We are coming to Serpentine Green!

Eastern Angles will be staging their next Peterborough community play, River Lane in an unusual 'found space'.

The ambitious theatre production, River Lane, has been in rehearsal since January and will open to audiences on May 8th. It will be performed in a hidden, empty space in the basement area of Serpentine Green Shopping Centre which will be transformed into an unrecognisable, full-functioning theatre auditorium.

The play, written by Peterborough-born Tony Ramsay, charts the lives of three teenagers from 1968 to present day. Described as a 'love letter to Peterborough' the story is inspired by the writer's love of 1960s soul music, the medieval history of Peterborough's ancient city and carp fishing in the River Nene!

Naomi Jones, who directed Eastern Angles' successful and atmospheric production Dark Earth at Flag Fen last September, will also be directing River Lane. The show will involve over 70 local community participants aged from 10 - 76. These particpants will be involved in all aspects of the production from acting and singing to prop-making and costume-making to marketing and leafleting! 

'Pop-up' theatre projects are common in London and other big cities, and Eastern Angles are experienced in staging this kind of show. Elsewhere in East Anglia the company have perfomed in empty warehouses, aircraft hangars, barns and fire stations.

After a challenging search for somewhere to perform the play, Eastern Angles have found a perfect temporary theatre venue - Unit 23 on the lower floor of the rotunda at the southern end of Serpentine Green Shopping Centre in Hampton.

Ivan Cutting, Eastern Angles' founder and Artistic Director:

"River Lane is one of scariest theatre productions we have ever worked on. That's been down to our relentless search for a venue. As with all 'found space' projects, owners will only loan their property at the very last minute. But with this project the 'last minute factor' has been a lot tighter that we'd hoped! The property market in Peterborough has picked up massively over the last few years, which is great. But it has meant that theelusive empty, pop-up theatre space has been really difficult to find. But after a frenetic search involving a huge amount of support from our friends and colleagues in Peterborough, numerous site visits and plenty of frustrating 'dead ends', at last we've managed to secure a really exciting and unusual performance space. The empty shop units in the lower floor rotunda area of Serpentine Green are a real find - and we can't thank O&H Hampton and the shopping centre enough for having the vision and imagination to invite us to stage this community play on their home turf."

River Lane has support from Peterborough's local business community - it is sponsored by Greenwoods Solicitors, Longhurst Group, Peterborough City College, Ensors Accountants, O&H Hampton and Serpentine Green Shopping Centre.

The production is also supported by Arts Council England.

Dates: May 8th - 18th

Tickets: 01473 211498 or online at: www.easternangles.co.uk

Press Contact: Karen Goddard, Eastern Angles, 01473 218202/07789 933558 karen@easternangles.co.uk

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