The Judgement of Mr Jenkins - Saturday 1st November

The Continental gets its first taste of studio theatre from the award-winning Second Nature Theatre Company on Saturday 1st November 2008 at 8pm.

Ross Andrew's Manchester Evening News Award Winning dark comedy is touring again, and taking in The Continental along the way. If you missed this last time around in Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival, here's another chance to see it, and if you've already seen it - come and see the new extended version.

Developed with the support of OLDHAM COLISEUM
''Mr Jenkins wakes from a disturbed sleep in the early hours of the morning to find a smartly dressed stranger in his living room. The stranger is as reluctant to give answers as he is to leave... Can our everyday choices and seemingly irrelevant actions have serious consequences? Has anyone told Mr Jenkins?

''sharply written by Ross Andrews and compellingly presented...'' Kevin Bourke MEN * * * * *

''the drive and pace were fantastic and the packed audience were howling with laughter. Make sure you don't miss this show - even if you have to bring your own seat!'' Caroline May, UK Theatre Network

''CAUGHT LIVE - 3 OF THE BEST OF THE 24:7 THEATRE FESTIVAL BOLTON...
First and my favourite was 'The Judgement of Mr Jenkins', a darkly humourous morality tale...there were plenty of laughs, what with the afterlife having been privatised and the criteria for entering heaven changed. New modern day sins included not rewinding the cassette before taking it back to the video shop, and it certainly struck a chord with me...''
Caroline Dutton, Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Sept '06

Prices: £8, £5.50 concessions (OAPs & Students, ID required)

Tickets available from the Continental (telephone & over the bar)
Also available in person or by telephone from Preston Tourist Information, Lancaster Road, PR1 1HT. Opening Hours 10am - 5.30pm Monday – Saturday. Tel 01772 253731 (telephone booking fee £1).

Pre-Theatre menu available with tickets - £11 for 2 courses, £13 for 3. Bookings required, available 5pm - 6.30pm

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40675231840

Beer Festival this weekend 23rd - 26th October

Beer Festival this weekend!!

The inaugural Continental Beer Festival kicks off on Thursday 23rd October at 6pm for the whole weekend in the Continental’s events space.

The festival will be a paradise for ale drinkers with 100+ beers available, including 60 cask ales, a cider & perry bar, plus foreign beers including those brewed specially for the Oktoberfest in Munich. Speciality food will be available throughout the weekend including a hogroast. In addition, the kitchen will be open lunchtime and in the evening as usual, serving up the usual excellent fare to soak up the ale.

There will be live music every evening. Thursday sees smooth jazz trumpeter Nick Holme rolling out the standards to help the beer slip down. On Friday, Preston 6-piece Saraban have promised a mix of songs and genres, from jazz to pop, folk to rock - songs that you'll know, some that you won't (but you'll love anyway) and some that you'll think you don't know then realise that you do. Saturday sees the magnificent Dr Butler's Hatstand Medicine Band, who will do two sets of insanely entertaining blues & jazz http://www.myspace.com/drbutlershatstandmedicineband. Music for Sunday evening comes from contemporary jazz guitar duo Bailey & Mockler, whose sweet jazzy grooves are sure to make the approaching week a little sweeter.

The Continental’s famous authentic Boddington’s Beer large outdoor pub lit sign, which spent generations lighting the outside of the pub, will be auctioned off to raise funds for the Neonatal Unit at Royal Preston Hospital during the first beer festival run by the pub this weekend.

The auction will take place on a rolling basis over the 4 days. The sign will be on show during this time. It will be a pound to place a bid and the daily highest bid will be announced at the end of each day to start of the following day’s bidding. Bidding will finish at 5pm on Sunday afternoon 26th October, and the winner and total announced at 6pm.

But here is no doubt there will be lots of beer drunk!

see you there

Team Continental

crazy photo

no, that photo isn't supposed to be like that. i'll try and sort it out!

Chicken Licken at the Continental

Upcoming Children’s Theatre at The Continental

The Continental opens its doors on Sunday October 12th 2008 to the first in a series of children’s theatre events. Chicken Licken is a one-man show for early years from internationally touring Preston Company, Dynamic New Animation (DNA). DNA will be returning to the Continental in December with a 2 week run of the acclaimed A-Tishoo!, a theatre piece for the under 6’s.

Further information about A-Tishoo will be circulated in October. Chicken Licken information is below.

Chicken Licken
An early years show & workshop by Dynamic New Animation

"DNA’s wonderful blend of classic tales is one of the best children’s shows touring the UK" - Barney Jeavons, The West End Centre, Aldershot

“A one-man and several-puppet show from the innovative storytelling outfit Dynamic New Animation, it's cuddly farmyard friends are brought to life in an avuncular narrative and a attractively rustic set: all good wholesome fun for new theatregoers” - Ronnie Haydon in Time Out, May 17th 2000

A baby chick is born and thinks the sky is falling down. On the way to tell the King, she meets Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky & Turkey Lurkey, but there's a shocking surprise! Chicken Licken grows up to be the Little Red Hen and asks her friends to help her make bread, but no one wants to play! Mixed into this recipe of food, puppets and music is the story of Little Red Hen and the sly Foxy Loxy. Will she outwit him and save her stuffing?

This one-man show is a trilogy of classic tales from the Ladybird books - Chicken Licken, The Little Red Hen and The Fox and the Hen. Starting as a baking demonstration, the show rapidly becomes the adventures of a growing chick and her encounters with a hungry fox.

This show uses shadow and rod puppetry and has an original musical score by Jon Owen.

Family Workshop

A special workshop for early years, to extend their participation, and aid audience development and family learning.

The Chicken Licken performance is accompanied by a simple shadow puppet workshop. The kids cut their favourite characters from the show out of card.

If it's a chicken they bring it to life with a magic feather. If it's a pig it gets a pipe cleaner curly tale. They make a cellophane window in the creature, tape on a bendy straw and hey presto! It's a shadow puppet!

They get to try out their creations on the actual stage set, two by two, in a 'Parade of Poultry' with music from the show as the others applaud. All materials supplied.

Family theatre & dining deals are available for those wishing to dine before or after the show & workshop. For further information please see www.newcontinental.net.

Information:

Performance date Sunday October 12th 2008
The Continental, South Meadow Lane, Preston, PR1 8JP
Suitable for age 3 – 6
Show running time 45 minutes
Workshop running time 40 minutes
Children must be accompanied by an adult

Shows 11am & 2pm, followed by workshops.
Prices: £5 per performance ticket & £3 per workshop place. Workshop discount: 2 children for the price of one (accompanied by an adult)

Tickets available from the Continental
Also available in person or by telephone from Preston Tourist Information, Lancaster Road, PR1 1HT. Opening Hours 10am - 5.30pm Monday – Saturday. Tel 01772 253731 (telephone booking fee £1).