Headless thoughts

Edinburgh - city of...

2011-09-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

It was mid-August when four of us from our theatre companies, headed up to Edinburgh. Due to request (well, one person) here are my notes on our experience.

Bags packed and company assembled. As we headed up north to Edinburgh we wondered what was in store as a group of 4 budding energetic thesp performers. Our accommodation was kindly provided by ACE East we just had to get up there. I formed a plan in my head: promote our current show of The Covert Club, promote our collaborative companies (Headless Entertainment and Hocus Pocus Theatre), use the escapade to bond with company members, enjoy a few days away, experience some new and exciting performance and expand my network of more budding theatre types. All within a number of days.

With a strong agenda and fumble (or thumble?) through the iFringe app, the excitement grew. We arrived. Our accommodation: reminiscent of a student flat, but obviously the kind that has financially supportive parents and the kind that had strategically planned their home-from-home-stay opposite an off-license.

It has been a few years since I’d been to Edinburgh and the festivals. I remember the first time; festival guides, listings, reviews and flyers crammed into a tote bag (they were very posh back then) with a militant schedule precariously planned so I could see and do as much as I could in this window of Scottish and International theatrics and test of endurance.

The coffee table of the flat was piled high with listings, venue brochures and postcards stapled with starred-reviews. As soon as we reached the Royal Mile it was A5 flyer central with show promotion in abundance, sporting every theatrical genre going. Shakespeare (boy there was a lot of Shakespeare this year) to dance, horror to new opera. Fantastic. I also recall a lot of gay zombie things.

I’ve been to Edinburgh as few times before, apart from festival visits I’ve always seen the city in the winter. The city looks great in either season whether full of endearing theatre makers and tourists or when more docile, with its dark purple sky that frames its tall impressive buildings.

Words that came to mind: excitement, hype, dreams, disappointment, risk, bravery and appreciation. Not meaning to sound bitter or objective, because the whole experience of Edinburgh in August is a wonderful one.

Excitement builds with audience members and tourists. Excited companies armed with gaffer tape, flyers and bottled water rush by. Within each performer is the dream and their opportune moment – right there in the centre of Edinburgh- is that step closer to reaching whatever it is they’re after.

Infectious hyperactivity manifests itself as you thiumbs through the show listings. Over-hyped show promotion fools individuals to commitment of time and place that lead to disappointment. I admire the risk and bravery of any performer in an productions. The brave souls of one-man shows, the brave ensembles of experimental cabaret. The brave souls who have left their jobs and homes to seek attention in this city of many incantations. Of course, any performers’ hard work is appreciated (as we can choose to show with worthy- or unworthy vigorous applause).

Only one show I saw received a standing ovation which I wholeheartedly took part in. It’s that expression of appreciation that comes forth before you know exactly what it is you’re applauding. The writing, the acting talent, the story, my engagement with the concept? What is the majority of these elements is actually the mastermind of those onstage before you? This is often the case with the Fringe but the production I refer to here (Bette & Joan, the final curtain) excelled in all elements listed above. It was a great show that stood out from my other Fringe experiences. Too well-delivered, too comfortable, too polished? Can a show be too polished for a Fringe?

The return journey home to Norwich was a drowsy one with moments of delirium playing word games and making entertaining noises. Feel well-nourished with performance we all headed home, with ideas taking shape in our heads ready for the next Covert Club, the show which we heralded and presented to those festival goers who I’m sure we’ll be meeting again next year.

End of the Rainbow, beginning of a phenomenon

2011-09-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

End of the Rainbow

Written by Peter Quilter. Directed by Terry Johnson.

Pinstripe Productions and Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

At first, you could think of the many biographical pieces of theatre that attempt to delve into the life of a diva. I also think of the many GCSE drama students who try to immortalize Marilyn Monroe and her tragic ending. At a time when the ink telling the sad news of Amy Winehouse is still wet, comes this poignant and intense piece of theatre that blew me away.

Out of the set (a gorgeous London Ritz hotel room that provides the backdrop to most the play) comes the club venue ‘Talk of the Town’ where Judy ploughed on with her umpteenth comeback show. Tracie Bennett (a string of UK theatre, TV and film, mostly recognized from Emmerdale) gives an outstanding performance that raised the hair on the back of my neck. She delivered what felt like a true raw performance, moving from dark humour and wit to pieces of intense drama – crumbling the international sensation of Garland before our very eyes – one moment she’s up, the next she’s literally down on the floor begging for more drugs and liquor.

Just before the interval we’re treated to Gershwin’s ‘The Man That Got Away’ – a haunting performance where you’re allowed to engage with and left vulnerable with the wreck of a woman that’s crumbling before us.

“It’s a terrible thing to know what you’re capable of and never get there.”

Judy in End of the Rainbow.

Bennett is joined by Hilton McRae (Anthony), Norman Bowman (her last husband, Mickey Deans) and a variety of guises from ASM Robert Maskell. McRae plays her gay (and bitter) pianist, which balances dry wit with Judy’s dark humour. A nod to Judy’s gay fans (and the many that made up the audience) continued throughout the play adding comic relief often amongst moments of intensity that deal with the star’s demise that seemed to have begun as that child star we all remember.

The opening night at the first leg of the UK tour, here at Theatre Royal Norwich, got a standing ovation and I’m sure it will be getting many more.

For more information about this production and its UK tour, check out: www.endoftherainbowtour.com

The Sound of... nostalgia

2011-08-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

“I can't seem to stop singing wherever I am. And what's worse, I can't seem to stop saying things - anything and everything I think and feel.”
“Some people would call that honesty.” (Maria & the Abbess)

Verity Rushmore as Maria with the Children, from The Sound of Music 2011 Tour.

I enjoy putting pieces together for radio. It means I’m clarifying information that is already in my head or I’m finding out new facts about things that have already interested me. This week I was speaking on Future Radio about the enduring appeal of The Sound of Music’.

How masculine do I sound? How comfortable with my sexual identity am I to discuss such thing on the radio? Well these are questions that I would like to address, i.e. the context of musicals and the demographic of audiences/fans but on this occasion I’ve tried not to stray from ‘The Sound of Music’.

The previous item on-air was discussing Tales of the City, the wonderful novels by Armistead Maupin. I’ve read the series a couple of times myself and some worthy points were made by the readers. The link to my item was that the musical of Tales of the City opened earlier this year in San Francisco. It received mixed reviews but poignant notes were made about its nostalgic look of pre-Aids American, glam rock seventies style. If we’re taking nostalgic looks at things, I thought it a good place to mention Taboo. Taboo is Boy George’s creation of 2002 that looks at the 1980s scene and Leigh Bowery (I admit this is the briefest description of Taboo I’ve ever written – I think it’s great with lyrics and songs that really drum home some of the messaging. Petrified is my favourite, followed by Guttersnipe- as a fun choice).

And from nostalgic sounds and looks comes the link to The Sound of Music’ I think we all like it (referencing the film) because of the luscious scenery, the quaint visuals, the homeliness and the ideological representation of a family (which is what we get at the end of the story).

Being based on a true story and of the 1956 West German film The Trapp Family, it was originally going to be a play until the music subsumed the story and that’s when Rodger and Hammerstein came up with their part. The 1959 opening season won the best musical tony award with Mary Martin as Maria. Martin was 46 when she played the role, rather like Petula Clark who was 49 when she played Maria in the 1981 revival. The real Maria was in the audience of one of Clark’s performances and made comment she was the most ‘convincing’ Maria she had seen.

Since the film release of 1965 (which can boast 5 Academy awards) we’ve had the sing-a-long-a presentations (from 1999 onwards, still playing today in Leicester Square), the 2006 London revival of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s production starring Connie Fisher, winner of TV’s talent search How do you solve a problem like Maria’ and now the 2011 UK tour. It now stars Verity Rushworth (from TV’s Emmerdale – but she also has a number of stage and musical credits under her belt.

Currently playing in Norwich this week and last, Theatre Royal Norwich can proudly boast amazing ticket sales with only a few to spare this week.

The appeal? The resistance to oppression/the Nazis, a charismatic mother figure, the heroine is desexualised (we have romance at the end but it’s not really the focus), she can teach people to sing, luscious sets, she sways her handsome square man round to emotions and to embrace his children and music.

If all stories could have that happy ending. If we all could express our feelings through song. If we could all cut our clothes from curtain material. Perhaps we’d all smile a bit more.

Future Radio

Future Radio podcast of show mentioned above (15th August 2011)

The Sound of Music 2011 UK Tour

Theatre Royal Norwich

Covert operations

2011-08-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

It’s two weeks today since the performance of The Covert Club and I’m still receiving great feedback. I did ask a few people for their response to the production but lots has come in voluntarily.

It was a new show, mixing cabaret with a full theatrical experience. I wanted to consider a new project that was cabaret but not in the vintage capacity – like so many themed events are now trawling along such as vintage variety and burlesque. We also live in an age where nearly everyone (in our society) can feel like they can express themselves (via blogs like this) or other social networking sites. We also live in an age where everyone is questioning the Government and those in power.

It began with the vision of a smoke-clouded room full of shadowed faces waiting in anticipation for some prohibited entertainment.. and that’s what people got.

"I never had imagined something like that taking place in Norwich. Or should I say beginning in Norwich? Everyone definitely wants more!"

"I attend a lot of cabaret events in London but I have never experienced something like the Covert Club. It was all very well thought through and I enjoyed each act in the show and also I’m sure would have done as standalone acts on the circuit."

"I cannot wait for the next one! Thank you for bringing joy to us here in Norwich where we sometimes feel depraved of new theatre and concepts. Well done and thanks again."

"I found myself feeling as if I was about to enter a world full of salubrious and disturbing characters; from the past, the present, from the ether...unaware of who to trust. We were coaxed to engage in an almost pantomime-style of arousal, with imaginations sparking on every tight bend. My journey culminated in the wondrously safe knowledge that we’re all going to die - smiling!"

And are we doing it again? Of course we are. Friday 21^st October at Norwich Arts Centre. We’re also talking to programmers of festivals and other venues - this project has legs and arms and eyes and ears, let’s use them all.

Further links:

A published review of The Covert Club (by Vintage Norwich)

The Covert Club

Headless Entertainment

People are unpredictable and extraordinary

2011-08-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's often at a time when you feel a change, or feel something is about to change when you start looking back at things. Things that, at the time, did not seem relevant or even worthwhile of future pondering.

I’ve started this blog the week that the UK has been shaken up with the ‘riots’ – people causing havoc on the streets and when asked why, they don’t really seem to know. One of them (when interviewed on TV) said it was to get the voices heard, pointing out that the TV crew wouldn’t be speaking to him otherwise.

There are so many great things about our country and I’m really lucky because I think I get to experience those things most days – when I’m generally out and about or when I’m working on the different projects that make up my working week.

Rather than a platform for ranting , I’ve decided to use this blog as a space for bringing those nice moments to new audiences. Sometimes it’s theatre related, sometimes Olympic-related – but its always going to be about people. People are unpredictable and extraordinary. Let’s celebrate that.