programme for
september 2003 to december 2003

Fri 19th - Sat 20th Sep 2003

The Death of Nelson is a play about people and their politics. Set between the dark days of Thatcherism and the brief, hopeful dawn of the Blair age, it comprises a series of one-sided dialogues between Richie (Cohen) and his godson, Nelson — named by radical parents in honour of the hero of the Anti-Apartheid struggle. As the years go by and Nelson grows to manhood, we witness simultaneously the political awakening of his somewhat conservative godfather, and the political withering of his increasingly comfortable parents.

First seen at the Marlborough Theatre earlier this year, The Death of Nelson comes to NVT for two nights only. Catch it while you can.

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Sat 27th Sep - Sat 4th Oct 2003

This extraordinary and powerfully moving work charts, in retrospect, the relationship between the young Wilfred Owen and his mentor, Siegfried Sassoon. Convalescing from both the physical and emotional injuries sustained whilst fighting in the First World War trenches, the two poets create a bond fostered by a shared wit and a love of words.

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Tue 21st - Sat 25th Oct 2003

"ROLL UP! ROLL UP! WELCOME TO THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH! See extraordinary acts and amazing feats! COME AND MEET THE FREAKS!" Discover the lives, loves, dreams and disappointments of the freakshow troupe. See what happens when the audience goes home. Who are the freaks, who the fakes? Who is exploited: the performer or the voyeur? Is the freakshow a sanctuary or a prison? And who are you inside your skin?

Freakshow is a devised production, inspired by a process rather than a script. It will be visual, physical, musical and unique to the people who create it.

May not be suitable for all children.

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Sat 15th - Sat 22nd Nov 2003

In a seedy motel on the edge of the Mojave Desert, under the watchful eye of the Old Man, Eddie and May thrash out a love story as fierce and forlorn as the country which stretches beyond the window. This is a compelling story told at a seemingly relentless pace.

A classic Shepard work, first performed in the eighties. Click here to see more about this production.

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Fri 28th - Sat 29th Nov 2003

It's what makes us famous and unique and we're doing it again: the return of Hotshorts! Actors from the NVT's Acting Class will perform original work crafted by the writers from our Hotbed writers' Group. This will be an opportunity to attend a whole evening of premiers - extraordinary work, stunningly performed. Remember, work first staged at an earlier Hotshorts ended up on the BBC — so come and taste the quality!

Tue 2nd - Sat 6th Dec 2003

A one-woman show with 14 characters, PURE is a fascinating and mysterious play which gives gripping glimpses into lives that were touched, inspired, or transformed by the compelling figure of Tahirih (The Pure One), the 19th-century mystic and poetess.

Tahirih's potent example caused Sarah Bernhart to commission a play about her and inspired the inception of Middle Eastern feminism. Funny, intriguing and potent with a spiritual spine that tingles throughout, the piece intertwines live chanting with an evocative soundscore drawing on Persian and contemporary music.

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Tue 9th - Sat 13th Dec 2003

An uproariously absurd urban comedy with a solid emotional core, that ridicules the popular desire for psychiatric help, which creates dire psychoses in people with perfectly reasonable quirks. Durang designs a world in which the therapists need help as much as, if not more than, the patients — and, as it should be in a well-constructed farce, it is a world not so different from our own that is merely vehemently exaggerated.

Durang describes Beyond Therapy as his "friendliest, sunniest play" but here, as in all his work, the underpinnings of heartbreak and anger are never far away.

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Please note:

Please check performance times with the box office before booking your tickets.

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