News archive

Summer 2023

When We Were Wild

"Charles Way’s When We Were Wild is a thoughtful and timely parable for young and family audiences tempered by the winning charm of Paul Bosco Mc Eneaney’s intimate staging for Cahoots NI at Belfast’s The Mac…. Way’s elliptical script never quite joins up all the dots to provide an immediately explicit message or moral, but it casts an enchanting and involving spell nonetheless."

British Theatre Guide

"… an imaginative production that will thrill young (and not so young) audiences with beautiful puppeteering and an indoor exploration of the great outdoors. It takes a measure of confidence and nerve … to run with their vision, but they definitely pull it off by neither talking down to the intended audience (age 6+) nor unnecessarily mollifying the painful reality of life."

Review (extract) 16 June 2023 by Alan in Belfast

‘When We Were Wild’- is a new play for all generations.
It opened at The Mac Belfast on 15 June for a limited run.

With Live music from Kyron Bourke and astonishing animal puppetry from Helen Foan, this tale of two farmers-is a funny and moving new play about the importance of childhood, nature and art.
Directed by Paul McEneaney for the wonderful Cahoots Children’s Theatre Company.
Book tickets here or call 02890 235053.

Winter 2022-23

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen opened at The Storyhouse, Chester on 12 December 12 2022 and runs until 15 January 2023.

Here’s what the first audiences thought:

Directed by Hannah Noone.

Crackers

Crackers is brand new farce for all the family at Christmas. Joe Cracker and his rat, sister and Grandma endeavour to save their house and their Christmas from developers.

At the Polka Theatre Wimbledon from 18 November 2022 to 15 January 2023. Directed by Nicky Allpress.

Cinderella

A new musical version of The Classic Fairy tale Cinderella. Music by Mark Gordon (Score Draw Music) and directed by Paul McEneany for Cahoots NI and The Mac Belfast.

Opens at The Mac on 30 November 2022 and runs until 8 January 2023.

Rose Mit Dornen (Sleeping Beauty)

Rose Mit Dornen (Sleeping Beauty) premiered at the Stadttheater, Ingolstadt (Germany) on 12 November 2022 and runs until 8 February 2023.

Directed by Martina van Boxen.

The Ghost House

I've never written a ghost story before – this one follows a ghost hunter looking for the truth about a villain from the 18th century called Black Hearted Benjamin. Scary but fun.

The Ghost House is a walk-through theatre experience in a custom built, multi-space set, featuring live performances, magic, digital technology and dance.

From Cahoots NI – makers of last year's hugely successful The Grimm Hotel.
Opened on 13 October 2022 in Belfast for a three-week run.

Autumn 2021

After nearly two years of inactivity I'm pleased to say that new productions are slowly but surely beginning to crop up. Not that I wasn't busy during lockdown.

I was able to complete The Two Brothers, a new play for young people for Cahoots NI. No production dates are set as yet but hopefully in 2022/3. The play concerns the childhoods of two farmers-whose lives take radically different directions.

The American tour of Under the Hawthorn Tree fell victim to the pandemic and The Vanishing Elephant tour has been pushed back until 2023.

The Grimm Hotel - Cahoots NI

My continuing creative relationship with Cahoots NI has led me be involved as Writer on their new walk through show, The Grimm Hotel. Created by Paul McEneany, it takes place in a specially constructed set of 'rooms' and is technically and visually stunning. As the title suggests, the stories of the Grimm Brothers are central to the experience – which is for everyone over eight years old.
The Grimm Hotel opens on October 12 and initially runs to the end of the month at the Cityside Leisure Park in Belfast.

Playing from the Heart

Playing from the Heart is a play about the childhood of the world famous percussionist Evelyn Glennie. It opens at Theater Dortmund Germany on the September 24.

TOI TOI TOI – to all those involved in the production.

Sadly, there is very little going on here in Wales in regard for theatre for young people. I fear young people growing up outside the larger towns of Wales will never get to see a play, and as a result will not grow into the habit of theatre going because the form will be alien to them.

I urge the Arts Council of Wales-to consider the creation of a National Children's Theatre for Wales that could reach all communities – and children throughout the country.

Winter 2019

It was a busy lead up to Christmas with several seasonal shows here and abroad.

Still Life (Endstation Leben) –one of 27 entries in a new Science and Theatre Festival at Theater Heilbronn in Germany won a sponsorship award of two thousand euros. Professor Wolfgang Hansch wrote “The Briton Charles Way is of all the authors in the contest the most experienced and well known. Still Life is a tense science fiction thriller with complex ethical and philosophical questions about the opportunities and challenges of genetic research.”

Many thanks to the theatre and congratulations to the other winners.
The play is published by Parthian Press.

Sternenstaub (Stardust in English) – a play about for all over seven years of age about life, death Space and friendship – opened to excellent reviews in Biel/Bienne in Switzerland.

Directed by Charlotte Huldi for Theatre De La Grenouille.

Cinderella played the Opera House Kassel Germany and looked gorgeous.

The Snow Queen enjoyed two revivals this year:

At the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, London, directed by Abigail Andersen - video trailer here.
And at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, directed by Whit Maclaughlin.

The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: “Snow Queen has it all, imagination, goosebumps and lots of snow. Written by prolific British Playwright Charles Way, the Scandinavian-set play features powerful female characters, magical royalty, haunting sounds and lots of snow. Other than that it's not at all like the Disney movies.” The show ran through to the end of Jan 2020.

Next Year 2020 begins with a rerun of Under the Hawthorn Tree at the Mac in Belfast before it goes on an extensive tour of Ireland. Produced by Cahoots NI direction by Paul McEneaney.

Autumn 2019

Secrets of Space, an intimate show about the infinity of space (ages 7+) is at Cahoots NI in The MAC, Belfast until 13 October and then goes out on tour.

Charles Way co-wrote the show with Paul Bosco Mc Eneaney, who also directed.

"Secrets of Space is full of wonder and imagination. It’s intimate yet it presents a universe of infinite possibility."
"This show manages to make space emotional, which is a phenomenal achievement…"
"…Cahoots blend creativity, technology and information together into a seamless package." (more)

The Snow Queen will be the 2019 Christmas Show at the Park Theatre, Finsbury Park. London. Dec 4th to Jan 4th 2020.Directed by Abigail Andersen.

Cinderella will be the Christmas show at the Opernhaus des Staatstheater, Kassel Germany. Directed by Martina Van Boxen.

Spring / Summer 2019

Pirates (Piraten) opened at the Junge Landesbuhne, Wilhelmshaven on 28th April 2019.

The Long Way Home (Weit ist der Weg) opened at Theatre NOI, Germany on May 3rd 2019.

Winter 2018

Thank you to all the cast and crew of Under the Hawthorn Tree – adapted from The bestselling children's novel of the same name by Marita Conlon-McKenna.

A wonderful production at THE MAC Belfast in November– directed by Paul McEneany with design by Sabine Dargent and Music by Garth McConaghie.

We have high hopes that the show will live and breathe again next year in Dublin and America.

Sleeping Beauty is now running at the Krasnoyarsk Musical Theatre in Russia.
The Snow Queen is now running at Ion Creanga Theatre Bucharest
Family Farce – a new play for Polka Theatre – will be a touring production in 2020 as the theatre in Wimbledon gets a well earned face lift.
Stardust will premier in Biel Switzerland next November with Theatre De La Grenouille.
The Vanishing Elephant will be a co production between Cahoots NI and Imagination Stage in Washington USA in 2019/20
Infinity continues in repertory at Consol Theatre in Gelsenkirchen Germany under the direction of Andrea Kramer.

Summer 2018

Five Charles Way plays in professional production at theatres across Europe and in the United States.

Having completed a short tour in the autumn of 2017 in Northern Ireland, The Assistant’s Revenge will be reworked early in 2018 and performed at the Belfast Children’s Festival opening on 8 March.

The show – created with Paul McEneany (direction) and Ursula Burns (music) – is a bold, and atmospheric thriller containing great songs and spectacular illusions.

”Dark, edgy, the most sublime music all packaged in this perfect drama for young audiences” – Gilly Campbell, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
“Don’t miss this spectacular show full of magic (and murder)…a big thumbs up from Ni4kids” – Nadia Duncan, Ni4kids

Missing – Verschwunden

Missing – Verschwunden – has its Premier at the Theater Bonn on 11 January 2018. Direction by Theo Franz.

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty opens at the Denver Children’s Theatre (Colorado, USA) on 9 March – playing through to 5 May 2018.

Ragnorok

Ragnorok (Youth theatre production) opens at the Norden Arts Centre, Maidenhead in March 2018

One Snowy Night

One Snowy Night – In einer kalten Winternacht – premiers at the Maler Saal Deutsches SchauspielHaus, Hamburg on 28 January 2018. Direction by Taki Papaconstantinous.

The Snow Queen

Congratulations to the international students of East 15 Acting School for their moving production of The Snow Queen – Nov/Dec 2017. Directed with great skill by and sensitivity by Tony Graham supported by stirring music from Colin Sell.