Tag Archives: Roker Park

Peacock tickets now online

Jul 12, 2017 Paul Dunn Leave a comment

Wed 12 July 2017

The tour is growing from strength to strength.

The whole creative team is now and place, and the backroom staff are working round the clock to get everything in place to make this the biggest and best Cranked Anvil production since we formed five years ago.

The tour will come to its conclusion in Sunderland itself, at the heart of the cultural quarter in the newly refurbished Peacock. We’ve been to see the venue, and it’s excellent. And we’re thrilled and very proud that our production will be the first ever full theatrical show to be staged there.

If you want to see the show (PLUS an ‘extra time’ added bonus – to be announced soon!) you can now book tickets online here. They’re priced at £10, £8 concs. It promises to be a pretty special night, and tickets will sell fast, so don’t miss out!

See you there. Ha’way the lads!

FULL BLOG, News

Vote for us in The Journal Culture Awards 2014

Feb 20, 2015 Paul Dunn Leave a comment

Hello!

First of all, we want to say a huge thank you to all of you who nominated us for the Sunderland Echo Awards earlier this year. We’re pleased to say that we have been shortlisted for Performance of the Year, and will be attending the awards bash on 26th March – fingers crossed!

Also coming up soon is The Journal Culture Awards, which aims to recognise outstanding achievements in the arts throughout last year – and we’d like your vote one last time please! Closing date is 28th February, so you haven’t got long. It will only take a few minutes, and you’ll really help to establish Cranked Anvil in the North East Arts scene, as we strive to do bigger and better things in the coming year.

There are several categories in which you could cast a vote, so if you have the time, please feel free to vote in all of them (details below).

Voting form is here

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR (vote for ‘Cranked Anvil – I Left My Heart In Roker Park’)

This award is for a group or company who you have seen or heard in 2014. Has a performance in the North East raised the hairs on the back of your neck, moved or inspired you? If the answer is yes we want to hear about it. Examples could include dance, music, stage/theatre or comedy productions.

PERFORMING ARTIST OF THE YEAR (vote for ‘Paul Dunn’)

This award will recognise an individual performer who has stood out during 2014. We’re welcoming nominations for actors, dancers, musicians, singers, spoken word artists and comedians. Nominations can be for one stand out performance which got your attention or for a collection of performances throughout the year.

WRITER OF THE YEAR (vote for ‘Tom Kelly’ – writer of I Left My Heart…)

This award will recognise an author, playwright, screenwriter or poet who has had some outstanding work published or performed during 2014.

Thanks everyone!

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Vote for us in the What’s On Where 2015 Awards

Jan 15, 2015 Paul Dunn Leave a comment

Thur 15 Jan 2015

After the news earlier this week that our production of ‘I Left My Heart In Roker Park’ was named Best Revival of 2014 by the British Theatre Guide’s North East editor Peter Lathan, we’re pleased to see that the Sunderland Echo are holding their What’s On Where awards again this year. Here’s what they say on their website:

Once again, we are looking for the very best in the arts, culture, hospitality and leisure sectors of Wearside. Enter your nominations here.
The awards are held in association with our weekly entertainments guide, Wow 24/7, and aim to reward the elite in everything from restaurants to children’s venues, takeaways to parks and community areas, and hotels to the best shopping experience.

It’s only the second time we have held the awards and we want to build on the success of last year’s great inaugural competition.

That’s where you come in. We want you to nominate your favourites in each of the categories listed.

CLOSING DATE FOR NOMINATIONS IS THURSDAY 5 FEBRUARY.

So, if you saw ‘I Left My Heart…’ in 2014, and you think it deserves a vote under the Best Show/Performance Of The Year category, please take a few minutes to go to their website and nominate Paul and/or the show.

Thanks everyone.

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Cranked Anvil awarded “Best of 2014”

Jan 12, 2015 Paul Dunn Leave a comment

Mon 12 Jan 2015

It’s been a quiet few months for us at Anvil HQ, as we’ve all rested and recovered from the whirlwind that was I Left My Heart In Roker Park. (Although our director Paul Dunn has been anything but resting: since leaving his heart in Roker Park for the last time he appeared in ION Production’s Xmas Laffalang and the Consett Empire panto Aladdin, as well as starting work on a huge writing project for 2015.)

Regular visitors to this website and friends of Cranked Anvil will know that the play was extremely well received, both by audiences and critics, and the icing on the cake is to have had the play declared ‘Best Revival of 2014’.

Peter Lathan, writing for the British Theatre Guide, declared our production (along with the Guild of Lillian’s Get Up And Tie Your Fingers) to be the best revivals of 2014. You can read Peter’s review of our production here.

Naturally, we’re delighted with this ‘Best Revival’ accolade, and are planning to build on our success in 2015.

We hope to see you at one of our productions.

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Creativity Talks – interview with Martyn Bell

Nov 3, 2014 Paul Dunn Leave a comment

Mon 3 Nov 2014

Well, things have finally settled down after the run of I Left My Heart In Roker Park. It was a great run, and we got some cracking reviews and fantastic feedback from the audiences.

But now it’s time to look ahead to 2015, and we’ve already got a couple of exciting projects lined up. We’re planning another Rehearsed Reading Night in February, and the a sketch comedy night in aid of Comic Relief in March.

And w recently talked about those things, and many more, in a new podcast by Martyn Bell, called Creativity Talks. Martyn interviews creative people from different professions. Actors, singers, dancers, comedians, card makers, painters, sketch artists… It’s a great podcast, and well worth a listen. You can also see his facebook page and follow him on twitter.

And, if you’d like to hear it, here’s the interview which director Paul Dunn did with him.

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Roker Park play a huge success – one FINAL date added!

Sep 27, 2014 Paul Dunn 1 Comment

Sat 27 Sept 2014

Well, we’re coming to the end of this mini-tour of I Left My Heart In Roker Park, and we’ve had an amazing time with it! Extra dates kept on having to be added, and the houses just kept on filling! So much so, that we’ve been invited back by the Customs House for one FINAL performance on 11th October! You can read the details here.

And we’ve been delighted to work alongside Michael Ganley, who under the banner of SAFC Museum, has displayed some of his fantastic collection of Sunderland and football memorabilia. Check out the photos in our gallery further down this page. You’ll also see that one of the performances was attended by some former Sunderland players: Maurice Hepworth (who is now chairman of the Former Players Association), and ’73 Cup Final player Micky Horswill. It was a pleasure to have them at the show – and we’re looking forward to hopefully welcoming more ex-players on 11th October.

So, if you couldn’t get a ticket this time round, or if you want to come back and see it again – or even if you just want to come and try on Ian Porterfield’s ’73 tracksuit top and possibly meet some former Sunderland stars, then make sure you book your tickets at the Customs House soon!

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Cranked Anvil on the BBC!

Sep 2, 2014 Paul Dunn Leave a comment

Tuesday 2nd September 2014

It’s been a very busy few weeks at CAHQ. With the show opening in just over two weeks, we’re now into the business end of things. Actor Paul Dunn and writer/director Tom Kelly are in the rehearsal room, working hard to mould the show into an entertaining piece of theatre, while the production team – including the ever-inventive and incredibly talented David Gibson – are working behind the scenes to get everything ready for production week.

Look North's Jeff Brown interviews Paul Dunn — Look North’s Jeff Brown interviews Paul Dunn

Tickets are continuing to sell incredibly well. A lot of the performances are now completely sold out, and Durham Gala have asked us to do another night there. So currently, the run consists of 9 performances:

Customs House, South Shields: 19th (2 shows), 20th, 21st
Durham Gala 23rd
Arts Centre Washington 25th
Durham Gala (again) 26th, 27th, 28th

And we’re expecting that to go up even more by next week, after a morning with Jeff Brown and the Look North team, filming a short piece about the play. Being a Sunderland supporter himself, Jeff was extremely interested in the play and its background, and Tom and Paul really enjoyed talking to him on camera about their experience so far of putting the show together, and about being long-suffering Sunderland supporters for many years!

The item should air on BBC’s Look North, 6.30pm, some time in the next week. Keep a look out for it!

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