The Children's Monologues

Last updated

The Children's Monologues
Childrens Monologue.jpg
Company Dramatic Need
Date of premiere14 November 2010 (2010-11-14)
Location Old Vic Theatre
Creative team
Director Danny Boyle
Writers Lynn Nottage
Bola Agbaje
Polly Stenham
Dennis Kelly
Anya Reiss
Zawe Ashton
Joel Horwood
Gabriel Bisset-Smith
Jamie Minoprio
Oladipo Agboluaje
Roy Williams
Music byPaul Gladstone-Reid
[ www.dramaticneed.org/monologues.php Official website]

The Children's Monologues is a theatrical performance featuring the adapted stories of children's first-hand experiences in South Africa. It was directed by Danny Boyle and first produced as a one-off charity performance in November 2010 at the Old Vic Theatre in London in aid of Danny Boyle's arts charity Dramatic Need. An anniversary performance was produced the Royal Court Theatre in London on 25 October 2015 as an anniversary gala, and it premiered in New York City at Carnegie Hall in 2017. The shows were also produced at theatres in South Africa around the same times.

Contents

Synopsis

The Children's Monologues soliloquise the testimonies and re-lived memories of young people in South Africa, some still small children. Some struggled with horrible realities of death and violence, while others shared cherished moments of rare and short-lived happiness. The monologues ranged from light hearted tales of birthday parties and the joy of birthday oranges, to a redemptive tale of a gangster-gone-good to absolutely harrowing, brutally raw stories of rape and violation. [1]

History of performances

The Children's Monologues includes elements of music, dance, and the visual arts. [2] The show was produced by Amber Sainsbury at Old Vic Theatre in London on 14 November 2010 as a one-off, in aid of Danny Boyle's arts charity Dramatic Need, which operates in Rwanda and South Africa, helping young people to come to terms with trauma and conflict. [3]

The first-hand accounts of the children were adapted by a number of playwrights, retold and re-interpreted by and performed by actors such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sir Ben Kingsley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston, Kit Harington, Gemma Arterton, and Eddie Redmayne, and directed by Boyle. [4] [5] [6]

The show was reprised at the Royal Court Theatre on 25 October 2015 as an anniversary gala, again for the benefit of Dramatic Need, directed by Boyle and associate director Gbolahan Obisesan. [7]

In 13 November 2017 The Children's Monologues was once again performed in aid of Dramatic Need, this time starring a mostly new cast, which included a number of American stars, such as Jessica Chastain. [8] As in previous years, the show was also staged in South Africa on 13 November, at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. This performance featured an all-female cast of actors from across Africa, as well as by children from rural South Africa. [2] The Via Vyndal Pantsula Dance Crew made their appearance outside South Africa, and Kenny Leon co-directed the performance. The show lasted for three hours. [9]

Casts

2010 cast

The cast of The Children's Monologues (2010) The Children's Monologues cast (2010).jpg
The cast of The Children's Monologues (2010)

2015 cast

The 2015 cast included: [7]

2017 cast

The 2017 cast included: [11]

Production

Writers

Contributing writers include: [7]

Also listed in 2017 were: [11]

Music

The music for the 2010 event was arranged by British composer Paul Gladstone-Reid MBE. [12] He incorporated original recordings of the children reading their stories in Sesotho and Tswana into the score. [13]

In 2015, British rapper Little Simz, FKA Twigs, and classical pianist James Rhodes performed. [10]

The 2017 performance at Carnegie hall featured a number of teenagers from across the city, invited by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music. There were also performances by singer and double bassist Esperanza Spalding and Little Simz. [2] Cynthia Erivo and Sheku Kanneh-Mason also performed in the production. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Boyle</span> English director and producer (born 1956)

Daniel Francis Boyle is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and its sequel T2 Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, Steve Jobs, and Yesterday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Macdonald</span> Scottish actress

Kelly Macdonald is a Scottish actress. Known for her performances on film and television, she has received various accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephanie Cole</span> English stage, television, radio and film actress (born 1941)

Patricia Stephanie Cole is an English stage, television, radio and film actress, known for high-profile roles in shows such as Tenko (1981–1985), Open All Hours (1982–1985), A Bit of a Do (1989), Waiting for God (1990–1994), Keeping Mum (1997–1998), Doc Martin (2004–2009), Cabin Pressure (2008–2014), Still Open All Hours (2013–2019), Man Down (2014–2017) and as Sylvia Goodwin in ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2011–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiwetel Ejiofor</span> British actor (born 1977)

Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor is a British actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, and a Laurence Olivier Award, with nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedict Cumberbatch</span> English actor (born 1976)

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and four Golden Globes. In 2014, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2015, he was appointed a CBE for services to performing arts and charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber Sainsbury</span>

Amber Sainsbury is a New Zealand actress, philanthropist, and producer. She starred in the Sky One series Hex (2005). She is a founder of the charity Dramatic Need.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Ovenden</span> British actor (born 1976)

Julian Mark Ovenden is an English actor and singer. He has starred on Broadway and West End stages, in television series in both the United Kingdom and United States, in films, and performed internationally as a concert and recording artist.

The Dracula Society is a London-based literature and travel group with an interest in supernatural and macabre works of fiction, as exemplified by Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Lolita Chakrabarti is a British actress and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wunmi Mosaku</span> British-Nigerian actress (born 1986)

Oluwunmi Mosaku is a Nigerian-born British actress. She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries Moses Jones (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series Vera (2011–2012). She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gloria Taylor in the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy (2016). In 2019, she starred in the fifth series of Luther. In 2020, she starred as Ruby Baptiste in HBO's Lovecraft Country, and starting in 2021, starred as Hunter B-15 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Loki.

Daniel Mays is an English actor having had roles in EastEnders (2000), Pearl Harbor, All or Nothing, Vera Drake (2001), Rehab (2005), Shifty, Red Riding (2008), Made in Dagenham, Ashes to Ashes (2010), Outcasts (2011), Mrs Biggs, Byzantium (2012), Line of Duty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Des and White Lines (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dramatic Need</span>

Dramatic Need was a UK-registered charity established in 2007 that sent international arts professionals to host workshops in underprivileged and rural communities in Rwanda and South Africa. The charity promoted creative expression as a tool for conflict resolution, social development, gender empowerment, and the assimilation of health messages in underprivileged communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Darvill</span> British actor

Thomas Arthur Darvill is an English actor. He is known for portraying Rory Williams, a companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series Doctor Who (2010–2012), as well as Rip Hunter in Legends of Tomorrow and Rev. Paul Coates in Broadchurch (2013–2017). From 2013 to 2014, he appeared in the lead role in the theatre musical Once in the West End and on Broadway. He played Curley in the West End revival of Oklahoma!, for which he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kit Harington</span> English actor (born 1986)

Christopher Catesby Harington, known professionally as Kit Harington, is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019), for which he received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Snook</span> Australian actress (born 1987)

Sarah Ruth Snook is an Australian actress. She is best known for her starring role as Shiv Roy in the HBO drama series Succession (2018–2023), for which she won two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

<i>Frankenstein</i> (2011 play) Stage adaptation by Nick Dear of the novel of the same name

Frankenstein is a stage adaptation by Nick Dear of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.

The 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Awards were announced on 20 November 2011. The shortlist was revealed on 7 November 2011 and the longlist on 19 October 2011.

The 2010 Evening Standard Theatre Awards were announced on 29 November 2010. The shortlist was revealed on 22 November 2010 and the longlist on 25 October 2010.

Levi David Addai is a British playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for the award-winning Damilola, Our Loved Boy, the critically acclaimed Youngers and his stage plays 93.2FM and Oxford Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Jephta</span> South African playwright, screenwriter and theatre director

Amy Jephta is a South African playwright, screenwriter, theatre director, and teacher.

References

  1. ↑ Green, Scarlett (16 November 2010). "The Childrens Monologues- Old Vic – 14 November 2010". Word Press. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Viagas, Robert (8 November 2017). "Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain Join Carnegie Hall Children's Monologues Benefit". Playbill. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Old Vic hosts one-off Dramatic Needs charity show". BBC News. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "The Children's Monologues". The Crossed Cow. 16 November 2010. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  5. ↑ "The Children's Monologues". brownpapertickets.com. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Dramatic Need :: The Children's Monologues". Dramatic Need. November 2010. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 "Danny Boyle Presents: Children's Monologues". Royal Court. 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "Queue-it". inline.carnegiehall.org. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  9. ↑ Scheck, Frank (14 November 2017). "Critic's Notebook: An All-Star Cast Performs 'The Children's Monologues' at Carnegie Hall". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  10. 1 2 Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (11 October 2015). "Hollywood actors to perform children's monologues in new Danny Boyle play". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 "Queue-it". inline.carnegiehall.org. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Brown Paper Tickets". Brown Paper Tickets. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "Boyle Directs Stellar Cast in Old Vic Monologues". WhatsOnStage.com. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2024.


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.