ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
ALAN COX
A native of Canterbury , the mercurial playwright and son of a cobbler was educated at The King ' s School , Europe ’ s oldest public school . In a sympathetic nod to his founding years , The Marlowe Sessions will be presented at the school ’ s Malthouse Theatre and produced by L6L21 , with a constellation of additional star names joining the project will be announced over the coming days .
An award-winning £ 13million renovation , the Malthouse Theatre is a stunning converted 19th-century malt house in Canterbury which celebrates the industrial building ' s original steel , brick and timber structure . The city ’ s newest arts venue boasts a 334-seat theatre , dance and drama studios , dressing rooms and an impressive entrance foyer .
On 3rd and 4th June , the first Marlowe Session will take place with Dido , Queen of Carthage ; the rarely told story of the intensity of human passion . On 5th , 12th and 19th June , The Poetry of Christopher Marlowe will celebrate Marlowe as one of the most dramatic poets of his time .
The 10th and 11th June brings to life The Jew of Malta , a fast-moving tale of violent conflict between Christians , Jews and Turks .
The 10th and 11th June will also see performances of Tamburlaine The Great Part One , a play in two parts and a milestone in Elizabethan public drama .
Edward The Second , Marlowe ’ s dramatisation of events in the reign of the historical Edward II , King of England from 1307-27 will be on 17th and 18th June , with performances of Tamburlaine The Great Part Two on the same dates .
The month of Marlowe Sessions comes to its pinnacle with one of Marlowe ’ s best loved works - the Elizabethan tragedy Doctor Faustus - and The Massacre At Paris on 24th and 25th June .
The productions are supported by a roll call of leading entertainment and theatrical creatives .
The Marlowe Sessions are exec produced by Immersive Audio director Ray Mia , coproducer Iain S . Bruce , and a team of creative heavyweight performance directors in Phillip Breen ( Royal Shakespeare Company ), Stephen Unwin ( Rose Theatre ), and Dr Abigail Rokison- Woodall ( Shakespeare Institute ), with original
music composed by Tarek Merchant ( Hex / The Merchant of Venice ), and sound design by the BAFTA award-winning Tudor Davies .
The show designer is award-winning Ti Green ( Bristol Old Vic / Barbican ), with graphics by the acclaimed contemporary portrait artist Lorna May Wadsworth . The casting directors are the industry leading Ginny Schiller CDG and Annelie Powell CDG .
The project includes widespread community , academic and creative support across Canterbury , Kent . Rehearsals will be taking place at The Marlowe Theatre with academic guidance provided by the editorial team of The Oxford Marlowe Project at The University of Kent in collaboration with the university ' s The Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries ( iCCi ).
This is a once in a 400-year opportunity to be a part of a never before produced series of iconic material , that is set to reframe our understanding of Elizabethan drama , and Christopher Marlowe ’ s place in literary history , all geared towards creating an innovative and original series of Immersive Audio Theatre performances to be enjoyed for the next 400 years .
Limited tickets are on sale now , visit www . malthousetheatre . co . uk / the-marlowe-sessions
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