FEISTY GOAT THEATRE COMPANY
CONTRACTIONS
BY MIKE BARTLETT
Jersey Opera House Studio
19th - 22nd February 2010
Emma’s been seeing Darren. She thinks she’s in love. Her boss thinks she’s in breach of contract. The situation needs to be resolved…
Contractions is an ink-black comedy about the boundaries between work and play. The play premiered at the Royal Court Theatre on 29th May 2008. It was developed from an earlier radio play, Love Contract, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2007.
Contractions questions what people might willingly surrender for job security, and how much humanity one can really trade for profitability. This mordant satire is a sharp and near-plausible look at the effects of eroding privacy on Emma, whose personal life comes under increasingly uncomfortable scrutiny.
The proceedings begin amusingly enough, with the manager drawing Emma's attention to the firm's contractual definition of what constitutes a romantic or sexual relationship. But the temperature grows steadily more chilling as she quizzes the girl about her private relationship with a co-worker, Darren.
ABOUT MIKE BARTLETT
Mike Bartlett is multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Series two of Doctor Foster aired on BBC in 2017 as did his adaptation of his stage play King Charles III.
He was Associate Playwright at Paines Plough, Writer-In-Residence at the National Theatre, and Pearson Playwright in Residence at The Royal Court Theatre.
His play King Charles III won Critic’s Circle Award for Best New Play, Olivier Award for Best New Play and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best New Play. Love Love Love won Best New Play in the 2011 Theatre Awards UK, Cock won an Olivier Award in 2010 for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre, he won the Writer’s Guild Tinniswood and Imison prizes for Not Talking,, and the Old Vic New Voices Award for Artefacts.
His television series The Town was nominated for a BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent. Dcotor Foster also earned BAFTA nominations (Radio Times Audience Award, Best Mini-Series, Best Leading Actress – Suranne Jones (win). Bartlett won Outstanding Newcomer for British Television Writing at the British Screenwriters’ Awards 2016 for Doctor Foster.
FEISTY GOAT THEATRE COMPANY
(SMALL COMPANY. BIG IDEAS)
Feisty Goat Theatre Company was founded by Jersey actor, Rhona Richards, in October 2018 to provide a vehicle for local theatre makers who have trained and worked professionally to showcase their work.
RHONA RICHARDS
Rhona studied English and Drama at Exeter University and worked in theatre and television before getting a 'proper job' as a Barrister. After twelve years in the criminal and family courts, a move to Luxembourg allowed Rhona to return to theatre as a member of the international theatre company, The Story in Motion Project ( (www.storyinmotionproject.com). Most recently Rhona was part of Exploring Beckett, performing Not I, Footfalls and Catastrophe. She also performs regularly in The Virginia Monologues, a two-woman improvised show which premiered at the National Theatre of Luxembourg.
Rhona is a founder member of Jersey Youth Performing Arts, a charity providing free workshops and stage experience to young people in Jersey aged 9 to 18 years. Rhona has directed youth productions of James and the Giant Peach and Bugsy Malone. In 2020 she will direct a cast of 50 young people in Grease.
ANNIGNA KENNEDY
Originally from Basel, Switzerland, Annigna has an MA in Acting, Stage and Television from the Bavarian Academy Theatre August Everding in Munich. She is also a two time recipient of the Migros Culture Fund Switzerland Award.
Anningna is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Swiss German and has played leading roles in major theatres in Munich, Basel and Zurich. Annigna is also an accomplished screen actor with credits in many European films and television programmes.(www.littleriverpictures.com/showreel)
In 2011 Annigna started the film company, Little River Pictures,with her husband and fellow filmmaker, Tom Kennedy. Little River creates film and full-length documentaries and has a particular interest in human interest stories.
ALICE BRAVERY
Alice trained as a Theatre Maker and Actor at the University of York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television. In recent years she has been working as a Producer for cross-arts producing organisation, ArtHouse Jersey. Alice specialises in developing and supporting new work and facilitates artistic collaborations across disciplines.
Alice has a special interest in puppetry and recently helped to develop Jackie the Baboon, a new play by Brunskill and Grimes. She has also participated in workshops with Complicite, Forced Entertainment and Michele McMahon.
As an actor, Alice was recently cast in lead roles in three new plays which premiered in Jersey: Going Underground, The Curse of Canute and HOME. In 2018 Alice played Abigail in an open-air production of The Crucible performed in the grounds of Samares Manor.
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PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
TWO BY JIM CARTRIGHT
Two actors. Fourteen characters. One pub. A deeply poignant yet hilarious comedy about life, love and the human condition told over one night in a pub in the north of England. What will you be having then?
Two premieredat the Octagon Theatre, Bolton in 1989 before transferring to The Young Vic, London where it won the Manchester Evening News Best New Play Award.
'A sharply, salty, quick fire evocation of the surface gaiety and underlying melancholia of English pub life.' Michael Billington, Guardian
'This extraordinarily gifted and original voice...populates the space with broad humour, dry wit and often shudderingly and moving poetry.' Time Out
'Brilliantly, surrealistically and comically poetic.' Sunday Times
ABOUT JIM CARTWRIGHT
Jim Cartwright is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed playwright and screenwriter. His plays are consistently in production, have been translated into over 35 languages, and have been performed in most major theatres of the world, including the West End of London, Royal Court, National Theatre and Broadway.
His theatre works include, amongst many others, Road, Bed, Two, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, and Mobile Phone Show. His extensive television and film work includes Road, Johnny Shakespeare, Vroom, Wedded, and King of the Teds.
REVIEWS
'Two' by Jim Cartwright
“Two is a mixture of heart-wrenching moments and sweetly sentimental storylines and thanks to the emotional energy that Richards and Butler expend on stage, they portray all their characters in a wholly convincing manner…Two deserves at least four stars and – if you haven’t seen it yet your full attention.” Jersey Evening Post
"Can recommend this fabulously woven tapestry of drama that is profound in its array of characters. Well done Niki, the rest of the team and of course to Rhona and Terry for bringing a great performance to the stage."
"Two’ was awesome tonight. Really funny, really moving, really fab. Well done to all involved (Rhona Richards, Terry Butler, Mike and Niki Perchard) ...If you haven’t got your tickets, get them quick......don’t miss out! What a roller coaster of emotions!"
"Just seen this fantastic play. Great performance by both Rhona Richards and Terry Butler. On until Sat at the Opera House ,really recommend it"
"Wow, what a rollercoaster!! You certainly filled the stage...
Fantastic characters, convincingly played out and memorably emotional. Bravo Rhona Richards, Terry Butler and Dexter Kelly!! We LOVED it"
