performance – RUDDINGTON.info

West End and TV Stardom for Ruddington Performers!

21st July 202325th July 2023 Graham Wright

The bright lights of London are beckoning once again for two students from Ruddington’s very own ‘Fame’ school who have just secured major starring roles in two forthcoming productions. Freedom Dance & Performance, based at 7 Charles Street, has been nurturing local talent for over two decades, with its alumni securing theatre and TV acting roles throughout the country; as well as internationally aboard cruise ships! Since 2002, children and young people from all backgrounds – from Ruddington and further afield – have been passing through its understated purple door…

Much Ado on The Green…

8th June 202311th July 2023 Graham Wright

…however, thankfully, this time around the fuss is merely Nottingham Shakespeare Company bringing another ‘al fresco’ production to Ruddington! Following on from the success of ‘The Comedy of Errors’ last summer, next month NSC is staging a free 90-minute open-air production of The Bard’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at nine outdoor venues around Nottinghamshire, including Ruddington on the afternoon of July 8th. Through performances, workshops and outreach programmes, NSC strives to foster a love for William Shakespeare and the performing arts in the community. This particular play is described as a tale of mistaken identities,…

Nottingham Shakespeare Company is including Ruddington in its first winter tour – to perform The Bard’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’ – inside St Peter’s Church on Friday 3rd February 2023 at 7pm. NSC strips its plays down to 90 minutes with no interval; keeping all of Shakespeare’s storytelling, characters and language but creating an exciting, dynamic and accessible performance which communicates directly and physically with the audience. The company actively seeks out theatre makers and audiences who may not usually feel represented by Shakespeare, particularly from the disabled, LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent communities. Unlike with NSC’s outdoor performances,…

The Bard is Back!

29th December 202229th December 2022 Graham Wright

Following the success of their debut ‘al fresco’ appearance in our village over the summer, Nottingham Shakespeare Company have announced they’re returning to Ruddington early in the New Year to treat us to their next production by The Bard. Appropriate to the season, this time they’re presenting ‘A Winter’s Tale’ and bringing their “stripped back, inclusive and accessible shows” in from the cold. One of the six dates for NSC’s first indoor tour is inside St Peter’s Church – on 3rd February 2023 – and rehearsals (above) are now underway. Their Artistic Director, Michelle-Louise Wright, says: “We…

In the first event of its kind for our village, bring a picnic blanket or camping chair – drinks and some food – to see a William Shakespeare play in the open air on The Green at 5pm this Saturday, 16th July, for FREE! Nottingham Shakespeare Company is to perform ‘The Comedy of Errors’ on our village green as part of a short, summer tour. It’s being staged there courtesy of Ruddington Parish Council and there are no tickets or admission fee – you can simply turn up! Michelle-Louise Wright, NSC Director, explains:…

Free Shakespearean Treat for Ruddington!

14th July 20228th June 2023 Graham Wright

In the first event of its kind for our village, there should be laughs-a-plenty this weekend when one of The Bard’s humorous works receives an ‘al fresco’ performance. This Saturday, 16th July, Nottingham Shakespeare Company is presenting ‘The Comedy of Errors’ on our village green as part of a short, summer tour. It’s being staged there courtesy of Ruddington Parish Council and there are no tickets or admission fee. We can simply turn up! Director, Michelle-Louise Wright explains: “Our mission is to bring brilliant and accessible Shakespeare to everyone, especially newcomers,…

Freedom Dance & Performance

5th January 20215th December 2022 Featured Content

Did you know that Ruddington boasts its very own ‘Fame’ school?* The rather understated purple doorway leading into Number 7, Charles Street, may not seem quite as salubrious as the famous ‘High School of Performing Arts’ in New York City did back in the ’80s. But Ruddington’s ‘Freedom Dance & Performance’ has always aimed big – and consequently has found perhaps rather more than its fair share of ‘Fame’ along the way!? Principal Stacey Green is a fully qualified I.S.T.D teacher with years of experience both as a performer and choreographer. She launched ‘Freedom’ in…

Ruddington Dance Teacher Launches Racial Equality Movement

9th December 202010th December 2020 Graham Wright

A national campaign pushing for greater racial equality in dance has been launched by a Ruddington dance teacher. Stacey Green is the Principal of Freedom Dance and Performance Arts School on Charles Street, for children aged 2 to 18, which she started in 2002, and these days boasts around 150 pupils. She also co-founded ‘The Freedom Foundation’, which delivers dance, singing and song-writing programmes across schools to improve mental health. Now she’s set up ‘TIRED’ – which stands for ‘Trying to Improve Racial Equality in the Dance industry’. The movement aims to spark conversation…

The Show Must Go On!

1st July 20202nd July 2020 Graham Wright

The ‘purple door to fame’ at Freedom Dance & Performance at 7, Charles Street has sadly seen very little movement over these past few months – after all the school’s usual classes were suspended until further notice due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, since March 19th, its Principal Stacey Green and her 150 pupils – with ages ranging from 2 to 18 – have been in no mood for sitting around idly during the ‘lockdown’. From the safety of their homes in Ruddington (and, in some cases, much further afield) they began to…

Ruddington’s Own Gene Kelly!

29th January 202030th January 2020 Graham Wright

An award-winning, young performer from Ruddington pays homage to one of the Hollywood greats in a new video – by literally following in his footsteps from the 1952 musical film ‘Singing in’ in the Rain’. Twenty year-old Louis Gaunt from our village is currently appearing in the musical “Gypsy” at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. As a fun, side-project he and fellow cast member Alastair Crosswell learnt the ‘Moses Supposes’ tap dance routine performed in the classic movie by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. The video production team tracked down clothing and props…