Productions

2019 Sees Exciting Things Happening……

Red Dog theatre company presents the award-winning When the Rain Stops Falling by Andrew Bovell.

Alice Springs in the year 2039. A fish falls from the sky and lands at the feet of Gabriel York. It still smells of the sea. It’s been raining for days and Gabriel knows something is wrong.

Against a backdrop of cataclysmic climate breakdown, Andrew Bovell’s deeply moving play interweaves the stories of 7 family members across 4 generations and 2 continents in an epic and profound quest for answers – from “Will our world survive us?” to the more personal “How can we survive our own family histories and traumas?”

A story of love, betrayal, abandonment and, ultimately, hope.

Red Dog is a small company with a big reputation producing exhilarating theatre that explores the human condition in all its complexity.

TOUR DATES

Sept 26 – 28 Old Fire Station, Oxford www.oldfirestation.org.uk 01865 263990

Oct 2 – 5 Everyman Studio, Cheltenham www.everymantheatre.org.uk 01242 572573

“|exquisite ….. a wonderful gamut of human emotion, from powerful to fragile, from wild joy to blind fury.” Venue Magazine

“proper grown-up theatre” 4* The Guardian

“Brilliant, inventive, uninhibited, entertaining!” Remotegoat

Supported by:

Garfield Weston Summerfield Trust Rowlands Trust Jack Lane ACE Lottery

When the rain stops falling

Great Bear of the North, Christmas 2016, The Everyman Theatre Cheltenham

a Scandinavian fairytale, adapted and directed by Jude Emmet.

GREAT BEAR from Red Dog Productions on Vimeo.

When Freya stumbles upon a lost bear cub in the snow she finds a new friend – but Loki soon grows too big to live in Freya’s little cottage.

So the pair set off on an adventure taking them to the far north in search of Loki’s true home. But Christmas is coming, the nights are cold and dark and there are greedy trolls bent on mischief…..

Come and find out what happens to Freya and Loki on their surprising and magical journey ….

This wonderful introduction to live theatre for 3 to 7 year olds is perfect Christmas entertainment!

A Christmas Carol, Christmas 2016, The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

by Charles Dickens adapted by Jude Emmet in partnership with The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.

Ebenezer Scrooge has no time for his fellow creatures – no time for anything except making a profit. Most of all he has no time for Christmas. Alone, bitter and hard as flint, he goes home to his chilly rooms while the world celebrates the season of goodwill.

That night, Scrooge is taken on a ghostly journey that will turn his life upside down and change him forever. But has redemption come too late?

What better way to celebrate the festive season than with Red Dog’s sparkling retelling of Dickens’ heart-warming tale.

“May it haunt your houses pleasantly!”

Suitable for 8+

Simon Lewis , Theatre reviewer from the Gloucestershire Echo came to see the show. Read his review here

“The Red Dog/Everyman Theatre co-production of “The Great Bear of the North” in 2016 exceeded our expectations in terms of audience figures and also critical reception. Most performances in the Studio Theatre were sold out in advance. Audience feedback was great, with many audience members already being aware of the Red Dog brand/quality. The Everyman has a longstanding relationship with Red Dog; one that we hope will continue into the future.”

Paul Milton (Creative Director) Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

The Crocodile’s Gift, Christmas 2015, The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

an Indonesian fairytale adapted by Jude Emmet and directed by Geoff Bullen.

When Freya stumbles upon a lost bear cub in the snow she finds a new friend – but Loki soon grows too big to live in Freya’s little cottage.
So the pair set off on an adventure taking them to the far north in search of Loki’s true home. But Christmas is coming, the nights are cold and dark and there are greedy trolls bent on mischief…..

Come and find out what happens to Freya and Loki on their surprising and magical journey ….

This wonderful introduction to live theatre for 3 to 7 year olds is perfect Christmas entertainment!

Arthur and Esther , May 2015 Old Fire Station, Oxford

What happens when your wife leaves you for your best friend and your beloved library is closed? If you’re Arthur Huey, maybe you decide it’s time to give up the ghost….

A play of two worlds, this elemental and affecting two-hander explores love, loss and the lives we inherit and impose on others.

“- full of both outrageous dark comedy and deep sincerity – an ultimately compelling night of theatre” nytheatre.com

“Best of Fringe” at Las Vegas Fringe Festival 2010

UK premiere of Ross Howard’s acclaimed dark comedy. Directed by Abbie Lucas.

The Country 2013

by Martin Crimp. National tour autumn 2013. Directed by Sue Colverd

“There’s not a limit to what can be said, only a limit to how honest we are prepared to be”

A doctor and his wife move to the country to start a new and better life, but their rural idyll is shattered one night by his discovery of an unconscious girl by the side of the road. Who is she and why does he bring her back to the house?

Martin Crimp is one of the most innovative and leading contemporary playwrights in British theatre today. Written with cool precision and the poetic force of language, The Country, his critically acclaimed psychological thriller, is a riveting exploration of adultery and the disintegration of a marriage.

“An excellent play beautifully presented. Great theatre.” Jeremy Spafford, Director, Old Fire Station Oxford

“Enthusiasts of real theatre & dramatic experiences can rely on Red Dog for first-rate performances of astutely selected plays, not always by famous authors, as have featured in the Red Dog repertoire – eg. Lorca; Dickens adaptations & the like – but plays always by writers of interest, as this one, The Country by Martin Crimp.” 4* Remotegoat

Sofia and the Sleeping Prince 2013

a Spanish fairytale adapted and directed by Jude Emmet. Touring December 2013.

Sofia is a Spanish princess, but she doesn’t want to dress in rich clothes and behave like a proper princess should. She longs for something exciting to happen to her, so when she hears a little bird singing a mysterious song outside her window she decides to set off on her very own adventure. Her journey takes her to the far corners of the world and at last she reaches an enchanted castle – but just who is it that she finds there fast asleep?

A 50 minute gently interactive play for ages 3+ with live music and songs.

“Best show ever!” Audience member

“I wish there would be more such shows throughout the year” Audience member

“Brilliant acting. The kids loved it!” Dormer House School

“The productions are simply wonderful and all the children rave about them for a long time after!” Beaudesert Park School

Dombey and Son 2012

by Charles Dickens adapted by Jude Emmet and the Company. National Tour autumn 2012. Directed by Sue Colverd

“Papa, what is money? What can it do?”
“Money, Paul, can do anything!”

For Dombey, money is the only god worth worshipping, for which he is prepared to sacrifice all human feelings of love and sympathy in order to maintain his social position. Indifferent to his daughter, when his dream of a son and heir is at last realised, even at the cost of his wife’s life, he builds his castles in the air and imagines the greatness to come. But castles built on dreams will tumble down, and Dombey’s blindness in his dealings with those he thinks he controls will prove his undoing.

Red Dog present this sparkling new adaptation of Dickens’ first truly great novel, a tale of pride and passion, love and rejection, generosity and greed set against a backdrop of bustling mid-Victorian London trying to adjust to its new industrial might. His rogues’ gallery of unforgettable characters will delight, surprise and outrage in equal measure, and are brought vividly and affectionately to life in Red Dog’s imaginative production to celebrate the bicentenary of this master storyteller.

““Brilliant, inventive, uninhibited, entertaining!” 5* Remotegoat at The Tobacco Factory Bristol

“Saw the show at the Old Fire Station, Oxford last night. Thought it was really impressive, and that the second half in particular was dramatically gripping. And those costumes! ” John Terry, Director, The Theatre Chipping Norton

“As I expected, this was a quality Red Dog production: strong adaptation, great design and direction and really strong performances all round. Well done! Please come back next year ” Paul Milton, Creative Director, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham

The Emperor and the Nightingale 2012

by Hans Christian Andersen, adapted and directed by Jude Emmet.9-30 December 2012

When a new young Emperor is crowned in China, he thinks he can do just as he pleases. He tricks the little nightingale in his garden and quarrels with his best friend, the kitchen maid Mei Xing… But how will he manage when disaster strikes and he desperately needs their help?

A 50 minute gently interactive play for ages 3+ with live music and songs.

“Brilliant! Just Brilliant!” Beaudesert Park school

“It was utterly charming, imaginative, mesmerising. Beautiful set and costumes too. Perfect!” Audience member

The House of Bernarda Alba 2011

by Gabriel Garcia Lorca in a new translation by Kate Littlewood for Red Dog. National tour autumn 2011. Directed by Sue Colverd

In the 75th anniversary year of Lorca’s death Red Dog brought his final masterpiece ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ to the stage in a new adaption by Kate Littlewood.

“We have eight years of mourning now and not a breath of air will be allowed in from the street. The doors and windows may as well be bricked up, do you hear?”
But nothing can stop the growing tide of desire of Bernarda Alba’s five daughters. As the frustrated tension mounts, each holds on to their longings, jealousies and hopes for the attentions of the virile Pepe el Romano, promised in marriage to one of them.

Click here for trailer

“The exquisite quality of the acting offers up a wonderful gamut of human emotion, from powerful to fragile, from wild joy to blind fury.” Venue Magazine

“Red Dog’s Bernarda Alba is compelling stuff.” A Younger Theatre 4*

“A treat for serious playgoers” Remotegoat

The Ugly Duckling 2011

by Hans Christian Andersen, adapted by Jude Emmet. 9 – 29 December 2011.

When Mrs Duck’s eggs finally hatch one duckling is too big, too brown and just too ugly to fit into the farmyard scene. Why is this little misfit so different from his brothers and sisters? Where can he go to hide his ugly feathers and stop the teasing?
Join the little duckling on his journey of discovery and celebrate with him as he finds his true identity in this heart-warming and enchanting adaptation of the well loved fairytale.

A 50 minute gently interactive play for ages 3+ with live music and songs.