The BFG is The Dukes Christmas cracker (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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The BFG is The Dukes Christmas cracker
2:30pm Saturday 10th December 2011 in Stage
A TEAM largely from Kendal is helping a theatre mark its 40th Christmas this year.
The Dukes in Lancaster is celebrating 40 years of entertaining families by presenting The BFG this Christmas.
And leading the team bringing The BFG to the stage until January 7 is Dukes director Joe Sumsion, who was born and brought up in Kendal.
Joe saw his first ever play at The Dukes during Christmas 1973 – a production of Beauty and the Beast in which Dame Harriet Walter appeared.
Joe said: “Directing The Dukes Christmas show is an incredible honour and this one will be a great challenge, especially as we play with scale and perspective. Roald Dahl is a brilliant writer and for me, this is one of his best stories. It’s a much loved tale and we’ll tackle it with a light touch and lots of energy.”
Joe caught the theatre bug while growing up in Kendal. He joined The Brewery Youth Theatre in 1981, aged 13, and went on to be stage manager at the former Pocket Theatre in the town.
This theatre also played an important part in the career of actor Robert Pickavance who is stepping into the massive role of The BFG.
Robert was an academic until, aged 26, he decided to persue work in the theatre.
“I came into acting almost by accident,” Robert explained. “I was an administrator first, as manager of the Pocket Theatre, but as soon as I stood on the stage, I knew that acting was what I wanted to do.”
Other Kendallians involved with creating the production are associate director Louie Ingham and Mark Melville who has composed the music. Production manager, John Newman Holden is a former Brewery Youth Theatre member and also was stage manager at the Pocket Theatre.
The BFG is a heartwarming tale of friendship and bravery with a cast of new and familiar actors to the Lancaster theatre performing alongside amazing puppetry. Masses of fun and plenty of surprises are promised along the way.
Box office 01524-598500.
