Sunday, 15 March 2009
rehearsal for The Country - Ribbon Dance
Once again Saturday found Natasha, Sandy and Frank prancing around at Camden People's Theatre, this time working out Daphne's Olympic Ribbon Dance for her forthcoming turn as Team Freetannia at the 2012 Olympics. We'd like to think that with these three as her coaches she stands a very good chance of winning gold!
Friday, 13 March 2009
City of Wings 2009 - street theatre festival in Ypres
Natasha is looking forward to visiting the City of Wings street theatre festival in Ypres on 4 April.
workshop at Central School of Speech and Drama II
Our workshop at Central was a resounding success!
We knew we wanted the students to experience our work rather than just explain it, so Frank and Natasha arrived as Colin and Susan, the Guildford Chapter of the Rambling Association.
Vociferously demanding the right to roam through the rehearsal room, the Central students gently pointed out the errors in Colin's map-reading skills (the map was upside down and of China), so our embarrassed walkers whipped out a tarpaulin and had a picnic of rich tea biscuits, polo mints and Kendal Mint Cake with the group instead.
Susan and Colin then morphed back into Natasha and Frank and talked the group through CCC's current repertoire to explain our artistic practice, from how we generate ideas to practical tips on working with the public.
Natasha and Frank then took the basic premise - to create an act in the style of CCC to raise money for Red Nose Day - and got the students to devise their own performance.
As the act needed to raise money the group was set the question:
How do people make money on the street?
The group then brainstormed and came up with a long list such as: busking, shoe-shining, prostitution, selling the Big Issue, collecting for charity, a market stall, begging, picking pockets, and gambling (card table, cup and ball etc.).
Once they had chosen the idea that appealed to them most they asked themselves one of the following:
Who is the least likely person to do this?
What is the least likely thing they would be asking for money for?
What is going wrong for them in this situation?
Frank and Natasha then wandered around asking each group or individual what ideas they had come up with, and were delighted at the wonderful scenarios emerging. Not only were the acts and characters funny and engaging, they managed to weave in social commentary on issues such as the current financial crisis, the war on terror, ageism, human trafficking, homelessness, the housing maket, and wheel-clamping with intelligence and humour. (Natasha and Frank did actually devise an act before the workshop (here's one we made earlier!) in case the students didn't come up with anything, but it ceratinly wasn't needed!)
The students were also so tuned in to the process that when a battery fell out of someone's pocket they immediately leapt on it to use as another idea. The other great thing to see was the idea sharing between groups.
The group then did practice performances, with the other students wandering past as the public would during a performance, and we discussed possible pitfalls such as physical contact with the public, the public ignoring your approach or being aggressive, and saying yes to teenagers.
So mission accomplished. The students came up with many workable ideas for Red Nose Day, and Colin and Susan got back to Guildford safely.
We knew we wanted the students to experience our work rather than just explain it, so Frank and Natasha arrived as Colin and Susan, the Guildford Chapter of the Rambling Association.
Vociferously demanding the right to roam through the rehearsal room, the Central students gently pointed out the errors in Colin's map-reading skills (the map was upside down and of China), so our embarrassed walkers whipped out a tarpaulin and had a picnic of rich tea biscuits, polo mints and Kendal Mint Cake with the group instead.
Susan and Colin then morphed back into Natasha and Frank and talked the group through CCC's current repertoire to explain our artistic practice, from how we generate ideas to practical tips on working with the public.
Natasha and Frank then took the basic premise - to create an act in the style of CCC to raise money for Red Nose Day - and got the students to devise their own performance.
As the act needed to raise money the group was set the question:
How do people make money on the street?
The group then brainstormed and came up with a long list such as: busking, shoe-shining, prostitution, selling the Big Issue, collecting for charity, a market stall, begging, picking pockets, and gambling (card table, cup and ball etc.).
Once they had chosen the idea that appealed to them most they asked themselves one of the following:
Who is the least likely person to do this?
What is the least likely thing they would be asking for money for?
What is going wrong for them in this situation?
Frank and Natasha then wandered around asking each group or individual what ideas they had come up with, and were delighted at the wonderful scenarios emerging. Not only were the acts and characters funny and engaging, they managed to weave in social commentary on issues such as the current financial crisis, the war on terror, ageism, human trafficking, homelessness, the housing maket, and wheel-clamping with intelligence and humour. (Natasha and Frank did actually devise an act before the workshop (here's one we made earlier!) in case the students didn't come up with anything, but it ceratinly wasn't needed!)
The students were also so tuned in to the process that when a battery fell out of someone's pocket they immediately leapt on it to use as another idea. The other great thing to see was the idea sharing between groups.
The group then did practice performances, with the other students wandering past as the public would during a performance, and we discussed possible pitfalls such as physical contact with the public, the public ignoring your approach or being aggressive, and saying yes to teenagers.
So mission accomplished. The students came up with many workable ideas for Red Nose Day, and Colin and Susan got back to Guildford safely.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
rehearsals for The Country - Bolero II
Allan (Daphne) and Nick (Mr Naughty, the man from the BBC) recreate Torvill and Dean's Bolero for the forthcoming production of The Country, or The Sovereign State of Freetannia.
Monday, 9 March 2009
workshop at Central School of Speech and Drama
Frank and Natasha are off to the Central School of Speech and Drama later to run a workshop. The aim is to devise a scenario in the style of CCC to raise money for Red Nose Day.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
rehearsals for The Country - Bolero
Natasha, Frank and Sandy working on recreating the Torvill and Dean Bolero ice skating routine between Daphne and the man from the BBC for the forthcoming performance of The Country (or The Sovereign State of Freetannia) in Manchester in June.
Mingle at the British Library
Last Thursday Reginald and Violet attended Mingle, the singles event in the spectacular foyer of the British Library. Both had a wonderful time, as did everyone else by all accounts!
There were many ingenious activities designed to get people chatting:
*Speed Book Club - let's just say the discussion about Lady Chatterley's Lover was oversubscribed!
*Book Art - an alternative to viewing etchings and a cunning way to give someone your number.
*Book Swap - Violet was given Sweetmaking for Children by Margaret Powell, which she intends to give it to her good friend Frannie Haddock of the King's Mews Culinary Guild in time for her next cake stall.
There was also the wonderful idea of giving everyone a name tag with one half of a famous literary couple, inviting them to search for their match.
There was Paris and Helen, Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Richard and Judy (a bit of a stretch but they do have a book club!) Othello and Desdemona, Peter Pan and Wendy and Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn amongst others.
It did make approaching individuals a bit of a minefield, though, as initial impressions count for so much. When Violet met 'Mellors' she immediately imagined him topless behind the gardening shed glistening with sweat, much to his consternation, whereas she was rather more cautious with Othello, Peter Pan and Henry VIII. Possibly not life partner material...
And Reginald was very attracted to Delilah but instead made a beeline for Wendy, knowing his mother would definitely prefer her.
Violet clutching her book.
Reginald mingling.
There were many ingenious activities designed to get people chatting:
*Speed Book Club - let's just say the discussion about Lady Chatterley's Lover was oversubscribed!
*Book Art - an alternative to viewing etchings and a cunning way to give someone your number.
*Book Swap - Violet was given Sweetmaking for Children by Margaret Powell, which she intends to give it to her good friend Frannie Haddock of the King's Mews Culinary Guild in time for her next cake stall.
There was also the wonderful idea of giving everyone a name tag with one half of a famous literary couple, inviting them to search for their match.
There was Paris and Helen, Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Richard and Judy (a bit of a stretch but they do have a book club!) Othello and Desdemona, Peter Pan and Wendy and Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn amongst others.
It did make approaching individuals a bit of a minefield, though, as initial impressions count for so much. When Violet met 'Mellors' she immediately imagined him topless behind the gardening shed glistening with sweat, much to his consternation, whereas she was rather more cautious with Othello, Peter Pan and Henry VIII. Possibly not life partner material...
And Reginald was very attracted to Delilah but instead made a beeline for Wendy, knowing his mother would definitely prefer her.
Violet clutching her book.
Reginald mingling.
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