27th September to 1st October 2005
Produced & directed by members of the company
Supernova is a festival of new work performed by the Bench which involves a huge number of people in it's writing, direction, case and crew.
2005 will be the third time that the Bench has staged such a show; with each outing is has grown and we anticipate that this year will be bigger than ever.
As before the audience will be given the chance each evening to vote on which play they preferred, and the selected plays will be reprised on the Saturday evening.
To encourage audiences to see as many of the plays as they are able, a special 4-night ticket is available.
Supernova exploded into life in 2000, when it was suggested that members of the Bench who enjoy writing plays would have the opportunity to see their work staged. From that innocuous sounding proposal, a monster grew, and Supernova has been with us ever since.
Now, the project has become synonymous with opportunity, and is growing into a veritable festival of goodness. You would be hard pushed to find an amateur company of similar scale, or even larger, staging such an ambitious project with continued success.
The focus is still very much on new writing, but the notion of Supernova 2 to provide people with the opportunity to try something new, be it writing, backstage work, directing, performing, received a very positive response, and we are looking to do the same thing again.
So, if you would like to try your hand at some aspect of theatre for the first time, this is your chance. The Artistic Panel will soon be searching for, and cajoling, those people among us who might want to direct a production, or have some other involvement in the festival. "Inclusivity" is one of the festival's watchwords, and there will be chances aplenty for people to get involved in any capacity.
The success of Supernova is entirely dependent on the participation of everybody, and you will receive all the support you need in order to take part. And for those of you who prefer watching theatre to doing it, make a date in your diaries for September 27th to October 1st, for an unrivalled feast of variety, surprises, and quality entertainment. As in 2003, audience members will have the chance to vote for their favourite play in each evening, to be reprised on the final performance evening.
This year Supernova 3 is being opened up to all budding writers in Hampshire and West Sussex. Full Bench members can submit an unlimited number of one-act plays for free. Those outside the Bench will need to join the company temporarily in order to take part. We now offer a one-show membership for £5.
All submissions will be read and judged by the Artistic Panel, before a final decision is made. The finished line-up will be revealed at a Club Night in May.
Mum and Dad have retired and decided to reshape their lives when their daughter, Deborah, upsets their plans by returning home unannounced, having decided to leave her husband and children. Mum and Dad now have to decide how to deal with this unexpected situation.
Lorraine, a launderette attendant, and Angela, fantasise about Spain and the idyllic world of Angela's marriage. Alex a homeless dosser, is always in the launderette scrounging money and food. When it becomes clear that Angela's marriage is less than idyllic, the two women plot to make things better. For everybody.
A poignant snapshot of a chance encounter between lonely lives.
Matt really needs a job, he can’t even afford to buy food for his cat. However it’s the job interview from hell as his past returns to haunt him and it’s not just an interview, It's War! A comedy for anyone who has ever had to justify their existence!
And now for something completely different! Two completely original performances devised by two ensembles of actors from stimulus material by John Flanagan. The only limits are the imagination...
An act of violence leaves a man forever altered. Now, driven by love and hate in equal measure he seeks for a reckoning. But the lines between justice and revenge are blurred, how far will he go to find his answers? How much blood will quench his rage.
The world’s oldest profession becomes big business. As prostitution is legalised, a nervous first–timer decides to sample the no–longer–forbidden delights, only to discover that fears over litigation and health and safety have already taken their toll on the industry, much to his frustration.
Set in the 1980s when, to survive, businesses had to be bold and competitive. The buzz words were restructuring and downsizing. It was a time when employees needed to be flexible and able to move from job to job. Not everyone could cope.
Howard Davies died. But he got better. A thousand years in the future and earth is threatened with destruction. Howard Davies is the planets only salvation, unfortunately there were two men with that name and they've revived the wrong one. A comedy of cosmic proportions.
A political satire with comic references and echoes of cult-culture. Witness the rise of Rick Maelstrom from foppish, no-hope drop-out to megalomaniac leader - under the guidance of the enigmatic Mr Vandal. With the dastardly duo's plan on the verge of fruition Britain's only hope is politics undergraduate Marian Katz.
A man and a woman wake up together with no memory of each other or themselves. In the search for clues as to their identities, a large sum of money on the bedside table and a message on the answer phone lead them to an unsavoury conclusion.
Jack confesses to Martin, his brother about his affair with Angela, Martin's wife to be. But how did Martin find out about it? And what happened? Was there an accident? And who was involved? When Margaret, Jack's wife speaks of her relationship with Martin, things become clearer. Or do they?
An ageing comedian lies dying, reflecting on his life and trying to write that last great film. A fantasy homage to a man called Stanley Jefferson, known to the world as Stan Laurel, who with his partner Ollie, proved there has to be laughter till the end.
Saturdays line-up will be decided by audience vote during the week, with one play from each evening being selected to be reprised at the end of the week.