Lucky Stuff Productions are delighted to be presenting this rarely performed play in the Brighton Festival Fringe this year with support from The Sussex Beacon. The Baltimore Waltz will be directed by Suzy Catliff, performed by Olivia Thompson and Robin Soutar and Chris Herriott – all of whom are founding members of Lucky Stuff Productions. This is the first time the company will have performed at the Brighton Festival Fringe and will be performed at The Marlborough Theatre over the three weeks of the festival.
The play was written by Paula Vogel as a memorial to her brother Carl. It received five star reviews when it premiered at Circle Repertory Company in New York City, in the winter 1992, further acclaimed productions across America touched audiences with its humour and poignancy surrounding the issue of a newly discovered condition of AIDS. By then it had become one of the most popular plays in the USA. Audiences are drawn in by a series of comic vignettes underlined by tragedy, the farce traces the European odyssey of brother and sister Carl and Anna, in search of hedonistic pleasure and a cure for her terminal illness.
In 1986, my brother Carl invited me to join him in a joint excursion to Europe. Due to pressures of time and money, I declined, never dreaming that he was HIV positive… This imaginary trip takes us from the hospital curtains of a Baltimore hospital to a fantasy trip through Europe, culminating in Vienna and imbued throughout with references to Orson Welles’s most famous film ‘The Third Man
The creative team is lead by Artistic Director, Suzy Catliff, theatre and casting director, whose recent credits include Burt Reynolds’s recent film ‘A Bunch of Amateurs’ and numerous UK television series such as ‘Casualty’ and ‘Silent Witness’. The talented cast of three are LSP founder members: Robin Soutar, Olivia Thompson and Brighton born actor, Chris Herriott. With LSP co-founders, Christopher Whitehead especially composing music for the play and Cressida Carré choreographing, this promises to be a theatrical treat, not to be missed and not seen for twenty years.
The themes in this production greatly affected American audiences when it first was produced in the early 90's, observing the dawn of an illness that affected so many gay men in the last century and they still resonate to the present day. We very much look forward to seeing Lucky Stuff's production of this rarely produced but great transatlantic play in the Brighton Festival Fringe.
Sussex Beacon
This production promises to be the highlight of the theatre programme in the festivals in Brighton and Hove in May.
About Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel wrote The Baltimore Waltz.It won the OBIE award for best play in 1992. Amongst other plays, Paula Vogel also wrote the 1988 Pulitzer prize winning play ‘How I learned to Drive’ and had its’ European Premier at the Donmar Warehouse in 1998. It had its’ European premier at Harrogate Theatre in 1993 directed by Andrew Manley, Artistic Director and Suzy Catliff as resident Assistant Director.
Lucky Stuff Productions was formed in 2005. The directors are Suzy Catliff, Christopher Whitehead and Cressida Carré. The company produces entertaining, thought provoking theatre for a wide and varied audience. Essential to their way of working is the process - from reading to workshop to rehearsal to performance. The style is constantly evolving, creatively challenging, musically exciting and innovative. They make well-defined pieces of theatre with a clear narrative style. The company encourage new artists to participate, be proactive in developing new work as well as bringing a fresh perspective on established pieces of theatre.
Marlborough Theatre 4 Princes Street Brighton East Sussex BN2 1RD 01273 570028
The Marlborough Theatre has a proscenium arch stage and plays host to Fringe events and array of left-of centre performances all year round, with its ten rows of seats (60 person capacity) it makes an intimate space. The theatre is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who support creative diversity and community involvement, and who try to make performances affordable and accessible for all.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Production THE BALTIMORE WALTZ by Paula Vogel
Event Type Theatre
Venue Marlborough Theatre, 4 Princes Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 1RD
Director Suzy Catliff
Designer Robin Soutar
Actors Chris Herriott, Olivia Thompson, Robin Soutar
Dates Sunday 2 May 6.15pm
Monday 3 May 6.15pm
Tuesday 4 May 6.15pm
Saturday 8 May 6.45pm
Sunday 9 May 6.45pm
Saturday 15 May 7.00pm
Sunday 16 May 7.00pm
Tickets
£12.00 full price, £10.00 concessions
Box Office 01273 709709 bk fee
Online www.brightonfestivalfringe.org.uk
