brookside. The original production went
on to win the Manchester Evening News theatre award for Best New Play in
1990. Cartwright’s writing was described by the Sunday Times as “brilliantly,
surrealistically and comically poetic,” and it has gone on to be performed
regularly around the country.
TWO is the first production from Shrapnel Theatre, a London-based
company formed in 2015 by executive director Paul Virides and artistic director
Isla van Tricht. Virides is also assistant producer for Manchester-born
Hartshorn - Hook Productions, who are co-producing.
Press night: Thurs 9th April, 7.30pm
Interviews/Tickets/Images: Paul Virides, producer
07725978133, [email protected]
Notes to Editors
Jamie Shelton (@j4shelton)
Jamie has most recently finished a 2 year run as Robbie Lawson in ITV’s EMMERDALE. Screen
credits include THE KNIFE THAT KILLED ME (Rome Film Festival 2014), IRREVERSIBLE
(Sky Arts), RARE (Factory Gate Productions) and the music video BLIND FAITH for Chase &
Status. Stage credits include the workshop of SCUTTLERS for the Manchester Royal Exchange &
Frantic Assembly.
Chelsea Halfpenny (@ChelseaHP)
Television credits include regular character Amy Wyatt in EMMERDALE (Yorkshire Television for
ITV), CASUALTY (BBC) and BYKER GROVE (BBC). Theatre credits include BERYL at the West
Yorkshire Playhouse.
Darren R L Gordon (@DarrenRLGordon)
Having directed over 60 theatre productions in a 20 year career, Darren is finally making his West End
debut. An experienced practitioner, he is an active mentor and coach for actors alongside his first
passion, directing. His approach is simple, find the truth of the play through the emotions of the
characters. Darren is originally from East London, but went 'up north' to study his art and then
established a career for himself in Manchester. Over the last ten years he has run his own business and
worked for a number of major production and media based companies. His work is always emotive,
gritty, colourful and engaging and in Cartwright's play, he sees an opportunity to flex his creative
muscle.
Press night: Thurs 9th April, 7.30pm
Interviews/Tickets/Images: Paul Virides, producer
07725978133, [email protected]
Jim Cartwright
Jim is a multi award-winning playwright whose work is consistently performed around the world and
has been translated into over 35 languages. He has written successfully for film, television and radio
and his stage work has been performed at The National Theatre, The Royal Court Theatre, The West
End of London and on Broadway amongst others. His plays for the theatre include; ROAD, BED,
TWO, THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE, EIGHT MILES HIGH, PRIZE NIGHT,
HARD FRUIT, and most recently MOBILE PHONE SHOW for the National Theatre (2013).
Television and film work includes; ROAD, VROOM, WEDDED, JUNE, VACUUMING
COMPLETELY NUDE IN PARADISE, STRUMPET, JOHNNY SHAKESPEARE, and most
recently KING OF THE TEDS for Sky TV (2012) staring Alison Steadman, Brenda Blethyn and Sir
Tom Jones. He has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton and his old school
Harper Green have named a building in his honour. His plays are on both school and university
curriculums, and have been constantly in print since 198⒍
Shrapnel Theatre
shrapneltheatre.com · @shrapneltheatre
Shrapnel Theatre was formed at the start of the year by artistic director Isla van
Tricht and executive director Paul Virides. It is a brand new London-based
company, making reckless, dysfunctional theatre. Shrapnel will make its soonto-be-announced debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, as well as
further projects in London over the course of 20⒖ Paul Virides is also assistant
producer for Hartshorn - Hook Productions, with whom he has worked for
two years, while Isla van Tricht is completing the MA Playwriting at the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art. Her first two plays, As Thyself and Threadbare, are
currently being developed as a double-bill for the company, after performances
in the UK and USA.
Hartshorn - Hook Productions
hartshornhook.com · @hartshornhook
Hartshorn - Hook Productions was founded in 2007 by Louis Hartshorn
and Brian Hook, shortly after they met; working on the national touring
production of The Producers.
Their first production was West Side Story in collaboration with the
Manchester Consort and the Royal Northern College of Music in 200⒏
The venture, directed by Stefan Janski and conducted by Gregory Batsleer,
was staged to mark the 50th anniversary of Sondheim and Bernstein’s masterpiece.
Since then Hartshorn - Hook Productions has produced over fifty productions from the UK, Europe
and the USA, including Away From Home (UK and international tour), A Tribute to the Blues
Brothers Live (Lowry Theatre, Manchester and Arts), Beulah (UK Tour) Some Small Love Story
directed by Noreen Kershaw (UK Tour) and Woody Sez (Arts), which was nominated for the Ned
Sherrin Award for Best Musical in the 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
Press night: Thurs 9th April, 7.30pm
Contact: Paul Virides, producer - 07725978133, [email protected]
Arts Theatre - Above the Arts
artstheatrewestend.co.uk · @artstheatreldn
The Arts is an independent 350-seat theatre in the heart of London’s West
End, situated directly between Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Its
current show, Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s Ghost Stories closes on
Sunday 15th March, and the theatre will host Bad Jews, transferring from
the St James Theatre, from the 18th March. The Arts recently hosted
Denise Van Outen’s solo show Some Girl I Used To Know. In November,
Hartshorn - Hook Productions presented a one-off gala performance of
The Rat Pack - Live, their perennial favourite Edinburgh Festival show at
the theatre.
New space Above the Arts was launched in March 2015 with the installation pop-up bar Rachel’s
Garden - a charity event that ran 12th-22nd March. It will feature a mixture of events programmed by
the theatre, notable for being on a split-basis rather than the traditional London guarantee model.
Press night: Thurs 9th April, 7.30pm
Contact: Paul Virides, producer - 07725978133, [email protected]