IT HAS been one of the most awaited events of the new theatre season and it doesn’t take much imagination to see why.

The world premiere of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight takes a new look at a six hundred year old classic story and is based on a widely applauded translation by Huddersfield’s award-winning poet, playwright and broadcaster Simon Armitage.

Little wonder there’s been a buzz around the production since the news of its launch here in Huddersfield was announced months ago.

New Perspectives is the company which in February brought The Hired Man to the Lawrence Batley Theatre. This stage adaptation of Melvyn Bragg’s book which was inspired by his relationship with his paternal grandfather, evoked the working life of rural and industrial Cumbrian at the start of the 20th century.

Now the Midlands-based company has turned its attention to Simon’s verse translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which has been winning rave reviews both here and in America.

Undaunted by the three years that the translation took to complete, Simon, who just back from a book tour in the States, has signed a contract to translate another epic, The Death Of Arthur.

Other than a trip to Nottingham to see this new production in rehearsal, Simon has had no involvement in the show. It is simply his translation that is being used to bring the story of Sir Gawain to the stage.

“I’ve not seen the production. I’m going down to Nottingham just before it opens in Huddersfield to see their technical run through. I said I would help with publicity for it but I want to see it first. I’ve no idea what they’ve done,” said Simon.

“They’ve put together a huge tour of about 50 dates. There are regular theatres like the LBT but there are doing schools and village halls as well. It’s part of the ethos of Gawain.”

The stage production begins one New Year’s Day when festivities at the court of King Arthur are interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious Green Knight, and thrown into confusion by the extraordinary challenge he lays down. No-one, least of all the fearless Gawain, is prepared for the terrifying consequences of taking the supernatural stranger at his word.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells the story of a young knight’s epic quest through the changing seasons to keep his appointment with fate. It’s a tale of temptation, romance and chivalry, brought to life by four storytellers with the help of puppetry and live music.

Simon’s translation has been adapted for the stage by Daniel Buckroyd, artistic director of New Perspectives and will open at the LBT on Thursday October 23 and run until Saturday. Evening performances are at 7.30pm and there are two matinees, one of Thursday at 1pm and the other on Saturday at 2pm.

Daniel Buckroyd joined New Perspectives in 2003. He has worked previously as associate director of the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton, artistic director of Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company and education director of the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester.

For New Perspectives, he has most recently directed Saturday Night And Sunday Morning, The Allotment, The Iron Man, On Saturdays This Bed Is Poland and The Hired Man which was performed at the Brits Off Broadway festival in New York during the summer.

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