Polly: The Heart-break Opera

A dirty, messy, highly physical adaptation of Polly, John Gay's sequel to The Beggar's Opera - inspired by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and their Berlin infused Threepenny Opera, presented by Marie Hamilton and Sharp Teeth Theatre

An 18th Century rom-com is ripped apart in this joyous dissection of love, loss and revenge. With jilted brides, drag king politicians, and a pirate boyband called Blazin' Squid, this is a viciously satirical, unashamedly sexy, fierce and very funny not-quite-musical. With songs inspired by Peaches, Britney and Nina Simone.

Polly is a collaboration between Marie Hamilton (Madonna On The Rocks) and Sharp Teeth Theatre, directed by Fringe First award-winning director Stephanie Kempson (Breathless; The Good The Bad and The Coyote Ugly), with a score by Cameron Macintosh award winner Ben Osborn and design by Sam Wilde (Boxville; I Want My Hat Back).

"Horror amid the hilarity: Marie Hamilton and Stephanie Kempson’s musical John Gay adaptation hits all the right notes... Overwhelming fun" Exeunt

“A triumphant melding of satire, stagecraft, and more than a hint of the sinister… laugh-a-minute stuff of the highest order… Theatre needs ingenuity like this.” The Greenwich Visitor

“Gritty, in-your-face, intelligent exploration of feminism, power and control, completely bang on for political timing and satirical commentary.” - Weston Super Mum (Read full review here)

“Meta-theatrical gorgeousness… hauntingly dark and beautiful… fierce and hilarious.” The Play’s the Thing

“Polly: The Heartbreak Opera manages to be both underground and epic. A jaunty yet chilling resurrected play from a bygone era that drips with relevance. It simpers, snarls and bites, and it’s a whole lot of wholehearted larger-than-life fun with a steely unsettling resolve.” PRSC

Creative Team

From an original idea by Marie Hamilton
Devised by Marie Hamilton, Stephanie Kempson, Madeline Shann, Katy Sobey, Norma Butikofer and Eleanor Nawal
Directed by Stephanie Kempson
Composed by Ben Osborn, with additional music by Madeline Shann
Design by Sam Wilde
Vocal Direction by Eleanor Showering (Breach Theatre; Insane Root)
Movement Direction by Linzy Na Nakorn
Lighting Design by Eleanor Bookham
Dramaturgical Support by Tanuja Amarasuriya

2024 Tour

The Wardrobe Theatre, 12-20 April, 7:30pm (Sat matinees, Babes-in-arms Fri 18, no show Sunday/Monday)
The Lowry, Manchester, Fri 3-Sat 4 May, 8pm
The Pleasance, London, Wed 8-Sat 11 May, 7:30pm
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter, Wed 15-Thu 16 May, 7:45pm

Past Dates: 2018: Two work-in-progress performances at The Wardrobe Theatre.
2019: Excerpts performed at The Lowry in Manchester, The Wardrobe Theatre, and as part of the LET Award.
2020: Performed in Bristol Old Vic’s January Ferment Fortnight as a Work-in-Progress, then opened at Greenwich Theatre, and toured to Sheffield Theatre Deli, the production was due to tour to Salisbury Playhouse in salberg Studio Theatre and the Wardrobe Theatre in April 2020.

Supporters

The Research and Development period of this show was supported by Arts Council England, our wonderful Indiegogo supporters, The Wardrobe Theatre, Theaterhaus Berlin. The second phase was supported by Greenwich Theatre, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, and the Wardrobe Theatre.

Reviews

“This play is poised to sweep many awards” ★★★★ Everything Theatre

“Puling with the metallic tang of bloodthirsty revenge, bingo hall glamour and caustic satire… transforms a historic narrative into a radical modern spectacle.” ★★★★ - Stage Talk Magazine

“Beware – the women of Sharp Teeth Theatre are coming for all of you.” ★★★★ - Musical Theatre Review

“A rip roaring feminist powerhouse of a show… Polly is an absolute blast.” Backstage Bristol

“A war cry for women wronged… riveting from the first moment.” ★★★★ Adventures in Theatreland

“Horror amid the hilarity: Marie Hamilton and Stephanie Kempson’s musical John Gay adaptation hits all the right notes.” - Exeunt (Read full review here)

“Confident, potent and heady. You could feel the spines curve, the in power fall of their pedestals… sweet retribution.” ★★★★ North West End

Parlour Games

A right royal romp through British history, exploring politics, passion and parlour games; a cross-dressing comedy for all those with a taste for Victoria's Sponge and who enjoy playing with their Prince Albert from Sharp Teeth Theatre and The Wardrobe Theatre.

It’s 1848 and Europe is revolting. As foreign royals topple at an alarming rate, how long will it be before the whispers of revolution reach the proud shores of old Blighty? With an isolated, postnatal Queen intent on playing solitaire, can the future of the British monarchy be saved before those dastardly working-classes start uprising or will it all end in a real-life wink murder? Expect clowning, cream cakes and jokes about history in this gender-bending new show which asks why Britain refuses to play by continental rules.

Featuring Gaulier-trained clown Lucy Harrington (Wake Up & Deirdrealize, Nincompoop) as Prince Albert and 6ft 3″ Peter Baker (Closer Each Day: The Improvised Soap Opera, Murder She Didn’t Write) as the pocket-sized monarch herself. A co-production by The Wardrobe Theatre (Reservoir Mogs, Rocky Shock Horror, Goldilock, Stock & Three Smoking Bears) and Sharp Teeth Theatre (The Fox & The Child).

Creative Team

Devised by the Company
Co-directors Andrew Kelly and Stephanie Kempson
Dramaturg Matthew Whittle
Performers Andrew Kelly, Lucy Harrington and Peter Baker
Produced by Stephanie Kempson and Matthew Whittle

Tour

July-October 2018 to The Wardrobe Theatre (Bristol), The Pound (Corsham), The Rondo Theatre (Bath), East Harptree Theatre, The Theatre Shop (Clevedon), The Old Joint Stock Theatre (Birmingham).

“Truly hilarious, shocking belly laughs out of the audience.” - Exeunt Magazine

“Ridiculous, clever, and very very funny, but with real poignancy… There’s sharp resonance with democracy’s continuing struggle against the wealthy and privileged.” - Crysse Morrison

“A comic delight… Great performances, political analogies and an epic game of royal wits.” - The Reviews Hub

THE FOX AND THE CHILD

A new storytelling show with music and projection which peels off the layers to reveal the darkness beneath.

Eyes meet across restaurants, buttons and hooks are undone, vows are unwound and worlds break. A story where a young woman meets an older man and falls in love, a woman dreams she becomes a fox, and a fox hunts a child.

Written and performed by Stephanie Kempson (Beyond The Ridiculous), with music composed by Rowan Evans (The Hours Before We Wake), directed by Maisie Newman (Spill: A Verbatim Show About Sex) and with projection by James D Kent. 

PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES

Extracts of The Fox and the Child have previously been performed at Bristol Old Vic's Ferment in July 2016, Tobacco Factory Theatres' Prototype in November 2015, Camden People's Theatre Big Bang Scratch Night as part of Calm Down Dear Festival in September 2015. Earlier extracts have been performed in Bristol and London.

Supporters

The Fox and the Child has been supported by The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Camden People's Theatre, composer Verity Standen, photographer Kitty Wheeler Shaw, and musician Dominie Hooper.

about us

We are Sharp Teeth Theatre, a theatre company who tell stories with bite. We are based in Bristol and are associate artists with the Wardrobe Theatre. We began in 2014 by running a multi-artform, artist development night called Sharp Teeth Presents, which ran at the Wardrobe Theatre for over five years. Our in-person productions include: The Fox and the Child, Parlour Games (a co-production with the Wardrobe Theatre), Polly: The Heartbreak Opera (supported by Arts Council England, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, and Greenwich Theatres). Our online productions are Sherlock in Homes 1-3 (***** The Stage) and Streaming Beauty, which streamed to over 35,000 people during the pandemic. Sharp Teeth Theatre is run by director Stephanie Kempson (Fringe first award winner and New York Critic’s Pick for Breathless).