The laughs come thick and fast as we follow their antics in the dressing-room each night as they stumble their way through a disastrous but hysterical week, culminating in a finale to remember!

This is arguably the funniest Vickery comedy of his career!  Be prepared to laugh till you burst! (Contains Mild Language)

Grannie Annie Tour Dates

Synopsis

After 32 years of marriage, Beryl is shattered by some devastating news from her husband, Ted. Her world falls apart and she is distraught, but gradually she works back from the edge of despair helped by her exuberant daughter Angie and down-to-earth neighbour, Dawn. She decides it’s time to live life to the full – with some help from a very unexpected source.

What will people say? Does Beryl care anyway?

Biting the bullet cast

Beryl - Pamela Merrick  |  Ted - Adrian Metcalfe  |  Angie - Melanie Barker  |  Scott - Liam James  |  Dawn - Marilyn Hodge

Biting the bullet tour dates and venues

The Muni Pontypridd

Tues 27 Sep – Sat 1 Oct7.30pm
Matinee Wednesday at 1.00pm.
Tel: 08000 147 111
www.rct-arts.co.uk

The Coliseum Aberdare

Tues 11– Thur 13 October 7.30pm Matinee on Wednesday at 1.00pm.
Tel: 08000 147 111
www.rct-arts.co.uk

The Park & Dare Treorchy

Fri 14 – Sat 15 Oct 7.30pm
Matinee Saturday at 1.00pm.
Tel: 08000 147 111
www.rct-arts.co.uk

Swansea Grand Theatre

Tue 25 – Sat 29 Oct
Tues – Fri 7.30pm
Sat 5.00pm & 8.00pm
Tel: 01792 475715
 www.swanseagrand.co.uk 

Blackwood Miners’ Institute

Mon 7 – Wed 9 Nov 7.30pm
Tel: 01495 227206
www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com

The Congress Cwmbran

Thur 10  - Sat 12 Nov  7.30pm
Tel: 01633 868239
www.congresstheatrecwmbran.co.uk

What better way for Dougie and Lorna to celebrate 25 years of wedded (sort-of) bliss than to return to the Majorcan hotel where they honeymooned as excited newlyweds?
But it’s more heartbreak hotel than happy holidays for the couple, who find the rain in Spain isn’t the only thing to put a dampener on things. Dougie had been hoping to put the spark back in their flagging relationship but wasn’t expecting the fireworks that the holiday brings!

The hotel is still managed by the same couple, Regietta and her husband Miguel, the local Casanova whom Lorna fell for all those years before, and now Lorna is suddenly faced with the mundane reality of her life and has some tough decisions to make.

Click here to view the programme of Spanish Lies

Cast

Woman Lorna: Lorraine John
Girl Lorna: Zoe Davies
Man Miguel: Richard Tunley
Boy Miguel: Gareth Milton
Woman Regietta :Julie Barclay
Girl Regietta :Bethan Mai
Dougie: Lee Gilbert

Directed by: Frank Vickery

Don’t forget to book your tickets for Frank’s autumn tour of Biting the Bullet!

Tuesday 15 –  Saturday 19 May
Matinee – Saturday at 5.00pm
www.swanseagrand.co.uk
01792 475715

The Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare

Tuesday 22 –  Saturday 26  May at 7.30pm
Matinee – Thursday  at 1.00pm.
www.rct-arts.co.uk
08000 147 111

The Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd

Tuesday 5 –  Saturday 9 June at 7.30pm
Matinee – Wednesday  at 1.00pm.
www.rct-arts.co.uk
08000 147 111

Blackwood Miners’ Institute

Monday 11 –  Wednesday 13 June at 7.30pm
www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com
01495 227206

The Congress Theatre, Cwmbran

Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 June at 7.30pm
www.congresstheatrecwmbran.co.uk
01633 868239

The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy

Monday 18 – Wednesday 20 June at 7.30pm
Matinee Wednesday 1:00pm
www.rct-arts.co.uk
08000 147 111

The Grand Pavilion Portcawl

Thursday 21 – Saturday 23 June at 7.30pm
www.grandpavilion.co.uk
01656 815995

Frank is very excited to announce that the Arts Council of Wales are supporting the autumn 2010 tour of his brand new play – Barkin’. 

It’s new. It’s funny. It’s poignant.
This autumn, Barkin’ will be presented by Grassroots Productions and Rhondda Cynon Taf Theatres. It is a brand new black comedy written by and starring Frank Vickery, and directed by Phil Clark.

This tightly woven drama is a rich cocktail of pathos and humour, dark secrets and unrealised dreams.

Stevie has lived all her life with her domineering mother and feels trapped by the responsibility of caring for her, while her seemingly carefree brother is living life to the full. Now, has the day finally arrived when Stevie can, at last, experience the freedom she has yearned for?   Or will she discover that things are not quite what they appear to be?

Barkin’, Frank’s first new play in over three years is an incisive, engaging, and darkly comic drama.  Using his usual humour and realism, this black comedy explores issues that many of us can certainly identify with.

May contain strong language (suggested age from 14+)

Find out much more about barkin’ and how Frank writes his plays – have a look at the interview with Frank

Barkin’  Photos

Director – Phil Clark

Phil Clark was born and educated in Brecon, South Wales before training at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama where he studied for a Diploma in Theatre Arts and a teaching qualification.   He followed this by undertaking professional training at Durham University with an Advanced Diploma in Drama and Language Development. He has recently completed a Phd at the University of Glamorgan, Wales.
His professional career began as a founder member of Theatre Powys before becoming a founder member of Bruvvers Theatre Company based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Whilst there, he directed and devised over 30 new plays, originated and toured a one man show, and took traditional, experimental and new plays on nine European tours.

The position of Artistic Director at the Crucible Theatre in Education and Community Theatre followed, where he commissioned and directed 11 new plays on the main stage and in the studio and on tour; won the 1988 British Theatre Association Drama Review Award; established Sheffield’s first International Children’s Theatre Festival; set up and organised an International Exchange with actors from the Crucible and Moscow’s Central Young People’s Theatre; wrote the play Home Movies which was filmed and networked by Yorkshire Television Play for Today;  initiated the 4th year B.Ed TIE course for Sheffield City Polytechnic; and directed the award-winning Plague of Innocence  and wrote Serfdom Right?, both of which were chosen for the Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton Canadian Children’s Festival of Young People’s Theatre 1990.

Phil was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Sherman Theatre Cardiff in 1990.   The Sherman is the premier producing theatre in Cardiff.   The resident professional theatre company, the Sherman Theatre Company, was directed by Phil and toured throughout Wales, Britain and internationally to large, middle and studio theatres.   He prioritised new writing and commissioned some 104 new plays for the company.   Alongside the professional performance work, the Sherman had an active youth community education and participatory policy prioritising work with emerging artists.   Alongside the Young People’s Theatre Policy the Sherman remains the only producing professional theatre in the capital city. Phil directed over 45 productions for the Sherman Theatre Company on stage, television and radio. In 1993 he was nominated for the BBC Artist of the Year.
Phil has directed productions for Newcastle upon Tyne Playhouse, Theatre Centre London, Brewhouse Theatre Taunton, Grand Theatre Swansea, Off The Kerb Productions, Palace Theatre Redditch, Theatr Powys, Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield, Mappa Mundi Theatre Co, Colin MacIntre Productions, Watershed Productions, The Anvil Sheffield, Birmingham Stage Company, Swan Theatre Worcester and Hampstead Theatre London.
He teaches regularly at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Actors Centre London, Tishe School of Performing Arts New York, the National Association of Youth Theatres Summer Festival and is a regular broadcaster on BBC Wales.

Frank Vickery

Frank Vickery was born in 1951 in the Rhondda Valley, where he still lives and works as a playwright. He started writing whilst still in school and had his first major success at the age of twenty one when his first comedy ‘After I’m Gone’ won the Howard De Waldon Trophy for the best one act play in Great Britain.

He quickly followed this with another short play called ’See you Tomorrow’, which won him the best playwright award from the Drama Association of Wales. Since then, he has written extensively for the theatre, radio and television, steadily building a reputation as a pioneering Welsh playwright and a leading name on the Welsh touring circuit since the early 1990’s.
For many years Frank had a successful association with Park and Dare Theatre Company, which fuelled his ambition to create his own production company Grassroots. Prior to this, he had an eight-year association with the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff.

He is the author of thirty plays to date (most of which are published by Samuel French Limited) including the hugely successful Welsh musical ‘Amazing Grace’ and the critically acclaimed comedy ‘Tonto Evans’.
In recent years Frank has concentrated on performing, as well as writing and he enjoyed a highly successful season at Ludlow in William Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ as Sir Andrew and Philario in ‘Cymberline’ both directed by Michael Bogdanov, as well as appearing numerous times in pantomime at the Swansea Grand Theatre.

He has also been the subject of a major documentary by BBC Television called ‘On Show: Kiss and Tell’.
Following on from that, in 2007, his hilarious comedy ‘Granny Annie’ successfully completed a major theatrical tour to many sell out audiences.
Last year saw Frank embarking on another tour of south Wales’s venues with Erogenous Zones.  Directed by Phil Clarke and staring Ian H Watkins, it was widely considered to be one of Frank Vickery’s most slick and sophisticated plays to date.
Frank was a massive success in Tonto Evans in autumn 2009, and due to public demand returned in the spring of 2010 with a tour of Loose Ends, also starring Di Botcher.

Sonia Beck

Sonia trained at the Central School Speech of Drama and the Arts
Educational Schools Actors’ Company.

Sonia recently played Edith Piaf in Piaf at the Swansea Grand Theatre. Other recent theatre work includes the title role in Shirley Valentine for the Cheltenham Everyman; Lola Valdez in Agatha Christie’s Murder On Air (Bill Kenwright Ltd), Monica in Present Laughter  (Ian Dickens Productions); Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Kate in The Doctor And The Devils (Fluellen Theatre Company at the Swansea Grand); Raising The Roof (Forest Forge); Mrs Sparsit/Sissy Jupe in Hard Times (National Tour – Compass Theatre Company); Celeste in The Confessions of Brother Wormwood (North Country Theatre); Lady Macduff in Macbeth and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tour De Force/Arundel Festival); Maman in Gold Star For Elizabeth (Northampton Theatre Royal) Intimate Exchanges and Top Girls (Wycombe Theatre Company).

International touring includes Phebe in As You Like It and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Vienna’s English Theatre) and various roles for Barcelona’ Teatre Obert.

Screen work includes the lead role of Fran in Shelter (The Edge Picture Company) and the Nurse in The Ultimate Truth (Wysiwyg Productions).

She has sung for a number of years with the a’capella quintet Smashing Dishes, and recorded a number of radio commercials and educational CDs.

Maxine Evans

Maxine trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and her theatre credits include A Chorus of Disapproval, The Madness of George III, Richard III at the Theatre Royal, York where she played Renfield in the Tony Award-wining director John Doyle’s stage adaptation of Dracula. She has appeared in Tom Jones, Thark, See How They Run, The Oyster Catchers, All’s Fair, Tonto Evans and A Night On the Tiles, Sea Urchins and Blood Libel by Arnold Wesker. Arnold Wesker wrote two plays for Maxine Break, My Heart and Amazed and Surprised, performed as part of the Royal Court’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2006.

Maxine radio credits include The Weak of the Show, Running Away with the Hairdresser, Fabulous, Safe, The History of Childhood and Three Men and a Plane (for Radio 4, with Imelda Staunton and Honor Blackman). On television Maxine has appeared in The Bill, Casualty, Holby City, Next of Kin, Perfect Parents (with Christopher Eccleston), Doctors, The Pardoner’s Tale and Torchwood.  Maxine’s film credits include Goal (directed by Danny Cannon of CSI fame), Go My Way and Caught in the Act, with Maureen Lipman and Freddie Jones.

Maxine has also enjoyed success as writer and director; Maxine wrote and directed CASH ‘N’ WRAP for the Regent Street Theatre in London, Without a Song or a Dance for the BBC earning a nomination for Best Film at the Cork Film Festival. She has written, directed and edited shows such as Coronation Street, Crossroads, and Nuts and Bolts. Last year saw two firsts- one for Maxine and one for Wales: She directed her first feature film entitled Summertime- a wholly original film musical produced and shot Wales (UK release 2011)- the first of its kind ever.

Maxine lives in London with her husband and her two Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Fletcher and Ripley and has torn herself away from them to work once again with Frank in his latest play ‘Barking’ playing Marion

David Lyndon

A first-class honours graduate of the University of Birmingham’s Department of Drama & Theatre Arts, David was also a leading member of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. Subsequent roles have included Gerry in Dancing at Lughnasa (New Vic Theatre, Stoke); Boone in Whistle Down the Wind (national tour); Danny in Dreaming Amelia (Hijinx Theatre); Frank’n’Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (Casino de Paris & Teatro Nuovo, Milan); Konstantin in The Seagull, Leigh in Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! and Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice (Swan Theatre, Worcester); Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors (Aberystwyth Arts Centre); Victor in Yerma (Battersea Arts); Jaques in As You Like It (Dudley Castle); Topper in Scrooge (national tour); Plebeian in Julius Caesar (RSC, Barbican) and France in King Lear (Clwyd Theatr Cymru). West End appearances include Hugo in Aspects of Love (Prince of Wales Theatre) and concert versions of My One & Only, Nine and The Hired Man.

David’s television credits include Fenner in Pobol y Cwm and The Man in Hidden (BBC Wales), and roles in Iechyd Da and Darn o Dir.

David has been awarded a doctorate for his research into actor training and has been a guest lecturer in several colleges and universities.

Gareth Milton

Originally from Cardigan, Gareth graduated from Rose Bruford College with a first class degree in 2006. Since moving back to Wales in 2007, Gareth has featured in Y Pris (Fiction Factory) as small time drug dealer Ian Blake, Caerdydd (Fiction Factory) as sexually confused Jamie Roberts and he can also be seen playing odd ball pathologist Dr. Simon Strettle in BBC Wales’ hospital drama series Crash. Gareth recently had the pleasure of featuring in Fiction Factory’s epic television series Pen Talar as the 1960’s teddy boy Barry. His theatre work includes plays with Clwyd Theatr Cymru and Sherman Cymru. Gareth has also featured many times as a performer with Cardiff-based theatre companies DirtyProtest and Undeb. He has also been involved in an exciting new internet-based show called All Shook Up as Enzo Calzaghe’s right hand man, Dai.

Gareth is excited about featuring in Frank Vickery’s new play Barkin’. After a spell away from touring theatre work, he is enjoying the challenge of exploring and developing this fresh and charming character.

Tuesday 15 –  Saturday 19 May
Matinee – Saturday at 5.00pm
www.swanseagrand.co.uk
01792 475715
The Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare

Tuesday 22 –  Saturday 26  May at 7.30pm
Matinee – Thursday  at 1.00pm.
www.rct-arts.co.uk
08000 147 111
The Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd

Tuesday 5 –  Saturday 9 June at 7.30pm
Matinee – Wednesday  at 1.00pm.
www.rct-arts.co.uk
08000 147 111

Blackwood Miners’ Institute

Monday 11 –  Wednesday 13 June at 7.30pm
www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com
01495 227206

The Congress Theatre, Cwmbran

Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 June at 7.30pm
www.congresstheatrecwmbran.co.uk
01633 868239

The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy

Monday 18 – Wednesday 20 June at 7.30pm
Matinee Wednesday 1:00pm
www.rct-arts.co.uk
08000 147 111

The Grand Pavilion Portcawl

Thursday 21 – Saturday 23 June at 7.30pm
www.grandpavilion.co.uk
01656 815995

Sun, Sea and Scheming in Frank’s Scorching Comedy

Following the massive success of Frank Vickery’s hilarious comedy Tonto Evans, Frank is once more back on stage …..

Loose Ends Synopsis

Sun, Sea and Scheming in Frank’s Scorching Comedy

Following the massive success of Frank Vickery’s hilarious comedy Tonto Evans, Frank is once more back on stage – in the bawdy sea- side comedy Loose Ends.

The story centres on Marlene – who is an interfering and conniving mother.. She has an almost unbearable influence on the lives of her children, Darren and Louise, who are forever finding themselves in the middle of situations their cunning mother has contrived, and she doesn’t stop there she also makes her husband Roy’s life a misery. Louise is married and now Marlene decides it’s time to pull out all the stops and get Darren hitched too. No matter what Roy thinks!

On a weekend break in a caravan in Porthcawl, Marlene sees her chance, Bev, who owns the caravan, would be the perfect match for Darren! As Marlene plots and schemes to match-make for one child – the other one arrives on the run from her husband – just as Marlene reveals the devastating reason for her over-protective and sometimes infuriating behaviour.

This bitter-sweet comedy is classic Frank Vickery fare – packed with hilarious one-liners and moments of pure slapstick.

‘I love playing Roy in this play ’, Frank comments, ‘He is hen-pecked and bossed round by Marlene and try as he might, he can’t get the last word – like most valley’s husbands really! This is definitely one of my funniest comedies.’

Frank Vickery started writing whilst still in school and had his first major success at the age of twenty-one when his first comedy ‘After I’m Gone’ won the Howard De Waldon Trophy for the best one act play in Great Britain.

Frank Vickery is now considered to be Wales’ most popular playwright. Also a talented actor, his writing and performances have achieved widespread critically acclaim and confirmed his place as a leading name on the Welsh touring circuit since the early 1990s.

Tickets for this hilarious comedy are available now from the tour venue Box

Loose Ends Casts

Written by and Starring Frank Vickery

Ray ’Tonto’ Evans, ex-miner, country and western fanatic, given to dressing up as a Native American, feathered headdress and all, has come into money. He dreams of visiting the Wild West and eating beans by the campfire, but Mair, his long suffering wife of 30 years has other ideas.

They wrangle non-stop, while their son and his dozy wife prepare for a trip to Disneyland with their share of the windfall. But all their plans are put on hold by a murder inquiry conducted by the other son who happens to be the overly enthusiastic local plod. Where will it all end? And ’How’!?

This is one of Frank’s most ingenious comedies, packed with laugh out loud one-liners and moments of pure slapstick. It’s the rootin’ tootin’ cowboy comedy of the year

Don’t miss it….. you’ll die laughing!

Tonto Evans Cast

Frank Vickery Ray ‘Tonto’ Evans

Iris Griffiths as Mair

Maxine Evans as Pat

Richard Tunley as John

Lee Gilbert as Wayne

Lorraine John as Wendy

Tonto Evans Review

Swansea Grand Theatre

Welsh playwright Frank Vickery has a gift for creating richly comic characters whose traits and foibles are instantly recognisable and observed with pinpoint accuracy.

This new comedy sees Vickery returning to the hugely satisfying sitcom-style brand of comedy which initially endeared him to legions of fans – and it looks set to become every bit as popular as its predecessors.

The story chronicles a day in the life of Tonto Evans (Vickery), an embittered character who is confined to bed in a grimy living room, surrounded by Wild West memorabilia and the trappings of chronic illness: pill bottles, a nebuliser, a commode and the ever-present can of apple-scented air freshener.

Tonto dreams of visiting America, but his shrewish wife Mair (Marilyn Hodge) has other ideas. The barbed exchanges between the characters are deliciously sharp and well crafted, and the laughs come thick and fast as the story unfolds.

Tonto’s sons John and Wayne, played by Richard Tunley and Lee Gilbert, become embroiled in the shenanigans, as does Lynfa Ackerman as Pat, an inquisitive neighbour with a natty line in soiled leggings and egg-stained T-shirts – but the biggest belly-laughs are reserved for Lorraine John’s glorious portrayal of daughter-in-law Wendy, who seems to live her entire life in slow motion.

This is undoubtedly one of Frank Vickery’s finest comic offerings to date, and it is destined to become a classic of its kind. At a time when the theatrical scene in and around South Wales is positively thriving, this is exactly the kind of production guaranteed to get people through the doors – and long may it be so.

GRAHAM WILLIAMS

SWANSEA’S EVENING POST