Sharing a bit of my work…

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We’re putting on a SHOW!

The Hope Theatre has given us – Maev Mac Coille and I (Merry Spinsters ) – a 3 week slot for a play. Maev has written Tell it Slant– a dark comedy about the difficulty telling the truth when lies are more flashy & I ….drum roll….DIRECT! It’s on 25th February -14th March 2020 at 7.45pm.

I have just finished casting my four talented actors, got a set /costume designer, brought on a lighting and sound designer on board. It’s been and still is a whirlwind. But the show is worth it. Get booking tickets, people!!

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My Top 5 shows I saw in 2019

Out of the 20 shows I saw, I had a hard time whittling it down. There is certainly 8 shows I really rated but I promised 5 , so here they are:

  1. Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm at Vaudeville Theatre in West End. Dir: Nicole Charles. It felt so different from plays I have seen before. I actually gave it a standing ovation and felt inspired and angry. Incredibly diverse cast of all women including those with disabilities.
  2. Night of the Living Dead LIVE! Pleasance.  Dir: Benji Sperring. It was a fab night of immersive (luckily for only those on stage- yes, the best way for me) comedy horror with a great ensemble. Great set/design choices too.
  3. Noises Off by Michael Frayn at Lyric Hammersmith. Dir : Jeremy Herrin. With Merra Syral. It’s one of the funniest farces ever. I have seen it in 3 different productions and still v good. One day I will direct it.
  4. Mallory Towers by Enid Blyton adapted by Emma Rice at Cambridge Arts Theatre.  Dir. Emma Rice. Different from the books, but it took the spirit of the books and improved them. The audience of young people were also happy.
  5. Little Miss Burden by Matilda Ibini at The Bunker. Dir: Debbie Hannan . This was the last show of my year and it was joyous, pointed and inclusive. Good to see a set that was wheelchair accessible too.

There’s a announcement today from our Merry Spinsters company but that comes later.

So Happy New Year & Decade!

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To end 2019 & to start a new Decade with 2020!

So this was the first year in my return to full time directing/making theatre with adults and young people. It wasn’t all plain sailing but this is what I managed to do- excluding teaching etc.

Plays I directed in 2019

Shorties– short play event containing 7 short plays – for our company Merry Spinsters that Maev Mac Coille & I formed this year ( along with Rogue Gunner Productions that co produced it with us). They were: 

  • The Break Out by Anders Lustgarten
  • Building Walls by Catherine Harvey
  • A Study in Beige by Johnny Blanchard
  • Circles by Johnny Blanchard
  • Mirror Mirror by Maev Mac Coille
  • The Saddest Lines by Maev Mac Coille
  • Streetwise by Louise Monaghan

The Lying Kind by Anthony Neilson for Kingston Theatre Company. A dark comedy Farce with a Christmas theme.

The Talking Papaya adapted by Salihah Abaje for Spoken World Productions. (My Year 1 & 2 group made me and their parents etc proud)

Plays seen in 2019- in the order of my seeing them.

  1. Aladdin  Dir: Kerry Michaels at New Wimbledon Theatre. Contained Paul Merton as Widow Twankie and Pete Firman as Wishy Washy
  2. Hamilton by Lin -Manuel Miranda. Dir: Thomas Kail.
  3. Anthony & Cleopatra by William Shakespeare at National Theatre. Dir: Simon Godwin. Contained Sophie Okeneodo and Ralph Fiennes.
  4. Sleeping Beauty (Amateur Panto) in Banstead Church Institute Hall. Pilgrim Panto Company. 
  5. Pinter 7. A Slight Ache- Radio play/ A Dumb Waiter. West End Dir: Jamie Lloyd. Contained Gemma Whelan, Danny Dyer and Martin Freeman.
  6. Dangerous Lenses by Brooke Robinson Dir: Melissa Dunne at Vaults Festival. 
  7. All about Eve. Based on film. Dir. Ivo Von Hove. Contained Gillian Anderson and Lily James.
  8.  Rattled by Rachel Harper at Old Red Lion. Dir: Jemma Gross. Also performed by Rachel H.
  9. Ladykiller by Madeline Gould at Vaults Festival. Dir. Madeline Moore. 
  10. Company by Sondheim & George Furth at West End. Dir: Marianne Elliott. Adapted for Robert to be Bobbie as a woman. Contained Patti La Pone and Rosalie Craig.
  11. Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm at Vaudeville Theatre in West End. Dir: Nicole Charles. 
  12. Top Girls by Caryl Churchill. NT. Dir: Lyndsey Turner. 
  13. Night of the Living Dead LIVE! Pleasance.  Dir: Benji Sperring. 
  14. King Hedley II by August Wilson at Theatre Royal Stratford. Dir : Nadia Fall. With Lenny Henry and Martina Laird.
  15. Wooden Meadow by Stewart Pringle ( rehearsed reading as part of Vibrant Festival at Finborough Theatre ) Dir: Fidelis Morgan.
  16. Small Island by Andrea Levey adapted by Helen Edmundson at National Theatre. Dir: Rufus Norris. 
  17. Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini in West End. Dir : Sam Mendes. 
  18. Noises Off by Michael Frayn at Lyric Hammersmith. Dir : Jeremy Herrin. With Merra Syral
  19. Mallory Towers by Enid Blyton adapted by Emma Rice at Cambridge Arts Theatre.  Dir. Emma Rice.
  20. Little Miss Burden by Matilda Ibini at The Bunker. Dir: Debbie Hannan  

(I bought tickets to at least 5 more productions – Death of Salesman had my ticket £ twice and yet…- that I wanted to see but life got in the way. )

Thanks to all those who employed me, worked with me and who I had the joy of seeing your work.

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Reflection on Shorties – our own short play event 19th Oct’ 19

So a few months ago, I & Maev Mac Coille started our own theatre company called Merry Spinsters. We decided to start with a short play event. It meant I’d get the chance to direct and Maev as playwright, along with other playwrights would get some work up in front an audience in a relatively short period of time. So we persuaded another company to co produce- Roguegunner Productions -and used Ram Jam Records/Grey Horse Pub to our venue as & off we went. Maev wrote 2 new shorts- Mirror, Mirror and The Saddest Lines, our co producer also added two- A Study in Beige and Circles and we had a call out for some more from friends and the public and by the end we had 7 short plays.

Gained 5 actors then it upped to 7 and off I went rehearsing them all. It wasn’t entirely easy- due to time constraints and lack of funds, but it was a good show. I was so proud of my writers – new, emerging and experienced and my actors. The pub was packed and the audience clapped.

Now to think about whether we will do Shorties again and what else we’ll create…

Ps I’m contractually obliged to say: Yes come to see The Lying Kind- A Dark Christmas comedy. For 5 dates in Dec ( 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th & 9th- matinees & evening performances ) https://www.designmynight.com/london/clubs/west-london/ram-jam-records/the-lying-kind

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The Theatre path!

This has been months of ups and downs. So not to bore with them, I’ll keep to the day to day life ones. Ha! Totally kidding. You’re getting the theatre related stuff.

I started to spend my Saturday’s as a Class Room Assistant/Director’s Help for acting class and NT Connections show (they’re doing The Sad Club by Luke Barnes). It’s the highlight of my week, despite the trek from one side of London to the other. My biggest and best bit of responsibility is helping the young actors feel happy with their monologues. As I’m on the newish side to working with Young People, I had to get DBS Enhanced – a very necessary check on whether anyone is safe to work with youths. Unfortunately, the process took two months but finally its all cleared. Yes, it sounds like a computer software upgrade. But then again it’s an upgrade of possible work options, so I’m glad to have it. I’m now Fully DBS Enhanced!!

I’m applying to assistant and resident director etc jobs. It’s been hard going, as it’s a crowded field and I’m not a huge fan of applications. It’s a skill set that takes a large effort on my part. I’m dyslexic- though I know the form I have is on the milder scale-but it still means it doesn’t come easily. This weekend, in between youth theatre and visiting my boyfriend 50 miles away, I did an application for job I want and I’m totally suited for. I also had wonderful friends who rechecked my words to make sure it was clear. It went in on Monday. So fingers crossed!

Off to figure out what to go see & organise the budget for it. Funeral Flowers at the Bunker? Some how beg, borrow or steal tickets to sold out Young Vic’s Death of Salesmen? See the musical Come Far Away? Decisions… Well, I’m definitely seeing King Hedley II by August Wilson at Theatre Royal Stratford East. Tickets are booked. What do you want to go see? What’s your ideal theatre night?

Bye for now.

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Bright Choices of 2018 Theatre

So here I’m again, blogging like I promised. Yes a bit delayed. Life took a turn to the hard and rocky road. Family, loss, grief & the admin that goes round that. But delayed isn’t the same as not going ahead- so theatre / live events I saw in 2018 (in the order of recall) :

1) Fun Home (musical at Young Vic)
2) A Monster Calls (play at Old Vic)
3) Wise Children (play at Oxford Playhouse)
4) An Octoroon (play at National Theatre)
5) Amadeus (play at National Theatre)
6) Rasheeda Speaking (play at Trafalgar Studios)
7) Shabeen (play at Theatre Royal Stratford East)
8) Chicago (musical in West End)
9) Iolanthe (opera at ENO)
10) Play about a Bank Robbery (play in West End)
11) The Sweet Science of Bruising (play at Southwark Playhouse)
12) Girls and Boys (play at Royal Court)
13) Dick Whittington and His Cat (Panto at Oxford Playhouse)

A) Daniel Kitson work in progress (stand up at Bill Murray pub)
B) A Comedy Cottage stand up (multiple stand ups at Harlequin Theatre)
C) ShakeItUp improv (comedy Shakespeare improv at Ram Jam Records)
D) Bill Bailey Larks in Transit (stand up at New Wimbledon Theatre)
E) An Evening with Brian Blessed (talk at The Anvil)

So top 5 out of the 13 plays is…(DRUM ROLL!):

1) Girls and Boys by Dennis Kelly. Dir: Lyndsey Turner. One woman play with Cary Mulligan. Ohh wow. Writing, performance & directing. I didn’t regret the subsequent bad and long journey I had on the way back from the theatre. This is high praise! Yes it made me sad and mad at world, but that was it’s aim.

2) Fun Home. Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book & Lyrics by Lisa Kron. Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. Dir: Sam Gold. I’m not often a big fan of musicals. More because I’m fussy – I want them to contain triple threats and be great at all levels. That’s a big ask so… Fun Home was and is fab. Unusual too – lesbian protagonist etc.

3) Iolanthe by Gilbert & Sullivan. Dir: Cal McCrystal. Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to adore this one either, but it was so playful, colourful and joyous. Also not racist. Win!

4) Dick Whittington and His Cat by & dir: Steve Marmion. Yep, Panto was the totally on the mark. Funny, bright & bit bawdy. The children couldn’t get enough of it. I have also seen two other Panto’s since & it still won out by a long shot – even against Paul Merton’s Widow Twanky (in Aladdin at New Wimbledon Theatre) which was good.

5) Shabeen by Mufaro Makubika. Dir: Matthew Xia. Now the play isn’t perfect- in terms of plot – but the dialogue, characters, even the music, acting and direction telling a story about the Windrush Generation kept me engrossed. I cried a little.

I haven’t favourited any of the stand up, because I enjoy it all equally and frankly I got spoilt last year in my few but excellent choices. Though Brian Blessed is still MY NUMBER ONE!

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Half a blog & a mince pie or two.

I made a promise to you, that I would make an effort to blog fairly regularly. Yesterday, in full ‘ Ok, I keep promises mode’ I drafted a fairly long post on my 2018 – what I saw, my favourites and things I worked on. Then the phone I was writing on rang, I answered & talked etc. I hung up and noticed the entire post was gone! A lot of swearing happened. I ate a few mince pies & had a cup of tea. I wrote it again, but it was… dull. The inspiration had gone, so today I give you:

I saw this year; 12 plays, 1 Opera, 3 stand up comedy events, 1 Improv night, & 1 Brian Blessed (An Evening with BB). Obviously Brian Blessed is his own category & he won that by miles and he certainly topped some of the others too. Thinking on my other favourites.

I will come back ASAP with my favourites. Until then Merry Christmas! ???

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Panto!

This morning on Twitter I came across a Tweet that spoke to me:

They are both right so: Hats off to all the wonderful Panto actors!

This winter, I decided to make an effort to get two steps closer to the  British Christmas tradition of Panto. I have always enjoyed it- first one I saw as child was Peter Pan and the next one was Mother Goose. I hadn’t directed one so I needed to gain experience. With the help of strangers, friends and the magic of Christmas ;),  I shadowed for 4 days Dick Whittington and His Cat being made at the Oxford Playhouse. Steve Marmion directed and wrote it, as he has done for Oxford Playhouse since 2015. I had landed in Panto Central! The amount of work, talent and excitement that goes into making it all happen is immense. The songs, the double entendres, the physical comedy (who doesn’t appreciate a huge foam saucepan hitting a man in the face!?), the outfits and sweets being thrown at the kids. All present; I fell in love again.

Oh & if you’re in the Oxford area then get yourself over to see Dick (Whittington and his Cat) as it hits all the right notes. The kids and the rest of the family are in for a right treat. On until Sun 6th Jan. Or go to your own local one. It’s Panto Season, so enjoy it while you can.

I learnt a lot in the the time I was there (Thanks Steve, Samson, Oxford Playhouse, the cast and crew) but I do now know: One day, my Panto will come!