Tannie & Tannie Northern Tour 2019-20

Tannie & Tannie Tour. Autumn 2019 & Spring 2020.

Tannie and Tannie are leaving. Escaping the damned earthquakes and the water that bursts into flame. The cantankerous aunties will leave their home – a place once strong and flat and stable – and embark on a journey – like their ancestors did before them. Before they go, there’s just time for a story or two about ghosts and gods and the bleddy British, then, off they’ll go on their trek. But. Not every trek can be a Great Trek.    

Our teaser trailer – made from still photographs by Jody Cliffe

The tour is made possible through Arts Council England Funding.

We also send our grateful thanks to our excellent supporters:

Tannie & Tannie was first performed on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th November 2018 at DINA Venue, Sheffield.

Tannie & Tannie Teatowels

100% unbleached cotton £8.00

BUY HERE

Tannie Badge £1.00

BUY HERE

Tannie & Tannie Northern Tour 2019-20

Tannie & Tannie Tour. Autumn 2019 & Spring 2020.

Tannie and Tannie are leaving. Escaping the damned earthquakes and the water that bursts into flame. The cantankerous aunties will leave their home – a place once strong and flat and stable – and embark on a journey – like their ancestors did before them. Before they go, there’s just time for a story or two about ghosts and gods and the bleddy British, then, off they’ll go on their trek. But. Not every trek can be a Great Trek.    

Our teaser trailer – made from still photographs by Jody Cliffe

The tour is made possible through Arts Council England Funding.

We also send our grateful thanks to our excellent supporters:

Tannie & Tannie was first performed on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th November 2018 at DINA Venue, Sheffield.

Tannie & Tannie Teatowels

100% unbleached cotton £8.00

BUY HERE

Tannie Badge £1.00

BUY HERE

Tannie & Tannie: The play.

Tannie & Tannie is a new play by Claudine Bennent. Performed by Claudine Bennent and Melanie Crawley. Directed by Sarah Spencer.

“we are treated to mesmeric immersive storytelling delivered by Bennett and her co performer Melanie Crawley.” – Deborah Egan O.B.E, Director – DINA Venue

“Poignant, funny, sad, interesting and intriguing. Really well written and beautifully performed.” – Tim Holmes, Director – Festival 23

Tannie & Tannie is a warm-hearted tale of ordinary, hard working people faced with the most difficult decision of their lives. Set in rural South Africa, it tells the story of two ‘Tannies’ (Afrikaans for ‘aunties’), storytellers of their community who are forced to leave their home of many decades to take their chances in the wilderness on a ‘trek’ – a journey that echoes the Great Trek of South African settlers in the 1800’s as well as every mass migration since and every potential human displacement in the future. 

Tannie and Tannie are the storytellers of the town. Their place in the world – once strong and flat and stable – has become riddled with earthquakes and water that bursts into flame. They tell the audience about the community they once knew having crumbled as people have fled and those left behind have descended into desperation. 

You’ll join the Tannies at midnight as they attempt to finish their packing and as they try to decide where to go while mourning the loss of the lives and memories they must leave behind. Before they go, there’s just time for a story or two about ghosts and gods and the bleddy British, then, off they’ll go on their trek. But. Not every trek can be a Great Trek.

The play is suitable for all although there is some swearing and it is not aimed specifically at children.

 

 

The Players

ClaudineHeadshot_crop

Claudine Bennent is a performer, theatre maker and teacher.

Claudine is the writer + co-producer  of ‘Tannie & Tannie’ and plays ‘Tannie’

Claudine graduated from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2005 with her BA in Theatre and Performance.  Claudine worked as a freelance actor, singer, director, writer and teacher for numerous theatre, film and television companies in South Africa; including the National Children’s Theatre (The Secret Garden, Aladdin, Stuart Little).

In 2007, she caught the comedy bug and began performing stand-up and improv comedy at venues throughout Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria until 2009, when she moved to Sendai, Japan to teach on the Japan English and Exchange (JET) Programme.

Whilst learning how to use chopsticks properly, she developed her Vocal Training for Teachers Workshop delivered at training conferences and meetings, delivered an improv comedy workshop at the annual art show, performed with an acapella group to raise funds for charity, and established Sendai Night Live (a variety show to raise funds after the 2011 Sendai Earthquake).

Claudine relocated to Sheffield in 2013 and has been cursing the weather ever since.  Her most resent projects include The Local (Edinburgh Fringe 2017, The Rutland Arms), The Vagina Monologues (for SheFest at Theatre Delicatessen, Sheffield), and scripting and directing Foolish Mortals at the Lantern Theatre.

www.claudinebennent.com

Claudine is a member of Equity and Spotlight

Melanie Crawley 1110 colour 10x8 FINAL SMALL

Melanie Crawley is an actor, voice artist, producer, designer and writer

Melanie is the Producer of ‘Tannie & Tannie’ and plays ‘Tannie’

Melanie appeared most recently as The Mayor in ‘Final Night, Mayor’ by John Hunter as part of Sheffield Theatres’ Making Room Crucible Studio Takeover; as Kath in ‘Classless’ by Paul Kenny, a radio play commissioned as part of Pete McKee’s ‘This Class Works’ exhibition and as Lord Montague in Romeo & Juliet at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester all in 2018.

Previously, she appeared in ‘Three Post-Apocalyptic Comedians Walk Into A Bar…’ in 2017 a performance she also wrote, produced and directed – commissioned by Rebuild Festival.

Other recent appearances are: Joan for Tesco’s ‘Food Love Stories’ campaign, in  ITV’s ‘Coronation Street’ as Court Clerk, and as Blodwyn in Peter Huntley’s series of radio sketches: ‘Dylan and Blod Talk about Dai’ for Cornucopia Radio. In 2016 she appeared as Betty in the northern UK premiere of ‘In a Forest, Dark and Deep’ by Neil LaBute, at Salford Arts Theatre (GM Fringe) which she also produced and designed.

Melanie is also an audio book narrator and has narrated and produced six novels to date, all available on Audible.

www.melaniecrawley.com 

Melanie is a member of Equity and Spotlight.

118-Sarah Spencer

Sarah Spencer is an actor and director.

Sarah is the director of ‘Tannie & Tannie’

Sarah Spencer graduated from Arden School of Theatre in 2008 and has been working in Theatre and Film as an actor and director since then, notably appearing in cult film: ‘Harold’s Going Stiff’ as Penny Rudge.

Sarah served as Creative Director and a trustee of the Lantern Theatre for four years during which time she directed ‘A Few Good Men’ and ‘The Crucible’ among other plays, which received rave reviews.

Currently, as well as directing Tannie & Tannie, Sarah is managing the Merlin Theatre in Sheffield and is co-directing and acting in Twitch productions.

Tannie & Tannie Tour. Autumn 2019 & Spring 2020.

Tannie and Tannie are leaving. Escaping the damned earthquakes and the water that bursts into flame. The cantankerous aunties will leave their home – a place once strong and flat and stable – and embark on a journey – like their ancestors did before them. Before they go, there’s just time for a story or two about ghosts and gods and the bleddy British, then, off they’ll go on their trek. But. Not every trek can be a Great Trek.    

Our teaser trailer – made from still photographs by Jody Cliffe

The tour is made possible through Arts Council England Funding.

We also send our grateful thanks to our excellent supporters:

Tannie & Tannie was first performed on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th November 2018 at DINA Venue, Sheffield.

Tannie & Tannie Teatowels

100% unbleached cotton £8.00

BUY HERE

Tannie Badge £1.00

BUY HERE