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      Interview: Spinning A Tune With James Broadbent

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      James Broadbent on The Recollection of Tony Ward

      It can be the little things that grab our attention, making us eager to know more. In the case of The Recollection of Tony Ward it was simply the image of vinyl records, which along with the title, suggested that this was going to be a play about memories explored through a music collection. And that was enough to get the interest of one of our music obsessed team.

      So, we dropped the needle on our current favourite record (Fontains D.C.’s Skinty Fia just in case you were wondering), poured a couple of drinks and sat down with writer James Broadbent to find out more about the show that will play as part of May’s Peckham Fringe.

      The show follows a man who appears to be having a midlife crisis, divorced and forced to return to live with his mother – you’re clearly too young for this to be autobiographical, so what was the inspiration?

      Thanks for noting this is far from an autobiographical piece! It comes from a variety of places; the strongest of which being from when I worked in a record shop aged 17/18 – shout out to CrazyBeat Records in Upminster. I wasn’t writing at this point, and it was a simple Saturday job alongside plenty of my first experiences as a young adult.

      What struck me and inspired this piece I suppose were the customers themselves that came into the shop. How they found solace in a shop of used records and what was happening outside of the shop’s doors didn’t seem to matter. Most Saturdays were a blast and I think about them often but stepping outside I was always reminded of the strange expectation and traps of suburbia. That’s what this is all about really; traps and lessons.

      You’re bang on! Tony finds himself back at his mother’s house and while sitting alone he remembers that his record collection must be somewhere in the very house. It’s a little bit more freeform than: ‘This record reminds me of this’. Tony Ward, the protagonist, seems to be in the quietest place he’s been for a while, and this brings out an awful lot from within him.

      We’ve really tried to utilise the stage and lighting design in Tony’s journey through his youth. For a subject manner that can come across as self-pitying and defeatist it’s these memories that personally are my favourite part of the play – of the writing anyway- how Tony relishes in these moments of the past with his best friends and I really hope that the audience revels in them too.

      It’s also not all positive and yearning for the past either; Tony faces difficult memories within his marriage and experience as a father that Tal (The performer) is doing wonders with.

      So is music an important part of your life, is it an area you’d want to explore more in your writing?

      Music is an incredibly important part of my life. My older brother, Matthew, is a tremendous musician who has been writing and performing since I was around about ten. I remember my Dad bartering with bouncers at the Water Rats in Camden to let me in with him to watch because I was so underage. After this I’ve always surrounded myself with musicians as they’re always the funniest people. I’m happiest when I’m listening to new music, and I tend to write a lot more when I do too.

      This accompanied by my experience in CrazyBeat and core memories being formed at gigs and festivals with my closest friends. It’s something I love exploring in my writing too. One of my personal highlights from my previous show was seeing the audience bob and clap along to the dance routine performed at the end of the show. I want to reach that level of energy again and music is the only thing that really brings that side out of people.

      The play looks at identity and how we find our own; is this a theme you explore often, and how do you make it authentic when you aren’t anywhere near middle aged yet?

      I feel as though identity is something you are challenged with consistently in your adult life and the mistakes you make along the way. The play goes from Tony’s teenage years to the present day and there are plenty of mistakes in his lifetime. His biggest mistake for sure is the refusal to learn from any of them and that’s where the commentary on the past fifty years comes in – people believe they don’t have time for themselves because everything is moving so fast and that’s nobody’s fault, but I’m a strong believer we can always become better people. This theme is consistently challenged in my writing because I know that everybody struggles with the same big questions – ‘who am I and how do I fit into it all?’ and myself like plenty of others tend to avoid questions like these and put something on the TV for noise. 

      Making it authentic has been easier than I had envisioned. It’s not entirely naturalistic so that helps and working with an actor in Tal Profs who has been through similar life experiences to Tony has meant that he’s been able to bring an awful lot to the role. I’m nowhere near being middle-aged but the play isn’t about age really – but about proving who you are – even if that is just to yourself. Nothing more authentic than that.

      The show is part of Peckham Fringe, are such festivals a vital step in developing shows?

      Fringe festivals or shows off the beaten track of any form are the best ways to experience new art. Personally, I’ve no aspiration for anything to end up on the West End or even on screen and some people might disagree with this, but at this moment in time I think Fringe Festivals hold far more excitement than anything Between Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road.

      Peckham Fringe is a wonderful festival, where I plan to see a dozen or so shows because you have people who, like ourselves, are working within difficult budget and time restraints but what is so clear to see is the love behind every show that is put on at these festivals.

      I think they help develop shows but perhaps in a different sense, you have companies that put themselves under enormous amounts of pressure to make something they never would have done if it wasn’t for the prospect of a show to fifty people at the end of it. The shows themselves take on new forms and cast and crew learn so much from these opportunities, so it’s great they exist and are popping up in new forms like Peckham Fringe.

      Your last show, Lovely Spread played at Camden Fringe, when you self-produced, was that a good learning curve for you?

      Such a learning curve. That was made with a very talented group of people who I can’t wait to work with again because we faced so many obstacles (covid relating and otherwise) and we overcame them together. Even six months after ‘Lovely Spread’ I know what I’d change and how I’d go about it and that’s not off the table now for another company or student production to take it and do it differently.

      I learned how important marketing is, how to make those who create and facilitate your show happy by having open lines of communication and finally I learned that my writing is good enough and trusting talented people is the key to success – so stop worrying about it all and have fun.

      What is it you hope audiences will walk away talking about when they see The Recollection of Tony Ward?

      I don’t know really. Theatrically I undeniably want people to walk away thinking that it was a step up in production value from Lovely Spread in terms of staging, lighting and sound design – they’ll see the choices we made, and they’ll have things to say on all that.

      Emotionally, it’s a strange bit of work that some people will resonate with, and some won’t. I suppose I want people to walk away from the show thinking about who they are and why that doesn’t feel enough. How being unspectacular can be the most wonderful thing if we learn to accept ourselves and learn from our mistakes.

      On reflection, I kind of don’t want anybody to talk about ‘The Recollection of Tony Ward’ but I’d like to think it would stay with them when they have a moment alone.

      And it’s on for just one day, with two performances, that clearly isn’t going to be all, have you got plans in place for where the show goes next then?

      Thanks for your optimism! We have a few festival slots booked in for later in the summer which I’m very excited about but they’ve yet to be announced – but keep an eye out. Hopefully that time round we’ll have an entirely different team because it will take the show in a new direction and grow in ways I could never even foresee.

      Thanks to James for taking time out to chat to us. The Recollection Of Tony Ward plays at Theatre Peckham on 8 May, with performances at 2.30 and 8.00. Further information and tickets can be found here. More

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      Interview: Welcome To The Land of OSO

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      Author: Everything Theatre

      in Features and Interviews, Podcasts, Runn Radio interview

      28 April 2022

      86 Views

      Ian McFarlane on new show Forever Oz

      We met Ian McFarlane back in 2020 when we spoke to him about Revellers Society. He is now back with Forever Oz, which, as the title suggests, is based on L. Frank Baum’s series of books from which The Wizard Of Oz came. But rest assured, this is not a new stage adaptation of the film we all know and love, but instead is based on the second and third books in the series, along with some adaptations by Ian himself.

      Ian’s love of not just the Oz books, but Peter Pan are clear to hear as he tells us about the show and why his theatre company is called Big Adventure Productions. Plus we discuss why he the show will be playing at Barnes OSO Arts Centre before hopefully a tour.

      Forever Oz plays at OSO Arts Centre 19 – 22 May. Further information and bookings here. More

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      Guest Post: Abuse of Power Isn’t Always So Black and White

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      Clayton Black on Daybreak Theatre’s Malpractice

      New stage play, Malpractice, explores the abuse of power by the authorities from the perspective of two individuals driven by personal tragedy. We asked Clayton Black to tell us more about this new thriller that is heading to Bread and Roses Theatre in May.

      Malpractice is a play that explores what happens when the people we trust to serve, defend and represent our best interests betray their values and duty to serve their own agendas.

      The last few years have presented many high profile cases that typify this ‘abuse of power’ and privilege at varying scales: from the seemingly perpetual lies, scandal and double standards for which certain members of the political class remain largely held unaccounted for, to tragic events such as the murders of George Floyd and Sarah Everard by law enforcement officials. These scandals have reverberated around the world, creating a palpable sense of fury, solidarity and igniting a movement that demands change and justice. But these are just the cases that made headlines and successfully occupied our collective social consciousness and attention span for a sustained period of time. Make no mistake: for every Sarah Everard and George Floyd, there are many more men, women and children whose names we’ve never heard and whose stories were never told. Their loss will forever remain a hole in the hearts of those who loved them. For the rest of us, they are little else than footnotes in humanity’s dark history.

      Whilst Malpractice is not directly inspired by or even addresses any of these events, I have certainly been influenced by them in its creation. But where Malpractice significantly departs from these real-life events is that it does not seek to recreate and re-vilify them. Rather, my intention has been to create new scenarios where the abuse of power committed by the two main characters – a lawyer and detective – are nested in the context of personal tragedy: heinous acts motivated by greed, hate and blatant disregard for human life are easy to hold in contempt and reject, but we rarely see in black and white when people are driven by grief and suffering. Humans have an instinctive response of empathy and compassion that enable us to find reason and justification in even the darkest and brutal of acts. Looking at the world today, it’s easy to conclude that the laws that are meant to be a reflection of our ethics, morality and values are written and enforced by people who often have the knowledge, means and position to escape consequences of their actions. Malpractice asks the audience where the line between vengeance and justice exists and, if presented with such exceptional personal circumstances and the position and power to evade consequences, how they would see fit to act.

      Whilst Malpractice can’t help but be a commentary on wider society but really it’s a manifestation of my personal cognitive dissonance. When I read the news each day, I am sometimes shocked to find myself simultaneously overwhelmed and desensitised to the dystopian reality humanity is creating for itself on a daily basis. Most of the time I experience an overwhelming sensation of resignation and reluctant acceptance: I tell myself “that’s the way the world works”, “some things will never change” and “go along to get along”.

      But there are moments when I – a generally mild-mannered person who has never demonstrated a meaningful ounce of political or social activism – grow weary of this pattern. There are moments I wonder at what point tacit acceptance of the social paradigms that enable such abuses of power make me an accomplice. Like many of us probably do, I like to imagine that if presented with opportunity, I would behave and act differently. But no man is an island: how many of us know the hearts and minds of anyone well enough to say that, under the right circumstances, we can’t be either bought, broken, corrupted or cowed?

      The production is written, directed, produced and starring Clayton Black, who plays the lawyer. He is joined by the talented Fiona Munro and Mike Younis, who play the detective and the victim, and together provide the emotional core and moral ambiguity of the play. Philip Gill, Carol Morgan and Richard Bobb-semple the prosecutor, judge and public defender who represent institutions and values of society being undermined and manipulated by ‘bad actors’.

      Malpractice is a drama/thriller for the modern day that blends topical world events with compelling characters and motives, and unabashedly dives head-first into dark subject matter that intends to slightly unsettle viewers. The play itself is completely impartial and dispassionate and offers no judgement of the actions of the characters: it is left to the audience to form their own conclusions based on their own values and beliefs.

      As always, our thanks to Clayton for his time in writing this guest post.

      Malpractice is being performed at the Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham from the 17th-21st May, 2022. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: Every Rain Cloud Has A Silver Lining

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      Julia Bentley and Elan Butler on A Little Rain In Monaco

      It’s been a tough couple of years for theatre makers. And even if it isn’t Covid making life hard, it’s venues cancelling shows for completely different reasons! So our heart went out to Sober Riot Theatre who’s show, A Little Rain In Monaco, suffered that last minute cancellation earlier this year. But like all good theatre, it couldn’t be kept down for too long, and the show has now found a new stage to play on at The Pleasance (11 – 14 May).

      A Little Rain In Monaco rasies that all-important question; how you or your team would handle the PR disaster of punching Phillip Schofield live on TV? For those with longer memories, you may recall it wouldn’t be the first time the deity of daytime TV has been attacked live on TV, just ask Carter USM’s Fruit Bat how it affected their careers!

      And because ET is always here to support young theatre makers, we couldn’t really not ask them to sit down with us for the afternoon and tell us a little more about the show and it’s journey just to make it to the stage. So that’s just what we did, with Producer Julia Bentley and writer Elan Butler.

      Let’s get this out of the way first, how excited are you that you’re finally going to get the play on the stage after everything you’ve been through just to get here?

      Very, VERY excited. It’ll be special for us and the cast to finally have an audience reacting and (hopefully) laughing at this comedy drama. That adrenaline rush before a show is something that we’ve all missed and it’s just so special to get to do it at The Pleasance. The months preparing and repreparing have given us some big learning curves early on, which makes the final showing even more satisfying. We’ve been so lucky to have a supportive and friendly team of people working on this, who’ve poured everything into rehearsals and deserve a successful week of shows. The Pleasance has been a real shining light for us and we can’t thank them enough, we’ve been buzzing for weeks. 

      Have you ever considered the troubles you’ve gone through are karma for your play suggesting (in jest we hope) that national treasure Philip Schofield should be punched live on TV?

      I (writer Elan Butler) feel like Phillip has been watching over the whole project since it began, him being the three things we all learnt about God in R.E, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. We have joked in the past about there being some sort of Monaco curse, like we’re the last few characters in a Final Destination movie waiting for another catastrophe to happen…maybe we should have considered a character punching Holly Willoughby instead…maybe that would have had less consequences. 

      It feels like the play has more than a passing nod towards cancel culture. Is that a fair assessment?

      It’s fair, but I (Elan Butler) feel like it talks about cancel culture in a way that isn’t too cringeworthy for the regular theatregoer. I think there’s a dangerous line to walk with anything too media or internet based in the theatre realm, it can quickly become quite generic and samey, we’ve aimed to avoid that.

      Really, the main protagonist is on the verge of cancellation throughout the play but it’s about the inner motivation that drives him to walk that tightrope that’s interesting. What makes these celebrities enjoy being the bad guys? Is it an adrenaline rush? Is it validation? Or is it something deeper? 

      And there are themes of class, identity and mental health – are these common threads to what you have experienced yourselves trying to bring your show to the stage?

      The characters in the play all struggle with the class difference between them, it’s what subconsciously drives them to do and say most things. The illusion that the grass is greener with money and fame, or perhaps not, is a discussion I’ve always strived to get in this play, even from the earliest draft. It’s something I’ve (Elan Butler) personally thought or assumed, like most immersed in the arts “industry”, I put industry in quote marks because I don’t even like the term, another thing reflected in the play that represents a somewhat class divide. Topics of identity also derive from real life. I’m very much interested in portraying the struggle I’ve seen of identification whilst immersed in lad culture or other repressive environments. 

      What do you hope the play will say to people, what do you want them talking about as they grab a drink at the bar afterwards?

      I’m ( Elan Butler) cautious of saying what I hope because everyone takes different things and whatever I say it will be the opposite. I once heard Simon Stephens say a play should be like a football match, the audiences should be roaring and booing and kicking and celebrating, I agree.  I don’t want to see people endlessly talking, that’s Chekhov, I want to see action! So I’d hope people walk out feeling like they’ve witnessed a champions league final that finished 5-5 and went to extra time and penalties. Iwant it to be an experience, not just a play, and have them consider what really makes them happy, then put all their attention into it. 

      Sober Riot is another theatre company that has come out of East15, and not the first we’ve had the pleasure to chat to. Is there a reason that place seems to be producing so much fresh young talent?

      The Contemporary Theatre Course at East 15 is definitely a breeding ground for fully-rounded theatre makers, it celebrates the art of making your own work and creates life-long partnerships with people that enable your work to flourish. We sort of accidentally (yet thankfully) became writers/directors/musicians/producers, during our time at East 15, where we began a journey (like many others) thinking acting was the only route for us. Often people find their people on the CT course, who they want to collaborate and make work with, or sometimes people discover they solely want to work individually, and that’s great too. It’s sort of a beautiful coincidence. It proves the only limitation to getting work as a creative is yourself, and that the possibilities of what can be created are endless with the right mindset. We have Uri Roodner (Head of The BA Acting And Contemporary Theatre Course) to thank for that!

      The show now plays for 4 nights at The Pleasance, what plans do you have for after that? Or are you too scared to plan further ahead?

      We’ve got a lot of work in the pipeline currently around a handful of projects, which will all be revealed across the course of the year, so everything depends on time, capacity, and dare we say it…funding. As a lot of emerging companies, we often have plans and projects in place, but then an opportunity is thrown our way that we weren’t expecting and steers our work into exciting, yet unexpected routes. At the moment what we’d love is to organise a small ‘A Little Rain In Monaco’ tour around regional theatres, so more communities can experience the show outside of London. We’re a Midlands born company, so bringing the show back to our home county is something we always strive for with our work. 

      And finally, are you going to invite Philip Schofield, we could help get an invite to him if you like?

      We haven’t…yet! We’re not too sure how Philip would enjoy being fictionally punched on live TV, possibly he’d enjoy it? Who knows! But if the original contemporary theatre scene is Philip’s jam, then somebody get a big slice of bread to match. It’s a very tempting offer. Philip, if you’re reading this, would you like a ticket? 

      Many thanks to Julia and Elan for their time to chat. A Little Rain In Monaco will play at The Pleasance between 11 and 14 May. Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: Sarah Milton on ‘4’

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      Playing at Park Theatre’s Come What May Festival

      Playing as part of Park Theatre’s Come What May Festival, Bruised Sky’s 4 tells the story of one woman’s response to a sexual assault. Writer and performer Sarah Milton approaches the topic by looking not just at sexual assault but at the effects of a toxic friendship, as well as crisis of identity. 

      It’s a subject that feels never far from the news right now, but as the statistics show, it’s also something that is still seriously under-reported and certainly one where the perpetrators are more often than not never held accountable for their actions.

      We sat down with Sarah to find out more about the play, why such stories are so vital and what her hopes are for the play and its audiences.

      (Trigger warning: This interview contains references to sexual assault and rape.)

      What was the starting point for you to write 4?

      I was sexually assaulted myself in my early twenties, but I didn’t really acknowledge it until I read the #MeToo hashtag in 2017. That movement was a period of awakening for me; not only did my behaviours and experiences that had followed the assault make a lot more sense, but I reflected heavily on how powerful denial had played into my survival. I was alarmed at how ingrained the expectation of assault and inappropriate behaviour was from men by women pre #MeToo and how easy it was to excuse; how the patriarchal systems in place had made it seem almost forgivable. Denial as a survival mechanism was certainly the starting place for writing 4.

      It’s clearly a very personal play, how easy is it to address this in front of an audience?

      I never write a play initially with the intention of it being read or watched – I try to write with truth and wildness of thought and then edit heavily before it’s sent to others. It began as a cathartic release of writing before it becomes more structured and less personalised, but the truth of it for me is still very much in the bones of the play. I was expecting it to be a very difficult process, but so far it’s felt empowering more than anything – like I’ve taken back the control that was taken from me all those years ago.

      Is there a risk that by examining toxic friendships alongside this story that the focus moves away from the actual perpetrators? Are we at risk of blaming the wrong people about what happens?

      I think because we live in a patriarchal society, we’re always at risk for blaming the wrong people for the wrong things. However, this play isn’t about perpetrators, it’s about survival. In the play, the friend of the survivor very much represents the expectation of the behaviour from men and how, as younger women pre #MeToo, we were almost encouraged to feed in to that behaviour in order to successfully attract them, which we are frequently told throughout our lives that we’re unsuccessful or undesirable if we don’t manage to attract a man. This is obviously ludicrous. I imagine the audience may want to blame her at times, but really we should be blaming the system that’s been built for her and led her to justify becoming a bystander to herself.

      Reported sexual assaults are just a fraction of how many are believed to actually occur each year, do you feel plays such as 4 can help empower women to report crimes with more confidence?

      Unfortunately, I think it’s going to take a lot more than a play to encourage women to report a sexual assault. It’s going to take a stronger judiciary system, an immense increase of faith and trust in the police and the law and more funded, professional, appropriate and timely support for survivors. That said, I do hope that the play will help add to the mounting voices highlighting the need for those things to change.

      The play was originally meant to play at the VAULT Festival, and was long listed for the VAULT FIVE mentoring programme, how vital are such festivals and programmes for emerging artists and those looking to test new work?

      VAULT and models like it are vital for artists like myself. They’re relatively affordable, lower-risk and allow voices a well-marketed platform that may otherwise remain unheard. It was devastating when VAULT was cancelled again this year, but a decision that was ultimately necessary. Audiences understand VAULT now and are more likely to take a risk on what they book for and see too. It was amazing to see how theatres attempted to rally round and house lost shows, proving that the industry recognises the value and importance of the festival and programmes like it. However, there’s a fear of taking on new voices in bigger theatres generally… But, audiences want them and with the right marketing support and authentic investment in those voices from the bigger buildings and producing houses, they will come. I think the financial losses from the pandemic are going to affect theatre’s ability to do that for a while though.

      What do you want people to leave 4 thinking about?

      I want people to leave 4 with a sense of how immediately a sexual assault can change your life, how denial can play a strong role in surviving but ultimately how resilient survivors can be. So often victims of sexual assault on television or film are either portrayed as overly hysterical and/or physically shaking, or the character’s assault also results in their death and the detectives (often male) talk about them and focus on finding the perpetrator, whilst also battling a deep, personal trauma of their own. Now, the former can of course be a person’s response – every reaction is different for every survivor but 4 is displaying a less publicly explored reaction; one very similar to what I experienced. 4 shows a woman functioning and going about her life immediately afterward, at times with humour, as I did and navigating her world with a changed and shifted understanding of it. But through it all comes the hope, and ultimately the joy, the protagonist realises she can find again.

      And after the Park Theatre run, do you have plans in place or are you waiting to see how the show is received first?

      We’d love the show to have further life, but there’s nothing solidly in place just yet. So, watch this space…

      Photo credit @ Lauren Mabbett Photography

      Our thanks to Sarah for her time to chat to us in such an honest way. 4 plays as part of Park Theatre’s Come What May Festival between 16 to 21 May. DIscounts are available for booking for more than one show in the festival.

      Further information and bookings can be found here. More

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      Interview: East Meets West In Ealing

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      India Gate comes to Questors Theatre

      Questors Theatre has only recently found its way onto our list of venues we’ve visited, and we do wonder just why it has taken us so long to do so. But now we know it’s there, we are overjoyed to share it with everyone. For an amateur theatre, they are still willing to be brave in their programming, and India Gate, coming to their stage at the end of April, certainly seems to evidence that bravery.

      India Gate marks the country’s 75 years of independence and is made in collaboration with the Punjabi Theatre Academy. The play follows Edwin and Emily Lutyens and their connection with the Indian community in London and Delhi during the construction of the All India War Memorial (India Gate). Their story is interwoven with that of the Sikh Martyr Udham Singh, whose extraordinary fight for India’s independence from the British Raj began in 1919 in Amritsar.

      So it was a pleasure to chat with Questors’ Howard Shepherdson and Punjabi Theatre’s Tajinder Sindra, who have worked together to bring the show to the stage.

      What has brought you together to make India Gate?

      Howard: I was involved in some outreach for the Questors looking at arts and community groups that we could get involved with and an ex colleague put me in tough with Tajinder. I remember looking at the Punjabi Theatre Academy website and thinking they would be interesting to get involved with in some way. We first met on Zoom, then face to face, and came up with the idea of a workshop production together to see how we got on. Alex Marker, the Questors Artistic Director, was keen on the idea and suggested a couple of performance nights in July las year.

      Tajinder: I had been thinking of doing something for the 75th anniversary of Indian independence and suggested it might be a good theme for the workshop. I had also directed a play in the past for the 50th anniversary of India Independence day in 1995.

      Since Howard and I started working together in May 2021 we have gripped the interest for both communities, British and Indian, to enjoy the production and provide an opportunity to see the India freedom movement and British support for them, such as Lady Emily.

      Also, it felt a great opportunity for Questors Theatre and Punjabi Theatre that working under their joint vision and mission to bring audiences in the Questors Theatre and generate a long term partnership between the two play groups.

      And what brought you to the story of Edwin and Emily Lutyens?

      Tanjinder: The play was never intended to be a documentary; it is about storytelling and real people. It is the human story behind the history and that makes it accessible. I have seen and meet people who were affected by the Amritsar massacre and now we can provide a wider platform for people who have less knowledge of the incident.

      Howard: Certain moments of history are revealed in the play but most are shown indirectly through their effects on people’s lives.  You could describe the play as a collection of personal stories.  and we have not tried to cover every complex detail, especially the political turmoil dominating events. There are clear signposts for the audience as to where a scene is set and during what dates. All designed to make the story telling easier.

      For many of us, thoughts of Indian culture on the stage and screen will be filled with bright colours, dancing and drums, are we going to be treated to any of these in India Gate?

      Howard: The play is set in the 1930s and 40s so dress codes were certainly not flamboyant amongst the British characters. However, the Indian roles are more colourfully costumed. And there are drums, even fireworks and a Punjabi song, but it is not a Bollywood style play by any means.

      Tajinder: Moreover we are trying to preserve the old Punjabi folk style; poetry, singing and highlight the values of our tradition.  Also, bringing Punjabi culture in the play for abundance and entertainment. Generally when people think of Indian culture they immediately think Bollywood, whereas Indian culture is made up of 50 separate states, each rich in their own traditions. With India gate, we are giving an insight into just one of these that is Punjabi culture.

      How has it been co-directing the play, when we assume you both come with very different styles and ideas?

      Tajinder: British theatrical culture is very different to that in the Punjab. For a start they rehearse for much longer and go deeper into the technical aspects of a play. My productions are perhaps more spontaneous, based on more historical sagas, and India Gate focuses on one of the richest, that is Punjabi cuture. It is cast from both our companies and my actors have enjoyed working with the people from Questors and with Howard as a director.

      Howard: For a full stage production at the Questors, someone had to take the lead and Tajinder let me take that role. He has been really valuable in helping keep a sense of authenticity, especially with the Punjabi characters. He has also given great advice on music and costume and what I have loved most is his passion for community and shared understanding. Although India Gate is a serious play, we have fun in the rehearsal room and our joint WhatApp group is busy day and night!

      Is it importantant bringing Indian culture to the stage?

      Howard: Absolutely, especially in a place like West London where there is a significant Indian population.  We have a unique shared cultural history, even if it has not always shown the British in a good light.  Theatre is a place where communites can have real dialogue and learning. Working with all different cultures is important and we need to see their lives on the stage. There are some brilliant Indian actors around now and we need to see more of them.

      Tajinder: This has been our mission of Punjabi Theatre Academy to keep Punjabi culture alive, and performance is a great way to achieve this.  Working with the Questors is a great opportunity to expose ourselves to a new audience and connect with mixed audiences.  More India production please everywhere. Put them on and people will come!

      And do you hope that it will bring in a very different audience to the theatre?

      Tajinder: From the two workshop productions last year over 50% of the audience came from an Indian background, which was so satisfying. We also had five West London MPs attending. All this goes to show that there is an audience out there hungry for this type of project.

      The play is in English and Punjabi, are you planning surtitles or will the language barrier not be a problem to understand what is happening?

      Howard: We are using some subtitles both in English and Punjabi but there will not be any simultaneous translation because the play speaks well for itself and the story telling is clear.

      There’s been lots of talk recently about reviewing our history books to better represent the less appealing sides of British occupation and the empire – is this something India Gate is likely to touch upon?

      Tajinder: Yes, both directly and indirectly. There is a line that Howard wrote for one of the characters who is being congratulated on the birth of India as a new country. She replies that it is not a birth, but regaining something that was taken away. We need to recognise that. It is not rewriting history but perhaps revisiting it from a different perspective.

      Howard:  I prefer to describe it as carefully stripping away ther layers of interpretation and discovering the truth. The history of the British in India is both complex and controversial and so are some of the events amongst a divided Indian population. It befits us all to understand that history properly. There is a lot we can celebrate even when we strip away the excesses of Empire.

      What do you hope audiences will take away from watching the play?

      Howard: One audience member spoke to me a few days after seeing a workshop performance last July and said “I learnt so much and wanted to carry on learning. So I went home and did hours of research on Google”.  But people also felt they had spent time listening to events unfolding in the lives of some fascinating characters. “I didn’t realise that these events happened” was another common reaction.

      Tajinder: We also want people to realise that our shared heritage has made both nations what we are today and that understanding can only bring us closer together.

      And after the run at Questors, what next?

      Howard: We will be touring the play to Birmingham Crescent Theatre and the Lacemarket Theare in Nottingham during July and also hope to perform at the Nehru Centre for the Indian High Commission.  If we can raise the money we have ambitions to take the play to India.

      Thanks to Howard and Tajinder for taking their time away from regersals to chat to us. India Gate opens at The Questors Theatre on 30 April. Further information and tickets can be found here. More

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      in Theater

      Interview: How Do You Enjoy Your Crumpets?

      by

      ANTS Theatre on Quantum tunnelling and Qrumpets.

      Sometimes we read a press release that is so strange, so different, we really need to know more. So we have to admit, ANTS Theatre really caught our attention with their press release that stated: “You’ve heard of quantum tunnelling right? The theory that if you continuously throw a crumpet at a wall, it will eventually go through”. Rather embarrassingly, we have to admit this is all new to us, although there are some crumpets in the kitchen and we’re now wondering whether to eat them or experiment with them.

      But whilst we decide on that, we found time to sit down with three members of ANTS Theatre, Diana, Lu and Paul, and see if they are talking waffles or if this really is a true thing. And whilst we’re at it, what else this show might teach us?

      So what on earth brought you to Quantum tunnelling?

      Diana: This comes from a pseudo science experiment that a high school teacher of mine suggested. What I remember of this experiment is that it had to do with particles and that that teacher said: ‘there is a very slight probability that this pizza may go through the wall, if the particles are ordered in such a way that they just go through the particles of the wall. So, potentially, if you just keep trying until infinity it will eventually go through.’.

      After doing some research, we discovered that this theory was actually a myth, pseudo science. However, this idea resonated with Quantum Tunneling, very small particles that should collision into each other end up jumping through each other! So we decided to embrace our discovery. I guess the next question would be… why did we not stick with pizza? But, to be honest, I think there is no need for explanation. Crumpets are just… the PERFECT edible for this experiment.

      Lu: Back while doing our MA/MFAs, we were all gathered around brainstorming impossible tasks for a new performance piece. Diana brought up the theory of Quantum Tunnelling – “you know, the theory where if you throw a pizza at the wall enough times, it’ll go through?” At first, we weren’t convinced. Then Eva said: “But what if it DOES go through? And we’d be the ones to do it…”

      Paul: Really, the action of throwing a crumpet against a wall in the hope that it will pass through is an exercise in futility. I don’t really understand quantum tunnelling, but from what I can discern, QUANTUM tunnelling works on a QUANTUM level with the phenomenon only being proved to occur with subatomic particles. This stimulus is the serious part of the show. The comedy comes from maintaining the real earnestness of an atomic experiment – but with buttered crumpets and double denim. We saw it pass through once under the same circumstances – and we want you to see it too! This isn’t pseudoscience!!

      You’re all theatre graduates, but we assume some of you have some science background/ knowledge?

      Diana: We do! Some of us come from the theatre industry and some of us don’t. We all have a love for science and, even if we don’t understand Quantum Tunneling to all it’s extent, we are fascinated by it.

      Lu: We’re a multi-talented bunch! While we’re all ants now, we were once civil engineers, medics, computer programmers, linguists, designers and makers. Somehow, most of the work we make ends up being rooted in science. I think it’s because ultimately that’s what we come down to at our simplest forms, little mini atoms floating around.

      Paul: My sister, Dr Sol H. Jacobsen, holds a PHD in theoretical physics and works with nobel prize winners on a daily basis… I knew there was no chance of competing in her field; so I’m just going to be an artist over here instead! However, she is definitely the first point of contact when developing art ideas about scientific theory.

      Is the show just going to be you taking turns throwing a crumpet at the wall for an hour, or is there more to it than that?

      Diana: The magic of quantum is that if you follow the same experiment in the exact same conditions, there is a probability that the experiment goes one way or another. For this reason, we MUST always follow the same steps in the same way, which means that there can only be one crumpet thrower! In the same way, there is only one crumpet toaster, one crumpet butterer, one note taker, one experiment success verifier and one biker – yes, we have a bike on stage! Come see the show to learn what it’s used for.

      Lu: Oh no! Not just anyone can throw a crumpet at the wall… It has to be done in a precise way, by the optimum person. Absolutely no turns will be taken! We take this very seriously. However, you can look forward to a lot of throwing at the wall. Along the way though, you may find things go awry… little things at first, unnoticeable unless you’re looking for them. Then bigger. Then bigger. Then chaos and carnage.

      Paul: Everyone’s interpretation of the show seems to be wildly different. Even within the cast there are different ideas about why we are doing this and where we are in the universe; some of us find sanctuary in the process, some find it thankless and others want to monetise on the success of our research after achieving the desired outcome.

      One thing is for certain though, everything that happens onstage is in pursuit of a rigorous logic.

      How many crumpets do you go through each performance? And have you considered if the crumpet should be toasted? And butter and jam, or just buttered?

      Diana: It’s something around 50! (We compost them after each show). As soon as we have a pair of crumpets, there is a precise process this crumpet needs to follow before it is in throwing conditions. First, we need to toast it. Secondly, we need to butter it. Third, we need to weight them. Finally, we can choose one to be thrown. 

      Lu: You are asking the right questions!! There is a perfect equilibrium to the experiment. Crumpets must be toasted, no doubt about it. Then buttered – we’re not monsters! But no jam. Never jam… In a typical performance we get through maybe 50 crumpets. I feel like it’s worth stating that we’ve done an environmental analysis and can report that composting crumpets post show (as is our policy) has less carbon footprint than making prop crumpets. We take our planet very seriously and try to limit our impact as much as possible.

      You’re from all over the world, what is it that brought you together to form ANTS Theatre?

      Diana: We were put together in a working group when studying Advanced Theatre Practice in The Central School of Speech and Drama. Before that, most barely even knew each other! We just worked so well together that we decided to continue working after finishing our masters. And… from here was born ANTS Theatre!

      Lu: Some sort of wizardry happened. In fact, the first show we made together was Qrumpet! For me, what makes our company special is that we see everything through different perspectives. We bring different backgrounds in terms of culture, identity, sexuality, career… It makes bouncing off of each other so much more exciting because there really are no limits.

      Paul: What is it that brought us all together? The BRILLIANT Dr Lynne Kendrick! Apparently, in the first term of our MA at RCSSD, we were all being quietly evaluated and matched by Lynne, our course leader. We wouldn’t have picked this group initially, so we owe it all to her really – thanks Lynne! The best thing about our group dynamic though, is that all of our skills complement each other which makes us able to actualise ideas and create weird machines – like the bike in Qrumpet that controls all of the stage lights!

      The show is going on a short tour, is this so you can see if different locations give different results?

      Diana: This is our first time touring as a company. As much as we are ambitious, self-producing our work is not an easy task! We decided to start small to have a test. This is a test not only for the play itself, but also for us, to see if, as a company, we are ready and can sustain going on tour. Theatre is a competitive world and it is always hard to find the right time, the right people, the right show and the right venues! Having said this, we do have big dreams! We are hoping that, after this mini tour, bigger opportunities come along and… eventually… tour internationally!

      Lu: Absolutely. The world, being a sphere, generates different temporal frequencies that may affect our experiment. Where a crumpet may break through the wall in Didcot, perhaps it won’t in London. There are so many variables outside of our control, but we won’t let that stop us. We are absolutely determined and I am convinced that we will succeed.

      And finally, what will you do if the crumpet actually does go through the wall during a show? Will this bring the show and tour to a halt as really, what else will be left to do?

      Diana: This is a possibility that is very present in our minds and cause for debates in the group! In my opinion, I’d hang my coat there. We have made it, the experiment is done!  If we keep showing it, it could potentially end up in bad hands!!! I’d be very happy to move on to the next show at that point, knowing a secret that only a handful would share with me and, even if recorded, no one except those who were there would believe.

      Lu: Once you learn how to ride a bike, do you stop? Of course not! You get better and better, until one day you can cycle with no hands! I guess what I’m trying to say is, once we get a crumpet through the wall, it’s only a matter of time before we can walk through the wall ourselves!

      Paul: I like the system. I find my job within it comforting. If it went through; SURE, I’d take the next few days off and celebrate; but what happens after that? The alternative is too uncertain. I’d get back to it before long.

      Thanks to Diana, Lu and Paul for giving up their valuable crumpet throwing time to chat with us.

      Qrumpets plays at Camden People’s Theatre this Wednesday until Sunday. Further information and tickets can be found here.

      The show will also be playing Bright and Didcot.

      14 – 27 May Brighton Fringe. Tkts here.8 June DIdcot Quarterstone Arts Centre. Tkts here. More

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      in Theater

      Interview: Accusations, Witches and Privilege

      by

      Fury Theatre on new play Abigail

      Fury Theatre’s Abigail is a play that takes a different look at the Salem Witch Trials. Rather than tackle the witch trials themselves, it focuses on Abigail Williams, one of the first to make accusations that lead to arrests. And the story takes place four years later, looking at how being an accuser may have affected Abigail and the effects this would have on her for the rest of her life.

      It certainly seemed to us to be a very different approach and a way to look at themes that still hold true today, so we sat down with the Fury Theatre’s Artistic director and writer Laura Turner, along with co-writer and director Stephen Gillard to tell us more.

      What made you want to create a play against the backdrop of the Salem Witch Trials?

      Stephen: It’s a point in history, infamous for the oppression of women, that resonates across the time periods. So much so that when we talk about “witch hunts,” we’re often referring to this particular period in history. We wanted to tell this story to try and suggest that, when it comes to the treatment of women, in law, relationships and the world at large, we may not have moved on as far as we think.

      And why from the viewpoint of one of the accusers, Abigail Williams? How much is really known about the accusers and how Salem became a focal point for witch trials? 

      Laura: Choosing a point of view for a narrative piece can sometimes be tricky simply because in good stories, all angles present interesting views, challenges and exciting avenues to explore. As you can imagine, that’s very much the case with the historical figures from the witch trials. But through time and other media, certain figures have gained a certain notoriety. Not just Abigail but also Tituba, the Bajan slave who was one of the first to be accused. This play shines a light on Abigail and the experience she as an accuser went through – being parachuted up onto a pedestal where the great and the good were listening to her, just a very young woman, in a way that was unusual for any woman of the time. Then, as soon as her use was done and the trials were over, she was dropped – by those men who had raised her up, and by history, and her society. We wanted to explore this dilemma – to ask what scars that experience leaves a young woman with, and importantly how does that resonate with today. In our society we see women in particular made famous overnight – from reality TV stars to pop stars, politicians, actors and writers – only to be dropped as soon as they stop conforming to whatever unknown, ever-changing idea of “what’s right”. Who is that “right” decided by, and what makes it any more “right” than any other choice a woman – or anybody – might make?

      Abigail was just a child when the trials happened, and there seems to be little known about her afterwards. What inspired the direction of your story? Is there any evidence she ever moved to Boston? 

      Stephen: There’s almost nothing known about Abigail after the events of the Salem Witch trials, apart from a possibly apocryphal tale that she was sighted in Boston working as a prostitute. The history is extremely hazy after Salem and that’s why we wanted to use her as a jumping point to show that women in history are almost always completely forgotten. Even women like Abigail who was famous in her community for the span of the trials is completely forgotten about once the events have played out. What happens to someone like that? Someone who’s worth in society is negligible at best. Even texts, plays and films that have looked at her usually stop at the point the witch trials finish. We thought that was interestingly symbolic of many women’s journeys through the past and indeed the present.

      You want to explore privilege and exploitation within the play, are you suggesting Abigail was an abuser or was she simply caught in a system that allowed abuse to occur freely? 

      Laura: Our Abigail is a complex, flawed character – like all people. She makes difficult choices in difficult situations, and that means that sometimes those choices are mistakes that she regrets later. We don’t shy away from that – Abigail is vicious, proud, judgemental and unkind. But she learns from her experiences, and she realises that she has been deeply affected by the pressure of the society around her – as you say, one where abuse and exploitation was (and still is) endemic. What’s important is the character arc that Abigail goes on, and also her intention. She never knowingly abuses anyone. She voices bigoted ideas at the start of the play because that’s what’s been instilled in her, from a place of fear. We want to explore what fear can push people to do and ask questions through Abigail’s story of what it takes to confront that fear and rise above it.

      You also explore the female bisexual experience; how much is known about this from the 17th Century, was it openly discussed or is it pieced together from fragments nowadays? 

      Laura: Abigail’s sexuality is another important element of the fear narrative we are creating. Abigail’s coming of age in the play is utterly inspired and fuelled by her burgeoning sexuality and the attraction that she feels towards a young woman she meets. This makes her reflect on the past as well, on some of the things she did and said – particularly towards Tituba – that came from a place of fear, of not having accepted herself and the fact that she is attracted to women as well as men. It’s important to note here that the real-life Abigail came from a very Puritanical society where sex wasn’t a subject to be discussed, let alone women’s pleasure. This has an impact on her. In the broader context of the time, there were, as always, mixed attitudes towards just about everything. We see this once Abigail goes to Boston – a much bigger place than Salem – where there are differing mindsets and more acceptance, but also more bitterness. There are certainly records from the 17th century of “women loving women” – both condemnatory and accepting – but Abigail herself is in the dark to her own feelings, let alone other people’s. Abigail in many ways becomes a play about self-acceptance, in its many ways.

      How much do the play’s themes still ring true over 300 years later? 

      Stephen: The themes we’re looking at are, it’s probably fair to say, far older than the 300 years that separates us from this story. They’re also occurring today, just as freshly as if they’d only just begun. The oppression of women around the world. The denial of women’s ability to govern even their own bodies. Massive disparity within the legal system. The mistrust of education or success when it comes to women. The demonisation of sexual agency and fear of sexual identity. Coercive control. Racial disparity and discrimination across all levels of society. These are themes that we look at in the play and we would say you only need to look at the news for five minutes to come across an example of them being as rife today as they were 300 or 3000 years ago.

      You’re playing at The Space, how important are venues such as the Space for new and emerging theatre makers such as Fury Theatre? 

      Laura: The Space is a fantastic venue to work with because they are so supportive of new work and particularly of the company behind the work. For us, this is our first in person production as a company, and we’re also bringing work directly to London from our company base in the East Midlands. There’s lots to think about and for me, this is the first show I’ve produced as well as written, but having the team at The Space there to give advice has been invaluable. I’d absolutely recommend it as a venue to other emerging companies, and the wider network of fringe theatres – and the reviewers, critics and audiences that support them – are such an important part of our industry, especially at the moment as we continue to rebuild after the last two years.

      And have you thought about how you’ll be putting the play on for best use of their wonderful livestream service?  

      Stephen: This will be our first live-stream event. We’re excited and we’re going to be learning our way through the evening. It’s wonderful to be able to reach out to people who can’t attend, to be able to offer a chance for people, particularly in Lincoln, where we’re from, to see the piece live on the stage. Who knows, we may find there’s a film idea in this somewhere.

      Thanks to Laura and Stephen for finding the time to chat with us. Abigail plays at The Space between 3 – 7 May. There will be a livestream performance on 5 May, which will then be available to watch on-demand for a further two weeks. Further information and bookings can be found here. More