Past Performances
The Tolmen Centre has built up an excellent reputation for presenting high-quality original drama. Miracle, Cube, Cscape, and Pipeline theatre companies are regular visitors both to perform and to develop new work. These are some of the productions we’ve featured at the Tolmen Centre over the past few years:
Saturday 29th February 2020
THE ASSEMBLY OF ANIMALS BY TIM SPOONER
THE ASSEMBLY OF ANIMALS comes to the Tolmen Centre for two performances. Part installation, part sculpture, and part puppetry performance, this is an exciting addition to our spring programme as part of the “Festival of Curious Puppetry”. The show, which is suitable for all ages from 3 upwards, lasts about half an hour, followed by an opportunity for audience members to explore the objects used and see how they function. The Assembly of Animals has been performed widely across the UK and Europe to audiences of all ages and has been part of the British Council Showcase, which takes standout shows from the Edinburgh Fringe to wider audiences. Performances at 2pm and 5pm Tickets £5 Book Online
Sunday 23rd February 2020
DRIP DRIP DRIP
By Pipeline Theatre
Following their introductory tour early last year, DRIP DRIP DRIP has been recast and rewritten for its new nationwide tour in 2020.
We are fortunate to have the only performance in Cornwall on this tour, as the company journeys across the country, ending with a long run at the Pleasance Theatre in London.
In its new form and with a new cast, the play retains it’s powerful examination of racism and political extremism, in the context of our beloved NHS in 2020.
As with all Pipeline’s work, and with Jon Welch’s writing, this is a play that merits seeing for a second time, especially as it has evolved in keeping with the changing circumstances facing the country and the NHS.
And if you missed it last time, grab the only chance to see it at The Tolmen Centre, Pipeline’s home venue – from where all their work has originated.
Saturday 8th February 2020
Tales from the Trees
Squashbox Theatre
‘Tales from the Trees’ is a terrific tangle of puppetry, storytelling, live music and comedy, with a theme that embraces natural history, folklore and ecology.
Listen! The trees have tales to tell. Meet some friendly forest creatures and encounter crazy characters from folklore and fairy tales!…
Tickets £5, Children £2.50, Family £12
Friday 24th January 2020
The Remains of Logan Dankworth
by Luke Wright
I believed that Fukayama line: the end of history. But History didn’t end, did it?
Logan Dankworth, columnist and Twitter warrior, grew up romanticising the political turmoil of the 1980s. Now, as the EU Referendum looms he is determined to be in the fray of the biggest political battle for years. Meanwhile, Logan’s wife Megan wants to leave London to better raise their daughter. As tensions rise at home and across the nation, something is set to be lost forever.
The third of Fringe First and Stage Award Winner Luke Wright’s trilogy of political verse plays looks at trust and privilege in the age of Brexit.
“Luke Wright’s performances rumble with rage, passion and humour. They are also peppered with brilliantly smart observations. You will leave his show brimming with energy, heart pounding and brain whirring.” The Guardian
Written & Performed by Luke Wright
Directed by Alex Thorpe
Dramaturgy by Sarah Dickenson
Scored by Polly Wright
Lighting Design by Joe Price
Co-commissioned by Norwich Arts Centre, National Centre for Writing, Colchester Arts Centre, Freedom Festival
Running time: 1h
Age Recommendation: 14+
Tickets £10
Saturday 14th December 2019
A Christmas Carol
Guy Masterson
Globally acclaimed for his smash hit solo works such as Under Milk Wood and Animal Farm, Guy Masterson now brings us Dickens’ classic festive fable. Bringing the entire story to life in a magical multi-character performance, Dickens’ extraordinary myriad of personalities – from Scrooge to Marley, Mrs Fezziwig to Tiny Tim – are stunningly animated in Masterson’s inimitable, multi award winning style.
Tickets £10, Child £5
Saturday 7th December 2019
Steamed
Closer Each Day Company
Distinctly Dickensian and entirely improvised, created on the spot from your suggestions, a new comedy show, co-produced with The Wardrobe Theatre, a chance to enjoy improv in the time of cholera!
“Quick-witted, very watchable ensemble, razor-sharp in timing and delivery.” StageTalk
Tickets £10, Child £5
Saturday 9th November 2019
Nobody likes a Pixelated Squid
An outstanding double bill: ‘Origami Mami’, Tentacle Tribe’s acclaimed female breaking trio featured at Sadler’s Wells ‘Breakin’ Convention’, is followed by ‘Nobody likes a Pixelated Squid’ , a “deconstructed street dance” inspired by the fluid movement of diverse land and sea creatures.
In association with Carn to Cove.
Tickets £10, £8, Children £5 Family £25
Friday 20th September 2019
Karamazoo and Bike
A stunning double bill from Cube Theatre.
‘Karamazoo’ by Philip Ridley tells Ace’s story. She’s irresistible. Her image is everything and no one – no-one! – ever stands her up…until today.
‘Bike’ by Jon Welch
Karen’s parents, on Karen:, 17, fearless cycling champion; a sweet natured young lady. Karen’s parents are worried. She won’t come out of her bedroom. Which is odd, given she’s such a go-getter. Odder still is what she’s doing in there…
Tickets £8. In aid of the Sowenna Appeal.
Friday 28th June 2019
In Loyal Company
David William Bryan
Bursting with energy and bold theatrical strokes, David William Bryan tells the true story of his great uncle Arthur who never thought of going to war until the Liverpool bombing raids of the Second World War. In May 1941, he joins up. Deployed to Singapore, his ship is destroyed by Japanese dive bombers and he is declared missing.This extraordinary true story of survival is a dramatic tour-de-force.
Tickets £10
Book OnlineThursday 2nd May 2019
1927 Theatre – Roots
A preview showing.
We need to know who we were, so we can imagine who we might be.
Acclaimed theatre company 1927 (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, The Animals and Children Took to the Streets) has unearthed a series of rarely told folktales that offer a glimpse into imaginations from a pre-industrialized age. Tyrannical ogres, magical birds, and very, very fat cats are brought to life with the company’s signature fusion of handcrafted animation and storytelling, with a live score. We are incredibly lucky to have this preview showing of their newest work before it premieres in America.
Please note that this is a first public showing of Roots, and as such has an element of ‘Work In Progress’ to it – it is a staging post towards its opening in America later in May. It won’t be quite the finished product , and there may be some rough edges – that’s inevitable in the process of bringing a complex stage work to completion. But we are delighted to ask our audience to share in this process, and get to see this new work so early in its evolution.
Tickets £10
Saturday 30th March 2019
Twisted Tales
‘Owdyado Theatre
Twisted Tales is a hilariously dark triple bill of riotous comedies that reveal the darkness under the domestic, the lengths people will go to for love, and how to wash blood stains out of a carpet. Inspired by cult series TheTwilight Zone and Inside Number Nine, this series of dark comedies is co-written by Daniel Richards and Charlotte Bister and distinguished Cornish writers Brett Harvey and Jon Welch.
Tickets £10, £8, 14-18 £5
Book OnlineFriday 22nd February 2019
- Saturday 23rd February 2019
Drip, Drip, Drip
Pipeline Theatre Preview
In overstretched NHS hospital, a trainee nurse from Eritrea and a Muslim doctor treat David – cancer patient, discredited academic, and racist. As life ebbs, reality splinters, jumping between the Nazi euthanasia programme, a burns clinic in Africa, and a National Front march in 1977. But the most pressing reality of all is that Professor David Jeffs has a lecture to finish, and time is running out.
Pipeline Theatre, known for indelible characters and breathtaking production values, takes you on a break-neck, darkly comic and taboo-busting journey through an NHS phantasmagoria.
Tickets £8
Saturday 16th February 2019
Mistero Buffo
Rhum and Clay
A travelling storyteller, a gig economy worker, rushes from his last delivery of the day to recount ancient tales of Jesus and his life… however these versions aren’t like any you’ve heard before. Darkly comic, sometimes tragic and always subversive, Mistero Buffo takes aim at those who manipulate truth and belief for power and control
“Spooner tackles a huge cast of characters…with astonishing sharpness and clarity.”…The Guardian.
“Magnificent production…an astonishing performance.” ..The Stage.
“Go and see this show right now.
As a mime he is flawless, as a storyteller he is utterly compelling.
I just wanted to get that out before wasting any more time. Now to the review.”
…Broadway Baby ***** August 2018
(Click MORE+ below to read the full review)
Tickets £10
Book OnlineFriday 25th January 2019
Ghost Stories: Tales of the Supernatural
The Paper Cinema
A bewitching new production based on ghostly tales. Beguiling pen and ink drawings are magically brought to life by two puppeteers and a projector to create a unique, animated film. They are joined by a hugely talented ensemble of multi-instrumentalists performing the atmospheric soundtrack live on stage.
‘ingenious and beautiful… bound to delight’ The Telegraph
Tickets £10, £5 Children
Saturday 19th January 2019
Luke Wright, Poet Laureate
After the hugely acclaimed What I learned from Johnny Bevan and Frankie Vah, we’re delighted to welcome back Luke Wright. With a new Poet Laureate due to be announced in 2019 he’s chucking his hat in the ring. But let’s be honest, he’s a dark horse at best. But Luke really does care about Britain, so he’s on a mission to write poems that might be able to unite a nation divided by austerity and Brexit. Luke delves into the murky world of poets laureate past: the heroes, the villains, and ones who didn’t even write poetry.
‘One of the funniest and most brilliant poets of his generation’ ..The Independent
‘Pulsating poetic story-telling’ ..The Guardian
Tickets £10
Age category: 14+
Saturday 1st December 2018
Rocky Shock Horror
The Wardrobe Theatre brings you another of its signature, darkly comic, grownup shows – a loving, playful fusion of the boxing classic with the cross-dressing cult musical masterpiece. A scary-sexy,knock-out comedy that always punches below the belt.
Tickets £10, £8
Saturday 27th October 2018
Juliet and Romeo
Lost Dog
Following his tour de force, Paradise Lost, Ben Duke’s new show reveals the real story of Romeo and Juliet. They didn’t die in a tragic misunderstanding, they grew up and lived happily ever after.
Well they lived at least. Now 40ish, at least one of them in the grips of a mid-life crisis, they feel constantly mocked by their teenage selves and haunted by the pressures of being the poster couple for romantic love.
“Pure pleasure. Smart, subversive and sexy.”……..The Guardian “Squirmingly funny and no less heartbreaking.”…The Times “Glorious. Full of warmth and intimacy.”…..The Independent
In association with Carn to Cove Tickets £10, £8
Book OnlineFriday 19th October 2018
Give Me Your Love
Ridiculusmus
Welcome to the world of war veteran Zach. As the last man standing, Zach has retreated into a tiny dugout under a barrage of hostile fire. His enemies are cunning,using every trick in the book to mess with his mind. Even the landscape is weird: it’s a cardboard box, in Zach’s kitchen, in Port Talbot. Hilarious, poignant, haunting, strange and unforgettable.
“Ridiculusmus at their best”….The Stage
Tickets £10, £8
Book Online
Saturday 16th June 2018
Great Train Robbery
Scratchworks Theatre
Four train robbers were never caught. What if the anonymous four were women, hired to clean the robber’s hide-out? After all in 1963 who would suspect a woman? Using a raucous combination of physical theatre, live music and clowning Scratchworks uncovers the truth about history’s forgotten women.
Non-stop invention and hilariously funny.
Friday 4th May 2018
Open Clasp: Key Change
Play screening
We saw this wonderful show live in Edinburgh in 2015 when it won the Carol Tambor Award and was whisked off to New York.
Sadly we couldn’t get the live show to Cornwall, but this film of the stage play is the next best thing. Devised by women in an HM Prison, The Guardian described it as “exquisite…singing with everyday poetry as if the devising had unlocked a waterfall of creativity.”
“moving, intimate and superbly acted”…..New York Times
Book OnlineFriday 27th April 2018
Leviathan
Leviathan is the critically acclaimed work by award winning Cornish choreographer James Wilton.
Leviathan follows Ahab, a ship captain hell-bent on capturing the white whale: Moby Dick, a beast as vast and dangerous as the sea itself, yet serene and beautiful beyond all imagining.
Ahab’s crew are drawn into the unhinged charisma of their captain, blindly following him on his perilous adventure towards almost certain destruction.
Multi-award winning choreographer James Wilton re-imagines Herman Melville’s seminal novel, Moby Dick.
Featuring a cast of six, Wilton’s trademark blend of athletic dance, martial arts, capoeira and partner-work, Leviathan will have you on the edge of your seat.
It will leave you gasping for air under the sheer ferocity of movement, all accompanied by a powerful electro-rock soundtrack by Lunatic Soul.
Leviathan is man versus nature; be careful what you fish for.
Tickets £10 (£8 concessions) from 01326 341353 or online via www.tolmencentre.co.uk
Sunday 18th March 2018
Police Cops in Space
The multi award-winning comedy trio are back with their critically acclaimed EdFringe sell-out comedy; set in the most dangerous place on Earth …Space.
Sammy Johnson, the last Police Cop in the universe, blasts off in an unmanned escape pod. Now on a distant planet, Sammy must team up with Alien fighter pilot Ranger and his trusty Cyborg C9 as they embark on an intergalactic adventure to find Earth, avenge his father and become the best damn Police Cop in space.
“Big, consistent laughs..it’s not just funny, it’s exhilarating” …The Guardian
Tickets £10, £8
Book OnlineSaturday 24th February 2018
Translunar Paradise
Theatre Ad Infinitum’s wordless tale of life, death and enduring love returns to tour the UK and Chile following years of extensive international touring amassing nine awards.
Original performers George Mann and Deborah Pugh are joined by Sophie Crawford to retell, with precise gesture and touches of humour, the story of widower William who escapes to a comforting world of fantasy and memories rather than confront his grief. From beyond the grave, his wife Rose returns to help him let go. This poignant, life-affirming tale uses intricate and lifelike hand-held masks – created by Madame Tussaud’s senior sculptor Victoria Beaton – to travel back and forth through William and Rose’s relationship, wordlessly conveying a lifetime of memories in 75 minutes.
Reviews
The Times * * * *: “An admirable, infinitely gentle and wordless story of loss and remembrance” -Donald Hutera.
The Stage ‘MUST-SEE!’ Show: “I really cannot recommend this highly enough – it is not just one of the best shows I have seen at this year’s fringe, but any fringe.” -Alistair Smith.
“This is a show that will steal your heart.” ★★★★★ Scotsman
“Uniquely devastating” Observer
5 Star Reviews: The Scotsman | What’s On Stage.com | Fest Magazine | British Theatre Guide | Fringe Review | Edinburgh Guide.com | Fringe Guru
4 Star Reviews: The Times | The List | Exeunt Magazine | Edinburgh Festivals Magazine | Three Weeks
Tickets £12, £10
Book OnlineSunday 21st January 2018
The Angels of Fore Street
Pipeline Theatre
On holiday in Cornwall they crashed the car and lost the dog, but had the best Christmas ever. A heartwarming community show made with and by people from Camborne and Redruth.
Tickets £6, £3, £15 family
Saturday 27th January 2018
Frankie Vah
Luke Wright
Following the multi-award-winning What I Learned From Johnny Bevan, Luke Wright’s new verse play deals with love, loss, and belief, against a backdrop of 80s politics and music. Simon, a vicar’s son from Essex, has become Frankie Vah and replaced religion with radical politics and ranting poetry. He and his beloved girlfriend Eve live in love and penury, but when Frankie goes on tour with indie darlings The Midnight Shift, his new world is put to the test.
‘Pulsating, poetic storytelling’ The Guardian
Tickets £10, £8
Sunday 14th January 2018
Monster
Worklight Theatre
Everyone has felt the prickle of anger, so why do some men lash out while others stay in control? In an amazingly fast moving performance, Joe Sellman-Leava channels his own irritation at his chirpy,cheery girlfriend, MikeTyson‘s tirades, Patrick Stewart fearfully recollecting the domestic violence that scarred his childhood and passages of Shakespeare, brimming with spite and anger. A thrilling new performance about violence and masculinity, from internationally acclaimed Worklight Theatre.
Tickets £10, £8
Friday 1st December 2017
We Are Brontë
Publick Transport
We Are Brontë is a piece of hilarious visual theatre inspired by the real and imaginary worlds of Yorkshire’s literary siblings, presented in Publick Transport’s irreverent style. Physical theatre collides with stand-up, clowning and improvisationas two performers deconstruct Gothic themes of love, madness, repression and revenge. Part play, part enquiry into the act of putting on a play, this is no ordinary Brontë adaptation.
Thursday 19th October 2017
Finding Joy
Vamos Theatre
Danny, a teenage dabbler in petty crime, starts to care for Joy, whose nocturnal wanderings and forgetfulness worry her family. The show brilliantly conveys her fear on finding herself alone, in her nightie, in a busy street. It also conjures up her past, in particular during the Blitz. It’s an unconventional companionship between Joy and Danny, who find love and laughter against the odds.
“Finding Joy” is an intensely emotional and enjoyable show.
Tickets £12, £10, Family £34 (children 12+)
In association with Carn to Cove
Saturday 7th October 2017
The Conductor
Shostakovich, writing his life affirming 7th Symphony, flees the Leningrad siege leaving his less talented student contemporary Karl to attempt to survive starvation and loss and miraculously conduct and broadcast the symphony among the ruins. A concert-play based on the novel by Sarah Quigley.
Tickets £10, £8
Saturday 15th July 2017
Police Cops
The Pretend Men
We are thrilled that the Pretend men have recovered from the car accident that caused the postponement of this great show in February.
The Pretend Men’s critically acclaimed, multi award-winning comedy blockbuster Police Cops is an action-packed hour of adrenaline-fuelled physical comedy, cinematic style and uncompromising facial hair.
Tickets £10, £8
Thursday 25th May 2017
Odyssey
Theatre Ad Infinitum
One actor. One hour. One man’s epic quest to reunite with his family and seek his bloody revenge. Odyssey follows the Greek warrior Odysseus in his relentless attempt to get home so he can see his wife and son again before he dies. Passionate, highly physical and poignant storytelling brings this breathtaking adventure to life. A journey that will ignite the imagination and awaken the senses.
“The Best of the Fringe .”….. Observer
“Theatre Ad Infinitum have moved to the front of the pack.”…..The Guardian.
“This tour de force of physical theatre is unmissable… a stunning piece of physicalised storytelling.”…..The Stage
Tickets £10
Friday 19th May 2017
Medical Maelstrom
The return of the fabulous Medical Maelstrom with their hilarious evening of musical comedy. A unique act that will leave you with a smile on your face and aching with laughter.
In aid of the Cornwall Samaritans
Tickets £17.50 to include substantial nibbles
Wednesday 29th March 2017
- Thursday 30th March 2017
Bucket List
Theatre Ad Infinitum
After their fantastic shows Translunar Paradise and Ballad of the Burning Star, we are delighted to welcome back Theatre Ad Infinitum with Bucket List, winner of Edinburgh Spirit of the Fringe Award 2016. When her mother is murdered for protesting corporate and governmental corruption, Milagros finds herself with only a bloodstained list of those responsible. Determined to make them pay, she embarks on a passionate quest for justice, no matter the cost.
A story about love, loss and revenge, told with physical storytelling, live instrumental music and song.
Tickets £12
In association with Carn to Cove
Sunday 5th March 2017
Infinity Pool
Nominated for a Total Theatre Award, Infinity Pool is the latest play from the local writer of And Then Come The Nightjars, Bea Roberts
STOP PRESS: This show is in the Top 5 “Editors Theatre Picks” in the Saturday Guardian of 25th February
Emails unopened, cup-a-soup undrunk, a secret in the stock room; Emma Barnicott’s life is leaking as she pines for a world beyond her trading estate office.When she meets a man online who wants to talk to her about more than boilers and two port valves Emma must decide if the chance of a joyous love is worth trading for an imperfect life – or will there always be dead woodlice in the infinity pool? An outstanding performance by Bea Roberts, author of And Then come the Nightjars.
“Utterly unique and exceptional in every way, it’s a heart-breaking story of a stunted life, told with theatrical verve and palpable compassion”
★★★★★ The Stage
“Rare and extraordinary: exceptional storytelling that is full of theatrical spirit.”
★★★★★ The List
“Completely different and deliciously quirky… this original show proved painfully funny and oddly moving.”
★★★★ The Guardian
“Roberts is an intensely funny writer…a writer to watch”
★★★★ The Telegraph
“What at first seems to be a rather small, modest play turns out to be not only a tender, finely observed portrait of male friendship, but also a stirring requiem for the vanishing dignity of rural England.”
★★★★ The Evening Standard
Tickets £10, £8
Saturday 25th February 2017
Police Cops
We’ve just heard that ‘THE PRETEND MEN’ have been involved in a serious traffic accident in London. Several of the company have sustained injuries and as a result they have had to CANCEL Saturday’s performance of Police Cops at The Tolmen Centre.
Obviously Cafe Tolmen will also not be operating as there is no show.
If you have purchased tickets Online, you will receive a full refund from the Booking Agency
We will try to contact all the others who have reserved tickets by phone (unfortunately there are many of them) to let them know.
The Company are enormously sorry about this, they were looking forward to bringing the show to Cornwall, and we are planning to re-schedule the show for a date to be fixed in the summer.
We extend our sympathies to all The Pretend Men, wish them speedy recovery.
We are tremendously sorry for the inconvenience caused, but the circumstances are completely beyond our control.
Saturday 28th January 2017
A View from the Edge
‘Owdyado Theatre
Following rehearsals at the Tolmen Centre we present a Preview showing of this exciting new production to launch the nationwide tour.
With sharp wit, quick pace and a heavy dose of noir style, the story is told of private eye Charlie Daniels, hired by seductive Elise Hillerman to find her missing husband. Meanwhile writers Charlotte and Daniel struggle to write a script for their new show. A mindbending journey through the world of dreams, imagination and ‘real life’.
Tickets £8
Wednesday 19th October 2016
Pipeline Theatre: Spillikin
Sally has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Her husband, Raymond, is dying. But Raymond is thinking ahead. Already an obsessive archivist, he is also a leading Robotics specialist.Their long marriage has had its ups and downs, but now he can make a better version of himself, to look after Sally after he’s gone. Will she accept it?
Another chance to see Jon Welch’s marvellous play Spillikin, newly recast, as it previews before a major tour.
Tickets £8
Thursday 13th October 2016
And Then Come the Nightjars
Theatre 503 and Bristol Old Vic
“You hardly ever see ʻem, only hear them.They fly silent. Itʼs bad luck is Nightjars…”
South Devon, 2001. Local dairy vet Jeff and curmudgeonly farmer Michael are old friends, united by their love of the Devonshire countryside and Jeff’s prize collection of cows. But when the Foot and Mouth pandemic strikes the countryside their friendship – and the resilience of the whole community – is tested to its limits. Bea Roberts’ award-winning play is a touching story of male friendship and a requiem for rural England.
Tickets £10, £8
Thursday 6th October 2016
Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me)
Lost Dog
The story of the beginning of everything inspired by Milton’s Paradise Lost – told through words and music.
A show for anyone who has ever created anything (a child, a garden, a paper aeroplane) then had to watch that wonderful thing spiral out of control.
“an enchanting, very funny show, swooping from the epic to the vulnerable.” The Independent
Tickets £10, £8
Saturday 17th September 2016
What I Learned from Johnny Bevan
Luke Wright
We have a particularly strong offer of theatre in this autumn’s programme, amongst our best ever. The sequence starts with this astonishingly powerful solo poetical show by Luke Wright. We booked it on a strong recommendation from two of our most loyal theatre customers who saw it performed at the (sold out) Soho Theatre in London and were blown away by it. Then we heard an epic extract (‘To London then…’) which was broadcast on Radio 4 in the spring and this confirmed that this show was something special. In our view it’s worth the ticket price just to hear that single blistering poetical commentary on banking and capitalism in London. But the whole show has received plaudits wherever it has been seen – we are hearing of a whole audience at Port Eliot rising to acclaim Luke’s performance there in July – and many more besides, from audience members and critics alike. This show promises to maintain the Tolmen tradition of top class, cutting edge theatre and we totally recommend it (though with its fierce message and uncompromising delivery it’s by no means a show for children). Anyone who has an interest in theatre, poetry, writing, storytelling – or who remembers their adolescence – should grab the chance to see this show. Tickets £10, £8 lukewright.co.uk
Friday 25th November 2016
Here I Belong
Pentabus Theatre
Elsie has lived in the same village all her life.This funny and moving new play shows key moments in Elsie’s life and the life of the village. A sensitive, charming and honest portrayal about changing village life and the right to grow old in your own home.
Tickets £10, £8
In association with Carn to Cove
Tuesday 26th July 2016
- Wednesday 27th July 2016
Swivelhead
Pipeline Theatre Company Previews
An RAF drone pilot visits his rural childhood home for his sister’s wedding. Holed up in an old tree-house and beset by visions of the carnage that he has caused, he becomes aware of something impossible – his body discarding its human form…
‘Swivelhead’ viscerally explores the ethical and personal consequences of a new age of warfare.
Tickets £8, £7 (age 16+)
Thursday 30th June 2016
Trevithick starring Kernow King
“Sometimes I imagine myself to be my statue down Camborne, gazing out over those roundabouts…. watching the cars, lorries and motorbikes bombing along.
The ingenuity in all that machinery going on… .. the pistons, the pumps, the fumes, the exhausts, the fuel…. it’s all so easy now.”
Kernow King tells the story of one of Cornwall’s greatest sons Richard Trevithick.
Tickets £10, £8, Children £6
Saturday 14th May 2016
The Gods are Fallen and All Safety Gone
Greyscale Theatre Company
An investigation into what happens when we discover that our parents are awed human beings, and that at some point they are suddenly going to disappear from our lives. This was one of the most intriguing and fascinating plays we saw at Edinburgh this year, beautifully performed.
“It’s a very pure form of theatre- intimate, pared down and emotionally true.” The Stage
Tickets £10, £9
Friday 11th March 2016
- Saturday 12th March 2016
How long will I love you
A new amateur production written by local poet Kerry Vincent and performed by an enthusiastic all-village group of players. Described as ‘a sort of nativity play for adults’.
Tickets £5 available from Kerry on 01326 340297, village shops, or from the Tolmen Centre Box Office.
All proceeds will be donated to the Village Defibrillator Fund.
Sunday 20th March 2016
ZONK FM
presents ZONK FM
Is anybody there?
Zonk FM is a poignant new comedy featuring well-known Miracle performers Sally Crooks, Keri Jessiman, Steve Jacobs and making his Miracle debut, Jake Tindle
This roller coaster of a show explores other people’s reality with fast paced physical humour, tenderness and disco lights!
Recommend for 12 years +
£12 – £10 (over 65 & under 26) & £8 (under 16)
Wednesday 2nd March 2016
Martin Bell
“The man in the white suit” and “accidental MP”, Martin Bell, will be giving a fascinating insight into his career as a distinguished war reporter for the BBC, covering hotspots around the world including Vietnam, Lebanon, Northern Ireland and more recently the Balkans. He resigned from the BBC to stand as an independent MP from 1997 to 2001.
6.30 for 7.30
Buffet Supper now Sold Out
Tickets for the talk are still available for £12 from the Tolmen Centre Box Office
Proceeds in aid of SSAFA – The Armed Forces’ Charity.
Thursday 28th January 2016
Transports
In the late seventies a sociopathic sixteen year old finds herself shunted into her final foster home. Her widowed foster mother has a hint of a foreign accent and a box full of secrets. As youth plays cat and mouse with age, two parallel sets of revelations collide with devastating consequences.
A preview performance of Jon Welch’s rivetting play as it kicks off a nationwide tour.
Tickets £8, £7
Saturday 16th January 2016
Worklight Theatre: Labels
‘When I was five years old, my Dad was told our surname might be stopping him from getting a job. So we changed it. It worked.’ This intimate new show draws on experiences of mixed heritage and racism. Amid the cacophony of statistics and soundbites that surround the immigration debate, Labels offers an honest, human story about multicultural Britain.
“Powerful, important and funny”
Emma Thompson
“Terrific and really thoughtful”
Lyn Gardner
Friday 27th November 2015
- Saturday 28th November 2015
The Candidate
Jon Welch’s new play for our own Tolmen Theatre Company.The arrival of a foreign family and a contentious by-election throws a small community into confusion. ‘Leave your political sensibilities at the door but bring your laughing trousers.’
Saturday 3rd October 2015
Dick Tracy
Le Navet Bete
Newsflash! There’s been a series of high profile crimes right across the city- but fear not…the police chief’s put his best man on the job – Dick Tracy.
Rooted in the ridiculous, Dick Tracy is a physical comedy incorporating fooling, original live music, plenty of audience interaction, lightning quick character changes and incredibly authentic accents, spattered with myster y, malice and mischief.
Tickets £10, £8, Children £5, Family £24
Thursday 1st October 2015
Taste
Cscape Dance Company
Inspired by the tapestries of Grayson Perry. Taste takes an often hilarious journey through identity, fashion, gardens, household nick nacks, wine tasting, holidays, instant coffee vs the cafetiere, Thatcher, Kate Middleton and the welfare state. A dance show with a difference that’s as refreshing as a nice cup of tea!
Tickets £8, £6
Sunday 7th June 2015
Tea Ladies on Tour
A second major earthquake has struck Nepal. Our teams on the ground are establishing the impact on already damaged buildings. It’s a terrifying time for the hundreds of thousands of children and families who lost everything in the 25 April quake. Many are injured, homeless and struggling to find basics like clean water: they desperately need your support. – See more at: savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/emergencies/nepal-earthquake
Friday 10th July 2015
- Sunday 12th July 2015
Spillikin
Pipeline Theatre
Sally has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Her husband, Raymond, is dying. But Raymond is thinking ahead. Already an obsessive archivist, he is also a leading Robotics specialist. Their long marriage has had its ups and downs, but now he can make a better version of himself, to look after Sally after he’s gone.Will she accept it?
A chance to preview Pipeline’s much anticipated new work.
Sunday 21st June 2015
Every Brilliant Thing
Pentabus Theatre
In Duncan Macmillan’s heart-wrenching, hilarious play a boy is making a list of everything that makes life brilliant for his mother, who has just tried to kill herself. He hopes the list will cheer her up; and make her realise that life really is worth living. As the years flash by and the boy grows up, goes off to university and falls in love, it becomes apparent that maybe the list might even help him save himself.
Lyn Gardner described the show as “One of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression – and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop”
Tickets £10, £8, Children £5
Friday 15th May 2015
64 Squares
Rhum and Clay Theatre Company
On board a decadent cruise liner in 1939, the world’s greatest chess champion is challenged to a match by a mysterious newcomer called… B. As B begins to play, it becomes clear that the game is not the only thing he’s at risk of losing. Because B is not just one person, but four. And they each have their own version of the story they want to tell.
Based on a story by stefan Zweig, with a live jazz percussive score and their signature blend of ramshackle and cinematic performance, Rhum and Clay Theatre Company tell
a story of madness, identity and finding a home in 64 black and white squares.
Tickets £10, £8 Children £5
Saturday 25th April 2015
Don Quixote
Little Soldier Theatre Company
Inspired by Don Quixote’s wanderings, two feisty señoritas and a downtrodden Englishman embark on a journey through Spain. Accompanied only by an otherworldly virtuoso guitarist whose presence there makes no sense whatsoever, they will lead you to joy, pain and ulti- mate wisdom.
Little Soldier presents a hilariously inventive adventure of immense proportions, to be taken with a pinch of salt and a handlebar moustache.
Tickets £10, £8, Children £5
Friday 20th March 2015
Crazy Glue
Single Shoe Theatre Company
in association with Carn to Cove
They have a car in the garage, a chicken in the pot and a child on the way. But is that enough to make true love stick? Crazy Glue follows the comedic roller coaster of a couple’s romance as they move from the blossoming of first love through to the thornier terrainof married life.
The captivating cast of two blend vocal sound effects, quirky humour and an evocative 1930’s soundtrack to reveal the crazy, sticky, messy side of marriage. A show guaranteed to enchant all ages.
Fringe Review *****
Tickets £10, £8, Children £5
Thursday 26th February 2015
After the Accident
cube theatre
A child’s life is snuffed out by a joy-rider.
Four years on, the parents and the joy-rider meet.
A powerful award-winning drama, After the Accident combines highly-charged storytelling with thought-provoking themes in exploring the workings of Restorative Justice; a process which tries to repair the damage done by crime. Highly current, the drama unpicks the web of emotional devastation that the families face with clarity and force. Despite its challenging subject matter the play draws you in quickly, and through its wonderfully pared down script and recognisable characters, uncovers layer after layer with courage and compassion
Tickets £8, £6 13+
Friday 13th February 2015
Near Gone
Two Destination Language
Two performers have a difficult story to tell.They come on stage and launch themselves into an hour long attempt to put into words the utterly unspeakable. Delivered in English and Bulgarian, with pounding gypsy-inspired music, this beautiful performance fills an empty space with two performers, hundreds of fresh flowers and a storm of emotion. Near Gone won a 2014 Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Festival for Innovation, Experimentation and Playing With Form.
Tickets £10, £8 Children £5
Wednesday 10th December 2014
- Thursday 11th December 2014
Miracle Theatre: Dr Livingstone I Presume
Both a hurrah to courage and endurance and a swipe at the great 19th century ideals, Miracle serves up this curious slice of history in its own inimitable style – and with a huge nod to Victorian Music Hall.
Mixing caustic comedy, seedy songs and second-rate dubious magic, dodgy ventriloquism and spectacle and breath-taking burlesque, the show will genuinely appeal to adults and children 7+.
Tickets £12, £10, Children under 16: £8, Family Group: £35
Friday 5th December 2014
Medical Maelstrom
A tincture of song and laughter dispensed by three Cornish doctors.“Entertainment at its very best’.
“A concert worthy of the West End stage”.
Tickets £10
Thursday 6th November 2014
- Saturday 8th November 2014
Pipeline Theatre: Streaming
Falling from a world of virtual wealth, Rosa (15) and her father land in a cheap flat with a reclusive new neighbour – a webcam girl. Blending unforgettable characters, moments of macabre
puppetry and a translucent set, Streaming is a funny, moving and and disturbing rites-of-passage story for the modern age.
Tickets £8, £6 Children Age Guide16+
Sunday 26th October 2014
Workshop with Lady Maisery
Suitable for singers of all ages and abilities, and will offer the chance to sing in harmony and to learn about the mysterious art of ‘diddling’.
Tickets £10 (£5 for children): Advanced booking is advised.
Saturday 18th October 2014
Pendulums Bargain Emporium
Maison Foo
Inspired by ‘The Elves and the Shoemaker’ a desperate tale of slavery and greed told with humour, intimacy and charm using Maison Foo’s inventive visual blend of storytelling, live music, clowning and puppetry.
“Touching and beautifully crafted…deceptively sophisticated and layered work – a little show with a big heart.‘
Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
Tickets £12, £10, £6 Children under 16
Friday 3rd October 2014
Seven Deadly Sins
Tom Jackson Greaves with Polly Motley
Adam and Eve are in a relationship pickle! As they dance through the sins of their past they reach an ultimate choice. But are they brave enough to make it? Seven Deadly Sins is a vibrant dance comedy full of laughs, apples and exhilarating movement. Choreographed by young Cornish artistTom Jackson Greaves, a winner of the New Adventures Choreographer Award.
‘Sexy slick and beautifully expressive’ The Stage
Tickets £8, £7, Children £6
Saturday 20th September 2014
Wurlitza: Diary of a Lost Girl
After two years in the making, the wonderful Wurlitza bring another neglected silent film to life.with a glorious live soundtrack. Fast moving and at times shocking, Diary of a Lost Girl tells the story of Thymian, played by the mesmerising screen idol Louise Brookes. Described as a fusion of everything, jazz, folk, rock and pop with a touch of classical thrown in, Wurlitza are absolutely superb.
Tickets £8, £7
Saturday 5th July 2014
A Little Nonsense
Juncture Theatre
An original comedy that explores the clown inside the man and the mirth hidden in the melancholy.
Through mime, slapstick, poetry and farce, A Little Nonsense is a bare-knuckle look at the sharp edge of funny.
The play mixes laugh-out-loud hilarity with a subtle exploration of the edgy relationship between the clown and his straightman.
Tickets £10, £9 Children £5
Sunday 11th May 2014
The Case of the Frightened Lady
Miracle Theatre Company
Written & directed by Bill Scott
with music by Jim Carey
Why is the lady so frightened? Who dropped the red scarf?
£12 full £10 concession and £8 under 16’s
Saturday 31st May 2014
Major Tom
Victoria Melody and Farnham Maltings present: Major Tom
Major Tom is the story of how an average 34-year-old became a beauty queen and how her unruly pet basset hound, Major Tom, became a championship show dog.
Major Tom and Victoria increasingly immerse themselves in the obsessive and confusing realm of personal scrutiny as they participate as genuine contestants, determined to win.
Victoria, accompanied on stage by documentary film footage and her dog, tells this true story. It explores the British fascination with celebrity, beauty and winning.
“Startingly bonkers and utterly ordinary at the same time…deceptively thoughtful fun” The Guardian ★★★★★ The Times
Saturday 3rd May 2014
Peace Before The Storm
Joyful Company of Singers
“…undoubtedly one of the great choirs of the world” Jonathan Harvey
British and German choral masterpieces to mark the era that ended in 1914. Works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Elgar, Bingham, Parry, and Schoenberg, sung by the Joyful Company of Singers, one of Europe’s leading chamber choirs under the direction of Peter Broadbent.
This is a wonderful opportunity to hear this first class choir singing in Cornwall
Tickets £10 free for accompanied children under 16
Call 01326 341353 to book or
click here to book through Hall for Cornwall
For more information about JCS see www.jcos.co.uk
Saturday 12th April 2014
You’re not like other girls, Chrissy
China Plate and Caroline Horton present ‘You’re not like other girls, Chrissy’
Caroline Horton’s perfectly formed one-woman-show has won her universal critical acclaim, an award from The Stage and an Olivier nomination – and it’s easy to see why. Inspired by her grandmother’s love letters,
‘You’re not like other girls Chrissy’ is a tender drama of love and loss, a nostalgic glimpse into life in occupied France and a moving tribute to a marvellous character.
Horton’s play is immaculately judged and utterly irresistible.
Tickets £10 (concessions £8)
Saturday 15th March 2014
The Wardrobe Ensemble: 33
After their hugely successful ‘Riot’, a new play from The Wardrobe Ensemble based on the epic rescue of 33 Chilean miners.
A tale of friendship, hope and Elvis Presley, 33 takes you beyond the newsrooms, past the cameras and leaves you 2000 feet under the ground. An outlandish, touching and funny modern legend of men on the brink of death, fame and madness.
Tickets £9, £8
Friday 21st February 2014
Carmen and Mimi – Lessons in Love
Carmen and Mimi are both looking for love…evening classes hold the answer. Lessons in Love is a comedy told through action, speech and extraordinary music with an uplifting and unexpected ending.
Tickets £8, £6
Friday 31st January 2014
- Saturday 1st February 2014
The Ballad of The Burning Star
Theatre Adinfinitum
Probably our most ambitious offering ever – “a theatrical hand grenade” said Lyn Gardner, multi award winning and garlanded with glittering reviews. Absolutely unmissable, mindblowing cabaret/theatre from the company who brought us the unforgettable Translunar Paradise. With a cast of seven including a chorus of international dancers and live on stage music, this took last summer’s Edinburgh fringe by storm – voted by many as the top show there. For two nights only in Cornwall before touring nationally to Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool and London.
£12 (£10 concessions)
Friday 29th November 2013
Little Soldier: You and Me
Two elderly Spanish sisters live in a room full of of mysterious boxes. They share an existence of outrageous defamation, tender reminiscing and pure madness.‘You and Me’ is a touching story with sparkling dialogue and witty observations, that explores old age with humour, imagination and tenderness.
Tickets £10, £9
Thursday 21st November 2013
The Paper Cinema
Following last year’s remarkable show The Odyssey, Paper Cinema return for a short residency working on their new show. Tonight they offer a scratch performance of this new work, plus a rare showing of their first work Night Flyer, now a minor classic.
In association with Feast and Cornwall Film Festival
Tickets £9, £8
Saturday 19th October 2013
cube theatre: Aubade by Jon Welch
The unflinching reality of modern schools collides with the escapist 1920s glamour of Astaire and Rogers, with potentially horrifying consequences. Blending film and theatre, knife-sharp dialogue and dance, cube theatre presents AUBADE.
*Recommended 15 years+
Tickets £8, £7
Saturday 5th October 2013
Wurlitza: Sunrise
After last year’s amazing Piccadilly, Wurlitza return with Sunrise one of the most moving stories ever told on film, an adventure of temptation, reconciliation and redemption.
Wurlitza accompany with live music from Bach and Villa Lobas to Talking Heads and Madness. Sunrise is silent film at its most poetic and Wurlitza’s music is a perfect accompaniment.
Tickets £9, £8
Friday 21st June 2013
Oxygen
Dreadnought South West Association presents a new play by Natalie McGrath
Remembering when 15 women became 1000s…
Tickets: £10/£8
Friday 17th May 2013
The Fantasist
“A seductive stranger opens a fantastical world to a tormented woman.
But everything comes at a price…
In the mind of the fantasist, the real and the fanciful become dangerously blurred. As Louise gazes into the night her fancy takes form. Objects move, time changes … and a seductive stranger opens up a world of exhilaration and magic.
Following an acclaimed international tour and 5 star sell-out success at Edinburgh Fringe 2012, The Fantasist comes to The Tolmen Centre for one night only, melding original music, life-sized puppetry, and physical theatre. War Horse’s Robin Guiver teams up with Lecoq and LISPA trained Theatre Temoin in an emotionally powerful exploration of bipolar disorder.
Theatre Temoin
Tickets £10, £8
Saturday 27th April 2013
Constantine Literary Festival
From John Brolly storytelling in the morning, through tales of Joanna Hodgkin’s mother’s bohemian marriage to Lawrence Durrell, Tessa Skola on cabaret dancing, Colin Rogers on screenwriting to an evening of conversation with Salley Vickers, well known author of Miss Garnet’s Angel and The Cleaner of Chartres.
Tickets am free, pm or evening £7.50, Day £12
Saturday 8th June 2013
Chapel Street and Bitch Boxer Double Bill
Chapel Street | Scrawl
Crackling with energy and dripping with humour, this is a hilarious and heart breaking two-hander.
Bitch Boxer | Snuffbox
Chloe Jackson has just one more fight to win before she gets the chance to live her dream – to box for Team GB at the Olympics.
Tickets £10, £8, £6 Children 14+
Saturday 23rd March 2013
Pinocchio
The Tolmen Centre and Pants on Fire Theatre Company invite you to attend an evening of Performance Puppetry and Music based on the company’s new show Pinnochio, followed with a discussion forum, on Saturday 23rd March at The Tolmen Centre starting at 7.30.
Tickets for this show are FREE – but please reserve in the usual way by phone or email. We will be asking for contributions based on what you think its worth to cover the Tolmen Centre’s costs.
Café Tolmen will be open pre-show – please reserve for this as well so we have numbers.
Friday 8th March 2013
A Strange Wild Song
Rhum and Clay
A man searches for meaning through the strange photographs left to him by his grandfather. Accompanied by live music, this Lecoq-trained company tell an unforgettable tale using dynamic physical movement, stunning imagery and absurdist humour.
Tickets £10, £8, £4
Friday 1st March 2013
A Soldiers Song
Ken Lukowiak
In the wake of the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War, it’s worth remembering the human cost of that conflict. Few one-man shows could give you a more gut-wrenching insight than this one. Ken Lukowiak faces his contrary wartime emotions with courage and honesty.
Redruth man Lukowiak served in the Paras in heat of the Falklands war. Subsequently his life was in turmoil as he tried to deal with the emotional after-effects of combat. Some years later he wrote a best selling book based on his experiences, and this was later made into the stage play A Soldiers Song by Guy Masterson (a regular visitor to the Tolmen Centre) – who initially took Ken’s role in what was a powerful and successful one man show.
Last year, Ken Lukowiak bravely agreed to take over the play himself for a run at the Edinburgh Fringe where it attracted widespread acclaim and full houses. Many serviceman and veterans were among the audiences, and all were deeply affected by Ken’s performance. It now comes to The Tolmen Centre as part of a very short tour across the country. Click here for lots more detail.
This show show will be on Friday 1st March. The second show on Saturday 2nd will not now take place.
Tickets £10, £8, £6 Children 14+
Friday 1st February 2013
The Last Illusion
Bash Street Theatre
A retired magician and his wife are tempted to perform one last cabaret act. With live music, magical illusions and Bash Street’s stunning circus skills, a great show for all the family.
Tickets £9, £8 and £4 Child
Friday 11th January 2013
Freddie Dare and the Ginger Robber
Cube’s sparkling new show for children (and grownups too) gets it’s first outing at The Tolmen Centre. With plenty of song and dance, and written by our own Jon Welch, this promises to be a delight for all ages. We are making it free for accompanied children, and adult tickets are just £7.
“Fred’s lost his Dad. Now he might be losing his mum too. Looks like a job for Freddie Dare and the Ginger Robber. The toe tapping twosome take on a terrifying quest to stop their arch enemy before it’s too late.”
Café Tolmen will be open for pre show suppers for this event – booking essential.
Adults £7, £3 for children (1 accompanied child free)
Thursday 6th December 2012
- Friday 7th December 2012
Miracle Theatre: Frankenstein
Tickets£10, £8 Children £4
Café Tolmen will be open for pre show suppers for this event – booking essential.
Saturday 17th November 2012
Harpers Bizarre
Sarah Deene Jones can’t be with us, but her Harp Ensemble will be joined by Friends in Harmony to present an evening of English traditional and celtic music, jazz and original pieces.
Tickets £7 or £10 (includes ploughman’s supper of soup and cheese at 6pm. Booking essential.) In aid of the Heritage Centre
Friday 9th November 2012
- Saturday 10th November 2012
Pipeline Theatre: Transports
In the late seventies a sociopathic sixteen year old finds herself shunted into her final foster home. Her widowed foster mother has a hint of a foreign accent and a box full of secrets. As youth plays cat and mouse with age, two parallel sets of revelations collide with devastating consequences. A riveting new play from Jon Welch.
Tickets £6, £5, Children £4
Café Tolmen will be open for pre show suppers for this event – booking essential.
Friday 26th October 2012
The Paper Cinema: The Odyssey
Homer’s cornerstone of literature is vividly told with beautiful illustration and masterful puppetry. Cinematic projection and cunning tricks trans- form a suitcase full of cut-out paper puppets into an array of living characters and striking land- scapes. A silent film is created before your eyes, set to a captivating live score from exceptional musicians.
‘A wild journey into live animation’ The Guardian In association with Cornwall Film Festival
Tickets £10, £9 Children £4
Café Tolmen will be open for pre show suppers for this event – booking essential.
Friday 19th October 2012
Lucinda Hawksley: Book Group Plus
A talk by Lucinda Hawksley, great great great grand-daughter of Charles Dickens, author and historian with a special interest in 19th and early 20th century art and literature.
Tickets £5
Saturday 13th October 2012
Guy Masterson: Animal Farm
“Some actors are more equal than others, but few are quite as equal as Guy Masterson!” (The Times)
Hilariously comic and powerfully poignant by turns, Masterson’s breathtaking storytelling creates the farmyard around you in 2 hours of utterly compelling theatre. As the most per- formed solo show in the world, this is a must see performance for all ages.
Tickets £10, £8, Children £4
Café Tolmen will be open for pre show suppers for this event – booking essential.
Friday 28th September 2012
The Rua Macmillan Trio
Awarded the prestigious title of BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2009, Rua Macmillan is one of the rising stars in the highly competitive world of Scottish traditional music.
Tickets £9, £8 Children £4
Café Tolmen will be open for pre show suppers for this event – booking essential.
Friday 15th June 2012
Gonzo Moose: I’m An Aristocrat Get Me Out Of Here
I’m An Aristocrat Get Me Out Of Here
Packed full of hilarious slapstick, irreverent humour, verbal wit and magical illusion you’ll gasp, laugh and be amazed at the elaborate sword fights, the heart wrenching love scenes, and the sensational death-defying French accents.
Tickets £9, £8, Children £4
Saturday 5th May 2012
MAYDAY MAYDAY by Theatre Damfino
On the eve of Mayday 2004 Kneehigh’s Tristan Sturrock broke his neck falling off a wall in Padstow as part of the celebrations. Paralysed in Treliske hospital and about to become a father for the first time, he was told he may never walk again.
After a sell out run at Bristol Old Vic he brings his poignant, & life-affirming true story back to his homeland Cornwall – appropriately close to Mayday 2012 – as part of a UK tour.
Since his recovery in Derriford’s spinal unit where he was put back together again, he has performed all over the world, most recently on Broadway in Kneehigh’s Brief Encounter. “
Audiences have called it ” Horrifying and wonderful… beautiful and brilliant… transporting and funny… a true celebration of theatre, life and the NHS..
Tickets £9 (£7 concessions)
Friday 23rd March 2012
Teasel Theatre: Grisly Tales from Tumblewater
Edward Jaspers is a captivating storyteller spinning a yarn which grips from the initial downpour all the way through to the first glimpse of sunshine at the end.
In association with Carn to Cove
Tickets £5
Friday 9th March 2012
Wardrobe Ensemble: Riot
Based on the real life riot at the opening of a new Ikea store in Edmonton in 2005. At the stroke of midnight the British public punch, kick, strangle and
eventually stab their way to £45 sofas and £35 bed frames. ‘Riot’ is an epic tale of violence, greed, and cheap sofas.
Tickets £9, £8, Children £4
Saturday 26th May 2012
Release
‘RELEASE’ explores the lives of three prisoners in their first few months after release, as they attempt to reconnect with the people and remnants of life they left behind.
“A sharp, impeccably performed and blazingly impassioned piece of theatre…simply terrific.”
The Times
Tickets £9, £8, Children £4
Saturday 21st January 2012
The Ghosts of May
A special performance of the ‘The Ghosts of May” by Pauline Shepherd and Pete Berryman.
In aid of the Heritage Centre
Click here to find our more about ‘The Ghosts of May’ on Pete Berryman’s website
Friday 2nd December 2011
Loot
Loot follows the fortunes of Hal and Dennis, who rob a bank next to the funeral parlour where Dennis works and return to Hal’s home to hide the money. Hal’s mother has just died and the money is hidden in her coffin. But where will they hide the body?
Fay, a sexy young nurse with seven deceased husbands to her name, is interested in marrying Hal’s father, McLeavy. However, Dennis has already had his way with Fay and wants to marry her. And he can offer her more financial “security”.
Inspector Truscott arrives and the plot turns topsy turvy as Hal and Dennis try to keep him off their trail.
Saturday 28th January 2012
Translunar Paradise
After a ground-breaking season, which saw the company premiere ‘Translunar Paradise’ to substantial critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe 2011, they have gone on to win a clutch of theatre awards for this production, including Liverpool Daily Post ‘Best Fringe Show of 2011’, The Fringe Review ‘Outstanding Theatre Award’ 2011, The Observer ‘Iron Man’ Award for Kim Heron and Brave New World Award & Audience Award at the Sarajevo MESS Theatre Festival, Bosnia & Herzegovina 2011.
Exquisitely created, Translunar Paradise is told entirely without words and in their place are movement, haunting music and masks. This is a powerful and emotional tale of a man who is confronted by the solitude of bereavement.
Thursday 3rd November 2011
- Friday 4th November 2011
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets
1927 use the live performance and animation techniques that it employed to such brilliant effect in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea to develop a more sustained narrative about life east of the city where the bankers make big bucks.
A jaw-droppingly clever and gloriously subversive parable…The Guardian
Anyone interested in the theatre should see this company now…Observer
Tickets £10, £8, £4
A co-promotion with Cornwall Film Festival
Saturday 14th January 2012
Shylock
In this poignant,powerful yet very humorous account, Shylock is explained to us through his (only) friend Tubal via a series of clever impersonations from Portia to Adolf Hitler. Gareth Armstrong’s Shylock is one of the world’s most successful solo shows, and here, Guy Masterson demonstrates its brilliance. “Innovative, delightful, exceptional!” … The Independent
Tickets £10, £8, Children £4
Saturday 26th November 2011
Olde Tyme Music Hall and Magic Show
Join us for an incomparable, incredible and inestimable evening. Step back to the early 1900s and be immersed in stupendous singing, minervian magic, and a meal of gastronomic delights.
Dress Victorian/Edwardian
Ticket including supper £15
In aid of the Heritage Centre
Saturday 17th September 2011
One Darke Night
One Darke Night combines extracts from renowned Cornish playwright Nick Darke’s canon of work. Fusing extracts from lesser- known works with firm audience favorites such as the King of Prussia and Hells Mouth, and featuring exclusive extracts from Nick’s private journals and correspondence, this imaginative show explores the creative process of the writer. Combining a cast of versatile performers, simple staging and projected film this performance showcases Nick’s exquisite talent for combining blistering dialogue, quirky characterisation and beautiful prose in plays which are as moving as they are hilarious! Tickets £8, £7, Children £4
Saturday 10th September 2011
Operation Greenfield
Somewhere in middle England four unlikely teenagers are preparing for judgment day with ladders, Elvis and Forest Fruits squash.Stokely’s annual talent competition is nigh. With a stage full of instruments and an eclectic mix of recorded music, Little Bulb Theatre capture the confusing, awkward and beautifully naïve time of adolescence. A bizarre and fantastical exploration of music, faith and friendship, from Total Theatre, Fringe First and Arches Brick winners.‘Recklessly talented….insanely brave’ Guardian In cooperation with Carn to Cove.Tickets £8, £7, Children £4
Wednesday 6th July 2011
Owdyado Theatre: About a Bench
About a Bench is a charming performance about human communication and interaction. It is the tale of the bench; the silent protagonist that ties together seven stories stretched across decades.
The two actors brilliantly portray a staggering array of brightly coloured characters, with stories varying from black comedy to tragedy.
Tickets £8 £7 Children £4
Wednesday 15th June 2011
Bear Trap Theatre: Bound
Compelled by the threat of bankruptcy, fishing trawler the Violet and its mismatched crew are forced out into treacherous weather. The new bracingly physical show from Bear Trap Theatre Company. Six actors, five chairs, one table and an ocean. Bound.
Thursday 26th November 2009
Miracle Theatre: Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin
It is the year 1906 and provincial audiences are eagerly awaiting the return of the Ffitch Repertory Players with their latest offering The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin.
It is anticipated that this resourceful troupe of actors will once again brighten the lives of rural folk and bring a glimmer of the the glamour of London’s West End to their very doorstep.
Tickets £8, £7, Children £4
Friday 18th February 2011
Malina’s Dream
Angel Heart Theatre present
‘Malina’s Dream’
Malina lives with Grandpa in the land of the midnight sun. Into her frozen world comes a stranger, whose ship is crushed in the ice. Malina knows only she can save the stranger’s life! Breathtaking puppets, shadow puppetry, live
music create magical theatre.
Suitable for 4+years
Wednesday 16th March 2011
Barbershopera: Apocalypse No
The amazingly talented Barbershopera return with an even sillier story and yet more dazzling vocal skills.
Barbershop’s funniest quartet present their third a cappella comedy musical – and this time they’re going apocalyptic.
In association with Carn to Cove.
Tickets £9, £8 Children £4
Friday 4th February 2011
Cube Theatre: Gepetto
A new play by Jon Welch. 1950’s New York. In a shabby flat a teenage girl auditions for the role of puppeteer for a production of Pinocchio. But all is not as she expects. Geppetto is a heart-rending, but often hilarious story of a broken man’s obsessive search for his own puppet-boy, and how the chance pairing of this odd couple offers them both a glimpse of something lost and something to be yet found.
Tickets £8,£7, Children £4
Friday 1st April 2011
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
A brand new musical is created from scratch at each performance of this Edinburgh award-winning production, where audience suggestions help to create a show on the spot. The all-singing, all-dancing cast improvise with brilliant and unpredictable results.
‘Not only is each performance achingly funny, it’s a genuinely new musical every time. Worth seeing again and again. Time Out
Tickets £9, £8 Children £4
Friday 27th May 2011
Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Pants on Fire’s actor-musician extravaganza relocates Roman mythology to 1940’s wartime Britain.
Cupid – an evacuee with a catapult, Narcissus – a Hollywood Matinee Idol drooling over his screen image and an Andrews Sisters Chorus finding close harmony amid cosmic chaos. ‘75 fantastical minutes from a company that certainly lives up to the cheekiness of its name. A breakthrough show.’
Lyn Gardner. The Guardian
Tickets £9, £8 Children £4
Wednesday 19th January 2011
Beauty and the Beast from Mars – Miracle Theatre
Also Thursday 20th January
With original sixties inspired tunes from a 4-piece band, live video animation, technical wizardry and huge laughs from Cornwall’s foremost ‘masters of comedy’, Beauty and the Beast from Mars promises to be great all-round family entertainment.
On Wednesday 19th only, Cafe Tolmen will be open for pre theatre meals from 5.30pm. Booking essential. Tickets £10, £8 Children £6
Wednesday 15th December 2010
Cube Theatre: Pinocchio
Children’s Matinee
The dazzling Cube Theatre return with a magical retelling of the classic story. Using two actors and puppets, the show explores the fantastical adventures of the little puppet on the quest to become a real child.
Friday 15th October 2010
6.0 How Heap and Pebble took on the World and Won
“… brilliant… it’s intelligent and rather poignant too, in the way it shows two people beaming with misguided optimism in the face of calamity.
Heap and Pebble just carry on regardless; their fixed smiles never slip even as the polar ice cap melts.”The Guardian
Tickets £8, £7 Children £4
The Specialists – Pluck
The three most stupid musicians in the world have been invited to perform at last! Highly strung violinist Yarlsberg has designs on the perfect concert and ever enthusiastic Mr Abanathie aims to please with a variety of instruments.
(500)Days of Summer
A new series of Film Night begins with (500) Days of Summer (2009) Certificate 12A. An anti-romantic comedy about love and fate.
“Smart, sexy and seriously funny’..Rolling Stone
Tickets £3
To book a table for Cafe Tolmen, pre-film phone 01326 341353
Friday 10th September 2010
Universerama with Craig Johnson
Craig Johnson, Kneehigh performer renowned for his skill and charm has developed this new show Universerama as a blend of storytelling and cabaret. He uses puppets, props,music and comedy to convey the wonder of the cosmos in a funny and informative show for all the family.
Friday 7th May 2010
Barbershopera II
Barbershop’s funniest quartet. Three guys and a girl tell the tale of a matador who moves to Norfolk – expect laughs, tears and stampeding cows.
‘A feast of frenetic ridiculousness and technically superb singing’ – **** (Scotsman).
Tickets £8, £7 Children £4
In association with Carn to Cove
Sunday 2nd May 2010
The Sociable Plover
A superlative mystery comedy thriller set in a bird hide on the Suffolk marshes. Following his superb performance of Under Milk Wood last year, Guy Masterson returns in a two hander with Ronnie Toms. Tim Whitnall’s play is a wrought, taut, exquisitely balanced black comedy that keeps the viewer glued to the seat until the final full stop.
A multiple five star reviewed show at the Edinburgh festival 2009
Tickets £9, £8 Children £4
Saturday 20th March 2010
Leap: Community Choreography Project
A weekend event at the Tolmen Centre and Jubilee Wharf offering creative dance workshops for all ages. Even if you have never danced before: babies, teenagers over 50s all are welcome.
Tel:07876 205050.
Saturday 13th March 2010
Linda Marlowe: The World’s Wife
A new adaptation of Carol Ann Duffy’s poems, imagining the wives’ perspective of famous men. From Mrs Faust and Frau Freud to Queen Kong and Mrs Midas, this darkly funny show slices through history and myth.
‘Performed with awesome style and confidence by the splendid Linda Marlowe… wonderful’ Observer
Tickets £8, £7, Children £4
Friday 5th February 2010
Cube Theatre: The Locksmith’s Wife
Every week the Locksmith’s wife reads aloud the next instalment of Dickens’ latest story to an assortment of characters who may have walked out of his novels.
But when she falls sick, the Locksmith has to step into her shoes and fiction and reality blur as they find themselves facing their deepest secret.
Tickets £8, £7 Children £4
Miracle Theatre: The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin
It is the year 1906 and provincial audiences are eagerly awaiting the return of the Ffitch Repertory Players with their latest offering The Revenge of Rumpelstiltskin. It is anticipated that this resourceful troupe of actors will once again brighten the lives of rural folk and bring a glimmer of the the glamour of London’s West End to their very doorstep.
Tickets £8, £7, Children £4
Friday 23rd October 2009
Cscape: When the Shops Shut
When the shops are shut for good, when the shutters come down for the last time, when the final homes are bought up, what happens to communities then? Evocative, charming and funny, Cscape brings these communities to life in a vivid blend of dance, theatre, film, poetry and music.
“Cscape are poetry for the eyes and should not be missed” …Western Morning News
Friday 9th October 2009
Third Man Theatre Company: Stalag Happy
Stalag Happy is a funny and moving account of a truly inspiring story, portrayed through the use of sharp, comic, often touching dialogue – imaginative and inventive design – and a suitably nostalgic 1940s soundtrack.
Stalag Happy is a new play dramatising the true story of the abstract artists Sir Terry Frost and Adrian Heath whilst interned in the German POW camp Stalag 383 between 1941 – 45. “Edward Elks and Dan Frost were simply splendid… As thought provoking as it was touching… Well worth seeing twice.”…The Cornishman Tickets £8, £7 – Children £4 In association with Carn to Cove
Friday 11th December 2009
Bash Street Theatre Company: Silent Movie
Bash Street Theatre has an international reputation for outdoor productions combining live music and silent comedy.
Their new indoor show brings to life all the action, music and comedy of a B&W movie of the 1920s.
“Kept young and old entranced” Lyn Gardner The Guardian
Tickets £8, £7 Children £4
Saturday 26th September 2009
Cube Theatre: Reality Sandwich
Suzette is a ballet dancer. Morry is a married city worker, on the verge of losing everything, who can’t stop secretly going to see her perform.
Tonight he’s going to talk to her.
There’s just one problem.
She’s dead.
This is a special scratch performance of a new Cube show. Audience feedback is invited and a “pay what you think it deserved system” will operate. Suitable for ages 12+.
Friday 4th September 2009
Chaplin
Written and performed by Pip Utton “A day without laughter is a day wasted”
Chaplin remains one of the greatest clowns of all time. He created an image of himself for public consumption that hid the darker sides of his personality. Pip Utton steps in and out of the screen and becomes Charlie Chaplin, stripping away the myths and the moustache and revealing the man beneath.
‘Pip Utton is the doyen of the Fringe one-man show.’ The Daily Telegraph Tickets £8, £7 Children £4
Saturday 31st October 2009
A Night at the Museum
Spooky happenings in the Museum. Things to make and things to make you shake.
Look out behind you!
Ginny Davis presents..
Something a little different:
An Evening of Theatre with Ginny Davis
+ Summer Drinks & Desserts
+ Handmade Jewellery & Cards
Tickets: Adults £8.00, includes a drink and dessert
Heritage Collection and Tolmen Centre Fundraiser
Under Milk Wood
The producer and designer of Scaramouche – Guy Masterson – will bring us his own celebrated and renowned solo version of the great Dylan Thomas ‘play for voices’ with all the design and production values that his company has become famous for. It has played all over the world – they’re just back from the Adelaide festival – and this is one of only a handful of productions licenced by the Dylan Thomas estate. Guy plays every one of the enormous range of characters in what is justly described as a tour de force. For just one night in Cornwall – only at The Tolmen Centre May 9th at 7.30
Pluck present Musical Arson
An international sell-out show. The world’s three most stupid musicians entertain with their hilarious antics as they compete, ridicule, argue and seduce their way through Bach to Beatles. “Classical music for all ages and shoe sizes” The Sunday Times. In association with Venue Cornwall Tickets £8, £7 Children £4
Scaramouche Jones
11pm on Millennium Eve: Ancient clown Scaramouche breaks fifty years’ silence to give his final performance and charts a bizarre odyssey through crumbling empires, comic misadventures and the 20th Century’s darkest episodes, revealing the loves, the brutalities, the ecstasies and the tragedies beneath his seven white masks in an epic, poetic, profoundly moving tale.
Justin Butcher’s “Scaramouche Jones” is an international phenomenon made famous in 2000 by Pete Postlethwaite’s beautiful production. Now, directed by solo maestro Guy Masterson, Butcher makes the centenarian clown he originally created for himself brilliantly his own. “Mesmerising”…The Guardian In association with Venue Cornwall
The Penny Dreadfuls present Aeneas Faversham Forever
Fresh from their recent series on Radio 4, a trio of Victorian gentlemen humourists, the Penny Dreadfuls bring you the visually resplendent, aurally pleasurable Aeneas Faversham Forever, one of this year’s most scrumptious and comically edifying Edinburgh Fringe treats. “Think ‘A Bit of Fry and Laurie’ with a dash of ‘Ripping Yarns’ and a twist of ‘Big Train’. Grab the chance to see the Penny Dreadfuls live” – The Guardian In association with Venue Cornwall Tickets £8/£7 Children £4
Poetry and Music: Louis de Bernieres and Ilone Antonius Jones
A sparkling and entertaining show of poetry, music and badinage. Rated unmissable by Edinburgh Fringe critics, this unusual and exciting mix has delighted audiences across the UK and abroad. Presented in association with Carn to Cove. Tickets £7/£6