Natura Contemporary Theatre

RADIO THEATRE LAUNCHED

In response to COVID-19, we launched Radio Theatre in September 2020. Currently being broadcasted daily on weekdays until 31st July 2021, is our adaptation of The Gardening Times, written by the Summerfield Sisters, Dr. Angela Summerfield and Caroline Summerfield – and read by Ellie Darvill. For more information visit the website of the Birmingham Hospital Broadcasting Network. You can download the App if you wish to listen on your mobile phone. These whimsical dramatisations follow the creation of a garden, led by the lady of the house and assisted by her Head Gardener,Under Gardener and He-who-cuts the grass’.

Our thanks to Arts Council England for their generous support and who have made this possible through the award of a National Lottery Project Grant.

COVID -19 BROADCAST OF THE TREE CHARTER TAPESTRY

AVAILABLE TO LISTEN TO NOW

Go to : anchor.fm/caroline-rose-summerfield

Recorded live at the Everyman Theatre Cheltenham 2017

If you have enjoyed the broadcast please do contact us. We are seeking donations to help support our website and our pre-production work as we seek to gear ourselves up for 2021.

Please donate to help support the Natura Contemporary Theatre Company

Thank you for listening to the performance of 'The Tree Charter Tapestry'

£2.00

CURRENT PRODUCTIONS

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ Jane Austen and The Cheltonians ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Emma Part II

by Caroline Summerfield

What really happened when Jane Austen visited Cheltenham in May 1816? In this sparklingly witty and intelligent new comedy the truth is revealed. Emboldened by the success of her latest novel Jane conjures-up her literary muse Emma Woodhouse to help her write her next novel The Cheltonians – in which surely nothing can go wrong? However when Emma’s friend Eloisa Fairweather arrives the temptation to start matchmaking again proves irresistible. Delicious complications follow, as love letters go astray, French émigrés arrive and Emma finds herself the attention of a young army officer. A timeless comment on marriage, morals and love.

I would highly recommend that fans of the author make the trip to see this play when it comes to The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham.’

(Review by Kattie Preedy for Glos Info Online Magazine)

TOUR DATES

Anthology Extended Literary Festival Cheltenham March 2019: SOLD OUT

Museum in The Park Stroud (7th Stroud Theatre Festival) September 2019

Cheltenham Everyman Theatre 6th -8th February 2020 : SOLD OUT

Churchill Theatre Bromley 7th March 2020 Matinee 2.30 pm & Evening 7.45 pm

Bath Jane Austen Festival 2020 – The Mission Theatre Bath 16th September 2020 Evening 7.30 pm . Check Festival Website for when tickets are released: http://www.janeaustenfestivalbath.co.uk/2020-festival/ CANCELLED DUE TO COVID -19

Bath Jane Austen Festival 2021 – We are pleased to report that the production will be rescheduled for the 2021 Festival. Further details to follow.

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2020 CHRISTMAS SHOW

MYSELF AND OTHER PARTS

Caroline Summerfield

We are delighted to announce that Natura Contemporary Theatre have been invited to be the Christmas Show for Evesham’s Festival of Words in December 2020 with a production of Myself And Other Parts . This much performed one- man Christmas play, by playwright Caroline Summerfield, has over the years delighted many audiences in both London and Cheltenham and we are thrilled to be part of this well-regarded Festival. For more details about this play, please refer to our past productions below.

7pm Friday 11th December 2020 Friends Meeting House Cowl Street Evesham WR11 4PN (Tickets available from the Festival’s Website) Currently on hold due to COVID -19)

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WHO WE ARE?

NATURA CONTEMPORARY THEATRE is the theatre producing arm of the Writers’ and Directors’ Workshop . We are based in North Gloucestershire and produce professional productions only. Natura Contemporary have been producing high quality contemporary theatre in town and country locations since 2017, working with both professional actors and semi-professional actors and musicians. Visit the link to see the professional actors we work with. Responding to COVID-19 we will as from September 2020 be producing Theatre Radio.

WHAT IS OUR HISTORY?

Founded in 2017, Natura Contemporary Theatre’s artistic director and resident playwright is Caroline Summerfield. We held our first meeting and workshop for writers and actors to showcase work at Parmoor House Cheltenham.

WHAT IS OUR MISSION?

To bring plays which celebrate new writing and professionalism in the theatre to audiences in the South West, the Midlands and the South East.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR?

If you are a professional or semi-professional actor and would like to be considered for casting for future productions please do contact us at: casummerfield@btinternet.com We are particularly interested in hearing from experienced BAME actors and all actors with good radio drama experience.

OUR TEAM

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Artistic Director/Resident Playwright – Caroline Summerfield originally trained as a lawyer, studied at RADA and University of Birmingham. With many produced plays, her West End debut play was Chasing Ibsen. She was a finalist for the Terence Rattigan Award in 2018. For her detailed biography please refer to the separate link on this website.

Amy Holley-Cribbin.jpg

Assistant Artistic Director – Amy Holley-Cribbin was born in Cheltenham. A final year PhD student at Swansea University, she is a specialist in adaptation theory, particularly Victorian stage adaptations of nineteenth-century novels. She completed her Master’s degree at the University of York where her dissertation was on Victorian stage adaptations of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

PAST PRODUCTIONS

The Tree Charter Tapestry

by Caroline Summerfield