Missing Pieces Dance Theatre show Missing Pieces Theatre Show UK

 

 

 

 

   

Welcome »                                MISSING PIECES THEATRE SHOW UK

 

Missing Pieces is a new Theatre Show for all the Family - a play that encompasses Ballroom Dancing, Hollywood Tap in the style of Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Lindy Hop! We had a semi staged reading at Live Theatre in Newcastle and we showed a Development Workshop with most of the Dance Routines in London on October 11th 2012. 

 

We had Arts Council and Unity Theatre Trust grants for the MISSING PIECES Development Workshop.

 

STOP PRESS:

 

We are pleased and proud to announce that MISSING PIECES will now premiere in 2015 - more details of the following planned tour as they are finalised.

 

Missing Pieces tells the true story of the Hauxwell Family of Darlington. The Family of Karen Lynne - one of the authors. This story is also partly based on Peggy Spencer's experiences as a Professional Dancer in the 1940s / 50s who was one of the pioneers of Come Dancing - the Peggy Spencer Formation Dance Team - and an early pro dancer – who also choreographed the Beatles in Magical Mystery Tour .- we have taken elements of her early life as a professional dancer and teacher through the forties and fifties. Peggy was gracious enough to give us a lengthy interview with her.  More on the characters

 

Although it is set in Darlington, in the North East, it could be "any family, any time, any place", because the themes and problems are universal. 


 

There is a lot of Dance ranging from strong Eleanor Powell style tap routines to an evocation of Astaire and Rodgers and even dancing sweets! Also exquisite ballroom and a spectacular Jive/Lindy hop competition. There is a dramatic Martha Graham style moment when a Dance Teacher who becomes disabled, rages against the onset of her disability. 


 

We had a reading at Live Theatre, Newcastle - and then had a development workshop  which rehearsed for two weeks and presented in London October 11th 2012. 

 

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We are also discussing a possible TV series with several major Film and TV Companies.


 Missing Pieces Synopsis: 

 

The Hauxwell family consists of Violetta who runs ballroom and tap dance classes with her friend Nelly, a London ex - Music Hall performer. Nelly is courting Charlie the lugubrious local bobby and amateur "two left feet" dancer.  Vi’s husband Harry is a strong outspoken socialist and does his best to help his local community. Honesty and helping others are his guiding principles. Harry is good with his hands – he can build furniture and bikes– and wants to open a Bike shop. Vi hopes to have a Dance School one day. Their daughters Lillian and Joyce are very different people – Lillian, a dreamer, wants to become a professional dancer, Joyce, a stubborn hard nosed businesswoman, has her eyes firmly set on leaving Darlington for the broader horizons of Australia – something that reflects her own parent’s thwarted ambitions. The girl’s future husbands are also very different people: one a practical joker and engineer- the other an Opera lover and would be Professional Ballroom Dancer who is not happy working for the Railways. The family face their many problems with stoicism and great humour. There is a lot of comedy in the piece … but also gut wrenching tragedy, the piece is very far from being nostalgic and contains themes of ambition, dealing with death and disability, and achieving your goals. The epic time span is from The Great Depression through the 2nd world war to the "10 quid tourists" in the Sixties emigrating to Australia.

 

The show is slightly reminiscent of Pennies from Heaven stylistically and is based on a true story. We are aiming to make the choregraphy challenging and have thus cast highly skilled Dancer Actors. Some of the music will be live and some recorded.

 

 

          A slideshow which give a very simplistic overview of the story

 


 

Testimonials:

 

To whom it may concern

 

MISSING PIECES

 

This is a terrific new musical which highly deserves an outing. A cross between Catherine Cookson and Billy Elliot with a powerful storyline, great music from the period and a real ‘feel good’ factor, this will attract a wide range of audiences.

 

Gillian Hambleton

Artistic Director

Northumberland Theatre Company

 

April 2011

 

In the opinion of Joan Lane of Wild Thyme who found THE KINGS SPEECH and offered the first rehearsed reading of that: "As I began to read MISSING PIECES, I could see it filmically, both for TV and possibly big screen; then discovered that Shaun Prendergast had said the same thing. "


This is an epic and ambitious show and deals with some of the hardest challenges that people have to face in life - such as: Death, Disability and the other pressures they have to deal with when members of the family fall out. However - the play is darkly funny and they face all adversity with great strength and humour. Above all it is about Parents and Family.

 

Harry Hauxwell is a passionate socialist - which often gets him into scrapes. He is a Carpenter and builds and designs Bicycles and he lives for his allotment!

 

Violetta Hauxwell teaches Ballroom and Tap with her good friend Nelly, a salty ex Music Hall Performer.

Harry and Violetta have two daughters who grow up through the play:

 

Joy, the eldest, becomes a hard nosed entrepreneur with ambitions well beyond her surroundings.

 

Lillian wants to be a Professional Dancer - which is not taken seriously in the light of the turbulent times that they are living through.

 

Jim starts off as a rather serious young boy, loving Opera and Ballroom Dancing

 

George is a practical joker, full of fun and easy going. he grows up to become an Engineer.

 

Charlie is the local bobby - in life, as in Dance, he is always a few steps behind.

 

These are the main characters in our story but there are other characters like The local Vicar, Jock the salesman and Wilf the local wide boy - which can be played by a minimum company of eight.

 

The Dance routines were brilliantly choreographed by an amazing choreographer... Richard Marcel from TV's: "Lets Dance" and "Strictly Come Dancing".... and much more... and we have the veteran West End Choreographer Director Carole Todd and legendary Writer Director Performance Poet Peter John Cooper as Consultant and the extraordinary Simon Egerton as Musical Director

 

Please talk to us if you want to get involved.

 

Biographies Here

 

 

Graham Howes   Karen Lynne   Artistic Directors   Missing Pieces Theatre Company

 

 

Tel: 01206 391050

 

 

Email: grahamahowes@me.com

 

Missing Pieces on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Missing-Pieces/312659444488 

 

 

 

 

Missing Pieces Theatre Show UK

 

 

Members »

 

                        

 

Graham Howes Karen Lynne

 

are Theatre Professionals with a great deal of experience in creating Theatre Shows and have both worked in all parts of the "Business"

 

 

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