Evening all.
I'm back at uni, and by golly have things been moving fast!
I'll start at the very beginning.
In late 2010, myself and a friend of mine, Andy, went to see a play called Lorca Is Dead, by the rather excellent Belt Up Theatre. It was inspiring.
In early 2011, we went to see another play by Belt Up, The Boy James. This time, we started writing.
By the summer of 2011 we had a (near enough) finished play, The Ball or How to Dance. We also had a name for ourselves.
The Underground Clown Club
The name came from a doodle I did in a seminar, just after we'd started uni. However, it was also pretty apt, in that we kept the company, and the play, pretty secret until September 2011. Because by then we'd decided to put the play on.
Thanks to various wonderful people, we went away for Christmas quietly confident that, after several false starts, we would have a space to perform in in early 2012. By the time we returned to uni we still hadn't heard anything. Then on the Friday of the first week back, we had a meeting with the technical manager of the Drama department.
We walked in, and he asked us what dates we'd like.
We were expecting to have to fight our case, to prove that we would be able to pull off the performance, so when we didn't have to that threw us a little.
We walked out of that meeting, and straight to the pub.
It was as we sat, sipping cups of tea with quaking hands, that it hit us. We were doing a show in 4 weeks time. Beyond the script we had nothing prepared.
What followed was possibly the most productive weekend of my life. By Monday morning we had a cast and crew, but it couldn't stop there. We plunged into rehearsals, found music, props and set and started on publicity work.
Now the performance is a week away! Like I said, things have been moving fast.
For now though, we'll have to keep our heads down rehearse as though our lives depended on it.
See you on the other side!
For more information on The Underground Clown Club and The Ball or How to Dance, please visit our blog or Facebook page!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Why Standing Tickets Are A Good Thing
Some thoughts:
When going to the Globe, one must always stand. Unless you are medically unable to that is. But should you be fit and healthy, you should stand, preferably with your chin resting on the stage. There is no better way to experience Shakespeare - because that's what it is: experiencing. None of this passive, observing rubbish. You are right there, having stuff spat at you, being pissed on, flirted with and insulted. I'd rather eat my own hands than sit down and miss out on that.
Standing tickets are cheap. Don't get me wrong, I am HUGELY looking forward to my forthcoming trip to Jerusalem, but for the £25 West End price, I could see five shows at the Globe. Or the National Theatre. Or 250 shows at the Royal Court, where standing tickets are sold for 10p. Can't argue with that.
Currently, I am listening to the One Man Two Guvnors soundtrack, which I was lucky enough to see at the National Theatre this summer (another reason why standing tickets are good: getting into sold-out shows). Stood at the back, boogying to the magnificent skiffle stylings of the Craze, is one of my best memories from the theatre. I would love to see the show again, it is a comedic masterpiece, but I think I'd want to stand again...
After all, it's much harder to dance sitting down...
When going to the Globe, one must always stand. Unless you are medically unable to that is. But should you be fit and healthy, you should stand, preferably with your chin resting on the stage. There is no better way to experience Shakespeare - because that's what it is: experiencing. None of this passive, observing rubbish. You are right there, having stuff spat at you, being pissed on, flirted with and insulted. I'd rather eat my own hands than sit down and miss out on that.
Standing tickets are cheap. Don't get me wrong, I am HUGELY looking forward to my forthcoming trip to Jerusalem, but for the £25 West End price, I could see five shows at the Globe. Or the National Theatre. Or 250 shows at the Royal Court, where standing tickets are sold for 10p. Can't argue with that.
Currently, I am listening to the One Man Two Guvnors soundtrack, which I was lucky enough to see at the National Theatre this summer (another reason why standing tickets are good: getting into sold-out shows). Stood at the back, boogying to the magnificent skiffle stylings of the Craze, is one of my best memories from the theatre. I would love to see the show again, it is a comedic masterpiece, but I think I'd want to stand again...
After all, it's much harder to dance sitting down...
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Save RHUL Classics
I'm going to go into masses of detail, since I don't have all the information to hand, but I feel it is worth mentioning.
On Monday (27th) Royal Holloway announced it would essentially be cutting the Department of Classics and Philosophy. An official statement was released by the Head of Department, Anne Sheppard.
I'm not directly affected by the cuts, but several of my friends are. I also studied Classics at A Level and at one point was considering applying to study it at university.
The thing that really gets me about this is that Royal Holloway is a university with a strong background in the arts - and yes, Classics is covered by the Faculty of Arts. This was one of the overriding reasons for my choosing to attend the University (to study Drama). I wanted to study somewhere which valued my chosen field.
However, it would appear from these cuts that the Arts are no longer held in such high esteem. In the light of the £9000 fees, there seems to be a feeling that it is better to monetize on the more profitable courses, such as Management. Management, which is currently enjoying a £3 million extension. That, I feel speaks volumes.
A final point: Only 17 institutions in this country, including Royal Holloway, currently offer degrees in Classics. However, if your chosen path was Management, you'd be spoilt for choice with 89 different institutions offering courses. To quote from Mary Beard's article above "you cant do the cultural history of the West WITHOUT Classics -- or if you do, you make some ghastly errors" - and yet Classics as a subject is facing extinction and Royal Holloway are doing nothing but speeding it on it's way.
On Monday (27th) Royal Holloway announced it would essentially be cutting the Department of Classics and Philosophy. An official statement was released by the Head of Department, Anne Sheppard.
Proposals for cuts affecting the Department of Classics and Philosophy at Royal HollowayMary Beard writes more about the cuts in this article.
I'm not directly affected by the cuts, but several of my friends are. I also studied Classics at A Level and at one point was considering applying to study it at university.
The thing that really gets me about this is that Royal Holloway is a university with a strong background in the arts - and yes, Classics is covered by the Faculty of Arts. This was one of the overriding reasons for my choosing to attend the University (to study Drama). I wanted to study somewhere which valued my chosen field.
However, it would appear from these cuts that the Arts are no longer held in such high esteem. In the light of the £9000 fees, there seems to be a feeling that it is better to monetize on the more profitable courses, such as Management. Management, which is currently enjoying a £3 million extension. That, I feel speaks volumes.
A final point: Only 17 institutions in this country, including Royal Holloway, currently offer degrees in Classics. However, if your chosen path was Management, you'd be spoilt for choice with 89 different institutions offering courses. To quote from Mary Beard's article above "you cant do the cultural history of the West WITHOUT Classics -- or if you do, you make some ghastly errors" - and yet Classics as a subject is facing extinction and Royal Holloway are doing nothing but speeding it on it's way.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Why the name?
In response to an inquiry by my friend Mary, I have decided to explain the name of this blog.
It happened one bright sunny day, at the Winchester Hat Fair (=street theatre festival) and I was walking along with my good friend Katy, when I suddenly became aware, out of the corner of my eye, of something approaching at a worryingly rapid speed.
As one does in such a situation, I flinched, and managed to avoid the mysterious object. Katy, being a good and caring friend, enquired what was wrong.
"It was a hypothetical bird" said I. "I had to move to avoid it."
As you will be well aware, Hypothetical Birds are a growing threat in this country, and naturally I felt a responsibility to spread awareness. And so, doing my duty to my fellow human beings, I named my blog "Hypothetical Birds".
So now you know.
It happened one bright sunny day, at the Winchester Hat Fair (=street theatre festival) and I was walking along with my good friend Katy, when I suddenly became aware, out of the corner of my eye, of something approaching at a worryingly rapid speed.
As one does in such a situation, I flinched, and managed to avoid the mysterious object. Katy, being a good and caring friend, enquired what was wrong.
"It was a hypothetical bird" said I. "I had to move to avoid it."
As you will be well aware, Hypothetical Birds are a growing threat in this country, and naturally I felt a responsibility to spread awareness. And so, doing my duty to my fellow human beings, I named my blog "Hypothetical Birds".
So now you know.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Theatre.
I know I haven't blogged for a (very long) while, but now I finally have something to say.
You've probably heard about the cuts the government are imposing on the arts? If you're friends with me in the real world you almost certainly have.
Alexander Wright, of Belt Up Theatre, sums it up far more neatly than me.
There has been a lot of discussion about the arts cuts recently, particularly at the Olivier Awards coverage on the BBC, where the point was made that without regional theatres, the blessed London Theatreland cannot continue to be "world leading".
And I agree.
Regional theatres are heavily subsidised by both local and national government, and will therefore be suffering cuts from both sides. The problem is that regional theatres are also the places where the risks are taken. Regional theatres are the places that run outreach programmes. Regional theatres are the places that pull new audiences into the theatre. Perhaps most importantly, regional theatres are the places that take risks, on new companies like Belt Up, that allow these companies to experiment, to take the risks neccessary to make their own way in the big bad world of theatre.
I didn't exactly grow up in a regional theatre, but it was where I had my first experiences of both performing and working backstage at a professional theatre. These places are valuable.
The cuts aren't going to stop theatremakers. I will still work in the theatre. My mind was made up on this when I was 5 years old, and no bloody government is going to stop me. But they can make my life, and the lives of my contempories very difficult.
You've probably heard about the cuts the government are imposing on the arts? If you're friends with me in the real world you almost certainly have.
Alexander Wright, of Belt Up Theatre, sums it up far more neatly than me.
There has been a lot of discussion about the arts cuts recently, particularly at the Olivier Awards coverage on the BBC, where the point was made that without regional theatres, the blessed London Theatreland cannot continue to be "world leading".
And I agree.
Regional theatres are heavily subsidised by both local and national government, and will therefore be suffering cuts from both sides. The problem is that regional theatres are also the places where the risks are taken. Regional theatres are the places that run outreach programmes. Regional theatres are the places that pull new audiences into the theatre. Perhaps most importantly, regional theatres are the places that take risks, on new companies like Belt Up, that allow these companies to experiment, to take the risks neccessary to make their own way in the big bad world of theatre.
I didn't exactly grow up in a regional theatre, but it was where I had my first experiences of both performing and working backstage at a professional theatre. These places are valuable.
The cuts aren't going to stop theatremakers. I will still work in the theatre. My mind was made up on this when I was 5 years old, and no bloody government is going to stop me. But they can make my life, and the lives of my contempories very difficult.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
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