A World of Change in a Week

Very sad to share that the Gin Palace Productions and Twilight Theatre co-production of “Loyalty – Lady Montague and Lady Capulet” at this year’s Fringe has had to be postponed. Really heart-breaking, but unavoidable. These things sadly happen. We’re currently planning and plotting and looking at our already busy schedules for the coming year to bring it later this year.

In the meantime, why not book your tickets for Identity Theatre’s “Oliver Twist” adapted by Neil Bartlett? I play – drum roll please – Mr Bumble! I’m super thrilled and excited and I can’t wait. Plus it will be at Brighton Open Air Theatre so you can have a picnic at the same time. Get booking now – I’m told tickets are already going… click here for link to book

More reviews this week at the Fringe – my absolute favourite was Karaoke at the SU. Absolutely BRILLIANT. Honestly blown away by this young – just graduated – group of creatives. Here’s the link to the review on Brighton Source.

I did see 5 shows in two days and that was enormous fun: One Way Mirror, FOUL, That Witch Helen and RANK. All completely different and in the first one in that list I ended up being on stage being in it. That was an interesting challenge!

It takes an enormous amount of work and courage to put on your own production: to everyone who has and everyone is about to – massive well done, good for you, you follow your dreams. And if there is something in a review that you can learn from: please listen to that – if the reviewer is anything like me they will have thought long and hard about how to put feedback in a way that helps you for the future.

Tomorrow: 2 productions, Friday 1, Saturday 1, Sunday all day theatre event. Ah life. Always interesting!

More Fringe! More More More!

So 11 days later – I’ve not been as busy reviewing. Why you ask? Because somewhere along the line I have to prioritise time to rehearse my own show of course! Oh, have I not mentioned it? Really?

As to Brighton Fringe, there has been less these past 11 days to rave about but there have been some true gems. Great Britons (reviewed for Broadway Baby) from The Foundry Group are always superb – they have a unique style that is hilarious, but not just meaningless fluff, it’s really rich writing. I will continue to go and see every show they put on because they are always brilliant. Always!

Another amazing show – so packed and so informative – is The Empress and Me (reviewed for Brighton Source). From the same people who bring us The Ballad of Mulan and the same actress: Michelle Yim – who is rapidly becoming one of my favourites to watch.

We also went to see Born and Bread as a family – developed by Brighton People’s Theatre with real stories of food and nurturing and nourishing and belonging. And bread and soup. We all loved it, Mia loved the movement and singing and all the coloured lights. Found myself nodding, lighting up, and then crying at the end (in a good way). I always love being moved.

AND GREAT NEWS!!! Magpie – that I went on and on about – and am still going on about – is returning for two more shows at the Lantern Theatre. Here is my review again, and here is the booking link. Just go, honestly, just go see it. You’re welcome. In fact, on 30th May you could come see Loyalty (click for booking link) at 6.45 for an hour, then pop up to the Lantern to see Magpie at 9.00. You know it makes sense!

Happy Fringe!

Brighton Fringe – it begins – and: my show

Happy Merry Fringe everyone!

First of all – thank you everyone who attended the Brighton Fringe press panel event and everyone who wrote inviting me to your show. I’ve now programmed in 21 shows to see in 3 weeks as a result.

I had hundreds of emails so if I didn’t reply please don’t be offended – it doesn’t mean your pitch wasn’t good or that you won’t get reviewers – it simply means that I couldn’t fit it in.

I wish everyone putting shows on in Brighton Fringe the best time and a great run!

So here is my show – collaborating with the fantastic Sam Nixon from Gin Palace Productions, with “Loyalty – Lady Montague and Lady Capulet”:

What happens after ‘Romeo and Juliet’?

Lady Montague waits for Lady Capulet – a long standing family rivalry hides a long forgotten friendship. What happened to them? What have they become? And is there any way through this minefield of feelings, trying to remember who they are, versus what is expected of them as wives and mothers?

A play about loyalty: to family, to your children, your partner – and most of all to yourself: what you know and feel to be right. A poignant, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic look at the lives of two women who we know so little about.

Wednesday 29, Thursday 30 May, Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June

6.45 – 1 hour

at Bar Broadway (off Broadway), Brighton, BN2 1TY

Ticket link here

Brighton Fringe Postponed

Twilight Theatre was due to be bringing you my latest play in the Brighton Fringe. Cast were in place and in rehearsal. I know it’s absolutely necessary that this has happened but I’m still absolutely gutted!

Still, we will be bringing it to you when the Fringe is rescheduled, so all is not lost. In the meantime, stay safe and keep healthy, be sensible and don’t stock pile, and be kind to one another.

Suse x

February – already?

Good grief where has the time gone?!?

Since last Summer I’ve been involved in all manner of Theatre shenanigans, including winning the Publicity Award from Brighton and Hove Arts Council for the publicity for “Taking Sides”, produced in October by Wick Theatre at the Barn Theatre, Southwick, nr Brighton – which I am seriously proud of.

In January, I directed the wonderfully eerie “The Exorcism” by Don Taylor, from TV’s Dead of Night, also at the Barn Theatre for the Wick. That was an amazing production and the reviews were astonishingly good. My cast were fantastic, the set was incredible, the special effects made the audience jump – and we had real Christmas dinner cooked fresh every night by one of the cast members!

Shoreham Herald Review – click here. There is also a review from NODA – the National Organisation for the Dramatic Arts, on the theatre page as a PDF file.

I’m now busy planning a new production of one of my plays in the Brighton Fringe in May with Twilight Theatre… busy busy…

Directing, Writing, Acting

What a couple of weeks!

We are mid way through the run for my play “The Session” with Twilight Theatre. Audiences have loved it and given brilliant feedback.

   

Audience feedback so far:

“Loved it!”

“fantastic… so much so that I’m going again tonight”

“Great play”

“Loved it, very tense… wonderful writing”

“fab night”

“Excellent”

“What an amazing, fantastic performance! A brilliantly written script and a very very talented cast. The venue really lends itself to this play and you are completely drawn in to everything happening on the stage. This is an absolute Must-See for everyone, I guarantee you will be glad you did.”

“I watched this little gem last night. It gets the old grey matter thinking. One not to miss. Written by the amazing Suse Crosby”

James Roy, from Meridian FM: “Wow. Cleverly written, brilliantly performed. “The Session” at the lovely intimate Sweet Dukebox Theatre. Get fully immersed in the action whilst trying to work out who is the Doctor and who is the Patient!”

Still some tickets left – do come along!

Antling

And just before “The Session” opened, “Antling” written and performed by the amazing Helen Pepper Smith and directed by yours truly premiered, also as part of Hove Grown Festival.

   

Don’t worry if you missed it – this fabulous show will be back in the Brighton Fringe Festival, and in the Edinburgh Fringe too!

Disappeared

And if that wasn’t enough – next week I’ll be performing in the Wick Theatre‘s production of “Disappeared”. This has a fabulous cast and a great crew, led by director Guy Steddon.

The character I play has been challenging, because she’s really not very nice at all. When I saw myself in the publicity photos I was astonished I could look so – well – vile! Still some tickets left, runs 4 – 7 April.

See you soon, Suse