>December Events / Art & Theatre / Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / Tourist Attractions Norfolk and Suffolk November 15, 2018
EXODUS
noun.
A mass departure of people.
A dramatic season of epic 20th century plays exploring power, refuge and family.
The University of East Anglia’s (UEA) School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing presents ‘Exodus’, welcoming audiences to see two iconic plays.
Final year drama students will produce and perform two epic works of dramatic literature, set during the 20th century but inspired by legends of antiquity. Our celebrated studio space is being reconfigured so that these plays can be presented in the round, offering audiences the chance to experience multiple perspectives on these increasingly relevant stories.
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
by John Steinbeck, adapted by Tim Baker
Direction: Michael Bernardin
Wednesday 5th, Thursday 6th and Saturday 8th December – 7:30pm
Oklahoma is desolate. The Joad family must go.
California calls.
The Promised Land awaits. We can still be saved.
John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, often cited as one of the greatest ever written, comes to the stage in an adaptation by Tim Baker, originally commissioned by and performed at Clwyd Theatr Cymru. Steinbeck’s masterpiece chronicles the mass-migration of workers and their families from the dustbowl states to the Eden of California.
THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE
by Bertolt Brecht, translated by Frank McGuiness
Direction: Pema Bishop-Clark
Tuesday 4th and Friday 7th December – 7:30pm
Saturday 8th December – 2:00pm
Two mothers stand before a corrupt judge. A child sits between them.
The fate of a country hangs in the balance.
The chalk circle decides.
Originally performed in a student production at Carleton College, Minnesota, The Caucasian Chalk Circle remains one of Brecht’s best-loved works. Translated by Frank McGuiness, in a version originally commissioned and performed by Complicite and the National Theatre, a Chinese parable is hijacked by Brecht’s famously political storytelling.
Both plays will be performed in repertoire by a forty-four strong cast, all students on the University’s three BA Drama courses. Anthony Frost, head of drama, says “the annual 3rd Year productions of the UEA Drama Department offer two things. The first is high quality drama, professionally directed with high production values. The second is a chance for a sneak peek at some future theatre makers – including future acting stars. Matt Smith (‘Doctor Who’, ‘The Crown’), Olivia Vinall (‘The Woman in White’), Greg James (‘BBC Radio 1’) and many others have appeared in our productions over the last forty years.”
About the directors:
Michael Bernardin leads the MA course in theatre directing at the University of East Anglia. Prior to UEA, he was the Artistic Director of Fervent Theatre Company, where he directed and produced over thirty productions including Closer, Of Mice and Men, Twelfth Night and Company. Mike originally trained as an actor and appeared in the West End productions of Blood Brothers, The Patsy Cline Story and The Beautiful Game, as well as The Duchess of Malfi at the National Theatre. He continues to teach by invitation at leading drama schools and studios across Europe and America, including the annual Festival of International New Drama at the Schaubühne in Berlin.
Pema Bishop-Clark is a tutor at the University of East Anglia, where she was an associate director for UEA Drama’s third year productions of Tocka and Roaring Women. Prior to UEA, she trained as an actor at the Guildford School of Acting. Solo performance art work includes At Sea: 1980 – 2010 (Centre for Creative Collaboration and Norwich Arts Centre), No(h) Father (UEA and Warwick Arts Centre) and Still Life (Sainsbury Centre). At UEA, she completed her practice-based PhD in 2017 on Buddhist Influences in Contemporary Performance.
UEA listings information:
Address UEA Drama Studio, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
Tickets Online – available via the Exodus website (uea-drama-exodus.com)
In Person – available from 6:30pm on performance nights.
Performance times:
Evening performances at 7:30pm
Saturday matinee performance at 2:00pm
Instagram @uea_drama_exodus
Twitter @UEADrama_Exodus
Facebook facebook.com/UEADramaExodus
Website uea-drama-exodus.com
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