CobbledHazeClub.co.uk

COBBLED HAZE CLUB PRESENT

30 June - 5 July, 7pmBY JOSHUA VAL MARTIN

ASHLEY MCKAY - PRINT & COMMUNICATIONSHaving worked on the previous Cobbled Haze Club productions of STRANGEWAYS Ashley is delighted to beback working with the company on this exciting, and much lighter, production of UNION. Ashley works as a freelance designer, producing print and digital content, and is currently working at The Royal Exchange

Theatre as a digital marketer.

Joshua is a writer and director of theatre, originally from Bolton, living in Stoke and based mainly in Manchester. His most recent play, STRANGEWAYS, ran at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Kings ArmsTheatre Manchester and at The LOST Theatre London, where Paul Vale (The Stage) commented "laced with sharp humour and sharper observations [Strangeways is] less ghost story and more psychological horror." Alongside UNION he was recently commissioned to write a short theatrical piece for The University of Salford and he is currently working as Assistant Director to Sara Kestelman for Benjamin TTill's new musical, BRASS. Joshua's full CV: bit.ly/JoshuaValMartin

JOSHUA VAL MARTIN - WRITER & DIRECTOR

George is a recent Classical Studies graduate from the University of Manchester, who has been producingtheatre since he came to Manchester three years ago with credits including ‘Ordinary Days’, ‘Cabaret’ and‘What’s Wrong With Angry?’. Most recently, George has produced ‘Strangeways’ with Cobbled Haze Club inEdinburgh, Salford and London. He is particularly excited about ‘Union’ as not only is it one of the mostinnovative projects he has worked on, but he also finally has the opportunity to make a cameo as ‘Pablo theSound Man’.

GEORGE DUFF - PRODUCER

Kaylie began her career as a Performance Designer after graduating from The University of Leeds. Since then she has worked as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV companies such as BBC, Horizon, Northern Outlet Theatre Comapny (Spring and Port Wine), Purple Coat Productions (The Caretaker/My Mother Said I Never Should), Rising Tides (Limpets/Two Fish/Fridge/Fracture), Dapper Productions (My Space), Hope Street LTD (Hope Street Feast). Kaylie has also worked as a puppet maker and/or puppeteer

for companies such as; Global Grooves (Manchester Day Parade), Silhouette Box Theatre (Light Box TheTheatre), Horse and Bamboo (The Moomins), Delirium Loomins (Liverpool Lantern Carnival), Saffer

Productions (The Minds Woods) Kaylie's work is made, where possible, from recycled materials. This gives a new life to lost and broken objects and provides an antidote to modern technologically focused

performance practices.

KAYLIE JOY BLACK - DESIGNERTHE TEAM

In The New Union Pub, on the corner of Canal St and Princess St, you'll meet the salt of the earth and the dirt of the earth and often they're one of the same thing. It's the kind of place you can't go in and come out without having had a conversation. I worked there for two years and the stories that passed through pints were

sosometimes terrifying and sometimes moving, often without an end, and invariably demanded to be told. But I had no idea how to go about sensitively staging their stories. Simultaneously, I was unleashed from University and, ironically, had a great deal more time to read and watch films and theatre and, think. I'd think about how our city is changing, the people who inhabit it and the physical place. How everyone walks beside one another,

with our eyes tied to a phone and ears in an album: our city has become an oxymoron of collective individualism. Inspired too by the space breaking work produced at this year's National Student Drama

FFestival, UNION came about. Like any other healthy theatrical process, this work is the labour of many. Every actor and creative has had input into this performed draft of the play and contributed to the making of it in the space. Many others have contributed and they include (but not exclusively) Roisin Morrison, Ashley McKay, Patrick Wilde, Ian Townsend, Helen Parry, Benjamin Till, Joshua RS Dawson, Ellie Scanlan, George Combe, Alison Surtees, Dan Tunstall and Rebecca Riley. I hope with UNION, there's something for you to take away. And even if there's not, I'd suggest on your way home popping by for one at The New Union. It may inspire your

next play.

BELINDA SCANDAL (GLORIA STROKEM)The man behind Belinda Scandal trained at Oldham Theatre Workshop and has appeared in several playsincluding A Cure For Love and Our Day Out. He also appeared in the award winning Elidor for the BBCwhich has since been shown in Japan. After leaving college he took the brave step- to -step away fromacting and trained vocally at the Manchester School of Music. He has been a Bluecoat and Recoat and

finally a true blue. Focusing more on his first love ‘variety’. Belinda has won several awards including bestentertainment and best solo performance. Belinda has had her own show all over the world including Ibiza,CypCyprus and Gran Canaria where she appeared at the world famous Café la Belle. Performing in the RockyHorror Show as Frank n Furter she also directed, produced and starred in the award winning Abba Mia,

which was seen amongst others by Wayne Sleep, who commented the show was the best parody of musicalhe has ever seen. She then took her own cabaret show on the cruise circuit before returning to the UK in2009, In 2010 Belinda opened her own Showbar on the world famous Canal Street where she can be seen

performing her fast change cabaret show twice a week.

Bristol born actor Lucy Ross-Elliott has recently graduated, studying BA (Hons) Drama at the University of Manchester. Lucy’s credits include at the Colston Hall Bristol, the Bristol Old Vic Theatre and the Duke of York Theatre, London. Lucy has been an active member of the Drama society at the University of Manchester since 2011. She was recognised and commended for many of her roles, winning MIFTAS awards, including 'Best Actress in a male role' for playing the part of Cassius in Julius Caesar. She also won the 'Best Actress' award on two occasions, for playing the part of Charlotte in The Real Thing By TTom Stoppard, and for the part of Kim in a piece of new writing called Seated Reservations, written by Angus Harrison.

LUCY ROSS-ELLIOTT (GAIL)

Robin – a National Youth Theatre member - co-founded Southern based JustTalkTheatre, starring in 'PunkRock', 'The Birthday Party' and Directing 'Betrayal'. Most recently he performed the role of Chris in

FineCombTheatre's 'Small Talk'. Currently in the process of creating new writing, Robin is looking forrepresentation.

ROBIN LYONS (MICKEY)

Kate graduated from The Arden in 2011. Kate went on to star in 'Every Night' a short film for Manchester Metropolitan, written her own play 'It's Not a Thing', and most recently has been cast as Philippa in 'The Box of Tricks' for 24:7 Theatre Festival's 10 year anniversary.

KATE LEVELLE (CILLA BLACK)

Andrew has been a professional working actor since turning forty and has previously toured in musical plays and pantomimes. Last Christmas he appeared as Widow Twankey in Aladdin at the Academy Theatre inBarnsley. When he is not acting he can be found at Clitheroe Castle Museum where he works as a MuseumAssistant, storyteller in residence and leads costumed character tours Andrew is a member of the TowneleyHall Players in Burnley who perform short plays about members of the Towneley family. Andrew especiallyenjoys working on new writing and is excited to be appearing in Union and to be originating the role of

FFosters Phil.

ANDREW C. HUSBAND (FOSTERS PHIL)

Joanne Dakin has been a professional actor for thirteen years. Her television credits include Coronation Street, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Emmerdale and Heartbeat, Hollyoaks amongst others. Jo also worked as a stand up comic for 10 years performing all over the country and appeared on ITV1’s ‘Take the Mike’, ‘Stand up Britain’, ‘Made in the Northwest’ and ‘My Northwest.’ Her theatre credits include Pests (Royal Exchange and Everyman Playhouse), Playing Up North (Library Theatre) For the Love of The Game, commissioned for last years Rugby World Cup and A Taste of Honey. She has also performed ccomedy plays for Radio 4.

JO DAKIN (TRACY)

THE CAST

Producer George Duff and Writer/Director Joshua Val Martin met in 2011 and began making theatre together. After producing a number of musicals, plays and site-specific performances, along with graphic designer Ashley McKay, they decided to form Cobbled Haze Club. Our work is unified only

in wanting to tell Manchester’s stories by ambitious, daring means.

We are currently looking for a theatre director to work on our next project, entitled Back Seat Betty. We are looking for someone who is a Manchester-based student/very recent graduate with theatre ddirecting experience. This person must be free this September. If you are interested or would like to

know more, please send a simple CV and an informal covering letter to JVMartin@CobbledHazeClub.co.uk

GET INVOLVED

WHO WE ARE

WW.WJVMartin@CobbledHazeClub.co.ukCobbledHazeClub.co.uk@CobbledHazeClub /CobbledHazeClub