Alleluiah’s marital secrets gets mini-tour

After two fantastic nights at the Lost Theatre in February, I just couldn’t bring myself to put the lid on my 5 minute play ‘Alleluiah’. Stephanie James was stunning as Bridget, a woman on the cusp of adultery, walking the fine line between humour and pain brilliantly. So a mini-tour was born. (yes, let’s push the envelope – more than one performance qualifies as a tour!!)

Stephanie performed first at ‘Beyond  Words’ in Gipsy Hill, followed by another gig at Loose Muse at the Poetry Cafe. Audiences were warm and appreciative. Watch this space for news of further performances in the coming year.

If you missed the show, here’s a film of ‘Alleluiah’ courtesy of The Lost Theatre:

“ALLELUIAH” by Claire Booker – LOST Theatre 5-Minute Festival

Two bites at cherry for Bookerplays in Lost Theatre’s 5 Minute Festival

Robots, husbands and small bars of soap feature in two plays by Claire Booker which each won a place in the Finals Night of Lost Theatre’s Five Minute Festival earlier this month.

Thirty two short plays were inititally selected to be performed at the 7th annual 5 Minute Festival in Stockwell, south London, over four nights in front of a panel of industry judges. Ten plays won places into the Grande Finale.

Alleluiah was performed by Stephanie James, despite running a high fever on the night. She snatched victory from the jaws of the flu with her wonderfully nuanced performance as Bridget – a woman who shares a bed and bathroom with husband Barry – but not the secrets of her heart.

To view the 5 minute film of the play, please click on:

“ALLELUIAH” by Claire Booker – LOST Theatre 5-Minute Festival

Ever wondered what life would be life after the Bomb has dropped? Wonder no longer. The food’s unrelenting, the West Wing’s tiny and the staff are work-experience robots. Nuclear Bunker offers a comic take on life underground as Lady Kay (Victoria Otter) struggles to control her scheming robot Grimaldi (Michael Hutchinson) and his side-kick Sasha (Lucy Tippett).

To view the 5 minute film of Nuclear Bunker, please click on: “NUCLEAR BUNKER” by Claire Booker – LOST Theatre 5 Minute Festival

Lost Theatre is a purpose built 180 seater conveniently positioned on the Wandsworth Road (SW8 2JU) between Stockwell tube and Vauxhall tube/overground stations.  It has a vibrant and ecclectic programme throughout the year. As well as running the 5 Minute Festival, Lost also runs One Act and Solo festivals. If you’d like to know more about the Lost Theatre, or are interested in entering the One Act Festival (submissions now open) click on:  http://www.losttheatre.co.uk

Bookerplays head for the pulsing heart of Guildford

First Manchester, then Whitstable and most recently London – now Claire Booker’s short play ‘Harriet by the Swings’ is set for its home counties premiere!

If you’re in Guildford on Tuesday 19th February, get yourself down to The Bar Des Arts opposite the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre where the monthly word and music event, Pop Up Poetry, has a host of goodies in store.  Special guests will include Ernie Burns, Mel Jones, the Stokey Bard, plus ‘Harriet by the Swings’ and a second short play by Claire – ‘Rainbow Baby’.  For more details check the following link: http://www.facebook.com/PopUpPoets

Seats fill up at Loose Muse

And it’s all thanks to Loose Muse at Covent Garden’s Poetry Cafe – proving that networking really does makes the world go round. Pop Up Poetry host Jan Windle was reading her poetry there earlier this month on the same evening as ‘Harriet by the Swings’ and ‘Rainbow Baby’ were performed at the venue.  She and fellow Pop Up host Donall Dempsey liked what they saw. Bingo!

Claire’s two plays were also performed at Beyond Words at the Gipsy Hill Tavern, SE19 which meets on the first Tuesday of each month. For more details contact: beyond.words@aol.co.uk

Alex Gibson as Sam

Please click on the following link to see ‘Harriet by the Swings’ as filmed during its performance at the Lost Theatre, Stockwell:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHZOSlv2b0&hd=1

Carla Espinoza as Pam

“The actors did a fabulous job of conveying Claire Booker’s succinct script.”   Brett Evans, Editor Prole literary magazine.

Natalie Harper as Tam

Something sinister stirs in the playground – again!

Dark, dangerous and hungry – Harriet is every mother’s nightmare.  She’s
already played to packed houses in Manchester and Whitstable. Last week this monstrous creation was let loose again, as part of The Lost Theatre’s Five Minute Play Festival in Stockwell, London. 

‘Harriet by the Swings’ – a short play by Claire Booker – started life as a poem but soon developed its full dramatic potential as a five minute play.  It’s amazing what you can do in 300 seconds!  Particularly when you have talented young actors fighting your corner.

If you’d like to watch a film of the play then please click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHZOSlv2b0&hd=1

The role of Harriet was played by Rachel Crowther, whilst (from left to right) Alex Gibson, Natalie Harper and Carla Espinoza played a coterie of smug mums.

For more information about The Lost Theatre click: http://www.losttheatre.co.uk

To read the play in script form click:  http://www.bookerplays.co.uk