The Buccaneers are coming to the Questors theatre next month (5 April – 6 April 2023). It’s a tale of pirates and the producers behind it, Ama Theatre will be landing in Ealing to bring their pirate tales based on the lives of three real pirates from the 18th century – Anne Bonny, John Rackham and Mary Read.
During their time in the borough, they will also be visiting schools to share their story. EALING.NEWS caught up with Ian Britten-Hull – Artistic Director of Ama Theatre who is behind it to find out more about this pirate tale and the popularity of pirates.
What excites you about coming to the Questors? Have you performed here before and why did you choose it?
Questors is very well known. Although we have never performed at Questors before, I have known of Questors for many years and the excellent work they do. The Judi Dench Playhouse is a lovely traditional theatre, large but intimate at the same time. We were really honoured when Questors offered us the chance to perform there.
Tell us a bit more about the local walk about events you are planning?
Two of the pirates, Anne Bonny and John Rackham will be walking about Ealing on Saturday 18th March in from around lunchtime onwards. They will be there for anyone that has any questions about the show, and they may even have some treasure to give away! They will not be static but walking all around Ealing, so see if you can spot them!
What do you think pirates has proven to be such a popular theme over the years?
I think there is a general romanticism about pirates in part due to the seeming adventurous lifestyle they seemed to lead. In truth though, things were far different. Many resorted to piracy after the wars with Spain just to survive. There was also corruption and lawlessness they had to contend with. Life was tough for many, but especially women. The Buccaneers, although presented as a fantasy type adventure, lifts the lid on the lives of four real pirates who come back to life in our modern world.
Where else has this been performed and where does it go to after Ealing?
The show started out as an online video production during the Covid pandemic but then when restrictions were lifted we devised the live version of the show. We have toured snippets of the show to various festivals around the country for the past 2 years partly to promote the show, but also to gain feedback from audiences, all of which has been very positive. The Buccaneers has toured to Baldock Arts Centre in North Hertfordshire, Beccles Halls in Suffolk and Saltburn Arts Theatre in North Yorkshire. We are currently booking and planning the next stage of the tour where we are aiming to tour to the Northwest, such as Blackpool, Southwest, Manchester and hopefully into Scotland.
What is the next project you ate going to be working on?
In between working with The Buccaneers, we will be working on our Christmas panto, Aladdin which will tour all over the country. We also have some smaller productions for children and family audiences which will tour around the Southeast.
The Buccaneers is on at Ealing’s Questors Judi Dench Playhouse on 5 and 6 April 2023. To book tickets, click here.
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