‘Heartbreak Soup’ tours UK
6 June 2011
Inspired by writer and director Laura Lindow's experiences as a 'clown doctor' working in a hospital in the north-east of England, 'Heartbreak Soup' follows the life and times of Cuddy Gill, the blue boy, born with a damaged heart. Through playful physicality and beautiful puppetry, the play deals sensitively with the complex issues surrounding organ transplantation - both life and death. The result is an extraordinary performance that inspires laughter and tears from audiences of all ages.
Although the characters of the play are fictional and the situation is imagined, Laura Lindow explains that: "The medical backdrop, and emotional journey of the play are based in reality, on the real-life superheroes on both sides of the transplant deal."
'The Stage' magazine said of the show: "Lindow's writing captures beautifully the strange mix of hard logic and flights of fancy present in an 11-year-old mind struggling to make sense of a very adult situation - making this show as moving for grown-ups as it is captivating for children."
The 2011 tour follows a critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe season in 2008 and a limited tour that saw the show play to packed houses including sold-out appearances at the Take Off Festival of Theatre for Children and Young People, and nominations for Total Theatre Awards and The Journal Culture Award for Writer of the Year.
Heartbreak Soup is produced by The Empty Space, an organisation dedicated to producing and developing work in the north of England. The Children's Heart Federation, a national charity devoted to improving the quality of life of children living with heart disease, are collaborating with The Empty Space to support young heart patients and their classmates to see 'Heartbreak Soup'. The production has been made possible by generous support from the Wellcome Trust and Arts Council England.
Listings
ARC, Stockton-on-Tees
7 and 8 June, 10.00 and 13.00
Tickets: £8 (£5)
The Maltings, Berwick-upon-Tweed
10 June, 10.00
Tickets: £5 (students £4.50/teachers FREE) |
Book online
Tristan Bates Theatre, London
13 June, 19.30
14-17 June, 10.30 and 13.00
Tickets: £10 (£8) | Box office: 020 7240 6283 |
Book online
Carriageworks, Leeds
20 June, 19.00
21-22 June, 11.00
Tickets: £8.50 (£6.50) |
Book online
Whitby Hall, Ellesmere Port
24 June, 10.30 and 19.00
25 June, 14.00
Tickets: £8 (£5) | Box office: 0151 357 2120
Tristan Bates Theatre, London
28 June, 30 June and 1 July, 10.30 and 13.00
29 June, 10.30 and 19.30
Tickets: £10 (£8) | Box office: 020 7240 6283 |
Book online
Image: A production image from ‘Heartbreak Soup’. Credit: The Empty Space.
