Digging
…as the late, great Seamus Heaney wrote – I have been doing a lot of it in my garden; nettle roots, brambles and briars. Clearing space. Also, since Edinburgh, I have had time for more School of Night and Showstopper shenanigans, an appearance in the new i=u festival in Hackney – http://www.iequalsufestival.com/ – reciting Poe’s the Tell-Tale Heart with two clarinettists, and a reading of Daisy Campbell’s new adaptation of Robert Anton Wilson’s Cosmic Trigger. Next weekend my first glut of theatre in ages, including Rylance’s much-maligned Much Ado at The Old Vic, and the mighty Blood and Chocolate in York http://www.pilot-theatre.com/?idno=1183 – ....
Read MoreHot and sticky
Finally, the heat has come, and I am in Ipswich doing the very first development work on next year’s Moby Dick with some lovely members of the Wolsey Youth Theatre. Then off to Leeds for different R&D with Opera North, still with the Whale – then Edinburgh again, The Showstoppers’ sixth, with wife and child, to see if we can all handle the Festival madness one more (last?) time…
Read MoreSpring (with added snow)
Just back from Leeds, devising for The Johnny Eck and Dave Toole Show, which will be on next month – http://www.wyp.org.uk/what’s-on/2013/the-johnny-eck-and-dave-toole-show/. Very exciting. The Showstoppers soon return to The Udderbelly South Bank for a fourth year – http://www.udderbelly.co.uk/ – and The School of Night have gigs coming up at Shakespeare’s Globe (Apr 21, for the Bard’s birthday celebrations), The new St.James’ Theatre Studio (May 4/5) and Kings Place (May 16).
Read More2013!
Happy New Year! 59 Minutes to Save Christmas finished at The Barbican on Sunday, and a host of exciting new (and not so new) projects are coming up. 11-12 Jan I will be in the first 24 hours of the mighty 50-hr London Improvathon at Hoxton Hall, set this year in Cairo, c.1926. http://www.improvathon.co.uk/ for details. Then there’s performance art at the David Roberts Art Foundation in Camden, for filmmaker Laura Gannon; a corporate film for HP Printers filming in Tel Aviv and Barcelona; and more Showstoppers and 15 Minutes live for Slung Low.
Read MoreAutumn activity
Already it’s nearly October. Coming up, 15 Minutes Live, new radio plays recorded live in Leeds (see http://slunglow.macmate.me/page5/styled-9/index.html), The Most Gorgeous Lady Blessington, a new play at The Wallace Collection (see http://www.tangenttheatre.co.uk/)- and preparation for 59 Minutes To Save Christmas at The Barbican (http://www.barbican.org.uk/theatre/event-detail.asp?ID=13650). All this as well as The Showstoppers, The School of Night at the Jermyn Street Theatre (http://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/whatson.html#sundaysandmondaysatjermynstreet) and teaching at two different drama...
Read MoreThe wonderful ‘Burgh
Edinburgh has been kind to us this summer, only bringing occasional rain as opposed to the usual constant downpour. The School of Night has exceeded all expectations (http://www.edinburghspotlight.com/2012/08/fringe-review-%E2%80%93-the-school-of-night/, http://www.edinburghguide.com/festival/2012/edinburghfringe/theschoolofnightreview-11005 and many others), The Showstoppers is (are?) packing them in to a very hot late-night auditorium, and Trodd en Bratt is going great guns on the Free Fringe. Hits – Derevo brilliant as ever, Loretta Maine one hell of a show, and trips to Ariane Mnouchkine and others still coming in the last week. How it flies...
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