OUR BIG LAND is a provocatively dark atmospheric piece of theatre with the culture clash between Romany and non Romany communities at its core. The style has a poetic beauty mixed with gritty realism, while the songs and movement transport us to a world rarely seen on stage before. The themes of family bonds, cultural loyalty and love crossing culture boundaries are to be found at its centre, while echoes of yearning for freedom, choice and lost love resonate throughout.

2014 tour dates:

• 13th – 15 Feb: New Wolsey Studio, Ipswich.
  Box office: 01473 295900
• 18th Feb – 8th March: Oval House Theatre, London.
  Box office: 020 7582 7680
• 12th March: Norwich Arts Centre.
  Box office: 01603 660352
• 13th & 14th March: Hat Factory Arts Centre, Luton.
  Box office: 01582 878100

THE ROMANY THEATRE COMPANY (RTC)

…presents a rehearsed reading of

‘YELLOW DRESS’

At The Hat Factory (65-67 Bute Street, Luton, LU1 2EY) on Thursday November 8^th 2012

At 7.30pm

BOX OFFICE: 01582 547474 or 01582 878100

https://www.lutonculture.com/whats-on/

This work in progress is a culmination of almost a years work by 20 Romany and non Romany Gypsy participants, some of whom began by writing a mixture of poems, scenes and short stories around a Gypsy theme. Dan Allum, our Artistic Director (see below) then dramatised these into a script, which formed the basis of two public readings at the Mercury Studio in Colchester and the Wolsey Studio in Ipswich in April this year. The script was then developed further and given the central storyline of a Gypsy woman’s experience during the Second World War and was made into a BBC radio drama. Over the summer and autumn, in true Gypsy fashion, the script has gone on a further journey, which will conclude with workshops held at the Royal Court Theatre and rehearsals at the Tricycle Theatre before the 45-minute musical drama will be performed by a mixture of Gypsy and non-Gypsy performers.

“Beautiful writing, well read – I’m encouraged to find and read more Romany Poetry…”

Mercury Theatre Colchester

“It’s not only fascinating to be introduced to this work, it’s incredibly rewarding”

New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich

Romany Theatre Company’s Dan Allum will be appearing at Museum of East Anglian Life alongside other Romany writers and poets on Sunday 13th October – see flier
WORDS OF THE WHEEL

Atching Tan: A Gypsy Wife is currently the drama of the week download and can be accessed at https://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ptw.
The BBC blog is: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/posts/Atching-Tan-A-Gypsy-Wife
There is also a promo on the BBC Writersroom homepage & it’s been tweeted about at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/

‘ATCHING TAN: A Gypsy Wife, is one of the picks of the week in both the Observer On Sunday and The Sunday Telegraph’

ATCHING TAN: A Gypsy Wife is on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 26th July at 2.15pm. The play will also be the BBC download of the week. Colorful and authentic drama set around the goings-on of Long Summer Traveller Site. When young couple Charity and Sol arrive on the site, their new neighbours Lovvie and Nelius are forced to make some difficult decisions when they discover Sol’s dark secret. Starring Candis Nergarrd and written by Traveller Dan Allum. In 2011, Dan Allum’s first Radio 4 play Atching Tan was shortlisted for the BBC Imison Award for Best Play by a New Writer and Candis Nergaard was shortlisted for Best Actress for the BBC Audio Drama Award.

A Gypsy Wife features 3 regular Romany Theatre Company performers – Candis Nergaard, Damian Le Bas and Patricia Keegan alongside new Traveller actress, Sian Willett. The 5th member of the cast is Danny Dalton currently appearing in the National Theatre’s production of War Horse.

A Gypsy Wife BBC link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l1dkp

Romany Theatre Company’s Atching Tan Radio Drama was recognised at the first ever BBC Audio Drama Awards held on 29th January 2012. The BBC’s first ever Audio Drama Awards were held at a special ceremony hosted by actor David Tennant in the Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House, London. Dan Allum, writer of Atching Tan was nominated for the Imison Award for Best Radio Drama Script and Candice Nergaard who played Luvvie in the play was nominated for Best Actess in an Audio Drama.
The winners of the awards for Best Acress award and Imison award for Best Radio Drama Script are as follows:-
• Best Actress in an Audio Drama: Rosie Cavaliero, Lost Property: A Telegram From The Queen by Katie Hims
Producer: Jessica Dromgoole, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4
• Best Actress in an Audio Drama – RUNNERS UP:
– June Whitfield, A Monstrous Vitality by Andy Merriman
Producer: David Hunter, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4
– Candis Nergaard, Atching Tan by Dan Allum
Producer: Charlotte Riches, BBC Audio Drama North for Radio 4
The winner of the Imison Award for Best Radio Drama Script broadcast in 2010 by a new writer is: Amazing Grace by Michelle Lipton
Award presented by: David Edgar
Judges: Society of Author’s Broadcasting Committee: Alison Joseph, Mike Bartlett, Lucy Caldwell, Nazrin Choudhury, Christopher William Hill, Karen Liebreich, Sue Limb, Karl Sabbagh, Colin Teevan and John Taylor)
Imison Award for Best Radio Drama Script – RUNNERS UP:
– Atching Tan by Dan Allum
– The Pursuit by Matt Hartley
– The Barber and the Ark by Marcia Layne
To see the full list of awards, winners and runners up go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2012/290112-bbc-audio-drama-awards.html
Congratulations to both Dan and Candice for their nomination.

After what seems to have been months of wrangling with the entertainment section of the education pack, I’ve had a significant breakthrough. It’s such a relief. I was, quite literally, staring at a blank screen for weeks, unsure how to address the dense and diverse world of entertainment in the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller community. And then the thunderbolt of inspiration struck! Read the rest of this entry »