PRESS RELEASE – Wednesday 28 November 2018

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HIGHTIDE ANNOUNCES STEVEN ATKINSON’S FINAL SEASON AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

• AS PART OF EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE 2019, HIGHTIDE AND ASSEMBLY FESTIVAL WILL PRESENT A SEASON OF NEW WORK: DISRUPTION: THE FUTURE OF NEW THEATRE, CO-CURATED BY HIGHTIDE AND ASSEMBLY FESTIVAL, 31 JULY - AUGUST 26.

• LIT, A WORLD PREMIERE BY SOPHIE ELLERBY, DIRECTED BY STEF O’DRISCOLL, WILL HEADLINE HIGHTIDE FESTIVALS ALDEBURGH AND WALTHAMSTOW, AHEAD OF TRANSFERRING TO NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE, WHO ARE CO-PRODUCING.

• HIGHTIDE ALDEBURGH WILL RUN 10-15 SEPTEMBER 2019, AND THE FULL PROGRAMME IS SET TO BE ANNOUNCED ALONG WITH HIGHTIDE WALTHAMSTOW DATES WHEN TICKETS GO ON SALE IN MAY. Steven Atkinson, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of HighTide, has today announced his final season for the company, which includes a full season of new writing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019, and the return of HighTide Festivals in Aldeburgh and Walthamstow. Steven Atkinson said: ‘For my last season at HighTide we’re disrupting how we make theatre by combining three productions that we have commissioned ourselves written by Sophie Ellerby, Kenneth Emson and Eve Leigh, and we’re now inviting emerging artists to create two further productions with us that will develop what a HighTide show can be.’ In August as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019, HighTide has partnered with Assembly Festival to present: Disruption: the future of new theatre, co-curated by HighTide and Assembly, exclusively at Assembly Roxy. Running July 31 - August 26, the season will be formed of nine shows, each piece demonstrating HighTide and Assembly Festival’s shared vision for new writing as a space of political, contemporary and provocative work, created by new, diverse artists. The centrepiece production is Rust by Kenny Emson, a HighTide / production directed by Eleanor Rhode. Rust will then transfer to HighTide Festivals Aldeburgh and Walthamstow. Disruption references the type of shows in the season, and the approach to producing them. Unlike the traditional process of play commissioning, HighTide are now welcoming applications from independent theatremakers to co-produce two productions in the season with HighTide, followed by transfers to HighTide Festivals Aldeburgh and Walthamstow. Full application details on are .org.uk, and the closing date is Friday January 4 2019. HighTide Festivals will return to Aldeburgh and Walthamstow with LIT, a world premiere by Sophie Ellerby (THREE, Arcola), directed by Stef O'Driscoll (Artistic Director of nabokov), ahead of transferring to Nottingham Playhouse. A co-production between HighTide / Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company, LIT explores the turbulent teenage years of a girl looking for love in all the wrong places. The spark of LIT came from Sophie’s experience studying young women and mothers in the prison system. Director Stef O'Driscoll, director of Paines Plough Roundabout 2018 Season, is a leading innovator in British theatre; 'Creates an alternative experience for people who don’t think theatre is for them.' The Stage. LIT joins Rust as the headline productions for HighTide Festivals Aldeburgh and Walthamstow. HighTide Festival Aldeburgh will run September 10 – 15 2019. The full festival programme will be announced in May 2019 when tickets go on sale. HighTide are fast developing their plans to secure the return of HighTide Festival Walthamstow 2019 as part of the first London Borough of Culture. The full festival programmes and details will be announced in May 2019 when tickets go on sale. Finally, full touring dates are now confirmed for the previously announced opening production of HighTide’s 2019 Season, The Trick by Eve Leigh, directed by Evening Standard Awards 2018 nominee Roy Alexander Weise. Following its premiere at the Bush Theatre 19 February – 23 March, the production will tour the UK for three weeks, opening 26 March at the North Wall Oxford and concluding 13 April at York Theatre Royal. The tour includes performances in HighTide’s home venue in Aldeburgh, and also in East Anglia in Lowestoft.

-ENDS-

**

HighTide and Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company present LIT by Sophie Ellerby Directed by Stef O'Driscoll HighTide Aldeburgh, HighTide Walthamstow, Nottingham Playhouse

"I'm making him work for it. Got him to buy me a pack of Tangfastics and a can of Lilt before I showed him my tits."

The problem with love is that it’s different for everyone. For Bex, love is a handjob in detention and the promise of a date at a Chinese buffet. She doesn't even like Chinese.

LIT explores the turbulent teenage years of a girl looking for love in all the wrong places.

Sophie Ellerby's writing revives a proud British tradition of placing complex working class people at the heart of her work. Sophie is an actor and a writer, and the spark of LIT came from her experience studying young women and mothers in the prison system.

Sophie Ellerby was awarded a place on HighTide’s First Commission scheme in 2016 and wrote her debut play LIT, which will be produced by HighTide and Nottingham Playhouse. Other work includes THREE, performed at the in 2017 and both Function and crabs for the National Youth Theatre. She is currently under commission to the National Youth Theatre and Fifth Word Theatre and is this year's Writer in Residence at Pentabus Theatre. Sophie is dedicated to working on projects that challenge social norms and ignite community imagination. Her plays aim to tackle provocative societal questions in an accessible and human way.

Stef O’Driscoll is the Artistic Director of nabokov and previously the Associate Director at Paines Plough and at the Lyric Hammersmith. For Paines Plough: Sticks and Stones, Island Town, With A Little Bit Of Luck, Hopelessly Devoted, Blister. For nabokov: Last Night (Roundhouse/Latitude) Box Clever (Marlowe Theatre/Roundabout), Storytelling Army (Brighton Festival) and Slug. Other credits: Yard Gal– winner Fringe Report Awards for Best Fringe Production 2009 (Oval House); A Tale From The Bedsit (Roundhouse/Bestival), Finding Home (Roundhouse) and as Assistant Director: Henry IV (Donmar/St Anne’s Warehouse) ** DISRUPTION: THE FUTURE OF NEW THEATRE Co-curated by HighTide and Assembly, exclusively at Assembly Roxy HighTide Edinburgh, Aldeburgh, Walthamstow (Rust and two new HighTide co-productions) Disruption: The Future Of New Theatre season will be formed of nine shows, each piece demonstrating HighTide and Assembly Festival’s shared vision for new writing as a space of political, contemporary and provocative work, created by new, diverse artists. The centrepiece production is Rust by Kenny Emson, a HighTide / Bush Theatre production directed by Eleanor Rhode. Rust will then transfer to HighTide Festivals Aldeburgh and Walthamstow. Disruption references the type of shows in the season, and the approach to producing them. Unlike the traditional process of play commissioning, HighTide are now welcoming applications from independent theatremakers to co-produce two productions with HighTide in the season, followed by transfers to HighTide Festivals Aldeburgh and Walthamstow. Full application details on are hightide.org.uk, and the closing date is Friday January 4th 2019. ** HighTide and Bush Theatre present RUST By Kenneth Emson Directed by Eleanor Rhode HighTide Edinburgh, Aldeburgh and Walthamstow (preceded by Bush Theatre 26 Jun – 27 July) ‘Rule number eleven: We don’t talk about them. Not here. They don’t exist here.’

Nadia and Daniel have a secret. In fact, they have quite a few. They’ve just signed on the dotted line for a studio flat. Under a pseudonym, naturally – Mr and Mrs White. After years of school pick-ups, TV takeaways, and the day to day drudgery of married life, this is their chance to wipe the slate clean. But as much as they try and redefine the rules, and themselves, the outside world is closing in. Ultra-contemporary, sexy and funny, Rust pushes the boundaries of trust, love and lust to the limit.

Kenneth Emson is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. His plays include Quadrophenia (Mercury Theatre), Parkway Dreams (Sir John Mills Theatre), Terrorism (Bush Theatre), This Must be the Place (Vault Festival – co-written with Brad Birch) and Plastic (Old Red Lion). He was co-creator, co-writer and associate producer on the BAFTA Craft, SXSW and Prix Italia nominated The Last Hours of Laura K and adapted Agatha Christie’s The Coming of Mister Quin which was nominated for a BAFTA CYMRU games award. He has written for EastEnders, Doctors, BBC Radio 3 and 4 and has been shortlisted for the Bruntwood, Red Planet and Papatango Prizes as well as winning the Adrienne Benham, Off West End Adopt a Playwright and Mercury/Weinberger Playwriting awards.

Eleanor Rhode is an Associate Artist for HighTide. Her most recent work includes the critically acclaimed world premiere of Boudica by Tristan Bernays for the Globe Theatre, Tristan Bernays' award- winning musical play Teddy at Southwark Playhouse and The Vaults, and comedy musical Thor and Loki at Edinburgh Fringe and HighTide Festivals. This Christmas, Eleanor will direct Wendy and Peter Pan at The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh.

In 2009 she co-founded Snapdragon Productions to bring neglected and unknown works to new audiences. Work for Snapdragon includes Toast by Richard Bean (UK Tour and New York), which was nominated for Best Touring Production at the 2016 UK Theatre Awards and the world premiere of Teddy by Tristan Bernays and Dougal Irvine, which won Best New Musical at the 2016 Off West End Awards.

** HighTide and Loose Tongue in association with Bush Theatre present THE TRICK by Eve Leigh Directed by Roy Alexander Weise Bush Theatre, 19 Feb - 23 March; North Wall Arts Centre, 26 - 27 March; Salisbury Playhouse, 28 - 30 March; Marina Theatre, 1 April; Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 2 April; Watford Palace Theatre, 5 - 6 April; Birmingham REP, 8 - 9 April; York Theatre Royal, 12 - 13 April. ‘Of course you take me away from the world, and who cares...you’re the best reason I know to wake up.’

Mira's husband, Jonah, died seven months ago, but that doesn't mean that either of them are ready to let him go.

For most of her life Jonah has been Mira's reason to get out of bed in the morning. So when he does his final disappearing act, Mira can't quite believe her eyes. She knows she should be moving on. And yet, Mira finds herself caring less and less about the world outside.

The Trick is a magic show about the parts of life we don't talk about - the realities of getting older and coming to terms with loss. Ghost, goldfish, mediums, and slight-of-hand collide in this unpredictable exploration of ageing and grief by Eve Leigh (Stone Face, Silent Planet). This world premiere will be directed by award-winning Roy Alexander Weise (The Mountaintop, Nine Night).

For further information please contact Maisie Lawrence at The Corner Shop PR on 020 7831 7657

LISTINGS HighTide and Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company present LIT by Sophie Ellerby HighTide Aldeburgh (10 – 15 Sept 2019) HighTide Walthamstow (dates to be announced) Nottingham Playhouse (dates to be announced)

HighTide and Assembly Festival present Disruption HighTide Edinburgh (31 July - 26 August) As part of Disruption three plays by HighTide including Rust and two more to be announced will transfer to HighTide Aldeburgh and HighTide Walthamstow.

HighTide and Bush Theatre present RUST by Kenneth Emson Bush Theatre 26 June – 27 July 2019 HighTide Edinburgh (31 July - 26 August) HighTide Aldeburgh (10 – 15 Sept 2019) HighTide Walthamstow (dates to be announced)

HighTide and Loose Tongue in association with Bush Theatre present THE TRICK by Eve Leigh Bush Theatre, 19 Feb - 23 March; North Wall Arts Centre, 26 - 27 March; Salisbury Playhouse, 28 - 30 March; Marina Theatre, 1 April; Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, 2 April; Watford Palace Theatre, 5 - 6 April; Birmingham REP, 8 - 9 April; York Theatre Royal, 12 - 13 April.

BOX OFFICE DETAILS www.hightide.org.uk 0207 566 9765 HighTide Festivals Edinburgh, Aldeburgh and Walthamstow on sale from May 2019. Rust and The Trick on sale now.

HighTide Aldeburgh 10- 15 September

HighTide Walthamstow To be announced

NOTES TO EDITORS About HighTide HighTide is theatre company and charity based in East Anglia that has an unparalleled eleven-year history of successfully launching the careers of emerging British playwrights. Our alumni speak for themselves: Luke Barnes, Adam Brace, E V Crowe, Elinor Cook, Rob Drummond, Thomas Eccleshare, Theresa Ikoko, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Anders Lustgarten, Joel Horwood, , , Nessah Muthy, Vinay Patel, , Phil Porter, Beth Steel, Al Smith, Sam Steiner, Molly Taylor, and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig. HighTide productions are challenging, contemporary and political, and are written by diverse new playwrights. HighTide showcases the future of British theatre. We currently produce annual festivals of live performance in Aldeburgh, Edinburgh and Walthamstow, and from 2021 also in Lowestoft. We have staged productions with the highest quality theatres across the UK, from the Traverse in Edinburgh, to the Royal Exchange in Manchester, Theatre Royal Bath and the National Theatre in London. HighTide: new theatre for adventurous people. www.hightide.org.uk