CRIMES ON CENTRE COURT Will Embark on UK Tour

Award winning producer New Old Friends in association with MAST Mayflower Studios have announced their UK tour of hilarious tennis-based murder mystery Crimes on Centre Court which opens on 04 September at MAST Mayflower Studios.

Crimes on Centre Court is based on a story from the award-winning podcast Comedy Whodunnits for your ears? (#2 in iTunes fiction chart) and toured to great acclaim in 2022.Expect mirth, murder and mayhem (with a side of tennis) in this deucey treat. 

When Lord Knows, the chair of The Whombledun International Invitational Tennis Tournament, dies his son, Hugh, is suspicious. The police won’t take the case, so Hugh calls in private investigators Perry & Penny Pink, to get to the bottom of things. What follows has all the hallmarks of New Old Friends’ brand of hilarity, as a cast of four performers play countless characters with quick-fire changes and quicker wits, in a story that will rally your spirits and leave you wanting a second serve-ing of the volley of gags and visual delights.

☆☆☆☆☆ -The Bath Chronicle

“A delight from start to finish! Fast and smart …a great night out!” - Emma Rice

“Hilarious” –The Stage

“Has the crowd in stitches” - Reviews Hub

“A thigh-slapping, belly-aching romp of a whodunit comedy”– British Theatre Guide

The tour will also visit  Greenwich,  Didcot, Bishop Stortford, Portsmouth, Wakefield, Middlesborough, Dumfries, Bury St Edmunds, Newport, Malvern, Northampton, Oxford, Ipswich, Andover, Coventry, Lichfield, Eastbourne, Peterborough, Tewkesbury, Corby, Buxton and York.

Crimes on Centre Court is written and directed by Feargus Woods Dunlop with movement direction from Sam Archer.  Set design is by Caitlin Abbott with costume design by Connie Watson.  Lighting is from George Seal with sounds from Fred Riding.  The show is composed by Musical Director Guy Hughes.  Heather Westwell is Creative Producer.

The play is presented by New Old Friends a touring theatre company whose primary goal it is to make people laugh out loud.  Born from the podcast the production team have relished the insurmountable challenge of bringing an audio play to the stage and making it, well surmountable!  The show draws on many of reference points; 80s sports movies, ballet, Japanese game shows and of course other pieces of theatre which inspires them.

Feargus Dunlop Woods Said:  “This show was such fun to create, magpie’ing all of the elements we love in theatre and popular culture together to create something which feels really ‘New Old Friends!’.  We believe in giving people a couple of hours of escapism, to just sit and laugh with strangers, which we think is every bit as profound as more obviously worthy shows.

The response from our audience when we toured last year was overwhelming, so we’re thrilled to be out again sharing all the nonsense of barber-shop singing hedges, ridiculous murders, a character who we never see more than the top of their head and even some actual tennis on stage.”

Crimes on Centre Court is an ace of a show you’re sure to (fifteen) love. You won’t see it game set and matched anywhere else.  Book your tickets today!

For tour details and more information visit www.newoldfriends.co.uk

 Tour Dates

07 – 09 Sep    MAST, Southampton                          www.mayflowerstudios.org.uk

12 – 13 Sep    Greenwich Theatre                             www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

14 Sep             Didcot Cornerstone                             www.cornerstone-arts.org  *

15 Sep             South Mill Arts, Bishop Stortford        www.southmillarts.co.uk

16 Sep             New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth          www.newtheatreroyal.com

20 Sep             Theatre Royal Wakefield                    www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk *

21 Sep             Middlesbrough Theatre                       www.middlesbroughtheatre.co.uk

22 – 23 Sep    Theatre Royal Dumfries                      www.theatreroyaldumfries.co.uk

26 Sep             Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds        www.theatreroyal.org

28 Sep             Riverfront, Newport                             www.newportlive.co.uk/en/venues/riverfront/

29 – 30 Sep    Malvern Festival Theatre Forum        www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/venue/forum-theatre/ *

04 – 05 Oct     Northampton Royal & Derngate         www.royalandderngate.co.uk

06 – 07 Oct     Oxford Playhouse                               www.oxfordplayhouse.com

10 – 11 Oct     New Wolsey Ipswich                           www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

12 – 13 Oct     The Lights, Andover                           www.thelights.org.uk

17 – 18 Oct     Albany Theatre, Coventry                   www.albanytheatre.co.uk

19 -20 Oct       Lichfield Garrick                                  www.lichfieldgarrick.com

24 – 25 Oct     Devonshire Park, Eastbourne            www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk

27 – 28 Oct     Key Theatre, Peterborough                www.keytheatre-peterborough.com

31 Oct             Roses, Tewkesbury                            www.rosestheatre.org

01 – 02 Nov    Corby Cube                                         www.thecorecorby.com

03 – 04 Nov    Buxton Pavilion                                   www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

10-11     Nov      York Theatre Royal                             www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

 

(* ON SALE SOON)