This event has already taken place
Call Me Oz
Helston Old Cemetery Chapel
7.30pm 8th December 2023
by What Now Productions presented by Trevow Helston
★★★★★
“Excellent one-man show which is funny, poignant and interesting. Highly recommended.”
~ The King’s Head Theatre, Islington, London. August 2018 as part of the Queer Season
Step into the world of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads and meet Osric, many years after the death of Hamlet.
In his youth, Osric, a stylish and sensitive courtier witnessed the slaughter of the Danish Royal family at Elsinore Castle. He's not spoken about it for over forty years, but, after a session with his therapist, he embarks upon a series of media interviews triggering an unstoppable stream of revelations.
This one-person, present-day drama explores what might have happened to Osric, one of Shakespeare’s most-loved minor characters, after the story of the original play. Written in modern English this “palpable hit” requires no knowledge of the original play and is guaranteed to be a “hilarious” night at the theatre.
★★★★★
“Richard Curnow, playing Oz and all of the supporting characters in this one-man show, is absolutely delightful. He brings both wit and folly to the stage, providing a hilarious look in this follow up to one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. He dances and bounces across the stage, perfectly embodying both Oz and the crew of media personalities he encounters. If you’re looking for something both funny and intelligent, then make sure to check out Call Me Oz."
~ Justin Bell. Edmonton Journal
★★★★
'This monologue is indeed – “A hit, a palpable hit.”
Trevow Helston could have the opportunity of a permanent home for professional live performance in Helston - will you join us for the next step of our adventure?
Our ambition is to reinvigorate the now disused cemetery chapel on Meneage Road, transforming this unique building into a welcoming space to share and create professional theatre, dance, spoken word and other live events for Helston. With seating for a hundred people and sumptuous acoustics, this small chapel is the perfect place for artists to develop and present their work. It would also give Trevow Helston roots from which to branch out, giving us a space of our own in the town.
We are being supported by many key organisations and individuals in Helston that recognise the need for a space dedicated to developing and sharing high-quality live performances. Our application to Cornwall Council for a thirty-year lease of the cemetery chapel includes a programme of capital development work to breathe new life into this special building and make it a contemporary, fit-for-purpose public space for the community.
At this early stage, we would like to emphasise, especially to the neighbours of the chapel, that we are fully aware of the importance of the building and its surroundings for many people in Helston. Should we be successful with our lease application our first step will be to host a public consultation in the chapel to better understand the priorities of everyone who has a connection to Helston Cemetery. We have no intention of ever hosting performances or projects that would be deemed inappropriate or insensitive in regard to the location of the chapel. This building has been important and significant for over a hundred years and our ambition is to once again open its doors to the people of Helston. We hope the old cemetery chapel will become a place of hope, aspiration and joy.
To support our lease application we are hosting a pop-up theatre event on 8th December, Call Me Oz. This event will allow us to demonstrate the practical feasibility of using the space as a live performance venue and celebrate the possibilities of the future.
If you have any thoughts or questions about Trevow Helston or the old cemetery chapel please get in touch anytime by emailing hello@trevowhelston.co.uk or calling Guy on 07792858435.
Flexible Ticket Prices for Performances
We understand things are difficult for many people.
To try and make the work that Trevow Helston programmes as accessible as possible we are offering three ticket prices for the show, a subsidised under 16 price and a free ticket draw. Please book the ticket that reflects what you can afford right now. You won't be asked any questions and your ticket options won't be shared with anyone.
£20 Supporter Show Ticket
This ticket includes a donation to support Trevow Helston's work
£12 Just a Show Ticket
This ticket covers our core costs of the event
£8 Helping You Show Ticket
If you can only afford this ticket right now we all understand
£0 Show Ticket Draw
If you cannot afford a ticket right now please enter our free ticket draw. Trevow Helston will give away as many tickets as we are able to and we will inform you if you have won tickets a minimum of three days before the event. To enter the ticket draw please click here.
What do I need to know?
This event will take place at the Helston Old Cemetery Chapel, Meneage Road, Helston, TR13 8BH.
Local residents will be aware of a grass parking area inside the churchyard. We are asking audience members to not use this parking area for this event as it is particularly boggy at the moment and we are concerned that cars could get stuck. There is a large pay and display car park opposite the Helston Medical Centre, Trelawney Rd, Helston TR13 8AU. Alternatively, there is free on-street parking along Meneage Road. Should Trevow Helston be successful in acquiring the long-term lease for the cemetery chapel our ambition is to use a matting surface on the car parking area that would preserve the grass but allow it to be used all year round; there will be spaces permanently reserved for those visiting graves.
A small pop-up bar will be available at this event. Cash and card payments will be accepted.
There is level access from the tarmac path into the chapel and audience members will be able to drop-off directly outside the chapel. There is space inside the chapel for wheelchairs. The seating will be on pews. If we can support you at our event in other ways please contact us on hello@trevowhelston.co.uk
Due to the nature of the production, latecomers cannot be admitted.
We anticipate an approximate run time of 50 minutes without an interval.
Our performances may be filmed or photographed and the material may be used by Trevow Helston, its sister company Cousin Jack's or What Now Productions at any time for evaluation, promotion or other projects. Please be aware that it is the ticket buyer's responsibility to inform members of their party that this will be happening.
Tickets are non-refundable.