David Brady

Subterms

    Latest story

    125 Shares179 Views

    Interview: Taking A Trip Through Time with Free School Lunch

    by

    Free School Lunch’s Aurelia Gage on her new play, All This Must Pass

    Free School Lunch impressed us last year with their Camden Fringe offering, Sisters Of Charity. They are back again at the Fringe this year with their brand new play All This Must Pass. The play looks an epic exploration through time as a woman tries to find how she came to be.

    It certainly sounds an ambitious and exciting endeavour, and you know we love ambitious and exciting new writing here at ET. So it felt a great time to get ourselves some Free School Lunch as we sat down to chat with Aurelia to ask her about the play.

    Book tickets here.

    The play promises to cover hundreds of years, how do you manage to squeeze so much into just an hour?

    Not even an hour: 55 minutes! I wish I was a talented enough writer to do that, but it has required a generous edit. All This Must Pass tells the story of one woman travelling through time and space to discover the people that made her – it is the ultimate family reunion and because of that, it’s very exclusive. We meet celebrated heroes, despised villains, and those who history doesn’t care to remember – but all of whom serve a purpose for our main character.

    What made you want to write a play spanning centuries?

    I wanted to write about people who would/could never be put together and have them all share the same stage. For me, it was the perfect way to explore all the faucets of one person and properly articulate how they could possibly experience such a life-changing event.

    And what is it that will bind all the moments in time together?

    Every person, every decision, every moment has led to the life of our main character. She is the thread that binds them together and they, through every decision (good and bad) have created her.

    The central theme of the play is the loss of a child during pregnancy, can you tell us a little more about this theme and why you wanted to explore it in this way?

    I’ve wanted to explore child loss in my writing for a long time. I couldn’t reconcile the fact that something was so common and yet endless testimonies create a picture of an ordeal people largely navigate alone. I recently lost my father; and the outpouring of love and support was incredible, but what do you do when you’re told “it’s just one of those things” and the world moves on without you? How do you share your grief with others? How do you grieve someone you never got to know? These questions crop up in a quarter of all pregnancies, and for our main character in All This Must Pass. She is left without a map to navigate her grief and so looks to her ancestors to share their strength, their pain, and to know them in a way she couldn’t know her child.   

    Last year’s Sisters of Charity was a very Irish based play, and All This Must Pass makes mention of the Potato Famine of Ireland – is there a strong Irish feel throughout?

    Irish identity crops up in a lot of my plays, Sisters of Charity in particular was a homage to the Irish women and children who were let down so badly by the Catholic Church. We get to spend some time in Ireland (and discover the best theme park on earth) in All This Must Pass but it’s one stop on a much more expansive journey through time and space.  

    Sisters Of Charity was a fantastic play, but very dark in its themes, is All This Must Pass going to follow a similar path? And how do you avoid things becoming too bleak?

    First of all, thank you! And yes, there’s no getting away from the darker themes in both my plays. My focus as a writer is to bring light to maligned or forgotten people, but the driving force behind that is the strength, joy and humour people can show in the darkest of times. All This Must Pass in a one-woman show performed by the phenomenal Aidan Morris. Aidan is an actor, dancer and stand-up comedian; the energy she brings to the stage is just incredible. It was important for me to have a living breathing character tell this story, not just a vessel for a trauma. And as much as this is a story of grief, it is also a story of love, laughter and a good old knees-up at a family reunion.  

    Reheasal images of Aidan Morris

    The play is on at Lion and Unicorn Theatre, how much has the venues support helped (or is helping) in getting this play ready?

    Honestly, Sisters of Charity and All This Must Pass wouldn’t have happened without The Lion and Unicorn or David Brady (Artistic Director of Proforca Theatre). In 2021 we were in the midst of a pandemic (and still are), the industry was on its knees, and I had never produced my own play. There wasn’t a question too stupid or a problem too big for the theatre and its team. For an early career theatre maker like me, David and his team really gave me a roadmap for a seemingly impossible task and the all-round support of some really good people.  

    All This Must Pass plays as part of Camden Fringe between 18 – 20 August at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

    More stories

    • 88 Shares189 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Face Off with Fight or Flight

      by

      Jess Barton & Ross Kernahan on Don’t Forget My Face

      Don’t Forget My Face was such a success last year when it played at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre that they have been invited back for a second run (17 – 21 May, tickets here)

      The show sees twins Rhea and Jack share everything together, hardly ever apart. But what happens when one of them gets the opportunity to move on, and break that special bond they have always had?

      And as here at ET we aren’t afraid to jump on a bandwagon if we feel it’s going our way, we thought this would be the perfect time then to catch up Fight or Flight‘s Jess Barton and Ross Kernahan, the people behind (and in front) of the show, to find out why we should get along to see the show now we’ve been given a second chance.

      How good does it feel to get invited back to the Lion and Unicorn then?

      It feels great! As associate artists of the theatre it’s amazing for there to be a home for our work, and to have the space to experiment and play with new ideas. David [Bardy], and the rest of the L&U team, have always been incredibly supportive of us and other companies in creating the work that we want to make first! We’re so delighted to be invited back after our last run was jinxed by the Omnicron wave, and for audiences to have another opportunity to join us! 

      The show is about twins – is that something either of you have experience of? Or if not, what brought you to writing a play about them?

      We’re not twins, but we both have siblings, and there are definitely parts of our own sibling relationships written into Jack and Rhea. However we were mostly interested in the idea of two people with near identical upbringings who react to life events unfolding around them in a very different way – there’s also something fascinating in the way we can remember a shared memory so differently! We wanted their sense of shared identity to be put into flux, to challenge their similarities and begin to embrace being different people. Many of us, ourselves included, rely on family a great deal to get through modern life – we think we cannot know anyone any better – and yet these people will still surprise you about who they really are and what they share with you.

      As well as writing the play together, Ross acts (alongside Aimee Kember) and Jess directs; how easy is it to be subjective when you are so heavily involved to be able to see when maybe things aren’t quite right and need a little tinkering?

      We’ve been working together for nearly a decade now – which makes the play’s theme of turning 30 feel all too familiar! – and have learnt to trust each other’s instincts, as they’re usually very similar to what the other is thinking. We also made sure to invite an outside pair of eyes into the room –  our dramaturg, Farah Najib, came in and asked all the big questions to keep us honest.

      What has been particularly enjoyable about making this show ourselves, is the freedom to play and develop the piece as we go. We learnt a few years ago that we really enjoy challenging and interrogating a show and its characters – so we’re constantly learning and finding new things within the script. It’s always a joy when something catches us by surprise!

      For those who didn’t see the show the first time at Lion and Unicorn, what can we expect if we come this time?

      We hope you’ll laugh, and cry, and ultimately be entertained – but also come away with a different appreciation of the people who support us through life! This is a play that celebrates the small moments that exist within the really big ones, whilst also confronting how overwhelming life can be. It was important to us to acknowledge how global events – and the habit of constant media consumption, and seemingly endless doomscrolling – can destabilise a person’s mental health, and how that is a very valid experience. When combined with our own, often non vocalised personal crises such as loss, family tragedy etc it can lead to explosive and mentally damaging behaviour – which you may witness when you see the show!

      Ultimately, this is a play about questioning the version of yourself that you present to the world, learning to live with grief, and figuring out how to challenge the pressures of societal expectation!

      Have you made any major changes from the original version you put on stage the first night?

      Since our last run we’ve been able to step back and look at what worked and didn’t work as well. We never had an R&D session when creating this show, it was put together rather quickly! So our first run was extremely useful in gauging audiences’ responses, and also in revealing things to us that perhaps we didn’t see at first! Since then we have been able to look at the script and address some imbalances, refocus some themes that didn’t get the limelight they deserved, and hone the story down to be what we really wanted it to be. 

      A second run at Lion and Unicorn, so obviously some mutual appreciation between you and the venue. What is it that makes this theatre such a fantastic place to put on a show?

      The London fringe theatre scene is always evolving, and despite the incredible hardships these venues have faced over the last few years the ones that survive seem to be shifting for the better: lower/zero hire costs, more production support, more interest in new work etc – it’s great to see – but these are things the Lion & Unicorn has been doing for years thanks to its AD David Brady. Their motto ‘be who you want to be’ feels very apt – in our experience, we have always felt in complete control of the show when we are in their venue. It’s a wonderfully open place to work, and allows us and other companies to be bold and take risks, which is exactly what theatre should be doing in our opinion. We just feel incredibly lucky that the theatre likes our work and continues to support us in doing what we do. 

      Is this the last hooray for Don’t Forget My Face then, or do you have further plans for it?

      We shall see!

      And if not this show, what do you have in the pipeline next then?

      We have hopes of creating something new later in the year – although what that might be is anyone’s guess right now! We will have to see if the rest of 2022 has something that will inspire us – for better or worse! 

      Our thanks to Jess and Ross for taking time out of their busy day to chat with us. Don’t Forget My Face will play at Lion and Unicorn Theatre between 17 and 21 May. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

    • 88 Shares149 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Erupting onto the stage with Volcano

      by

      Proforca’s David Brady talks about upcoming play Volcano

      For our latest interview on Runn Radio we spoke to David Brady. He’s been a guest on our show before, talking about Lately (you can catch up with that interview here). So it was our pleasure to welcome him back to talk about their latest show, Volcano. This show is a collaboration with Chewboy Productions‘ Georgie Bailey, who were in fact they were our first guest on our podcast (here).

      Volcano is billed as “One Man. One City. One Night to Remember.” It sees Max embark on a 12-hour odyssey across London that will change his life forever.

      We talk with David about the play, why he teamed up with Chewboy Productions for this play and whether they have succeeded in his desire to create a piece without any set. And we also discuss how fringe theatre can find a home outside of London.

      Volcano plays at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from 8 to 12 March, tickets are £14 from here. More

    • 113 Shares119 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Linus Karp – Still living his Jellicle life

      by

      It’s hard to remember, but inbetween lockdowns last year, we actually did get some live theatre! And one of those was Linus Karp’s wonderfully titled “How to live a jellicle life: life lessons from the 2019 hit movie musical ‘cats’”. Its original run was cut slightly short, but as the saying goes, you can’t keep a good cat down and Linus is bringing his show back soon, not just London but around the country too.

      Being a good friend of ET’s, we thought we’d catch up with Linus to find out just what to expect from him in 2021 (spoiler alert – even more Jellicle) and whether he can still squeeze into that figure hugging cat outfit (spoiler alert – he won’t say).

      You actually managed to perform in October to a live audience, how lucky do you feel given we headed into another lockdown soon after?

      It was so perfectly timed – for that one week everything just felt into place. After all the cancellations and every project lost to 2020 it felt unreal to get to experience a week like it. Not only was it the first time performing live for *too long* – but also the first time in way too long that I got to see many of my friends. The Christmas run was less fortunate with the timings however…

      And how well did you feel it all went then?

      It was almost surreal how well it went. It’s the first show I’ve written, and having not been able to perform for so long it was incredibly nerve wracking – so to be embraced by sold out audiences, wonderful reactions and great reviews felt like a dream. A rather nice publication called Everything Theatre called it “An absolute joy” for example. Ah, thanks, you know flattery will get you everywhere, or at least an invite back for another interview anyway.

      Being the shows first run with an audience, did you learn anything; any major rewrites needed?

      I mainly learned about delivery probably – how, when presented in the right way, an audience is game to go on a journey with you, however ridiculous or jellicle that journey might be. No major rewrites – but throwing in a couple of new things and some polishing of what’s already there. 

      So you’ve not spent the last few months rewriting the show, what have you been up to instead?

      Trying my best to stay jellicle in all the awfulness! I’ve slowly been working on new shows that are as ridiculous as this one, I’ve gone on long walks in the woods and hosted weekly zoom performances of classic Simpsons episodes. I’ve also done some university guest lecturing which was a thoroughly jellicle experience.

      The show is heading back to Lion & Unicorn again in June, is that a good venue for you?

      It’s a wonderful space, above an equally lovely pub, it’s reasonably local to me, and – most importantly – it’s run in a really nice way. The AD David Brady genuinely cares about and supports the visiting companies and lets you put on shows in a way that’s fair financially – which really isn’t as common as it should be in the theatre world.

      Then you’re off on tour. How difficult has it been planning a tour when venues may still need to operate on reduced capacities?

      It’s been tricky, the show’s seen many cancellations and much rescheduling. I’m very grateful that the venues I’m visiting have been so keen to have the show and on making it work. I’ve also made sure the show is as flexible as a cat – it works whether it’s a socially distanced audience or not, and it’s just me on stage.

      Your last show toured extensively, will Jellicle be the same? Are you getting prepared to live out of a suitcase for the next year?

      Haha! I think it’s a show that travels really well. Unlike Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked, this one doesn’t come with a double bed which always makes touring easier! I’m starting with quite a small tour, but would absolutely be open to the idea of going to many venues across the country. After being locked in my flat for so long it’d be wonderful to see the world again – and to spread the important message of jellicality of course!

      Given we’ve had another few months of lockdown since you last performed the show, any risk you won’t be able to squeeze into your costume come June?

      Ha! I guess you’ll have to be there to find out!

      As always, our thanks and gratitude to Linus for his time to speak to us. How to live a jellicle life: life lessons from the 2019 hit movie musical ‘cats’ will be performed at Lion & Unicorn Theatre between 1 and 5 June, before heading on tour.

      Confirmed dates as of time of writing:

      1 – 5 June: London, Lion & Unicorn – BOOK HERE25 – 26 June: Cambridge, Town and Gown – BOOK HERE2 – 3 July: Birmingham, Old Joint Stock – BOOK HERE8 July: Poole, Lighthouse – BOOK HERE13 – 15 July: Bristol, Alma Tavern and Theatre – no booking link currently available. Theatre website HERE

      Further dates are likely to be added. Please check here for updates. More