1 week Ago By [email protected] (Chris Harby)
Local actors are being sought to appear in the world premiere of a new one-act play. Stamford-based director Matthew Clift hopes to stage his play at theatre festivals next year, and wants an actor from the area to take a role. He has adapted Warmind from the works of playwright, Howard Brenton whose work has been performed all over the world and includes the controversial Romans In Britain and Pravda , which starred Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Matthew has adapted his collection of Plays for the Poor Theatre into a 40-minute piece. It is set in World War II and involves three children playing on a bombsite. “Warmind began as an exam piece that I adapted when I was a lecturer in drama at a sixth-form college in Wiltshire,” Matthew explained.
“I then wanted perform it with a theatre company I was artistic director of. “I contacted Howard Brenton to get his permission and the play was due to be performed in the summer of 2019. Then covid struck!” Matthew has since moved to Stamford and directed plays for Peterborough's Mask Theatre and Huntingdon Drama.
“I've always held out hope to get to perform the play again, so have decided to mount the production myself. “I re-connected with Howard and he agreed.” But first, Matthew needs an actor to play one of the 11-year-old children, Will.
“Two actors have been cast, but I'm on the lookout for another male actor aged 18 to 30-plus,” Matthew added. “It’s atmospheric, absurdist and at times, scary - a great challenge for any actor.” Matthew hopes to take Warmind to the All England Theatre Festival at the Little Theatre, Leicester next March and to enter it into the Manx Amateur Drama Federation Festival of Plays, held over the Easter weekend at the 900-seater Gaiety Theatre.
Rehearsals begin in January in Stamford and will be held every Sunday. A small payment will be available for travel expenses, and if accepted, the Isle of Man trip will include travel and accommodation. The script is available to read, so if interested, email Matthew at matthewclift71@gmail.
com.
