A blog post concerning an Actor trying to write about her involvement in a new play currently running at The New Diorama, or ‘I’m in Bunnies’ for short.

If you are reading this blog post before midnight on Sunday 28th October, you might still have time to take advantage of the ticket offer running via Time Out. You can see Bunnies for just £7 at The Diorama (on selected dates) if you book through Time Out, but the offer ends on Sunday 28th October. Here’s the link to the Time Out offer: http://uk-offers.timeout.com/deals/bunnies

Every time I’m in a play I have these grand plans to blog during the process and every time I realise that there’s no way that will happen until the show is up and running. So I’m typing this whilst sitting in my digs, listening to Radio 2, slurping a cup of tea and wondering if the condensation on the window is hiding the watermarks of rain on the other side, meaning this will be a waterproof-and-wellies day.

Don't trust the Bunnies...Photograph Copyright Annette Chown 2012

I am currently playing Eva in (to give it its full title), ‘A PLAY CONCERNING A FARMER’S RADICAL ATTEMPT TO RESTORE HIS LAND TO ITS SUPPOSED FORMER GLORY, AND THE DIFFERING REACTIONS OF HIS CHILDREN: OR BUNNIES (FOR SHORT)’, which is a dark satirical comedy, containing ‘swearing, violence and lots of taxidermy’. It’s definitely not one for the kids. Here’s some of the blurb from the flyer with more of what it’s about:

‘The once beautiful land is blighted by non-native species, including the grey squirrel, the Chinese mitten crab, the Siberian chipmunk, the Topmouth Gudgeon and, even, the European rabbit. They are wreaking havoc. Fortunately Stamper, a local farmer, has a solution.’

The play is written by Kieran Lynn (An Incident at The Border) and started life as a short play for The Bike Shed Theatre’s New Blood season in 2011. It went on to become a full-length play, won a Peter Brook Empty Space award and was performed at The Bike Shed Theatre in the Autumn. At the moment, if you search for the show on the web, you will probably find reviews relating to the first full-length production, but this is a different animal (see what I did there?), featuring a new cast (me, Jolyon Westhorpe and Richard Pulman) and a new director (David Lockwood). However, tonight is perhaps the scariest night of all: Press Night in London. So sooner or later there will be reviews floating around that relate to our production. Let’s hope they enjoy it...

Kieran watching from the sidelines, tweaking the script Photograph Copyright Annette Chown 2012

It is a comedy, but like all dark comedies it also makes us look at the world from a different angle. As the audience, we follow a ‘logical conclusion’ in Bunnies and for our director, it made him wonder how many steps it really is from, what he terms, ‘casual racism’ to extremism and ‘eradication’. Do ‘casual’ thoughts ultimately lead to extreme thoughts or does there have to be a catalyst that ignites extremism?
I don’t really want to give too much away, but hopefully, this has given you a flavour of what to expect and if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you can see more rehearsal photos and keep up to date with the show.

That's not a real frog, it is a real pencil. Photograph Copyright Annette Chown 2012

Before I finish this post I do just have to mention our programmes: I love them. They are published by Oberon Books and contain the script as well as biographies of those involved and only cost £3 if you buy them from theatres the play is visiting. If you want to buy the script at a later date, it will cost you more, so now’s the time to grab one. This will be the first time my biography appears in a published script, so for me, it’s extremely exciting!

Me excitedly holding a copy of the programme! Photograph Copyright Annette Chown 2012

Bunnies will be at The New Diorama until 3rd November, then we head to The Salberg Studio at The Salisbury Playhouse (6th - 10th November) and then we finish the tour in The Brewery at The Tobacco Factory in Bristol (13th - 24th November).

Useful Links

The New Diorama Bunnies Page
The Salisbury Playhouse Bunnies Page
The Tobacco Factory Theatre Bunnies Page
Oberon Books

It’s not my cup of tea: why I was wrong about the Devoted and Disgruntled Roadshow

‘It doesn’t sound like my cup of tea’, said my friend when I asked if they were attending the Devoted & Disgruntled Roadshow at the Tobacco Factory Theatre in Bristol. I followed up with the immortal words, ‘I don’t think it’s my cup of tea either’. I take back those words: I was a fool. I have a feeling that when I look back, my first D & D Roadshow will go down as one of the most important moments in my creative life.

The Devoted & Disgruntled Roadshow is run by Improbable theatre company and has been touring since 2005. Each stop is a  one or two day event which allows you to ‘join the nationwide conversation about the future of Theatre’, but if you are like me, when you first read the name of the roadshow you fear it will be a load of people moaning about the erosion of funding and generally airing grievances, rather than finding solutions. I felt I was Devoted, but maybe naive, and wanted to learn why others were Disgruntled. I was also unsure of the set up and afraid that I would have nothing to contribute.

The Devoted & Disgruntled banner

'Whenever it starts is the right time.'

I thought it was a drop in, drop out weekend, and it can be, but it turns out, it’s a good idea to get there at the beginning of the day, especially if you’ve never before attended an Open Space event. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t realise this is how it works, so we didn’t start the day according to the timetable, but as you soon learn: Whenever it starts is the right time.

The wonderful Phelim McDermott of Improbable immediately puts you at ease and explains how the weekend will work and soon people start to ‘call sessions’. A session can be about anything from What's The Point? When Did You Last Feel Truly Inspired By An Experience In A Theatre? to Earning Money V Making Theatre. How Do We Do Both? and beyond. The person who has called the session then selects a space-and-time Post-it from The Wall of Space and Time and when all that’s done, you can browse the wall and decide what you want to attend.

The 'Wall of Space and Time'

I even found myself co-leading a session on the second day as, having listened to a lot of people, I felt there was an underlying question many people wanted to discuss. I called a session entitled Four Stars: Is the traditional review still the Holy Grail?, which I merged with two of Alison Farina’s sessions about success, as we felt they overlapped. You can read Alison’s report here and mine, which is presented as diagrams, which can be found in my blog post Devoted and Disgruntled Report Diagrams.

Some of the sessions called at the Bristol stop of the Devoted & Disgruntled Roadshow

Reports are created by the person who called the session (usually) and they create them, after the session, in the ‘Newsroom’. You can read the reports from the event in Bristol or any of the events across the UK on the Devoted & Disgruntled Roadshow website. Although most are specific to Theatre many are relevant to The Arts in general. Reading the reports, you can see that some people left the roadshow still feeling disgruntled, but the roadshow is not the end of the discussion as the website allows conversation to continue.

Some intrepid reporters in the Newsroom

'Whoever comes are the right people.'

I soon realised my preconceptions were wrong and I was in a group of Devoted people who wanted answers and collectively wanted to create change. Yes, there were people who got things out of their system and there were discussions about funding, but instead of the constant negative, downward spiral I feared, in the sessions I was a part of, these things were discussed and suggestions for change and development became the end result. This is not to say that definitive answers were found, everyone has different opinions, so individuals have to decide if they have found a solution.

A session in full swing

I attribute the openness and reduction of moaning to the model used for the events. The events are Open Space and if you have never attended an Open Space event, I cannot describe them better than Devoted & Disgruntled:

‘Open Space Technology (OST) is a form developed to support groups to self-organize and collaborate around any question of shared concern. It gives all participants the chance to propose a starting point for discussion, take part in any of the conversations or flit between them all. It is particularly effective in dealing with complex issues where diverse and conflicting views are present.’

‘What is Open Space?’ on the Devoted & Disgruntled Roadshow website.

There is also a live Twitter feed at the event which shows tweets marked with #DandDR. So us Twitterers were determined to spread the word, but something happened that none of us expected:

Yes!

That’s right, for a brief period on Saturday 30th June 2012, #DandR started trending in the UK! If you’re not on Twitter, this will probably mean very little, but it was a huge achievement for a relatively small group of people (combined with the brilliant people who weren’t at the event but read and retweeted our tweets), to have spread the word so far that for a moment even Twitter took notice.

'Wherever it happens is the right place.'

As part of the Open Space ethos, free tea and coffee is available, and conversations that happen whilst refueling with caffeine are just as important as those that happen in the space. As are the ones that happen on the website, on Twitter and Facebook, in Renatos over pizza and a pint or in the car whilst getting lost on your way to Long Ashton...don’t ask.

The Tobacco Factory Theatre was also the right place for the event and I would like to say thank you to Ali Robertson and Carrie Rhys-Davies for enabling the Roadshow to come to Bristol. I also have to say a huge thank you to the Improbable team who made it all happen and decided to include Bristol on their tour.

Seth Honnor's 'excellent continuum of cultural destiny'

'Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.'

Considering some people were still Disgruntled at the end, why do I feel it will be so important for me? In the same conversation I referenced at the beginning of this post, I said to my friend, something that I’ve previously discussed on my blog, ‘the reason I am going is because every now and again I like to push myself and do things that ‘aren’t my cup of tea’ or that scare me, just to see what happens’. In the Open Space I opened myself to change and some of the people I met and the discussions I was a part of unlocked something creative in me that has been locked for a long time: it reminded me of the possibility of Theatre and reawakened my desire to make things happen.

'When it is over, it is over.'

Some of the Reports on the wall at the end of the weekend

In the style of Sesame Street: this blog post was brought to you by the five rules of Open Space and the letters D and D.

Links

Devoted & Disgruntled Roadshow

The Reports from Devoted & Disgruntled Bristol

My Report

Devoted & Disgruntled on Twitter

Tobacco Factory Theatre

Tobacco Factory Theatre on Twitter

Looking for Love in Script Space: An Interview with Gareth Jandrell

If you haven’t been to ‘Script Space’ before, it’s a fantastic opportunity to watch a series of rehearsed readings of short plays selected by the Tobacco Factory as part of their development programme. It’s also an opportunity to get involved and give feedback in a Q&A session with the actors, directors and writers.

Working with new and emerging writers, the third and final ‘Script Space’ of the 2010 season is happening this Sunday (27th June) at the Tobacco Factory.

I caught up with one of the writers, Gareth Jandrell, author of ‘Ache’ and asked him a few questions…

Can you tell us a bit about ‘Ache’?

”It's about four people who attend a speed dating night at a less than salubrious pub. It's a grimy, dingy venue but they're still looking for love, they're still hoping for something to happen. They're all funny and charming and caring, it's just it hasn't quite happened for them yet, so they end up here, tonight.”

What inspired you to write it?

”I walked past a terrible pub that had a chalk board outside that said 'singles night: come and meet that special someone.' (Which actually appears in the play) and I thought 'imagine trying to find the love of your life there', then I thought 'why not? Why not there, it's as good a place as any' and then slowly these characters who find themselves in a completely unlikely setting suddenly having to get along with each other appeared, trying to make the evening bearable, trying to make conversation and maybe, just maybe, trying to find even more than that.”

How did you find out about ‘Script Space’?

”There was a posting on the BBC Writersroom website and I had the play finished and in a moment of madness I thought I'd apply, not thinking anything of it. Then I found I'd been shortlisted, then that my play was going to be performed. A totally unexpected treat. To be at a great venue like the Tobacco Factory is a huge opportunity, let alone with a play which I enjoyed writing so much. I can't wait to see how the audience respond to the piece.”

Which comes first, the play or the development opportunity? By this I mean, do you already have an idea for a production (or maybe even an initial script) when you apply for an opportunity like ‘Script Space’ or do you see an opportunity/competition and start thinking of a plot so that you can enter?

“The play comes first for me. I think if you write to the opportunity you loose the drive which is behind the piece. For me, you write the play then if the right opportunity comes along that's amazing, it was meant to be. If you do it the other way round you risk writing things you never set out to write, and then end up being judged by them later on. You don't want to end up having to justify writing something you never actually believed in yourself.”

Looking at your previous success, you’ve already had some of your short plays performed in places like the Soho Theatre and The White Bear and now you’re working on a full length play, which will be read at The Southwark Playhouse in July. Is this your first full length piece?

“It's the first one I've fully developed with a production company. Luckily Ugly Sister Productions took a chance on developing a short play I wrote last year and now it's in good shape thanks to their dedication to it. So much of writing is people believing in your work and Esther and Julia at Ugly Sisters took a huge chance on me and I hope it works out for them, I owe them a lot.”

Do you remember your first piece of ‘creative writing’?

”My God, yes. I wrote a lot of angsty 'woe is me' unrequited love poetry as a teen. I still have it. It's terrible. Terrible. They say you learn from your mistakes. I learnt this: never show a girl a poem you have written about them. It's not romantic. It's weird.”

Why do you want to be a writer? What drives you?

“I don't know. When it's going badly I think I'll give up, tell all my friends I'll give up, go into a Heathcliff-esque brood. Then I'll think of a bit of dialogue or an idea for a scene or get angry about the world and start writing again... Until I get a rejection letter then the cycle starts back up... That's what great about schemes like Script Space - it gives new writers a platform for their work and the confidence to press on with their writing, as I will. Until the next rejection letter...”

Name one play you think everyone should read in their lifetime…

”Love and Money by Dennis Kelly. Incredible. Dramaturgically immaculate. Not a wasted word, and each syllable relates to the theme completely. His only mistake was to write it 3 years too early. Read it now, you'll assume it was written yesterday. A masterpiece.”


If you want to see ‘Ache’, then head ‘Script Space III’ on Sunday 27th June at 1.30pm, entry is £3. For further information visit the Tobacco Factory Website

Meisner, Jack and Ridley Scott

A little while ago I was contacted by Jack Price of Studio Films. Over the coming months he will be running courses in Meisner technique for actors at the Tobacco Factory. 

Taken from the flyer for the upcoming course

The first course begins on Thursday 6th May 2010 and it's a practical short course that takes you step-by-step through Meisner's core exercise and text analysis over 6 days. But if you've never heard of Meisner or, like me, only know the name, you're probably wondering what it's all about and why you should be interested.

You can look Meisner up on Wikipedia, but for this blog post I thought it was probably best if the answers came from Jack:

Sanford Meisner worked with Lee Strasberg as part of The Group Theatre  in New York, but he left the group and developed his own technique. In a nutshell what is 'Meisner' and how does it differ from ‘The Method’?

"Meisner is almost anti-method, its not about you its about the other person. The oft quoted Meisner line is its “About Living truthfully under a given set of circumstances” To live truthfully in the circumstances of a man who has murdered do you have to know what it feels like to murder? I don't believe so."

How did you discover Meisner?

"I studied with Scott Williams at the Impulse company in London. Scott is generous, brilliant and supportive. One of the best teachers I have ever had. "

I see you are developing a film course with Impulse company. How does Meisner for screen differ to Meisner for stage?

"I don't believe there is any difference between acting for stage or screen, except you have to have different types of stamina and the voice work is different. I believe people's bullshit-ometters are the same, if it's great it's great and if it's pants, we walk."

What does Meisner offer that other techniques/practices don’t?

"Meisner created a set of core exercises which connect you to impulse, they tune your instrument, in the case of the actor the instrument is the body, mind. I have not found another exercise which gives me a workout, makes me a better actor, connects me more to truth and as a note improves my writing and directing."

Do you need previous experience of the technique to attend the course at the Tobacco Factory?

"No. You just need to want to act and be willing to have some myths destroyed."

Reading about Jack on the Studio Film website (and IMDB), I had a few questions about the man behind the course:

The Man Himself

You say you’ve filmed extensively for Ridley Scott Associates, have you ever met Ridley Scott?

"I worked for Ridley Scott for 8 years as one of his directors, I have met him. I have also sat at his desk naked with Russell Crowe's Gladiator Helmet and Sword."

As you do...That was a much better answer than I was expecting, but I'll leave it there and let your students quizz you further in the workshop.

I understand your most recent film is Indigo, tell me more about it

"Indigo is a short film I wrote and directed about a boy who has a gift. You can see the trailer online at http://www.studiofilm.co.uk/. The film recently won special mention at the Berlin Film festival and I am developing it into a feature film with producer Andrea Cornwell whose last film was Scouting Book For Boys which is in cinemas now. The film stars Thomas Turgoose who was in This is England and right now I should be rewriting the synopsis."

Indigo received a Special Mention at the Berlin Film Festival

Just before you get back to your writing, I have to ask the question anyone who looks you up on IMDB will really want to know… is it true you were in an episode of Blossom?!

"I love that! I only just saw IMDB had added that to my profile. Do you think if I pay for IMDB pro they will remove it? For the record, No, I was not in the episode where Blossom gets her period!"

[Meanwhile, somewhere in the world, another Jack Price is miffed that his credit has been allocated to the wrong 'Jack Price', and wonders if he could reclaim his rightful title by joining IMDB Pro.]

The course dates are 6th - 8th and 13th - 15th May 2010 and there are only a couple of places left. The cost is £265, but if you mention that you read about it on this blog, you will receive a £15 discount, making it £240.

Click here for booking details and further information about the course or visit the Studio Film website to find out more about Jack and his work.

If you can't make the course in May, he will be running a 5 day course 4th - 9th July 2010, a taster session 1st - 2nd June 2010 or, if you have experience of Meisner there will be a drop-in session on 4th June 2010.

Useful Links

Tobacco Factory

Studio Film

Impulse Company

Wikipedia: Sanford Meisner

Jack Price on IMDB

To be or Not to be an Actor (or 'So you want to be an Actor?' Part 2)

The other day I wrote a post about the course taking place at the Tobacco Factory Theatre during Half Term. Well, the course is well under way and today I popped along with my agent to talk about ‘being an actor’ and all things agent-actor related, so this post is largely for those who attended the talk, but not exclusively aimed at them.

I mentioned a couple of books which are listed with links at the bottom of this post and I will try to cover points that may have been confused or I never returned to explain during the discussion. If you have any other questions, either ask in a ‘comment’ at the bottom of this post or email me.

Is there work available in Bristol and the South West and what kind of work is it?

Yes there is work available in the locality and in every discipline (theatre, film, television and radio).

However, just because it is made in Bristol does not mean the audition will be in Bristol. It is very common to be asked to audition in London even though the entire production will be created in Bristol.

Should I dress like the character in an audition?

This probably became a bit confusing for those of you who had fallen into the deadly post-lunch switch-off phase as ideas went back and forth across the room.

Essentially, the only thing you need to do is dress ‘appropriately’ for an audition, which can mean different things depending on the audition. We all agreed that in theatre you are less likely to need to dress like the character than you are for a TV or film audition. As Caroline correctly pointed out, you only ever reflect your interpretation of the character and this isn’t necessarily how the director sees the character, so this could have the opposite effect by making them think you are unsuitable.

The examples Lou gave of me turning up ‘in character’ were specific auditions where we both knew that the character's appearance differed so drastically to my natural look, I needed to demonstrate that I could achieve the look required.

What Lou was also trying to convey is the trust she places in an actor when she sends them to an audition; she needs to know that an actor understands how they are perceived and that they are prepared to do whatever they can to give themselves the best chance in an audition.

‘Representation’ is a Two-Way street

This is something we didn’t cover in the session, but leads on from the above point.

Your agent represents you to potential employers and you represent the agency when you audition and work as an actor.

An agent needs a good reputation so that they can attract business, including casting directors (I’ll explain who they are in the minute) who contact them with casting opportunities. Equally, you need an agent with a good reputation so that you stand a chance of getting auditions and hopefully work. How you present yourself (not just how you dress, but making sure you know your lines and turn up on time) reflects on you and the other members of the agency, and how other members present themselves reflects on you. Therefore, you need to make sure you are prepared for casting opportunities in every way possible so that the cycle keeps going. Basically it’s like this:

Well prepared actor = happy casting people = they like the agency = they send future castings to the agent = agent trusts well prepared actor = agent puts actor up for more work

This also means that you need to research potential agents (as best you can) before you approach them, because if they have a bad reputation (it might not be because of the behaviour of their actors, it could be that they’ve upset a lot of casting people or they are known for not paying their actors) the diagram looks more like this:

Agent has bad reputation = no one wants to deal with that agent = no one sends them casting opportunities or they don’t select their actors for audition = hardly any opportunities for work = no point in having the agent, they're doing you more harm than good

What is a Casting Director?

Good question. Not all productions have one, but the larger a production is, the more likely it is to have a Casting Director.

Quite simply, a Casting Director is the person in charge of finding actors suitable to audition for the roles in a given production. Crucially, and perhaps slightly confusingly, they do not decide if you get the job that is usually down to the director and producer. However, they often have a lot of experience of working with actors and are consulted by those who make the final decisions.

Since Casting Directors are the people who could potentially select you for an audition they are equally as important as agents if you are trying to find work as an actor. This means that lots of actors will write to Casting Directors when looking for work, but as with agents, you need to approach them in a particular way and if you want to know more, it’s worth reading about how to do this before you make contact (I’m not going to write about it here as there’s lots to cover and there are different opinions on the subject, so it’s worth researching this separately).

Books I Mentioned and Other Things that may be of Interest

Here are the two books I mentioned (click on the links to see them on Amazon):

Contacts

Make Acting Work

Here are a couple of other books which may be of interest:

The Actors’ Yearbook – covers some elements you find in Contacts and has useful articles

Adventures of a No Name Actor – the reality of being an actor means it’s not all glitz and glamour

A Shakespeare Glossary – modern explanations of almost all of Shakespeare’s words, it’s also useful for GCSE/A Level English Literature.

Finally, if you think you might be interested in becoming an actor, write down the names of everyone you have met and worked with on the course. Networking is a really important part of being an actor and you never know who you may bump into again or need to contact on your journey to becoming an actor…

I hope you all enjoy the course and I wish you the best of luck with whatever you choose to do in the future. If there’s anything you forgot to ask about or have thought about since, either ask it in a ‘comment’ below or email me.

So you want to be an Actor?

Yes, yes I do.

Oh, you’re not asking me...

Well, if you were, and I was between the ages of 14 and 16, I’d ask you to send me to the Tobacco Factory this Half Term so that I could find out.

SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ACTOR? Is the brilliant week-long course taking place at the Theatre from Monday 15th – Friday 19th February, combining skill-based workshops and industry tutorials aimed at providing an insight into the acting profession.

Now in its second year, the course is led by Bristol-based director and former actress Caroline Hunt. As a director she has worked with companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, and she has taught extensively at the East 15 Theatre School. I know her from my days as part of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company, when she directed me in Ibsen’s The League of Youth (one of my favourite productions I performed with the company).

Caroline developed the first course with the Tobacco Factory in 2009, and between them they have created a course that enables students to work with professional directors and performers to explore actor training. There will be dedicated classes on areas such as voice and movement, allowing development of existing skills as well as introducing new techniques.

Perhaps, most exciting of all, are the masterclasses. Why? If you’re seriously considering becoming an actor, here is the chance to practice what is arguably the most important ingredient in the recipe for an actor’s success... NETWORKING. Masterclass leaders include Chris Donnelly (a frequent performer with Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory and co-ordinator of their education programme), Gary Owsten (voice and speech tutor and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and director of the Bristol Acting Academy) and the fabulous Andy Burden (his work includes Alice Through the Looking Glass and A Christmas Carol for the Tobacco Factory Theatre) – if I wanted to be an actor I would love the opportunity to be in a masterclass led by Andy...wait, I am an actor and I still want to be in a masterclass led by Andy!

There will also be an opportunity to find out a bit about the ‘business’ side of being an actor, with insiders’ thoughts on subjects including the pros and cons of drama school and working with agents.

So, if you’re considering a career as an actor, or have a teenager who has announced a desire to ‘tread the boards’, this could be just what you are looking for...

For further information, including cost and how to book, visit the Tobacco Factory website.

Brewing Up a Theatrical Storm

It's not a picture of someone drinking at a brewery, it's actually 'Rum &Vodka' which runs Wed 14th - Sun 25th October

Googling ‘Brewery Theatre Bristol’ it’s a bit disappointing that, so far, the opening of such an important space appears to have flown under the radar. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not expecting it to make the News at Ten, and I did find a short article on Original FM’s website, but for there to seemingly be no online article from any Theatre commentators is a real shame.

With so little online reportage (I am excluding Theatre Bristol’s coverage – they do appear in the search results!), you may wonder why I think it is so important. I don’t blame you. How can an audience or a city understand what it could mean for them if they have no idea of what is happening?

'Full Twist' runs Wed 28th October - Sun 8th November

If you live in the Southville area, on one Thursday night you may have spotted several people dotted around North Street wearing badges and red carnations, pointing other people down the road, towards the old brewery: they were our chaperones. It was a bit like being part of a secret society, we were directed to the rear of the building where we found ourselves in a bright open space with graffiti art on the walls and freshly made bread and cheese on a table (I never quite made it to this table as I spent most of the night talking, but I did hear some very good reports). The bread is from the bakery that will reside in The Brewery and be a quirky addition to the experience. The space I have just described is not the theatre space, but the rear part of the building, where additional plans are afoot.

I arrived just in time to hear a very funny talk from the Tobacco Factory Theatre Manager, David Dewhurst about the new venture. He made the speech instead of Artistic Director Ali Robertson, who was preparing for his own ‘launch party’ as his wife had gone into labour earlier that day. After this we were finally allowed into The Brewery.

It is brilliant. It’s a small, black, ninety-seater, studio space with huge potential, which puts me in mind of The Green Room in Manchester. In addition, as an audience member, joy of joy, there are no pillars. I would also venture to say (having tested them briefly) that the seats are rather comfy. But why is a small theatre space in Southville potentially so significant?

'Gizmo Love' runs Wed 16th - Sun 27th September

Think of The Brewery as the BBC3 of theatre in Bristol. The Tobacco Factory has been producing some great work and developing its standing over the last few years, but the closure of the Bristol Old Vic really allowed it to blossom by throwing light on its work and giving it the space to grow as the city’s main theatre venue. Like BBC1 or 2, there’s a large capacity (250 – 300+ for this space, depending on the type of performance and use of space), and is great for established companies. However, this can present a problem for new, un-established companies, without a recognised piece or a strong following. These companies need a space with a smaller capacity that can allow them to run for longer to develop the work and audience support. This is where the similarity with BBC3 lies. Think of the number of shows that have been trialled and allowed to grow their audience before transferring to the ‘main channels’, including my current favourite, Bristol-based Being Human. The Brewery will hopefully work in a similar way and this is why it is so important to Bristol: it can encourage and support development in a city with a strong tradition of companies creating nationally and internationally renowned work.

'Mrs Gerrish's Christmas Stocking' runs Wed 2nd - Sun 13th December

Anyone who attended Tom Morris’ talk at the Bristol Old Vic will know that he has similar plans to develop small spaces within ‘his’ theatre, which is equally as exciting, but the spaces he wants to utilise will be very different to The Brewery, and at a time when it feels like the city is on the cusp of change over the coming years, there is plenty of room for all of these much needed performance spaces. In addition, whilst Tom Morris and Emma Stenning have very exciting plans for the future of the Bristol Old Vic and its place within the community, George Ferguson, Ali Robertson and the Tobacco Factory team are already engaging with the community rather successfully and this new venue allows them to develop that further and bring new work to their loyal audience.

I have compared these Bristol venues in isolation, but the reality is that when the Bristol Old Vic reopens we must see each one as a component of a whole, and support them as a whole (without excluding other venues in the city such as the Alma Tavern) because that is the only way they will achieve their full potential and enable our city to continue to culturally flourish.

I opened by bemoaning the lack of local and national coverage of The Brewery’s launch, but after discussing its importance, I wonder if it is better to slip under the radar? That way the theatre can do its own thing and there’s no expectation of the outcome. However, people won’t support it, if they don’t know it exists and despite the current lack of coverage, the national press have been particularly supportive of Bristol and the Bristol Old Vic, so I hope that it won’t be long before word gets out and audiences everywhere are aware of its arrival on the theatre scene and head over to check out their exciting new programme.

Links:
Tobacco Factory
Bristol Old Vic

Review of Stephen Mottram's 'The Seed Carriers'

I love the Tobacco Factory space, but I really loathe the pillars. Sometimes they can be cleverly worked into pieces and sometimes they just get in the way. I knew one pillar would be in my sightline, but I had no idea until the show began how it would impede on my viewing. It turned out to be in exactly the right position to block out the first ten minutes of the show.

There are no words, only music, and thanks to the pillar I feared that my inability to draw the piece together into a cohesive narrative was because key moments kept disappearing. The after-show talk shed more light on the sections I had missed and I was able to find my own understanding through Mottram’s discussion of the origins of the piece.

One word: fascinating. It’s hard to describe because it’s not a linear narrative piece; there is a connection between the images, but they are, as Stephen Mottram described them, a ‘series of installations’ that evoke emotion and that emotion or reading, is entirely an audience member’s own.

Originally created in 1995 as a response to the sudden death of his father, Mottram explained that he wanted to create characters that cannot be clearly defined as good or bad, they merely do what they have to do in order to survive. The world of the characters is simple: everyone contains seeds and everyone wants those seeds in order to gain ‘new life’. The production is dark in both content and lighting design, as the whole piece is performed in a half-light, expressing the inherent ambiguous unease. But there is lightness to be found in some of Mottram’s enchanting marionettes. When asked why one of the seed-carriers disguised itself as a stork, he explained that the idea grew from a joke about ‘bending over backwards to survive’.


Mottram is more of a magician than a puppeteer: he epitomises the notion of bringing an object to life. He even showed us the mechanics of some of his puppets, but it didn’t take away from them, if anything, it made them even more magical.

Although I really enjoyed it and cannot recommend it highly enough, I couldn’t help but think it would have been better suited to the new Brewery space, as you need to view it front-on to see all of the action. I also think a more intimate space would have heightened my connection to the piece, but, most importantly of all, there would have been no pillars!

Review of Green Ginger's 'Rust'

‘The doors are closed’ said my friend and she wasn’t wrong. We’d somehow managed to beat the insane Bristol traffic and arrive early (it was the day the bridge at Avonmouth was closed causing chaos across the city). Meaning we entered the auditorium in good time and eagerly anticipated the start. The auditorium was crammed full and it seemed like it was taking forever for everyone to sit down, but finally it was time for Rust to begin. I’d read the blurb, so I had a general idea of what to expect, but then again, I had no idea what to expect:

‘Rust is the salty tale of two pirate radio stations anchored in the same murky waters, just off the South Wales coast’.It also involved kidnapping, murder and plenty of humorous songs, my favourite being ‘Claustrophobe in a Submarine’.

Within minutes it was clear that it would be enjoyed by young and old as one scene consisting of a giant underwater poo floating along, complete with musical accompaniment, sent ripples of laughter through the audience.

It was completely madcap and thoroughly enjoyable. The set design was fantastic and allowed practically seamless transitions between scenes, whilst the lighting captured the darkness of the tale. Their use of perspective illustrated their skill as storytellers and the puppeteers were brilliant, moving quickly between characters and accents.

Rust sold out last time it was at the Tobacco Factory and it did it again this time around, so if you spot it appearing again, don’t hesitate, grab a ticket while you can and prepare yourself for a really enjoyable, slightly crazy evening.

Downstage Write meets Puppet Place Part 1

Head over to the Theatre Bristol website and you shall spy my interview with some of the fabulous Puppet Place team (or you can just click here). But I asked them far too much to fit in one piece, so keep an eye out on Downstage Write over the next few days, as I will be posting more of my interview with them here.

Forget Me Not

It's been a while, but Downstage Write has been a busy bee and is currently gearing up for a very exciting season and lots of articles...

Pictures Clockwise from Top Left: Green Ginger's 'Rust', John Dixon's 'Muzzle', Theatre Bristol's 'Prototype' Event, Stephen Mottram's 'The Seed Carriers'

Highlights include the new space, The Brewery, opening at the Tobacco Factory, the Bristol Festival of Puppetry (Friday 28th August - Sunday 6th September) and the new production from Trestle theatre company The Glass Mountain.

Finally, don't forget to have a look at the new Tobacco Factory Plus website. It's the pace to to find out about all the non-performance related work the theatre is involved in. It's aimed at audiences, practitioners and 'young audiences' and is definitely worth visiting.

So keep checking back for updates and interviews as Bristol gears up for a very exciting autumn...

BODYWORKS Masterclasses

As part of Bodyworks, Tobacco Factory Theatre's dance and physical performance initiative, there's the opportunity to train with two of Bristol's hottest young companies - Kompany Malakhi and Precarious.

Bodyworks Masterclass

KOMPANY MALAKHI

Thurs 04 June, 1.30 - 4.30pm

£15

Kompany Malakhi's trademark synthesis of contemporary dance and street styles pushes the boundaries of physical theatre. This masterclass for professional and experienced dancers will give participants an insight into director/performer Kwesi Johnson's creative process, focusing on techniques drawn from contemporary dance, Breakin' and Capoeira, and looking at physical and Hip Hop theatre.

Kompany Malakhi's latest production, Boxin, is appearing at Bristol Old Vic on 22 & 23 May.

Bodyworks Masterclass

PRECARIOUS

Fri 05 June, 1.30 - 4.30pm

£15

Award-winning performance company Precarious have acquired a cult following for their cutting-edge productions that seamlessly fuse physical theatre and multimedia. These masterclasses are a great opportunity to meet the company for a fun, friendly, highly physical day's training and an insight into their distinctive working practice. The sessions will involve physical and vocal warm ups, improvisation (including contact work), exploratory tasks and the chance to learn some repertoire from the company's productions.

Suitable for students and professional performers (dancers, actors, circus artists).

BOX OFFICE: 0117 902 0344 / tickets@tobaccofactory.com



For details of the full BODYWORKS programme, click here

Reviews of Kellerman and The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley

Kellerman by Imitating the Dog



Set in a psychiatric institution, the production explores the themes of time-travel, history and memory, while posing the question ‘what is reality?’

Kellerman’s mind is so confused, I don’t really know what happened in the end, or if it ever truly ‘ended’. He believes he repeatedly travels back in time, consistently altering history and thereby creating a series of alternate realities (or at least, I think that’s what they were trying to suggest – I may have misunderstood!). He is searching for the wife and child he believes have disappeared, but his therapist protests have never existed.

The whole production is visually stunning, with hints of The Matrix and The Time-Traveller’s Wife, and a lot of the animation is reminiscent of A Scanner Darkly. This all gives the piece a very gothic appearance and takes you deep into the mind of Kellerman. However, all of the dialogue is pre-recorded (for use in the animation), so the actors mime.

Personally, I thought the actors gave really good performances, but I felt they were fairly redundant and at times just a distraction from the animation. When their miming and physical actions were in sync with the animation, it gained a new dimension, but as soon as they were out of time, for me, it destroyed the magic.

Although I found the storyline confusing, I would still recommend that you see this show as it is so unusual and inventive.


The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley


Shirley is a boy with a girl’s name, who finds a friend in the unconventional superhero, Wound Man (the character in the poster with all the weapons sticking out of him!). The play tells the story of their friendship and escapades, and, according to the flyer, is about “growing up and getting braver”.

Set in Shirley’s bedroom (brilliantly designed by Janet Bird), the entire story is narrated by Chris Goode and aided by the occasional animation; it’s a bit like ‘Jackanory Live’ for adults. The script was very funny and well written, but some of the humour was lost in the performance.

I felt the production needed more animation – the ‘skylight’ was wonderful, but was not utilised anywhere near enough! I would also say that it could do with a bit of ‘tweaking’. The characters, for example, were at times, vocally confused (although Wound Man did maintain a consistent vocal identity throughout the show). The physicality of the characters was also not consistently maintained. Despite these points, I thought it was very funny, and overall I really enjoyed the show.

Both shows run until Wednesday 13th May 2009.

Links:

Mayfest Website
Bristol Old Vic
Tobacco Factory Theatre

Out and about for Mayfest

Spring has sprung and Bristol's fabulous theatre festival 'Mayfest', is in bloom.

If you have yet to discover this annual festival, now in it's sixth year, then here's what it's all about in a nutshell:

'Mayfest is an annual celebration of contemporary physical, visual and experimental theatre from Bristol, the UK and overseas'

(Mayfest Programme 2009)

Shows take place across the city from the Bristol Old Vic and the Tobacco Factory Theatre to 'A secret location in central Bristol' (the last being the setting for Duncan Speakman's My World is Empty Without You).

Producers Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin have pulled out all the stops this year to create an incredibly exciting and varied festival, whilst managing to maintain low ticket prices (and keep an eye out for special offers!).

You can also get involved with numerous workshops and discussions taking place over the course of the festival, just take a look at the website or the back of the Mayfest brochure for further details.

In addition to writing about productions on Downstage Write, I will providing some reviews for the Theatre Bristol website. You can already read my review of Hard Hearted Hannah and Other Stories by clicking here. You can also keep up to date with new posts on Downstage Write by following me on Twitter.

So grab yourself some tickets and get involved in one of Bristol's most exciting events on the theatrical calendar.

Links:

Mayfest Website

Mayfest on Twitter

Mayfest on YouTube

Mayfest on MySpace