Past Work
Bowler Crab has soared leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, producing 32 tours to date.Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Stephen John, Bowler Crab had performed their first five productions by 2015, all open air exclusively at Half House Farm in East Sussex. 2015 saw the company touring their summer productions to indoor venues for the first time across Sussex. After a 2016 summer production, in the autumn came their first solely indoor production tour across Sussex and Kent.
Alongside producing summer and winter tours, in 2017 Bowler Crab began touring shortened versions of their plays to schools, festivals, corporate events and as dining experiences (all available now for hire).
Bowler Crab also became the official resident theatre company of The Mermaid Inn in 2017. The Rye based 600 year old inn (known for having Shakespeare’s company visit them in 1597) today hosts Bowler Crab’s full touring performances, ‘pocket performances’ and dining experiences year round.
Between 2020 and 2023, Bowler Crab suffered at the hands of the pandemic, the financial crisis and the aftermath of these events. In 2020 we only produced school tours at the very beginning of the year, in 2021 we produced a one man show, finally returning to normality with a full season in 2023, celebrating ten years of Shakespeare!
Bowler Crab has soared leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, producing 32 tours to date.Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Stephen John, Bowler Crab had performed their first five productions by 2015, all open air exclusively at Half House Farm in East Sussex. 2015 saw the company touring their summer productions to indoor venues for the first time across Sussex. After a 2016 summer production, in the autumn came their first solely indoor production tour across Sussex and Kent.
Alongside producing summer and winter tours, in 2017 Bowler Crab began touring shortened versions of their plays to schools, festivals, corporate events and as dining experiences (all available now for hire).
Bowler Crab also became the official resident theatre company of The Mermaid Inn in 2017. The Rye based 600 year old inn (known for having Shakespeare’s company visit them in 1597) today hosts Bowler Crab’s full touring performances, ‘pocket performances’ and dining experiences year round.
Between 2020 and 2023, Bowler Crab suffered at the hands of the pandemic, the financial crisis and the aftermath of these events. In 2020 we only produced school tours at the very beginning of the year, in 2021 we produced a one man show, finally returning to normality with a full season in 2023, celebrating ten years of Shakespeare!
Macbeth (2013)
Bowler Crab's debut production was performed in June 2013 outdoors exclusively at Half House Farm and was such a success that a plan to complete the canon took form!
The production was set in the Victorian era with a steampunk theme, the witches appearing to have travelled through time to interfere with history.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2013)
Doubling the sales of Macbeth, our first production of A Midsummer Night's Dream set a sales record which would remain the benchmark for several years.
The Dream was performed outdoors in August 2013 exclusively at Half House Farm. Firmly set in the original time setting of Ancient Greece, Bottom aptly became a Minotaur instead of an ass. Puck was a wolfish character, closer to the true meaning of a tricksome 'Puck goblin'; the moon was also a featured theme throughout.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
Romeo & Juliet (2014)
BC's second year would boast a three play summer season, celebrating Shakespeare's 450th Birthday with a performance of Romeo & Juliet!
Performed outdoors exclusively at Half House Farm, an April production was a risk.
Commented on by reviewers as 'the best costume concept' they'd seen for R&J, the piece presented two ancient Mian-like tribes at war, colourful costumes representative of the two households.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
Twelfth Night (2014)
The second performance of 2014 was Twelfth Night,
a sunny June production with record sized audiences.
Performed exclusively at Half House Farm, the theme of madness ran deep into the piece. Feste was presented as a mime most apt for the 1920s France setting.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
Measure For Measure (2014)
The third performance of 2014 was Measure For Measure, originally planned for October 2013, this postponed production was met with favourable weather and good audiences in August.
Performed outdoors exclusively at Half House Farm, this dark comedy was met with dark themes of sin and virtue in an old west 1911 setting - the famous 'problem ending' met with a special BC twist as Isabela gave the answer the play is famous for ignoring.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
A Ghost Story (2014- present)
Wait, when did this happen? This mysterious pocket production was first performed in the winter of 2014 when Artisitic Director Stephen John was asked to create and perform a Victorian ghost story performance. With several performances throughout the years since, this pocket production was only ever performed privately at Buckswood School near Hastings.
This piece is available for hire to Schools, music festivals, as dining experiences and other events. The piece is currently undergoing development and will have a public performance later in 2020.
More details coming soon ...
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
Love's Labour's Lost (2015)
Our June production of 2015 not only broke the sales record and the largest audience record but also carved a new path in BC history. After the outdoor performances at Half House Farm sold so well, The Stables Theatre in Hastings asked if we would tour our show to them and perform indoors that July. The piece was adapted for the indoor space and the success of the mini one stop tour not only created a friendship with The Stables but also was a huge step for BC, with plans to tour again brought into focus. Set in a fantasy medieval France.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
The Tempest (2015)
Our seventh production took place less than a month after the indoor tour of Love's Labour's Lost and performed outdoors exclusively at Half House Farm in August and September 2014. Early C18th style costume designs met with magical nautical ideas were used to great effect.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
All's Well That Ends Well (2016)
All's Well That Ends Well was the last show to be performed solely at Half House Farm. Fitting for the last BC production to ever be performed entirely outside, June 2016 had the highest rainfall on record in 70 years and, whilst we are always up for performing in the wet, it was time for us to think about indoor backups if we wanted to maintain our large audience records despite rainy weather ...
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
Sunny matinee pics by Michael Townsend of What's On Magazine
King Lear (2016)
After a solely outdoor show in 2016 came BC's first solely indoor tour as we brought King Lear to indoor venues across Kent and Sussex including sell out performances at The Stables Theatre in Hastings and record audience sizes.
Bowler Crab took on a new guise, the mission to complete the canon also gaining a sister objective: to become a UK touring company. This was a huge step in the company's development and plans were made immediately following the success.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
Macbeth 2017 - present
2017 was quite a year, after the success of King Lear, we approached The Mermaid Inn in Rye and organised a one off event performing extracts from Macbeth with a team of two and analysing the text with the audience. The first project to be termed 'a pocket production', The Mermaid Inn quickly sold out for the event and a new relationship was formed as we became the resident theatre company.
'Interpreting Macbeth' then became available for schools to hire to help GCSE or A-Level students with their exams, the project adapting to each exam board's requirements, presenting the piece in a variety of lights to help students see different interpretations and form arguments for their exams.
'Interpreting Macbeth' began touring to schools in 2017 and a new version of the pocket production was then released in 2018 with a new cast of four performing a linear shortened version of Macbeth, just 100 minutes long and the perfect 'pocket sized' performance for private and public events to hire. 'Macbeth' and 'Interpreting Macbeth' soon became popular at festivals, as sell out dining experiences and as stand alone private events. Both Macbeth projects switched from Victorian era costume to traditional 1000's style in 2018.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
With B&W photography at The Mermaid by BC production member Carey Pool.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO HIRE MACBETH AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS
Notable performances include several sell outs at The Battle Arts Festival at Battle Abbey, Manor Barn Bexhill and as a dining experience at The Mermaid Inn.
More public performances will be announced later in 2020.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
THE MERMAID INN IN RYE AND OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS THERE.
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
Much Ado About Nothing (2017)
2017 brought about a smashing comedy,
Much Ado About Nothing; set in ancient Italy, the play sold well at Half House Farm in June and toured to St John's Centre Bexhill and Raystede Centre in Ringmer in July for indoor performances, the first time a farm run had been followed by multiple tour locations.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
Matinee Pics by Michael Townsend of
What's On Magazine
Much Ado About Nothing
2017 - present
What many may not know is that in July 2017, three of the Much Ado cast members also attended a private event and performed a short 30 minute selection of scenes from the play - the first pocket production version of Much Ado About Nothing. With thanks to local Councillor Michael Ensor for hiring us to perform at Ashburnham Place.
Much Ado About Nothing is currently inactive but is set to return for hire in 2021 with a new cast and some public performances!
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
HOW TO HIRE MUCH ADO AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
A Midsummer Night's Dream
2017 - present
Next in 2017, we took up the job as the resident theatre company at The Mermaid Inn and debuted our next pocket: A Midsummer Night's Dream as a dining experience as part of The Rye Arts Festival, with scenes taking place between each course.
Dream has since gone onto being our most popular pocket production for hire with notable sell out performances at The Big Green Cardigan Festival, Rye School of English and at several private events and schools.
Dream uses Victorian Steam-Punk style costumes and puppetry to illustrate a fictitious industrial Athens disrupted by whimsical fairies.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
With photography also taken at Half House Farm's woods by BC production member Carey Pool,
at Big Green Cardigan by Roy Cano and at Buckswood School by Jeremy Lucas
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO HIRE A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
THE MERMAID INN IN RYE AND OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS THERE.
Othello (2017)
BC's second solely indoor tour came in the Autumn of 2017 as Othello smashed previous sales records and extended the touring route to as far as London and Brighton. Venues included: The Hen & Chicken Theatre Bar and The Space Theatre in London as well as sell outs at old favourites: The Mermaid Inn in Rye
and The Stables Theatre in Hastings.
Set in a 1940's WW2 style, this production brought with it our first Patrons:
Tim & Julie Wren of Rye School of English;
Ed and Bev Towner of
A. C. Towner Ltd. Undertakers.
and Chris Packham of
C. Packham Theatre Services.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
B&W photos at The Mermaid Inn by Tenee Attoh.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT OUR PATRONS
Romeo & Juliet
2018 - present
Returning once again to The Mermaid in 2018, we created the third pocket: Romeo & Juliet. We sold out with 'Interpreting R&J' before moving onto schools with the workshop.
In 2019, we then released a linear 100 minute long version of the play, touring to schools as well as festival performances which sold out at The Big Green Cardigan Festival, Battle Arts Festival at Battle Abbey and as a dining experience returning to The Mermaid Inn as part of the Rye Arts Festival. Other Notable performance include at All Saints Centre in Lewes and at Bexhill Manor Barn.
R&J is set in a fantasy Verona mixing Medieval and Jacobean cultures.
Photos at a private garden party
(The Croft in Lewes)
by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
With photography by Roy Cano at The Big Green Cardigan Festival
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO HIRE ROMEO & JULIET AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
THE MERMAID INN IN RYE AND OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS THERE.
The Merchant of Venice (2018)
BC's biggest most ambitious tour took place in 2018 with The Merchant of Venice combining both the indoor and summer tour routes to create a production which toured for seven weeks across June-August. Venues included:
The Hen & Chicken Theatre Bar in London,
The Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells,
The Rialto Theatre in Brighton, St John's Centre in Bexhill and, of course, Half House Farm,
The Mermaid Inn and The Stables Theatre.
Many of these sold out and the production broke all records of audience size and run sales.
Set in an early 1700 Georgian style, the play tackled questions about race, religion, homosexuality, love, envy and greed.
New patrons also joined us for the tour,
including celebrity photographer David Montgomery.
Photos taken at The Mermaid, The Stables and Half House Farm by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com whose patronage was made official by his generosity and friendship on this tour.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT OUR PATRONS
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
THE MERMAID INN IN RYE AND OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS THERE.
Twelfth Night
2018 - present
2018 was a breakthrough year not only for our largest tour ever but also for our pockets and the demand for bookings tripled in just a few months. the next instalment was Twelfth Night, joyfully set in Victorian England where cakes and ale were always in demand.
The four man 100 minute production was in hot demand for the festive Christmas period and packed audiences attended public performances at All Saints Centre in Lewes, St John's Centre Bexhill, The Hen & Chickens Theatre in London and as a dining experience at The Mermaid Inn in Rye.
Photography by BC production member
Henri Hayler,
Twelfth Night will be returning on tour once more in 2020 with dates to be announced very soon ...
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO HIRE TWELFTH NIGHT AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
THE MERMAID INN IN RYE AND OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS THERE.
Shakespeare & Love
2019 - present
2019 kicked off with a new type of Pocket Production - a Shakespeare Showcase. Like our 'Interpreting' productions, this piece consisted of extracts which were then discussed but this time from a selection of BC's past works including:
Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello and A Midsummer Night's Dream; alongside never before performed scenes from The Winter's Tale, Julius Caesar, Antony & Cleopatra and Hamlet.
The performance sold out at The Mermaid Inn in April 2019 and will be returning on tour once more in 2020 with public performance dates to be announced very soon ...
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
AVAILABLE FOR HIRE
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO HIRE SHAKESPEARE AND LOVE, AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT
THE MERMAID INN IN RYE AND OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS THERE.
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2019)
BC produced a third version of A Midsummer Night's Dream due to popular demand which toured June -July 2019. Inundated with 'Pocket Production' bookings, the tour was shorter than the previous year but still managed to sell more tickets than any other production to date and broke the largest audience record!
The tour included new venue: Bexhill Manor Barn (which sold out), All Saint's Centre in Lewes,
Half House Farm, The Mermaid Inn and The Stables Theatre.
Photos by our patron: Peter Mould of stagesnaps.com
CANCELLED 2020 EVENTS
WE HOPE TO BRING YOU IN THE FUTURE:
Why Will? 2021 - Present:
Summer 2021 Artistic Director Stephen John brought you a BC production like no other.
We were overjoyed to welcoming you all back to Half House Farm in 2021, it had been so empty without you! After over a year away from the stage, almost two years since a Half House performance and several cancelled projects in 2020, BC finally returned with Why Will?
One man, one Bard, 20 speeches, 20 circles, 20 questions. Performed outdoors at the C16th Half House Farm in Three Oaks, Hastings, this is a one man show that explores Shakespeare’s most famous speeches. Bowler Crab’s Artistic Director, Stephen John answers twenty questions, the most prominent being “Why Will?”. In an effort to answer why BC are a Shakespeare only company, Stephen presents his case to twenty socially distanced circles with twenty speeches from his eight years of running his Theatre Company. Stephen performs as characters from Shakespeare’s finest works: from Hamlet to Benedick, to Romeo to Bottom, to Caesar to Jaques. Tragedy and comedy lace this charismatic and personal performance as Stephen fights, feasts, frights, fakes and falls about laughing in every effort to share his passion for Shakespeare.
We weren't socially distancing because we had to, we socially distanced because we wanted to; we want all our playgoers to feel safe and so the auditorium circles were used at Half House Farm. Playgoers booked a ticket for a circular space rather than the usual per person system.
DREAM 2022 - Present:
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This show was Stephen John's fourth version of the play, having directed 'The Dream' in 2013, 2017 and 2019. Taking experiences and styles from all three past productions, this show blends the three into an energetic romp through Shakespeare's most popular comedy.
Bowler Crab were then back for one night only in July at Trinity Theatre, Royal Tunbridge Wells following the sold out success of the earlier tour across the 1066 area in spring 2022.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO HIRE A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS
Antony & Cleopatra was first shortlisted as the autumn production for 2015 and then was postponed during the pandemic in both 2020 and 2021! Now, finally, at long last, we were able to present this historical tragedy which combines the story of a tragic romance with the hard hitting reality of war. This defiant love story reshaped the Roman Empire as one of history's most shocking couples deliver a satisfying mix of relatable comedy and gut-wrenching pathos. Whilst not the most performed of Shakespeare's Tragedies, this powerful play boasts a glance into the true state of the human condition regardless of the era. We completed a full tour indoors and open air across the 1066 area in June 2022.
ANTONY & CLEOPATRA 2022
AS YOU LIKE IT 2022
As You Like It is a delightful Comedy with poetry, song, dance and mistaken identity as a young woman, Rosalind, must hide from the law and does so in the Forest of Arden disguised as a man named Ganymede; but what befuddlement will occur when the man of her dreams, Orlando, begins to ask Ganymede for advice on how to woo Rosalind? Throw in three other problematic pairs of lovers and you end up with quite the visit to the woods! Laughter and wit lace this passionate comedy which questions gender roles, argues the importance of happiness and explores the pursuits of love. We completed a full tour indoors and open air across the 1066 area in July / August 2022.
SHAKESPEARE
&
COMEDY
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Yellow stockings? Ass ears? Masks? Insults? Clown paint? Cakes and Ale? What is it about Shakespeare’s comedies that makes them so popular even 400 years after they were written? Following the success of the one man show: 'Why Will?' in 2021, by popular demand, Bowler Crab's Artistic Director returns to the format, this time exploring Shakespeare's comedies ... all of them! 'Shakespeare & Comedy' features twenty speeches and a myriad of subscriber questions to form a show which asks the central question: 'Why is Shakespeare famous for his comedies?' Stephen John takes a stomp through Shakespeare’s comedies, sharing his experience directing and performing Shakespeare professionally for almost ten years. Bicker with Benedick, dream with Bottom and mock with Malvolio as Stephen explores Shakespeare’s most famous comic scenes and the rarest alike! A love of laughter and literature encase this charismatic and personal performance as Stephen fights, feasts, frights, fakes and falls about laughing in every effort to share his passion for Shakespeare.
You all as BC fans have always had a kind word to help us "scape the serpent's tongue". If you want to see reviews from our previous production why not check out our reviews page by following the links.
