Forthcoming
2025/6
Ongoing from AUGUST 2025
The Live Literature Company’s Podcast, which was launched in the first national UK lockdown, is now successfully in its fifth season.
L.L.C. is releasing another podcast in our very successful series on War. This will be Episode 5 in this series and will commemorate the 80th Anniversary of V.J. Day (Victory over Japan day). Featuring holocaust survivor Agnes Kaposi reading from her memoir Red Star- Yellow Star; Katrin Ebersohn, a Berlin resident, reading from the diary published anonymously, Woman in Berlin; Libet Williams reading from her mother’s book White among the Reds; and Val Doulton reading from her father’s war diary written in the Far East in WW2.
To listen click on this link
SONG OF INNOCENCE – another piece of Val Doulton’s writing will be published. This imagines twins communicating in the womb from inception to birth.
POSTPONED FROM SEPTEMBER 5th 2025 TO DECEMBER 3rd 2025.
THE NEHRU CENTRE.
MEMORIAL CELEBRATION FOR DR. WILLIAM RADICE.
William Radice is renowned for his translations of Tagore’s writing from Bengali into English. He invited Val to stage a production of Tagore’s beautiful short play The Post Office for Tagore’s 150th Birth Anniversary.
L.L.C’s very successful production of this play was performed first at The Nehru Centre, and subsequently at The British Library & for The Brick Lane Circle.
Many of the original people and performers for this production will be present to remember William at this evening celebration at The Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, LONDON W1K 1HF. All welcome. Please arrive 6.15 p.m. for a 6.30 p.m. start time. The evening will end around 8.15 p.m. after a reception.
SPRING 2026.
The plan is for L.L.C. to revive our very successful production of Shakespeare’s Ophelia Meets Pessoa’s Ofelia in Regent’s Park. Written and Directed by Valerie Doulton, this Mindfulness Look, Touch, Hear, Smell, Taste, Performance piece by Val highlights L.L.C’s links to issues concerning the environment.
Andy Atkins, Director of Friends of the Earth gave valuable support to Val in writing:
“I do believe we need to link the arts and sciences in a much more concerted push for sustainability urgently. All power to you!”
MAY 2026
The next cohort of drama students from Niagara University U.S.A. will arrive to study with Val on this Study Abroad in the U.K. programme. This is a very important part of L.L.C.’s dedication to the education of the younger generation of performers.
JUNE 2026
L.L.C. have been invited to re-stage Val’s piece Harriet Martineau & Charlotte Bronte – A Sketch of their Relationship, for the Martineau Society’s annual conference in 2026 in the Lake District.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
EASTER SATURDAY PROMENADE PERFORMANCE IN REGENT’S PARK, TO CELEBRATE SHAKESPEARE’S APRIL BIRTHDAY ON APRIL 19TH 2025. MEET 1.45 CLARENCE GATE ENTRANCE TO REGENT’S PARK. NEAREST TUBE BAKER STREET.
Previous Events
JULY 2024: MEMORIAL CELEBRATION READING FOR ACTOR/WRITER KILIAN MCKENNA
Front, L to R:
Kerill Kelly, Sally McKenna, Val Doulton, Sara Kestelman
Middle, L to R:
Kenneth Michaels, Jonathan Slinger, Matthew Blaney
Back:
Edward Halsted
Photographer: Stephen McKenna
L.L.C. were proud to present a memorial reading of ‘Events at Peredelkino’ by actor/writer Kilian McKenna at Lauderdale House, Highgate. Kilian gave a solo performance in Val’s production of ‘First Love’ by Samuel Beckett. This was a U.K. premiere of this Beckett novella, which opened at The National Theatre. Further performances were given at Nottingham Playhouse, and the Beckett Festival in Berlin.
WINTER 2023/2024
Following on from the success of our lockdown podcasts, this coming Winter we will be releasing a new podcast series ‘Memories of World War 11’, leading up to the 80th anniversary of D Day. These will feature words spoken by survivors of the war and spoken extracts from dairies written at the time.
DURING THE FIRST 2 WEEKS OF MAY 2024
We will hopefully finally be staging the world premier performance of Val’s Summer Entertainment, Pessoa’s Ofelia Meets Shakespeare’s Ophelia, in Regent’s Park, during the first two weeks of May. This will be another performance highlighting the company’s links to issues concerning the environment as it will be performed outside and features Pessoa’s beautiful poetry describing the natural world. Watch this space for more updates on this original piece by our founder.
MAY-JULY 2024 — DRAMA STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMME WITH NIAGARA UNIVERSITY USA
We will again be welcoming Niagara University Drama students to the UK for our Drama Study Abroad programme. As before, they will be performing another of our very popular Shakespeare productions, which Val will abridge for performances in Salcombe and London in June 2024. This is an immensely important part of the company’s commitment to the younger generation of performers.
THE LIVE LITERATURE COMPANY’S PODCAST
During the pandemic, we found new ways to reach our audiences. Our podcast channel The Live Literature Company’s Podcast, which was launched in the first national UK lockdown, is now successfully in its third season. The podcast has been designed to showcase LLC’s work — both old and new!
Do continue listening in to our podcast linked below:
Season One — LLC Commemorates VJ Day – War Season – Episode Three, features spoken extracts from The Fighting Cock Being the History of the 23rd Indian Division 1942–1947 by Lieut-Colonel A.J.F. Doulton, and is available to listen to now.
If you would like to become a friend of the LLC you can sign up to receive our Newsletter here, we’d love to be in touch with you!