Dead Dad Dog at the Arundel Festival 2012

Arundel’s Drip Action theatre company reaches its quarter of a century at this year’s Arundel Festival – a landmark anniversary for a company which has always aimed to be different.

Artistic director Bill Brennan said: “Personnel has changed, but we have always had a good time.

“There are more and more directors that want to work with us, and that helps.

“We are doing more and more shows.

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“We have always said that we do lesser-known work, normally work that people won’t have heard of before.

“We like to surprise people. That’s our remit so that we have our own identity. We like to entertain, but there is also an element of challenge to the audience so that it is not just a night out really.

“We hope to give them something to think about and perhaps make them see ideas in a different way. That’s our aim – to surprise, challenge and entertain!”

Period

Their Arundel Festival production this year revisits Dead Dad Dog, a play which the company did 20 years ago and subsequently took on tour, including to HMP Ford.

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Bill is joined by David Stephens for a comic, fast-paced two-hander in which a young would-be TV producer finds himself shackled by a surprise visit from the father he’s not seen for 12 years.

“We were thinking of revisiting Artist Descending for the anniversary, which was our first play, but we have done that a couple of times, so instead we are looking at something we did 20 years ago.

“It’s a period piece now.

“It’s a very 1980s piece when Margaret Thatcher was on the throne and there was a feeling that young people could make their way and become big successes. I think they were called yuppies in those days.

“It’s about a young lad heading off to the BBC to pitch his programme.

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“His father turns up unexpectedly after 12 years, and the fact is that his father died 12 years ago. He reappears as a ghost, and because of the nature of the situation they can’t be more than 10 yards apart.”

Tickets

Performances are at The Victoria Institute from Monday-Saturday, August 20-25 at 8pm.

Tickets are £10 (£9 Victoria Institute Members and £6 students) and are available in advance from The Book Ferret, 35 High Street Arundel. Telephone 01903 885727. Tickets may also be bought on the door (space permitting).

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