First Bites

Following last year’s success, this year’s FiRST BiTES performances offer a variety of work from new artists, including a multi-disciplinary exploration of the causes behind the August Riots; a musically infused play inspired by film noir; work from newly-established writer Marcus Orlandi; and a new production from award winning company, Vintage Star Productions. After each show the audience are invited to give valuable feedback in the Q&A sessions.



Plays include:

The Lodger Wednesday 11 January, 8pm Tickets £5
Two brothers visit their recently deceased Grandfather’s basement flat to retrieve his remaining valuables only to find the flat has been stripped empty and they have inherited a lodger. Although they know nothing about him, he seems to know too much about them…

Writer: Marcus Orlandi

Marcus Orlandi is a London based BA Fine Art graduate and practicing performance artist and writer. Using video, audio and choreography his works merge Live Art and theatre to create new media productions based on timing and mistake. Past works include Ripper, performed at The Royal Standard Studios in Liverpool and at Matt Roberts Arts in London and Never Better, shown at Camden Peoples Theatre and The Basement in Brighton. Recent commissions include 3:16 for The London Word Festival and Eleanor for Chester Performs Up the Wall, with an upcoming project for Ovalhouse Theatre's Truth About Youth program planned for mid 2012.

Director: Kay Michael

I have previously directed two other short plays by Marcus Orlandi: Home as part of Around the House 2011, and For the Record as part of Give me a Voice Not a Label 2011. Other directing credits include Just One at Lost Theatre (5 Min Fest); The Nth Degree at Old Red Lion (Off Cut Festival); Mercury Fur (site-specific); Shoot Get Treasure Repeat (Warwick Arts Centre Studio). Assistant directing includes A Midsummer Night's Dream (Milton Rooms); Tender Napalm (Southwark Playhouse); Return to the Silence (Pleasance Theatre, Islington); Othello (Veni Vidi Theatre, Lauderdale House). I continue to devise and direct with Curious Directive, of which I am a founding member. Having studied English and Theatre at Warwick University I am currently training as a director at Drama Centre London.

Cast includes:

Normal? Thursday 12 January, 8pm Tickets £5
'I do wonder sometimes what normal must feel like.’ Normal is the second production from BEFFTA winners Vintage Star Productions. It's a story about mental health told through the lives of two sisters and the struggle they both face to find a sense of normality.

Cast includes:

Ann Akin

Ann Akin is an actress and award winning playwright. She trained at Sylvia Young, The BRIT School and Drama Studio London. Artistic director of Vintage Star Productions, set up in April 2011 with co founder and Director Catherine Ashton. Her debut play, 'Conversations with Love', had a three day sold out run at The Soho Theatre in August 2011 and won Best Theatre Production at the BEFFTA Awards. Normal? is her second play as a writer/director.

Catherine Ashton

Catherine is professional actress who trained at Sylvia Young, The Brit school and Drama Studio London. Director of Vintage Star Productions founded in April 2011.She began acting at a young age and early credits include Oliver- Director Sam Mendes and Le Miserables-Director Trevor Nunn/John Caird. Recent credits include The Boat That Rocked- Director Richard Curtis.

We’re just stuck here for a while Wednesday 18 January, 8pm Tickets £5
‘The only place I can start from is my own sense of not-belonging. The more I think about it, the more I realise that it is not-belonging that is the real connection between people’.

A multimedia project by:
Irene Liverani









Mattia Pagura











Alessio Mezzarobba

Irene Liverani and Mattia Pagura met at the IUAV University of Venice, where they studied theatre direction and set design. Together with three friends, they created laPeriferia, a company active in the interactive theatre, and in the organization of a performing arts and music festival, taking place in the industrial area of the Venetian mainland. 

Irene has a theoretical background in semiotics studies and is active as a dancer. Mattia is specialised in teaching multimedia skills in community settings.

Alessio Mezzarobba has studied electronic music and composition at the conservatoire in Milan and Venice, and has presented his work in a variety of contexts, included the Venice Biennale.

Their research focuses on the influences of place, strategies of oblivion and practices of resistance, on sound research (in particular, archive and field recorded sound), interaction and multimedia.

More info on Irene, Mattia and Alessio’s activities on www.laperiferia.it

A Life in Monochrome Thursday 19 January, 8pm Tickets £5
Blind Tiger Theatre Company presents A Life in Monochrome; a love letter to the old Noir films of the ‘30s. Combining live actor musicianship, stylised dialogue and visceral imagery, A Life in Monochrome transports its audience to smoke-filled speakeasies, and ventures into the dark corners of prohibition America.

Director: David Shopland

David also trained at Rose Bruford College. Directing credits include his own adaptation of Timon of Athens at The Downstage Theatre in Texas, the award winning production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile at The Rondo Theatre in Bath, and the European premiere of Len Jenkin’s Dark Ride.

Narrator: Mark Stanford

Mark trained at The Royal Academy of Music, and is also currently appearing in repertory at The Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, Essex. Recent roles include Andy in the UK touring production of Dreamboats and Petticoats, Joe in Troubles: The Musical, and Bobby Child in Crazy For You.

Cast includes:
Callum Hughes – Detective Bradshaw

Callum trained at Rose Bruford College, and is currently appearing in repertory at The Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, Essex. Recent roles include Chris in The Young Ones, Tony in Up’n’Under, and Scott in the European Premiere of Christopher Shinn’s What Didn’t Happen.

Adam Langstaff – Hunter Earnshaw 

Adam trained at the Oxford School of Drama. Recent roles include the title role in Mr Loftus at The Blue Elephant, Stuart/Clown in Shattered Fragments at the Tristan Bates Theatre, and Ensemble in Emperor and Galilean at The National Theatre.

Jennifer Johnson - Helen

Jennifer also trained at Rose Bruford College. Recent roles include Helena in All’s Well That Ends Well and Telemachus in The Penelopiad. Jennifer also recently worked in Spain as the pianist for critically acclaimed Shady Dolls Theatre Company’s production of The Spoils.

Claire Sharpe – Susan Lyons

Claire also trained at Rose Bruford College. Recent roles include the title role in the short film Leah, Dead Penelope in The Penelopiad, and Mrs Hen/Mrs Stork/Woman 1 in the world premiere of Mervyn Peake’s Noah’s Ark at The Blue Elephant Theatre.