foxyhlc

Too flippant to be called a review - some thoughts on the film.


( cut for spoilers. )

Today I went to an acting masterclass held at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.. The format is simple. The guest takes to the stage and introduces themselves, talks about their career a little and then opens the floor to questions. Most of the audience are young actors and Christopher Ecclestone was the guest today.

Here's a collection of quotes from him that I found particularly interesting.

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Yesterday I saw the Nutcracker at the San Francisco Ballet. It was a fabulous performance so I’ve picked a few key moments and some of my highlights to share with you.

The piece opens with the overture and Uncle Drosselmeyer in his workshop putting the finishing touches to the Nutcracker doll then we move into the grand party scene. The music was used well with an enchanting dance from the children followed swiftly by a formal but relaxed group piece by the adults. Two of the toys were brought to life to dance solos for the amusement of the guests. The magic of Uncle Drosselmeyer is a delightful source of entertainment and involves some charming interaction with the children. The scene was clearly set out and we were introduced to the characters through dance and acting that were well balanced.

 

( Cut for length and production specific spoilers )

 

Dear Thespian friends,

I got this info about an opportunity to tender to a promenade performance in Blackpool Winter Gardens.

It sounds like a great project so I thought I'd pass it on.

THEATRE IN THE GARDENS

Blackpool Council is the lead partner for a consortium wishing to commission an original site-specific performance work for Blackpool's stunning Winter Gardens. The commission is worth around £100k, and the project must be delivered by September 2011.

We are seeking formal expressions of interest from high quality performing arts companies working in the field of theatre, circus, dance, combined arts or related media. You will be interested in widening access to your work, engaging with an exceptional historic building and producing an original and imaginative work for family audiences as part of a new cultural tourism offer. Blackpool is Britain's favourite seaside resort and has embarked on a delightfully-controversial bid for World Heritage Site status.

The deadline for Expressions of Interest is Monday 17 January 2011, ( Lots of details )

I was hugely excited to attend the 24 hour plays. The cast were not revealed until the last minute, the plays written overnight and rehearsals begun and ended on Sunday. I arrived with Poly and Lisa to a delightful champagne reception and spent the next 20 minutes engrossed in discussion of the programme and the cast. 

The evening opened with a film showing the work that had gone on for the past 22 hours. From the first meeting, to allocating cast, to writing, to appointing Directors, and into the rehearsal process.

 

( Huge spoilers for the plays and I talk too much. )

 

Photos of the cast at the after party

Pina Bausch has been one of my favourite choreographers since I saw her work on video at the age of 16. She has a distinctive style and a body of complex, challenging works that vary from dark to humour, tears of laughter to tears of sorrow. She died last year and her company are continuing to tour her works.
 
Last Wednesday night I was privileged to see Iphigenie auf Tauris. It was choreographed in 1974 but has never been performed in London before. It’s a dance opera based on the Greek myth.
clickable thumbnail.
 
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Warnings: I swear a bit. If you click the links you can expect very strong language.

On Saturday I was hugely excited to head over to Edgeware Road for the preview of Storm, an animation to accompany Tim Minchin’s 9 minute beat poem. It was one of The Amaz!ng Meeting events. You can hear the poem on youtube.

When I sat down in the conference room my first thought was ‘wow these seats are close together’ my second ‘I have never seen so many iphones in one place’. After soaking up the atmosphere for a while and chatting to the people around me, it finally dawned… I was in a room full of people who believe in science! I then adopted a stupid grin that stayed with me most of the night.

( I talk too much & swear. )

A very lovely lady told me the rumour that David Tennant was going to be appearing in Celebrity Autobiography at the Leicester Square theatre. It looked like a fun show so I booked a ticket and lived in hope that the rumour was true. I didn’t have to wait too long for the rumour to be confirmed and I spent Wednesday at work trying very hard to focus on a benefits realisation plan whilst internally bouncing up and down with excitement.

I met up with Sue and Poly outside the theatre, for some reason they hadn’t opened the theatre bar and loads of people were queuing outside clutching their tickets. Eventually they let us in and I got a drink and took my seat, A7, and waited for the show to start.



( Cut for length & bad language )

Can't quite stop fidgeting today. David Tennant will be appearing in Celebrity Autobiography at the Leicester Square theatre tonight. I have a ticket! How the bloody hell I'm going to focus at work today is a mystery.
:D
*bounce* *bounce* *bounce*

Arriving at The Crucible for the press night for Hamlet helygen and I were immediately engulfed in the buzz.  Critics and stars were liberally scattered amongst the crowd and the anticipation was palpable.

A quick celeb spot or three later we took our seats next to the centre aisle in row B of the stalls and the lights went down. 

( Spoilers for set, staging and characterisation. I trust you know how the story goes. )

This is not a production to lose yourself in but it has some excellent performances and is put together in a competent way.

The reception after the play continued into the early hours. We took the opportunity to speak to Hugh Ross (Polonius) and to Joseph Mydell (Player King/Francisco) the cast were buzzing and surrounded by friends and family and it felt rude to interrupt so we didn’t talk to either John. Also amongst the crowd were Ian McKellen (yes we nearly squee’d out loud) Richard Wilson (last seen in yellow garters), Jason Merrells and lots of people we recognised and couldn’t remember the names of. Photos can be found on What's on Stage.

Oh, and of you value the arts please tell the British Government about it by signing up at ivaluethearts.org.uk. They are going to cut funding by up to 40%.  This site aims to make the cut as small as possible by reminding them how important the arts are to our lives.

helygen 's thoughts on Hamlet are on her LJ.