It’s relaxed but edgy, informal and challenging. In the five years that Wales Millennium Centre has been building its reputation as an iconic arts venue, its intimate arts space, the Weston Studio has been growing alongside it.
Audiences have enjoyed comedy, theatre and dance from the best of Welsh, British and international talent in the Weston Studio – and there’s much more of that to come in 2009 as the Studio celebrates its fifth birthday.
Weston Studio Season Highlights include:
1 Wardrobe Diaries (October 7)
Acrobatics, strength and dance theatre are blended with stunning consequence as an international cast perform among two tonnes of clothing and six 20 foot long Chinese poles in this exciting show. Sorting out your old clothes often triggers memories. Wardrobe Diaries brings these to life through a thrilling combination of aerial feats, dance and humour in a show that is conceived, produced and directed by former No Fit State ImMortal performer James Roberts, with support from No Fit State Circus.
2 Banxy (November 1)
It’s not the Bristol urban artist, but the exciting Swindon breakdancer, Banxy, who is returning to the Centre to present his new solo work, Ikky Wakk. Banxy’s performance is followed by Kno Love Productions and their gritty urban slice of reality, Cool Rules. These pieces are complemented by a final performance from Banxy and Kno Love Productions’ Curtis James, who team up to produce a fast and furious two-hander, Anti-Cool.
3 Moby Dick (November 2-4)
Spymonkey’s brand of comedy is a modern mix of the likes of Monty Python, Tommy Cooper and Morecombe and Wise. The company is willing to lampoon just about anything, and Herman Melville’s classic American tale Moby Dick is no exception. Watch as four talented performers use a boat, a sea and a whale to bring this story to life – and prepare for raucous humour, sharp characters and bellyaches of laughter.
4 Family Day (November 8)
Our Family Day encourages children to develop a bond with theatre and the arts from an early age. This Welsh-language Family Day is aimed at both learners and fluent speakers of the language and offers families an opportunity to enjoy theatre together. The focal point of the day includes a performance of Twm Sion Cati at 3pm, which tells the swashbuckling tale of the 16th century Welsh highwayman who robbed the rich to give to the poor.
5 Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (December 19)
The 1927 theatre company’s multiple award-winning theatrical cabaret combines live music, performance and storytelling with film and animation. Their production is a dark mix of cabaret and has been likened to the works of David Lynch, Shockheaded Peter and Edward Gorey. Using the convention of silent cinema, a series of comic happenings unfold in which the performers interact with the animation which includes unlucky cats and marauding gingerbread men.
Ticket prices
Ticket prices for Weston Studio shows (with the exception of a few highlighted in the brochure) range from £8 – £12. The price you pay depends on the show and how early you book.
The first 30 tickets sold cost £8 each. The next 30 tickets sold cost £10 each. All remaining tickets (including those bought on the day of the performance) cost £12 each. If at any time you book for three different shows together you will pay the lowest rate of £8 per ticket.
Make the most of your visit
With all our seats unreserved you don’t have to book together to sit together, just turn up with time to spare to get your seats. Upstairs to Bar One is the official Studio Bar, where you can get 10 per cent off your drinks for the whole evening (just show your ticket).
Visit www.wmc.org.uk or call the box office on 08700 40 2000 for tickets and more information.
Photograph: Banxy
