Broadway Barking Presents SHAMELESSLY BARKING, Now thru 9/29

The Broadway Barking is back on track this Autumn with a season packed with dance, drama, comedy and cabaret, five new premieres, a flexible 'festival' style programme, an exhibition space, free foyer shows and regular live streaming of selected shows for only £2.99; including rehearsals, backstage and the popular annual panto. Following the week-long celebration of 50 years of Bond on screen, Bond in Barking comes, Shamelessly Barking, today, 24th – 29th September.

TV stars come to Barking for the premiere of Doormen, a new adult (18+) comedy about club bouncers by actor and writer Andy McHugh, starring Ciaran Griffiths (Shameless), Kirsty Leigh Porter (Emmerdale), Gary Damer (Hotel Trubble) and Danny Tennant (Hollyoaks), as well as Andy McHugh himself.

The second play in the season is Airport, set in Manchester's Northern quarter, a stark and contemporary observation of modern youth, telling an authentic story about love, family, desire and the potentially devastating effect that dreams can have on social mobility.

Written in residency at the Centre for Creative Collaboration in King's Cross, the play happens over one night in which we see the tragic unwinding of the relationship between Tom - a dreamer from Wythenshawe, and Hazel - a magnetic and beautiful student from the south. Airport is a poignant exploration of family and ambition, told through a piece of tense, humorous and heartbreaking new writing. Written and directed by Benjamin Lyon-Ross.

The cast includes Jennifer Quinn (The Tempest, White Bear Theatre), David R Butler (lead role in the International bilingual play "Subtitles/Titrai" a collaboration between the Darius Lukas Theatre Company London and the Utopia Teatras of Lithuania, Playing at the Kaunas State Drama Theatre, The National Theatre Lithuania and the Courtyard Theatre London). Alexander Pankhurst (Dr Prunesquallor in 'Gormenghast: Titus Groan) and Stephanie Lodge (National Theatre and Theatre 503).

In the foyer from 7pm The Lowlife Cabaret of the Original Army will be offering a free week-long programme of freakish twists and turns. Original Army makes performance, installation and visual art pieces using paper, books, words, sound and light. The work is delicate, thoughtful, visually exciting and often humorous. Acts include: Jeu Jeu La Foille – burlesque artist; El Duo Bongo – ukulele and bongo comedy rock covers, The Offensive Bingo Callers, Jimmie Disco – DJ, Pub quiz rounds and end of the pier photobooth.

Coming up later in the Autumn, Barking & Dagenham's Literature Fest (2-6 October), Barking and Dagenham's Got Talent (18-21 October), The Barking Witchcraft Trials and Tour (31 October), Teenage Takeover (1-3 November) and Cinderella (1 December-2 January).

Venue: The Broadway, Broadway, Barking IG11 7LS
Box office: 020 8507 5607 / www.thebroadwaybarking.com
Shamelessly barking: 24 – 29 September
Times: Airport @ 7pm; Doormen @ 9pm
Ticket prices: £10.00 or two shows for £15.00
Getting there: the Broadway is just five minutes' walk from Barking station, served by the District and Hammersmith and City lines, C2C and Overground and can is also be reached by several bus routes (see tfl.gov.uk for details). There is ample car parking nearby, much of it free after 7pm.

Pictured: Doormen

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