Theatre is coming into the heart of Aldersbrook as part of the Wanstead Fringe, organisers have announced. A new play, The Border, is to be staged there as part of a national tour. 

The play is an outrageous parable about identity and “the lines we draw between ourselves and other people”. It is, organisers say, a timely and thought-provoking contribution to current questions.

It’s the first time the Fringe has staged a big event in Aldersbrook – most events have so far been in central Wanstead or Snaresbrook. But the play is to be staged at the Aldersbrook Community Centre in Brading Crescent.

Giles Wilson, director of the Wanstead Fringe, said: “We’ve wanted to host events in Aldersbrook for a couple of years, and it’s great that we are able to do it in a way that also fulfils our mission of bringing live professional theatre to the Fringe.”

The play will be particularly useful for young adults though will be of relevance to everyone. For anyone studying drama, citizenship or PHSE, it will be especially valuable.

Tickets are now available via the Wanstead Fringe site, priced £8 and £6.

The Border – a new play by Afsaneh Gray

• There are two other plays being performed as part of the Wanstead Fringe. You can see details of them at wansteadfringe.org/theatre

Large parts of Wanstead including the High Street shops and traffic lights were among the areas hit by widespread power outages on Friday afternoon. For shops it was the third in just a few months. Power was restored after a short while but not without causing a fair amount of disruption.

The producers of one of the plays running as part of this year’s Wanstead Fringe have a role going spare suitable for a young Wanstead actor. The production of The Railway Children Musical is taking place at the Deaton Theatre at Forest School on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September, and the role of Jim is about to be cast.

The producers of the play are Hordern Ciani, who last year staged The Secret Garden as part of the Fringe. 

Producer Katherine Mount said: “Jim appears towards the end of the show when he falls on the tracks in the railway tunnel and is rescued by the children.  The role would suit a young person with interest in the theatre, giving them the opportunity to work with a professional cast and production company. They should have acting and singing ability.”

Rehearsals will take place in the week commencing 9 September with technical and dress rehearsals on 13 September in Wanstead. The performances are on Saturday 14 September at 3pm and 7pm, and on Sunday 15 September at 3pm.  If the successful candidate needs time off school to take part, the company will apply for licences and supply a registered chaperone.

Parents of anyone interested should apply directly to info@hordernciani.com

Tickets for the production are selling fast and are available via the link below.

 

The Railway Children

The Railway Children

The Railway Children

The Wanstead Fringe is now just four weeks away – but time is nearly running out if you want to get your Jumble Trail stall on the printed map which will be distributed with the Fringe programmes.

Getting on the map means you have a much better chance of being spotted by bargain-hunters – or even of having your street highlighted at all. So don’t delay – order using the link below. Inclusion in the programme stops on Wednesday 7 August.

 

Jumble Trail 2019

Earlier this year Wansteadium went through a period of not paying attention. It was in this time that the phonebox on the corner of Woodbine Place and the High Street was removed, and we didn’t even notice. But let’s take a quick look back at phone boxes on the site we have known and loved. (And hardly, if ever, used.)

So farewell then to the quaint wooden shopfront which was once Jolliffe’s builders but which is now to become a three-floored building comprising seven one-bedroom flats, six two-bedroom flats and new shops.

The addition of thirteen new homes on a space which was under-used will be welcomed by those who are trying to find places to live in Wanstead, and the design which was given permission last year avoids an inappropriate new development (unlike at least one previous proposal).

But it’s also worth noting the passing of a landmark which did, we insist, look a bit like a wooden tooth on the High Street.

The new building should end up looking something like the drawing below.