Ahead of 20th anniversary performances at Tobacco Factory Theatres from Wed 29 June – Sun 17 July, the cast of award-winning family production Into The West took time out of rehearsals to follow in the footsteps of its very first stars.
Getting into character can be a challenge for any actor. But when it comes to a play like Into The West that challenge is on another level entirely.
In a production that lasts a little over an hour a cast of just three (Craig Edwards, Nina Logue and Adam J Carpenter) bring to life the captivating story of two Traveller children and their horse on a wild ride across Ireland, collectively playing a whopping 63 parts – including, you guessed it, the horse!
Since its premiere the play (originally titled Tir na n’Og) has toured eight times all over the world, including sell-out runs in New York, Canada and Ireland. It was awarded the Samuel Beckett Award for Best Children’s Production at Dublin International Theatre Festival and nominated for Best Show for Children & Young People at the Barclays/TMA Awards.
The current production sees the return of original cast member Craig Edwards, a familiar face for Travelling Light audiences: “You never stop – constantly switching characters and being in ridiculous situations… I get to be a whole Western film, a cleaner, shop keeper… and the sea… and a dog.”
With performances at Tobacco Factory Theatres fast approaching, new cast members joined Craig to retrace the steps of the original performers, with a visit to the Mounted Section of the Avon & Somerset Police. There they met police horses Sedgemoor and Jubilee, studying their movements and getting into character just as the original cast had done in 1996 (photo above).
We’re excited to see how all of their work behind the scenes pays off when Travelling Light bring Into The West to Tobacco Factory Theatres from Wed 29 June – Sun 17 July. To find out more visit the full show page.
*A special thank you to the Mounted Section of the Avon & Somerset Police.
For more from the Into The West creative team why not check out our other blogs?
Posted on 24 June 2016
