Cold, Dark Matters
There’s a shed in that field. It’s long forgotten. Unloved some would say. According to one curious stranger, it will soon be blown up.
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A satirical dark comedy about rural communities, isolation, and faddism, Cold, Dark Matters delves into the murky underwaters of a community in Cornwall and its new resident whose desire for a rural retreat may not be all that it seems…
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Reviews
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'Brownridge-Kelly deftly distinguishes between these characters…and director Roisin McCay-Hines keeps the one-man-duologues flowing. Audience address punctuates the dialogue and is often surprisingly poignant… I’m not surprised that Cold, Dark Matters successfully toured Cornwall before reaching The Hope: It has a lot to say about loneliness, and vanishing communities, in the region in which it’s set. But a London audience, too, will find plenty to dive into here. If you like your wit macabre, and your endings unpredictable, this one’s for you.' – (4 Stars) Anna Clart, London Pub Theatre’s Magazine (nominated also for their ‘Standing Ovation’ award)
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'The storytelling was gripping, with just the right amount of tension prior to being lifted into the comedic realm. Kelly’s performance was enthralling, capturing the essence of the West Country via his exemplary portrayals of the local characters...This is a great play, great performance, and well worth an hour of anybody’s time.' – (4 stars) Wendy Fisher, everything theatre
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'Cold, Dark Matters is a very curious play, and every aspect of its production at the Hope Theatre is morbidly satisfying. Altogether more thought provoking than it has any right to be, this fun, dark tale is neither cynical nor vapid, instead approaching its murky subject matter with a refreshingly forthright earnestness... There’s something alluringly transgressive about the force with which he approaches what is thankfully a very silly story, a “modern-gothic satire” that is both genuinely disturbing and twistedly delightful…It’s a genuine pleasure to watch and listen to and feel this mysterious, but never abstruse, grey and moral story unfold over the mere hour Kelly claims of your time.' – (4 stars) Kira Daniels, North West End.
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'More than once, I felt myself transported to a staged reading in Victorian times – there is a definite lineage here to some of Dickens’s macabre tales and, still more, to Edgar Allan Poe’s. But under the direction of Roisin McCay-Hines, and with the clever use of sound and lighting, the show is gripping throughout. Indeed, Brownridge Kelly’s adroit and assured rendering of the characters encountered is enough to make you completely forget that he is alone on stage…In many ways this is an evening that is hard to characterize – at times hilarious and highly entertaining, never less than engrossing – it is also, in the end, distinctly unsettling. Perhaps this is especially so for an urban Islington audience who might well find themselves transplanted to the country and trying and failing to overcome the same challenges as those faced by our hero. This is a piece which reminds us once again that great things can be achieved on an almost bare stage. Highly recommended.'
– (4 stars) Simon Ward, The Peg
'Beguiling, funny and ultimately surprising…this is a well-directed, beautifully performed production of an intriguing script.' (4 stars) - Louis Mazzini, LondonTheatre1
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Production History
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‘Cold, Dark Matters’ was written, produced, and first performed by Jack Brownridge-Kelly at The Solomon Browne Hall, Mousehole in January 2023. The set design was created by Lucy Read. The lighting and sound design was created by Ben Kernow. The poster and online marketing design was created by Hugo Winder-Lind.
In the summer of 2023, ‘Cold, Dark Matters’ embarked on a small summer tour around Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly in collaboration with Ha Hum Ah Theatre. The tour was directed and produced by Ben Kernow.
In February 2024, ‘Cold, Dark Matters’ was remounted for an extended tour around Cornwall. This tour was funded by FEAST. Lighting and sound were operated by Ben Sutcliffe. The poster and online marketing design was updated and reimagined by Hugo-Winder-Lind.
In March 2024, ‘Cold, Dark Matters’ was performed at Theatre503 in Battersea, London. It was directed by Roisin McCay-Hines. Lighting and sound were operated by Paul Kaiba. Later that month, Cold, Dark Matters had a two-week run at The Hope Theatre in Islington, London. Lighting and sound were operated by Kate Tregear.
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Acknowledgements
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I would like to thank all the wonderful people who came in and out of the various stages of production: Lucy Read, Ben Kernow, Ben Sutcliffe, Roisin McCay-Hines, Hugo Winder-Lind, Kate Tregear and Paul Kaiba. To all the venues and their organisers: The Solomon Browne Hall, The Acorn, The Isles of Scilly Creative Week, Lelant Village Hall, IntoBodmin and Blisland Village Hall, The Ladder, St Just Town Hall, The Poly, The Liskerrett Community Centre, The Hope theatre and Theatre503.
To all those who contributed to the crowdfunder campaign in getting the show to London: Deborah Hinton OBE, Sue Penna, Tina Milford, Spencer Milford, Elizabeth Cooke, Anna McShane, Cathie and Nigel Williams, Danny Frost, St Aubyn Foundation, Jack Pepper, Lucy Lawrenson, Lisa Williams, Fi Read, Joe Chapman, Jaime Lock, Derek Jeck, Stephen Williams, Beth Gallagher, Tomaž Krajnc, Joseph Burke, Sarah Connors, Sandra Heap and Kevin and Sue Penna.
Thank you to Jack Morrison and Taryn Harris at FEAST for their generous financial support and for all the support they’ve offered countless other brilliant projects within Cornwall.
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For a copy of the script or production enquiries please do get in touch.
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