The tour begins
Posted in Tales of the Country on 01/30/2011 12:09 pm by adminSunday. A day off for the company after a hectic, but brilliant week. Orleton Village Hall was just the most brilliant place for our first show- a packed out audience, a raffle in the interval, the Viner’s in attendance, and a very appreciative crowd all round. When we did the show last year, I didn’t get to see it in a village hall, so this was a real treat- such a different atmosphere to a theatre-tea and coffee and biscuits and bring your own booze (some people seemed to bring full on picnics-a wise move!) all hands on deck to set the seating out, and a sense of everyone coming together to catch up and have a good evening. Joyful. What a great start to the tour.
And then onto Saturday for a totally different kettle of fish as we transported our set to the Courtyard in Hereford. From the intimate, cosy confines of a village hall, to a big 400 seater theatre. Upon arrival, we were told we had sold out, something that seemed to be a big achievement according to the staff, which was incredibly encouraging and maybe a little bit nerve wracking. Nothing like a bit of adrenaline for the second show! A lovely space, and we spent the afternoon testing sight lines, acoustics and making sure that the company felt comfortable playing in this bigger space while Alex made it look lovely.
It was a big night for Pentabus as it saw the launch of our new Patron’s scheme, so we had lots of special guests coming to watch the show, some who were interested in getting to know the company and some who were already providing us with vital support. It was a great second show, the company really pulled out all the stops and were fantastic, and the audience seemed very responsive to the story. Nick Warburton was in the audience too, so it was nerve wracking for us all seeing how he would respond to the new company and to see how the new version of the script went down. I think he approved! After the show, we all headed to a drinks reception where Orla O’Loughlin and Kate Organ, the new chair of the board, each said a few inspiring and important words about the history and future of the company and we all raised glasses of fizz and ate delicious Herefordshire themed canapes (locally grown apple muffins, local bacon and cheddar quiches. Yum.)
So, as I head back to London, the company embark on their 5 week tour. I will not see it for a couple of weeks, and very much look forward to seeing how it grows in my absence!
Goodbye Bromfield, hello….Orleton!
Posted in Tales of the Country on 01/27/2011 05:07 pm by adminA quick update on our progress. As I write this, (in a vain attempt to feel busy) the Tales company are downstairs in the rehearsal room, packing up props, costume and taking the set down for the first time. They will then load the van and head to our first venue; Orleton village hall, about 10 miles away from here, where we will do our first show in front of an audience. Tomorrow night. Very exciting. After the smoothest tech in theatre history (I imagine), we managed not one, but two dress rehearsals! An excellent chance to get to know the show with added lights and sound, and to perfect all those ridiculously quick costume changes. It is lovely to see the sudden shift in the show as a result of lights and music, it is looking and sounding lovely-all that’s missing now is an audience. And we have but 24 little hours left before this final and crucial stage is complete! We are all sold out tomorrow, which is excellent news, and the Viner family will be part of that first audience-they saw the show 4 times last time round, so it will be great to have their support. As no audience is the same, it will also be really interesting to see what people connect to and laugh at. I can’t wait!
Right. It is all sounding very productive down in the rehearsal room, I might go and try to make myself useful and make everyone a cup of tea! I am very good at that.
Watch this space to find out how our first night goes, and some blogs from members of the company on their way…….
Progress
Posted in Brian Viner's Independent columns, Tales of the Country on 01/24/2011 10:43 am by adminIt is Saturday. End of week two. Everyone is tired, but satisfied that we are making excellent progress. I meant to write at the end of the first week, but things have been so hectic, it is only now that I can sit down and think about the last couple of weeks rehearsal.
It is just incredible how much we have managed to pack into such a short space of time. It has been a really interesting process, re-creating a show again with some original, some new, cast members. Originally we, had 5 weeks to find the show, this time, we have 2.5 weeks to re-find it. Not very long, considering it is the most prop filled show ever AND there are also what feels like hundreds of split second costume changes. We have worked quickly and methodically, starting in the first week with finding the general shape of the show. I decided we would break the play into sections, and work on a section per day, working out in the broadest of brush strokes who comes on from where, who takes on what props, who would make the sound effects of Milo, chickens, dogs, flies……. I had ambitiously thought that we would get to the end of the play by the end of the first week, secretly thinking that this was totally unrealistic and I would have to throw my plans out of the window. However, I had underestimated just how excellent the company were, as we moved at astonishing speed and not only did we reach the end of the play by the end of the week, but were able to fit all the sections together for the first time. All with 5 days rehearsal. And a lot of coffee. And of course, cake.
Just as important as the blocking and general geography of the show, has been investing in the world, lives, and relationships of the people we encounter in the story. So in between trying to remember how a table fits together, and how a vase of flowers gets offstage and back on again, we have talked a lot about each character, (even those who only make the briefest of appearances) and the Viner family, and thought carefully about the realities of moving from city to country. For research purposes (of course) we all took a trip up to Docklow Manor, where the Viners hosted a wonderful evening with lots of food, wine and conversation-a valuable chance for the new cast members to meet the people they would be representing onstage.
After a couple of days rest and relaxation (or actors furiously learning their lines), we hit week two with full force, going back over every moment in the play, working from the beginning in great detail. Having never directed a show that a) has been done before and b) has a mixture of old and new cast members in it, it has been really interesting to have both perspectives. Sean and Sarah obviously bring with them memories of how it was originally done, and have been incredible in helping the others get into the world of the play, both technically and creatively. What’s great is that everyone seems to be continually learning about the play from each other. The challenge for me is to make sure that everyone feels like they have total ownership of the material. We learnt such a lot from doing it the first time round, which has enabled us to make some short cuts in how we work, but it has been important to balance doing it ‘like last time’ and working with the choices and experiences of the new company.
There is such a lot to remember, and it is brilliant to see how the actors have been keeping on top of the vast amount of stuff this show seems to require. Angie and Ollie (who play over 30 different characters between the two of them) have developed the most amazing crib sheets which chart their journeys on and off stage-they are the most intricate and complicated documents I have ever seen, but I guess when you have but seconds to go from 6 year old boy to 80 year old gardener, you need something to keep you right! There is still the odd moment where we wait for a character to enter, look expectantly towards the entrance, then hear a flurry of swearing and scuffling, before they appear, frantically pulling on a cardigan, or doing up a button. Or coming on to do a scene as a policeman, only to discover that they are dressed in a flowery skirt. But these mistakes are surprisingly few and far between, I cannot tell you how fantastic everyone has been in getting to grips with how busy they are throughout the show. I sort of wish I could watch what happens backstage as well, as I get the feeling there is a whole other show going on back there……
Orla and her baby Greta came to see a run through yesterday, and although nerve wracking to have an audience (Greta was an excellent audience member) it was brilliant to get a sense of where we were in the process, what still needed work and what seemed to be working. Orla had some brilliant things to say, just in time for the weekend, where a well earned break from the play is required!
Next week, we have a couple of days rehearsal, before we tech and head straight to our first venue. Exciting. I know that by then all we will need is to put it in front of an audience.
A word from Sean
Posted in Tales of the Country on 01/20/2011 06:22 pm by adminI guess I’ve been very fortunate in that a large number of the plays I’ve rehearsed over the years have been based in Ludlow. I first came to this wonderful part of the world when I spent a year with Pentabus Theatre back in 1996/97. Since then I’ve returned to do various plays at the Assembly Rooms as well as Shakespeare productions at the Ludlow Festival (always a great gig provided we get a dry summer, something of a rarity these days!). Of all these shows the one that is perhaps closest to my heart is Tales of the Country. So of course I jumped at the offer of the re-tour as it’s means working with the ‘excellent’ Pentabus (and they really are excellent in my humble opinion) and being back in Ludlow working on a play I love. Ludlow has become a home from home for me and it’s wonderful to be back.
The other exciting thing about this re-tour is that it’s being directed by the very talented Kate. We also have new actors (also very talented!) and a revised script!
The slightly scary part of this undertaking is that we have less than three weeks to rehearse. But with a lot of hard work, long hours and late nights I know we’ll get there and I for one, can hardly wait. It’s not all hard graft though; we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Docklow Manor courtesy of our protagonists Jane and Brian Viner (all in the name of research of course) as well as enjoying a few beers in my favourite Ludlow pub The Church.
I do love Ludlow and I do feel at home here. Home of course is an important theme in our play. In fact it’s the very last word in the play; home, family, friends, belonging. All Easily taken for granted. I think that’s one reason I love this play, it makes me reflect on things I value and am fortunate to have.
But with our opening night only a week away perhaps I’d better end this blog and go and study my script!
Sean Carlsen-OWEN in ‘Tales of the Country’.
Happy New Year!
Posted in Tales of the Country on 01/04/2011 10:45 am by adminHello and Happy New Year to all and everyone. It seems very strange to suddenly be launched into a new decade. Actually, someone said the new decade started last year, but for me, moving into 2011 feels like a bigger shift for some reason. So, while not factually accurate, it kind of works for me to think of it as a new decade. Either way, I’m now older and wiser, having just hit the big 30. And what better way to begin my 30th year than to start rehearsals for ‘Tales of the Country’. In late 2010, Sarah (who plays Jane Viner in the show) joined me for some very intense days of casting (at the good old Drill hall, and also in some very freezing caves in South London, where I was doing some workshops) and we have managed to find some pretty excellent new cast members who will be joining myself, Sarah and Sean (who plays Owen) from Monday for the start of rehearsals. I have to say I am really excited!
Thomasina and Jenny have been working so hard to put together a fantastic tour around the UK, and we are going all over the shop, and interest seems to be high, so it will be brilliant to take it to places further afield than when we did it last year. When we toured locally in 2010, it was incredible how well different audiences in different venues responded-it seems the story is one that resonates with many people who live in rural areas, and that many of the characters that the Viners encounter in their new country life, are pretty recognisable in many a community! It will be really interesting to see whether the story has the same potency on a wider scale-will audiences in Somerset laugh at the same things as those in Cheshire? Will they share similar stories? or will they bring a different insight to it?
Well, we don’t have long to wait as our rehearsal period is a mere 2 and a half weeks, before we are hit with our opening night. Eek! But this in itself is exciting. It will be a challenge, with lots of lines to learn, lots of costumes to get used to changing in and out of, about a million props, and a lot of physical action. Of course, the show has a shape, and we know how it works, but what I am really looking forward to is how the cast this time round rediscover the story, and how they find their characters, and what new discoveries we might make. I think there will be a really exiting mix of having Sarah and Sean, who were part of creating the show first time round, with Charlie (who will play Brian), Oliver (who will play the children plus about another 21 characters….!) and Angie (who will play Capable Woman, plus a great many others!), who will be finding the show for the first time. Then of course, there is learning how the set is put up, and got down, as actors and stage management will be doing all of this themselves. Yes. We are looking at a few very full few weeks, but I for one cannot wait to get cracking. It is such a fun show and I am very much looking forward to getting to know the company in (hopefully not too snowy) Shropshire.
In between actors learning their lines, they might just find time to write a blog for us, in which case watch this space to see how rehearsals develop!
THE BIG GIVE
Posted in Pentabus Roots on 12/01/2010 09:59 am by adminPress Release
Pentabus Theatre selected for the Big Arts Give 2010
Despite uncertain times with cuts to public subsidy to the arts looming large Ludlow based Pentabus Theatre has recieved recognition for its success by being selected by Arts & Business to take part in a new online fundraising initiative to stimulate individual philanthropy for culture. More than 140 organisations across the UK applied to take part in the challenge and Pentabus is one of twelve charitable arts organisations selected in the West Midlands. The Big Arts Give helps arts organisations to build and develop the income they receive via individual giving.
The Challenge for Pentabus is to raise £15,000 for a new van. Development Director John Moreton explains “our old van is 15 years old and desperately needs replacing before our next tour. Generous supporters of Pentabus Theatre have created a fund to enable us to double public donations. Don’t miss this unique opportunity for your donation to be worth twice its original value, and allow us to make twice the impact through our work in Shropshire and Herefordshire”
This good news comes at a time when Pentabus is also preparing to launch a new Pentabus Patrons scheme. Administrative Producer Thomasina Carlyle says “We welcome any support you are able to offer us but donations of £100 or over will automatically give you membership of the Pentabus Patrons scheme from now until April 2012. Benefits of our Patrons scheme include invitations to special private events and receptions where you can meet our creative teams. Our new patrons scheme will launch with a gala reception after our performance of Tales of the Country the Courtyard in Hereford on January 29th.“
These charity matching funds are limited so to donate to Pentabus go to www.theBigGive.org.uk/donate/pentabusartsltd from 10am on December 6th to have any donation you make to Pentabus Theatre doubled.
Pentabus tours Shropshire and Herefordshire in January and February visiting Orelton, The Courtyard, Kimbolton, Wem Town Hall, Theatre Severn and Much Wenlock details can be found on www.pentabus.org.uk
ENDS (325words)
For further information contact Thomasina Carlyle on 01584 856564
E mail thom@pentabus.co.uk
a small PS
Posted in KATE'S BLOG on 10/29/2010 09:14 am by adminJust as a swift update on the WE ARE HERE situation. I popped up to the Post Office this morning for my penultimate collection (bound to be more by the end of the day) armed with my rucksack, ready to load up with submissions. I got there, handed my card over to the man and he looked at me, looked at my bag, and laughed a small laugh. I asked what he was laughing at and he shook his head and said ‘come and have a look at this’. So I went through to the back room (access all areas-I went where no normal member of the public was allowed) where all the PO Boxes were, and there ours was. Stuffed full of scripts. But, so were all the other PO Boxes. Stuffed full I mean. With our scripts. I must have looked so shocked, and saddened that my rucksack was no way going to cut it, that the man offered to help transport them all back to my house. He actually got quite excited about the volume of packages, and rushed away, returning with one of those red trolleys that postmen have these days. Oh yes. He let me use a trolley. So, we filled it up and I am now sitting in my room, surrounded by over 200 scripts. I am having building work done on my house at the moment, which means that there is no where for the scripts to go apart from my bedroom. My weekend will be spent opening, recording and sending emails out to all the amazing people who have taken the time and effort to send us their work. Then. Then. I actually have to start reading them all. Wish me luck……
Onwards.
Posted in KATE'S BLOG on 10/28/2010 04:10 pm by adminI have just got back to London after a packed and fruitful few days at Pentabus HQ. We had our AGM and then a big catch up meeting with the company and a lot of ground was covered. My head is still fit to burst with all that is going on over the coming months. Despite the obvious recent arts funding news hanging over us, we did a pretty good job of fighting the dark clouds away. Far from ignoring the cold hard facts, we had many a frank and honest discussion about what the future could hold, but the overriding attitude from everyone is one of positivity, and while no one can afford to be complacent at this time, what we can do is still strive to be excellent, ambitious, challenging and surprising in the work that we do. I came away feeling really proud and lucky to be part of such a robust and resilient company, who have been making work against the odds for over 35 years. To be part of that history, and to be part of its continuing journey is pretty brilliant.
So. What’s new with us? Well, firstly, our board meeting and AGM saw us all together in Pentabus’s sunny main rehearsal space, eating copious amounts of sandwiches and muffins and drinking coffee to see us through the afternoon.
An extra special occasion (surely an excuse for another muffin) because we officially welcomed Kate Organ as our new chair of the board. Kate has been a considerable force in the industry for many years, with an impressive CV and a genuine interest and excitement in what we are about. It was thrilling to hear her speak about her connection with the company-her knowledge of Pentabus goes back virtually to the founding of the company and she has followed our work closely through the years. She spoke with conviction and commitment about the continuing importance of the work that Pentabus does and it feels like such a privilege to have someone like Kate joining our already strong and dynamic board at a time where many of us are feeling uncertain about the future of the arts.
In other news, our script call out to playwrights to send us their plays (WE ARE HERE) is nearing its deadline. Tomorrow in fact. When we launched the project, we had literally no idea what we would receive. We had a PO Box created for this purpose, and it could have all been a bit embarrassing, me turning up to collect the scripts armed with wheelbarrow, only to return with nothing but some junk mail about a new pizza delivery company that had been put there by mistake. In reality however, things have been a bit different, surprising, and quite extraordinary. During my last trip to the PO Box, I was greeted with a ‘thank god you are here where have you been’ from a slightly harassed looking postal worker as I handed over my card. I looked a bit puzzled, perhaps he had mistaken me for someone else? Then he returned. With not ten. Not twenty. But close to 70 scripts. Apparently the PO Box was totally over flowing and they were anxious in case no one came to collect them! So I understood his relief upon seeing that I had not left the country/got bored of making collections.
So, after two trips (bearing in mind scripts are pretty heavy and in reality I did not have a wheelbarrow. Kinda wish I had.) and a lot of envelope opening, we now have over 130 scripts. AND there is still a day to go before the deadline. who knows what tomorrow’s trip will bring! I can’t tell you how exciting this is-on first glimpse there is a vast array of submissions-from very first plays from very first time writers, to more established and well known names. I love that they are all in the mix and all have thought that they might have a play for Pentabus. The task of reading them will begin shortly, its pretty excellent to think there could be a writer, or a play, or a number of plays, that grab our attention.
We are also gearing up for our retour of ‘Tales of the Country’, which was so well received the first time round, we have decided to do it again and it seems booking for the tour is going very well. Full details of where we are going will be on the website soon, but I know we are hoping to visit Cumbria, Somerset, Cheshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, to name but a few places in the UK! We will be casting for this in a few weeks, but we are thrilled that two members of the original cast will be re joining us.
So, lots to do, loads to read, lots to see and lots to look forward to.
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WHY THE ARTS MATTER
Posted in Pentabus Roots on 07/27/2010 04:13 pm by adminHello
Pentabus continues to be busy over these summer months, and scripts are pouring in for WE ARE HERE, our invitation to playwrights to submit plays for a slot in our 2012 season. We have set up a London PO Box for this, and every week I head up to see what has been delivered, unsure whether to bring a bag or a wheelbarrow….so far a bag has been sufficient, but I would love it if one of these days I turn up as usual and they bring out bursting mail bags for me to carry home! (wheelbarrow safely ready in preparation for this event. I am certain it will happen.)
We had a board meeting at Birmingham mac a couple of weeks ago, which was a great opportunity to check in with everyone, to review and reflect on recent projects, and to look forward to future exciting projects. I have to say, I had never heard of Birmingham mac until recently and on arrival I think I actually vocalised a little gasp to myself, as the place is amazing! Bright, airy, accessible, busy and filled with activity, it seemed to me exactly what an arts centre should feel like. Apparently it has recently been refurbished and it is obvious they have thought really hard about the redesign, as I think it is really successful as a building. I look forward to getting to know the venue a bit more, and have another opportunity to do so this week, as I will be there for a Pentabus Meet and Greet. Oh yes. As part of our commitment to new work, I am dedicating a lot of time this year to meeting with playwrights, both locally and nationally, and to see as much new work as possible, to identify those whose ideas might resonate with Pentabus and who might be interested in what we do. Catherine from SCRIPT has been incredible in getting the word out to regional writers that we are keen to meet with them. So meet them we will. I am very much looking forward to meeting what I hope will be a diverse mix of playwrights who are all doing interesting work in the region. I will report back after the event…….!
While all this is going on, I can’t help but mention what is going on in the back of all of our minds (as I’m sure it is in most regularly funded organisations across the land); the looming shadow of the spending cuts. Uncertainty is the main issue-we just don’t know what the future holds. However, what we are certain of is the value of the arts, and the value of what we do as a company. And it is incredible to see the strength of opinion when it comes to defending and fighting for the arts, in both individuals and organisations. I read articles, twitter posts, empassioned emails, blogs, facebook status updates on a daily basis, from people who are all articulating the obvious value of the arts in our economy. Surely these kinds of facts and figures cannot be ignored?!
To quote directly from the Arts Council website (link: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-us/why-arts-matter/) facts like: ’the arts budget is tiny; it costs 17p a week per person - less than half the price of a pint of milk.’
‘For every £1 that the Arts Council invests, an additional £2 is generated from private and commercial sources, totalling £3 income.’
‘The UK has the largest creative sector in the EU, and relative to GDP probably the largest in the world.’
The Arts Council has put together a really strong set of reasons why any cuts to the arts should be carefully considered, I urge anyone who is interested to click on the above link and take a look, it makes for some interesting reading. And if what you read makes you want to do something, then I reckon a letter to your local MP might just make a difference.
Meanwhile, it is business as usual. And there is plenty to be getting on with!
http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/about-us/why-arts-matter/
in’t technology brilliant.
Posted in KATE'S BLOG on 06/22/2010 09:14 pm by adminHello. so. Orla is now officially on maternity leave. which is very exciting. meanwhile, Pentabus remains buzzing and bustling, lots of things in the pipe line and lots to plan for the next few months. The most exciting thing today was that offically, Pentabus embraced technology with open arms and I had my first skype conversation with Thomasina, with me in my bedroom in London, and Thomasina in the sunny Pentabus office. Hurrah! We had a few teething issues with sound initially, but all in all, a successful endeavour. Because I am unable to get to Shropshire on a regular basis, we will be having Skype meetings every week. How official. So today was pretty monumental, as I’m sure you can imagine.
First meeting scheduled for Thursday. What I find funny about it all is that because you are seeing the other person on screen, it feels like you are watching them, as opposed to engaging directly with them, and I often end up tuning out and then realising that they are waiting expectantly for an answer…….mastering the art of skypage conversation may take a bit of time, but I’m feeling fairly confident….!
In other non computer related news, I went to a very intense but exciting day in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago, to watch the work of the 11 playwrights who are about to finish their playwriting MPhil at Birmingham University. A small ensemble of actors had worked with the directors and writers over 3 days to stage the first half hour of each play. No mean feat, but they did a great job and the work was a really diverse mix. We got to meet and chat to the writers after each session and I am looking forward to seeing where these plays might pop up in the future, I know I would be interested to read a couple as they presented intriguing beginnings!
We are also about to launch WE ARE HERE, a call out to playwrights from all over the UK to send us a play that they think might fit in with what we do, for a potential slot in our 2012 season. Not only is it a way to hopefully find a new and brilliant theatrical voice (or maybe voices) but it will allow us the opportunity to get to know who is out there at the moment, and to identify writers who we might want to work with in the future. It feels really exciting to be putting an invitation out there, with no idea what the response will be. Will we get 7, or 700 scripts? who knows. More details will be posted on our website on 5th July, so if anyone reading this thinks they might have a play we will love, please check it out!
I’m back to Shropshire for an actual face to face meeting next week, so more news then.