Innovative theatre space heads this way

Work from the hottest writers comes to the Corn Exchange next week

A UNIQUE portable theatre dome will be hosting a special festival of cutting-edge productions at the Corn Exchange next week.

Paines Plough Theatre Company will be returning to Newbury to pitch its Roundabout theatre, a self-contained 168-seat auditorium, in the Corn Exchange’s auditorium from Wednesday to Sunday. The venue will be the first stop on the national tour
for Paines Plough, following their time at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. See work from the country’s hottest writers in a state-of-the-art amphitheatre which utilises the latest LED lighting technology and atmospheric surround sound for a completely unique theatre experience.Corn Exchange interim director Grant Brisland said: “We’re delighted thatthe Roundabout will be returning to Newbury again, having had such a successful visit to us last summer. “Enjoying a show in this unusual and intimate space is a thrilling experience and truly captivating”

First up in the Roundabout Festival is The Human Ear (Wednesday and Saturday) – an intriguing tale of loss, renewal and trust from Fringe First Award winner Alexandra Wood. A man turns up at Lucy’s door claiming to be the brother she hasn’t seen in 10 years. Forced to confront the messy inner workings of sibling love with its petty resentments, casual cruelty, profound betrayals and implicit understanding, can the bond between brother and sister be rebuilt?

The critically acclaimed Every Brilliant Thing (Thursday) is a new play about depression and the lengths we will go to for those we love. You’re six years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy.
You start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. With a string of five-star reviews and a 16-week run in New York, The Guardian’s Lyn Gardner said this is “one of the funniest plays you'll ever see about depression – and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop”.

Presented by Paines Plough and Half Moon, Our Teacher’s a Troll (Saturday and Sunday) by Dennis Kelly is an outrageously entertaining comic caper from the writer of Matilda the Musical suitable for ages seven-plus. Two
terrible twins with a talent for turmoil rule their school with terror and tyranny. That is, until the arrival of a new headteacher with green scaly skin, sharp gnarly fangs, and a long spiky tail… Can the twins save the school from the child-eating troll?
And most importantly, can naughtiness prevail?

Duncan Macmillan’s award-winning and internationally acclaimed Lungs is on Saturday. In a time of global anxiety, erratic weather and political unrest, a couple want a child but are running out of time. What will be the first to destruct – the planet or their
relationship? A play about the different types of love we feel in a lifetime.

If you feel more at home performing than sat in the audience, sign up to Live and Lyrical (Friday) or enjoy a wealth of local talent at the Corn Exchange’s popular open-mic night, which will be based for one night only in the
Roundabout amphitheatre.

Tickets for the Roundabout Festival vary for each performance (and offers are available if booking more than
one show at the same time), more
information can be found at the
Corn Exchange website, visit www.cornexchangenew.com