Press Contact: Natalie Thomas
natalie.thomas@theatreroyal.com
24 January 2024
Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) is set to host an eclectic mix of shows of all genres within its Drum auditorium this season and is offering a 25% discount for those who book multiple shows.
From an inimitable show with puppets based on a children’s bedtime story and an optimistic comedy play about nannies aspiring to become comedians, performances also explore more serious topics including domestic abuse and young people in care.
Prices start from just £12, and for the new season of Drum shows, TRP is offering 25% off when people book two or more performances.
Do you Dare to Drum?
For the full spring season Drum line-up, visit theatreroyal.com/seasons/the-drum-spring-season.
Us Against The World, The Drum, 23-24 February (16+)
Ever been love-struck?
We have.
And it hurt.
This is about what happens behind closed doors when you love a little too much.
It is about the slippery slope between care and abuse, the colossal strength it takes to break free and the potential danger in doing so.
Us Against The World is an absurd and often funny reminder that the greatest betrayal is forgetting yourself.
Expect a riot of intoxicating dance-theatre, a very charming man, a much-loved chicken and a bit too much cake in this poetic portrayal of love gone wrong. (Based on the lived-experience of domestic abuse survivors).
Nanny, The Drum, 27-28 February (14+)
Meet Lea and Amy. Below average nannies with bigger than average ambitions.
Every week they take the kids they look after to a ‘Stay and Play’ class and seize a moment between the snacks, songs, snot and screaming to plot the twists and turns of their real careers as a comedy double act.
Matthew Floyd Jones (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder) writes sublime original music and songs for the World Premiere of this poignant and funny new play about friendship, faltering, and staying true to yourself despite it all.
Script and story by Alana Ramsey (The Crown) Lizzie Stables (The Inbetweeners) & Jenny Rainsford (Fleabag).
Supported by The Foyle Foundation, The Leche Trust and The Golsoncott Foundation. Development supported by Arts Council England and English Touring Theatre.
Protest, The Drum, 05-09 March (7+)
Running is Alice’s happy place – you might even say it’s in her DNA. She’s the best runner at her school but is struggling to prove her worth. Jade is slowly coming to realise that prejudices can be found everywhere, even in the most surprising places. Realising that her education is ill-equipped to encompass her own history and heritage, and taunted by bullies at school, she knows it’s time to tell her own story. Meanwhile, litter is piling up in the local forest, and all over the world an environmental crisis is looming. Chloe is determined to make a change, starting with the town.
Three girls prepare to stand up for what they believe in despite the injustices stacked against them in this new play exploring what it takes to make a difference, the power of friendship, and the importance of believing in your own voice.
Co-commissioned by Fuel, Imaginate and Northern Stage. Developed and supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund and Imaginate’s Accelerator programme. Accelerator is supported by the PLACE programme, funded by the Scottish Government (through Creative Scotland), the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Festivals. Supported by the Binks Trust.
Fatherhood, The Drum, 21-23 March (12+)
Being a father in the 21st century is complicated. Being the father of a young son of mixed South Indian, Turkish & Austrian heritage, even more so.
Three very different stories of being and having a dad are brought together with humour and sensitivity, through physical theatre and multilingual text.
Centred around everyday, relatable experiences, this original new work explores fatherhood across generations from the 1960s to the present day.
The Three Little Pigs, The Drum, 26 March – 14 April (recommended ages 3-10)
Join three problem-solving pigs and help them to save their bacon in a raucous, high-octane family show that will make you howl!
There’s a wolf coming… But for now, The Three Little Pigs have tricked him onto a bus. If he catches them, he’ll huff and he’ll puff and we all know how that ends…
On the run and with the need to build a strong shelter our three problem-solving pigs call on you to save their bacon. Be blown away by the world of Stuff and Nonsense in this joyful retelling of a classic tale. Told in a unique physical style with raucous puppets, this is high-octane family theatre that will make you howl!
Cassie and the Lights, The Drum, 24 – 27 April (12+)
Can kids be parents?
When Cassie’s mother disappears, the teenager wants to care for her sisters on her own. Is she the right person to parent them now, or should she let foster parents adopt her sisters and create a new family? Based on real life events and interviews with children in care and with live music, Cassie and the Lights examines our ideas of what makes a family. After critically-acclaimed runs in New York City, Australia, Edinburgh and London, Cassie and the Lights embarks on its first UK Tour in 2024.
Writer and director Alex Howarth was one of ’10 Stage Sensations to look out for in 2023′ in The Guardian.
Piece of Work, The Drum, 30 April – 4 May (14+)
James has been touring his storytelling theatre shows for half his adult life. This year was different though. Returning home after his first stint away, he received a letter that exploded his life, and the tour became a search: for the person who sent it, for a sense of home, and to maybe save a life.
Featuring James’ captivating mix of storytelling, comedy and music (as well as Shakespeare’s Hamlet) this remarkable road trip follows his critically acclaimed run at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, the sell-out show Learning to Fly and The Songs of Friendship Trilogy.
Hilarious and heart breaking this remarkable road trip will delight and surprise.
The Happiness Index / Ten Thankless Years, The Drum, 15 – 18 May (14+)
A double bill of two shows in one night, from cult multi-award winning musical-comedians Jonny & The Baptists. A brand new hour of songs and stories about why we are (or are not) happy; and a retrospective of our first decade making riotous, satirical (and silly) “work”.
The Happiness Index – Are you happy? We can help!
Five Prime Ministers ago, David Cameron started a ‘happiness index’ to measure how joyful the people of this nation are. Which is ironic, given what he then did. Anyway, we’ve picked up the baton and now are trying to find out what the hell we should do with it.
A new personal and political show about our desire, and the country’s struggle, to just be happy.
Ten Thankless Years – The country’s absolute best (but not most popular) musical comedians present our greatest hits, from a decade of being wildly under-appreciated.
After a sell-out, five-star run at Edinburgh Fringe 2023, we’ve understandably decided to take this cash-cow on the road.
Belongings, The Drum, 31 May – 01 Jun (recommended ages 7-11)
We are all trying to work out our story. Who are we? How are we shaped? Where do we fit in?
Cleo arrives into a new home, unsure of what the future holds. She meets the playful Bertie, who brings her out of her shell, and Leila, who she has more in common with than she first thought.
Life has been unsettled for the trio: Bertie is pushing towards the future, Leila is trying to reconnect with her past and Cleo is searching for answers.
Together they balance, dance and climb to navigate imagined worlds, divided loyalties and loved ones far away. They unite to discover a place called home, the value of play, and together, learn how to own their own stories.
Developed through working creatively with young people in care over a period of years, this “inspiring, engaging, beautifully evocative production” (Everything Theatre) explores a fundamental need we all share – the need to belong.
Nominated for Two Off West End Awards (Best Production, Best Performance by an Ensemble).