​WRITER’S BIOGRAPHY Paul Stebbings is Artistic Director of TNT theatre Britain and the American Drama Group Europe, which combine to make “the world’s most popular touring theatre company” (China National TV) – giving more performances in more countries in a single year than any other theatre company. Paul received a first class degree from Bristol University drama department. He trained in the Grotowski physical theatre method in Britain and Poland and founded TNT in 1980. In 1993 he joined forces with producer Grantly Marshall and the American Drama Group Europe. He is a playwright and actor as well as a director and has also worked extensively in music theatre. He is a regular director at China’s best theatre: the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and at the noted Latin American company Teatro Espressivo de Costa Rica. He has directed professionally in Russian, German, Italian and Greek and is in continuous production of plays in Mandarin and Spanish. Paul’s diverse work includes new plays, radically adapting novels and a sequence of Shakespeare’s greatest plays most of which remain in the company’s repertoire. Paul writes the script for this production of TOM SAWYER and has collaborated with Director Gaspard Legendre for several years. Their productions include a highly successful NOTRE DAME DE PARIS based on Hugo's novel which has remained in repertoire for three years, LE PETIT PRINCE and now TOM SAWYER. Paul has won numerous awards in places as diverse as the Edinburgh Festival, the Munich Biennale, Singapore and Iran. Paul received an MBE medal from Queen Elizabeth in 2014 for his contribution to British culture. DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY Gaspard Legendre is a professionnal actor and director working on films and on stage, in France and in London. As a director, his recent credits include : THE VON TRUMPS (G. Ippolito), FAIRY TALE HEART (P. Ridley), TROIS PUTES (J. Bodart), MY FAVOURITE SUMMER (N. Lane), THE HYPOCONDRIAC (European tour), THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (a new adaptation by P. Stebbings, world tour) MR IBRAHIM AND THE FLOWERS OF THE KORAN (E E. Schmitt), THE GAME OF CHANCE AND LOVE (Marivaux), THE BOURGEOIS GENTLEMAN (Molière) for stage, and six short-films. In 2017 along with Joerg Besser he received a Weltenbauer Award in Berlin for THE HYPOCONDRIAC. His plays have been performed over three different continents, from Beijing to Rome, from Lisbon to Helsinki and from Istanbul to Berlin. Initially trained in a French conservatoire in Paris, he further developped his skills in London (LAMDA, Actors Centre) and New York (Musical course in Broadway). He recently performed on screen in ONE NATION, ONE KING (P. Schoeller), L’ABOLITION (J-D Verhaeghe), L’ASSASSIN (L. Heynemann), BUSINESS IS BUSINESS (P. Bérenger), as well as the lead in JUST LIKE KIDS (T. Iversen, official competition TIFF 2015), ROOIBOS (T. Semet) and LUTECE 3D (O. Lemaître)… He has also performed in several shows (Biff in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, Tom in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, the Pilot in THE LITTLE PRINCE, world tour, LE BOURGEOIS GENTILHOMME, European tour, Dave in MY FAVOURITE SUMMER, Arlequin in ARLEQUIN SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS…). www.gaspardlegendre.com WRITER’S NOTE Adapting novels for the stage is something I have been privileged to do for several decades. From OLIVER TWIST in 1994 through to NOTE DAME DE PARIS and CROOKED LETTER (both in our current repertoire) it has been both a challenge and a pleasure. It is impossible to satisfy the purist who wishes for a dramatisation that only a Netflix series can satisfy. But theatre has advantages, the form alerts the audience to the necessary transition from page to stage which film fails to do. The successful adaptation dramatises not the narrative but the essence of novel and uses episodes and characters as tools to reveal that essence. In our TOM SAWYER I have tried to cover the essential scenes of this magical book and to do so with its key characters. I have taken some liberties, but only to concentrate the action. For example I have ignored the new character of the widow and had Joe and the Spaniard plot the death of the Judge who is after all their sworn enemy. I have also had Joe fall to his dooming the cave rather than be slowly starved to death, surely a more theatrical fate. Notably, I, the director (Gaspard Legendre) and the composer (John Kenny) were all agreed that the book suffers from casual racism in its portrayal of 'Injun Joe', whose crimes are attributed to his "half breed blood". It was easy to drop the 'injun' from the character of Joe. The story is enhanced in our view, and we do not have to present unchallenged the lazy racial slurs of a distant age. Instead we are able to concentrate on all that is marvellous in this great book, to rescue it from pointless debate that is not central to the story. As artists (and that includes our cast) we feel comfortable with this simple edit. Surely we can agree that Evil and violence is not a racial characteristic inherent in any man ? To those who say that we tackled the MERCHANT OF VENICE, I would answer that Shakespeare explores Anti-Semitism in his troubling play, carefully balancing the prejudice with his humanity and Shylock fails to achieve any evil. Not so Twain in TOM SAWYER. Besides just as this article is supposed to be about adapting the novel and has been hijacked by a discussion of 'Injun Joe' so the production would become distorted by questions of race when this is an adventure story of the highest standard and should be allowed to thrill us without raising issues it cannot resolve (and may well offend). Finally, much of our audience will be students and we have a special responsibility to discourage the racism which is sadly on the rise across the troubled continent where we perform. For those who wish for a deeper elaboration of the problems of the novel when not edited as we have done, we recommend the native American scholar Deb Reese's detailed response: https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2011/01/american-indian-perspective-on-changing.html Adapting prose for the stage is an art form as old as Aeschylus and Shakespeare. We hope our audience and those who appreciate Mark Twain as much as we do forgive or at least indulge our choices, choices that we hope allow the spirit of Mark Twain to shine through and dramatise the essence of this: one of the greatest stories for young people ever penned. DIRECTOR’S NOTE It has been a lot of fun re-imagining this adventure novel written by Mark Twain! The five actors that make up this ensemble tell this children’s tale in a very cinematic way, whilst maintaining a theatrical experience… The characters address the audience members directly, creating and maintaining a connection with them throughout. We use movement to embody the characters at different stages of life, social status and their relationships within this 1840s micro-society in the fictional Saint Petersburg,Missouri, right-side of the Missippi river. The actors play both children and adults within the story. Despite this being a childrens novel, the characters are intense, have depth and are extremelycomplex. School days’ create a timeline in the piece: every day, Alfred goes to school, accompanied by his father. We see his relationship with another boy and with Tom… The actual school is never represented on stage, but we know this is the place Tom constantly avoids, preferring to pursue more exciting adventures… Minimal multipurpose items of set create different environments throughout the play,sparking the imagination of the audience in visualising scenes. Set changes are danced: the actors-characters take joy in creating new spaces and bringing the audience members with them into these different representations within Mark Twain’s novel. Twice, the characters imagine a scene, and through different techniques, we physically see what is being imagined by the character. This happens when the three boys on the island imagine how the towns inhabitants would react to their absence, and at the end of the play when Polly visits the judges house: this house is un-built in front of us, taken away by the wind… At the first blackout in the play, things change and we watch the action… sideways… This portrayal reminds the audience of the theatricality whilst still representing the scenes of the story intensely, but in a new way. Each element of the set is highly symbolic in the life of Tom Sawyer: the main structure, a raked stage built like a slide could represent how Tom is diving into life, the permanent unbalance in his adventures, and will represent in turns, the roof of Aunt Polly’s house, the island, the stairs of the haunted house and the cave… Benches represent of law and obligation: at Polly’s house or in the church, it’s never Tom’s choice to sit on them. They also represent Mr Williams’ grave. Fences are painted by Tom at the beginning – how will this child, who only dreams of freedom and adventures, paint these symbols of laws and order. Fences define spaces Tom shall not trespass… but at the beginning, he will just jump them. A door will add more context to the different scenes, the way characters enter and exit different places helping the audience members follow the story. It is also a symbol of the now and the future – before and after entering new places - and will represent Mr.Williams’ coffin. The children are discussing death to frighten each other but soon they will face the murder and maybe realise that life always ends… The other children and adults in the story walk in a set way, in squares, respecting abstract rules and law of real spaces, spaces created by the Government in this micro-society, never trespassing the fences… Apart from Bad’n’Joe who will act more on instinct, driven by smell and breaking the window in the trial scene… Is this reference used again in the iconic scene of Milos Forman’s ONE FLEW OVER A CUCKOO’s NEST? Cancelling the racist idea of him being an Injun in the original text (please see the writer’s note), we work on how instinctive the character could be, driven by his different senses and with a different relationship to death. Huck surprises the audience in the way he appears each time: he appears in places and ways we don’t expect. He breaks the spaces as he is a free spirit. This freedom is one of the reasons why Tom admires him… He becomes the leader at the end of the show, for the last adventure, a direct wink to Mark Twain’s second novel and to what could be written at the end of a movie : « to be continued ». Even if the story seems simple at first sight, the main themes are ones adults will often face and the play is relatable anyone, of any age. These universal themes speak to all ages and translate across time and continents… THE CAST CHRISTIAN ANSTEE – TOM SAWYER Like Tom Sawyer, Christian Anstee loves adventure. Christian graduated from East 15 Acting School and furthered his studies at L’Ecole Gaulier, Paris. He has performed in shows such as LA BOHEME for the Dorset Opera Festival and recently in A CHRISTMAS CAROL for TNT. Now touring all over Europe, he is excited to explore the bustling cities, find the hidden gems and eat all kinds of local cuisine ! JAMES HEPWORTH – JOE AND ENSEMBLE James, a Yorkshireman by birth, studied Professional Acting at Drama Studio London, graduating in 2017. His theatre credits include: THE WAY OF THE WORLD, KING LEAR, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS and CHERRY BLOSSOM. James is delighted to be playing Joe over the course of this tour. Playing villains has always interested James, as it provides a great means to explore the character traits and psyche of someone outside what we may consider the norm, and to find the humanity in characters often not given such an outlet. James has a great love of all things cinematic, being a film buff of sorts, as well as a writer and director. He is hoping that this tour of Europe will provide him with a vast experience to take home and put into his work. James currently lives in London, with his partner Stevie, whom he would like to thank for her ceaseless patience and strength over the last 7 years. IMOGEN HUNTER – AUNT POLLY AND ENSEMBLE Imogen graduated from Drama Studio London in 2016 and has been working ever since; including writing and producing THE SECRET LETTERS OF GERTIE 'S HEN which debuted at the New Wimbledon Studio Theatre in October 2018 – an ambitious project that viewed WW2 from the eyes of two ten- year-old pen friends from London / Berlin. Other training includes the Brighton Puppetry School. Theatre Credits Include: Natalia in A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL (The Etcetera Theatre); Libby in I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES (Tristan Bates); Billy/Puppeteer/Ensemble in THE LURKING FEAR (Old Red Lion Theatre); Prince Charming in SLEEPING BEAUTY (Touring); Jessica in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (Touring); Narrator in THE GLASS HOUSE (RADA); Sally Anderson/ Ensemble in A CHRISTMAS CAROL the Musical (The Stockwell Playhouse); Jessie Frost in THE BRIGHT & BOLD DESIGN (New Diorama Theatre). Other Credits Include: Beth in C.A.T.S (Radio); Sarah in EVI (Radio); Cinema Girl in WHAT WE DO BEFORE MIDNIGHT (Short Film); Maria in SISTERS (Short Film). FAYE LORD – BECKY AND ENSEMBLE Born in Sussex, England, Faye originally trained as a dancer. She graduated from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2015, and has since gone on to explore the theatre world through various forms. She will be performing as part of a summer tour of the UK as Mum in GANGSTA GRANNY with Heartbreak Productions. Other theatre credits include: Juliet in ROMEO AND JULIET (Wuxi Theatre, Shanghai International Arts Festival); Hero in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING; Phyllis in THE RAILWAY CHILDREN; Sapphire/Lauren in BILLIONAIRE BOY (Heartbreak Productions); Alice in ALICE’S ADVENTURE’S IN WONDERLAND; Abigail Mews in original writing CREAM (Unmasked Theatre); Sister Agatha in DRACULA (Brief Hiatus); and THE LONDON OLYMPIC CEREMONIES 2012. When not performing, Faye enjoys yoga, the seaside and drinking copious amounts of tea. CHRIS MAWSON – FAYE AND ENSEMBLE Chris is a Manchester Born actor who trained at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance in London. He is an actor, theatre maker and pianist with additional skills in stage combat (BADC intermediate - Distinction), physical theatre and interactive/ immersive theatre. Chris trained on Rose Bruford’s European Theatre Arts Course, a contemporary drama school training that trains versatile actors capable of producing their own work. Further training for Chris includes his time at the Estonian Academy of Music and theatre where he trained in acting, singing, dancing and basic acrobatics. Since graduating, Chris has performed across Europe at theatres including: Västmanlands Teater (Sweden), Théâtre de Ménilmontant (Paris), The Bunker Theatre (London) and Summerhall (Edinburgh). Past credits include: THE MEN WHO MADE FRANKENSTEIN (playing Dr Frankenstein), SNAPPER (playing the lead),THE CROSSING PLACE (physical theatre tour). In 2020, Chris will star in the next feature from award winning film director Benjamin Rider titled SOME YOUTHS OF THIS TOWN. Chris has also worked with award winning film director Giacomo Mantovani in London. TNT Theatre The company was founded in 1980. Our first production was a manifesto piece: a commedia dell’arte life of the Russian director Meyerhold, who was murdered by Stalin. His ideas are still present in TNT’s work. The company received UK Arts Council (government ) funding for extensive tours of Britain for many years before shifting its focus to international touring. TNT’s initial productions were all self written and combined popular theatre forms with serious subjects. In 1983 we began integrating music into the productions on a complex level. In 1993 we began our collaboration ADG Europe and producer Grantly Marshall, expanding our repertoire to include classical texts and radical stage interpretations of novels and theatre in French. TNT toured internationally from its first year and now tours to over thirty countries a year on three continents in four languages. We believe that theatre itself is a language, and can be understood by all – especially in this digital age – where live art is so essential. TNT repertoire 2019/2020: ROMEO & JULIET, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, and OTHELLO by Shakespeare, A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Dickens a French language version of NOTRE DAME DE PARIS adapted by Paul Stebbings (director Gaspard Legendre) and Molière's LE BOURGEOIS GENTILEHOMME . The autumn season opens with two new productions: FREE MANDELA exploring the drama of South Africa’s modern history and it’s lessons for our divided world and TOM SAWYER. This is followed by a revival of TNT’s long running production: FRANKENSTEIN – the Monster and the Myth and a new production: CROOKED LETTER CROOKED LETTER based on the novel by Tom Franklin set in Mississippi. Meanwhile TNT’s TAMING OF THE SHREW will also be revived in Mandarin by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, while in Costa Rica Teatro Espressivo revives CUENTA DE NAVIDAD (Dickens adapted by Paul Stebbings) and SENOR DE LAS MOSCAS. All original texts are by Paul Stebbings and Phil Smith. TNT are represented in China by Milky Way productions Beijing and several other producers across four continents. In 2020 the company plan to consolidate our work in Latin America with tours from Mexico to Chile making TNT (produced by Grantly Marshall of ADG Europe) the most widely travelled theatre company on earth. Our motto is taken from Meyerhold, who inspired our first production: “Tragedy with a smile on its lips” .