Truelove Tours has been supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England www.artscouncil.org.uk
Banner Photograph Copyright © Deborah Cosgrove 2014
2017 TOUR
“I Wish to Register a Complaint”
Sunday 19th February
The Headgate Theatre, Colchester. 14 Chapel Street
North, Colchester, Essex CO2 7AT
Box Office: 01206 366000
Darren Gooding joins the Mayor’s Troupe for an evening of classic and original comedy sketches in aid of the Mayor’s Charities.
“Illuminating Alice”
Thursday 4th of May.
An unusually personal piece from accomplished writer/performer Alice d’Lumiere; playfully exploring the experience of being Transgender and examining the question of how real are the people we see in the mirror... Expect baroque wordplay, extravagant frocks and a touch of Lewis Carroll...
Church St. Colchester CO1 1NF - BOX OFFICE 01206 500900
Doors 7.30pm Show Starts 8pm. Tickets £6, £3.50 concessions.
“The Secret Vintage Fair”
Sunday 7th May.
Colchester Town Centre (Location to be revealed!)
Alice d’Lumiere will be performing close up Magic and appearing with the popular Burlesque Bangs to entertain the crowds at the Secret Vintage Fair. Expect music, fashion, dance and vintage cocktails!
“Illuminating Alice”
Wednesday 28th June. 8PM
An unusually personal piece from accomplished writer/performer Alice d’Lumiere; playfully exploring the experience of being Transgender and examining the question of how real are the people we see in the mirror... Expect baroque wordplay, extravagant frocks and a touch of Lewis Carroll...
St. Benedict's St. Norwich NR2 4PG.
BOX OFFICE 01603 660352
Tickets - Pay What You Can
“Alice d’Lumiere’s Turnabout Tea & Frocked Up Sewing Circle”
Saturday 1st July.
Turnabout Tea – 12 Noon until 1.30pm
Frocked Up Sewing Circle 2pm until 3.30pm
BOX OFFICE 01603 660352
Tickets - Pay What You Can.
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at BresSteam 2017. Saturday 8th - Sunday 9th July
Bressingham Steam and Gardens Low Road, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2AA
Enquiries: 01379 686900
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at TBC
The Fourth Suffolk Steampunk Spectacular
Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd July
Long Shop Museum, Main Street, Leiston, Suffolk,
IP16 4ES
Enquiries: 01728 832 189
“Steampunk Poetry” at
The Surrey Steampunk Convivial X.
Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th August.
The Royal Oak & Christ Church, 90 / 91 Coombe Road, New Maldon KT3 4RD
“Tales from Leopold Thorn”
Saturday 23rd September Details TBC
at CROSSNESS ENGINES STEAMPUNK CONVIVIAL - For information about this amazing space details visit the Crossness Engines website.
“Tales from Leopold Thorn”
At “Steampunk Essextradordinaire III!”
The Museum of Power, Hatfield Road, Langford, Maldon Essex. CM9 6QA
Sunday 24th September.
Box Office: 01621 843183
“QUEEN STREET BREW HOUSE CABARET NIGHT” Saturday 9th December. Alice d’Lumiere comperes as well as performing sketches and Burlesque for this popular festive bash. 7pm until late.
2016 TOUR
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at
The Surrey Steampunk Convivial VI.
Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st February.
The Royal Oak & Christ Church, 90 / 91 Coombe Road, New Maldon KT3 4RD
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at BresSteam 2016. Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th June
Bressingham Steam and Gardens Low Road, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2AA
Enquiries: 01379 686900
“The Clockwork Girl”
Thursday 30th June
The Headgate Theatre, Colchester. 14 Chapel Street North, Colchester, Essex CO2 7AT
Box Office: 01206 366000
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at
The Third Suffolk Steampunk Spectacular
Saturday 9th - Sunday 10th July
Long Shop Museum, Main Street, Leiston, Suffolk,
IP16 4ES
Enquiries: 01728 832 189
“The Clockwork Girl”
Friday 15th July
The Cut, New Cut, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BY
Box Office: 0300 3033 211
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at
The Surrey Steampunk Convivial VII.
Sunday 31st July.
The Royal Oak & Christ Church, 90 / 91 Coombe Road, New Maldon KT3 4RD
“Tales from Leopold Thorn”
At “Steampunk Essextradordinaire II!”
The Museum of Power, Hatfield Road, Langford, Maldon Essex. CM9 6QA
Sunday 18th September.
Box Office: 01621 843183
“Alice d’Lumiere’s Turnabout Tea” - 11AM - 2PM
Colchester Arts Centre, Sunday 2nd October. Church St. Colchester CO1 1NF - BOX OFFICE 01206 500900
“Alice d’Lumiere’s Frocked Up Sewing Circle” - 10AM - 3PM
Colchester Arts Centre, Sunday 27th November. Church St. Colchester CO1 1NF - BOX OFFICE 01206 500900
“Alice d’Lumiere’s Tree Topper Cabaret” - 2PM - 4PM
Colchester Arts Centre, Friday 23rd December. Church St. Colchester CO1 1NF - BOX OFFICE 01206 500900
2015 TOUR
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at
BresSteam. Saturday 11th - Sunday 12th April
Bressingham Steam and Gardens
“Tales from Leopold Thorn” at
Suffolk Steampunk Spectacular, Saturday 11th -
Sunday 12th July Long Shop Museum, Leiston.
“The Terror Beneath the Boards”
The Headgate Theatre, Colchester. Thursday 23rd July.
“The Terror Beneath the Boards”
Saturday 25th July
The Cut, New Cut, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8BY
“The Terror Beneath the Boards” at
The Surrey Steampunk Convivial V.
Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd August.
The Royal Oak & Christ Church, 90 / 91 Coombe Road, New Maldon KT3 4RD
“The Clockwork Girl” World Premier!
Colchester Arts Centre, Tuesday 27th October. 8pm.
“Tales from Leopold Thorn”
At “Steampunk Essextradordinaire!”
The Museum of Power, Hatfield Road, Langford, Maldon Essex. CM9 6QA
Sunday 8th November.
Steampunks in Space - Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th November - National Space Centre Leicester.
Darren Gooding performed extracts from “The Cabinet of Leopold Thorn” and “The Terror Beneath the Boards” in addition to joining the cast of Count Rostov’s Radio Play “The Farce Awakens”; part VI of the increasingly demented Rayguns in Aspic Series...
“The Illusionist, The Princess & the Candlesticks”
The Bank Eye, Suffolk, IP23 7AN -
Friday 11th December.
The Nonsuch Christmas Gathering
The Colour House Theatre, Watermill Way, Merton Abbey Mills, London SW19 2RD -
Saturday 19th December.
2014 TOUR
THE CABINET OF LEOPOLD THORN - 25th OCTOBER.
Truelove Tours founder Darren Gooding returned to the show which began the whole “Storybook” project. This epic tale of loss, scandal, sleights, misdirection and Steampunk Science was staged for the final time in 2014 at to a full house at The Bank Eye - Check out their website for details of their quirky and wonderful venue.
CROSSNESS ENGINES STEAMPUNK CONVIVIAL - 28th SEPTEMBER
Darren Gooding and Truelove Tours Magical Advisor Dean Allen Jones continue their adventures into the impeccably tailored world of Retro Futurism at the Crossness Engines inaugural Steampunk Convivial. Darren performing excerpts from The Cabinet of Leopold Thorn, whilst Dean will be enchanting with his customary close-up magical prowess. There were Steampunk Traders, Music, Tea Duelling and even functioning Tesla Coils! For more details about this amazing space details visit the Crossness Engines website.
MAGIC and SCIENCE WORKSHOP - 27th AUGUST
After their appearance at The Cut in “The Princess and the Candlesticks” Darren Gooding with Truelove Tours Magical Advisor and Workshop leader Dean Allen Jones returned to Halesworth Library to present Dean’s children’s magic workshop. Kids and adults alike were delighted for hours on end by the huge ball of madcap waistcoated energy!
SUFFOLK STEAMPUNK SPECTACULAR - 12/13th JULY
Darren was invited to take his Storytelling talents to the inaugural Suffolk Steampunk Spectacular at The Long Shop Museum in Leiston. Over the course of the weekend Darren performed the first two Leopold Thorn “Storybook” shows “The Princess and the Candlesticks in full and excerpts from “The Terror Beneath the Boards” to an enthusiastic audience, whilst Dean Allen Jones provided close-up and walk-around magic for the hundreds of splendidly dressed Retronaught Revelers. The pair combined their comedic talents in the evening for some science-themed cabaret magic.
THE TERROR BENEATH THE BOARDS - 10th JULY
The second play in Darren Gooding’s “Storybook of Leopold Thorn” cycle received its World Premiere at Colchester Arts Centre. The darkly comic Odyssey of madness, ghostly apparitions and vanishing elephants engendered much mirth from the audience, culminating with a cameo appearance from the series’ magical advisor…
THE CABINET OF LEOPOLD THORN - 22nd MARCH
The Angles Theatre, Wisbech, 7.30pm.
Truelove Tours received a rapturous reception when Darren took his original “Leopold Thorn” play out to the Angles Theatre in Wisbech.
THE CABINET OF LEOPOLD THORN,
TALE ONE: “THE PRINCESS AND THE CANDLESTICKS”
Saturday 1st March, The Cut, Halesworth. 7.30pm.
Truelove Tours returned to The Cut in Halesworth for the first 2014 Tour Gig of the opening show in his new Leopold Thorn “Storybook Cycle”. The 70 minute storytelling piece was preceded by a half hour of magic and comedy from Darren and Magical Advisor Dean Allen Jones.
Previous Tours |
Illuminating Alice |
Alice on Tour |
Alice d'Lumiere Speaking Out and Fitting In |
Alice's Workshops |
Cabinet of Leopold Thorn |
The Princess & the Candlesticks |
Terror Beneath the Boards |
The Clockwork Girl |
Workshops |
CC I - Audience with A Mayor of Colchester |
CC II - Telling of the Town Joke |
CC III - Importance of Being Absent |
CC IV - The Beating of the Bounds |
Video Links Page 1 |
Video Links Page 2 |
Video Links Page 3 |
Video Links Page 4 |
Manly P1 |
Manly P2 |
Leopold P1 |
Leopold P2 |
Cabaret |
Reviews Page One |
Reviews Page Two |
Reviews Page Three |
Reviews Page Four |
Reviews Page Five |
Film Bookings |