500 tickets now sold
We have sold our 500th ticket for Earnest - Come and join us for the best show on the fringe - Book your treats and eats phone 01273 917272
The Reviews are in: "Superb" **** "A sheer delight"
The first reviews are in - here's what Kitty Wordsworth from Broadwaybaby says "this is a fast-paced and sparkling stab at a classic that’s well worth seeing."
Read the full review here.
And Barrie Jerram from The Argus says "Something Witty Return to The Grand Hotel to kick of this years Brighton Fringe with their exuberant and thoroughly entertaining take on Wildes classic comedy."
Read the full review here
Read the full review here.
And Barrie Jerram from The Argus says "Something Witty Return to The Grand Hotel to kick of this years Brighton Fringe with their exuberant and thoroughly entertaining take on Wildes classic comedy."
Read the full review here
Sell out Saturdays
The last two Saturday performances of Earnest have sold out - so book now to avoid disappointment and the show got a standing ovation to boot!
Certainly one of the best Directors I've worked with
David Burton, who plays Reverend Chausble, Lane and Merriman on The Importance of Being Earnest Director Ross Drury
"Certainly one of the best directors I've worked with ever! I know I kind of take the mickey a little about him making us play games in rehearsals...that's 'cos I'm useless at ball games, etc. But creatively, intellectually, encouragingly, brilliant. Love working with him."
David has enjoyed a long professional career in theatre, film and television now spanning more than 40 years. David became a familiar face on television during the 60’s and 70’s, first as Douglas in three series of Just William with Dennis Waterman and then also starred as Reg in one of the first BBC soaps, The Newcomers, in which he appeared every week for more than a year.
"Certainly one of the best directors I've worked with ever! I know I kind of take the mickey a little about him making us play games in rehearsals...that's 'cos I'm useless at ball games, etc. But creatively, intellectually, encouragingly, brilliant. Love working with him."
David has enjoyed a long professional career in theatre, film and television now spanning more than 40 years. David became a familiar face on television during the 60’s and 70’s, first as Douglas in three series of Just William with Dennis Waterman and then also starred as Reg in one of the first BBC soaps, The Newcomers, in which he appeared every week for more than a year.
A really Wilde Offer!
Importance of Being Earnest tickets, £10 off every Monday and Friday. Dust down your finery and enjoy a winning Oscar performance with afternoon tea at The Grand included in the price. Shows at 1.45pm and 4.30pm. It's what skipping work was made for! Discount Code: HANDBAG
Call the box office on 01273 917272 or book online at the Brighton Fringe Website
Call the box office on 01273 917272 or book online at the Brighton Fringe Website
Importance at the Fringe promises a Grand Time for all
Something Witty has announced the cast for the return of its smash hit comedy The Importance of Being Earnest at The Grand – with some stellar surprises.
This time, Brighton has a leading man as its Lady Bracknell in RADA trained Hayward Morse, who starred in the original cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and received a Tony nomination for his performance in Butley on Broadway.
Brighton also welcomes a new Worthing in actor Samuel John who, fresh from a national tour of Macbeth, takes on the role of Jack Worthing.
Rising comedian and ‘faultless’ in her performance in Spun Glass’s Hang Up, Laura Lexx play’s Cecily, who is set to charm Luke Nicholson’s Algernon.
The show sees David Burton, a veteran of 28 professional panto seasons, kept busy as he puts his own hilarious spin on the roles of the Reverend Chasuble, Lane and Merriman.
The full cast also stars Peta Taylor as the haughty governess Miss Prism and Rebecca Pownell as the beautiful Gwendolen.
This time, Brighton has a leading man as its Lady Bracknell in RADA trained Hayward Morse, who starred in the original cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and received a Tony nomination for his performance in Butley on Broadway.
Brighton also welcomes a new Worthing in actor Samuel John who, fresh from a national tour of Macbeth, takes on the role of Jack Worthing.
Rising comedian and ‘faultless’ in her performance in Spun Glass’s Hang Up, Laura Lexx play’s Cecily, who is set to charm Luke Nicholson’s Algernon.
The show sees David Burton, a veteran of 28 professional panto seasons, kept busy as he puts his own hilarious spin on the roles of the Reverend Chasuble, Lane and Merriman.
The full cast also stars Peta Taylor as the haughty governess Miss Prism and Rebecca Pownell as the beautiful Gwendolen.
Get ready to go Wilde at The Grand again
The first press release for the show is dropping into inboxes as I type - If you are interested in knowing more about the show for your newspaper, magazine, TV or Radio show please click here to see the full release.
Getting excited about the Fringe Launch
The team here at Something Witty are starting to get very excited about the Fringe Launch next Tuesday (Feb 27th). With casting call's written, the first press release about to fly off the shelf we are a buzz of anticipation for our 4th year on the Brighton Fringe. If you're going to be at the Launch come pay hello to our producer Heather and Director Ross.
The Importance of Being Earnest is back for 2013!
 Kate Dyson as Lady B in 2010
We are delighted to announce that for our 2013 Brighton Fringe production we will be returning to the newly renovated Grand Hotel with our sell-our, Argus Angel winning production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
With a new creative team and the best actors in town this production is set to be a highlight of the fringe - so book your tickets quick for afternoon tea and comedy in May! |
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Whatsonstage.com - "A, quite simply, stunning production" 4*
When it comes to finding a suitable venue in which to put on this play, Something Witty Productions made an inspired choice in the Albert Room of the Grand Hotel. It’s high ceiling and amazing chandelier lighting, together with the violins playing background music, takes the audience back to the atmosphere of the 30s as soon as they enter. The strawberry or lime cocktails, which are offered on arrival, manage to take the experience up another notch and it is great to see that so many people have dressed up to suit the decade as well. Read the full review here.
The Independent - Private Lives is the "most decadent" site specific show on the Fringe
The performance plays out along the full length of the ballroom, with the audience ranged on either side as if watching a prize fight. Which in a way, it is. Heather Rayment, a vivacious, statuesque Amanda, stands out among the clipped, duelling couples. This is standard Coward but the setting and some lovely live music combine to create an enjoyably elegant atmosphere. Read the full review here.
Fringe Review - "Something Witty have delivered up another Gem"
4* Highly Recommended show
Our first review is in, here's a taster:
Noel Coward's comedy is perfect for the Grand Hotel Albert Room. We are offered cocktails as we enter the carpeted room, and a string duet accompanies our entry. They really have set this up for a collective audience dive into a Noel Coward classic. Coward wrote one of his most loved songs, "Some Day I'll Find You", for the play and it becomes a signature theme tune throughout this version, a home harbour for the action.
The entire cast inhabit their characters skilfully throughout and they are more than able to raise their projection and modulation in such a large, potentially uneven space. We all get our fair slice of the action, and the variation in proximity based on our seated position becomes a virtue as we begin to see story and characters from different distances and perspectives. This is all the more so in this space than in a traditional theatre, even in the round, and it works a treat as immersive theatre, especially with so many of the audience dressed up to the nines. The evocative decor enhances what a traditional even in the round theatre space provides. The venue choice is a big contributor to the success of the production. Read the review in full here.
Plays International review - Outstanding 4*
The first day of the Brighton Festival Fringe threw up an outstanding site-specific production of Noël Coward’s Private Lives at the Grand Hotel by the company Something Witty. Honeymooning, one of the characters observes, is an over-rated amusement as is the vogue for shoehorning plays into specific locations in search of instant mystique or credibility. But when Amanda, played by Heather Rayment, complains about the limited repertoire of the orchestra at her on-stage hotel in Deauville she immediately produces a knowing laugh from an audience who can still hear the Grand’s own musicians grinding through their limited stock of tea dance numbers. From this point onwards the location becomes an integral part of the production.
The Grand is a seafront hotel with balconies and I had arrived vainly nursing the hope that the celebrated opening scene would indeed be played out on a balcony though potential problems with blocking always made this approach unlikely. But opting for an extreme traverse configuration, director Ross Drury integrated every element of a banqueting hall into the action, notably in the Paris flat scene where the spats between Amanda and Elyot (Daniel Lane) seem all the more vicious since the pair are throwing verbal hand grenades at each other from a distance as if they fear violence.
The other honeymooners are Jason Blackwater as Victor and Rebecca Cooper as Sybil. Blackwater, a graduate from the East 15 acting school, could not be better suited to the tweedy heartiness of his character but is able to go up the emotional gears when required. Nobody is foolish enough to ape Coward’s own diction but the delivery remains as brittle as the porcelain in Amanda’s apartment. The physical comedy is deft and sustained throughout, even to the point of a genuine shellac 78 rpm disc being broken over Elyot’s head.
The afternoon flies by, possibly because the creative team shows the good sense to trim what is usually lame and protracted comic business from a French maid. Drury’s direction underlines the beautiful symmetry of the first act and his approach abounds in wonderful touches such as having a couple of real violinists on stage. Strange how potent cheap music is especially if it is being performed right in front of you.
The Grand is a seafront hotel with balconies and I had arrived vainly nursing the hope that the celebrated opening scene would indeed be played out on a balcony though potential problems with blocking always made this approach unlikely. But opting for an extreme traverse configuration, director Ross Drury integrated every element of a banqueting hall into the action, notably in the Paris flat scene where the spats between Amanda and Elyot (Daniel Lane) seem all the more vicious since the pair are throwing verbal hand grenades at each other from a distance as if they fear violence.
The other honeymooners are Jason Blackwater as Victor and Rebecca Cooper as Sybil. Blackwater, a graduate from the East 15 acting school, could not be better suited to the tweedy heartiness of his character but is able to go up the emotional gears when required. Nobody is foolish enough to ape Coward’s own diction but the delivery remains as brittle as the porcelain in Amanda’s apartment. The physical comedy is deft and sustained throughout, even to the point of a genuine shellac 78 rpm disc being broken over Elyot’s head.
The afternoon flies by, possibly because the creative team shows the good sense to trim what is usually lame and protracted comic business from a French maid. Drury’s direction underlines the beautiful symmetry of the first act and his approach abounds in wonderful touches such as having a couple of real violinists on stage. Strange how potent cheap music is especially if it is being performed right in front of you.
The Argus
The Albert Room of the Grand Hotel provides the setting for Something Witty's production of Noel Cowards comedy of manners, reflecting the fashion and style of the 1930's.
There are strong performances from Rebecca Cooper and Jason Blackwater as the new spouses, but the star performance comes from Heather Rayment as Amanda. The spirit of the age is truly captured as she brings this madcap creating to life - all the vivaciousness is there, as well as a devil may care attitude to life. A long staying memory will be her galloping leap, with dress hitched up, from one balcony to another. The production offers much to enjoy and savour.
Barrie Jerram - Read the full review here
There are strong performances from Rebecca Cooper and Jason Blackwater as the new spouses, but the star performance comes from Heather Rayment as Amanda. The spirit of the age is truly captured as she brings this madcap creating to life - all the vivaciousness is there, as well as a devil may care attitude to life. A long staying memory will be her galloping leap, with dress hitched up, from one balcony to another. The production offers much to enjoy and savour.
Barrie Jerram - Read the full review here
Private Lives at The Grand Hotel - So good it might be sold out already
When a production works as successfully as this it is difficult to separate out the parts to establish what the foundation of its success is. The drama took place in the middle of a large elongated room at The Grand Hotel with the audience seated around three sides. If the acting had been unconvincing, the actors would have had nowhere to hide as the audience were seated so close to the action. Equally when the characters are credible this type of staging makes the overall affect more powerful, as in this case. Read the full review here.
Private Lives on Latest TV
Whats On Stage - Brief encounter with Ross Drury
Brief encounter with Private Lives Director, Ross Drury:
Why did you choose to revive a Coward play?
The foremost reason to revive Private Lives is that, despite over 80 years passing since its first performance, it remains wickedly witty, sharply observed, and laugh-out-loud funny. It is a masterful comedy that is as relevant today as it was revolutionary in 1930. What we often forget is that Noel Coward was the tearaway rebel, playwright of his time. Click here to read the full interview.
Why did you choose to revive a Coward play?
The foremost reason to revive Private Lives is that, despite over 80 years passing since its first performance, it remains wickedly witty, sharply observed, and laugh-out-loud funny. It is a masterful comedy that is as relevant today as it was revolutionary in 1930. What we often forget is that Noel Coward was the tearaway rebel, playwright of his time. Click here to read the full interview.
The Independent - Private Lives is Highlight of Fringe
The Independent newspaper had pulled Private Lives out of this years programme and declared "Highlights of this year's theatre programme include Something Witty's interactive production of Noël Coward's Private Lives at the famous Grand Hotel on the seafront" - don't take our word for it - Take theirs!
First weekend - sold out
All tickets for the 5th and 6th of May are sold out - so get your tickets quick! for all other dates.
Photo shoot at The Grand - April 20th 2012
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Everybody's talking about Private Lives
Tickets are flying out the door at a rate of knots and we have been overwhelmed by the number of publications who have picked the show out as a highlight of this year's Fringe - some of them as below - so don't just take our word for it - take theirs!
Private Lives - Highlight of Brighton Fringe in Whatsonstage
There’s a mixture of polished jewels and rough diamonds scattered throughout the Brighton Fringe this year. The events listed in the 60-page brochure and on the festival’s website are divided into eight sections. Each of these has some fantastic and indeed challenging highlights.
In addition to venue-led work, there are a host of site-specific activities including a production of Coward's Private Lives at the Grand Hotel, the Racecourse Project in which New Writing South, Natural Shocks, Hydrocracker and ten writers take audiences on a promenade journey through turnstile, tipster and tote at Brighton Racecourse and Tube Light Theatre Company’s Single Cell, a dark tale which takes place in the Old Police Cell Museum. By Paul Lucas-Scott
In addition to venue-led work, there are a host of site-specific activities including a production of Coward's Private Lives at the Grand Hotel, the Racecourse Project in which New Writing South, Natural Shocks, Hydrocracker and ten writers take audiences on a promenade journey through turnstile, tipster and tote at Brighton Racecourse and Tube Light Theatre Company’s Single Cell, a dark tale which takes place in the Old Police Cell Museum. By Paul Lucas-Scott
Private Lives in the Argus guide
The Brighton Fringe cabaret programme this year features award-winning Bourgeois and Maurice, the legendary Lynn Ruth Miller and Radio 1’s King of Cabaret Des O’Connor.
There will also be a production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives at The Grand hotel and Tube Light Theatre Company’s Single Cell, a dark tale which takes place in the Old Police Cell Museum.
There will also be a production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives at The Grand hotel and Tube Light Theatre Company’s Single Cell, a dark tale which takes place in the Old Police Cell Museum.
Private Lives in Exeunt Magazine
Festival-goers will also be able to enjoy a host of site-specific productions, from Noel Coward’s Private Lives at The Grand Hotel to collaborative effort The Racecourse Project, which will take audiences on a promenade tour through “turnstile, tipster and tote.”
Private Lives - in Fringe Report
In May, one of Britain’s favourite seaside cities hosts a huge variety of cultural events, from theatre to visual art, from dance to comedy, and from music to film. Brighton Fringe 2012 runs 5 May – 27 May, with headline sponsors Citroen involved for a second year.
More of everything seems to be the message: more international involvement, more venues, more industry events. Site specific events include a production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives at the Grand Hotel, and The Racecourse Project.
More of everything seems to be the message: more international involvement, more venues, more industry events. Site specific events include a production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives at the Grand Hotel, and The Racecourse Project.
Private Lives - In Fringe Review Top Picks
Private Lives has once again been picked out as a highlight of this year's Brighton Fringe Festival - Fringe Review, who will be reviewing the show and have seen us in action before picked us out as one of their top 30 picks - Thank you Fringe Review!
Tickets on sale now!
1st March 2012:
Tickets are now on sale for Brighton Fringe 2012!
Browse full listings and buy tickets at brightonfringe.org
or call 01273 91 72 72 to buy tickets over the phone.
Telephone sales opening hours: 10am - 6pm weekdays
Tickets are now on sale for Brighton Fringe 2012!
Browse full listings and buy tickets at brightonfringe.org
or call 01273 91 72 72 to buy tickets over the phone.
Telephone sales opening hours: 10am - 6pm weekdays
The Stage - Private Lives is a Highlight of the 2012 fringe programme
28th Feb 2012:
Private Lives is already causing a buzz. The national theatre newspaper The Stage has declared the show to be one of the highlights of this year’s Brighton Fringe - so get your tickets quick before they all sell out:
Alistair Smith reporting in The Stage: "This year’s Brighton Fringe will feature more than 675 events at nearly 200 venues, with an increased international element. Highlights of the programme include a site-specific production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives staged at the Grand Hotel, as well as Dip Your Toe, the Brighton Fringe’s response to the Cultural Olympiad’s Boat Project."
To read the full article click here
Private Lives is already causing a buzz. The national theatre newspaper The Stage has declared the show to be one of the highlights of this year’s Brighton Fringe - so get your tickets quick before they all sell out:
Alistair Smith reporting in The Stage: "This year’s Brighton Fringe will feature more than 675 events at nearly 200 venues, with an increased international element. Highlights of the programme include a site-specific production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives staged at the Grand Hotel, as well as Dip Your Toe, the Brighton Fringe’s response to the Cultural Olympiad’s Boat Project."
To read the full article click here
Tickets on Sale to Friends of the Fringe
10th Feb 2012:
Tickets for Private Lives at the Grand go on sale 10am, 21 February to Friends of Brighton Fringe only, and 10am, 1 March to the general public.
Tickets for Private Lives at the Grand go on sale 10am, 21 February to Friends of Brighton Fringe only, and 10am, 1 March to the general public.
