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LIFE IN A SKETCHBOOK Makes London Debut at Top Secret Comedy Club Tonight

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Premiering in London at the Top Secret Comedy Club tonight, July 9th, acclaimed theatre and Production Company Encompass in association with Pen & Rose presents Life in a Sketchbook. Written by emerging playwright Emma Minihan, the full Life in a Sketchbook is a hopeful prod at the everyday, a casual shaken fist at the accepted norm, and a truth: that it IS possible to watch too much television.

It began with a sketchbook and a hopeful little pencil, thrown together with the inexplicable optimism that the pencil was destined for great things. Many stick men later, the pencil was swapped for a keyboard and life took shape and colour. Life in a Sketchbook is a series of six intertwined sketches that mirror our everyday lives - the people we meet, the situations we find ourselves in and the hopes and desires that define and restrict us. Encompass Productions in association with Pen & Rose invite you to have a flick through these six short plays that take humorous and poignant glances at life. Watch a whole host of curious characters through a pair of their somewhat askew glasses. Will you see yourself within the sketchbook?

Encompass are a London-based theatre and Production Company that creates bold, experimental new work. Through collaborative processes they form productions that delve into hyperreality, drawing from theatrical and cinematic influences to tell stories in innovative ways. The emerging company created productions Who Is Moloch?, Stormin' Norman and What It Feels Like which established them as "brave" (The Telegraph) and "ones to watch" (Everything Theatre).

Pen & Rose Productions are an exciting new company co-founded by creative practitioners Emma Minihan and Charlie Limm, formed through a mutual passion for theatre and people. Life is in a Sketchbook is their debut. This project is in collaboration with acclaimed company Encompass Productions, formed from Encompass's successful showcase platform Bare Essentials.

The show will play the Top Secret Comedy Club, Covent Gdn. Dates: Tuesdays 9, 16, 23, 30 July. Time: 6.00pm (1hr) Entry FREE ENTRY (Non-ticketed). Address: Africa Ctr. 38 King St London WC2E 8JT Station Covent Garden (1min walk). Website www.EncompassProductions.co.uk. Facebook www.facebook.com/EncompassOnline. Twitter @EncompassOnline #LifeInASketchbook. Tumblr penandroseproductions.tumblr.com.

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:

Life in a Sketchbook

Written by Emma Minihan
Produced by Encompass in association with Pen & Rose
Devised and performed by Encompass
Score by Alex Burnett

Directors Jonathan Woodhouse & Rachael Owens
Encompass Producers George Calderwood & Sam Holmes
Pen & Rose Producers Emma Minihan & Charlie Limm
Executive Producer Jonathan Woodhouse
Set Designer Hilary McCool
Music & Sound Alex Burnett
Deputy Stage Manager Ann Baxter
Publicity Design Jack Anthony Ewins


CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

Boss: Jennifer Palmer
Candidate: Jonathan Woodhouse
Applicant: Emma Minihan

Latte: AnDrew Miller
Fruit Boost: Navinder Bhatti
Milkshake: Charlie Limm

Dreamer: Sian Gordon
George: Ellen Gauntlett

Agent: Marcella Carelli
George: Sam Holmes
Landlord: Christopher O'Shaughnessy

Geoffrey: Robert Wallis
Aggie: Francesca Amoroso
PA: Liam Elvish

Arnold: Owen Collins
Jane: Freya Parsons





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