Sardines at The Alma Tavern & Theatre

About

Sardines - The Untold Story Of Epic English Poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge And William Wordsworth On Their Previously Unknown Nautical Adventure.

Imagine yourself, lost at sea in the 1800s, with only two of the most pompously eccentric poets in English history for company, and no food or water on board. How would you pass the time?

Sardines is a new comedy set on an inflatable raft stranded in the middle of the ocean. It follows the ridiculously fancy English poets, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, on their wild misadventures at sea. Witness their strained friendship weather storms, battle sea-monsters, and endure the elements, as the explosive show, inspired by the plot of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, unravels with lightning, gunshots, and an eerie albatross that keeps getting closer.

Coleridge wants to smoke his pipe, write poetry, and be happy. Wordsworth hates smoking, tires of poetry, and enjoys wallowing in his misery. The two spend their voyage locked in combat, a battle of hopeless optimism versus constant pessimism. The StageHand, a glorified backstage assistant, desperate for her time in the spotlight, makes it harder and harder for the two poets to tell their story, and she tests both their patience with her bumbling speeches and poor comprehension.

Previously performed at Burdall's Yard, Elevate Festival at Theatre Royal Bath, and Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, our show received a great reception in all these venues, encouraging us to prepare it for Edinburgh Fringe Festival next year.

Created by Ross Brown, Toby Allen-Smith, Jo Wiley and written by Joe Makarov, the show was fully imagined in a series of workshops focused on character and comedy. Much of the good stuff in the script was improvised and added, a hallmark of the Blank Slate Ensemble rehearsal style.