Bumper Stickers are everywhere!

This year we have been running a 'Bumper Sticker Giveaway' for our promenade theatre in the park, Peter Pan.

The general idea is that people can pick up a bumper sticker from a number of places in the areas of Lancaster, Preston, Blackpool and South Lakes, and display it on their car. Every day in June our team has been out looking for bumper stickers and when we find one that person wins 2 free tickets to see Peter Pan in Williamson Park! So far we've been finding lots of bumper stickers in Lancaster and the South Lakes.

There are still two weeks to go though and we're hoping to find some more in Blackpool and Preston!

If don't yet have a bumper sticker, you can pick one up from the following places, or just email The Dukes box office with your address and we'll send one to you!

Lancaster and Morecambe Area
Collect your sticker from:
The Dukes
Lancaster VIC
Lancaster Library
Morecambe VIC
Morecambe Library

South Lakes Area
Collect your sticker from:
Kendal TIC
Lanternhouse
Plato’s
Longlands

Preston Area
Collect your sticker from:
The Harris Art Gallery
The New Continental, South Meadow Lane
Leyland Leisure Centre
Preston TIC

Blackpool Area
Collect your sticker from:
Arnie Aardvark’s Children’s Playbarn at Blackpool Zoo
Visit Blackpool offices
Barista, Birley Street
Fairhaven Lakeside Café, Lytham St. Annes



Good luck! And make sure to check our Facebook & Twitter pages, or our website, to see if we have spotted your bumper sticker!

For more details on the bumper sticker campaign go here: http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/bumper-sticker-ticket-giveaway

To check if you bumper sticker has been spotted go here: http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/news

Peter Pan will be running in Williamson Park from Friday 2 July until Saturday 7 August.

Tickets are available from The Dukes box office on 01524 589500 and more details can be found at http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/.

Venturing into the Mermaids' Lagoon

On Tuesday our Peter Pan cast braved the waters of Williamson Park lake! The lake will feature as the Mermaids's Lagoon in this Summer's production of Peter Pan so the cast were getting to grips with the location.

Some of the actors were in a nice traditional blue rowing boat...

Others were enjoying more interesting Polka dot pedal boat numbers...!

Peter Pan will be running in Williamson Park from Friday 2 July until Saturday 7 August.

Tickets are available from The Dukes box office on 01524 589500 and more details can be found at http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/.

They're here!

The new cast for Peter Pan, our summer show in Williamson Park, arrived in full force on Monday! A quick meet and greet was followed by a full read through, with accents galore!

Introducing...!

Our park director, Amy Leach

David Acton as J M Barrie, Captain Hook and George Darling

Kate Copeland as Mary Darling, Tiger Lily and Starkey

Guy Hargreaves as Smee and Nana

Stacey Cadman as Wendy

Gareth Cassidy as Slightly

Gregor Henderson-Begg as Peter Pan

Sam Jones as John Darling

Already sounding like their respective characters, you can be sure that these guys will be working very hard over the next month to create a summer spectacular not to be missed.

Peter Pan will be running in Williamson Park from Friday 2 July until Saturday 7 August.

Tickets are available from The Dukes box office on 01524 589500 and more details can be found at http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/.

It's a hit!!

The Gift and The Glory is now in full swing of its month-long run here at The Dukes- and has met with rave reviews and great audience feedback. Read what they've been saying about The Dukes' new double-bill below...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/apr/04/the-gift-and-the-glory The Guardian

http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/27760/the-gift-the-glory The Stage

http://www.lep.co.uk/theatrereviews/The-Gift-and-the-Glory.6201435.jp Lancashire Evening Post

Getting To Know You...

We managed to tear The Gift and The Glory actors away from their hectic rehearsal schedule to answer a few burning questions...

Noel White- Tom

Have you experienced any outdoor incidents or misadventures in the past?

I went skinny dipping in a strangley quiet bay near Marseille while on a trip with a mate over 20 years ago, only to discover we were splashing about near the outlet of a sewage pipe! The moment of realisation that the warmth of the water was entirely man-made haunts me still.
[Noel]

In the early 90s my boyfriend at the time was a Derbyshire lad whow was into rockclimbing. He
took me up to Black Rocks in the Peak District, harnessed me up and tried to get me to climb an 'easy' stretch about four times my height. Half-way up I got completely freaked out and scared, threw a total tantrum and had to be hauled up to the top because I was too scared to do any actual climbing! [Nicky]

When teaching briefly, I took a group of children to an outdoor pursuits centre at Buckden in Yorkshire. Trying to encourage, I threw myself into abseiling- only to descend in jerks into the path of a mini-waterfall - to the cheers of the kids and other teachers at the top! [Anne]

My dog attacked a sheep and I had to rescue it (the sheep, not the dog). [Jim]

Jim Kitson- Jed

Do you have a favourite place in The Lakes?

I worked at the Theatre by The Lake in Keswick recently and for the first time experienced and therefore understood the appeal of fell walking. Standing on Latrigg in two feet of snow with Derwent Water and the North Lakes stretching out before me makes it my favourite place. [Noel]

Ullswater is fantastic- I had only ever driven through The Lakes, before managing to spend a weekend there. Fantastic! [Anne]

If you could go back in time 20 years and offer your character any advice, what would it be and why?

Have more sex while you're young...it dries up. [Jim]

In the words of 'Hey Jude,' "Don't carry the world upon your shoulders." [Anne]


Are there any similarities between yourself and the character you play?

Irreverance and humour as a default position; constant fear of impending old-age! [Nicky]

I'm fortunate to have a few friends I have known most of my life so can recognise the verbal shorthand that Tom and Jed share. Tom is more organised and emotionally steady than me. [Noel]

Too many. [Jim]

A tendency to think I've got to keep smiling in the face of disaster! [Anne]





















Nicky Goldie- Joy


What is your personal favourite moment in the play and why?

I like all the bits that reminded me of me- they made me laugh (mostly at myself!) [Nicky]

Singing 'I'll Fly Away'...amongst others too numerous to mention! [Anne]


Do you have any previous connection to The Dukes or Lancaster?

None, but happy to have now! [Jim]

I played Heracles in last year's Williamson Park production of Jason and The Argonauts, and returned soon after to play Slim in Of Mice and Men in the main house. [Noel]

I had a brilliant time rehearsing and playing in My Mother Said I Never Should! [Anne]

I was The Queen/Mum in the B.F.G. at The Dukes in 1900 and frozen stiff!! [Nicky]

The Gift and The Glory begins its run here at The Dukes on Wednesday 31st March at 7.30pm in The Round.









Anne Kavanagh- Lizzie

A Day In The Country...

Cast and crew wisely wrapped up warm last week, as they ventured out to Grasmere to try to get a feel for the sights, sounds and emotions they hope to translate to the stage in the shape of upcoming homegrown production The Gift and The Glory.

Tracing the same route as the characters take around Codale and Easdale tarns in the play, they wanted to see what it was like to 'walk a mile in their shoes.' All in the name of research, of course...

The Gift and The Glory opens on Wednesday 31st March.

Hello!!!

They've arrived!!

The Gift & The Glory actors Jim Kitson, Noel White, Nicky Goldie and Anne Kavanagh have rambled their way through the Lakeland foothills and arrived safely here at The Dukes.

After a swift meet and greet, cast, crew and staff sat down in The Gallery for the first read-through of the scripts.

Later, the cast joined directors Joe Sumsion and Louie Ingham for early rehearsals, and took the opportunity to practice getting to grips with some of those tricky high notes!

Get Your Rocks Off!!

So as the curtain draws closed on another production here at The Dukes following the successful February run of My Mother Said I Never Should, so opens another in the shape of early production on our new double-bill of plays The Gift and The Glory.

Set in the heart of The Lakes, designer Alison Heffernan decided she would use rocks as part of the set design to emphasise the feeling of the outdoors. Here at The Dukes we don't do things by halves, and so Alison and Production and Operations Manager John Newman-Holden ventured out to Ingleton Quarry to source some rather large boulders...

The Show Must Go On!!

Due to recent electrical maintenance here at The Dukes, Wednesday's matinee performance of My Mother Said I Never Should was shrouded in darkness. But the show must go on, and our talented and resourceful creative and stage team were on hand with head torches and emergency lighting (and a labyrinth of extension cable) to save the day, and see it go ahead without incident. Their mothers obviously told them to always keep a cool head under pressure!

Stage Manager Graeme, complete with head torch, collecting costume and props

Emergency lighting in the Ladies'!

Deputy Stage Manager Vicky (also donning trusty head-torch) carefully arranges props on stage

Graeme tends to a costume rail

'Careful!..' Vicky eases open a cupboard door on set

My Mother Said I Never Should enters its final week at The Dukes this Saturday. Tickets are still available if you fancy popping down!

Curtains Raised!

Rehearsals are over, the stage set and the curtain finally raised on Charlotte Keatley's My Mother Said I Never Should.

The early reviews are coming steadily in, and tickets are still selling fast as we near the mid-point of the February show schedule here at The Dukes.

And don't forget we still want to hear from you and any of your mother's wise (or pehaps unwise!) words of wisdom on our blog!

http://things-my-mother-said-i-never-should.blogspot.com/