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Bear Pit's New Season starts with Head & Heart



Head & Heart at The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LU.  Wednesday 31 January - Saturday 3 February 2024. Written and Directed by Paul Greenwood.

Preview

 

The Bear Pit Theatre Company launches its 2024 season with a brand-new comedy from Paul Greenwood which was highly commended in the 2020 King Lear Prize.


As an actor, Paul has played many leading roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, also with the RSC at The Barbican. He's alsp starred in many more roles in London West End productions including starring as Grandpa Potts in a year-long national tour of the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He’s also appeared at Manchester’s Royal Exchange and many regional theatre companies as well as touring abroad.


Paul is no stranger to film work - roles include: Mike Leigh's Peterloo (Film 4 / Amazon Prime); Alan Bennett's A Day Out directed by Stephen Frears (BBC Films); and the Hammer Horror Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter. While his radio work includes playing Kevin Townsend in The Archers and Colonel Shawcross in Ambridge Extra.


He’s a regular face on our television screens. His television career includes playing the title role in the comedy series Rosie, for which he wrote and sang the title song. Other TV appearances include: Superintendent Yelland in Spender opposite Jimmy Nail; The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole; Our Friends in the North; Casualty; Holby City; Lewis; Heartbeat; Coronation Street; The Bill; Pie in the Sky; Father Brown; Midsomer Murders; Crossroads; Z Cars; and Doctors. 


Paul Greenwood appearances.


As a writer, Paul’s plays include Dancing in the Dark which was performed at Stratford’s Other Place as part of the 2000 RSC Fringe Festival. It also had a run at the Off-West End Gate Theatre in London. Paul’s new thriller Playing Dead is in development with a view to production in 2024. His play Head and Heart was highly commended in the 2020 King Lear Prize, which he now brings to The Bear Pit for our entertainment. He describes Head and Heart as 'a dramatisation of the process of creative writing.'


Head & Heart by Paul Greenwood coming to the Bear Pit Theatre.


It tells the story of Eve, a writer who is struggling with ideas. She begins by bringing characters on to the stage/page and attempting to make them interact in some way so that she can create a story. She tries various ideas, but nothing works. The characters talk back to her making suggestions and this leads to conflict.


Evelyn, who is Eve’s nemesis, alter ego, conscience and teacher, appears later in the play and she attempts to explain to Eve where she is going wrong. She makes suggestions and the characters sometimes side with her and sometimes with Eve. Eventually the characters begin to take over the writing of the story.


Early on in the play a gun is introduced. One of the rules of drama is that if a gun is brought on stage, it must be used.


To discover more about Paul Greenwood, go to: https://www.paulgreenwoodactor.com/


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