JULY 2020
LOCKDOWN. HOLY SHIT, WHAT A TIME. We’ve been keeping busy keeping our hand in while theatre is indefinitely paused, having big discussions with industry stalwarts, cracking on with our Associateship sessions with Doug Rintoul at Queen’s Theatre, our Mercury Creatives cohort, and of course, a thousand Zooms to keep our brains active and our hearts firing. Solidarity to all the thinkers and makers out there. Thanks to all the amazing industry practitioners who have offered advice and solace and kept us involved. Meanwhile, a new piece of work is taking shape under the soil.
Just some of the stuff we’ve been involved with while we can’t get into a rehearsal room…
Great sessions with these crackerjacks…
APRIL 2020
SEXY NEWS ALERT! We have been made Associate Artists at the rather brilliant Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch! London Theatre of the Year no less. We’re so honoured to be asked and can’t wait to get cracking and making and mulling and learning. READ MORE.
APRIL 2020
We were delighted to be asked to do the first funky Zoom session for Queen’s Theatre’s Outer Limits Online – chatting about how we started, how we create as working class women in a tough industry, what fires us up, and what opportunities and success we’ve had along the way. We had fun!
APRIL 2020
So relieved and happy to have received some funding from the Arts Council Emergency Fund. Thank you ACE, we love you. xx
MARCH 2020
Had a brilliant day leading a workshop on New Writing for Caspa Arts at The Mono Box. The girls treated us to a little Pramkicker reading, and then we got them started on their own piece of work. Very proud to see what they had created at the end, and to know they’ll continue working on it for a showcase at Baron’s Court Theatre in April.
FEBRUARY 2020
Had a brilliant time at the launch of Mercury Creatives! What a fine bunch of people to be involved with. Top notch mentorship scheme from the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, with support from the European Regional Development Fund. WE REMAIN EUROPEANS.
FEBRUARY 2020
The brilliant illustrator Sofie Birkin is featured in It’s Nice That as One to Watch – check it out. We love the work she did for us, she’s flipping ace. 💝
JANUARY 2020
So happy to announce that we applied to the highly competitive Mercury Creatives programme and got on! Can’t wait to see what the year brings. We do love to learn new things!
OCTOBER 2019
Honoured to curate a fantastic weekend packed full of new writing – Outer Limits was a heart-sizzling brain-nourishing riot of creativity. So many excellent humans involved, including Brigitte Aphrodite & Quiet Boy, Annie Siddons, Badac Theatre, Sonny Green, Vickie Donoghue. So much badass talent it made us giddy. We can’t wait for the next one. Thanks to the Railway Hotel and Metal Southend for being supportive as always.
Outer Limits was produced in partnership with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch with support from Clothworkers Foundation.
JULY 2019
Had an amazing time smashing Pramkicker out in the Cabaret Theatre at our favourite festival Latitude. Beautiful response from the audience, and the tent was full! Hooray!
APRIL 2019
Super excited to be doing Latitude for our fourth time this year.
JANUARY 2019
PRAMKICKER RUN AT VAULT FESTIVAL LONDON IS SOLD OUT.
OCTOBER 2018
We’ve been bashing away at a bit of planning on a topic close to our hearts, AND just received some cool news, but we can’t share it just yet. But it’s cool – and Pramkicker-related!
OCTOBER 2018
Pramkicker is just flexing its legs with some theatrical lunges for its Sydney debut!
Wishing Vocovox lots of fun and luck with it! Here’s a lovely interview with director Linda Nicholls-Gidley.
OCTOBER 2018
We just held another corking Damn Write storytelling night on the theme of Feminist as Fuck. It was a hilarious and brilliant and deeply moving evening, with many wonderful stories from our line-up. It all got a bit teary, and the response has been overwhelming. We’ll do another one soon!
SEPTEMBER 2018
Fran & Leni is in Washington DC this month, and so is Pramkicker. Washington is really showing the love! Wish we could go watch and kick Trump in the nads with our DMs while we’re at it.
AUGUST 2018
The production of Pramkicker in Melbourne looks amazing!
Here’s a great interview in Beat with Anna Burgess who played Jude.
“Pramkicker’ is the comedy that finally challenges child-centric societal values. It really packs a punch… It’s such a beautiful comedy, but it really is so tender as well.”
JULY 2018
We’ve got some ace projects up our sleeves, but in the meantime are loving the fact that Pramkicker is getting some love from a cool company in Melbourne, Australia!
Wish we could go and see it. Have fun, Dirty Pennies!
JUNE 2018
While we plot our next project, it’s nice to know that we’re being represented out there in The World! Hasler just signed contracts for Sydney and Washington DC runs of Pramkicker in the autumn. She has also had enquiries about New York and Washington DC productions of Fran & Leni. Nice!
But right now, Pramkicker is in Italian mode, having been translated into italiano for the Inventaria Festival in Rome. Exciting!
MARCH 2018
Hasler had her baby! It was hard and took ages! Midwives rock! The baby’s name is Marcie! She’s brilliant!
FEBRUARY 2018
Dead happy to say we’re doing another lush Damn Write, hot on the heels of the last!
Fancy some stories screaming fresh off the printer from a minxy bunch of writers & performers? OF COURSE YOU DO. YEAH!
Just hope the baby doesn’t come a week early or it could be a bit awks for Hasler. STAY PUT FOR A BIT LONGER, LITTLE BABY FEMINIST. MUMMY GOT SHIT TO DO.
Friday 2nd March, 7.30 – Metal Southend – Fiver
Part of Pop Up Essex Writers House & Essex Book Festival
BOOK ESSENTIAL. YOU CAN DO IT HERE NOW IF YOU LIKE.
JANUARY 2018
Beyond elated to hear that Pramkicker is being performed at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC again! This time as part of International Women’s Voices Day.
“The Women’s Voices Theater Festival has teamed up with the National New Play Network and the New Play Exchange in inviting theatre artists around the world to organize readings of plays by women playwrights on January 21, 2018 as part of the new celebration called International Women’s Voices Day. The celebration has been scheduled for January 21, 2018 in honor of the one-year anniversary of the historic Women’s Marches last year.”
Big love & break a leg to One Off Productions who are staging it. Wish we could be there to support!
JANUARY 2018
Plotting some big changes, some fun events, & a bold new show…
Hasler’s up the duff so things will be a little different for a while, but we’re taking it in our stride & using it as feist fodder! 💥
DECEMBER 2017
Popped in to see Network at the National Theatre (BRYAN CRANSTON – YES) & spotted Fran & Leni still on the Recommends shelf – after a ruddy year! HOLY SMOKE!
DECEMBER 2017
It was dead fun to return to some old characters for Damn Write.
Hasler added to her Katharine Hepburn piece from her one woman show Lady Bones by throwing some naughty Bette Davis into the mix, mainly because she likes making Mayhew say bad words. A lot of fun was had all round, and crumbs were there some cracking stories from our wonderful writers! Thanks to all who made the night such a success!
DECEMBER 2017
Yo, bitches, witches, & queens! We’re bringing back our spanktacular storytelling evening Tales & Ales, but we’re renaming it DAMN WRITE, mainly because we want to (damn right – you heard us.)
This night of storytelling on the theme of Bitches, Witches & Queens will see brand new material from an eclectic bunch of authors, poets, performers, television scriptwriters, musicians and actors. If you ever came along to one of our sold out nights at The Alex, Clifftown Theatre, or Chalkwell Hall, you’ll know what a treat you’re in for.
We decided to tweak the name to Damn Write as it’s a bit sassier and we feel it encapsulates the spirit of the times. That spirit being: FUCK ALL THE DICKS.
We can’t wait to welcome both new and familiar faces and present a mixed bag of feisty, funny, inspiring, heartwarming, spine-chilling or generally Hell Yeah stories, all around the 5 minute mark.
THE PARTICULARS, BITCHES:
Friday 8th December 8pm
Chalkwell Hall
£5
BOOK NOW LIKE A PERSON OF ACTION
Line-up:
NOVEMBER 2017
Hooray! Pramkicker is on its travels again. 🚀
Not content with a cheeky little performance at the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC in September, the rights were requested for a Rome translation/production last week, & this week for a kick-ass production in Sydney!
Intercontinental funtimes! 
🇺🇸🇮🇹
OCTOBER 2017
JUST IN: The rights have been requested to translate Pramkicker into Italian for a run in Rome! Mama mia!
OCTOBER 2017
We just had a most brilliant Away Day with top director Doug Rintoul at the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, hosted just for us. Lucky girls! We went through everything with a theatrical scalpel and have some very exciting ideas and plans. All hush-hush for now. Thank you so much, Doug!
SEPTEMBER 2017
Pramkicker is being performed at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC as part of the Page-to-Stage Festival – part of the Kennedy Center’s Centennial Celebration of President John F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday. Cool! Page-to-Stage puts an emphasis on Courage, one of the five ideals ascribed to President Kennedy. WE THINK COURAGE IS GREAT.
AUGUST 2017
Lovely to hear that Bloomsbury have had to do yet another print run of Pramkicker! Here’s one facing out on the shelves of Waterstones Piccadilly!
JULY 2017
Pretty darned excited to hit the road for our final three 2017 dates.
Catch us in Manchester and London
July 27/28 – Manchester Fringe King’s Arms – Fran & Leni
August 1-6 – King’s Head LBGTQ Festival – Fran & Leni
August 21/24 – Camden Fringe – Camden People’s Theatre – Pramkicker
APRIL 2017
Fran & Leni hit the ROAD. (We’ve snuck in some cheeky Pramkicker as well…)
April 19 – Palace Theatre, Southend – Fran & Leni
April 22 – Palace Theatre, Southend – Pramkicker and Fran & Leni
May 3 – Norwich Arts Centre Fran & Leni
May 17 – Colchester Arts Centre – Fran & Leni
May 25/26 – Brighton Fringe Marlborough Theatre – Fran & Leni
June 27 – Off Beat Festival Burton Taylor Studio, Oxford Playhouse – Fran & Leni
July 27/28 – Manchester Fringe King’s Arms – Fran & Leni
August 1-6 – King’s Head Theatre’s LGBTQ Festival – Fran & Leni
August 21/24 – Camden Fringe – Camden People’s Theatre – Pramkicker
MARCH 2017
International Women’s Day!
We celebrated the day with our pals at Metal Southend where we presented an open chat on the theme of The Invisible Woman, tackling questions such as Are we seen? Do we feel seen? Do we want to be seen? How do we want to be seen? And is being seen a power we gain then lose as we get older?
So many brilliant women came and spoke and shared. It was overwhelming to hear young and older voices conversing agreeing, advising and connecting.
JANUARY 2017
We had a fabulous time at the VAULT Fest. Great atmosphere, brilliant space and a tech & FOH team that were ON IT.
And… we were Highly Commended. 💥
FRAN & LENI – VAULT TRAILER – JAN 2017
DECEMBER 2016
Following a sold out performance of Fran & Leni in our hometown premiering the music written for the play by Fi & Dave Dulake of Tuppenny Bunters, we’re getting ready for our run at Vault Festival 25-29th January, and programming our 2017 beyond.
Exciting news being kept under our hats!
NOVEMBER 2016
Fran & Leni came home and enjoyed a sell out run at our beloved Railway, & combined it with a little book launch for the playscript!
AUGUST 2016
Fran & Leni heads to Edinburgh.
So happy to be back at Assembly. This time we are in THE BOX. Every day 15:05.
AND
Fran & Leni has been published by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama
JULY 2016
Fran & Leni premieres at LATITUDE
MAY-JULY 2016
Pramkicker is on TOUR.
May 2014
We have started our Kickstarter video. It’s hard! that’s why we are so blooming lucky to have the quite bonkersley talented Andy Delaney making filmy stuff with with us!
April 2014
As part of the wonderful Escalator East to Edinburgh scheme we had to go to a swanky hotel to have some training, food, drink, and meet the other artists on the scheme. We may or may not have spilt some nail varnish on a carpet. (While here we also got booked for Latitude and squealed a bit.)
March 2014
WE DID IT.
The Arts Council Gods have shined upon us!
We LOVE THE ARTS COUNCIL! We have celebrated with pink gin!
This will now become our thing! Celebration = Pink Booze
March 2014
February 2014
We have sent off our funding application. And now we wait…. and wait.
Meanwhile we carry on as usual and start our Edinburgh plans!
Ooo, also lets have some stories.
Make yourselves comfy for some Tales&Ales#3: Love & Filth!
January 2014
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE TRUNK!
December 2013
It’s Tales & Ales time… snuggle down and get all cosy in the Trunk.
November 2013
Oh my lordy!
We have only been selected to be part of the amazing Escalator East to Edinburgh Scheme.
We are very happy gals!
We might have something bubbly.
*hic*
We had something bubbly!
October 2013
Arts on the Road Tour with Sundown Arts.
August 2013
No time to rest after Village Green; we are off to perform our new show The Secret Wives of Andy Williams at The Camden Fringe.
Update – We were awarded “Outstanding Show”
“It is rare in film, theatre or any art form to encounter a follow up show, a prequel or sequel that is as good if not better than the first. This unique occurrence has happened with Old Trunk and their new show.” – Fringe Review
July 2013
What an amazing day July 13th was.
Phewy! What a day. Village Green saw 40,000 + visitors tripping (not literally) through the gates. We ran the very first dedicated theatre tent and it was tightly packed all day with lovely audiences and with rather brilliant artists! We were entertained by Jigsaw, Colin Hoult, Two for Tea, Tiny Tales, Dirty Great Love Story, E15 and Giraffe, Oh and we previewed our new show and collaborated with the awesome The Lucky Strikes on a piece called The Vagabond Diaries.
And sleeeeeep!
June 2013
Old Trunk are delighted to be working hard to programme their theatre tent for Village Green. The date (Saturday 13th July 2013 ) is speeding towards us rapidly and we’re merrily toiling to make it an event to proud of.
Line up currently includes the wonderful critically acclaimed Radio 4 sketch group Jigsaw, & the National Theatre’s delightful comedy jazz duo Two For Tea. Other amazing acts to be confirmed very shortly!
February 2013
We’ve just begun rehearsals for our new play The Secret Wives of Andy Williams! It’s the prequel to our last play, The Bastard Children of Remington Steele, and we’re blessed with a fantastic cast. Very excited about the next few months, and we’ll update you with all our news!
March 2013
February 2013
The Bastard Children of Remington Steele was reprised for a sell out run at the Leicester Square Theatre…
“Guffaw out loud funny” – Jenny Eclair
August 2012
Our first play “The Bastard Children of Remington Steele” won us 4 and 5 star reviews, and the coveted title Pick Of The Fringe for Camden Fringe Festival.
“It is consistently hilarious, sad and surprising & could become an absolute canon classic.” – Fringe Review
August 2012
Old Trunk is born. Hi!
oldtrunktheatre.wordpress.com 