Here comes summer - with two shows from Eastern Angles

Showcasing works from renowned writers, the season brings together a contemporary new play and a bold literary adaptation offering audiences two distinct theatrical experiences united by themes of memory, loss and the lasting impact of formative moments.

From June, It Comes In Waves presents a new comedy drama by East Anglian writer James McDermott (Jab, Finborough Theatre/Park Theatre; More... Ghost Stories By Candlelight, HighTide, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, UK tour; EastEnders, BBC).

This tender and heartwarming play – to be performed at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery on June 23 – explores how people grieve in different ways, set in a grief café in Lowestoft - a town mourning its own loss of its high street on a coastline that’s crumbling like rich tea biscuits.

Following those coping with a lost husband, parent, and a group leader who must confront his own repressed grief, It Comes In Waves is a big-hearted community-spirited coastal comedy.

Laughing in the face of loss, the play asks how we can help each other to stay afloat when grief comes in waves.

Drawing from McDermott’s own experiences of bereavement after losing his father to COVID- 19, this ACE funded production is supported by Eastern Angles and The Seagull Theatre Lowestoft and will be accompanied by grief writing workshops. Co-delivered by McDermott and a professional grief recovery specialist, creating space for reflection and conversation alongside the performances.

Following this, Eastern Angles presents a new stage adaptation of L.P. Hartley’s classic novel.

Written by Ben Musgrave (Pretend You Have Big Buildings, Bruntwood Playwriting Competition winner), The Go Between delves into a long summer in rural Norfolk in 1900, following thirteen- year-old Leo Colston as he becomes the unwitting messenger between two forbidden lovers, and the consequences that will echo throughout his life.

Investigating themes of memory, lost innocence, class and desire, The Go Between brings Hartley’s haunting story to the stage with original live music, striking visuals and a compelling sense of place. Rooted in the landscapes and atmosphere of Norfolk, this adaptation re- examines a story of childhood vulnerability and the enduring power of the past.

Ypou can see it at Stamford Arts centre on September 12.

Both productions reflect the venues’ ongoing commitment to regional storytelling and making ambitious theatre accessible to communities across East Anglia.

Artistic Director and CEO of Eastern Angles, Jake Smith, comments: “Through our partnership with The Seagull, our work with small and mid-scale venues, and our commitment to new writing, classic storytelling, and nurturing young talent at the Eastern Angles Centre, we’re creating ambitious, high-quality theatre for communities across the East of England. This season grows directly from our dedication to supporting and investing in freelance artists and creatives across the region, and to putting our resources behind the production of their work.

"From brand new writing such as It Comes in Waves to reimagined classics like The Go Between, we explore our region’s past, present, and future, celebrating the place we call home and showing how stories of everyday life can create a powerful legacy of change.”

As a vital part of the region’s touring infrastructure, Eastern Angles is proud to also be leading the digital release of the new musical Radio Caroline through the East Anglia Consortium, of which Landmark Theatres, operators of the Key and New theatres in Peterborough is part.

Radio Caroline can be seen at New Theatre from May 19-23.

Reaching wider audiences, the East Anglia Consortium is just the beginning in the company’s next chapter.