Welcome to the online presence of Hanby and Barrett: an archive of past productions, news about upcoming projects, links to those connected with the company and information about participants and project partners.

 

LATEST NEWS:

2012 is getting off to a breathless start for the company as we continue work on a number of projects.

Research workshops are now taking place as we explore the possibility of creating a large scale piece of theatre that will take over Sutton-in-Ashfield, and explore the town’s role in the Luddite rebellion of two hundred years ago. This research and development phase has been funded by Arts Council England. 

Our work with The University of Nottingham, exploring the history and legacy of Raleigh, is moving forwards and we will soon be able to announce dates for a series of talks and a film weekend at Broadway Cinema. Work has also begun on a script for a new show which will tour to community venues around the city and its suburbs. We are going to have a meeting for anyone that wants to get involved in the Raleigh performance.
Date – Monday 30th Jan
Time – 7:00pm
Venue – The Sheila Russell Centre, Saint Martin’s Road, Bilborough, Nottingham, NG8 3AR
Many of you will have rehearsed there previously. It’s not far from Broxtowe Police Station.
The performance will be a little like Road To Bilborough in format – it will be a smaller sized show that we will present on 5 – 6 occasions in a number of venues.
Click here to visit the Facebook event page to find out more.

Hanby and Barrett have also been asked to work alongside The Royal Centre on a special performance to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Royal Concert Hall. This will be our biggest performance to date as the venue seats 2,499 people.

We are pleased to announce that the company now has an Advisory Panel that will help us move forward over the next year or so. We’ve been very fortunate to have gathered the support of a highly talented and experienced group of people who will meet with us on a regular basis to ensure that the work that we do continues to develop. The members of the panel are: Di Birch (The University of Nottingham), Clare Janes (Broxtowe Borough Council), Shona Powell (Lakeside Arts Centre), Paul Southby (Richard Nelson LLP), and Kevin Ryan (Charnwood Arts).

 

Hanby and Barrett is a participatory arts organisation specialising in outdoor theatre events. We work in and with communities to create performances about those communities; their heritage and history, their culture and identity, their stories and their aspirations. The plays are performed in locations that are central to that community’s history however unusual they may be, and this site specific nature of much of the work is central to our growing reputation. We have staged shows in woods, train stations, churches, schools, parks, a Napoleonic Blast Furnace, and throughout the streets and public spaces of towns and villages across the East Midlands. Our shows usually include large local casts and combine strong stories and spectacle to produce beautiful, well crafted theatre that entertains, surprises and delights participants and audiences alike. Most important of all is the fact that we are as inclusive as possible, encouraging seasoned performers to work alongside those who have never performed before, backed up with the skills of professional artists and technicians. For us the enjoyment of the work is both in the artistic quality but also in the energy that is created as the play develops. After everything has been packed away and the last piece of confetti has been picked up the communities that we work in often feel like slightly different places. New relationships have been forged, communities have a clearer idea about what makes them who they are, and a sense of possibility is in the air, leaving the question ‘What shall we do next?’

Best wishes,
Andy and Julian