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'Still Marilyn' 2003 |
| Badapple was
founded by Kate Bramley in 1998, harnessing her dedication as a young writer and director
to a new, vibrant company that would centre its work simply around 'telling good stories'.
To this end the company began its trademark work of new plays drawn from biographical or
historical stories. Her longstanding collaboration with designer Ruth Paton gave the shows
their unique visual style, and in March 2002 after a number of successful tours the
company became registered as a not for profit, company limited by guarantee. In 1998 the company premiered 'Amy Johnson', written and
directed by Kate Bramley, at the Edinburgh Festival, where its success resulted in two
subsequent national tours. |
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| ‘Amy
Johnson’ was a new drama based on the life of the pioneer aviatrix from Hull and told
the story of her private and public life up to her mysterious and tragic death in the
Second World War. The script was initially developed by Kate after she was invited to
access a new collection of hand written letters from Amy Johnson that had recently been
added to the local history collection at Hull City Library. |
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| Juliet
MacLeod, picured here in this photograph by Adrian Gatie, was the original actress to
create the lead role, and toured nationally with the original cast, to much acclaim. The
replica 2/3 size bi-plane that was created by Technical Director John Bramley and Set
Designer Andy Newell set the standard for BadApple's creativity in touring, and the set
now resides in the Amy Johnson Collection at Sewerby House Museum in Bridlington. |
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| Badapple
continued to produce top quality work with their second national touring production
'Marlowe, Meet Raymond Chandler'. In collaboration with The Auden Theatre the company
commissioned and developed this new script from Kate, based on the life of the american
novelist, and his fictional detective hero Phillip Marlowe. With support and funding from
Hull City Council and Yorkshire Arts the company were firmly on the theatre map. |
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| 'Marlowe'
saw the company collaborating with the excellent young actor Giuliano Neri, who had
already worked with Kate and Ruth at Hull Truck Theatre. Giuliano made the pivotal role of
Marlowe his own, and showed a surety and subtlety of performance of one far older in
years. The company were much saddened by his tragic death from illness in 2002, and felt
they had lost both a talented young performer and a true friend to the company. |
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Kate Bramley's new play about James Herriot tours
North Yorkshire again in June 2008... more>>>
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| Visit the Badapple box office for
show details and to buy tickets online... more>>>
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| 2002 saw the
company collaborate for the first time with folk music songwriter Jez Lowe on a
music-drama, based on a number of trawling stories from East Yorkshire. 'Fighting The
Tide' was a departure into a fictional folk-tale world where the lead characters were
forced to contend with the spiraling pressures of commerce and industry. The seamless
blend of music and text took the company to a new story-telling level, and the
collaboration with Jez Lowe was deemed a great success. A co-production with Trinity Arts
and ontinued support from Yorkshire Arts and The National Lottery saw the company develop
a strong business foundation alongside its dramatic vision. |
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2003 saw the largest tour to date from the company of their 'Still Marilyn'
show, based on the life of the screen legend, and her defining relationships with
photographers and screen stars alike. The show played at York Theatre Royal and Bath
Theatre Royal studios as well as a range of small to mid scale touring venues nationally,
with key support again from York City Council, Yorkshire Arts and private funders. |
 In 2005 Kate collaborated on behalf of Badapple, with
Nonsense Room Productions on two new scripts by Simon Beattie at Rosslyn Chapel in
Edinburgh, directing both 'The Apprentice' and 'A Christmas Carol' for the company.
'The Apprentice' was a site-specific
drama based on the lives of the stone masons responsible for creating some of the
unrivalled sculptured stonework at Rosslyn Chapel. This collaborative production saw the
Badapple aims and ambitions realised in one of the most extraordinary non-theatre spaces.
Nonsense Room, created by director Bruce Strachan and writer Simon Beattie, are in turn
creating a body of excellent theatre work that has gained them a strong reputation across
Scotland. |
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| Actors in
rehearsal with Bruce Strachan, 2005. |
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| Badapple
re-launched their theatre work in North Yorkshire in August 2007 with a great new one-man
show from Neil Kent, called An Honorary Yorkshireman. Made possible by the kind permission
of the Wight family, this show toured to the hills and dales of North Yorkshire in the
summer of 2007. 
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The success of that show led to a new collaboration in the Spring of 2008
with two fine actors, Phil Yarrow and Colin Moncrieff, as well as expert clown Jason Hird.
Together with the regular Badapple company they created 'Laurel and Charlie', a new and
very contemporary comedy that back to the early music hall days of Stan Laurel and Charlie
Chaplin. Widely regarded as the best Badapple show to date this project had crew and
audiences alike laughing until they cried!
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