Tales Retold

ESTELLA

Presented by Theatre6 and Tales Retold.

This radical and imaginative adaptation of Great Expectations dives into the heart of literature’s most unforgettable heroine - Estella.

“I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.”
Estella, Great Expectations

This re-envisioning of Dickens‘ best-loved novel, led by a band of three actor musicians, follows the story of Estella’s astonishing self-discovery. Against a backdrop of live original music and visual theatre making, audiences will witness the true nature of Estella’s relationship with Miss Havisham and her desperation to discover her real Mother’s identity. In this radical re-working, will Pip and Estella be together forever? Will Estella finally be able to leave her dark past behind and step into the light?

★★★★★
“Brave, brilliant and unmissable. I urge you to buy a ticket.”
The Times (on The Scottsboro Boys)

Co-produced by multi-award winning Theatre6 (The Scottsboro Boys – West End, Persuasion, Gabriel) and Tales Re-told (Uncle Vanya, Antigone, More Light), adapted by Kate McGregor with live original music by Maria Haik Escudero and production design by Charlotte Cooke. We collectively believe in the importance of placing diverse female perspectives at the heart of what we create – generating new equity through the re-working of classic tales.

This production was presented as a mini tour at Brighton Open air theatre, Riverhouse Barn and Omnibus Clapham.

Director Kate Mcgregor
Producer- Cas Hodges
Designer- Charlotte Cooke

Cast
Estella- Afia Abushman
Miss Havisham- Annabelle Brown
Pip/ ensemble- Olivia Warren

FACES OF THE DEAD

by John Foster

Award winning short film
by John Foster

'Sketching murder victims....nice?'

A forensic artist must draw the face of a cold case victim, but first she must connect with the serial killer who the victim last saw.

Official selection at Direct Monthly Online Film Festival, Independant Shorts Awards, London International Monthly Film Festival, Art Film Awards, Manchester Lift Off Festival, London Short Series Festival and awarded an Honourable Mention for Best Crime Drama at the Independent Shorts Awards in Los Angeles.

Director- Rich Whitby
Producer- Cas Hodges and Ian Taylor

Cast

Matt Houlihan- Jaxon
Cassandra Hodges- Laura
Ellio Benn- Police officer

PARADISE ROAD

by James Stone

Presented as part of Bites and Scratches at the Park Theatre and Sheffield Library Theatre.

Something has happened.
Helen Hutchinson is helping the police with their enquiries.
Detective Inspector Simpson asks her to go back to the day the Sarafians arrived. Back to when…
Helen and her husband, Richard, open their London home to asylum seekers from Iraq.
Vartan and Sabelle Sarafian are a surprise. Originally from Mosul, well educated and speaking excellent English – they are not at all what Helen and Richard were expecting.
As their story unfolds and the two couples become friends, Helen begins to suspect the Sarafians are not quite what they appear to be.
But then, who is?

Director and Writer- James Stone

Cast
Sabelle Sarafian- Susie Celensu
Vartan Sarafian- DK Ugonna
Richard Hutchinson- Edd Bower
Helen Hutchinson- Cassandra Hodges

UNCLE VANYA

Tales Retold presents Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov in an abridged version based on Brendan Murray’s adaptation at The Hope Theatre.

“When real life is wanting one must create an illusion. It is better than nothing.”

Uncle Vanya’s learned brother-in-law returns to the family estate with his new young wife, Yelena. This is enough to break the fragile surface tension, the thin layer of delusion, which thus far has contained the more toxic realities of family life. Drink flows, and soon father, daughter, uncle and all become embroiled in a passionate crescendo of domestic unrest - opening wounds, breaking hearts and putting the future of the whole estate in peril.

Following its acclaimed, 5 star, all-female production of Antigone, Tales Retold returns to the Hope with a new, reduced version of this Chekhov classic. In a tense and richly distilled study of the dysfunctional family, this production engages with the inherent bleak humour of the piece - a portrait of stagnant domesticity in Nineteenth Century Russia, which still chimes rather uncomfortably today.

Previous reviews for Tales Retold productions:

‘The adaptation by Brendan Murray is taut & beautifully rendered’ London Pub Theatres

‘It thoroughly intrigued me from start to finish’ There Ought to be Clowns

‘Lively and futuristic all-female take on an ancient classic’ The Stage

‘For audience members out for an evening’s intense drama, nothing could be more rewarding’ British Theatre Guide

Director- James Stone
Stage Manager- Jessica Binfield

Cast

Uncle Vanya- Adrian Wheeler
Sonya- Cassandra Hodges
Astrov- DK Ugonna
Yelena- Esme Mahoney
Marina- Gilly Daniels
Professor Serebryakov-Rory McCallum

ANTIGONE

by Sophocles, in a new adaptation by Brendan Murray

When the law forbids burying the dead, what man would dare disobey?
No man.
But one woman.
Antigone.

When Antigone goes against the law of the land in burying her brother, she sets in motion a chain of events leading to the shattering of her family and the downfall of the house of Oedipus.

Presented by a an all-female cast of 5, this physical, musical and hauntingly beautiful retelling of the classic tale shins a new light on Sophocles’ depiction of a patriarchal society.

Tales Retold presents a new adaptation by multi-award winning writer Brendan Murray with original choral music by Maria Haik Escudero and directed by The Hope Theatre’s Offie nominated Artistic Director Matthew Parker.

Cast
Amanda Bailey – Creon/Chorus
Holly Campbell – Ismene/Boy/Messenger/Chorus
Cassandra Hodges – Antigone/Chorus
Hester Kent – Soldier/Teiresias/Chorus
LJ Reeves – Haemon/Euridice/Chorus

Crew
Writer- Brendan Murray
Producer- Amy Alexander for Tales Retold
Director- Matthew Parker
Set & Costume Design- Rachael Ryan
Lighting Design- Tom Kitney
Sound Design- Paul Freeman
Stage Manager- Jo Abram
Assistant Director- Phil Croft
Associate Lighting Designer- Markus
Musical Director- Maria Haïk Escudero
Casting Director- Benjamin Newsome
Publicity Design- Luke Adamson, Laura Harling and Ben Galpin

ERNEST OR MUCH ADO ABOUT MUFFINS

adapted by Phil Jacobs

Two girls fall in love with two guys believing that they're both called Ernest. When it turns out that they're actually called Algy and Jack, the girls fall promptly out of love again. Can anything be done to re-unite the lovers or is a passionate celibacy all they have to look forward to? See this sparkling new version of the Oscar Wilde classic to find out.

'A refreshingly fun take on a classic' (ThePublicReviews.com).

'Hugely entertaining' (TheGoodReview.co.uk).

'If you're a fan of the musical fringe, don't miss it' (MusicalTheatreReview.com).

'A must see' ***** (MouthLondon.com).

Ernest or Much Ado About Muffins was performed at C cubed, Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh Festival.

Director - Pamela Schermann
Producer- Phil Jacobs
Gwendolen- Cassandra Hodges
Lady Bracknell- Amanda Bailey
Cecily- Catherine Haywood
Algernon- Simon Kingsley
Jack- Thomas Dawkins
Miss Prism- Gillian Steventon
Dr Chasible- Brian Easty

MORE LIGHT

by Snoo Wilson

Giordano Bruno was burned as a heretic by the Catholic Church, but he still haunts the dreams of the Pope. In these dreams, Bruno escapes to a British heaven, governed by an eternal Queen Elizabeth I. Can Bruno escape the fires and consummate a mystical marriage with the Queen of Heaven? Will a new farce by a female Shakespeare be a success? A witty and satirical take on the works of Shakespeare, performed in the heart of London on the foundations of the Bard's original home. More Light is a surreal and comedic play, revelling in the arcane, the occult, and the irrational. Magic, creativity, and sexual activity are shown to be capable of releasing immense energies that can rupture the structures of the status quo, opening up new possibilities. Snoo Wilson is noted for his ability to fuse social criticism with a surrealistic style that is highlighted with bold strokes of theatricality. This revival of More Light, last produced in 1987 at The Bush Theatre, revels in the surreal and the abstract, travelling to the stars by way of Giordano Bruno's memory palace, the Elizabethan stage and a lowly scarab beetle...

Rose Bankside

Director - Chris Hislop
Producers- Benn Cody and Tom Tucker
Designer- Mike Lees
Stage Manager- Cosmo Cooper

Cast
Elisabeth 1 - Cassandra Hodges
Giodarno Bruno- Jackson Wright
Barmaid- Leanna Wigginton
Shakespeare- Claire Jared
Pope- Neil Chinneck
Doctor Dee- Rob Lyndon

THE TRAGEDY OF SOLIMAN AND PERSEDA

By Thomas Kyd

Soliman elects to invade Rhodes, in the process capturing Perseda, with whom he, too, falls hopelessly in love. Perseda and Erastus are reunited and Soliman is forced to view the two young infidels not as friend and consort, but as embarrassing enemies. Plotting the death of Erastus, Soliman sets his own eventual downfall in motion.

Director - Sophie Hickman
Producer - Laura Perryman
Assistant Director- Matthew Parker

Cast
Soliman- Israel Oyelumade
Perseda- Cassandra Hodges
Erastus- Ben Galpin
Piston- Mike Lindsey
Basilisco- Carsten Hayes
Fates-
Love- Eve Winters
Fortune- Kaye Conway
Death- Maya Thomas
Lucina- Carly Jukes
Brusor- Steve Barden
French Knight- Alex Devrient
English Knight- Sam Benjamin
Welsh Knight- John Triggs

THE COMPANY

Who are we?

CAS HODGES - Artistic Director

Cas is founder and Artistic Director of Tales Retold. She is an Actress and Producer from Surrey. She read English and Drama at Sussex University and Drama Studio London. Producing includes: Estella (Theatre 6 mini tour), Uncle Vanya (The Hope Theatre), Soliman and Perseda, More Light (Rose, Bankside), Much Ado About Nothing (Rose and Crown in Ealing) and Safer (Tristan Bates Theatre), A Scent of Flowers, The Cherry Orchard (DogOrange: Brockley Jack) The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show (London, Brighton and Edinburgh). She co created and produced outdoor summer company Permanently Bard (Twelfth Night at the Rose and Crown and Rose Bankside). She was awarded Arts Council funding for a Research and Development project Leaper: A Fish Tale with Hal Chambers at Tucked In Productions. Recent projects include: West End Transfer of Lovesong of the Electric Bear which won three Off West End Awards and Associate Producer on Steel Magnolias, Assistant on Brimstone and Treacle (The Hope Theatre) which has just won a Break a Leg Award for Best Production.

Cas is a graduate of the Stage One Scheme for new producers: stageone.uk.com.

She worked for Ambassador Theatre Group in Marketing and for Film Producer Norma Heyman (The Thirteenth Tale, Mrs Henderson Presents). She is also a drama coach and teaches LAMDA exams.

LAURA PERRYMAN- Co Founder

Laura is co founder of Tales Retold and trained at Bretton Hall (University of Leeds), gaining a BA (Hons) in Dramaturgy. During this time, she worked as a Research/Production Dramaturg on varied projects including A Woman of No Importance and Eclipsed. Further training after university includes The Young Playwrights Course at the Royal Court Theatre, two years as a script reader for the Windsor Fringe Writing Festival and placements include stage/company management with the English Touring Theatre, Nick Brooke Ltd, and Theatre Royal Bath, Ambassadors Theatre Group. Laura now lives in Devon and works for the NHS. She is still a huge inspiration to us as a company.

AMANDA BAILEY - Associate Producer

Amanda is an actor, teacher, producer and director, with an MA in Theatre & Contemporary Practice (University of Hull), BA (Hons) in Theatre Arts & English (University of Exeter), and PGCE in English with Drama (University of Sussex). She has over 20 years’ experience of teaching students of all ages up to A Level, and her directorial credits include Little Shop of Horrors, The Rivals, and Macbeth.

Amanda also trained as an actor at The Bridge Theatre Training Company. Notable credits include Anna Moll in The Dedication (White Bear), Rosaline in Sidney Fox’s Crime and Rose in The Good Scout (Above The Stag), Ethel Gumm in Judy! (Hippodrome and Arts Theatre), Creon in Antigone (The Hope), Maid in Blood Wedding (Bread and Roses), Mrs Birling in An Inspector Calls (regional tour), Mrs Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (St James Theatre), and Angelo in Measure for Measure (The Cockpit). Amanda can currently be seen on Amazon Prime in Pups Alone: Pomeranian Christmas and heard in The Soul Breaker on Audible.

Show History

Estella, Co Production with Theatre 6, 2021 Dir Kate McGregor

Flesh, Co Production with Riverhouse Barn, 2020 Dir David Rowan

Uncle Vanya, The Hope Theatre, 2019 Dir James Stone

Paradise Road, Library Theatre Sheffield, 2018 Dir James Stone

Antigone, The Hope Theatre, 2016 Dir Matthew Parker

Ernest or Much Ado About Muffins, Co Production Edinburgh Festival 2013 Dir Pamela Schermann

Safer, Tristan Bates Theatre, 2010 Dir Benjamin Bate

More Light by Snoo Wilson, Rose Bankside, 2010 Dir Chris Hislop

Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare in the Garden, 2010 Dir Sharon Willems

The Tragedy of Soliman and Perseda, Rose Bankside, 2009 Dir Sophie Hickman

GET IN CONTACT

What are you waiting for? Let’s work together.

Contact Cas Hodges

cassietalesretold@gmail.com

07834697433