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      Feature: From TV to the Stage

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      David Fairs on adapting Up In Town from The TV to the stage

      Originally a BBC2 six-part series of shorts, Up In Town might not appear the most obvious programme to revive for the stage. But that is what David Fairs has decided to do with this 20 year old programme. So we asked David to tell us a little more about the show and why now? The show will play at The Hope Theatre for four performances in April. Tickets can be booked here.

      “And then I was up in town. And for the first time ever, I didn’t want to be somebody else. I just wanted to be me.”

      This thought, this feeling, this often all too elusive dream is at the centre of Up In Town – a new 20th anniversary stage adaption of the 2002 Joanna Lumley TV series, playing at Islington’s The Hope Theatre for a limited four-performance run in April. We all want to feel like ourselves or, more specifically, be allowed to feel like ourselves; but in reality this is far from simple for many groups, including, in the case of Up In Town, middle-aged and older women. Sadly, at twenty years old, this story is no less relevant, and this is what attracted the team behind this new adaptation to re-explore the story of Maddie Blakelock as a one-woman show.

      Beginning life in 2002 as a TV series written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick (Emmy-nominated for 2014’s The Honourable Woman), Up In Town tells the story of Maddie, a divorced woman in her fifties, navigating loneliness, invisibility and a feeling of irrelevance. Having workshopped the idea during the depths of the Covid-19 lockdowns, producer/performer Priti Colbeck and writer/director David Fairs are now thrilled, with the blessing of Hugo Blick, to be transforming this beautifully conceived portrait of a flawed, funny, resilient and very real person into a one-hour, one-woman show. 

      Immersing yourself in the intimacy of Maddie’s dressing room, Up In Town is an open yet guarded conversation, the pieces of which gradually reveal a life story that is joyful, ridiculous, hopeful, hilarious, uncomfortable and heartbreaking. From Acapulco to West London, marauding rats to dishy vets, ailing pets to estranged sons, unfaithful husbands to a haunting photograph of a truly happy young woman, your evening with Maddie will be relentless and intoxicating. Always living through the emotion and artifice of cinema, the one thing that has never let her down, is Maddie more Dirk Bogarde or Vivien Leigh? James Dean or Julie Christie? Falling on hard times, those cinematic fantasies might be more important than ever.

      “I’m going to have to make a few more economies… still, that’s all right. Scarlet O’Hara ended up digging her own potatoes.”

      For Priti Colbeck and David Fairs, this has been a labour of love. Priti is herself a trailblazer, having only begun her acting career at the age of fifty; she is passionate about telling the stories of older women who have so much more to offer and so much life to live. David’s work has always revolved around increasing representation and spotlighting the stories of the side-lined. His previous critically-acclaimed plays as a writer include Macbeths and I Know You Of Old (also Hope Theatre productions, the latter of which was then performed at the RSC’s Dell), both of which reconfigure Shakespeare plays to place the female stories of Lady Macbeth, Beatrice and Hero front and centre; his Vault Festival play Tomorrow Creeps interweaved the music and magical empowerment of Kate Bush into a Shakespearian narrative of Hecate and Bronte’s Cathy, while Is He Earnest? told the unapologetically queer story of Oscar Wilde’s gross indecency trial crossed with the 1980s raid of Gay’s The Word (the bookshop at the centre of the wonderful film Pride). While arguably more down-to-earth, this adaptation of Up In Town is a natural successor – a deeply human story about disenfranchisement. For David (a member of the LGBTQ+ community) and Priti (a middle-aged British-Asian woman), this production is very much a celebration and a personal statement.

      So, come down to The Hope Theatre to meet Maddie on 10/11/17/18 April – but remember, fasten you seatbelts… it’s going to be a bumpy night.

      Thanks to David for penning this feature about Up In Town. For further information and to book tickets, visit The Hope Theatre’s website here. More

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      Interview: Lucinda Spragg Telling It Like It Is

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      Grace Millie of Moon Loaf introduces us to professional feather ruffler, Lucinda Spragg.

      Lucinda Spragg: some would call her a creation of Moonloaf and Grace Millie, although Lucinda would no doubt tell us she is her own woman. And she is most certainly a woman on a mission. Right now she is preparing to bring her one woman show, Lucinda Spragg : An Evening With, to Lion and Unicorn Theatre between 29 March and 2 April, where she will be promoting her latest book: Jabbie Dodgers, as well as sharing her wisdom with us.

      So when she asked/ demanded we interview her, we really couldn’t say no, because, quite frankly, we are a little scared of her!

      It’s lovely to meet you Lucinda, why don’t you introduce yourself?

      Good afternoon, Everything Theatre. Lucinda here. I’m sure most of your readers will have heard of me already…

      Sorry, we have to admit, we haven’t personally heard of you before now.

      Well I’ll spell it out for you if I must. I’m Leader of the Regain Party. A freedom fighter, professional feather ruffler, and renegade. I’m a spanner in the works of the London Coffee House Elite. I’m also the host of my podcast, TripadPfizer.

      Of course, I’m sure the Corybnistas would have another answer for you. They’d probably describe me as a ‘controversial political activist’. Clods. 

      Why are you coming back now then?

      I’ve had something of a brief…hiatus. I’ve been back on the scene since October, resisting the democratisation of truth by the neohippies. Now there’s an album/band name combo for some bleeding-heart indie lefties.

      And why don’t you have her own Twitter account like most normal people, just so we can read more of your thoughts?

      Twitter? I’m banned. All reasonable people are. 

      So who would you consider as those reasonable people who Twitter has banned; are you saying people like Trump and Katie Hopkins? Are these your heroes and the people you most hope to emulate then?

      I believe it was Eric Clapton who sang ‘I had to find myself (find myself), I had to find myself (find myself), no use looking for no one else’. I presume that answers your question.

      I’m based on no one but me, baby. Eric Clapton did also recently sing, ‘is this a sovereign nation or just a police state?’, though, so I do like him. I am also a BIG Laurence Fox fan. 

      If we could speak to Grace for a moment and ask, as a writer and actor, do you find this extreme persona of Lucinda taking you over when you are preparing to walk out on stage?

      I’ve got literally no idea what you mean here?

      There seems a whole collection of extreme right-wingers such as yourself who claim to speak for the unheard, but very few that are left-leaning. Do you feel it would be possible to parody those on the left in the same way?

      There’s a very successful parody of, ‘activist, healer, and radical intersectionalist poet’, Titania McGrath. She’s a character written by the genius that is Andrew Doyle. Titania in no way does “exactly what the show accuses online activists of, reducing complex topics to nuance-free quips” (★ – The Guardian). 

      With so much going on in real life and our government at times looking like a parody of themselves, do you feel you have to become even more extreme to remain relevant?

      Again, not sure why I’m being asked this, but, as a general rule, I would say that parodying extremists involves amping up the levels of ridicule rather than creating genuinely extreme content yourself. Or something like that. 

      Moon Loaf’s last production, TIFO, was a very different show in content. How easy is it to produce two such unique shows? Are both connected though through being based around one strong central character?

      Moon Loaf have emailed me this response to give to you: 

      “Hello! Yes, that’s definitely a connection we’ve found helpful. But you’re right, they are very different characters and different worlds. That’s also what’s quite exciting about it, keeps us on our toes. It’s also been nice swapping round and having Kieran (Dee) directing Grace this time! We promise we’ll stop doing one-person shows soon, honestly…”

      Utterly perplexing. Haven’t a clue what they’re on about. 

      Could we see you make any appearances in future shows, there is surely space on the after-dinner speaker circuit for such an inspirational woman as yourself?

      Oh, certainly! I’m promoting my new book ‘Jabbie Dodgers’ at the moment, so that would be perfect. I’d rather speak before dinner, though, if possible. I like my audience hungry (for uncomfortable truths). 

      Finally, what is the best advice you can give us right now with so much focus on the cost of living crisis we are going through?

      Ditch the Pret subscription, buy a house instead. You can’t invest in a café au lait. You’re welcome, internet.

      Our thanks to Grace/ Lucinda for the time to chat to us. You can catch Lucinda Spragg : An Evening With at Lion and Unicorn Theatre 29 March – 2 April. Bookings here. More

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      Interview: Coming Clear about Dirty Hearts

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      Writer Paul Murphy on Dirty Hearts, playing at Old Red Lion 5 – 30 April

      Fringe theatre makers are always coming up with new ways to attract an audience. But we can’t remember one offering a bottle of champagne to a lucky winner if they bought their ticket before the end of February. Of course, gimmicks aside, fringe theatre lives and dies on the quality of its shows. And we reckon Pine Street Productions‘ Dirty Hearts is one that will be worthwhile even without the bribe of that champagne.

      Dirty Hearts will play at Old Red Lion from 5 – 30 April, tickets here.

      So, we thought we’d ask the play’s writer, Paul Murphy, just what it’s all about and why they highlight their No Covid, No Brexit, No Boris rule!

      Let’s start with the obvious, what can you tell us about Dirty Hearts?

      Dirty Hearts is a comedy about the relationships between four friends – Julienne, Ben, Simon and Laura, and what happens when Ben asks Julienne to authenticate a painting owned by one of his clients. It’s about love, truth, friendship and choice.  

      You describe it as “An Existential Comedy for the Age of Anxiety”. That’s quite the mouthful, but what do you really mean by it?

      Everyone has probably said at some point ‘I’m having an existential crisis’: with this show I’m digging a little deeper into what that means. The play is informed by the work of Jean Paul Sartre and Simone De Beauvoir, amongst other. But it isn’t four people sitting around wearing berets and asking; ‘What does it mean to exist?’ It’s about the choices we make and how those choices are what define us as people. It’s about how we see ourselves and how that image of ourselves isn’t always accurate, especially when we’re faced with hard decisions.

      The play looks like it will question the morals of its characters. Is that a fair assessment?

      Moral choices are absolutely at the heart of the play. What’s the right thing to do? Do markets have a responsibility to be moral? The tension between moral absolutism and what Simone De Beauvoir called ‘the ethics of ambiguity’. If that sounds too heavy, don’t worry there’s still plenty of jokes. This isn’t a philosophical symposium, it’s about four people trying to make choices under pressure: the conflict between our ethics and our desires.

      How do wealth managers, art appraisers, doctors and conflict resolution all tie together in the play then?

      Ah, well you’ll have to come and see the play. But the story revolves around one of the characters being asked to authenticate a recently discovered Renaissance painting. That’s the art. The fact that it could be worth tens, if not hundreds of millions of pounds means that for two of the characters the stakes are huge. Conflict resolution provides a framework for how we attempt to resolve conflict, and as every doctor has to abide by the Hippocratic Oath we have a a set of ethics and values that are put to the test. The push and pull of the rational scientific approach and the irrationality of human desire. And when you add love into the mix….

      You make clear in your press release that “This play makes no mention whatsoever of the following: COVID, BREXIT, or Boris Johnson”. In that case, who do you feel should come to see Dirty Hearts?

      The No Covid, No Brexit, No Boris is just my way of saying that if you want a break from the headlines, then this is the show for you. There has been, and will continue to be, some very good work that examines the last few years. But this is a play about conflicting values in a more universal sense, so wherever you sit on the political spectrum there will be an argument that you can relate to. If you think we need a re-evaluation of values as a society you’ll like Simon, if you think capitalism isn’t such a bad think then Ben’s your guy. Need a rational approach to decision making? Laura makes the case. And if certainty is important to you, then Julienne has it covered. 

      Dirty Hearts is a comedy about relationships, so it’s for everyone, regardless of age, background, politics. Everyone has been in love, or been through a heartbreak. If you’ve fallen in love, fallen out of love. Been torn between friends, had to make difficult moral choices, then this is a show for you. 

      What made you decide to give away that bottle of champagne? Are we still seeing difficulties in filling seats in fringe venues because of the massive ticket discounting happening at the larger venues?

      The champagne: well, the play’s above a pub so that seemed appropriate. Selling tickets is always tough, especially for a small independent production. But we have four terrific actors who you will have seen in TV shows like Harlots and The Crown and from work at places like The Almeida. There’s a fantastic director and a wonderful creative team (the set is really going to be something special) so this is a high value production, with tickets at £20 at the most, so it’s a bargain. 

      And what next for Dirty Hearts and Pine Street once this run is completed?

      The next play we’re hoping to do is Unicorn, a three hander set in a tech start-up. Dirty Hearts was only possible because of an investment in Tesla, so Elon Musk, if you’re reading this, send us a cheque for the next one.

      Thanks again to Paul for finding time to chat to us about the play. You can catch Dirty Hearts at Old Red Lion Theatre between 5 – 30 April, bookings can be made via the below link. More

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      Interview: C’mon Kids, Get Writing

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      Helen Monks and Matt Woodhead from Lung Theatre on their latest project, Unmute

      We’ve had Matt Woodhead from Lung Theatre on our podcast way back in Episode 7, when he was telling us all about the Who Cares play and campaign that emerged from it. This time around he came along with his colleague from Lung, Helen Monks.

      Not ones to sit back and take it easy, Lung are now in the midst of seeking out young writers for Unmute, a writing competition for 11 – 18 year olds. It’s a chance to write a monolgue of up to 500 words, with winning entries getting the chance to be performed live on stage as well as being published.

      Helen and Matt tell us all about how to enter the competition, how they gope to hear from voices all around the country, and just what they feel might make a great submission.

      Helen also briefly mentions The Trojan Horse Affair podcast, which looked at what really happened in Birmingham when it was alleged Islamic extremists were infiltrating the city’s schools. The podcast can be found here.

      The closing date for entries is 8 May. You can also find lots of support on how to write and submit your entries on their website here and their Twitter account here.

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      Feature: Moniker Culture celebrates Women, Art, Fashion…and NFTs.

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      This month, Moniker Culture launched an NFT art exhibition celebrating women artists and hosted at the Adidas flagship store in Oxford Street.

      As you entered, you were greeted by an array of vibrant colours, with artists creating their work on-site, and many moving installations. All four floors were utilised for the exhibition with the art work seamlessly accompanying the decor of the fashionable sportswear store. It was a real assault upon the senses – but in an intriguing way.

      The event was very busy- mostly dominated by the Zillennial/Gen Z demographic who busied themselves snapping selfies around the installations and taking the opportunity to create some art work of their own at the many creativity tables dotted around the store.

      Some notable artists/art work were:

      Mariam Omoyele: @o.a.mariamBeryl B: @berylbiliciAndrea Love:  @andreaanimatesMaliha Abidi maliha_z_art‘Brown Ochre’ by Nkosi Ndlovu‘Power in the Puff’ by Shai Digital‘Club Church’ by Jada Bruneyand the work curated by Haart: @houseofafrican

      NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are one of the latest buzzwords of the 21st century, with anything and everything being sold as some irreplaceable one off that will eventually appreciate with time. The topic often engenders very polarising opinions, which is very understandable. It’s largely an elite few who subjectively inform the rest of the world what new, non-essential item is now considered ‘valuable’ and it’s this unadulterated, consumerist capitalism that often turns the stomach of even the most ardent art lover. The consumerism overshadows the art itself and aggressively reminds us of how divided this world is – where you can literally pass multiple homeless people en route to an exhibition where a digital image may be sold for an exorbitant amount. The juxtaposition of these extremes can be very tricky to reconcile. 

      Yet being an artist is a difficult profession. How will these women continue to do what they love without financial sustenance? And does the introduction of money, no matter the amount, automatically negate the artistic integrity?

      Beneath the lights, trainers and NFTs and at the heart of this event was the positive promotion of women artists and their work, which is the most important aspect of the whole exhibition. These artists have put their life and soul into creating work that inspires, confronts and unites its audiences. Work that pushes the envelope of a very, traditionally, male-centric industry.

      That, in my opinion, is the true non-fungible aspect of this art and it can neither be bought nor sold, yet it is truly priceless.

      To see more of the work on display at the exhibition, visit here. More

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      Interview: Adding An Asian Touch to the Plastic Debate

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      Akademi’s Suba Subramaniam on Plastic Drastic Fantastic

      Plastic Drastic Fantastic is a brand new dance piece coming to the Polka Theatre this spring. It’s been created by South Asian company Akademi, in conjunction with the Polka’s PolkaLAB artistic development programme, and explores human relationships with plastic. We wanted to find out a bit more about it, so we asked Artistic Director Suba Subramaniam to fill us in. 

      Hi Suba. This sounds like an extraordinary combination of themes – exploring our interactions with plastic through South Asian dance. How did the idea come about? 

      Interestingly, I initially conceived Plastic Drastic Fantastic as a Polka Creative Lab artist and the initial R&D took place as part of The Place’s Choreodrome annual research residency.

      I have worked with arts and climate change projects for nearly two decades alongside my career as a dance artist and science teacher. All my experience has led to this project: plastics is an urgent, relevant subject capturing the imagination of young people in terms of activism. I think dance can play an important role in helping young audiences engage with important subjects.

      Tell us a bit about the dance styles you incorporate, and which countries they represent. 

      There are two South Asian dance forms in the choreography; Kathak and Bharatanatyam. Both classical dance forms originated in the Indian sub-continent. I have used the form of Bharatanatyam at the movement core with contemporary interpretation to create a bold aesthetic. This dance form lends itself perfectly for a communicable narrative with gestures to integrate simple elements of BSL for a D/ Deaf audience.

      We use plastic for so many things in our everyday lives, but the issue of plastic pollution is a global one: are you focussing on it from a South Asian perspective?  How did you research the content of the show? 

      Plastic Drastic Fantastic is a dance show exploring our cultural relationship with plastics – covering their harmful impact on the environment whilst also exploring what makes plastic so versatile, useful and ubiquitous. The show will be highly visual, drawing on some of the most familiar images of plastics in use and abuse, from plastic bottles to plastic bags. It will be relevant, fun, engaging and thought provoking to a young audience of any background or ability. This work will explore the beauty of plastics as a material, how they behave, their properties and also what happens when we misuse them.

      We have also been speaking to Professor Mark Miodownik and Dr Zoe Laughlin from UCL (University College London) about some of the current issues around plastics. Their valuable knowledge has shaped the way we communicate about plastic in the show. 

      How does dance help to interpret the issues? Can plastic be fun?

      Of course plastics can be fun! Using the medium of South Asian dance, intricate movements and play, Plastic Drastic Fantastic draws on stories and ideas from young people to disentangle the fantastic possibilities that plastics offer us.

      What age group is the production aimed at? Is it only for children, or a wider audience?

      The production is suitable for ages 7+ years and their families. It is designed and created with children at the heart of the process. We hope the work will create lots of interesting discussions within families and friends and instil a curiosity to find out more about our world of plastics. It is our passion through arts and science to engage and empower young people to believe that their voices and opinions are valued.

      So, you also have some workshops lined up – is that right?

      Yes, that’s right. We have family workshops in March at Polka that will combine science, art and dance. These workshops will explore our relationship with plastics, by exploring their properties and what makes them so unique through dance and art.

      Have you had fun working with the Polka Theatre? And is the show going to be seen anywhere else? 

      Polka Theatre has been such a delightful partner organisation to work with, they have a wonderful new theatre space that is perfect for young audiences to feel welcome and parents to feel safe. It is a joy to be making and showing Plastic Drastic Fantastic in a theatre dedicated to young audiences and their families and to engage with their communities and audiences. 

      Thanks to Suba for taking the time out of her busy schedule to chat with us.  

      Plastic Drastic Fantastic dances into the Polka Theatre from 6 April to 8 May. Further information and bookings here. More

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      Interview: It’s Chekhov, But Not Quite As You Know It!

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      Knuckle Down on reworking Chekhov’s Three Sisters for the modern world.

      As you may imagine, we receive a lot of emails with show invitations here at ET! So admittedly, some days we trawl through those invitations and press releases with only half an eye on them, and it can take something different to jump out and grab our attention. That is just what happened when we came across Knuckle Down’s press release for Three Sisters, with its clever use of simple crossing out to make it stand out from so many others we’d already seen that day.

      A modern man-free adaptation of the Chekhov classic.In a room tiny back garden in a house outside a terraced house in a provincial town Wigan, three sisters wait for their lives to begin.Olga, the eldest lonely workaholic. Masha, the middle child depressed womaniser. Irina, the youngest ukulele-playing dreamer.

      We were certainly interested enough to suggest they tell us a little more about the show. So we sat down with Chloe and Matt of Knuckle Down to find out more.

      So, what made you decide to tackle Chekhov?

      We’ve always loved a bit of Chekhov. Especially the dark comedy that runs through many of his plays. The relationships between his characters are often complex to say the least and we were interested in exploring the relationships between the sisters especially.

      But it’s Chekhov with a rather interesting twist, bringing the story to Wigan and ‘man-free’ – how easy was it to adapt the story this way?

      We initially focused on these three sisters but also the three sisters from Shakespeare’s King Lear. We were interested to find out more about their stories as they’re so side-lined in the original texts. Even as the eponymous characters of Chekhov’s play, it’s crazy how many men dominate so many scenes with their chatter! We got rid of them all in our version and renamed them Alan!

      We spent time improvising and devising scenes around ideas from the original and then went away and adapted it so it follows the original action of Chekhov’s Three Sisters.  Setting it in modern day Wigan enabled us to swap Moscow for Manchester, and basing it in lockdown allowed us to keep the real sense that the sisters are truly trapped.

      And you’re promising “TikTok dance routines”: for those who aren’t too familiar with the original Chekhov, can you confirm that he never devised scenes for TikTok?

      Yes! TikTok dance routines do make an appearance at points throughout the play and we can confirm that as far as we’re aware Chekhov never ventured into the realm of TikTok.

      But more seriously, do you think modernising stories in this way is a gateway to bringing old classics to a whole new audience?

      Definitely!  We’re all about declassing the classics and making an intimidating canon more accessible to people who aren’t steeped in theatre knowledge. We hope everyone will still get all the best bits of Chekhov’s original but with the clarity of an ultra-modern and suitably irreverent lens.

      There is a ukulele-playing sister in the play, are we really going to be treated to some songs then?

      There’s a ukulele death ballad you’ll be treated to!

      Who do you feel this reworking of an old classic will appeal to? Who should be coming to see the show?

      Everyone, we hope. Both Chekhov fans and those who don’t know his work alike! It’s about being stuck in life, feeling trapped by circumstance and struggling to reconcile everything that’s brought you to that point, which I think we can all identify with after the past couple of years. It’s about growing up, but not too quickly and also, inevitably, about what it means to be a woman, a sister and part of a family.

      And is there anything else you are throwing into your version that we should be looking out for?

      There’s a bit of metatextuality thrown in for good measure!

      Finally, you’ve got runs at both The Maltings Theatre and Canal Café Theatre, is this just the start? Are there other plans afoot?

      We don’t have any plans beyond these two runs as yet, but we shall see!  For now we’re chuffed to have a couple of runs coming up and are looking forward to sharing our adaptation with audiences!

      Thanks to Knuckle Down for their time to chat about Three Sisters. They will be playing at Maltings Theatre St Albans 22 – 26 March and Canal Cafe Theatre London 31 March -2 April. More

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      Interview: Leading Us Up The Spiral Path

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      Playwright Andrew Sharpe on his new play, The Spiral Path

      For our latest podcast interview, we caught up with Andrew Sharpe, whose latest play, The Spiral Path, is days away from opening at The White Bear Theatre. But this won’t be its stage debut, that was at The Maltings Theatre earlier this year when it was well received. Enough so that it was picked up to come to one of London’s great Fringe Theatre venues.

      As well as telling us about the play, Andrew discusses the writing process, which for The Spiral Path, was evolving it from two short playlets into a full length play. He also tells us about being a more mature entrant into writing, having previously been a lawyer, and how joyful it is to see your play on the stage, having handed the script to a director and then being very hands-off.

      The Spiral Path

      Five characters, bereaved, betrayed, and befuddled by random acts of cruelty. Five interwoven tragedies cut together, a deeply personal examination of life, love and loss.

      Off the back of a very well received run at The Maltings Theatre, St Albans; KatAlyst & Mad Stallion Productions are delighted to bring this thought-provoking piece of new writing to a London audience at The White Bear Theatre.

      Inspired by the tragic number of cyclists killed in London every year, The Spiral Path weaves a suite of hilariously dysfunctional narratives, a family in chaos, a best friend betrayed, against a backdrop of deep and lasting grief of a bereavement, and the brutal repression of sexual identity.

      The Spiral Path comes to The White Bear Theatre between 22 and 26 March. Further information and bookings via the below link. More