Special Assignments Company Playmakers Takeover

As Paul Arendt says "Art can shock us – spur us – into action. Perhaps, therefore, the most meaningful role for the arts, is as a call to action." See the Special Assignments Company’s call to action at the Playmakers Youth Takeover on Friday 1 April from 6.30pm at Theatre Royal Winchester. Here’s a little taster of Forgotten People, Forgotten Planet. Booking is at Playmakers Youth Takeover | Theatre Royal Winchester.

Blue Apple actors in Autism Hampshire's #AutismAwarenessWeek webinar

Blue Apple took part in Autism Hampshire’s #AutismAwarenessWeek webinar which includeds talks and videos from a range of speakers, artists and performers on what community, inclusion, acceptance means to them. Actors from Blue Apple will be sharing from 2-2.30pm.  

The webinar was on Wednesday 30th March 11am-3:30pm and will be available to watch online on YouTube in due course.

A visit from Alton College

Blue Apple's Core company played host to performing arts students from Alton College this week to give them a flavour of how we work and what we aim to do with our performances and workshops. After joining in a warm-up and exploring what it means to be a strong performer they were treated to a few scenes from 'The Blue Apple Wizard of Oz' to see our ideas in action. We all had an amazing afternoon skill sharing and learning from each other as you can see from the photo below.

Orchestra Unwrapped

Orchestra Unwrapped is an outreach programme devised by the internationally acclaimed Philharmonia Orchestra. On Thursday 3 March a small group of Blue Apple performers from the Blue Apple Singing Group attended a workshop at The Anvil in Basingstoke that provided the opportunity to hear and work with a live orchestra. The group travelled by train, accompanied by Mary Richards, Blue Apple volunteer, and Georgiana Robertson, Blue Apple’s Chair Emeritus.

The programme included a specially devised hour-long concert offering our participants the opportunity to experience orchestral live music in an engaging and exciting way within a venue they may not have visited otherwise.

Who are the Philharmonia?

Founded in 1945, the Philharmonia is based in London at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall whose exceptional players come from all over the world and tour internationally. Unusually in 1964 it became a self-governing orchestra.

Below are photos of Blue Apple performers Paul Smith, James Elsworthy and Grant Powell alongside Mary Richards and Georgiana Robertson at The Anvil during their visit. (Please scroll).

Below is a very short clip of the performance on stage to give you a flavour of the event.

Lawrie Morris shares his ambitions

“I grew up watching Shakespeare - that’s my first experience of actually acting.”

— Lawrie Morris

Blue Apple core performer Lawrie Morris talked to artistic director Richard Conlon recently about his early love of Shakespeare, his ambitions and his love of Strictly!

Watch the interview in the video below.

Blue Apple actor Lawrie Morris

World Holocaust Memorial Day 2022

Today on World Holocaust Memorial Day we reflect on the lives damaged or destroyed by the Nazi regime.  Among those were many thousands of people with learning disabilities who were forcibly sterilised or murdered. Blue Apple advocates for the development of a more inclusive and equal society and is committed to the development of integrated and progressive opportunities within the arts for people with learning disabilities to enhance their social, personal and artistic skills and achieve public recognition for their talents. #WorldHolocaustMemorialDay

Mencap appoints Blue Apple performer Tommy Jessop as ambassador

Tommy Jessop at rehearsal for Blue Apple’s performance of The Tempest in 2019

We are delighted that Blue Apple performer Tommy Jessop has become an ambassador for Mencap, advocating for and encouraging other people with learning disabilities to pursue their dreams. "Tommy plans to use his new position to get rid of the idea that people with a learning disability cannot do certain things. "People with a learning disability should be able to do anything we want, for example getting married or being a role model for people to look up to." Tommy told The Mirror he had 'always' wanted to be an actor after starting out with local theatre company Blue Apple Theatre, which was founded by his mother Jane. Photo credit: Mike Hall

Ambassadors

Lawrie and Anna at the Winchester Rotary Club event in August 2021

Blue Apple performers Anna Brisbane and Lawrie Morris were invited to attend a very special and select event at the Sir John Soane's Museum in London in September. ‘Keats by Candlelight’ comprised a selection of the poet's writings performed in the stunning surroundings of The Soane at Lincoln's Inn Fields. They attended to raise the profile of their recent production of ‘Frankenstein’ in order to garner support for a possible future international tour of the piece which was premiered in July at the Theatre Royal Winchester.

Lawrie and Anna also accompanied Chair of Trustees Georgiana Robertson to a Winchester Rotary meeting in August to give an inspiring presentation on Blue Apple’s successes and future plans!

Performers Lawrie Morris and Anna Brisbane outside the Sir John Soane’s Museum

Blue Apple’s Tommy Jessop takes new role as a doctor

Tommy Jessop in the role of Prospero in Blue Apple’s 2019 production of The Tempest - Photo by Mike Hall

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on” proclaimed Prospero in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

What prophetic words, spoken by actor Tommy Jessop on stage at The Theatre Royal Winchester in Blue Apple’s 2019 production of The Tempest.

Tommy breathed life into the dreams of many other performers with learning disabilities as he took to the stage at the University of Winchester to receive an honorary doctorate in July 2021.

Tommy is an experienced Shakespearian actor and co-founder of Hampshire based Blue Apple Theatre. The charity seeks to challenge prejudice by creating ambitious opportunities for performers who have learning disabilities and showcasing their talents to the widest possible audience.

Working with Blue Apple, Tommy Jessop became the first actor with Down syndrome to play Hamlet on mainstream stages.  Tommy is now a multi award-winning film and television actor whose first film, Coming Down the Mountain, was BAFTA nominated. He was the first actor with Down syndrome to play the lead in a primetime TV drama, the first professional actor with Down syndrome to play Hamlet and is the first actor with Down syndrome to become a full voting member of BAFTA.

You may recognise Tommy from his dramatic role as Terry Boyle in the recent BBC1 series of Line of Duty where he was nearly drowned.

Blue Apple’s artistic director Richard Conlon said “The whole of Blue Apple Theatre are rightly proud of Tommy for blazing a trail and for opening doors. The company he founded with his mother, Jane, has changed lives by offering up high-quality performance opportunities for people just like Tommy. By telling stories and entertaining audiences locally and further afield, we become part of a bigger, joyful, national conversation about what everyone can do if given the chance.”

Tommy Jessop rehearsing Blue Apple’s 2016 production of Around The World In Eighty Days - Photo by James Yeats-Brown

Tommy receivedan Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Winchester at 8.30pm on 19 July 2021 and made a short memorable speech.

Watch Tommy’s graduation ceremony live here: https://winchester.graduations.live/visitor

Other performers hoping to follow in Tommy’s footsteps and tread the boards can find out more about performance opportunities at Blue Apple by visiting our website www.blueappletheatre.com.

Tel: 01962 827352

Email: admin@blueappletheatre.com