F*ck the Polar Bears Rehearsals, Bush Theatre 2015. Photograph by Helen Murray
A smart and funny new play about a family who have the world at their feet. Will they stamp all over it?
Gordon and Serena have worked hard to get where they are. He’s on the verge of a massive promotion at an energy giant. She’s preparing for a move into the house of their dreams. The family appear to be cooking on gas.
But behind their perfect front door, light bulbs are blowing, the drains keep blocking, and a phone inexplicably refuses to charge. Not to mention that daughter Rachel’s adored toy polar bear is nowhere to be found.
Hot on the heels of critically acclaimed work at the National Theatre (Dara, Liolà, Table) Tanya Ronder has been commissioned by the Bush Theatre to write this funny and surreal new family drama about the power of the individual in a world obscured by politics.
This production is sponsored by the Simon Gray Award.
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Caroline’s directing credits include Electra (RWCMD, Cardiff), Eclipsed (Gate Theatre, Nothing Hill), Gate 35 Gala (Louise Blouin Foundation), Leaving Home Party (Farnham Maltings Tour), By Mr Farquhar (UK City of Culture 2013), Text Messages (Project, Dublin), Shakespeare in a Suitcase (co-directed with Tim Crouch for RSC), The Recovery Position (Lion and Unicorn), Twizzler Soaked Ecstasy (devised, Bernhard Theatre Studio), The Children (Embassy Theatre), Attempts on her Life (Durham Theatre, Berkeley, USA). As assistant director Adler and Gibb (Royal Court), Wendy and Peter Pan (RSC), King Lear (RSC Tour). Associate Director at the Gate Theatre 2014/15. Associate on Grounded and Purple Heart.
Caroline graduated from University College Cork (Drama and Theatre Studies) and Central School of Speech and Drama (MA). She trained in the performance department at UC Berkeley and more recently with SITI Company in New York. Caroline has worked as an actor trainer/director at National Student Drama Festival, Lyric Belfast, Cockpit Theatre, East 15, Central School of Speech and Drama, Kingston University and the Actors Centre.
Chiara worked at the Donmar Warehouse for Christopher Oram between 2008-2010 and is currently Associate Designer to Es Devlin. She is currently Associate Designer on Hamlet at the Barbican, Rio Opening Ceremony for the Olympics and Freischutz at Royal Danish Opera for Es Devlin.
As Associate Designer, credits include The Nether, (Royal Court) The Brit Awards 2015, America Psycho the Musical, Chimerica (both Almeida) Miley Cyrus Bangerz (World Tour), London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony, Kanye West and Jay Z Watch the Throne Tour, Beatrice and Benedict (Theatre an der Wien), Cunning Little Vixen (Royal Danish Opera), Les Troyens (ROH), Master & Margarita (Complicite), Batman Live (World Tour) Don Giovanni (MET, New York), Madame Butterfly, Houston Grand Opera, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hamlet, Madame De Sade (Donmar Warehouse, Wyndam’s Season) Sister Act the Musical (Palladium) and Hairspray (European Tour).
As Designer, credits include Eclipsed (Gate Theatre), The Making of Don Giovanni (exhibition design, ROH), Miley Cyrus and Madonna (MTV unplugged TV performance 2014), All’s Well That Ends Well (Abigail Anderson, PMA Theatre, Liverpool), Arcadia (Unity Theatre, Liverpool) and The Massacre (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds).
TV work includes Don’t Take My Baby, Our World War, Glasgow Girls (BBC3), Nightshift, Care, The Snipist, The Minor Character and Nixon’s the One (‘Playhouse Presents’ for Sky Arts), The Selection (Warner Bros), four series of Silent Witness (BBC1), Martin Amis’ Money (BBC2), Consuming Passion, Mr Loveday’s Little Outing (BBC4), The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (BBC1), and many episodes of The Bill for ITV. In 2010 Gemma and Sam received a Primetime Emmy nomination for their casting of Emma for BBC1.
Film work includes Leave to Remain, Private Peaceful, Babel, The New World.
Theatre work includes For Services Rendered (Chichester), Accolade (St James theatre), The Vertical Hour (Park theatre), The Royale, Perseverance Drive, The Herd (Bush theatre), An Inspector Calls (national tour), One Man, Two Guvnors (West End and national tour), 55 Days, In the Club, What the Butler Saw, Abigail’s Party (Hampstead theatre), The Humans (Rotterdam, New York, Avignon), Our Country’s Good (St James theatre and national tour), The Real Thing (tour), Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Ring Round the Moon, Waiting for Godot (West End), Canary (tour), Tejas Verdes, Emperor Jones, The Chairs (Gate theatre), King Lear (RSC), Blood and Gifts (NT). Sam and Gemma have also cast more than 20 productions for Peter Hall, including Henry IV, Pygmalion, Where There’s A Will, Waiting for Godot, Uncle Vanya, The Dresser, As You Like It, Habeas Corpus and Measure for Measure.
Josh works mainly with sound design but also includes other new media practices such as video production and interactive software/hardware installations. He completed a Drama, Theatre and Performance degree at Roehampton University of Surrey in 2008.
He has worked on productions in multiple venues in London, including the National Theatre, Jermyn Street Theatre and Yard Theatre. Josh also creates music and installations with artist Holly White collaboratively as Goth Tech.
Steffany George is currently the Head of Movement at East 15 Acting School Southend on four distinct undergraduate courses; Physical Theatre, Acting and Stage Combat, World Performance, and Community Theatre. Movement Direction credits include working with director Caroline Byrne on Eclipsed by Danai Gurira at the Gate Theatre and Shane Dempsey’s production of Master and Margarita. She hails from NYC where she taught and directed plays at The Stella Adler Studio of Acting from 1996-2006.
Tanya’s adaptations for theatre include Dara and Liolà (National Theatre); Macbett (RSC); Filumena and Blood Wedding (Almeida); Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, 02 and USA tour; Vernon God Little (Olivier nomination for Best New Play, WhatsOnStage nomiantion for Best New Comedy) and Peribanez (Young Vic). Vernon God Little was revived by the Young Vic in 2011 as part of their anniversary season. Her first original play Table (National Theatre) opened the Shed to critical acclaim in 2013. Films include the short, King Bastard (directed by Rufus Norris). Tanya is currently developing a series for BBC, Big Amy, with co-writer Deborah Bruce.
