Something Wicked(ly Good) This Way Comes!

 

On April 23rd, Shakespeare's 460th birthday, I am delighted to share Shadow Road's new trailer for our much-loved production of Macbeth: Sleep No More!

Adapted from the Bard's original by yours truly, this four-woman production (along with both a three-woman version, and a 19-person one!) has been performed at venues ranging from the Turbine Theatre, Southside House in Wimbledon, The Coach & Horses, St Mary's Barnes, and theSpace at Niddry Street in Edinburgh!

As you may be aware, from earlier Shadow Road newsletters or social media, Macbeth: Sleep No More will return to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer (this time at theSpace on the Mile, at 10.35am from the 2nd-10th August) - but, before then, we first have the honour of opening the Mayfield Festival of Music & the Arts in East Sussex, this coming Friday 26th April at 7.30pm!

We'd love you to take the advice kindly given by The Wee Review to Edinburgh theatregoers last year, when speaking of our production of Macbeth - “Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once!”, whether in Mayfield or in Edinburgh - but in the meantime, we hope you enjoy the new trailer!

From One Exciting Year to Another!

As you can see from these photos - and as many of you saw in person at one or more of our shows and events - we at Shadow Road had a very busy and brilliant year in 2023! We are so grateful for your ongoing support and your fabulous feedback after each one.

Now a new and even busier year beckons - and we couldn't be more excited about it! 

I've been using the first weeks of 2024 to write (two new plays), to plan (all of the year's upcoming productions, another visit to Edinburgh - along with all the fundraising that requires - and the launch of the next new project), and to learn (more workshops with Theatrical Intimacy Education, Theatre503, and the Society of Authors). Soon, however, we'll be back in the rehearsal room for one thing after another - with more writing squeezed in between times - and performing in a number of different venues, both indoors and outside. 

Here are some of the main dates for the diary (both mine and yours, if you'd like to come along and see us!) between now and the summer:

MARCH

• Friday 8th: I'm delighted to be going back to my old school, along with numerous other alumnae, to talk to the girls about working in the arts for their Careers Day!
  
  
• Saturday 30th: Our second Cake & Coffee Morning of 2024 at St Mary’s Barnes, SW13. Do come and join us to catch up on all the news, over homemade cakes baked by our wonderful cast and supporters of Shadow Road, as the fundraising for 2024 begins!

APRIL

• Friday 26th at 7.30pm: Macbeth is going to Mayfield! We are taking our fantastically well reviewed four-person production of Macbeth: Sleep No More to the Mayfield Festival of Music & the Arts, where we will perform in the round at the ancient St Dunstan's church.
  ~ Tickets are available on the festival website - BOOK HERE!
  
  
• Exact date TBC: Following our success in Edinburgh, this Spring will see us testing out the new, immersive element of our latest project Secret Storytellers with a soft launch event for a small, invited audience. Watch this space for more details coming soon!

 

MAY

• Wednesday 29th – Friday 31st: Robin Hood's Quest at the National Trust's Morden Hall Park. Following the success of 2023's St George's Quest, we are returning to Morden Hall Park's beautiful Rose Garden with a brand new interactive adventure trail, this time inviting young Outlaws (and their accompanying adults) to help rescue Robin Hood from the dastardly Sir Guy of Gisborne’s jail!
  ~ Tickets are available from our TicketSource page HERE!
  
  
• May/June – Dates TBC: Following the test event earlier in the year, the official launch of our new, immersive element of our latest project Secret Storytellers is due to take place in late spring/early summer.

 

JUNE

• Sat 15th at 7.30pm: Songs, Scenes & Swords Fundraiser at St Mary's Barnes. Join us for a special evening of music, sword fighting, and scenes from Shakespeare and beyond, to raise money for our trip to the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe! (If any of you feel like lending us your talents for this one-off event, whether onstage or off, please do get in touch - we'd be most grateful!)
  ~ Tickets are available from our TicketSource page HERE!

 

JULY

• Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th at 7.30pm: London Preview of Treasure Island at the OSO Arts Centre. This will be followed by a Q&A with the team, where we will be talking about the play itself and what goes into putting a production like this together - adapting a play, casting in general, gender blind casting, directing, fight directing, and even how to go about taking a show to Edinburgh! 
  ~ Tickets will be available from the OSO's website from April onwards.

At the end of the month, we'll be travelling up to Edinburgh to settle in and get ready for our nine-day, 18 show, run in August.

AUGUST

• Friday 2nd – Sat 10th: Edinburgh Festival at theSpace on the Mile. Shadow Road Productions will be returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with the wonderful theSpaceUK venues, reprising Macbeth: Sleep No More at 10.35am and performing a brand new adaptation of Treasure Island at 4.25pm each day from the 2nd to the 10th August!
  ~ Tickets for both shows are now available HERE via the main EdFringe website! 
  
  

As for what will happen after August? Well, some irons are in the fire and things are looking interesting - all available digits are very firmly crossed in the meantime...

New Interviews!

THAT MENTAL GINGER SHOW - JANUARY 2022

Auditions, Money and Sweeping Generalisations with Emma King Farlow

On today’s show we talk to actor and director Emma King-Farlow about her journey in the arts and her new podcast The Price of Love. (And yes, her Christmas Carol show was a success!😊)

Please check out The Price of Love wherever you get your podcasts. 

Until next time, take care, stay safe, bye bye. Audio-only link HERE

PRETEND WORLDS REAL PEOPLE - JUNE 2021

Episode 41: Emma King-Farlow

" Find what you love, make your own work."

This week, we're joined by the incredibly talented, Emma King-Farlow! The donner of several different hats in the world of theater. As a Writer, Director, and Producer; Emma has created both fantastically-original worlds, as well as genre bending adaptations of classic works for the stage. She takes Steph and Tyler through her battle with stage fright, finding her niche in writing, and spreading mental health awareness in the arts industry. What are you doing? Check it out!

#StoryGivesBack Winners Announced!

I am absolutely delighted that my tiny theatre company, Shadow Road Productions, has just been announced as one of the two winners of this year's #StoryGivesBack initiative from Story Events!

Following the online vote, first by previous visitors to Story's renowned London Christmas Party Show and then by the wider public, we have been named as one of the two boutique suppliers they would most like to meet! As a result, our prize is the offer of a free stand at the 2021 show on the 7th and 8th September, so that they can do just that!

You can read more about the company and the show - and find out how to register to visit yourself - on the #StoryGivesBack page on their website.

As some of you may already be aware, Shadow Road is a small independent theatre company which specialises in bringing exciting pieces of theatre for all ages and occasions to unusual venues and spaces in creative new ways. Our work usually involves a charitable aspect of some kind – raising awareness or funds - or, as with Fireside Folktales in particular, taking live entertainment out to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy it.

We are now aiming to branch out into events, corporate entertainment, and private parties – offering something original and exciting to these markets and, in turn, enabling us to fund more of our voluntary and charity work elsewhere. Winning this competition is a wonderful opportunity for us to meet many of the people who could help us take those next steps into the future and we can't wait to show everyone the fantastic entertainment – festive and otherwise – that we have to offer!