Resurrected at last, 'we' challenge and question whereabouts the perfect work setting came from and how obsession, distractions and idealisation might be a monster mistake...
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Over a year since our first interview, new MA Acting graduate ‘Toni’ tells all on what life now has to offer and how to fuel that all-important creative spark. (*Firstly, I just want to say thank you Laura for having me back. I was thrilled the first time you wanted to talk, so to be asked back again is just wonderful.*) Top Three Tips for that all important work, study, life balance.
Charlie’s Café – Wood Green Charlie’s has been my go-to café. It’s a little gem with fantastic pastries and cakes, and has the kindest team working there. The Southbank/Waterloo I love walking from Borough Market, to The Bridge Theatre, to The Globe, to the OXO tower, along the river to The National and then over to The Old Vic and The Young Vic. It is so many of my favourite places in one walk, plus the view is one of my favourite parts of London. Greenwich I adore Greenwich. It’s such a beautiful place to walk around, with amazing museums. Also it's home to THE BEST BROWNIES I’VE EVER HAD, which you will find at The Bad Brownie Company in Greenwich Market. Best Advice for anyone considering applying to Drama School: Be nice to everyone. Don’t be rude to people in the office or people giving you tours. I worked on audition days. I told the tutors if someone was rude. If you don’t get in, keep going. You can always try again next year. Then fill that year with things that will enrich you. See shows, read books, meet new people, go to museums. Your Five Most Memorable MA Moments: 1. My first day- I have never been so excited and nervous in my entire life. We had to perform our monologues again. It was more terrifying than the actual audition. Everyone was a stranger and we were all hoping they weren’t going to announce we’d been given a place by mistake – which they obviously didn’t. 2. Our Creative Project Festival – We had to write a thesis and make an accompanying show. The MA Musical Theatre and MA Actors shared them all over a few weeks. It was so beautiful to see people sharing projects that meant a lot to them and that challenged them. I was so proud of everyone. 3. Our Final Show – I worked with an incredible director, Robyn Winfield-Smith. She made our performance of Caryl Churchill’s ‘Love and Information’ magic. 4.The Improv Wedding – We had 3 hour improv classes, once a week which spanned over our first time. Our characters were created in the first week and their stories were guided and developed by our teacher. I was the bride and had the worst wedding ever! It was so much fun to live in a character for such a long time. 5.Thanksgiving- I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my American housemate. Without going into a long story, Mark Ravenhill, a playwright I have admired for many years, came to my house for the celebration. He ate the food I cooked. I played charades with him. I definitely had a ‘how is this my life right now?’ moments. The first of many of these kind of moments, I am happy to say. Hopes for the Future: Besides the hope of being paid to make art, mainly to make are that is part of a conversation. The way I want to make work and the type of work I enjoy has developed so much this past year. I just want to make good art. I want to stay in London and create – by myself, with friends, with strangers, I don’t mind. Your Four Favourite Quotes on Acting, Writing or Theatre-making: (*This was the hardest question!*) ‘Make good art’ – Neil Gaiman ‘Let your light shine’ – Sterling K Brown ‘The actor’s art is the art of action,’ – Mike Alfreds ‘You are enough. You are so enough, it is unbelievable how enough you are,’ – Sierra Boggess Go back and write to yourself on the first day of your first term. What advice would you give to Toni now-living in London, about to embark on a new course/adventure? You’ve been waiting for this for ten years. Take in every moment, take in every lesson. It will go by far too quickly. You are going to meet people who will change your life for the better, see theatre that will blow your mind, be taught by people who have an incomparable wealth of knowledge and experience. You are finally living in London, the city you have wanted to live in for so many years. Don’t waste a second. Be you - you’ve found it difficult to be you your entire life, these people will love you for everything you dislike about yourself, it will make you a better creator and a happier person. Be brave. You can do it, even when you’ve forgotten what sleep is, you’ll get there. Enjoy being the best version of you that you have ever been, you will only grow more. This will be the happiest year of your life to date. You deserve this. This is everything you have been working towards. Open your eyes. Look where you are. You are here. (*I’m pretty proud that this advice was something I actually managed to follow throughout the past year. Looking back, I just about listened to all of it.*) The day begins like any other. You stretch, yawn and head downstairs for breakfast. It’s September, your birthday month and it’s been a year and thirteen days since your blog’s official birth. Call me bleary-eyed, forgetful or a bad blog-parent… but it’s been a long year. Once the coffee is poured, you try and get a handle on your inspirational infant’s achievements since 7th September 2017 and like any parent/artist you rely on the internet to tell you whether you’re doing it right. Yes, it’s officially a year since I, Laura, launched a Luke Skywalker solo mission into the sun in the pursuit of creativity. And while the cheese block of artistic thought never quite melted, @theatrepower is older and wiser to the closed-door world of working creative endeavour and Laura has emerged with a fondue* stick out of the other side (just in case.) So what exactly is a one-year old metaphorical monster supposed to be doing at this point? I know we’re warned not to walk before we can run but has this thing even got legs? It’s a well-known fact that some babies start early, steadily improving their mobile and babbling** abilities. From the starting gun however, this freshly delivered blog was clear, in creating a blog to create, explore and try to understand how artists maintain their individual sparks, no 'goo goo' or 'ga ga' required. But despite the established enthusiasm and energy, this baby blog reached a slow, downhill roly-poly posting decline. Tiny, new and exciting things take time and a whole lot of energy so 2018 Laura believes that the power of this blog’s dormancy is testament to needing a recharge. It’s been said time and again of work pressure killing anything dreamed possible and work was a big factor of post-graduate living. (I doubt Shakespeare transported to the modern day minimum wage could have whittled up Macbeth after a twelve hour shift at McDonalds.) But the best equipped creative people do and that’s where we can all learn a thing or two… Kids stick to routine and begin to understand discipline by focusing their attention on goals of every size. All creative endeavours stay creative, however small and the smaller they are the easier fit they are into your routine (and the bigger the spark grows, one day at a time.) Any working day feels more enjoyable if you’ve got ideas bouncing around. Once I started engaging with other creatives ideas started popping in my brain like popcorn. Notebooks were started, never finished or abandoned but at least I made the time to hold a pen. *** Babies and adults alike require some routine, but if your routine is making you stressed, worn out and unhappy especially in terms of your creative thinking you need to take the time to refocus. Stop fixating on writing a novel as you try and drift off and instead start reading again before bed. Listen to new music on your commute or doodle on your lunch break. See the world anew, take some time to notice your surrounding whether it be your favourite people, favourite part in nature or even your favourite shirt. The world is always trying to express its beauty and wonder to you; just look at poetry dude, those guys are well excited. Learning to write can honestly feel like the familiar uphill challenge of mastering language in the first place. But persistence will always help you to expand if you don’t try to run away with the whole thing. Small steps is a state of mind, ironically baby steps will take you further than any new-born the bookies pitted as an upcoming marathon superstar. The good stuff will take a long time. Remember, good things come to those who wait (and work hard), no one had Einstein destined for greatness while he was flicking food off of his high chair. TOP BLOG PARENTING TIPS OF THE YEAR
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG-BABY. LET’S WALK ON! (*I have never tried fondue. Alison did once and never her expression alone in retelling the story is enough to put me off for eternity. Still, wahoo for cheese-related imagery.) (**In conversation I am a non-stop babbler of almost Guiness Book of Record level speed. In some ways, we never grow up.) (***Whoever has finished a notebook completely, no lines or pages missed or stuck together, please DM me with the recipe to your success. I am a first pager who is too easily seduced by new stationary.) Pencilling a show date into your diary (and then underlining it and covering it in stars with your favourite pen) is probably one of theatre's greatest feelings. The greatest experience of course is watching a live show that supersedes any expectation after so many days, weeks and months of waiting; your phone's countdown app ready to explode with excitement. As theatre fans, we sense both the adrenaline and the turmoil of waiting to take our seats, the very first note on the orchestral score setting our hearts into race mode as we absorb every moment unfolding before us, each image holding a lasting impression on both our hearts and minds. Our spines tingle, and we laugh and cry, over and over until the show is done, our minds transported by a talented cast for the cost of a single ticket. Certain shows, as a result, stay with us forever... On Saturday, after 11 months and 21 days I was taking my seat in the Royal Circle for a matinee performance of Hamilton: An American Musical. My friends and I were past patiently waitin’ and no, were were not throwing away our shot. (**As a newcomer to the London theatre scene and a show that may be completely new to some audiences, the remainder of this article is spoiler free!) The power of a show's lasting impression can be dynamite, lighting up your enthusiasm as you tell anyone that will listen about your latest theatre trip. For Hamilton, as you may have already guessed, I remain a powder keg about to explode. To avoid a Lafayette-style rap of my favourite moments and for everyone's safety, sanity and to stay spoiler-free my overall performance review is bullet pointed below. (To anyone wishing to see the rap, I'm ready for a coffee and full dissection of the show anytime.) 1. The newly refurbished Victoria Palace theatre is beautiful in every sense, the best feature being its super inclusive layout. There is no such thing as looking down from the heavens here, if anything the Royal Circle puts you almost parallel with the actors. You are even closer to the action and making that all important character eye-contact with Hamilton and Co. If you are planning to see the show soon, check your seating plan and get excited, you will always be in range for the action. 2. Expect familiarity, but enjoy the subtle changes. Keep an open eye and mind when absorbing those carbon-copied moves, staging and costume choices from the original cast and embrace the foreboding set of expectations the London cast face in executing Lin's musical. Treat the performance as a celebration of energy and talent, the cast's stamina and unique characterisations in certain moments paving the way for a Hamilton for the UK. Regard the overall performance as one of the most extraordinary musical feats this side of the Atlantic, regardless of who's in whose shoes. 3. This truly is the hardest working cast in the West End. If the Hamilton from history deserved to ‘take a break’ these guys are his equal. 4. Whether you’ve seen it, heard it or never heard of Hamilton this show is a breath of fresh air to your existing repertoire. Though us Brits love a stuffy musical full of strife, suffering and stifling period costumes (Les Mis and Phantom to name a few) the flexibility of the score, direction and overall pace of the show will shock even the biggest Sondheim or Webber fan into action. 5. Hamilton only promises a better future full of new challenges for writers and audiences alike. Like the Book of Mormons killer combination of religion, parody and comedy to inform and entertain, Hamilton is not holding back in representing a combined cast of characters, whose intertwined stories transport and transform audiences. For first-timers to Hamilton's world the layering of a musical narrative with well-fleshed out characters seems an impossible bar for new shows to reach... but who in the world of theatre doesn't love a challenge? To sum up, everything you have already read about Hamilton is true. Reviewers are speechless for a reason... Even if you never see this show, read up about it. Theatre truly is a mirror to the current climate and as a musical born from current America about its history, with a strict policy on P.O.C. casting, Hamilton is making waves in more ways than one. Listening to the songs alone online paints a brilliant narrative image and short videos/trailers for the show alongside its Tony Awards performance provide a great insight to why the worlds turned upside down over this show. Check out the links below! Hamilton's 70th Anniversary Tony Awards Performance Entire Hamilton Soundtrack on YouTube Hamilton: The Revolution hardcover book Antonia ‘Toni’ Underwood is an Acting undergraduate from Northampton University now embarking on a Masters in Acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. In the three years since graduating Toni has been nurturing her creative spark and outlook through a variety of volunteer, work and solo opportunities. Artist Focus is here to ask how she does it. Within your post-graduate life, what have been your favourite opportunities? During my time at Northampton University I made connections with some incredible artists working in the industry who provided wonderful learning opportunities. I have been fortunate enough to work a lot with The Royal & Derngate theatre on various projects whether as a workshop leader, as an actor in The Shakespeare Story Trail or as a writer as part of their Arts Leaders project. I was also assistant director on their Christmas show for children under 7 and their families – Second Star to the Right. I got to work with director Jesse Jones on the show - an incredible director and deviser that I learnt a lot from. What key motivations keep your creative spark burning? I pride myself on being able to motivate myself well, but it is a struggle at times because freelance work can be uncertain and you alone are responsible for your goals. I think in those times especially I have to remind myself of what I want to do and why. I also reflect on my goals and why it is important to have goals of different levels – some outcomes which I know I may be able to achieve in the month or the year, and then things I may not be able to reach for ten years. I try to view myself as a work in progress. I love learning and developing my skills at any stage so, even if I have achieved a new goal, I keep considering what I can do to steadily improve as a performer, writer and creative. Describe your earliest memories of the theatre. I’ve always been enchanted by theatre. I’ve always loved musicals, , especially the Wizard of Oz and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which I saw when I was ten and was mesmerized by the whole world of it. I didn’t start performing until I was twelve, at school in my drama classes (aside from the occasional Christmas show at primary school). I was painfully shy but also creative. We were put into groups to perform the Witches ‘Double Double, Toil and Trouble’ speech from Macbeth and I distinctly remember sharing it with the others in my class and never having felt anything like it. I think I surprised them with how confident I was in it and I surprised myself too – and then I never stopped performing. I’ve also always loved writing and reading stories and love to identify/fall into any world that allows me to explore or live vicariously in a completely new world quite happily. If you could invent your own career in the arts what would it be? My ideal and what I’m daily trying to strive to be is an actor, a writer (both plays and novels) and a theatre maker. I’m just not quite sure what the job would be called… Sometimes I see myself acting in work that I write, but I also see the two as separate things in my life. If I could go through my life combining those things I would be incredibly happy. After finishing an Undergraduate Acting Degree you’re now embarking on a Masters course at Drama School. How are both experiences in comparison so far? I can easily draw similarities in some subjects we are covering – but equally I’m getting to explore many subjects and skills I didn’t at university. So I get the best of both worlds. In both of the courses I felt very blissfully engulfed within the course – getting to do what I want to do every day and working with a great group of people, it’s wonderful. Personally I’ve developed and changed a lot since both the start of my undergraduate course and now and also since the end of my undergraduate. A huge development of self-confidence and also an ability to give myself a break and feel comfortable in being silly and making mistakes means that I can approach everything with more ease and dive into it. I also think there is a difference between what is on my doorstep between living in Northampton and living in London. I had a wonderful experience working with The Royal & Derngate whilst in my Undergrad- and it has shaped me as a person and artist. Currently I have so much theatre and culture on my doorstep in London that its almost overwhelming but brilliant. I definitely feel like I have needed both of these steps in my life and even if there are certain skills I am recapping, to have different professionals teaching me them and to be exposed to different people from the industry at a different time in my life – I can learn and have learnt so many different things from both courses. As the founder of both Underlines and Kindness Continues how important are side projects to you in terms of keeping creativity alive? I am very much a project person – as soon as I get ideas I fall head first into a love with it and fill up notebooks and Pinterest boards dedicated to it, even if I don’t have the time or resources to develop those things further in that moment. I thrive off of being able to explore ideas and feeling inspired and so putting ideas into function and seeing them as formed (yet not necessarily complete) ideas makes me feel proud and also makes me feel creatively in control. Whilst I am at Mountview, I am finding it incredibly difficulty to keep on top of any of my ideas or projects because I am in such a bubble at the minute. But as I am just finishing my first term of my Masters, I hope that things like my Christmas break will allow me to revisit and rework those projects making them relevant for me in this moment of my life and see how they will propel me into the next stage of my career. I very much see Underlines as an ever-evolving part of my career and eventually a platform for me to create theatre as well as workshops. Kindness Continues started off as a fundraising project for my Masters course and to give back to a wider community through the kind acts of others. This is something I will definitely rework when I have a little more time and make is solely focused on spreading kindness to others – rather than helping me as well. For me it is important to help, to get out of the world of just the arts and look at a bigger scope of humans. To help people, to learn from them and be inspired by them, that for me is one of the best ways I fuel my creativity. Follow Kindness Continues on instagram Any advice for those just ‘starting out’ in the world of theatre? Don’t just sit around and wait things to come to you. It won’t. Push yourself to send an email to your local theatre group, to local industry people you know or have heard about and make connections. It often leads to other connections and opportunities. Volunteer when you can, when it is beneficial to you. If you work for free for a day but get to meet a brilliant emerging artist, or get to develop a skill – I fully recommend it. Learn. Watch theatre, read books -theatrical and non-theatrical, go to a library or to museums. If you get invited to networking events or can find a way to be, go, even if it scares you a little (I’ve been going to them for five years and I’m still nervous). Watch shows and not just West End shows, see Fringe shows, regional shows, in-house productions, touring and beyond. One-man shows, musicals, physical theatre, clowning, street theatre, high-budget and low-budget. Whatever you can – and keep your eyes out for discount tickets and free theatre. I also think just do it, on whatever level you can. If you want to act, find student film-makers and contact them. If you want to write- write, then let people you trust read it and maybe put on a play reading with friends or with a theatre group. Finally, I would say surround yourself with people who are inspiring, who are like-minded but not necessarily the same as you or share the same likes in the arts, but who want to work hard or have discussions about creativity. Talk to those who will support you, who will inspire you and who will pick you up and do the same in return. It is a million times better than working against people because you think they are competition. Learn from anyone you can. sophie says: 'Can The Globalised Megamusical Still Be An Authentic Theatrical Experience?'9/20/2017 When you think of the theatre what comes to mind?
Is it memories of performing amateur dramatics in a church hall? Or, maybe, it's some of the fantastic and, perhaps, not so fantastic shows you have seen. As you think about the question are you visualising a classic Arthur Miller play, a Shakespearean drama or a lavish musical? I, for one, immediately think of London’s glittering West End with its bustling streets and colourful, luminous advertisements. These eye-catching visuals are hard to ignore, their dazzling aesthetic enticing you into theatres to watch shows as bright and bold as the LED lights adorning their buildings (and their stage sets). This is just one, comparatively small, instance of the ‘mega’ that makes the ‘megamusical’. As it stands, the megamusical is perhaps the most enduring and commercially successful genre within the contemporary theatre scene. Differing from a ‘normal’ musical, a megamusical is an almost entirely sung-through performance with a huge-scale production in which the spectacle of elaborate set, costume and props can often dwarf a plot’s importance. Megamusicals with their near Hollywood-style marketing and various identical international productions are the real money-maker of both the West End and Broadway – think Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Les Misérables and Miss Saigon. London's commercial West End figures between 2012-13 totaled an utterly staggering £403 million. Now while I may have done a theatre degree and in my time seen a wide range of clever, wonderful and downright bizarre theatre I, just as many other people, love watching a good megamusical. Although, unlike a lot of people who watch megamusicals, until recently I had never seen the same show more than once. The idea may seem odd to someone who does not visit the theatre very regularly: why pay, sometimes extortionate amounts, to watch the exact same thing? But if you run a theatre circle it is very common to know people who have seen a certain show fewer than half a dozen times. Thus, when Miss Saigon, a show I had previously seen at the Prince Edward Theatre in London, arrived at the Birmingham Hippodrome on its UK and Ireland Tour I snapped up two tickets. While I was excited to see the show again, the adrenaline wasn't the same as the first time, an observation I attribute to the fact that I have since listened to the Miss Saigon's soundtrack repeatedly. Despite this however, seeing the production for a second time my heart again ached just as much when Chris describes Kim as the ‘April moon.' I still felt goose bumps during the rousing song ‘The Morning Of The Dragon’ and I was again in awe of the huge helicopter on stage. In summary, I was, yet again, enthralled. The biggest argument that a megamusical cannot generate a truly emotive and authentic theatrical experience stems from the fact that each production, no matter where you see it in the world, is completely identical. However, I do not mean this in the sense of Shakespeare’s Hamlet or Williams’ Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, whereby the plot is exactly the same while the set design and interpretation of the text differs production-to-production. With a megamusical it is not simply the book, score and lyrics that are the same world over but the set, props, costume and even the choreography. In essence, if you were to erect three stages side-by-side each with a running performance of Wicked (one from New York, London and Seoul), then they would appear as carbon copies of each other. It is on this topic that in his acutely critical work, Theatre and Globalisation, Dan Rebellato describes how the theatre has ‘been affected by the globalisation of the economy just as everything else has’. (Rebellato, 2009) He goes on to explain how this can be seen ‘in the franchising of international ‘megamusicals’, such as The Lion King, which are given near-identical productions in dozens of different theatres across the world’. (Rebellato, 2009, 9) The main problem with this type of theatre being that it loses its liveliness and its responsiveness to an audience in place of smooth, manufactured reproduction. This why I was so surprised at my own reactions to watching Miss Saigon, for while the moments that made me gasp and cry felt finite they will be repeated again and again, exactly the same in every performance that will follow. Although the idea of globalised theatre may be new to you it is not that far removed from many other globalised commodities, if we are considering theatre a commodity of sorts. Perhaps most recognisable of these global franchises is that of Coca Cola and McDonalds, the latter being so notable in this way that it is no coincidence that megamusicals are colloquially also dubbed ‘McTheatre’. But truly, the similarities between megamusicals and McDonalds are almost striking, for 1) they are franchises that create products that are sold identically all over the world and 2) the aim of these products is to provide a familiar experience. Would we buy a McDonalds at the airport on holiday if a Spanish Big Mac looked and tasted different to what we have in England? Probably not and same goes for the theatre. For, simply put, megamusicals are enduringly popular because we know what we are getting with them; there are no nasty theatrical surprises hidden between the buns. By way of conclusion we must come back to the question: can megamusicals be considered an authentic piece of theatre? The answer is yes … or no … or maybe – it depends who you are really. If that doesn’t make sense let me put it in another way, do you consider a McDonalds an authentic meal? Now, the clean eating, gluten free vegan might say no that question in the same way he might stick his nose up at The Lion King but lose his mind with excitement over Pina Bausch’s latest piece. A large portion of general population might then be happy to say that, yes, they do love tucking into a Maccies and watching The Phantom of the Opera. In my opinion, authenticity is in the eye of beholder, I mean there is always going to be someone who is watching a show for the very first time without a frame of reference. If there wasn’t, the West End would long out of business. Written by Sophie Perry Rebellato, Dan. Theatre & Globalization. Theatre&. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2009. For any creative mind, being fresh out of university poses many challenges. How to stay focused, inspired and how to keep that all-important spark alive. Artist Focus is here to provide interviews with artists in the big, wide world and pose those very questions. As a recent BA Film graduate from Falmouth University, Sophie Hurry (https://sophiehurry.com) is keen for a career in experimental film practice. At the start of her professional journey, Sophie looks forward to discovering new practices, techniques and outlets for inspiration and Artist Focus is here to ask how she does it. 1. Why and how did you decide to pursue film? From theatre, art, photography, music and writing I’ve always been interested in the creative industries, set on a task or involved in a project. But nothing quite stuck like film. Film was always so natural to me. Whether picking up a camera or working on film projects, I was always at my happiest when life involved video production. My desire to make my film ambitions more concrete rested on my university choices and A-Level success, and, at the time, I wasn’t aware that art could be approached through the medium of film so struggled to connect to art. However, I succeeded in media and studied an AS Level in Film in my second year all as part of my individual studies. After my A-Levels I pursued a degree in Film at Falmouth University. At the start of my degree, working in crews became more difficult, a complete contrast to my experiences working with friends on fun projects back home. I began to doubt my teamwork capabilities until both my degree and myself changed upon being introduced to experimental filmmaking in my second year. Here, I realised a creative approach to filmmaking was what I desired most and established a connection to my initial passion for film. Despite enjoying independent projects, I am very excited to the possibilities to creative collaboration and the future of working with others in a niche I feel suited. 2. Describe your artist style and influences. I’d describe my style currently as very personal and nostalgic. By concentrating on the beauty and pain of human psychology and relationships, I feel that my films have often been very open and honest. I use mixed media (digital, vhs, super 8mm) to unlock and explore each medium’s meaning, and unlock any new perspective when combining several. Whenever I have struggled for resources in the past, I make sure to continue creating, returning to solely digital films if needs be. With my recent introduction to the wonders of experimental and avante-garde cinema, I’ve only discovered a handful of artist filmmakers so far who continue to influence my work.
3. Life gets busy. What is the best way to stay inspired? Constantly create, always have something on the go, no matter how prominent it may take shape in your daily life. Make sure there is always something worth thinking about or towards, so if you don't have the opportunity to do it, you can think on it. Remaining in this mind frame will allow you to see things when you least expect them, an inspiration or idea that takes itself forward into your work. 4. Describe your perfect creative space. A sturdy place to sit where the desk is at the perfect height so you could fold your legs under your knee and you would still fit underneath. The chair is comfy but not too comfy that you sink. My laptop, a million pens, notebooks and cameras strewn and a big cup of coffee. This is great for editing, pre-production and planning. If I'm filming, put a camera in my hand and every space becomes a creative space. If I have a lens to look through or a shot to frame I feel constantly creative. 5. Your favourite project so far. Every project is a piece of me and therefore holds a part of me in some way or another. As a personal success, my 9 minute film Space Repudiation was my most creative, emotional and psychologically challenging film. I pushed boundaries and most definitely comfort zones, creating something so close and raw to my heart. The response from many has been the most rewarding thing and therefore the film has become my favourite work. 6. The best thing about film. That every individual experience for a film remains completely subjective from the persons viewing situation to their format to what mind set they were in that day to the life experiences that they hold. If you open yourself up to film you will realise more things about yourself than many other mediums can. This goes for watching a film to making your own. What remains particularly fascinating about experimental film is that when you watch enough you can choose to what extent you become the film in front of you or you become its meaning and purpose. Film can lend you someone else's eye, a different view point to the world and therefore you can feel safe in knowing that you are never isolated in what you think or feel or know. 7. Hopes for the future. I would like to study a masters in Experimental Film, and I have a place on a course at Kingston University starting in September 2018. In the mean time, I want to continue furthering my understanding of the bridge joining together film and art. This means developing my professional practice as an artist and engaging with the community of artists-filmmakers around me. Besides this, as long as I'm creating and growing I'll be happy and excited for what's to come. Follow Sophie and her work at the following links: Orbiting the room with a handmade lamp spotlight, Butt Kapinski is no ordinary private-eye. This peculiar police detective needs your help to construct a film-noir and solve several 'murdereerrs' within the hour. Ready to pounce and interact with an audience of human props, this show is twistier than Fincher, the intricacy of the film-noir genre pulling on the strings or entrails of audience anticipation. Somewhat of a clowning exercise gone right, Butt's character invites intrigue, his hyperactive caricature and accent becoming a Fringe highlight in an immersive adventure that refuses to sit still. Any audience unease quickly erupts into laughter as Butt threads his way through the seating, the crunchy shifting of his spotlight lampshade highlighting crimes all over town. By handing the audience the reins to adventure, this is admirable immersive comic theatre. For anyone apprehensive about interactive performances, the formula feels less deer-in-the-headlights more bull-by-the-horns, the fear of taking to the stage for audience members eradicated a level cabaret style space. No one is safe, but few people mind, the careful weaving of plot and audience immersion providing the glue that secures the magic involved in holding audiences the palm of the performer. This is not Puck in the park poking at the audience for fun. This is a crafted, courageous and downright crazy hour of life no one is getting back. So tuck your bags under your seats and head for Pleasance Dome. There's a mystery to solve, goddammit. Any truly successful play has heart, and New Perspectives are hitting the creative target full-on with ‘Finding Nana’ – a particularly poignant one-woman show that explores lives affected by dementia. As an autobiographical play by Jane Upton, ‘Finding Nana’ embraces the conflict of grief beautifully, emotions handled dextrously onstage by Phoebe Frances Brown. The space is minimal, a single bed providing the spectacle and detail to Jane’s detailed storytelling. Though the production itself is modest, the pairing of space and play here is well-matched, with the intimacy of closer moments reflecting resonance and heartache. The use of voice-over gives a further impression of Jane’s world, it’s sparing use not distracting from the versatility of Brown’s performance as she switches between states. Video projection, would have been welcome as a transition throughout the show for anyone wanting helpful visual detail, though the language speaks for itself for those keen to listen. For aspiring writers looking to create from experience, ‘Finding Nana’ proves a great starting point, handling dementia and Jane’s story with a careful sensitivity. With the commonality of dementia as disease, it is impossible not to relate to the story at hand, the careful handling of story and imagery making this an unmissable show for anyone who has ever found it hard to say goodbye. Any show atmosphere is exciting, the journey to your seat full with anticipation. With a busy Fringe schedule as usual, last-minute decisions provide an extra thrill, the mystery surrounding new shows turning the air electric. For a show with 'choir' in the title, traditional values are expected, though the nine-strong cast from the creators of Gobsmacked! are keen to change your mind... Choir dress is long forgotten. Traditional church pews are abandoned entirely for a fun, friendly pub setting where vocalists are introduced as characters keen to share their stories through modified pop hits. With a repertoire of song ranging from 'The Pina Colada Song' to Adele, this choir are keen to shake things up, delivering songs the audience recognise with vocal sophistication, generating new appeal for modern choirs. Some may criticise the show's easy method, but its entertainment value is effective, the simplicity of the show's concept creating a relaxed atmosphere. Pints are shared with the audience, the cast bringing a lucky few onstage to share in the pub atmosphere. Smaller, independent pubs we are reminded are under threat in the economy, with the show's positive nature only heightening the sense of nostalgia and community pubs provide. Though characters are presented and songs are delivered, the consideration for whether 'The Choir of Man' qualifies as theatre is limited. For those invested in the choir's 'characters,' information is lacking within a structure where solos are responsible for full character development. Unlike in musical theatre, much remains to be explored, though anything extra would admittedly reduce the show's repertoire. As a choir, the company challenge the form in a carefree structure that refuses, unlike most Fringe shows, to take itself to seriously, its effect proving truly refreshing. Overall, this show's clever setting highlights the drama of life positively, making a conventional genre more contemporary through its young, energetic cast. Through sharing stories and lives at their local, we are encouraged to 'knock back' our critical minds for a pint or two and enjoy a show designed to entertain. Performances are spectacular, casting wonder of which talents lie hidden within our own communities and we are reminded how important creative streaks can be when entering a room. *knock back |
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