Tag Archives: crucible theatre

Sheffield girl’s WW1 poem adapted for stage

An award winning poem about World War One, written by Sheffield student Molly Meleady-Hanley when she was 11 years old, has been adapted as a play and performed at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. Me Brother Dan has been read at numerous events this year to commemorate those who fought in the Battle of the Somme. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!

World Snooker Championships return for 40th year

The snooker championship returns to the Crucible Theatre and celebrates the 40th year of World Snooker in Sheffield. World Snooker promoter Barry Hearn has vowed the tournament will remain in the city for at least a further 10 years. Mark Selby lifted the trophy last year and is favourite again this year. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!

Kes at The Crucible – review

KESA night at the Crucible Theatre with Paul Gregory and Kevin Resley

We set off to see the new production of Kes at the Crucible with talk of the film and recollections of the story, write Sheffield Live! presenters Paul and Kevin. A Kestrel for a Knave was written by local writer Barry Hines about a boy living in Barnsley in the mid- sixties.

Coming from this area of entrenched mining communities Barry was well placed to evoke the time and place, as seamed with grit and lost hopes as the land had been with coal.

Billy walks this lifeline with little to take him out of the hardness and hopelessness until he finds and adopts a young Kestrel. His hopes soar as the Kestrel flies and a bond is built between boy and bird.

Hines took this tale to the big screen in 1969 Doncaster, after a successful collaboration with the film maker Ken Loach. The resulting enthusiasm took the film to world wide acclaim.

That could have been quite a burden for a new presentation but Kes, at the Crucible, shirked none of the responsibility. A brave evocation of the story in dance took to the stage, with Jonathan Watkins’ direction and choreography gliding along with the hauntingly beautiful score courtesy of Alex Baranowski.

Billy, in the form of Chester Hayes, and his mother Laura Caldow were stepping out in style, while Laura Careless and Barnaby Meredith multi-charactered along with creating a plausible and captivating Kestrel.

Paul and Kev conclude: “A great ensemble performance that made the story of Kes its own. Go and see it, we are sure you will enjoy it.”

What next?

Comedy, Drama and Sci-fi

‘Cornucopia Radio’ is a local ‘audio drama’ group which works closely with Sheffield Live! to give opportunities to local writers and performers to have their own work produced, performed and broadcast via the FM frequency (and networked around the world via various podcasting systems). It is both a platform for established Sheffield writers & performers and anybody wishing to gain experience or exposure for their work. If you wish to get involved yourself, you can email the production team at studio@cornucopia-radio.co.uk

Over the past few months, they have produced the following work.

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The Drop

In the far future, humanity has expanded out to explorer the outer reaches of the solar system. In the process, leaving behind the radioactively poisoned planet once known as Earth, now more commonly referred to as the “Forbidden World”. However, ‘Captain Robert Newsam’ is about to discover that the planet is not as desolate as he once imagined and that sometimes the only way to get where you’re going is… “The Drop”

‘The Drop’ is the first in our series of updated radio sci-fi pieces from the forties and fifties. Re-recorded with new actors, modern sound effects and atmospheric music. During these productions we try to stick to the original script as closely as possible; in-turn seeking to create modern, yet strangely old fashioned pieces of radio drama…

[audio:http://cornucopia.jellycast.com/files/audio/thedrop.mp3|titles=The Drop|artists=John Christopher]

Cast: Nic Bowden, George Webster, Joe Lister Yates, Matthew Scott, Jason Greenwood and Roderick Shearer Written by John Christopher. Original version broadcast on ‘ABC Radio’ April 9, 1953,
Directed and Edited by Peter Beeston, Copyright ©2010 – A Cornucopia Production

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Martians Never Die

What is the ideal bodyguard? The most ferocious looking? The most efficient killer? Or the most devoted? On Earth, you might find a combination of all three, but it’d never be as effective as the curious creature which came back from Mars with Dr. Clyde Curtis; the first human to ever step foot on the red planet…

“Martians Never Die” is the next in our series of updated radio sci-fi pieces from the forties and fifties. Re-recorded with new actors, modern sound effects and atmospheric music. During these productions we try to stick to the original script as closely as possible; in-turn seeking to create modern, yet strangely old fashioned pieces of radio drama…

[audio:http://cornucopia.jellycast.com/files/audio/Cornucopia%20Radio%20Podcast%2022.mp3|titles=Martians Never Die|artists=Lucius Daniel]

Cast: Tim Rutherford, Christine Bellamy, Ian Carter, Stephen Bullivant, Peter Beeston and Claire Hodgson. Written by Lucius Daniel, Original version first broadcast on ‘ABC Radio’ March 12, 1953 Directed and Edited by Peter Beeston, Copyright ©2010 – A Cornucopia Production

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Digging Deep

‘Digging Deep’ tells the story of a community and a friendship that struggled to survive during the 1984-85 UK ‘Miner’s Strike’. Two people coming together for the first time in 25 years; remembering the decisions that they had to make and the consequences that were bound to follow…

[audio:http://cornucopia.jellycast.com/files/audio/Cornucopia%20Radio%20Podcast%2020.mp3|titles=Digging Deep|artists=Alice Collins]

Cast: Alison Fell, Gill Butter and Dave Ridley
Credits: Written & Produced by Alice Collins,
Directed and Edited
by Peter Beeston, Copyright ©2010 – A Cornucopia Production

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Biscuits for Tea

This is “Biscuits for Tea“, the story of two young flatmates who have recently left university and now find themselves considering what life might have in store next. Faced with broken relationships, dead end jobs, empty bank accounts and too much spare time to fill; they quickly work out they’ll have to help each other out if they’re going to get through this. That is, as long as they don’t irritate each other to death first…

[audio:http://cornucopia.jellycast.com/files/audio/Biscuits%20For%20Tea.mp3|titles=Biscuits for Tea|artists=Matthew Brown]

Cast: Renate Reynolds and Robert Perkins. Written By Matthew Brown
Directed and Edited by Peter Beeston, Copyright ©2010 – A Cornucopia Production