My First Writing Retreat for Shadow Road!

 

Are you a writer in need of some time to focus on that script, novel, or idea that’s been nudging at you? Have you always wanted to write, but never quite known where to start - or had the time to do it? If so, why not join me for a gently structured, welcoming Writers’ Retreat Day, hosted at Shadow Road's cosy rehearsal studio in Barnes, South West London! 

A traditionally published children's author and theatre professional, with over 15 years of experience writing and directing performances across the UK, I have written numerous plays and adaptations for Shadow Road, as well as short film scripts, fundraising events, and works commissioned by other organisations such as the Barnes Literary Society, the London Wetland Centre, and the National Trust's Morden Hall Park and Ham House. I have also run writing workshops in both Richmond and Surrey, and provided dramaturgical help to playwrights and authors submitting work to the mixed arts mental health awareness festival, UNBROKEN.

Now I am delighted to open up the Shadow Road Studio to writers of all kinds - playwrights, novelists, children's fiction authors, screenwriters, and more 📚🎬🎭 - for a whole day, offering space to develop your project, get words on the page, gain fresh perspective, and connect with fellow writers. The day-long retreat will include:

• Quiet, focused time to work on your own writing project
• Optional creative exercises, including character work (my specialty!), writing prompts, and 
• A short Inspiration Walk in the local churchyard
• Optional sharing of work with the group and gentle feedback
• Free tea, coffee, and biscuits! 

There are only 6 tickets (£55 each) available for this retreat, so if you'd like one of them, do please book HERE as soon as possible! I'm excited to meet you and help you get that project off the ground!✨ 

Secret Storytellers - The First Broadcast

 

Secret Storytellers: The First Broadcast is now complete, and available to watch online! 🥳

Following a call out for actors in the Shadow Road email newsletter last month, twelve fabulous actors came along on the 18th and 19th March to film with us. It was such fun making this short with them - and lovely to welcome a few new members to the Shadow Road family, along with some old friends and familiar faces! Even more of a delight to then host a screening of the film at the Shadow Road Studio on the 8th April, so that we could raise a glass to all their hard work and enjoy the results together! 🍾🎬👏

This short film was created as part of the Musicbed Challenge 2025 and is part of the larger, cross-platform Secret Storytellers project - the next part of which is a planned test version of a live immersive event, where audience members will have the opportunity to join the resistance for themselves and to make choices and decisions that will not only influence their own personal experiences, but may also even change the outcome of the show itself! 

More news coming soon... 😍

From One Exciting Year to Another!

As you can see from these photos - and as many of you saw in person at one or more of our shows and events - we at Shadow Road had a very busy and brilliant year in 2023! We are so grateful for your ongoing support and your fabulous feedback after each one.

Now a new and even busier year beckons - and we couldn't be more excited about it! 

I've been using the first weeks of 2024 to write (two new plays), to plan (all of the year's upcoming productions, another visit to Edinburgh - along with all the fundraising that requires - and the launch of the next new project), and to learn (more workshops with Theatrical Intimacy Education, Theatre503, and the Society of Authors). Soon, however, we'll be back in the rehearsal room for one thing after another - with more writing squeezed in between times - and performing in a number of different venues, both indoors and outside. 

Here are some of the main dates for the diary (both mine and yours, if you'd like to come along and see us!) between now and the summer:

MARCH

• Friday 8th: I'm delighted to be going back to my old school, along with numerous other alumnae, to talk to the girls about working in the arts for their Careers Day!
  
  
• Saturday 30th: Our second Cake & Coffee Morning of 2024 at St Mary’s Barnes, SW13. Do come and join us to catch up on all the news, over homemade cakes baked by our wonderful cast and supporters of Shadow Road, as the fundraising for 2024 begins!

APRIL

• Friday 26th at 7.30pm: Macbeth is going to Mayfield! We are taking our fantastically well reviewed four-person production of Macbeth: Sleep No More to the Mayfield Festival of Music & the Arts, where we will perform in the round at the ancient St Dunstan's church.
  ~ Tickets are available on the festival website - BOOK HERE!
  
  
• Exact date TBC: Following our success in Edinburgh, this Spring will see us testing out the new, immersive element of our latest project Secret Storytellers with a soft launch event for a small, invited audience. Watch this space for more details coming soon!

 

MAY

• Wednesday 29th – Friday 31st: Robin Hood's Quest at the National Trust's Morden Hall Park. Following the success of 2023's St George's Quest, we are returning to Morden Hall Park's beautiful Rose Garden with a brand new interactive adventure trail, this time inviting young Outlaws (and their accompanying adults) to help rescue Robin Hood from the dastardly Sir Guy of Gisborne’s jail!
  ~ Tickets are available from our TicketSource page HERE!
  
  
• May/June – Dates TBC: Following the test event earlier in the year, the official launch of our new, immersive element of our latest project Secret Storytellers is due to take place in late spring/early summer.

 

JUNE

• Sat 15th at 7.30pm: Songs, Scenes & Swords Fundraiser at St Mary's Barnes. Join us for a special evening of music, sword fighting, and scenes from Shakespeare and beyond, to raise money for our trip to the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe! (If any of you feel like lending us your talents for this one-off event, whether onstage or off, please do get in touch - we'd be most grateful!)
  ~ Tickets are available from our TicketSource page HERE!

 

JULY

• Wednesday 10th & Thursday 11th at 7.30pm: London Preview of Treasure Island at the OSO Arts Centre. This will be followed by a Q&A with the team, where we will be talking about the play itself and what goes into putting a production like this together - adapting a play, casting in general, gender blind casting, directing, fight directing, and even how to go about taking a show to Edinburgh! 
  ~ Tickets will be available from the OSO's website from April onwards.

At the end of the month, we'll be travelling up to Edinburgh to settle in and get ready for our nine-day, 18 show, run in August.

AUGUST

• Friday 2nd – Sat 10th: Edinburgh Festival at theSpace on the Mile. Shadow Road Productions will be returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with the wonderful theSpaceUK venues, reprising Macbeth: Sleep No More at 10.35am and performing a brand new adaptation of Treasure Island at 4.25pm each day from the 2nd to the 10th August!
  ~ Tickets for both shows are now available HERE via the main EdFringe website! 
  
  

As for what will happen after August? Well, some irons are in the fire and things are looking interesting - all available digits are very firmly crossed in the meantime...

Fireside Folktales

An ongoing project begun in 2019, Fireside Folktales sees the Shadow Road team retelling a growing collection of myths, legends, and classic stories from around the world. Each is presented as an original short play (see the Playscripts page for more information) performed by a company of four actors. In keeping with the back-to-basics philosophy of this particular storytelling project, all music and sound effects are performed live by the cast, with no electricity or technical equipment necessary.

Having previously staged Fireside Folktales productions in Shadow Road's own beautiful 8m bell tent, in the open air, and at a wide variety of indoor venues, we know they work in almost all imaginable settings.

We were delighted to launch Fireside Folktales at the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival over the weekend of 11th-12th May 2019, where we delivered no fewer than six performances of Aesop's Fables, Persephone & the Pomegranate Seeds, and A Tale of Robin Hood in our superb Story Tent, each to a packed out audience!

After the BCLF, we moved on to other venues - including the magnificent National Trust property, Ham House, and Horace Walpole's gothic wonder Strawberry Hill House - before moving indoors for the winter to Southside House and other venues with our new production of A Christmas Carol. 

The return of these productions in 2020 - and our new shows, Macbeth and The Musicians of Bremen - has been postponed by the outbreak of Covid-19 but we will still be back later in the year...

We are also now available for private bookings for parties and events for both children and adults, or for school visits - including optional workshops and Q&A sessions, alongside the performances.  

As well as our usual selection of tales for all ages and occasions, we are able to create a bespoke event, writing a new piece of work specifically for your celebration, if we are given sufficient notice.  Should you wish to discuss a private booking of any sort, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at firesidefolktales@gmail.com!

We look forward to hearing from you - and perhaps to seeing you at one of the public events we will be appearing at throughout the year, bringing the magic of myths and legends to life on your very own doorstep!

* * * * * * *

For more information, please visit the Fireside Folktales website, follow us on social media (Instagram:@firesidefolktales & Twitter: @firesidefolks), like our Facebook page, or have a listen to the Fireside Folktales podcast!

A Look Back at UNBROKEN 2017

Following a hugely successful debut at Theatre503 on World Mental Health Day the previous year, the UNBROKEN festival returned in 2017 with the inaugural UNBROKEN Short Film Prize; a creative writing project and festival bookstall; a talk on ‘Mental Health in Current Children's Literature' by Charlie Sheppard, Publishing Director at acclaimed children's publisher Andersen Press; and Under My Skin, a funny and powerful play about adolescent mental health by award-winning playwright Ali Taylor, having been added to the art exhibitions, live music, new writing, original choreography and panel discussions that proved such a hit in 2016.

Find out much more on the UNBROKEN Festival website - see in particular the Reactions and Gallery pages - and do get in touch if you'd like to get involved this year! 

In the meantime, you might enjoy watching the following film from WinkBall Video, who reported from the festival on its final evening, Monday 30th October:

UNBROKEN 2017 - the festival is back!

As you may remember, UNBROKEN made its debut as a 'mini-festival' produced by Shadow Road at Theatre503 on World Mental Health Day 2016.  Following an extremely successful and at times deeply moving day, we are delighted that the festival will return to 503 this year from Saturday 28th  until Tuesday 31st October.

As well as the art exhibitions, live music, new writing, original choreography and panel discussions that were such a hit last year, the 2017 programme will feature some practical workshops, a literary event, a staged reading of a powerful play about adolescent mental health, short film screenings and a free event open to all.  We will also be running a small but perfectly formed bookshop throughout the festival!

More information will be available on the new UNBROKEN website soon.  Do get in touch if you're interested in getting involved - we'd love to hear from you!


UNBROKEN - A Mental Health Awareness Festival from Shadow Road on Vimeo.

Dreams from the Pit & 22 Push-Ups!

Taking its title from the work of WWI poet Siegfried Sassoon, Dreams From The Pit - an original play of mine that Shadow Road Productions first staged in 2013 in aid of Forces charity Combat Stress - follows three soldiers, Razor, Jacko and Sully, as they deploy together to Afghanistan. Life in 'Afghan' is tough but for some the return to civilian life is even harder...

I was recently nominated for the #22PushUpChallenge by both Amy Bolger-Floyd and Maia Gibbons (arguably a bit of overkill there, people!) which is also designed to raise money and awareness for Combat Stress and to draw attention to the horrifying rates of suicide and mental suffering evident in both US and UK veterans.

As I am, however, decidedly NOT a fan of appearing on any screen anywhere for any reason at all - much less while doing push-ups! - I chose instead to fashion the video below, in the hope that it might have a similar result.  I actually am also doing the push-ups at home each day as well - but there'll be some severe climate change in Hell before I film them and post the video online! ;-)

I do hope you get something out of the film.  Anyone who would like to donate £5 to Combat Stress can do so by texting PTSD22 to 70004.

Thank you!

#22PushUpChallenge from Shadow Road on Vimeo.

Introducing UNBROKEN...



AN INVITATION FOR SUBMISSIONS TO A NEW MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MINI-FESTIVAL IN AUTUMN 2016

Have you written a short play or a standalone scene – or created a piece of spoken word, music, movement or dance – dealing with mental illness, its effects and consequences, or the realities and myths surrounding the subject? Would you like to? Or would you like to direct one?

As part of my tiny theatre company's longstanding commitment to the issue of mental health we will be staging UNBROKEN, a mini-festival on that very subject, in London this October and we would like to invite anyone interested in getting involved – either as a writer, director, choreographer or composer – to get in touch.

UNBROKEN will showcase a number of new short plays and performance pieces, all dealing with the issue of mental health from different angles. It will also include at least one or more panel discussions.

As mentioned above, we are open to both short plays and scenes/extracts from a larger work that are able to stand alone in performance, as well as pieces of music, movement, spoken word or dance. Each of the chosen pieces will deal with some aspect of the issue, but the precise approach taken or subject explored will be up to its creator – for example, living with someone suffering from mental health problems can, in some ways, be just as difficult or alienating as suffering from the condition yourself.

UNBROKEN is an entirely voluntary event which will be staged in connection with one of the UK’s main mental health charities. This mini-festival will be the first of its kind for Shadow Road. Given our enduring concern with the issue of mental health, however – particularly when examined in relation to the military, as was the case with our original full-length play, Dreams From The Pit – we do hope that it may prove to be the first of many.

If you are interested in getting involved with UNBROKEN, there is plenty more information available – including submissions details and dates etc – here on our website: www.shadowroad.com/page6.htm

Please have a read and then drop us a line at shadowroadproductions@gmx.com.

We look forward to hearing from you! :-)

Farewell to the Merry Men!

There are still a few more days of admin to conquer, a couple of meetings to attend, one or two costumes to return and some crowdfunding thank you’s to write and perks to arrange but, all of those notwithstanding, Robin Hood‘s day is almost done – at least for this year.

Before leaving him and his Merry Men behind, however, I thought you might like to see this lovely photo of the cast and a couple of the crew and to read the fantastic write up that the show received from local reviewer Roger Pettit… :-)

“Shadow Road Productions is a small professional theatre company based in South-West London. It specialises in presenting new and unfamiliar works in quirky, unusual ways. Its production of Robin Hood at the award-winning nature reserve in Barnes, the London Wetland Centre, demonstrates the company’s modus operandi to perfection.

Written and directed by Shadow Road’s Artistic Director, Emma King-Farlow, it’s an alfresco production – the first ever at the London Wetland Centre. Based on the Robin Hood legend, it tells the story of the outlaw’s struggle (with his band of men: Little John, Friar Tuck, Alan-a-Dale, etc.) to assist the people of Loxley in trying to overcome the ruthless reign of terror of the villainous landlord (and Prince John supporter) Guy of Gisborne.

The programme notes describe this production as “immersive”, and it’s certainly that. The audience literally follow the action as it moves from one part of the nature reserve to another. We get a wedding, spectacularly-staged sword fights, romance, death and music and songs, all skilfully staged to make the most of the spectacular outdoor setting. The cast is very talented, and I was particularly taken with Frank Teale’s performance as Gisborne. You really did want to see him get his comeuppance, thanks in no small measure to Teale’s success in portraying the cruelty, ruthlessness and sheer savagery of the character. A brilliant performance!

 

Robin Hood is family entertainment at its best. There’s something for everyone. The four people I went with (two adults and two young children) all thoroughly enjoyed it. I did too. On this evidence, Shadow Road Productions is a company with a very bright future.”

 

Roger Pettit



Robin Hood on the Radio!

The lovely Jean Somerville-Rabbitt from Wandsworth Radio's ArtsWatch programme joined us for a chat about Robin Hood in advance of this week's final four shows.  This interview was the result...

Robin Hood is on at the London Wetland Centre on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6.30pm and 8.15pm until July 1st 2016.  Get your tickets here: www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london/whats-on/2016/06/09/robin-hood

Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall...

...Or so Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and various others would have us believe.  If that is the case, I think everyone involved in Robin Hood at the London Wetland Centre had sufficient rain to last an entire lifetime falling into their lives last Thursday!

A genuine 'wrath of God' style rainstorm not only interrupted the first performance but soaked a number of our valiant actors (and several of the audience) to the skin within moments, while the lightning threatened to electrocute several others who were standing in a big metal box (our Prison set), in possession of big metal sticks (colloquially known as 'swords'), staring in apprehensive disbelief at the swiftly rising tide!



via GIPHY

With the exception of there being a little more daylight than is shown, this gif is an entirely accurate representation of the weather we endured - if anything, it's a little milder than the storm that quickly flooded so many of the Wetland Centre's paths and pools!

Being my first open air production, this was the moment I had truly been dreading - the time when, despite the best will and the most encouraging clichés in the world, the show simply could not go on any longer.  At least not for a while...

Thankfully, however, we are lucky enough to have a stage management team for whom no obstacle is too large to overcome and, while the ever-adaptable actors and I were running through a very quick rehearsal in a new indoor space, they speedily set about creating some simple but evocative sets in opposing corners of the large, and aptly named, Water's Edge Room.

A few waterlogged audience members did go home between the two shows but those who stayed were extremely vocal in their appreciation of the indoor version of the show, and wonderfully supportive and uncomplaining.  Some of them are due to return for a second viewing of Robin Hood this week, when they will hopefully be able to see it performed outside against the various Wetland backdrops, just as it should be seen.  We will, however, always be very grateful to everyone - cast, crew and audience alike - who helped to turn an evening that could have been a total washout in every sense of the word into something of true triumph against all the odds! :-D

Robin Hood is on at the London Wetland Centre on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6.30pm and 8.15pm until July 1st 2016.  Get your tickets here: www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london/whats-on/2016/06/09/robin-hood

Introducing Maid Marian!

Over on our Robin Hood crowdfunding campaign page, we have begun a short series of interviews with the cast, in order to allow our supporters to become a bit more familiar with both the tale we'll be telling at the London Wetland Centre next month and the lovely, talented people who will be bringing it to life.  I hope that you, too, might enjoy finding out more... :-)

Lindsey Huebner as Marian Fitzwalter, with Fed Zanni as Robin Hood



Please introduce yourself and your character.
My name is Lindsey Huebner and I will be playing the part of Marian in Shadow Road's exciting new production - taking over the London Wetland Centre this summer!

How old were you when you first read, watched or heard the story of Robin Hood and what did you think of it?
Some of my very earliest memories are watching Disney films with family members and close friends. Like the stories of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, I feel like the tale of Robin Hood has always been a part of me.
Although I'm mildly disappointed that Emma's interpretation doesn't have myself and Fed as foxes, I am overjoyed that the character of Marian is not your typical Disney damsel. Strong, capable and fierce in her love of Robin Hood, she is the kind of heroine I wish I'd encountered more in my childhood.

What made you want to get involved with this production of Robin Hood at the London Wetland Centre?
What really drew me to this production are those very aspects that make it unique!
First off, it is an outdoor promenade production. Pulling off a solid performance is a feat in and of itself... Add on top of that passing planes, rogue children/ducks/otters, honking geese, passing trucks, surprise weddings, and whatever weather the skies can throw our way, all whilst attempting to safely shepherd 30 audience members to our various locations... Well, it sounds like a pretty glorious challenge to me!
Secondly, I did martial arts as a youngster, and although I'm not in favour of real violence, I'm a big fan of stage combat! This was highly emphasised in the audition brief, and throughout the production we have gotten to work with Claire Llewellyn, an Associate Teacher at one of London's premiere stage combat clubs: RC-Annie.

What’s your favourite line spoken by your character – or any other - in the show?  No spoilers, please!
There are a few lines in this show that bring a smile to my face or give me chills, but out of context, they might not make a lot of sense to an innocent reader. This being said, one of my favourite lines in reference to Robin is, "Outlaw, yes, but never 'common'. He is but one in all the world."  I like it because of its simple truth, and through it we get a glimpse of the astounding love that Marian feels for Robin.

What’s your favourite thing about working in the theatre?  
There are loads of things that appeal to me about a career in theatre. My current favourite thing is the people one meets both off and on the stage. Casts come together quickly and, through performing together, the acts of vulnerability and trust give way to a sense of cameraderie like nothing I've ever experienced.

And your least favourite?
For what one gains in an ever-changing, fast-paced, fulfilling, creative career choice, one loses out in stability and security. Financial concerns are prevalent among actors - particularly those recently embarked upon this life path. Fortunately, such tribulations only enhance creativity and resourcefulness.

Tell us why we should come and see the show in two sentences or less!
You know the legend. Now become immersed in it.

Tickets for Robin Hood - at 6.30pm or 8.15pm on Thursdays and Fridays throughout June, from Thursday 9th June until Friday 1st July - are available from the Wetland Centre website HERE.

Robin Hood's Crowdfunding Campaign

Robin Hood Crowdfunding 2016 from Shadow Road on Vimeo.

 

Our crowdfunding campaign for our brand new production of Robin Hood at the London Wetland Centre has now begun and, with 28 days to go, we have already raised £415!  HUGE thanks to all of our lovely contributors - we really couldn't do this without you.

 

We've assembled an exciting selection of perks for the campaign so if you're at all interested in supporting independent theatre and important conservation work, or in the Wetland Centre, any of the cast and crew, Robin Hood, stage combat or many other excellent things, perhaps you'd like to pop over to our Campaign Page on Crowdfunder.co.uk and take a look? :-)

 

You can also see some of our £10 pledge thank you videos on the Shadow Road Vimeo page.  Hope watching them amuses you as much as making them amused us!  Who knows, we could be making one for you soon, too... ;-)

 

Tickets for the show - at the London Wetland Centre at 6.30pm or 8.15pm on Thursdays and Fridays throughout June, from Thursday 9th June until Friday 1st July - are available from the Wetland Centre website HERE.

 

We hope to see you there! :-)

Robin Hood!

And the word is officially out - our summer show at the London Wetland Centre will be a new, promenade production of Robin Hood! 

Written (by yours truly!) specifically for the Centre, it will be an exciting evening out in beautiful surroundings. We'd be delighted if you would join us, Robin Hood and his men, the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham and his minions and the hopeful people of Loxley, for this immersive adventure on Thursday and Friday evenings throughout June.

With the King absent, corruption and injustice are rife in England.  The country cries out for a champion - and in the heart of the Greenwood, a legend stirs...

Dates: 9 (Previews), 10 (Press Night), 16, 17, 23, 24 & 30 June and 1 July.
Times: 6.30pm or 8pm - there will be two performances each night.
Tickets will cost £20 and will soon be available from the Wetland Centre website.

We look forward to seeing you there! :-)

P.S. Despite our deep and abiding faith in the English summer weather, we can't help thinking that you might still want to bring an umbrella with you.  Just in case... ;-)