Press Release: Milked

PRESS RELEASE

Pentabus and the Royal Court Theatre are joining forces to bring Pentabus Theatre’s latest touring production to a wider audience. Simply filmed from a static camera, the world premiere of Milked by Simon Longman will be live streamed on the Royal Court Theatre’s website, from a live performance at the Market Theatre in Ledbury, Herefordshire.
Audiences will be able to watch the show on Friday 15th November at 8pm via www.livestream.com/royalcourtlive

Paul can’t find a job. Snowy can’t find himself. Milked is a black comedy about friendship, unemployment – and a cow called Sandy. This sharp new play is written by emerging playwright Simon Longman.Simon has come through the Pentabus Studio – the company’s new initiative to develop and support playwrights from rural areas. He has since completed the Royal Court’s Young Writers Programme and last week was announced as a recipient of a bursary from the Channel 4 Playwright’s Scheme.

“Simon’s writing is witty and humane, honest and playful. Milked is a cracking new play about what it’s really like being a young adult in the countryside today. He’s a writer on the up, and we’re so pleased to be working with our friends at the Royal Court to enable a wider audience to see Simon’s work.”
Elizabeth Freestone, Artistic Director of Pentabus Theatre

“I’m really pleased that we are able to support Simon’s play in this way, bringing Pentabus’ brilliant work to many more people across the UK and around the world. Live streaming a performance was an experiment for us when we tried it this summer over our Open Court festival, but proved to be a wonderful way of opening up our work to new audiences who may not visit us in person.”
Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre

Milked is a co-production between Pentabus Theatre and The Courtyard Arts Centre Hereford. The production opens on Tuesday 12th November at Ludlow College and then tours to: Wem Town Hall (Wed 13th Nov), The Courtyard (Thu 14th Nov), Ledbury Market Theatre (Fri 15th Nov) and The Edge at Much Wenlock (Sat 16th Nov.)
There is a free question and answer session with the cast and writer after each of the performances on the tour. For more information visit www.pentabus.co.uk.

N.B. The production is suitable for ages 14+ and contains some strong language.

ENDS

For further information or to arrange follow up interviews please contact Pentabus on 01584856564
Notes to editors:

Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is Britain’s leading national company dedicated to new work by innovative writers from the UK and around the world. The theatre’s pivotal role in promoting new voices is undisputed – the New York Times described it as ‘the most important theatre in Europe’.
The Royal Court receives and considers an extraordinary quantity of new work and, each year, presents an ambitious programme in its two venues at Sloane Square in London. In recent years, the Royal Court has also staged productions in New York, Sydney, Brussels, Toronto and Dublin.
In addition to its high profile productions, the Royal Court facilitates international work at a grass roots level, developing exchanges which bring young writers to Britain and sending British writers, actors and directors to work with artists around the world. The Royal Court Young Writers Programme also works to develop new voices with a biennial Festival and year-round development work for writers under 26.
The Royal Court’s success has inspired confidence in theatres across the world and, whereas new plays were once viewed as a risk, they are now at the heart of a revival of interest among artists and audiences alike.
Simon Longman
Simon Longman grew up in Ledbury in Herefordshire. He studied Drama and Theatre Studies at Manchester before moving to London. He has had work performed at the Arcola Theatre and the Lost Theatre and has just completed the Royal Court Young Writers Programme.
His writing for theatre includes WHY I DON’T LIKE THE SEA Lost Theatre, Stockwell and Arcola Theatre and POPCORN also at The Arcola.

Pentabus Theatre

Pentabus is a contemporary theatre company producing new plays about the rural world.
Based on a farm in Shropshire, Pentabus makes theatre that digs deep into the psyche of the contemporary English countryside. Shows are playful, provocative and compassionate, offering rural audiences theatre made especially for, and that speaks directly to, them. The company tours village halls, arts centres and regional theatres all over the country. Recent productions include: Blue Sky by Clare Bayley about the role isolated rural airports play in the war on terror; For Once by Tim Price, about teenage car crashes in the countryside; In This Place by Lydia Adetunji about women working in the landscape and Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan, a co-production with Paines Plough about loneliness and community.

2014 is the company’s 40th birthday.