Fathom Writers
Fathom Prize 2018
Join us for the launch of the new anthology of prizewinning short stories, chosen by author Cassandra Parkin and edited by Sue Wilsea.
The evening will feature excerpts from Cassandra’s work and the winning entries.
The new publication will be on sale for the first time on the evening and afterwards available from The Ropewalk, priced £5
Barton upon Humber based Duckegg Theatre Company is staging a new play at the town’s Ropery Hall on Friday, September 28 in readiness for a short run at London’s Pleasance Theatre and a northern tour next year.
The play Aid Memoir by Dr Glenda Cooper draws on the writer’s extensive experience as a former BBC and national newspaper journalist.
“The point of the play is not to excoriate aid workers or journalists – most of whom do their best when covering these stories – but to challenge us, the public about our attitudes to aid,” she said. “The fact remains that we give more money to disasters that are easy to understand, have a well-known celebrity or a photogenic picture – too easily dismiss who we think is unworthy. So next time you watch a disaster unfold on screen – as it is currently in South Sudan, Syria or Colombia – ask yourself what if that crisis was in Southend, Sunderland or Croydon? Would we see a difference?”
Produced by Barton educated Haley Muralee, of Duckegg Theatre Company, Aid Memoir takes a suitably Northern slant, but its a message that will resonate across the country.
As Haley explained: “The play really spoke to us, not only in terms of it being set near us in Cleethorpes, but also in terms of what the feeling is in our community post-Brexit. The young people in our youth theatre strongly feel there is a generational divide in terms of the feeling towards immigration in the area, and this is something they wanted to tackle head on through their arts work. The cast features
two professional actors working alongside four members of the youth theatre, as well as a member of the youth theatre assistant directing the production.”
Duckegg Theatre Company which has a base at The Ropewalk is dedicated to the creation and touring of new writing with young people at its heart. Its most recent production achievements include “Leave Hitler to Me, Lad” (UK Tour and West End), Peter Pan (UK Tour) and The Safe Zone (Northern Tour).
Its education department – the Acting School – is a thriving community of more than 500 young people from across Yorkshire and the Humber taking part in regular theatre classes, professional productions, LAMDA examinations, the Arts Award and projects.
This play looks at the patronising attitudes taken to those who have found themselves in humanitarian crisis. Are some disasters more ‘worthy’ than others?
It starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £8 and concessions £6. Advance tickets can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, in person from The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery or by calling 01652 660380.
Americana super-group Bennett Wilson & Poole are touching down next month at Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall.
The trio, made up of Danny Wilson (Danny and the Champions of the World, Grand Drive), Robin Bennett (The Dreaming Spires, Goldrush, Saint Etienne) have joined forces with producer extraordinaire Tony Poole and king of the electric twelve-string Rickenbacker, to combine their voices, guitars, and songwriting to marvellous effect in a collection of songs that began as uplifting acoustic music and grew into something far more wide-ranging and transcendent. Continue reading
The autumn programme at Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall gets quickly into its stride with the appearance of China Crisis, the first time the group has appeared at the Maltkiln Road venue since 2014.
The group which features founder members Eddie Lundon and Gary Daly alongside Jack Hymers and Eric Animan started in Kirkby, Merseyside back in 1979 and were part of a wave of new Liverpool acts in the late 1970s and early 1980s that included Echo and the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes, A Flock of Seagulls and Frankie Goes to Hollywood straddling the line between new wave and post punk, fusing pop sensibilities with bluesy, reggae rhythms and political commentary. Continue reading
Hull trawler skipper Jim Williams life at sea at the height of the city’s fishing industry is to be retold in early September when the play Swinging the Lamp kicks off the start of Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall autumn programme.
The play, a tribute in words and song, has been written by Beverley actor Gordon Meredith who met Jim around 25 years ago when they both workd on an exhbition aboard the deep sea trawler that is now a museum, the Artic Corsair. Continue reading
Harriet, a beguiling British singer/songwriter, who is garnering ever-increasing international media acclaim will be performing in Barton later this month.
The gig at Ropery Hall comes after she has recently completed here debut UK tour which saw her performing to sell out venues across the country. Continue reading
