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No further theatre posts will be posted here.

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'The Road to Canterbury' at The Caves, Niddry Street, Edinburgh

"So, to Canterbury tomorrow I understand? Long as the road is, I should be fool to send you on your way without being privy to at least a few tales of love and loss, of scandal and deceit..."

In The Road to Canterbury the Edinburgh University Theatre Company present an exhilarating new, site-specific adaptation of one of the greatest works in the history of British Literature, The Canterbury Tales.

The Tabard Inn, on the road to Canterbury, opens its infamous doors to you all. With ale in hand, experience these fantastic tales and make merry with the pilgrims who share them.

Performance Dates and Times: Thursday 2nd Feb 7:30pm; Friday 3rd Feb 7:30pm; Saturday 4th Feb 2:30pm and 7:30pm.

Ticket Prices: Students and Bedlam members £5.50; Full price £6

This is an Edinburgh University Theatre Company production and an Edinburgh University English Literature Department Play staged at The Caves, Niddry Street, Edinburgh EH1 1NS.

To book tickets visit: www.bedlamtheatre.co.uk

You can collect tickets bought online from Bedlam Theatre during opening hours, luckily enough Bedlam is open 12pm-late week beginning 23rd January for Bedlam Festival (address: 11b Bristo Place)

Alternatively, a limited amount of tickets can be bought on the door on the night of the performance, subject to availability. You may also collect prepaid tickets on the door on the night but we strongly advise getting your tickets printed in advance at Bedlam Theatre to aid smooth entrance. 

'A Christmas Carol' Social Media Call with National Theatre Scotland.

My love for social media and theatre saw me once again set off to one of NTS' Social Media Calls. This time, however, I adventured all the way to Govan, in Glasgow- to be one of the first to see scenes from 'A Christmas Carol', adapted, directed and designed by Graham McLaren (Associate Director NTS). The production takes place in Film City, a building mostly used to create sets for independent films, and this works in the show's favour as the small room in which the audience and actors inhabit becomes a unified body: it is Scrooge's office. And we're sat in it. *gulp*

Littered with papers, books and writing desks we sit upon pews you could imagine his apprentices sitting at in silence, like us, out of fear of Scrooge. Even the air smells dusty and old, adding to the atmosphere but also reminding us that this is a very old text being adapted for performance to a modern audience. I didn't have time to wonder on this point for long as the cast leapt from within pieces of the set and the Social Media call began...

The cast themselves looked gaunt and ghostly with period costumes, whitened faces and black facial detail, all adding to the atmosphere of what is ultimately a yuletide ghost story. However, the first scene demonstrated that the performance itself is full of life and humour, no matter how dead the characters may look.

This even extends to the literally wooden, life sized puppets who play the ghostly figures at the heart of the story. Voiced and animated by the chorus of actors, they move with fluidity and life and even bubble with humanly character, something that unites the realism of 19th century London with the supernatural element, thus immersing audiences fully in the tale.
McLaren has adapted and interpreted this Dickens' play wonderfully for a modern audience, as whilst staying true to the text, temporal setting and characters he has directed a modern interpretation and humour into it, aiding understanding and adding to the enjoyment and appreciation. This seems to have been achieved not only through the playful characterisation of the ghosts, and their line delivery, but with the inclusion of live music and songs in the piece.

Jon Beales accompanies the action and emotion of the piece, playing the violin in the main space or from a peep hole within an interior set wall. This adds to the tone of the play but also allows for the actors to take part in merry songs, not far from carols in their delivery, giving a musically beating heart to the piece.

Interestingly, the very experience of watching this piece dramatises Scrooge's own experience and anxiety upon being visited by these Christmassy spirits. The dark and eerie lighting allows the puppet-spirits to appear out of the darkness from pieces of furniture which we've observed as just another table, cupboard or light fitting, only to be surprised at the appearance along with Scrooge.

It's a truly thrilling experience to get to see a piece of theatre that fully utilises all the resources within its reach. 'A Christmas Carol' opens Scrooge's door to you (whether he likes it or not), letting you feel the cold wood of his office and be transported to a Christmas eve many centuries ago. You can watch as characters emerge and come to life around you and even smell their world! Finishing the experience by appealing to your emotions through music.
Please, see this show- as a Christmas treat or a theatrical one. Either way you will not be disappointed.

Creative Team

Director - Graham McLaren

Music - Jon Beales

Puppet Master- Gavin Glover

Technical Manager - James Gardner

Company Stage Manager - Natasha Lee-Walsh

Cast

Benny Young (Scrooge)

Stephen Clyde

Josh Elwell

Ben Thompson

Beth Marshall

Venue: Film City, 4 Summertown Road, Govan, Glasgow. 

Transport: Fastest link is through the Ibrox subway station from Glasgow centre. Or the number 56 bus and a good walk. (Take a map!)

Book early though as the venue only seats 90 people per performance. 

Book here: http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com

(P.s. it looks like this:)

Watch out  for future Social Media Calls from National Theatre of Scotland. They're great ways to get an insight into professional productions of an excellent quality. You can also develop your own journalist skills and find like minded people to gush about theatre with.

Twitter: @NTSonline

Hashtag #aChristmasCarol

www.nationaltheatrescotland.com

'27'

'27' National Theatre of Scotland and The Lyceum

Vicky Featherstone (Artistic Director of National Theatre Scotland) directs ‘27’ this month at The Lyceum, which is a new piece by Abi Morgan, (Playwright and Screen writer) and invited us average Joe’s along to a Social Media Call to get a sneak peak of some key scenes and that fantastic set from Merle Hensel. 

Merle Hensel's set (and costumes)

As an avid supporter and believer in the powers of social media, especially when it comes to theatre, I made my way down to the stage door to pick up a press release. The relaxed atmosphere once inside the auditorium between actors, stage managers, techies, Featherstone and ourselves was a pleasant surprise, and a welcome one to the few of us who have never worked as members of the ‘media’ before! We were presented with 3 differing, but well chosen, scenes from ‘27’ which provided more than enough to get my curiosity racing as to what Featherstone does in full with such a difficult topic; one that promises to be just as humorous as it does provocative. 

On set

The plot of ‘27’ is simple and domesticated whilst dealing with issues of an epic scale. Doctor Garfield approaches Sister Ursula to request the nuns of her convent take part in his scientific investigation into dementia and Alzheimer’s which would involve them participating in certain tests and donating their brains to science after they die, throwing up crisis of faith and support of science with which she must deal. If the plot has somehow managed not to grab you then bury your interest in the talent of those involved. Abi Morgan and Vicky Featherstone are both ones never to disappoint in their theatrical exploits and the cast is strong, experienced and, from what I saw at the post-preview discussion, passionate and enthralled with this particular project. 

2 nuns and their director walk into a bar...

Speaking to Featherstone and some of the cast after the preview you get a real sense of the organic growth the play has taken to get it to this stage. Featherstone and lead actress Maureen Beattie visited a convent in preparation for the show, speaking with real admiration and awe at the nuns they met, describing them as ‘remarkable’ and ‘honest’. The cast also chat about, with pride, how they, as a group, discussed and moulded the play together, giving it that human element so important to pull it all off. Featherstone describes the script as having such complexity in the ideas and writing that it was an invigorating challenge to bring together, an admirable and important characteristic of any theatre production. 

The nature of production and creation that has gone into making ’27’ guarantees not only an interesting story, but one which should truly speak to its audience, having been shaped by the community of those involved and reflecting their socio-political perspectives through their characters, succeeding in projecting the tensions in the play onto our own state as a nation. 

Within the three scenes we were shown at our preview, there springs up familiar dynamics and interesting dramatic choices which are guaranteed to get you thinking. The first saw the nuns discuss with Doctor Garfield science’s ability to challenge faith, broken by the Doctor’s semi-narrator focus to the audience in which the lighting and sound changed, portraying a spiritual, celestial element to the Doctor’s speech on science and faith; a dramatic choice that challenged my preconceptions and interested me immensely to hear how and what he would say next. Unfortunately, Featherstone stops him, saving the best for the actual performance. (hint, hint: http://www.lyceum.org.uk)

This element of switching between what we expect to be dramatised in a certain way and what Featherstone actually does came up again in the second scene in which the elderly matriarch is tested on her ability to recognise simple cards as part of some scientific experience. Once again, the accompanying music and focus seemed to give the scene a religious, heavenly element, bringing up further fascinating questions about the perspective on and role of science within this play.

Finally, Sister Ursula and the Doctor discuss religious art and a painter, who interestingly some had ‘doubts as to whether actually existed’. The discussion draws similarities between the artist and Christ himself at providing hope and faith, both which now seem shaken for Sister Ursula and the Doctor, but in very different ways. 

Whatever you expect from a play about a convent of nuns’ first meeting with science, whatever you believe will happen, see ‘27’: a play set to be enjoyable and promises to challenge you in ways you would not expect. And if that isn’t the whole pleasure of going to the theatre these days... come for the quality of acting and the over-priced Haagen-Dazs. 

Cast

Sister Ursula Mary - Maureen Beattie

Audrey Marie - Emma Hartley-Miller

Dr Sam Parker - Finn den Hertog

Sister Ruth Augustine - Molly Innes

Dr Helen Jarvis - Libby King

Sister Miriam Thomasina - Colette O'Neil

Dr Richard Garfield - Nicholas Le Prevost

Dr Jonathan Lees - Benny Young

Creative Team

Writer - Abi Morgan

Director - Vicky Featherstone

Stage & Costume - Merle Hensel

Sound and Lighting design - Natasha Chivers

Music composer - Nick Powell

Websites & Links 

http://www.lyceum.org.uk/webpages/show_info.php?id=1102

http://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/content/

The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

Box Office: 0131 248 4848

MAP:

 The world premiere of '27' runs at The Lyceum from 21st October to 12th November 2011 with performances Tuesday - Saturday at 7.45pm and Matinees at 2.30pm on 26th, 29th (Oct), 2nd, 5th and 12th (Nov). 

All photos were taken by myself, using a blackberry (of all things) so excuse quality.

Dad: The Rock Star

Check out this sweet little article about my Dad's reformed band : The Tirith (formally Minas Tirith)

Now my twitter blog can say Daughter of a coal miner AND a rock-star and proud lol

How Many Slaves Are Working For You

Calculate your slavery footprint here:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slaveryfootprint.org%2F&h=EAQDjmDiR

Really well put together website, with some disturbing but informative results. Also, importantly with an 'Take Action' tab once you've calculated your footprint.

Get on it, I've got 36 slaves, ironically working in Chinese coal mines... (ironic because my Dad's a miner)

x

Who Is John Galt?

Could not be more excited for the release of part 1 of 'Atlas Shrugged'

Favourite book after 'Rebecca' and interested to see how they make it into a film.

http://www.atlasshruggedpart1.com/dvd?gclid=CJn8_PLkyasCFQ0OfAodWiCA2A

Well, that wasn't cheery

These are though.

First pretty things:

And then funny things:

I don't know anymore.

Bloody world. Bloody human race. What are we doing? I mean, really.

Having a major crisis of faith at the moment, and I don't mean to imply I've lost my faith in God because frankly I've never believed in that lie. I just feel at the moment my whole faith in life, in 'it's going to work out alright' in the good in people, in the world has taken a serious plummet and it's bringing me down.

I've never felt so god damn hopeless with life. Not in my own life, I'm pretty great at making sure I run that nice and smoothly, pretty easy when you're playing by your own idea of what is right, your own morals.

But over this past year I've had such a rude awakening. I didn't notice politics, then I got involved, witnessed, acted, and saw nothing make a stroke of difference. I've been the majority that do not matter, it is the select few big guys that can be heard and make the decisions despite overwhelming opposition.

I've seen mankind acting no better than animals, being ruled by some hunger whether it be for money, power, pride. And I've seen a man die because of it. I can't believe how we treat each other. How disgracefully stupid we are. How no matter what, either the bad guy wins down the line or a new one grows out of our race. I can't believe the senseless killing of a whole generation can occur, the mass murder of a whole religion, the dirty politics and consumerism and greed that lead to 2,977 innocent people to die one morning at work, the pig-headed will to be 'right' weighted higher than a man's life, a stint on death row to last as long as my life all together. I can't believe. That we haven't learnt. We haven't progressed more than a millimeter in practicing the reason we are so quick to pride ourselves on over the span of a million years.

I have never felt my optimism, my belief that we can fix it, we can fight it, we can stop being such fucking idiots and get it right feel so faint. I actually despair. I actually feel despair running all the way through my body.

I have never felt so hopeless about something not personally to do with me.

It doesn't help that I'm spending my dissertation researching 9/11 and the more I read the more I see how pointless, how wasteful, how avoidable it all could have been. All of it. Not just 9/11.

I'm.... sure, I'll cheer up. But right now I just cannot believe how much - it'll never stop.

Hypem.com

Just discovered this amazing music site.

Whenever someone, anywhere in the world, blogs about music- it ends up on

www.hypem.com

And you can just log on and listen to all the music people are blogging about - FOR FREE.

I really do love social media. 

x

Thanks Camilla, for this

Beautiful song:

The end notes remind me of the theme tune to Button Moon, which we also mustn't forget.
Because it was awesome.

Right??

Wonder if there are any episodes on Youtube....