His Dark Materials

 

 

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The company's Summer 2007 production is 'His Dark Materials (Parts 1 & 2)' by Philip Pullman.

Having completed a critically acclaimed 2-week run in July at The Mission Theatre, Bath, Next Stage is shortly to tour the play to The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall.

The production runs from 20 - 24 August 2007 and comprises five evening shows and two matinees. Each part is a self-contained, standalone play but the complete story unfolds over two parts.

Dates and times for each part are as follows:

Date

Matinee (2pm)

Evening (8pm)

Mon 20 Aug

-

Part 1

Tue 21 Aug

-

Part 2

Wed 22 Aug

Part 1

Part 2

Thu 23 Aug

-

Part 1

Fri 24 Aug

Part 1

Part 2

For all ticketing information, call the Minack Box Office on 01736 810181 / 810471 or visit The Minack Theatre web site.

His Dark Materials Articles

Click on the links below to read the various articles published about the upcoming production:

Bath Chronicle, Minack performance preview - 16.08.07

Bath Chronicle, HDM part 2 - 12.07.07

Venue review, HDM part 1 - 11.07.07

Bath Chronicle preview, HDM part 2 - 06.07.07

Bath Chronicle first night review, HDM part 1  - 05.07.07

Bath Chronicle preview - 29.06.07

Venue preview - 29.06.07

Daemons article

Chronicle article - 08.06.07

BBC article

The Play

Based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy, His Dark Materials, this brilliant adaptation by Nicholas Wright is a play in two parts. It is essentially a love story in which the leading characters, Lyra and Will, meet as young teenagers from different worlds. Lyra, the daughter of Lord Asriel, is on a journey beyond her wildest imaginings. Will, from our world, is seeking his lost father. Driven on by unseen powers, the two young people join forces against the malevolent inhabitants they encounter - soul-eating spectres, child-catching gobblers, a manipulative mother, a megalomaniac father and a corrupt church. This is an epic journey for actors and audiences alike.

Primarily a battle between good and evil, His Dark Materials is peopled by memorable characters and scenes drawn from both the human and fantasy worlds – from the armoured bears of Svallbard to the witches of The Northern Lands, from the horrors of the Cliff-ghasts to the Harpies in The Land of the Dead, from the Oxford of Lyra’s world to the brilliance of the Aurora - Pullman weaves them all together with a magical touch.

This is Next Stage Theatre Company’s most ambitious production yet. His Dark Materials has a cast of 26, stunning costumes and masks, an original musical score, and special effects and lighting designed for the fast-moving and complex plot. Do not miss it!

Cast Rehearsal Pictures
Click on the thumbnails for a larger image

The Cast

Liz Hodges

Lyra

Luke Smith

Will

Brian Howe

Thorold

Tom Ash-Miles

Roger/Balthamos

Luke Hardy

Master/Jopari

Richard Matthews

Kaisa/Brother Jasper

Alan Cassé

Golden Monkey

John Matthews

John Faa/President

Nicky Wilkins

Iorek Byrnison

Tim Evans

Lord Asriel

Caroline Groom

Mrs Coulter

Dave Dunn

Lord Boreal

Lesley Langley

Nurse Cade/
Grendella/No-Name Harpy

Bridget Cassé
Dr West/Hannah Jones/Harpy 3

Joanna Bowman

Ruta Skadi/Salmakia

Kay Francksen

Serafina Pekkala

Rachel Howe

Grimhild/Kirjava/
Stelmaria (Part 1)

Georgina Bassil
Perpetua/Hester

Anna-Fleur Rawlinson Salcilia/
Stelmaria (Part 2)
  Lydia Cook
Daisy/Ghost Child
Maddy McGlynn Lily/Angelica Sam McGlynn
Billy Costa/Paolo
Adrian Jean
Iofur Raknison/Tony/
Baruch
Kevin Williams
Lee Scoresby
   
  Beccy Sharp
Jessie/Ghost Child
Christopher Sparkes
Pantalaimon
 

The Director

Ann Garner

Director

 

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