Shake, Prattle & Role

The project, called ‘Shake, Prattle & Role’, is the brainchild of Artistic Director, Martin Green. Using Shakespeare’s characters and plays as inspiration, this innovative idea will bring a new theatre programme for the public to enjoy during Summer and Autumn this year. A professional team will bring a modern twist to The Bard’s work, making it accessible to family audiences, whilst working alongside local writers, community performers and volunteers.

Martin originally trained as an actor and may be familiar to residents as a former Arts Development Officer at Wigan Pier. He went on to establish his business in 2013 and has been at the forefront of the local arts scene ever since. Some of his work includes delivering festivals such as Our Town Live, theatre productions in various locations across the borough and multi-arts exhibitions at cultural venues like Leigh Spinners Mill & Lancashire Mining Museum.

Martin explains, “There are two strands to this work. Firstly, we will be working with writers to create three contemporary short pieces of theatre based on the themes of Comedy, Tragedy and History. These will be performed by experienced actors at locations such as Haigh Hall, Wigan Town Centre, Leigh Civic Square and Pennington Hall Park during the summer. Secondly, we will be adapting ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ as a community theatre production at three local community hubs with residents who are interested in performing.”

There will also be opportunities to volunteer with stage management and technical support, stewarding, costume and make-up on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ closer to the production in October.

Martin also says, “We are thrilled to receive Arts Council funding thanks to National Lottery players. This allows us to keep doing what we love and get people involved in creativity and culture. I would also like to thank Wigan Council’s Culture Team for their match support and the partner venues who supported my proposal – including The Old Courts, Sunshine House, St Peter’s Pavilion, Leigh Spinners Mill and Haigh Woodland Park.”

If you want to get involved, you can find a link to the Expression of Interest form on Green Room Creative Productions’ Facebook page or Martin Green’s LinkedIn & Twitter profiles. This form has more information and a few simple questions to complete. If you cannot access these platforms or require further information, please contact Martin via email at [email protected].