Chickenshed

Last updated

Chickenshed (also known as Chicken Shed or the Chicken Shed Theatre Company) is a British theatre company based in Southgate, London.

Contents

History

Chickenshed was founded by teacher Mary Ward and composer Jo Collins in 1974. Mary and Jo hosted their sessions in a disused chicken shed in Wrotham Park, kindly gifted to them by local landowner Lady Elizabeth Byng. The theatre troup went by “The Lady Elizabeth Theatre Workshop” for a while in her honour, but soon the name “Chicken Shed” stuck and the former was dropped. Chickenshed truly was founded in an old, disused chicken shed! After meeting John Bull in the 1980s, who ran local children’s home “Cheviots”, Chickenshed’s journey of true inclusion had well and truly begun.

Chickenshed Theatre Chickenshed Theatre.JPG
Chickenshed Theatre

Chickenshed has a purpose built theatre complex in Southgate which opened in 1994 after a national-scale fundraising effort, supported by the likes of Dame Judi Dench and Princess Diana of Wales. The theatre has four performance spaces: The Rayne Theatre which seating 300, a smaller Studio Theatre, and Amphitheatre and a Bar/restaurant that regularly hosts music and comedy evenings.

Chickenshed is registered as a charity under the name The Chickenshed Theatre Trust. In 1996, company founder Mary Ward was awarded the MBE for Services to the Arts followed in 1999, with a Creative Britons Award, to acknowledge her 25 years of work with the theatre, [1] while co-founder Jo Collins was awarded the MBE in the 2001 New Year's honours, for Services to Music. [2] Chickenshed has performed at a number of public events, including Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002. [3] A show to commemorate 100 years of J. M. Barrie's children's story Peter Pan was staged by the theatre company at the Albery Theatre, London in 2004, in order to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. [4]

Since 2000, Chickenshed has established 19 'Sheds' in the UK, Finland, New York,Shanghai and two in Russia. These Sheds have been set up and trained by Chickenshed but then go to run independently, linked to Chickenshed by a shared vision of inclusive practice and philosophy. [5]

Notable patrons of Chickenshed include Diana, Princess of Wales, Lord and Lady Rayne, Judi Dench, and Micheal Williams.

Notable alumni of Chickenshed's membership and education courses include Jamie Demetriou, Miriam-Teak Lee and Natasia Demetriou.

Education

Chickenshed present original and entertaining productions for young children, families, and adults, inspired by our community and the world around them. Chickenshed's membership programme comprises four Children's theatre groups and two Youth theatre groups for young people aged 5–21 years. They hold weekly theatre workshops for children, young people and adults.

Chickenshed take performing arts training to the next level, by bringing together young people from all social and economic backgrounds, cultures, and abilities to study creatively alongside each other. Over 200 students join the BTEC, Foundation Degree and BA courses every year.

Chickenshed's work incorporates many varied performing arts activities, and participants develop skills in acting, music and dance, as well as building a range of life skills such as teamwork, leadership, adaptability and interpersonal skills.

Music

The first musical writers for Chickenshed were Jo Collins and Anthony Filby, who together formed Colby music, through which they published a collection of musicals that Chickenshed performed. The music team has since greatly expanded. In December 1997, Chickenshed released a single, entitled "I Am In Love With The World", performed by children from the theatre. At bookmaker's odds of 4/1, the song was one of the contenders to become the UK Christmas number-one single. [6] However it reached only #15 in the chart, remaining in the Top 75 for six weeks. [7] The song was included on Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute , a charity album recorded following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana had been the royal patron of the theatre along with Dame Judi Dench. [1] [8]

Late 2003 saw the release of The Chicken Shed Album, a compilation that marked the 30th anniversary of the theatre company. Contributors to the album included supporters of the organisation, such as Cliff Richard, Emma Bunton, Bob Hoskins and Kenneth Branagh, as well as three tracks by Chicken Shed itself. Jo Collins & Chickenshed recorded a song, "Talk Through Me" for the 2007 show tunes album Over the Rainbow .

In 2023, Chickenshed auditioned for Britain's Got Talent, where they performed their own version of 'Wonder' by Naughty Boy and Emeli Sandé. After their performance, Alesha Dixon pressed her Golden Buzzer, sending the group directly through to the Semi-Finals. Amanda Holden remarked 'It was amazing, the choreography was fantastic [and] you were all in sync', with Alesha adding 'I love every single thing that you stand for and what you represent [as] inclusivity is so important'. In their Semi-Final, they performed 'If You're Out There' by John Legend. Alesha described the group as 'Incredible ambassadors for young people out there', with Bruno Tonioli adding 'This was a powerful message delivered straight from the heart'. They failed to reach the final. [9]

Discography

"Have A Heart At Christmas" (single, 1994)

  1. "Have A Heart At Christmas"
  2. "Rhapsody In Blue" (featuring Larry Adler)
  3. "I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise" (featuring Larry Adler & Issy van Randwyck)

"I Am In Love With The World" (single, 1997)

  1. "I Am In Love With the World"
  2. "Don't Know If I Believe In Christmas"
  3. "Little Tommy"
  4. "Chicken Menace"

The Chicken Shed Album (album, 2003)

  1. "Watch Me Come Alive" - Cliff Richard
  2. "As Far as the Eye Can See" - Gabrielle
  3. "I Am In Love With the World" - Chicken Shed
  4. "Sometimes" - Emma Bunton
  5. "The Wedding Dance" - Dmitry Sitkovetsky
  6. "Can I Love Him?" - Sam Brown
  7. "Bits and Pieces" - Bob Hoskins
  8. "Trail My Soul" - Chicken Shed
  9. "Looking For Love" - Richard O'Brien
  10. "Will It Happen To Me?" - Barbara Dickson
  11. "Elijah" - Kenneth Branagh
  12. "First Love" - Chicken Shed
  13. "Mad Little Sad Boy" - Kenneth Branagh
  14. "Still Waters" - Misty Oldland
  15. "We Need Each Other" - Elaine Paige
  16. "Dream a We Real Yew" - Kenneth Branagh

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Smith</span> British actress (1934–2024)

Dame Margaret Natalie Smith was a British actress. Known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles, she had an extensive career on stage and screen for over seven decades and was one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. She received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for six Olivier Awards. Smith is one of the few performers to earn the Triple Crown of Acting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judi Dench</span> English actress (born 1934)

Dame Judith Olivia Dench is a British actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage. Dench has garnered various accolades throughout a career that spans seven decades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, four British Academy Television Awards, six British Academy Film Awards, and seven Olivier Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Branagh</span> British actor and filmmaker (born 1960)

Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. His accolades include an Academy Award, four BAFTAs, two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Olivier Award. He was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 2012 Birthday Honours, and was given Freedom of the City in his native Belfast in 2018. In 2020, he was ranked in 20th place on The Irish Times' list of Ireland's greatest film actors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Jacobi</span> English actor (born 1938)

Sir Derek George Jacobi is an English actor. Jacobi is known for his work at the Royal National Theatre and for his film and television roles. He has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Bunton</span> English singer and media personality (born 1976)

Emma Lee Bunton is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the fact that she was the youngest member. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all time. The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2000, before reuniting for a greatest hits album (2007) and two concert tours: the Return of the Spice Girls (2007–2008) and Spice World (2019).

<i>All Is True</i> 2018 film by Kenneth Branagh

All Is True is a 2018 British historical film directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Ben Elton. It stars Branagh as playwright William Shakespeare. The film takes its title from an alternative name for Shakespeare's play Henry VIII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyndham's Theatre</span> Theatre in London

Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham. Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c. 1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the architect of six other London theatres between then and 1916. It was designed to seat 759 patrons on three levels; later refurbishment increased this to four seating levels. The theatre was Grade II* listed by English Heritage in September 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Doyle</span> Scottish film composer (born 1953)

Patrick Doyle is a Scottish composer and occasional actor best known for his film scores. During his 50-year career in film, television and theatre, he has composed the scores for over 60 feature films. A longtime collaborator of actor-director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work on films such as Henry V, Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, Carlito's Way, Quest for Camelot, and Gosford Park, as well as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Thor, Brave, Cinderella,Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Progress Theatre</span>

Progress Theatre is a local theatre company at Reading in England. It is a registered charity and it is a member of the Little Theatre Guild (LTG) and the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA).

Damage are a British R&B boy band who achieved success in the 1990s with eleven hit singles, including four top 10 successes on the UK Singles Chart. They have sold 4 million records worldwide. The band currently consists of Jade Jones, Rahsaan J Bromfield, Andrez Harriott, and Noel Simpson.

Gerard McCarthy is an actor from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Nigel John Hess is a British composer, best known for his television, theatre and film soundtracks, including the theme tunes to Campion, Maigret, Wycliffe, Dangerfield, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Badger and Ladies in Lavender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Duncan</span> Scottish-Canadian actress (born 1978)

Michelle Duncan is a Scottish-Canadian actress, known for Driving Lessons (2006), Atonement (2007) and The Broken (2008). She portrayed Shelley Stern in the biographical drama film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).

The 2008 British Academy Television Awards were held on 20 April at the London Palladium Theatre in London. The ceremony was broadcast live on BBC One in the United Kingdom. The nominations were announced on 18 March 2008. Drama Cranford received the most nominations with four, making Judi Dench the most nominated actress in BAFTA history for her work on TV and film combined. Long-running soap opera Coronation Street failed to earn a nomination. Bruce Forsyth received the Academy Fellowship Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Oram</span> British theatre set and costume designer

Christopher Oram is a British theatre set and costume designer.

Sarah Woodward is a British actress who won an Olivier Award in 1998 for Tom & Clem and was Tony nominated in 2000 for The Real Thing. Sarah is the daughter of actor Edward Woodward and his first wife, actress Venetia Barrett. She is sister of actor Tim Woodward, and actor, voice artist, and screenwriter Peter Woodward, and half-sister to actress Emily Woodward, whose mother is actress Michele Dotrice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Branagh filmography</span> List of films featuring Kenneth Branagh

The following is the filmography for actor, director, producer and screenwriter Kenneth Branagh.

<i>Murder on the Orient Express</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Kenneth Branagh

Murder on the Orient Express is a 2017 mystery film co-produced and directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green, based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. The film stars an ensemble cast with Branagh as Hercule Poirot, alongside Tom Bateman, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, and Daisy Ridley. The plot follows Poirot, a world-renowned detective, as he investigates a murder on the luxury Orient Express train service in the 1930s.

<i>Belfast</i> (film) 2021 film by Kenneth Branagh

Belfast is a 2021 British coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. The film stars Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan and Jude Hill. The film, which Branagh has described as his "most personal", follows a young boy's childhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the beginning of The Troubles in 1969.

References

  1. 1 2 "Entertainment Theatre founder wins award". BBC News. 18 May 1999. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  2. ↑ "Honours in the arts world". BBC News. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  3. ↑ "Thousands parade for Queen". BBC News. 4 June 2002. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  4. ↑ "Show marks 100 years of Peter Pan". BBC News. 19 December 2004. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  5. ↑ "Set up a Shed". ChickenShed. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  6. ↑ "Girl power triumphs for second Christmas". BBC News. 21 December 1997. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  7. ↑ Roberts, David, ed. (2005). British Hit Singles & Albums (18th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 104. ISBN   1-904994-00-8. Archived from the original on 18 May 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "Our History". ChickenShed. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2007.
  9. ↑ "Chickenshed Lose Out In Britain's Got Talent Semi Final". Enfield Despatch. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 29 May 2024.

51°38′40″N0°08′43″W / 51.64446°N 0.14521°W / 51.64446; -0.14521

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.