Rehearsal Photos : Astley's Astounding Adventures

September 2023: Rehearsal photography from ‘Astley’s Astounding Adventures’ at the New Vic Theatre in Staffordshire.

Rehearsal Photography - 'Quality Street', Northern Broadsides

Here’s some rehearsal photography I did at the New Vic Theatre for Northern Broadside during their production of ‘Quality Street’ in 2023.

As always with rehearsal photography my approach is to not interrupt the session, work in a way that captures process and the flavour of the performance.

I’ll typically send an hour or so in the rehearsal room and look for images that let the viewer inside the rehearsal process, are useful for marketing the show and act as a record of the production.

Rehearsal Photography : Cinderella - Lawrence Batley Theatre

Today was a trip to The Lawrence Bately Theatre in Huddersfield to photograph rehearsals of 'Cinderella', their Christmas Pantomime. I love it when the Christmas shows begin because that really marks the start of the festive season for me!!

From their website:

In a fairy-tale kingdom, poor Cinderella is a servant to her cruel stepmother and ugly stepsisters. When a handsome prince invites all the maidens of the land to his party, she only has rags to wear. With the help of her friend Buttons, and a sprinkling of magic from her Fairy Godmother, will she make it to the ball after all?

This classic rags to riches story includes everything you love about a traditional pantomime - sparkling scenery, stunning costumes, plenty of audience interaction, well-known songs and live music - with two dames for twice the laughs. 

New to the LBT this Christmas, CINDERELLA is the creation of pantomime royalty Joyce Branagh and Andrew Pollard. 

Rehearsal Photography : Treasure Island - Hull Truck Theatre

Yesterday evening I popped across to Hull and Hull Truck Theatre to photograph rehearsals for their Christmas show. I love it when it gets to this time of year as lots of theatre companies are gearing up for Christmas and it really gets me in the festive spirit!

This year Hull Truck Theatre are staging ‘Treasure Island’ and if rehearsals are anything to go by it looks like an action-filled musical treat!

Artistic Director Mark Babych says:

“Hull Truck Theatre Christmas shows are all about providing magical adventures in storytelling that all the family can enjoy. Highly visual, with great original music, our team creates that extra special bit of Hull Truck magic to bring familiar and wondrous stories to life in the intimate, welcoming surroundings of our beautiful theatre. Debbie Oates has created a sparkling new version of a great tale.”

Rehearsal Photography - The Snow Queen - New Vic Theatre

This is some rehearsal photography from last week of 'The Snow Queen' at the New Vic Theatre in Staffordshire.

I'll be returning at the end of the month to photograph the dress rehearsal, and if the rehearsals are anything to go by it looks like it's going to be a corker!

Rehearsal Photography : Kitchen Sink : New Vic Theatre

In the week when the New Vic Theatre celebrates it's 30th anniversary it was great to go back and photograph rehearsals for their next play - Kitchen Sink.

From the website:

"An irresistibly funny and huge-hearted play about marriage, families, making ends meet – and dodgy plumbing. One of the biggest hits of 2012, it helped Tom Wells win both the Critics Circle and the George Devine Awards for Most Promising Playwright. 

In their down-at-heel Yorkshire seaside town, things aren’t going to plan for Martin and the family. Bits keep dropping off his milk float, son Billy’s obsessed with Dolly Parton, whilst daughter Sophie’s dreams of teaching ju-jitsu are fast disappearing down the plughole. And something’s up with Kath’s kitchen sink.

Amid the dreams, the dramas and the dirty dishes, something’s got to give. But will it be Kath or the kitchen sink? And, if they all carry on as they are, maybe Martin’s milk float won’t be the only thing falling apart."

Rehearsal Photography : Peter Pan in Scarlet - Oxford Playhouse & New Vic Theatre

Here is some from rehearsal photography from the forming premier production of the sequel to the classic children's tale 'Peter Pan - 'Peter Pan in Scarlet'.

The official sequel to J M Barrie’s Peter Pan by the three-time Whitbread Children’s Book Award winner, this awfully big adventure has been adapted for the stage in her trademark all-action style by New Vic Artistic Director, Theresa Heskins.

It’s 1929, Wendy and the Lost Boys have all grown up. Then, suddenly, 20 years after they left, they begin to dream of Neverland – of pirates and mermaids, war paint and crocodiles. Something is wrong and Peter Pan needs their help.

So Wendy, John and the Lost Boys put on their children’s clothes and, armed only with fairy dust, fly back to Neverland to join Peter for one last adventure. But everything has changed. And the dangers they meet are beyond their wildest dreams.

Rehearsal Photography : Educating Rita - Hull Truck Theatre

Yesterday it was across to Hull to join Mark Babych and the cast of 'Educting Rita' in their rehearsal room at Hull Truck Theatre. 

Simon Armstrong and Taj Atwal play Rita and Frank and I spent a happy hour their whilst they ran scenes and polished what promises to be a terrific production.

From their website:

"Rita is a twenty-something Liverpudlian hairdresser with a hunger for knowledge. Frank is her Open University tutor, a cynical failed poet who hides the whisky behind the Dickens. Captivated by her honest and enthusiastic approach to Chekhov, Eliot and Lawrence, Frank finds his love of teaching returning, until Rita’s newfound independence leads her away from him and into cultural limbo.

A British theatre classic, this hilarious comedy about the clash of two sections of society is as relevant today as when it was originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1980. The play won the Society of West End Theatres award for Best Comedy and Best Play and the film version, starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine, was Oscar-nominated and won three BAFTAs."

Rehearsal Photography : The Mountaintop - New Vic Theatre

It was across to the New Vic Theatre gain this week to photograph rehearsals for 'The Mountaintop' which opens in a week.

From the New Vic website:

" Intimate yet epic, winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play and a huge Broadway hit, The Mountaintop is a heartbreaking, powerful and surprisingly humorous re-imagining of events in the hours before the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

April 3 1968. The Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee. Tomorrow, it will be the scene of a nation’s tragedy. But tonight, it’s just another stopover motel room for Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

With a storm raging outside, a young maid arrives to deliver his cup of coffee. As they talk, King
is forced to confront his past, his ideals and his hopes for the future. But who is this mysterious young woman? And what is the true purpose of her visit? "

Rehearsal Photography : Talent - New Vic Theatre

I popped across to The New Vic Theatre in Staffordshire to photograph rehearsals for Victoria Wood's 'Talent'.

After a fun warm up to the sounds of the 70s it was straight into rehearsals of one of the beautiful songs from the show. I'm really looking forward to photographing the Dress Rehearsal of the show next week.