“Innovative writing and slick performances ensure Monkeywood continue to swing high from the bar they have raised for other emerging talent in the North-West” Porl Cooper, Theatres Programmer, The Lowry

“Monkeywood are described as an ‘emerging’ theatre company. I would say that they have now arrived and I can only hope that they are here to stay.” Calum Kerr, Whatsonstage

Monkeywood were formed in 2003 and have been producing plays in Manchester to great acclaim ever since.

Maine Road by Sarah McDonald Hughes

July 2009: Directed by Martin Gibbons. Receiving 4 star reviews when it premiered at Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival. Whatsonstage summed it up with 4 stars as… “a gentle and moving play examining the effect of change upon those things from which we derive our identity and sense of community…. Maine Road avoids nostalgia to deliver a bittersweet, moving tale that is highly recommended.”

Jan 2010: Sarah submitted the Maine Road script to the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2009, the most prestigious radio drama prize in the country. It was highly commended in a shortlist of 9, winning Sarah a year’s mentorship at the BBC. Following some redevelopment of the script the play was produced for BBC Radio 4, airing in January.

March – April 2010: The script underwent further redevelopment for a 2010 tour to The Lowry, Whitby Hall, Saltburn Community Theatre and Halifax Square Chapel. The tour was supported by Arts Council England with funding awarded through the Grants for the Arts initiative and Sarah’s rewriting was supported by the Peggy Ramsay Foundation. Maine Road sold out 3 performances at The Lowry 3 months in advance, before adding an extra matinee in the studio followed by an additional evening to première in the 450 seater Quays Theatre.

It was given 4 stars from Public Reviews, “My expectations for this play were high and after seeing Nedum Onuoha sat behind me and City fans turning up wearing scarves my excitement was probably higher… it is unique, sad, nostalgic, warm and occasionally funny, it is also about families and Manchester City which in my eyes makes it one of the finest pieces of theatre I have ever witnessed.”

Last Orders (Dec 2009) by Sarah McDonald Hughes

Accepted by the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, to be part of their PUB season. The studio was turned into a functioning traditional English pub in November/December with Monkeywood performing on Thu 3 Dec, alongside ‘pub landlord’ James Quinn, in their favourite positions – at the bar!

A Song for the Lovers by Sarah McDonald Hughes

July 2006: Debuted at Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival.

Oct 2008: A redevised and rewritten production directed by Jo Fisher at The Lowry in Salford. Marking Sarah’s playwriting debut, it was given 5 stars by whatsonstage, described as “highly charged and engaging…packed with humour and pathos”, making their final list of top productions of 2008.

Coach G (May – June 2005) by Stephen Morris

Directed by Stephen Morris. Performed in Manchester at Taurus Bar, Chorlton Arts Festival and Studio Salford. “Hip… edgy and watchable… compelling and intriguing new play… well-served by a talented young cast.” – Manchester Evening News.

Closer (Oct 2003) by Patrick Marber

Directed by Steven Hobson. Performed in Platt Chapel, a 300 year old church building on Wilmslow Road, Manchester.

Sarah McDonald Hughes’s brand new play, Maine Road, made the double – with acceptance to Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival 2009 in July and shortlisting for the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2009, the most prestigious radio drama prize in the country. It was highly commended in a shortlist of 9 from over 400 applications and won Sarah a year’s mentorship at the BBC. This was her second award nomination, following the children’s play, The Tree, which was shortlisted for Theatre Centre’s Adrienne Benham Award in 2008.

Maine Road received 4 star reviews as it premiered at the 24:7 Theatre Festival. Whatsonstage summed it up with 4 stars as… “a gentle and moving play examining the effect of change upon those things from which we derive our identity and sense of community…. Maine Road avoids nostalgia to deliver a bittersweet, moving tale that is highly recommended.”

Monkeywood announced more dates for Maine Road at The Lowry in March 2010 with a further tour still to be announced. Watch this space..

Sarah’s short play Last Orders was accepted by the Royal Exchange to be part of their PUB season. The studio was turned into a functioning traditional English pub in November/December with Monkeywood performing on Thu 3 Dec, alongside ‘pub landlord’ James Quinn, in their favourite positions – at the bar!

History of creative work
Monkeywood Theatre Company was set up in 2003 by four young, professional actors.

Our first production was ‘Closer’ by Patrick Marber, which we produced at Platt Chapel (a rather unlikely theatre venue) in Fallowfield in October 2003.

Following this we toured our own brand new play, Coach G by Stephen Morris in 2005 which received rave reviews, described by the Manchester Evening News as “Hip…edgy and watchable…a compelling and intriguing new play…well-served by a talented young cast.”

In 2006 we produced another new play, ‘A Song For The Lovers’, written by Sarah McDonald Hughes. The play was selected to be part of the third 24:7 theatre festival of new writing in Manchester.

The play was then redeveloped and redirected and opened The Lowry’s first ever Studio Season in October 2008, receiving fantastic responses from audiences and reviewers alike. A Song for the Lovers was named as one of What’s On Stage’s top productions of 2008. Click here to see more

‘Maine Road’, by Sarah McDonald Hughes, was premiered at the 2009 24:7 Theatre Festival. A radio version of the play was also shortlisted for the BBC’s prestigious Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2009.

In  addition to developing exciting projects for 2010, Monkeywood will be finishing off 2009 by taking part in the Royal Exchange\’s Pub season. Written by Sarah, ‘Last Orders’ will see the familiar company from Maine Road taking up their favourite positions – at the bar! ]]> http://www.monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk/monkey/157/feed 0 http://www.monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk/monkey/151 http://www.monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk/monkey/151#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:09:16 +0000 cesca http://www.stylegala.co.uk/new_site/?p=151 Monkey Mission:

We are passionate about performance and new writing.
We will produce theatre that is challenging and watchable,
subversive and hilarious, thought provoking and whimsical.
We may even make you toast in the morning. Amen.