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Preview by Paul Nelson
THE Pickled King is a made-up history play about a King's
struggle for justice and freedom from his six-foot jar of vinegar.
After a run at the Camden People's Theatre in 2002, John Schwab,
of The Reduced Shakespeare Company, invited the presenters, network
of stuff, to perform at The Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly.
Huge success in the West End catapulted the show on to a national
tour, with performances at the Riverside Studios and a
short run at the Pegasus in Oxford.
The production enjoyed packed houses at The Gilded Balloon,
in Edinburgh 2003, with much critical acclaim.
Now The Pickled King will be presented at Riverside Studios
as the Christmas production, from December 9 to December 30.
The show presents a fictitious kingdom, which has gone to wrack
and ruin since King Oliver the Presentable pickled himself in
vinegar for the good of his health.
Three-headed cows, upside down trees and a comet the shape of
a potato are the norm in this kingdom.
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The kingdom is in a state! The future lies with a young grave
robber called Simon … if only he could get the blood out
from under his nails.
The Pickled King has been devised by network of stuff
who, since 1998, have produced accessible, theatrically exciting
comic plays.
Their work is original, exhilarating and energetic. The play
is full of wonderful coups de theatre!
The Pickled King has evolved to have depth and complexity
in its story.
This production is darker, funnier and much more gruesome. Vast
arrays of characters are played with fluency, creating extremely
funny, but poignant, moments with an economy of style that keeps
things clear and simple.
Inspired by historical tales of intrigue and network of stuff's
sense of the absurd, The Pickled King is a show full of
theatrical magic, energetic characterisation and fanciful plot
twists.
With not a sprig of holly in sight, it is the perfect anti-pantomime
for the festive Season.
Network of stuff in association with Riverside Studios present
The Pickled King at Riverside Studios December 9 to December 20
at Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6. Tickets
020 8237 1111. (Phone for performance times).
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