WHAT'S ON at THE BROCKLEY JACK THEATRE
Concise and easy to use
NOTE: Wheelchair access is available at this venue, please enquire when booking tickets.
Conceived and developed by Abigail Killeen
Written by Rose Courtney
Adapted from the short story by Isak Dinesen
Presented by The Dulwich Players
16 - 20 June
It is 1871 and Babette has fled for her life, as a refugee from the violent uprisings in Paris. She arrives, destitute, on the doorstep of two devout sisters in a remote part of Norway.
But Babette is more than she seems. And the impact of her arrival on the people who take her in and the local community turns out to be transformative, both for them and for herself.
If Scandi Noir has left you bleak, come and be uplifted by a timeless tale of love and loss and laughter – and the triumph of the human spirit among the fjords.
Produced by special arrangement with the DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. of Woodstock Illinois
The Dulwich Players is a leading amateur theatre group based in Dulwich, South East London.
written and performed by Shilpa Varma
directed by Frances Bodiam
presented by Footfalls Theatre Company
23 - 27 June
Woman Business is a bold and intimate one-woman play about identity, belonging, and what it means to be a brown woman. A story of what we inherit, what we outgrow, and what we finally claim as our own.
The play follows Diya – a woman shaped by inherited rituals and the expectations placed upon her as she moves between cultures, roles and generations of memory.
Diya has spent her life carrying the traditions and expectations passed down through the women before her. Through childhood prayers, marriage, migration, grief and myth, she begins to unravel the many versions of herself – daughter, wife, widow, believer, rebel… goddess.
As the stories of her foremothers echo through her own life, Diya confronts the roles she has been taught to play. With humour, tenderness and raw honesty, it asks a simple but urgent question: what happens when a woman finally begins to speak in her own voice?
by Ruth Bratt and Niall Ashdown
2 & 3 July
Two of the UK’s finest and most sought-after exponents of comedy improvisation in a brand new show!
The magnificent Ruth Bratt (Comedy Store Players, Showstopper!) and the munificent Niall Ashdown (Impropera, regular guest at The Comedy Store, and recently at Jack Studio with his acclaimed Five Pianos) join forces to create scenes, sketches, monologues and songs, all of it created entirely spontaneously.
It will be quiet, compelling and very very funny.
Press for Five Pianos at the Jack Studio
‘Told through a mix of songs, poems, and monologues, Five Pianos is a sharp, witty production by a man whose knowledge and appreciation for the arts consistently shines through… Ashdown feels like a real embodiment of creativity – someone who has no choice but to make art inspired by and in response to the world around them… Thoroughly intelligent and well-paced, Five Pianos is an inspiring piece of theatre, filled with all the joy and heartache of a life well lived.’ Southwark News
‘It was highly engrossing stuff… A thoughtful and candid piece of theatre.’ ★★★★ London Theatre1
Portrait of a Tom as a Young Neenan
written and performed by Tom Neenan
9 - 11 July
In 2024, writer, actor and semi professional painter Tom Neenan received an invitation to paint the portrait of an 86 year old man.
But what promised to be a simple commission turns into an often hilarious and occasionally excruciating exploration of past failures, artistic missteps and current worries, ranging from body image to AI.
A comedy storytelling show about art, people and how people represent themselves through art, but somehow not as pretentious as that sounds.
Tom Neenan is a BAFTA and Writer’s Guild nominated writer, actor and comedian. Oh and painter. He was head writer of BBC Two’s hit comedy The Mash Report as well as a writer for Prince Andrew The Musical and Sky’s Silo.
Praise for Tom’s work:
“sustained and consistent brilliance” The Guardian
★★★★★ Three Weeks
★★★★ The Telegraph
★★★★
The Metro
★★★★ The List
★★★★ Fest
★★★★
Chortle
by Merlin Stevens
directed by Arden Fitzroy
presented by Achy Bits Productions
14 - 28 July
“One of the first things you learn about me is that I do not believe in ghosts.”
Scrawled in the margins of Shakespeare’s play, Horatio draws his breath in laughter and pain to tell the story of someone jangled out of tune – himself.
Horatio has followed his situationship home for Christmas break. The fact that the young man in question is heir to the throne of Denmark, and the son of a murdered warlord, soon proves to be the least of his worries.
Horatio loves people deeply and he’s starting to suspect that the person he loves most may be more dangerous than plague, Nordic winter, or plot devices. But when it comes to ghostly affairs, Horatio may have a secret or two up his sleeve as well.
A blast of fresh air for the world of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Horatio, In Thy Heart is a new play about the courage of setting boundaries and the complexity of mourning people who were bad for you.
Award-winning production company Achy Bits Productions continues its tradition of revelling in the queer shadow play behind the scrim of classic texts.
Press for this production:
“Merlin Stevens does well to amplify the distinctive voice of his Horatio… I must commend Achy Bits Productions” The Scotsman
“Deeply poetic… an interesting play that has heart and promise” LouReviews
“Strong and well-thought-out” Starburst Magazine
“Funny and serious at the same time. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are socks” ★★★★ The Derek Awards
Music by Michael Gore
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Book by Lawrence D. Cohen
Based on the novel by Stephen King
presented by Bromley Musical Theatre Company
Carrie: The Musical is a dark musical drama based on the 1974 novel by Steven King, with influence from the 1976 film.
It follows an outcast teenage girl, Carrie White, who develops telekinetic powers after starting her period, and is tormented by peers and her religious mother. It highlights themes of bullying and religious trauma, culminating in a prom night disaster.
The musical premiered in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1988, before transferring to Broadway. Despite being a Broadway flop, mainly due to technical problems, it gained a cult following and has had hugely successful revivals. The themes of the show are very much still relevant, despite being written in the 1970s, and this production sets its version of Carrie: The Musical in the modern day.
This production will be performed by two casts over a six show run.
This amateur production of CARRIE THE MUSICAL is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd, www.concordtheatricals.co.uk
