Booking Now! - The Tower

Dometic Abuse and Relationships drama for Year 6 students touring from

1st March - 2nd April 2010.

Click here to view availability and to book performances of The Tower

4-Ever?

Sex and Relationships play for Year 10 students will tour from

19th October '09 - 12th March '10.

Click here to view availability and to book performances of '4-Ever?'

PUSHED?

New! Anti-Social Behaviour Project

Participating Schools click here to view availability and to book dates for your performances and workshop sessions.

We have moved.

Our new address is

Brief Candle Theatre

Chesterfield Studios

44 Newbold Road

Chesterfield

Derbyshire

S41 7PL

TIGHT

Alcohol Education for Year 9 Students

Touring - Summer 2009

Lincolnshire teachers Click HERE

Brighton and Hove teachers Click HERE

Derbyshire teachers Click HERE

'No Place for Dreams'

written by Paul Whitfield

directed by David Shimwell

Check out our broadwaybaby.com 5 star review.

A Company In Their Element

No Place for Dreams

(2008)
Brief Candle Theatre

The Space @ Venue45. 1st - 23rd August. 13:00 (50m)


Brief Candle describe this piece as a play for “family audiences”. As a seasoned and cynical single man I wondered what that meant. Is it really possible to present a piece of work on The Fringe which would appeal to all ages that wasn’t saccharine and twee? If such a thing were possible, surely it wouldn’t have an edge or a message.

Wrong. Written by Paul Whitfield this is as exciting and dynamic a piece of theatre as I have seen this year and it did hold the attention of the whole audience, some of them as young as three or four. On one level it’s a simple morality tale. In an ancient, mythical world, the tribes or races are defined by the four elements, earth, air, fire and water. Ruled over by a stern deity the four peoples are forbidden from interacting. One of the earth or Mud People, Loam (Stuart Rooker) defies these rules, and falls in love with Asha (Francesca Larkin) of the Fire Tribe. What follows is a breathtakingly fast and often very funny yarn of love triumphing over obstacles. The four actors (Samantha Worall as Shell and Robert Snell as Nimbus complete the quartet) are all extraordinarily versatile and the performance committed. Whitfield’s script is clever and brave – some of it is actually quite scary, not balking at dealing with death and pain in front of its mostly very young audience.

Under David Shimwell’s ceaselessly inventive direction we are really drawn into this macabre and beautiful world. A relatively simple set and ingenious use of a floor cloth means a myriad of environments appear before our eyes. There’s a certain amount of audience participation, but for the most part it is the tightness and bravery of both script and production that carry the day.

As one wanders around The Fringe and overhears conversations about agents and casting directors and London transfers it is refreshing to discover a company like this, doing amazing quality work on minimal resources just because that’s what they enjoy doing and, yes, entertaining all the family. The play’s message, of tolerance and acceptance and being proud of what you are is told with subtlety and bravery.

May this brief candle flicker for some time to come.

[Robin T. Barton]

See the World Premiere of this brilliant and beautiful new play for families at the Edinburgh Festival.

Sunday 3rd - Saturday 23rd August '08

Click here to book online.

Or call the Box office on 0131 2260000

Featuring four of Brief Candle's most experienced actors, 'No Place for Dreams' promises to be a theatrical treat!

'Hardwick's Lost Princess'

To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of Bess of Hardwick, we explore the fiery and tempestuous relationship between Bess and the Arbella, her granddaughter, the young woman that Bess dreams will one day be Queen.

Performed at Hardwick Hall and  Derby Cathedral to excellent receptions - if you missed out this time, we hope to tour again with it in the future.