Summer School Auditions: Sunday 18th May

Aspiring young thespians are being urged not to miss out on the opportunity to be part of Stafford Gatehouse Theatre’s Summer School production of Doctor Dolittle. Previous years have seen over 120 young people compete for 80 places. The successful applicants will get the opportunity to work with professional creative team and take part in workshops covering all they need to know about the theatrical world as well as rehearsing for the show.

The open auditions take place on Sunday 18^th May 2014 at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. Hopefuls must be aged between 7 and 21 years old and live in, or attend a school in Staffordshire. Auditions for 7-12 year olds will be at 9.30am and auditions for 13-21 year olds at 2pm.

Everyone attending the auditions must bring a passport photograph, which needs to be included with their application form. Application forms can be downloaded from the theatre website prior to the audition day and will also be available on the day. Full details of the auditions can be found on www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk. The auditions are great fun and a fantastic experience for youngsters with a passion for performing! 

Summer School will start on Monday 28^th July and run until Saturday 16^th August, with performances from Wednesday 13^th August to Saturday 16^th August. All successful applicants must be available for the duration of the rehearsal period and for all performances.  The fee for the three weeks is £225.00, with limited concessions available. More information is available by calling 01785 253 595.

 The classic tale of kindness to animals and animal kindnesses trots, crawls and flies onto the stage in a big Broadway-sized family musical. All of the characters (human and animal) we’ve come to love through the stories of Hugh Lofting and the magical movie musical are given new life in the stage version of Doctor Dolittle.

Tickets for Doctor Dolittle will be available to buy soon, with tickets available from just £8. Once on sale tickets can be purchased by visiting www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01785 254653.

Full cast announcement for As You Like It

We are very excited to reveal the full cast for this year's Stafford Festival Shakespeare production! They're going to make it a very special show...

Esther Biddle

Pheobe

 Esther trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and Bristol University. Her theatre credits include Beauty and The Beast (Clwyd Theatr Cymru) The Witches of Eastwick (The Watermill) Hansell and Gretel (Margate Theatre Royal) Animal Farm (Clwyd Theatr Cymru) The Comedy Of Errors (Stafford Festival Shakespeare) and Chess (UK No.1 Tour)

  








John Challis

Jacques

John is best known for his role as 'Boycie' in Only Fools and Horses. After years of planning 'Boycie' and 'Marlene' starred in their own series The Green Green Grass which had four successful series on BBC1.

Shirley Darroch

Audrey 

Shirley recently won a Manchester Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Her theatre credits include Mama Morton in Chicago (Oldham Coliseum: Voted No.6 in Guardian's critics choice 2013) Wicked Witch of The West in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Hull Truck Theatre) and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors (Birmingham Rep)

 









Jennifer Greenwood

Celia

Jennifer trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and is returning to Stafford Festival Shakespeare, having played Hermia in last year's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her theatre credits include Fairy Nuff in Jack and The Beanstalk (Swindon Wyvern) The Night Queen in The Night Queen (Belgrade Theatre Coventry) Lady MacDuff in Macbeth (Redgrave Theatre) Teacher in Health Wealth (Old Vic New Voices) She is also co-founder and one third of of the comedy cabaret group Three Little Maids.

James Haggie

Le Beau / Silvius

The highly talented actor and musician makes a welcome return to Stafford Festival Shakespeare following his brilliant comic performances as Balthasar in 2012's Romeo and Juliet and Flute in 2013's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Graham Kent

Duke Senior / Duke Frederick 

Graham makes a welcome return to SFS following his critically acclaimed performances in Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor. His West End credits include Miss Saigon (Drury Lane) playing the lead role of engineer on several occasions, Aladdin (Shaw Theatre) and TinTin in Tibet (Barbican). Graham's film credits include: Disney's 'The Muppets Most Wanted' and the 20th Century Fox Film 'From Hell'.

 








Daniel Lloyd

Amiens

Alongside his succesful acting career Daniel is also a professionally signed guitarist and singer / songwriter. His recent film credits include Disney's 'The Muppets Most Wanted'.

 







Joshua Manning

Oliver

Joshua trained at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Prior to his time there he studied Theatre and Music at the University of Glasgow. His theatre credits include Feste in Twelfth Night (Drayton Theatre) Kent in King Lear (The Rose Bankside) and his Television credits include Krrk Krrspltx in Intergalatic Kitchen (BBC)

Alex Parry

Charles / Jacques de Bois 

Alex's theatre credits include Tom: the Story of Tom Jones (Theatr Na N'Og) Jackie: The Musical (Gardyne Theatre Dundee) and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (UK Tour). His Television credits include: Torchwood, Dirk Gently (BBC) and Alex provides most of the voices in Channel 4's Empire Square.

Eric Potts

Touchstone

Eric's recent theatre credits include Les Dawson/Ada in Cissie and Ada (National Tour) Danny in Brassed Off, Major Wyndham-Pitts in A Little Local Difficulty, Al in April in Paris and Oliver Hardy in Laurel and Hardy.

 








Tom Radford

Orlando 

Tom's theatre credits include Othello (National Theatre)  The Robbers, Thebes, Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Twelfth Night and Miss Julie (The Faction) The Wizard of Oz (Hull Truck) Twelfth Night and Masters Are You Mad? (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre) and The Shoemaker's Holiday (RSC Summer Festival)

Georgina White 

Rosalind

Georgina trained at RADA. She was recently seen as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream for Stafford Festival Shakespeare. Her other theatre credits include Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (New VIc Theatre, Oldham Coliseum) The Wind In The Willows (West Yorkshire Playhouse) Forever Young (Nottingham Playhouse, New Wolsey Theatre) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Theatre Royal, Northampton) Up On The Roof (UK Tour) and Oklahoma! (Peacock Theatre, London/UK Tour)

 



 







Johnson Willis
 
Adam / Corin

This is Johnson's third production at Stafford Festival Shakespeare having been in Twelfth Night and Comedy of Errors. He is an Associate Member of Clwyd Theatr Cymru where productions include Silas Marner, Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Cherry Orchard and Animal Farm. Other productions include Mother Courage (Manchester Library Theatre) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (English Shakespeare Company)

As You Like It opens at Stafford Castle on Sunday 29th June and runs until Saturday 12th July. Tickets are on sale now and you can book yours by clicking here or by calling our box office on 01785 254653.

Food and drink As You'd Like It!

We are thrilled to announce our new and exciting range of dining options for Stafford Festival Shakespeare 2014!

Old School Wines, Greengage Catering and Event In A Tent have collaborated to bring to Stafford Castle an all new dining experience. Keeping with the festival spirit of this year's production, they will be serving food in the magnificent environment of the dining Tipi: three sixty foot Norwegian 'Katu' linked together tp form a unique eating and drinking experience.



Following the festival spirit are the menus themselves. Chef Matt Timms of Greengage Catering: 'a street food guru' of many a festival, cooking up tasty dishes with a distinctive 'deep southern' American style. Everything's good, wholesome and freshly prepared.

There will also be an impressive selection of over 20 fine wines sourced from private vineyards as well as a  specialist gin and tonic bar offering gin and tonic a dozen different ways, alongside as a bar offering a wide range of craft beer, ciders, spirits and soft drinks.










Check out the amazing menu below!

Starters

Homemade pastrami, Staffordshire cheese, olives, pickled greens and houmous, fresh baked focaccia £6

Home made beef pastrami, seasoned with paprika, cloves, all spice and pepper, a goodly chunk of Staffordshire cheese, pickles, olives, houmous and a nice wedge of hand baked focaccia bread

Cured salmon salad, summer slaw and pickled greens £6

Slices of cured salmon on a bed of crispy, crunch summer slaw accompanied by charred spring onions and pickles (Gluten Free0

Aubergine pakora, lentil dahl, coriander chutney, roti £4

Aubergine in a chickpea flower batter 'fritter' on a bed of slow cooked lentil dahl with coriander chutney and roti Indian bread (Vegan)

Mains

Chicky Chicky Fry Fry, corn on the cob, vine tomato salsa and greens £9.50

True southern fried chicken thighs coated in a gumbo barbecue sauce  (celery bell pepper, onion and sticky bbq) served with sweet spicy roast potatoes and corn on the cob.

Creole Fish Fry, grits, corn on the cob, vine tomato salsa and greens £8

Cajun seasoned fish and corn fritter, on a bed of corn grits and served with fresh greens, tomato salsa and corn on the cob

Chilli Roast Sweet Potato, vine tomato salsa and greens £8

Roasted sweet potato flavoured with chilli on corn grits and served with fresh greens, tomato salsa and corn on the cob (vegan)

Sweet Thangs!

Chocolate brownies peanut butter cream and jam sandwich (nut free) £4.50

Granola Parfait, Lemon and Polenta Drizzle Cake (Gluten Free) £4.50

Soy milk panna cotta, hazlenuts, macerated berries granite £4

Has-Bean Coffee

One of Stafford's great companies! Has-Bean ships in the finest 'green bean' coffees from around the world and roasts and blends them here in Stafford. A special 'Old School Blend' will be served, which is a delightful blend of:

• 50% Brazil Fazenda Inglaterra Acaia Natural
• 50% Sumatra Gayon Mountains 

Choose from the following servings:

Espresso £2.50
Doppio Espresso £3.00
Macchiato £2.50
Cappucino £3.00
Americano £2.50
Latte £3.00
Decaf filter coffee £2.50

Tea-Pigs tea

Tea-Pigs only use whole leaf tea in their tea-temples for better infusion. All £2, choose from: 

• Everyday Brew
• Darjeeling Earl Grey
• Earl Grey Strong
• Pure Mao Feng
• Chai Assam
• Chilli Assam

All served As You Like It! 

Pre-booking is recommended and you can call 01782 372 224 to pre-book your dinner before the performance.
 

You can also book your tickets for As You Like it by visiting www.staffordfestivalshakespeare.co.uk