Ok - firstly to apologise... When I got into rehearsals the first thing that happened to me, before I even took my coat off, was that I was told off for my choice of jokes, and that they were pretty bad! Then everyone proceeded to fire their best jokes at me for the first 10 minutes of the day!
What's the similarity between an eagle and a mole?
They both live underground, apart from the eagle.
I'm going to get rid of my old vacuum cleaner.
Well that thing was just gathering dust.
Then into work! We ran a few tweaks that Emma had for us from the day before, and then spent the morning fitting the lights and projections exactly into the show so that it is as perfect as we can be! We have all been working so hard, I feel that we are so involved with the piece at the moment, with its intensity and subject matter, that at times it feels bigger than my life outside of it! Then this afternoon we had a dress rehearsal with a few colleagues and friends of the cast. I felt my character was a bit 'flat' today, a bit tired! The thing with this play is that it is such a fine line to walk between the characters being over played and them being under played, that technically it really is like walking a tightrope with the text.
Tomorrow we are putting the set into the Poly at 10.30am, and then we have time for a little bit more rehearsal in the new space and then it is...opening night!!!
Hope to see you there - or at some point during our run. Please come and have a chat with us after the show and tell us what you thought.
Becca x
Friday, 6 February 2015
Thursday, 5 February 2015
Rehearsals Week 3 - Danny Mellor
Before reading this play I honestly had no idea what restorative justice was and what it meant. 'After The Accident' tells the story of a broken couple who've lost their child in a road traffic accident and also tells the story of the young man called Leon who stole the car that crashed into them.
This single event leads to a huge struggle for all characters; Petra and Jimmy with the overwhelming loss of their child and Leon with the loss of his best friend and lengthy prison sentence. Eventually after four years all three characters are placed in a room together with nowhere to hide in a facilitated restorative justice meeting.
What strikes me most about restorative justice is that it is a free forum for victims and offenders to vocalise things they want to say. From my understanding as soon as court precedings are over that is the end of victim and offender contact, which for most people would seem like a good thing. But looking at this from Leon's perspective (as the actor who portrays him) it is apparent that he doesn't get chance to fully talk to the victims of his actions, especially after years thinking about his actions. He doesn't get the opportunity to express remorse, ask questions, explain what happened, explain why it happened and also share how the consequences of the crash have affected him.
I suppose the immediate question that pops up is 'why should he have the chance to do all this?' He's an offender, he's committed a crime, he's taken two lives. Why should he be given a chance to meet the victims? But Restorative Justice is not a soft option. Facing the people whose lives you completely changed is an incredibly brave thing to do for an offender and this in itself is an admirable thing. For me, my understanding of restorative justice is to address the unknown in every sense of the word, and this play shows that in detail.
In 'After The Accident' none of the characters are angels, and especially in the pivotal meeting the play addresses the sometimes ugly reaction to horrific things that happen. I truly believe this play is important as restorative justice is hugely valuable to help people to move on with their lives after such extreme events. Offenders in particular are much less likely to reoffend after a restorative conference so this surely demonstrates how effective it can be to get them back on road.
This single event leads to a huge struggle for all characters; Petra and Jimmy with the overwhelming loss of their child and Leon with the loss of his best friend and lengthy prison sentence. Eventually after four years all three characters are placed in a room together with nowhere to hide in a facilitated restorative justice meeting.
What strikes me most about restorative justice is that it is a free forum for victims and offenders to vocalise things they want to say. From my understanding as soon as court precedings are over that is the end of victim and offender contact, which for most people would seem like a good thing. But looking at this from Leon's perspective (as the actor who portrays him) it is apparent that he doesn't get chance to fully talk to the victims of his actions, especially after years thinking about his actions. He doesn't get the opportunity to express remorse, ask questions, explain what happened, explain why it happened and also share how the consequences of the crash have affected him.
I suppose the immediate question that pops up is 'why should he have the chance to do all this?' He's an offender, he's committed a crime, he's taken two lives. Why should he be given a chance to meet the victims? But Restorative Justice is not a soft option. Facing the people whose lives you completely changed is an incredibly brave thing to do for an offender and this in itself is an admirable thing. For me, my understanding of restorative justice is to address the unknown in every sense of the word, and this play shows that in detail.
In 'After The Accident' none of the characters are angels, and especially in the pivotal meeting the play addresses the sometimes ugly reaction to horrific things that happen. I truly believe this play is important as restorative justice is hugely valuable to help people to move on with their lives after such extreme events. Offenders in particular are much less likely to reoffend after a restorative conference so this surely demonstrates how effective it can be to get them back on road.
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Wednesday Week 3 - Rebecca Hulbert
Knock Knock
Who's There?
Carrot Carrot Who?
Karate Chop!
Knock Knock
Who's there?
2:30
2:30 who?
I made a dentist appointment cause my 2:30
Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
Yah.
Yah who?
No thanks I use Google.
...This was main occupation of our lunch hour. The thing I have realised with doing a play which has such huge emotions, and challenging circumstances is that our 'downtime' seems to be getting more and more ridiculous the more we are living in the world of the play in rehearsals! I guess it is a coping strategy, and definitely one that I am very much enjoying.
We ran scenes this morning, fine tuning sections of the play. The poetic way this play is written, means it is like it is a musical score at times, so the technique behind all the lines and the lengths of the pauses is really precise...really precise. So takes practise and practise and then more practise!
Then this afternoon we did a run of the piece, and yes, it works! It was exhausting but I think we have created something we are all really proud of.
Who's There?
Carrot Carrot Who?
Karate Chop!
Knock Knock
Who's there?
2:30
2:30 who?
I made a dentist appointment cause my 2:30
Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
Yah.
Yah who?
No thanks I use Google.
...This was main occupation of our lunch hour. The thing I have realised with doing a play which has such huge emotions, and challenging circumstances is that our 'downtime' seems to be getting more and more ridiculous the more we are living in the world of the play in rehearsals! I guess it is a coping strategy, and definitely one that I am very much enjoying.
We ran scenes this morning, fine tuning sections of the play. The poetic way this play is written, means it is like it is a musical score at times, so the technique behind all the lines and the lengths of the pauses is really precise...really precise. So takes practise and practise and then more practise!
Then this afternoon we did a run of the piece, and yes, it works! It was exhausting but I think we have created something we are all really proud of.
Tuesday Week 3 - Rebecca Hulbert
Tuesday - 4 Days to go... The day started off well as Danny bought chocolate swirls in for everyone for breakfast with the opening line, 'My car smells like a boulangerie now'. So that made a great start to the day.
This morning it was Ben's (Jimmy) turn to look in depth at his character. While my role needs a lot of very intense emotion which is a challenge, Ben's challenge is almost the opposite of mine and equally difficult, he needs to feel the intense emotion and then bury it inside and not show it. After lunch we began plotting the lights, meaning we went cue to cue in scenes and walked the scenes on the stage without acting them to make sure we weren't in shadow, and that the scenes conveyed what Emma needed from them with the 'feel/mood' of the lighting. We worked late tonight, so Ben treated us all to a lovely meal at The Trengilly - a hard and long but lovely day with the cube-ers.
This morning it was Ben's (Jimmy) turn to look in depth at his character. While my role needs a lot of very intense emotion which is a challenge, Ben's challenge is almost the opposite of mine and equally difficult, he needs to feel the intense emotion and then bury it inside and not show it. After lunch we began plotting the lights, meaning we went cue to cue in scenes and walked the scenes on the stage without acting them to make sure we weren't in shadow, and that the scenes conveyed what Emma needed from them with the 'feel/mood' of the lighting. We worked late tonight, so Ben treated us all to a lovely meal at The Trengilly - a hard and long but lovely day with the cube-ers.
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Rehearsals Week 3 - Rebecca Hulbert
Here is a blog post from Rebecca Hulbert, who plays Petra in After the Accident:
The final week of rehearsals is always my favourite time. There is suddenly a sense in the air of the excitement of the first night, (which is this Friday at The Poly), it almost feels festive but also has an edge of fear! It is the time when the whole team come together, so in rehearsals Anna is giving us costume and building set, while Jake is working on the projections, Paul is setting up lights, while we are all trying to frantically learn our lines and trying to work out who we are in the play and what we want from each other as characters, to give the play the truth and voice it deserves… And then we have Emma our Director bringing all of her visions together – it is like being part of a huge family, and that is one of the things I love most about putting on a production. We couldn’t put the play on this Friday without everyone doing their bit.
So I thought I would share our week with you:
Monday - This morning we were focusing on my character, especially the moments of intense emotions she experiences, so that definitely woke me, (and everyone else up in the room) the level of emotion the characters express in this play sometimes reminds me of a Greek Tragedy, and there is no hiding from their grief, you need as an actor to confront it, and really explore it to do it justice.
The afternoon was then used to fit the projections we are using into the play, as they need to be timed so precisely, that often it is as if Jake is on stage with us and the projections are another character in the play. Emma is very keen that the projections support what the characters are saying rather than become the focus.
The final week of rehearsals is always my favourite time. There is suddenly a sense in the air of the excitement of the first night, (which is this Friday at The Poly), it almost feels festive but also has an edge of fear! It is the time when the whole team come together, so in rehearsals Anna is giving us costume and building set, while Jake is working on the projections, Paul is setting up lights, while we are all trying to frantically learn our lines and trying to work out who we are in the play and what we want from each other as characters, to give the play the truth and voice it deserves… And then we have Emma our Director bringing all of her visions together – it is like being part of a huge family, and that is one of the things I love most about putting on a production. We couldn’t put the play on this Friday without everyone doing their bit.
So I thought I would share our week with you:
Monday - This morning we were focusing on my character, especially the moments of intense emotions she experiences, so that definitely woke me, (and everyone else up in the room) the level of emotion the characters express in this play sometimes reminds me of a Greek Tragedy, and there is no hiding from their grief, you need as an actor to confront it, and really explore it to do it justice.
The afternoon was then used to fit the projections we are using into the play, as they need to be timed so precisely, that often it is as if Jake is on stage with us and the projections are another character in the play. Emma is very keen that the projections support what the characters are saying rather than become the focus.
Monday, 2 February 2015
Rehearsals Week Three - Benjamin Symes
Here are a few words from Benjamin Symes, Artistic Director of cube, producer of and actor in After the Accident:
As artistic director, I am pleased that with this play we have returned to the core values of cube - essential theatre. This simply means that the words of the play are primary; it's the strength of the text that counts, intended to be delivered through technically strong acting and clear incisive direction. The design matters too but its texture is wholly meant to serve the play, and its simplicity frames the intensity of the play's content.
As producer on this show it's been fantastic and hugely beneficial for the company to work with a director new to us, the experienced Emma Williams. Her style has stretched us and taught us new approaches both as actors and as a production company. It's also been great to work with our exciting new actor, Danny Mellor who we found after casting the net wide. But it's also wonderful to have some familiar collaborators in the team, the highly skilled actor Rebecca Hulbert whose been in the last two cube Minack shows (as Lady Macbeth and Amanda in Private Lives), Anna Finch an extremely talented designer and our perceptive young film-maker Jake Swindall. We've also been lucky enough to have Paul Joines back with us as Lighting Designer as we did for Freddy Dare / Aubade. And rehearsing at The Tolmen Centre has really allowed us to feel at home, and given a chance to relax between 'takes'.
As an actor, I've found the play a huge challenge. Not withstanding its content, the fact of having the three of us onstage throughout, with a stark and simple set, attempting to convey truth of character through heightened language is very exposing. I feel like we are walking a tightrope each time we run the piece. I hope we can get it right, that we can share the meaning and the emotion of the piece with our audiences.
As artistic director, I am pleased that with this play we have returned to the core values of cube - essential theatre. This simply means that the words of the play are primary; it's the strength of the text that counts, intended to be delivered through technically strong acting and clear incisive direction. The design matters too but its texture is wholly meant to serve the play, and its simplicity frames the intensity of the play's content.
As producer on this show it's been fantastic and hugely beneficial for the company to work with a director new to us, the experienced Emma Williams. Her style has stretched us and taught us new approaches both as actors and as a production company. It's also been great to work with our exciting new actor, Danny Mellor who we found after casting the net wide. But it's also wonderful to have some familiar collaborators in the team, the highly skilled actor Rebecca Hulbert whose been in the last two cube Minack shows (as Lady Macbeth and Amanda in Private Lives), Anna Finch an extremely talented designer and our perceptive young film-maker Jake Swindall. We've also been lucky enough to have Paul Joines back with us as Lighting Designer as we did for Freddy Dare / Aubade. And rehearsing at The Tolmen Centre has really allowed us to feel at home, and given a chance to relax between 'takes'.
As an actor, I've found the play a huge challenge. Not withstanding its content, the fact of having the three of us onstage throughout, with a stark and simple set, attempting to convey truth of character through heightened language is very exposing. I feel like we are walking a tightrope each time we run the piece. I hope we can get it right, that we can share the meaning and the emotion of the piece with our audiences.
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
Rehearsals Week One
As our first week of rehearsals draws to a close, we thought
we’d share with you some of the events of the week so far.
Its not that we forgive him,
Because we can’t,
We can’t do that.
But I’m fed up with him
Having this power,
This power over us. (Sc. 9, pg. 36)
Its not that we forgive him,
Because we can’t,
We can’t do that.
But I’m fed up with him
Having this power,
This power over us. (Sc. 9, pg. 36)
As with any
new production this first week has been about getting to know each other, the
characters, the stage-space and the rules of the world of the play (an
explanation of what I mean by this will follow). It has been a week of line by
line read-throughs, walk-throughs and discussions about intentions and meaning,
and how these affect the play as a whole. One line said differently can change
the whole meaning of a scene, or explain just one aspect of a character, but
each and every nuance is important to the narrative. It has been a week filled
with intense Four Square battles and gentle dance warm-ups, neither of which have
directly affected our interpretation of the play, but nevertheless were very
fun.
Despite only
having three people on stage at the most, this play has presented its
challenges when it comes to blocking (where the actors move and when) and
staging (where the set moves and when). The transitions between scenes are something
which are particularly challenging due to the quick changes in subject matter,
and the potential for an emotional ending of one scene to be under-mined by the
relatively jovial start of the next. One way to get around this is to have
moments, or beats, between each scene change where the characters, actors and
audience have a small chance to digest and process the action, and to
metaphorically wipe the slate clean for a whole new scene. To coincide with
this, the set is “reset” to its original position at the start of the play, to
visually signify a definitive ending and an upcoming change of space.
Aside from the three main characters who appear onstage, After the Accident
also contains a few unseen characters, in particular the looming presence of Mr.
Casey, the restorative counsellor. What we have been working on this week is
where this imaginary character can be on stage and how to make him look the
most real. This means that we have had to decide on a concrete set of rules
which will make the world of the play seem as real as possible. Asking an
audience to come and see a production is asking them to suspend their disbelief
and really trust that what is happening on stage is something to emotionally
invest in. Especially in a production such as this where there is a high-emotion
subject matter, anything which is jarring or distracting, for example, a clunky
scene change or a difference in where each actor looks to signify an unseen
character, can break the spell and weaken the emotional integrity of the
production. So as you can see, we are taking this very seriously and working
hard to tell the story of these characters in the best way we possibly can.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
An introduction to After the Accident and Restorative Justice
“How would you like to meet the people you did this too?” (Sc. 13, pg. 51)
Julian Armistead mixes poetic language and compelling subject matter in After the Accident to create stark observations about the society we live in. The play doesn’t shy away from some hard issues, and Armistead expertly uses passion and emotion to underpin the dramatic, thought-provoking themes contained within his narrative. Centred around the tragic story of a little girl, three people come together to pick apart their feelings about each other, themselves and the wider world around them. It is impossible not to be drawn in by the characters, so real and respectfully are they depicted in the text. This goes some way to explaining why cube essential theatre chose this play to perform as our next project.
Another reason why we feel this play is vital is because of the theme of Restorative Justice (referred to as “RJ” from now on) which runs through the narrative. The action takes place at a “restorative conference” where victim(s) and offender(s) meet, to try to work together to move forward. RJ aims to empower victims by giving them the ability to express just how a crime affected them, and to personally explain to the perpetrator the consequences of their actions.
This is a real practice, used across the UK, with some excellent results: there has been a 14% reduction in the rate of reoffending amongst offenders who have been through an RJ programme (according to the latest Ministry of Justice research) and 85% victims who have participated say they feel satisfied that the conferences are effective in helping them move forward after a crime.
Restorative Justice holds offenders to account, directly and personally, gives them an insight into the real impact of their behaviour, and an opportunity to make amends. Restorative Justice gives victims the chance to have their say, to get answers to their questions, to receive an apology and move on with their lives. – This is from the RJ website (http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/)
However, the reality is that only a small number of victims and offenders have access to RJ as an aid to rehabilitation. In an effort to raise awareness, Cube has led workshops across Cornwall, engaging community leaders, young people and drug and alcohol awareness groups. Using scenes from the play in order to facilitate a greater understanding of RJ, these workshops were hugely successful and the participants could see how such a programme would benefit Cornish communities if used more widely.
RJ is often assumed to be something which is an easy way out for the offender, an unviable option especially for victims and perpetrators of serious crimes. After the Accident challenges this assumption; the play’s aim isn’t to glamorise a crime or patronise the audience with simple answers, but to use dramatic devices to show how RJ can work effectively alongside the criminal justice system, to repair trust within a community.
Julian Armistead mixes poetic language and compelling subject matter in After the Accident to create stark observations about the society we live in. The play doesn’t shy away from some hard issues, and Armistead expertly uses passion and emotion to underpin the dramatic, thought-provoking themes contained within his narrative. Centred around the tragic story of a little girl, three people come together to pick apart their feelings about each other, themselves and the wider world around them. It is impossible not to be drawn in by the characters, so real and respectfully are they depicted in the text. This goes some way to explaining why cube essential theatre chose this play to perform as our next project.
Another reason why we feel this play is vital is because of the theme of Restorative Justice (referred to as “RJ” from now on) which runs through the narrative. The action takes place at a “restorative conference” where victim(s) and offender(s) meet, to try to work together to move forward. RJ aims to empower victims by giving them the ability to express just how a crime affected them, and to personally explain to the perpetrator the consequences of their actions.
This is a real practice, used across the UK, with some excellent results: there has been a 14% reduction in the rate of reoffending amongst offenders who have been through an RJ programme (according to the latest Ministry of Justice research) and 85% victims who have participated say they feel satisfied that the conferences are effective in helping them move forward after a crime.
Restorative Justice holds offenders to account, directly and personally, gives them an insight into the real impact of their behaviour, and an opportunity to make amends. Restorative Justice gives victims the chance to have their say, to get answers to their questions, to receive an apology and move on with their lives. – This is from the RJ website (http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/)
However, the reality is that only a small number of victims and offenders have access to RJ as an aid to rehabilitation. In an effort to raise awareness, Cube has led workshops across Cornwall, engaging community leaders, young people and drug and alcohol awareness groups. Using scenes from the play in order to facilitate a greater understanding of RJ, these workshops were hugely successful and the participants could see how such a programme would benefit Cornish communities if used more widely.
RJ is often assumed to be something which is an easy way out for the offender, an unviable option especially for victims and perpetrators of serious crimes. After the Accident challenges this assumption; the play’s aim isn’t to glamorise a crime or patronise the audience with simple answers, but to use dramatic devices to show how RJ can work effectively alongside the criminal justice system, to repair trust within a community.
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
After The Accident
“Could you meet the person who shattered your life?"
“Could you meet the
person whose life you shattered?”
Could you?
There is maybe a curiosity in wanting meet someone who wronged you? Or from the
perspective of the offender perhaps wanting to meet with the one they have
wronged. To explain? To question? To get
answers?
Both
questions create confusion we all feel as human beings when the lines are
blurred. Whether you or I think the answer to be yes or no, or whether it affects
you personally or not, these questions are an opening to many victims/offenders
to help begin that process of recovery on both sides. Restorative justice can help immediately to
build understanding between victim and offender, and to reduce the stigma of
these labels.
Restorative Justice helps in many ways to achieve its goal by
restoring balance not only to the “Victim” and “Offender” but also in reaching
out to families and the community to bring harmony. Obviously, there are many questions and concerns
when it comes trusting this process if you are new to it but this is where cube
theatre and RJ are working together to create and put into action four steps of
the national restorative justice system.
·
Awareness
·
Access
·
Practice
·
Evidence
With these steps
in mind. RJ working aims to make us the public more aware of projects and ways
to make restorative justice apparent and easy to access for anyone who find
themselves in need of closure.
Being a
student myself I was not aware of this process until I joined cube’s team. Having been thrown into the deep end I have
become fully emerged in restorative justice.
cube
theatre’s new production “After the Accident” by Julian Armistead follows the
process restorative justice takes to make things better / clear the air for all.
It is thought provoking and hard hitting drama that captures its audience’s
emotions.
Highly accessible and utterly
engrossing, this award winning drama takes you on a highly charged journey
where forgiveness and redemption are set against guilt, rage and despair.
Can we ever truly
forgive someone who's hurt our loved ones? This unmissable drama lets you
decide …..
This play is
set to test what we may think is right or what we may think is wrong. It's
tension and drama is what keep us reels us in and at the same time challenges
the audience and actors involved this is why RJ working have picked to work with
cube theatre. We have since put on an event at the Poly Falmouth on the 21st
of November to highlight this cause. cube theatre showcased our promo film, and
the audience loved our work.
Immediate
responses from our audience members, about the plays promo film and restorative
justice.
“It is not
just tough, it’s tougher”
“Thought
provoking, intense”
So do you
find yourself intrigued? Curious? Challenged? Questioned? Or Love new theatre?
Find out
your nearest show dates here! Tour starts in February; we look forward to
seeing you there.
Friday 6th February
The Poly, Falmouth
01326 319461.
www.thepoly.org
Saturday 7th February
Calstock Village Hall, Calstock
01822 834418.
Tuesday 10th February
Dracaena Community Centre, Falmouth
01326 319414
Friday 13th February
Burrell Theatre, Truro
01726 879 500
crbo.co.uk
Tuesday 17th – Saturday 21st February
Bikeshed Theatre, Exeter
01392 434 169
www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk/
Sunday 22nd February
Devoran Village Hall, Devoran
01872 864854
www.facebook.com/DevoranVillageHall
Tuesday 24th February
Mylor Theatre, Truro
01726 879500
crbo.co.uk
Thursday 26th February
Tolmen Centre, Constantine
01326 341353
www.tolmencentre.co.uk/
Friday 27th February
Hall for Gwinear, nr Hayle
01736 850781
www.hallforgwinear.co.uk
anh@hotmail.co.uk
Saturday 28th February
Grampound Village Hall
manda.simon@btinternet.com
Monday, 14 January 2013
The Preview
FRIDAY
And suddenly, the big day is here.
Teej comes in first thing in the morning, and by the time she leaves, the dances feel like they're in a good place. By 11am, we're doing another full run of the show. Its starting to feel more comfortable and confident...and I'm relieved to find that the daunting costume changes are feeling more and more feasible each time I do them!
At lunchtime, we grab a pasty and go to hook up the trailer to the landrover, ready for our get-out on saturday morning. Having the tour paraphenalia really underlines things...the tour is beginning!
When we get back to theatre, we make the decision to hold back on a second run, and conserve some energy before the night's show. Instead we do some tweaking....particularly those scenes that interact with the film. They have to be very precise, so its worth paying attention to them and getting them as smooth as we can.
Later, Benj and I do a speed line-run whilst walking through our blocking (movements) on set. And before we know it, it's almost 5pm.
Whilst the crew clear the space (moving the tech table to the top of the auditorium and getting things ready for an audience), the actors are starting to feel the nerves! We go down and try and eat some of the Tolmen Centre's top notch dinner, and then try to find a quiet place to slow our minds down, and focus for the show. Before we know it, we're in our starting positions and hearing the sound of 200 people buzzing into the theatre.
The show flies by without a hitch, and its alot of fun to perform. The Tolmen is a brilliant audience, and a lovely space for sharing a performance. The whole place feels really energised. The feedback afterwards is unbelievably positive, and we're so pleased to have made it through from beginning to end!
Later, we'll sit down together and talk about how to carry on improving the show (which bits need more pace, which bits particularly worked, which bits might need altering) The point of a preview is to test a show, and we're pleased to have had the time to do that, and with such a supportive and constructive audience.
Let the tour begin.
And suddenly, the big day is here.
Teej comes in first thing in the morning, and by the time she leaves, the dances feel like they're in a good place. By 11am, we're doing another full run of the show. Its starting to feel more comfortable and confident...and I'm relieved to find that the daunting costume changes are feeling more and more feasible each time I do them!
At lunchtime, we grab a pasty and go to hook up the trailer to the landrover, ready for our get-out on saturday morning. Having the tour paraphenalia really underlines things...the tour is beginning!
When we get back to theatre, we make the decision to hold back on a second run, and conserve some energy before the night's show. Instead we do some tweaking....particularly those scenes that interact with the film. They have to be very precise, so its worth paying attention to them and getting them as smooth as we can.
Later, Benj and I do a speed line-run whilst walking through our blocking (movements) on set. And before we know it, it's almost 5pm.
Whilst the crew clear the space (moving the tech table to the top of the auditorium and getting things ready for an audience), the actors are starting to feel the nerves! We go down and try and eat some of the Tolmen Centre's top notch dinner, and then try to find a quiet place to slow our minds down, and focus for the show. Before we know it, we're in our starting positions and hearing the sound of 200 people buzzing into the theatre.
*
Later, we'll sit down together and talk about how to carry on improving the show (which bits need more pace, which bits particularly worked, which bits might need altering) The point of a preview is to test a show, and we're pleased to have had the time to do that, and with such a supportive and constructive audience.
Let the tour begin.
TECH WEEK: Thurs
And suddenly, I've fallen behind on this blog! Although, perhaps it is an honest representation of a tech week...when all the focus and energy is on getting the show ready for the first performances, and everything else just has to take a back seat for the time being.
But, in the interests of documenting things properly, heres a catch up blog entry!
THURSDAY
We started a full tech run at about 10.30am, and got through it by about 5.00pm (Not bad!) This then gave us a bit of time to reset all the props to their starting positions, run through the choreography, warm up our voices, line-run a few tricksy areas...before doing a dress rehearsal in the evening.
The dress rehearsal wasn't as smooth as we'd perhaps have liked- but it was a relief to get a 'performance conditions run' in before Friday...it allowed us to get a handle on our character journeys again, and identify any weaker areas we might want to go through again before the first performance.
The show ran for much longer than we anticipated...we finished the show at 1 hour 45 minutes! Eek! It is likely to get quicker, and we may look into cutting a few sections.
We have notes up at the house- and its lovely to sit down with the whole team and have a celebratory glass of wine whilst we iron out a few niggles, and clear up some of the interactions. By the time we part company, the mood is optimistic and we're looking forward to the challenge of tomorrow...a sell out preview!
But its a lucky minority who are able to head off to bed...some of the team go back to the theatre to finish up a few last minute jobs here and there. Jon and Jake have some film to sort out (exporting a few altered clips and importing everything into the program we use to run the show), and Sophie to sort out a wig, and to grit the stage so its safe to dance on!
But, in the interests of documenting things properly, heres a catch up blog entry!
THURSDAY
We started a full tech run at about 10.30am, and got through it by about 5.00pm (Not bad!) This then gave us a bit of time to reset all the props to their starting positions, run through the choreography, warm up our voices, line-run a few tricksy areas...before doing a dress rehearsal in the evening.
Benj and Nix marking through choreography
The show ran for much longer than we anticipated...we finished the show at 1 hour 45 minutes! Eek! It is likely to get quicker, and we may look into cutting a few sections.
We have notes up at the house- and its lovely to sit down with the whole team and have a celebratory glass of wine whilst we iron out a few niggles, and clear up some of the interactions. By the time we part company, the mood is optimistic and we're looking forward to the challenge of tomorrow...a sell out preview!
But its a lucky minority who are able to head off to bed...some of the team go back to the theatre to finish up a few last minute jobs here and there. Jon and Jake have some film to sort out (exporting a few altered clips and importing everything into the program we use to run the show), and Sophie to sort out a wig, and to grit the stage so its safe to dance on!
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
TECH WEEK: Weds
Its 22.20pm...and we've just restarted our cue-by-cue tech rehearsal. We're about half our way through the script, so there's a fair whack to go. But despite that, morale is suprisingly high in the late night cube camp!
Its been a difficult day. Technical hitches monopolised things a little...but looks like its sorted now.
Everything else seems to be ticking along nicely- we had another session with Teej finessing things dance-wise, did many a line run, and the set continues to get better and better each time we come back upstairs to look at it.
We're sitting on the set and looking an impressive number of people on the long tech table....plus our stage manager crouching at the front! Lottie is writing up 'the book', which will be used for running the show.
Its been a difficult day. Technical hitches monopolised things a little...but looks like its sorted now.
Everything else seems to be ticking along nicely- we had another session with Teej finessing things dance-wise, did many a line run, and the set continues to get better and better each time we come back upstairs to look at it.
We're sitting on the set and looking an impressive number of people on the long tech table....plus our stage manager crouching at the front! Lottie is writing up 'the book', which will be used for running the show.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
TECH WEEK: Tues
TUESDAY
Last night finished late- fish and chips in the theatre for most...and Jake worked all night on the editing which is looking brilliant this morning.
And after another day (they seem to be galloping past at an alarming rate!), the set feels like its coming on in leaps and bounds. Its really tying the style of the show together. Can't show an image for fear of spoiler!
There's been some costume fittings...jigsawing (not the rainy day kind)...a birthday cake for one lovely individual...running through most of the scenes...props delivered...dance and singing practice...microphone testing...lighting states designed...and the trial of a very exciting lighting special! See below!
the special (above) ; the clue (below)
Monday, 7 January 2013
TECH WEEK: Monday
And tech week is off with a bang. This week we'll be posting a running day by day account as we get closer and closer to our first preview performance on friday night...so keep checking back as the week unfolds!
MONDAY So many exciting developments. Set painting...props making...film editing...line running...a technical upset hopefully remedied after lots of technical phonecalls to various experts...lights...and the odd bit of acting. And lots of behind the scenes admin getting the shows publicised and making sure everything is in place for the tour starting next month: things like marketing, getting a new wheel on the trailer, and other glamorous tasks like making sure we have contracts in place with our venues! It was an early morning, and its going to be a late night! Theres a very exciting buzz about the whole building, and it feels so great to have all the team under the same roof all at the same time. A really good day.
Freddy Rehearsals 2
Nix Wood- Actor & Creative Producer
A Rehearsal Round Up.
So three weeks have flown by...and they've been busy!
From an acting point of view, me and Benjamin have been working like dervishes to get a lot of new skills under our belts! The days typically start with singing and dance warm ups, before getting stuck into the scenes with Jon the director. We've been busy tapping away whenever we can- along side some full day sessions with our choreographer Teej. She has done some very rigorous work with us teaching us three dances for the show in a very short space of time, so we've been practicing taps as often as we can between scenes...even having meetings absent-mindedly tapping whilst talking!
Wearing our tap shoes in an on-the-hoof meeting at our rehearsal venue, the Tolmen Centre
Out of rehearsals, I've been going a bit Ginger Rogers mad...watching lots of films, reading biographies, and trying to get under her skin a little bit. I feel like I've come quite full circle with it really- because now I've done all that, I'm largely disregarding it and concentrating on telling the story!
Jon has been working by day as a director in rehearsals, and by night has been creating some really beautiful sound design as well as writing 2 brand new songs for the shows. Rehearsals feel like they're coming together, although once production week starts we have a big job to start incorporating all the technical elements into the show so its all slick and ready for our previews on the 11th and 12th January. Its been great to catch glimpses of our extended cast being projected behind us as we go...the film footage is looking really great.
Jake (our film maker) has been busy editing in the rehearsal room, as well as running around shooting additional material, and starting to take control of running the show. Design-wise, Sophie our designer spent some time with us before Christmas, together with John C and Charlotte getting everything ready for a last push in the final week. We've had Paul and Rachel around and about doing some preparatory lighting work before tech week kicks in, and Lottie has been sorting equipment and props, as well as running cube HQ for the whole production team, most of whom are travelling from up country and around and about Cornwall so stay in Constantine overnight during the week.
Its been great to have everyone popping in and out, and be based in one place, and we've really dug into the Tolmen over the past three weeks. Its starting to feel like home, and most importantly of all, that we have a really well-knitted team working on the project.
Ticket sales are going well, and its all starting to feel a bit close and exciting! Its going to be a big push for it all to come together, but everyone involved seems really peppered and I'm sure its going to be great. Bring on next week!
A Rehearsal Round Up.
So three weeks have flown by...and they've been busy!
From an acting point of view, me and Benjamin have been working like dervishes to get a lot of new skills under our belts! The days typically start with singing and dance warm ups, before getting stuck into the scenes with Jon the director. We've been busy tapping away whenever we can- along side some full day sessions with our choreographer Teej. She has done some very rigorous work with us teaching us three dances for the show in a very short space of time, so we've been practicing taps as often as we can between scenes...even having meetings absent-mindedly tapping whilst talking!
Out of rehearsals, I've been going a bit Ginger Rogers mad...watching lots of films, reading biographies, and trying to get under her skin a little bit. I feel like I've come quite full circle with it really- because now I've done all that, I'm largely disregarding it and concentrating on telling the story!
Jon has been working by day as a director in rehearsals, and by night has been creating some really beautiful sound design as well as writing 2 brand new songs for the shows. Rehearsals feel like they're coming together, although once production week starts we have a big job to start incorporating all the technical elements into the show so its all slick and ready for our previews on the 11th and 12th January. Its been great to catch glimpses of our extended cast being projected behind us as we go...the film footage is looking really great.
Jake (our film maker) has been busy editing in the rehearsal room, as well as running around shooting additional material, and starting to take control of running the show. Design-wise, Sophie our designer spent some time with us before Christmas, together with John C and Charlotte getting everything ready for a last push in the final week. We've had Paul and Rachel around and about doing some preparatory lighting work before tech week kicks in, and Lottie has been sorting equipment and props, as well as running cube HQ for the whole production team, most of whom are travelling from up country and around and about Cornwall so stay in Constantine overnight during the week.
Its been great to have everyone popping in and out, and be based in one place, and we've really dug into the Tolmen over the past three weeks. Its starting to feel like home, and most importantly of all, that we have a really well-knitted team working on the project.
Ticket sales are going well, and its all starting to feel a bit close and exciting! Its going to be a big push for it all to come together, but everyone involved seems really peppered and I'm sure its going to be great. Bring on next week!
Monday, 10 December 2012
Freddy Rehearsals 1
Benj
Symes - Artistic Director and Actor
Finally
we're here! After 18 months of R+D playing, planning, talking, writing,
striving..
And
it's been a good first week.
Jon,
Nix and I have been rehearsing upstairs at 47 Fore Street whilst Lottie has
been busy researching, planning, organising, finding, and making soup. We've
had strategy meetings with Nix and Becca about Venues and Promotion/ Tour
Booking, meetings with Steven (our new Intern) about marketing and evaluation,
and phone chats with Sophie our designer, and John and Charlotte who will be
helping with the make. Becca and Steven will be mainly working from our hotdesk
in Hall for Cornwall (where we are now an 'associate theatre company'.) We've
had meetings with UCF also, a Business Assist partner who are providing us with
their technician to design the lighting for our shows, and also with
scaffolding companies about the set.
I
think we balanced well the creative with the practical this week. We attended
to the things that we needed to and not worried about things still out of our
control. We have covered in some depth all the scenes exclusive to the ones
that interact with the film, and had a chance to work on the two songs in the
show. We've also looked at how to portray the crow judges, playing with using
tailcoats, manipulating them to show them attacking Freddy. We spent a good day
in Penryn College rehearsing in front of a Year 12 student group and listening
to their ideas. And we've done some more filming for Aubade!
At the
same time Jon has done some work on SFX whilst we have maintained a weather
watch on the ever pressing admin (which Nix and I have labelled 'badmin', or
'madmin' if it's guerilla style out and about – ie Nix in Peranwell Station
carpark at 8.30am on her laptop in the driver's seat of the van, parked up I
stress!) For me it's been early mornings and late nights, thinking, drawing,
making notes. Making sure that all areas are integrating. Everything is now set
to start working with the primary elements of set in the Tolmen Centre for the
next 4 weeks leading up to the show. Fingers crossed.
The
first week always feels a little strange. It's easy to assume that it will all
be good! We go through scenes and find ourselves saying things like, 'so that's
where the dance goes – we'll sort that out later' or 'so, at that point that
amazing bit of hilarious and poignant stage action happens – we'll sort that
out later'!! We also perhaps don't push that hard, probably in case we find out
something horrible that we have missed, or forgotten! But actually I feel that
this is ok right now. We needed some space to settle in to the project and
prepare for what is to come, and we all needed a week that wasn't hectic, over-tiring,
or pressured. There will be a lot of tech to sort in this play, and so we ave
given ourselves 5 weeks instead of our usual 3. And we'll need it. But I also
think that the tech sortign and likely delays will allow for Nix and I to keep
working on our characters and any unfinished 'business' (dance steps etc.) and
mean that all elements of the whole project have time to tighten up together.
It's
been good to be at the house with the core crew, allowing us to get centred and
come close together at the start of what will be an exciting and full
journey...
Friday, 20 July 2012
Young Performer?
cube theatre are looking for young people to join
our ensemble production of Macbeth. We
are holding an informal audition workshop and information session about the
production this coming Sunday.
WHEN: Sunday 22nd
July, from 10am-midday
WHERE: Burrell Theatre, Trennick Lane, Truro, TR1 1TH.
1)
FREERUNNING GROUP:
(athletic/dancers/gymnasts/freerunners) will meet one evening a week throughout
august (4 sessions) and then full days in production week.
2)
YOUNGER GROUP:
(age 11-13) will meet for 2 hrs on a Sunday afternoon throughout august,
then one or two full days in production week (September)
3)
TEENAGE GROUP: (age 14-17 years) will meet on
Sunday afternoons (4 hrs) throughout august, full days in production weeks
(September).
Macbeth has performances at Sterts Arts Centre (near
Liskeard) and the Minack Theatre (Porthcurno) in September, and young people can
opt to participate at one or both of these venues. The show will involve a large cast of
professional and community actors, and is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring
performers to be involved in a professional production on their doorstep.
The workshop will be very informal, and should be good fun
as well as a relaxed introduction to this type of audition, should you be interested
in pursuing a career in the industry later on.
If you are interested in joining us for the workshop, please
email nix@cube-theatre.co.uk with
your name, age and a contact number, or get in touch by telephone on 07585
601563. Please could parents/guardian drop in at midday to sign consent forms
and have an opportunity to talk about the project with the directors. More
specific information about rehearsal dates will be available at that session.
Many thanks,
Nix Wood
creative
producer
cube theatre
07585
601563
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Monday, 21 May 2012
Day on the Road
Friday 18th May, 2012
Pinocchio & Wooden Heart at Polruan today, as part of the Sunnyside Festival. Its our last Cornish date of WH...after almost 18 months of touring the two shows throughout the UK. Its going to be a hectic day- looking forward to it!
10.30am Trailer is hitched up to the landrover, and we're on our way! A rather exciting ferry trip across the river from Fowey...Pinocchio enjoyed meeting a rather friendly mallard on the boat.
12.15pm Arrive, meet the promoter and scope out the venue. Small hiccup! The rather beautiful but slightly impractical narrow streets of Polruan weren't built for our 34 ft trailer, we can't get to the venue with the vehicle! Benj makes the impossible possible...and manages to reverse the trailer down a windy street, with about a thumb-sized gap on either side. Still about 150m away though! Now for a bit of a monster get-in.... we're going to use the venue's staging, but we still have a lot of heavy kit to manoeuvre. Steel toe-caps and rigging-gloves on!
3.15pm Thanks to some additional help from lovely techicians Matt & David, we have finished the get in! And now for a welcome 45 minute lunch at the village pub. Couldn't resist filming our hilly struggle from the trailer to the hall... listen out for some comedy chuntering!
4.30pm Pinocchio performance. Just under a 100 audience in the hall, it was a good one! Here's a jolly Lottie in the dressing room with minutes to go before the show.
6.00pm Now for the changeover...time is tight before the next performance, so the lovely promoter Tony lends us his car so we can ferry the many suitcases that make up our Pinocchio set back up to the trailer, allowing us to do the build for Wooden Heart in record time. We run through a tech-heavy scene (we always like to work at least one extract on stage after we've had a gap between gigs...to refresh actor's memories, as much as checking the sounds levels!) and suddenly its 7pm. Just time for getting into costume, do a quick warm up, and have a cup of tea whilst the audience are coming in.
7.30pm Wooden Heart performance. Its an emotional journey- the story really hits home for us, and we're still finding new and interesting things in the text 18 months after our first show. Its a great response from the audience- and we're really pleased to have such a warm reaction for the last gig in our home county. No rest for the wicked though...time for the Get Out!
10.00pm Lots of cable coiling, heavy lifting and slightly hysterical laughing later...we're packed up, and ready to go! Its been a tough day physically, and we're all ready for some quality sleep. And after losing our way, a brief fuel crisis, and a satisfying late night sandwich for dinner....we finally arrive back in Truro at 1.15am!
Another cube day on the road done & dusted...hard but rewarding, and we've once again met some lovely people along the way. Thanks to Polruan, and also to CarntoCove for supporting the event.
Pinocchio & Wooden Heart at Polruan today, as part of the Sunnyside Festival. Its our last Cornish date of WH...after almost 18 months of touring the two shows throughout the UK. Its going to be a hectic day- looking forward to it!
10.30am Trailer is hitched up to the landrover, and we're on our way! A rather exciting ferry trip across the river from Fowey...Pinocchio enjoyed meeting a rather friendly mallard on the boat.
12.15pm Arrive, meet the promoter and scope out the venue. Small hiccup! The rather beautiful but slightly impractical narrow streets of Polruan weren't built for our 34 ft trailer, we can't get to the venue with the vehicle! Benj makes the impossible possible...and manages to reverse the trailer down a windy street, with about a thumb-sized gap on either side. Still about 150m away though! Now for a bit of a monster get-in.... we're going to use the venue's staging, but we still have a lot of heavy kit to manoeuvre. Steel toe-caps and rigging-gloves on!
3.15pm Thanks to some additional help from lovely techicians Matt & David, we have finished the get in! And now for a welcome 45 minute lunch at the village pub. Couldn't resist filming our hilly struggle from the trailer to the hall... listen out for some comedy chuntering!
4.30pm Pinocchio performance. Just under a 100 audience in the hall, it was a good one! Here's a jolly Lottie in the dressing room with minutes to go before the show.
6.00pm Now for the changeover...time is tight before the next performance, so the lovely promoter Tony lends us his car so we can ferry the many suitcases that make up our Pinocchio set back up to the trailer, allowing us to do the build for Wooden Heart in record time. We run through a tech-heavy scene (we always like to work at least one extract on stage after we've had a gap between gigs...to refresh actor's memories, as much as checking the sounds levels!) and suddenly its 7pm. Just time for getting into costume, do a quick warm up, and have a cup of tea whilst the audience are coming in.
7.30pm Wooden Heart performance. Its an emotional journey- the story really hits home for us, and we're still finding new and interesting things in the text 18 months after our first show. Its a great response from the audience- and we're really pleased to have such a warm reaction for the last gig in our home county. No rest for the wicked though...time for the Get Out!
10.00pm Lots of cable coiling, heavy lifting and slightly hysterical laughing later...we're packed up, and ready to go! Its been a tough day physically, and we're all ready for some quality sleep. And after losing our way, a brief fuel crisis, and a satisfying late night sandwich for dinner....we finally arrive back in Truro at 1.15am!
Another cube day on the road done & dusted...hard but rewarding, and we've once again met some lovely people along the way. Thanks to Polruan, and also to CarntoCove for supporting the event.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
SPACE Residency
We have just spent an amazing week at the SPACE (Somerset Performing Arts Centre for Education) in Taunton,
working with some brilliant and talented students. It was a chance for
cube to do some serious R&D, with SPACE students providing ideas and trying
them out practically. We are performing Macbeth in September, with a
large chorus in addition to key principals, and we wanted to find out some of
the exciting things that could be achieved with large numbers of animated
performers.
We made some key discoveries. One was that we like the
‘covered in mud and slime’ look! Thanks to Beth, Gena, Josh and Flynn for
being prepared to plaster themselves in mud for the sake of art. We
filmed some scenes with students made up like Somme survivors, and the results
were pretty amazing. There were also some magical moments of ensemble
physicality that we will definitely be exploring further when we start
rehearsing in August.
The week at SPACE was a stimulating and uplifting experience.
It is an inspiring place to work in, led by highly motivated staff, and the
students are up for anything. They threw themselves into every activity,
and had some great creative ideas which in turn stimulated our
creativity. It’s also good to be kept on your toes – we knew that working
with dedicated and imaginative students like these we would have to be at the
top of our game. So, a mutually stimulating and enriching
experience. We made big strides in our R&D, and the students had the
experience of working with a professional theatre company, helping them develop
their repertoire.
We also spent some time working with the students on Aubade (working title), one of our touring projects planned for spring 2013. More on this project coming soon!
Top 5 feedback quotes from SPACE students (in no particular order)
1- "cube theatres work is immensely meaningful and amazing to be a part of"
2- "What I found most enjoyable/beneficial/fulfilling was filming Aubade...and making up our own dance/movement"
3- "I loved working with a well known script but seeing it in a differant way"
4- "I really like how you work as a company....you are innovative, interesting and awesome"
5- "3 things that I found enjoyable/beneficial/fulfilling was the filming for Aubade - the whole process, the rehearsal process for Macbeth and the discussions and feedback"
(and because we can't resist...another favourite)
6- "I would have liked it to have been more than a week"
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Uganda
We've just got back from Uganda, where we have spent a couple of weeks working on a theatre outreach projects, using the puppets from our touring productions Pinocchio & Wooden Heart.
We were volunteering for The Molly & Paul Childcare Foundation, which offers homes and education for some of Uganda’s many orphaned children. The puppets were instrumental to our work, and were used as tools to deliver health education workshops in some of the charity’s primary schools- exploring preventive measures against malaria and the importance of drinking safe, clean water.
We can’t thank our
generous audience members and sponsors enough. The work we did out there,
enabled by those donations, has been far-reaching and more fulfilling than we
could have hoped, on both sides. The
whole team has been alternately inspired, humbled, delighted and moved by our
all-too-brief visit.
We hope that our relationship with the foundation will continue to grow. Our first visit has taught us so much about what theatre for development can do, and we have some projects in the pipeline that will build on our experiences and create an opportunity for future collaboration between cube theatre and the community who so warmly welcomed us. You'll hear about it here first.
We were volunteering for The Molly & Paul Childcare Foundation, which offers homes and education for some of Uganda’s many orphaned children. The puppets were instrumental to our work, and were used as tools to deliver health education workshops in some of the charity’s primary schools- exploring preventive measures against malaria and the importance of drinking safe, clean water.
We also delivered several performances
of our show Pinocchio, for the
children and also for the wider community, alongside working with a secondary
school to create a piece of theatre that was performed by the students, which used the greek myth of Prometheus as a starting point. Watch this space for a filmed extract of the piece- which was performed beautifully by a large number of students, representing every year group in the school.
The trip was enabled in part by donations from our
audience members and fan base, with the remainder being subsidised by the
company. Puppets and equipment were also
donated by individuals and also Mallets Home Hardware store, which were gifted
to the charity when we left.
We hope that our relationship with the foundation will continue to grow. Our first visit has taught us so much about what theatre for development can do, and we have some projects in the pipeline that will build on our experiences and create an opportunity for future collaboration between cube theatre and the community who so warmly welcomed us. You'll hear about it here first.
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