Past Productions

''Lord Bradstock's Unfortunate Picnic'' June 2009

In June 2009, a cast of thirty five young people from Direct Theatre, performed an open air, promenade production, where the audience followed the action of the play around the beautiful gardens of The Red HOuse Museum, Christchurch.

A lively Edwardian farce set in 1908 and 2009! James Bradstock has opened the gardens of Bradstock Hall, so that the audience can watch a recreation of events that happened 100 years ago. On the verge of bankruptcy, his great, great grandfather invited well-to-do families, with eligible daughters, to a picnic, hoping for a prosperous marriage. Things go from bad to worse in a story full of steely housekeepers, thieves, bumbling gardeners, simple maids, suffragettes and a number of health and safety issues....Has the spirit of a dead ancestor risen? Why does the cook have fangs?

''Journey To Narnia'' March 2009

Staged at The Lighthouse, Poole, Studio, ''Journey To Narnia'' was the first time our younger production group ''The Spring Street COmpany'' staged a main production by themseleves. The youngest performers were 5 years old, the eldest 12 and for many it was the first time they had been on stage. The most rewarding part of the process was watching the cast of 20 young performers dvelop their performance skills and grow in confidence along the way.

Based on C.S. Lewis' classic tale, this magical story followed the adventures of Lucy Pevensie and her brothes and sister as they journey through the wardrobe into 'Narnia'. Our production included a cast of colourful charcters, 'Aslan' the courageous lion,' Mr Tumnus' the faithful fawn, the beautiful but evil 'White Witch' with a few rabbits, foxes, beavers and grumpy dwarfs thrown in for good measure

"Fixed Game" Regent Centre Christchurch 2008

Direct Theatre's very first feature length film premiered at The Regent Centre, Christchurch on Sunday 8th June 2008. 'Fixed Game' [cert' PG], by Peter Courtenay, has a cast of sixty young people aged between eight and eighteen years and four professional adult actors. Direct Theatre in association with Bournemouth and Poole College Multi Media department, have created an original drama that takes a wry look at our reality TV culture; it's morals, manipulations and madness. Over one hundred people were involved in the realisation of this ambitious project. The second year Multi Media FDA students and their tutors were not only been responsible for the shooting of all live action sequences, but also produced the complex array of CGI and green screen affects within the film. Composers Robert Lee and Matt Huxley created a vibrant original soundtrack that perfectly compliments the irony that runs through the story.

Filmed on location in the local area the plot follows the reality internet show 'It's My Life'. Eighteen young 'house mates' are fighting for a chance of winning '...A great career package....' that includes a free Gap Year, a car and a University education! This could transform their lives, if they can survive living together for fifty four days. The rules of the game are very simple, in fact there is only one rule. If they stick to the rule they all win. If they break it they all lose. What the house mates don't know, however, is that the audience and production company are playing a very different game, in a show where 'Big Brother' collides with 'Dragons Den', then crashes into 'The Apprentice' and becomes a sporting event.

 

"Virus" Regent Centre Christchurch 2007

'Virus' - Written and directed by Peter Courtenay and Juliette Malan.

"A totally unique piece of theatre" Linda kirkman, Daily Echo

Direct Theatre's second original production, this time in association with Bournemouth and Poole College's second year FDA Multi Media students and their tutors.

'Virus' is an action adventure parody of many science fiction films. It is a multi media production, being one third video and two thirds live action. The Multi Media department of Bournemouth and Poole College provided a huge resource on this project including location filming with the cast, green screen effects, model making, audio effects, CGI and web design as part of their 'working in industry' module.

A brief plot synopsis: For the captain of the Deep Space Conveyor 'Sea Of Tranquillity'; things can't get much worse. They're off course and out of control, two members of the crew are trapped on the Holodeck in a parallel reality, a dangerous alien they're transporting has woken up, they're heading straight for a sun and the ships computer, 'Mother', has gone mad...but that's quite good compared to what happens next...

The photo's below are from the live action on stage. If you want to discover more, click on the link below to enter an interactive web site created by the multi media students and join the rescue team as they enter the crashed cargo vessel 'Sea Of Tranquillity'.Try to piece together some of the fragments of their adventure and go behind the scenes of the film.

Virus link.

 

"The Experiment" Regent Centre Christchurch 2006

'The Experiment' by Peter Courtenay was our first full length production written especially for the company. It was designed for a cast of forty five.

Set in 1899, it follows the story of a young English Governess, Miss Susan Thompson, who is employed by the Countess Trnkova to instruct her five daughters. When she arrives in the mountains of eastern Europe, she is plunged into a bizzarre nightmare, full of out of controle children and half human staff. Trapped for the winter she fights for her sanity and survival in a world gone mad.

'The Experiment' was a multi media productuion using projected images, stock footage and filmed sequences, shot on location, using cast members.

The project was supported by Bournemouth Borough Council's Arts, Information, Culture and Community Learning.

 

"Daisy Pulls It Off" Regent Centre Christchurch May 2005

"The BFG" Regent Centre Christchurch May 2004

"Olivers Army" Forest Arts June 2003