“A small cast in a small theatre but still with excellent writing and acting which shone out.” (A Song For The Lovers) WhatsonStage.com Best Productions of 2008

“In refusing to offer any easy answers, Maine Road succeeds in creating a realistic slice of difficult family life, that will resonate with people beyond Manchester‘s borders.” – Metrolife

“Maine Road avoids nostalgia to deliver a bittersweet, moving tale that is highly recommended.” WhatsonStage

“Maine Road succeeds in creating a realistic slice of difficult family life that will resonate with people beyond Manchester‘s borders.” Metro North West

“It’s not hard to see why the BBC were so enthusiastic about the radio version of this play . Great stuff, with some tremendous performances.” (Maine Road) Manchester Evening News

“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.” (Maine Road) Public Reviews

“(Maine Road) is the best play about football ever written!” Kevin Dyer, Action Transport Theatre

“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.com

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

Once in a House on Fire (Sept 2010 – Ongoing) by Monkeywood Theatre & Sarah McDonald Hughes

Monkeywood and their associate writer Sarah McDonald Hughes are currently developing Once in a House on Fire, based on Andrea Ashworth’s book, recipient of the 1999 Somerset Maugham award. The script will undergo a series of rehearsed readings and Script in Hand performances this Autumn, with a national tour planned for Spring & Autumn 2011.

Developed with The Lowry Studio, supported by Arts Council England and funded through grants for the arts, Once in a House on Fire is a compelling story set across South Manchester during the 1970s and 80s. It is an inspiring, vibrant, truthful and moving story of sisters, survival and growing up.

Mancunian Andrea Ashworth is delighted that Monkeywood are working on her story;

“I’m thrilled that Once in a House on Fire is being brought to life on the stage through the fabulous Monkeywood Theatre, and immensely proud that they’re devoting their unique talents and passion to sharing this story.  I can’t wait to see what they do…”

The script has been collaboratively written with young people from Xaverian Sixth Form College in Rusholme and Chorlton High School, which both feature in the original novel.

Last Orders (Jan 2011 & 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!

In Jan 2011, Last Orders was selected for The Library Theatre’s Re:Play season, presented by The Contact.  The production was performed in a site-specific location at Jabez Clegg. Four performances completely sold out and it received 4 star reviews.

“The warm and funny script roots the play firmly in its Manchester location, providing a window onto an almost-love story that often occurs, but is rarely told.” Whatsonstage.com

“Beautifully written to celebrate and emphasise the Northern voice using easily accessible and recognisable dialect; Last Orders effortless captures the excitement of a night out – that final push in to adulthood and the emotions that can be brought to the surface when seeing an old flame.” Public Reviews

Maine Road (July 2009 – April 2010) 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.com 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.”

A Song for the Lovers (2006 – 2008) 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.com, 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.com 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

Monkeywood ended 2009 by taking part in the Royal Exchange’s Pub season. Written by Sarah, Last Orders saw the familiar company take up their favourite positions – at the bar!

Maine Road, by Sarah McDonald Hughes, was premiered in July 2009 at the 24:7 Theatre Festival. A radio version of the play was also shortlisted for the BBC’s prestigious Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2009 and aired on BBC radio 4 in January 2010. In Spring 2010, the Arts Council England funded tour of Maine Road went national and was highly acclaimed (including unanimous 4* reviews and sell out audiences) for its authentic voice, excellent writing and superb performances.

Monkeywood and their associate writer Sarah McDonald Hughes are currently developing Once in a House on Fire, based on Andrea Ashworth’s book, recipient of the 1999 Somerset Maugham award. It will undergo a series of rehearsed readings and Script in Hand performances this Autumn, with a national tour planned for Spring 2011. The production will help to support Women’s Worldwide Web, an online platform that empowers women, their families and communities, through microfinance, education, mentoring and social networking. For more information visit http://www.womensworldwideweb.org. ]]> 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 Monkeywood Theatre is a Manchester based company with an emphasis on new writing, untold stories and unheard voices. We are particularly interested in making work with a Northern voice that has a real connection to where we live and work, to tour to local audiences and beyond. We believe in the power of theatre as a valuable tool to help explore and understand the world we live in and we work collaboratively with artists and audiences to produce brand new high quality, accessible and truthful theatre.