Slider

Subterms

    More stories

    • 150 Shares129 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Eve Lytollis on why Paperboy isn’t really an all boys affair

      by

      Paperboy

      Two self-proclaimed “journalists”, Matt and Matthew, are the founders of newspaper The Desperate Times. Matt likes to think of himself as the top dog, saying and doing as he pleases, and hopefully making everyone else go wild with awe in the process; Matthew, meanwhile, is the beta male to Matt’s alpha, which in this case pretty much just means that he thinks a little more before he speaks (sometimes), and feels a little less compelled to constantly talk about his genitalia.

      Supported by their long-suffering assistant, Phoebe, they think they’re the dog’s bollocks – although she’d probably say that in itself is a load of bollocks… So when the effects of boys’ cheeky chat start to show, is it really all as harmless as they think?

      Written by Eve LytollisDirected by Amy Tickner

      Paperboy will be performing as part of Camden Fringe 2021. It plays at Lion and Unicorn Theatre from 5 – 7 August, 8.30 each evening. Tickets and further information via the below link.

      Eve Lytollis of Happy Happy Productions talked to us about Paperboy, and its themes of male toxicity and lad culture. This four part interview was first broadcast on our Runn Radio show on 21 July 2021. More

    • 113 Shares99 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Noga Flaishon takes us deep into the Bunker

      by

      Listen to our recent chat with Noga Flaishon from Harpy Productions, where she tells us all about upcoming show, Bunker, as well as discussing her love of post apocalypic stories, the lack of sci-fi on the stage and why too many TV series overstay their welcome.

      This interview was originally broadcast on Runn Radio on 14 July.

      Bunker

      BUNKER is an original theatre production that explores the cruelty and perseverance of the human mind. The story focuses on two women, Maya and Alex, who are trapped inside the titular Bunker after an apocalyptic event known only as ‘The Collapse’ claimed all civilization. One of them is desperate to leave; the other will stop at nothing to keep them there.

      Bunker draws from the post-apocalypse sub genre of science fiction (as seen in films and books such as The Road, The Walking Dead, and Cloverfield Lane) to examine mental illness through an allegorical lens. The show has gained support from groups such as BORDERLINE ARTS (the only Charity in the UK that focuses specifically on Borderline Personality Disorder) and STEPPING OUT THEATRE (the country’s leading mental health theatre group).

      Staying true to their motto of “Wicked Women Telling Weird Tales”,HARPY PRODUCTIONS is creating BUNKER with an entirely female team. Bunker will be Directed, Produced and Cast by a strong crew of women from various backgrounds within the creative arts industry.

      BUNKER was written by NOGA FLAISHON, who is a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She’s been involved in various theatre productions, as well as short films. With a strong vision for her story, Noga is the driving force behind this production.

      Director CORAL TARRAN is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and has recently returned to the UK. As well as having advanced training in acting and dancing, she has a strong background in improvisation and has acted in various Theatre Productions. She is now looking to kick-start her career as a Theatre Director.

      Producer KATIE PRATTEN is a Writer, Assistant Producer and Trainee Assistant Director at ‘Pixeleyed Pictures’, a production company dedicated to tackling current socio-political issues, and who are at the heart of the British Film / Broadcast Industry in Pinewood Studios.

      Bunker will play at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre between 8 and 11 August. Tickets can be purchased via the below link. More

    • 63 Shares189 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Morosophy go all Intropection

      by

      Replay our interview with Cordelia and Josh from Morosophy about their show Introspection, available online as part of Brighton Fringe Festival, plus their Edinburgh Fringe plans for their show, For All The Love You Lost.

      Introspection is a unique approach to storytelling, allowing audiences to create their own narrative in their mind with the assistance of audio, soundscape and one nameless performer, guiding the audience, raising questions such as: How do we perceive the world? How do we perceive ourselves? and how do our perceptions change, while our eyes remain the same? This experience allows audiences to create a stage in their minds, using their senses to experience their own unique performance. The audience’s unique experience is a consequence of their own actions, perceptions and the aesthetics of interaction. No two audience members will share the same experience.

      Morosophy emerged in 2019 at Royal Holloway University of London, initiated by Joshua Thomas as he presented his debut original piece ‘For All the Love you Lost’. Since then, the company has dived deep into the creation of new and original writing. Morosophy were shortlisted for TheSpaceUK’s Make do and mend award for ingenuity in lockdown award for their virtual production of ‘To Me, That’s What Love is’ in Online@TheSpace Season 2. Morosophy have now joined creative forces with Somerset based company Black Hound Productions to explore more digital avenues and are delighted to present the audio experience, Introspection.

      More details and booking information for Introspection can be found via the below link. More

    • 88 Shares169 Views

      in Theater

      Playlist: ET radio show 30 June 2021

      by

      Author: Everything Theatre

      in Features and Interviews, Radio playlist

      2 July 2021

      6 Views

      Interview with Morosophy

      Listen back as we discuss their current audio play Introspection, plus their upcoming Edinburgh Fringe show, For All The Love You Lost.

      More details of introspection can be found here

      Shows, Venues & Theatre Companies mentioned

      Music Playlist

      Cooper Temple Clause – Let’s Kill MusicReverend and the Makers – He Said He Loved MeJim Bob – Jo’s Got PapercutsBeta Band – HumansBoo Radleys – Barney and MeChemical Brothers – Let Forever BeCold War Kids – Hung Me Up To DryThe Futureheads – Hounds of LoveBlancmange – The Day Before You CameCatherine Anne Davis & Bernard Butler – Sabotage (Looks So Easy)Kings of Convenience – I’d Rather Dance With YouMercury Rev – Goddess on a HiwayChina Crisis – King In A Catholic StyleMenace Beach – Give BloodThe Magnetic Fields – A Chicken With Its Head Cut OffDan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip – Five MinutesLazarus Original Cast – ChangesMy Latest Novel – Pretty In A Panic More

    • 88 Shares169 Views

      in Theater

      Playlist: ET radio show 23 June 2021

      by

      Author: Everything Theatre

      in Features and Interviews, Radio playlist

      24 June 2021

      5 Views

      Interview with Tom Foreman on his play Big Boys

      You can also read more from Tom Foreman here

      Shows, Venues & Theatre Companies mentioned

      Music Playlist

      Dorothy Trogdon – Under A Graphite Sky (taken from Diagrams album, Dorothy)Prefab Sprout – Faron YoungThe Drums – Let’s Go SurfingJim Bob – Kidstrike!Red Box – New EnglandDiagrams – I Tell MyselfKing Creosote – BetelgueseIsobel Campbell – Ant LifeKing Krule – Easy EasyThe Cure – Boys Don’t CryTrampoline – The Boy That Life ForgotPenfriend – SeventeenPete Wylie – People (The Rise of DunningSufjan Stevens – All of Me Wants All of YouKing Creosote – BetelgueseBright Eyes – At The Bottom Of EverythingBaby Bird – King Of NothingThe Anchoress – 5AMThe Flaming Lips – Race For The PrizeIan McNabb – Great Spirit More

    • 88 Shares129 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Tanya Bridgeman on Shoes To Fill

      by

      Iris Theatre, located at The Actors Church in Covent Garden, is always a joyful place to visit, especially when the sun is out. Their summer season promises more great shows presented outside in the churches wonderful gardens. One of which is Shoes To Fill.  So it seemed a good chance to catch up with writer Tanya Bridgeman to find out more about having your debut show performed in such a lovely location and the strong woman who inspired her to write it.

      First things first, what’s Shoes To Fill all about then?

      Shoes to Fill is about a young, mixed woman of Bajan and Irish heritage who is trying to find herself. At the start of the play she struggles with her mental health and all of her shoes go missing, leaving her confined to her bedroom. She uses the stories that her grandmothers tell her to escape from her sense of entrapment and find freedom in being who and what she wants to be. She fights against the imposter in her head to take up space and thrive for a fulfilling life as her grandmothers taught her.

      The play draws on both Irish and Bajan culture, what were the reasons in using those two?

      My Grangran is Bajan and my Granny is Irish. Both women had a huge impact on my life in different ways. I grew up hearing their stories and have always thought that these are stories worth sharing.

      These cultures are my personal heritage, and I do not think there has ever been a character specifically written with this in mind. I started writing because I want to create more roles for black and mixed actors, I want these roles to be specific so that everyone can see themselves reflected on the stage. For me it is about getting specific, my mix of Bajan and Irish heritage play a huge role in how I relate to the world, this would differ from a person of Greek and Trinidadian heritage. Culture runs through our veins and makes us see things differently from our neighbours. From the food we eat, to how we socialise, a lot of this stuff is ingrained from cultural traditions passed down to us.

      The story features a character only known as “Granddaughter”, but appears to never be named, is there a reason for this approach?

      Granddaughter is unnamed because I want her to remain relatable. Pretty much everyone has a shared experience of being a grandchild or hearing stories from older relatives, and although the story is specific to someone of a mixed heritage there is something powerful in knowing that a lot of people can connect to this character. Not everyone will relate to everything but hopefully they will relate to just one experience or emotion expressed by granddaughter.

      The play promises spoken word and elements of music; are these genres you have explored previously? Did you start with the idea of using them or did they develop as you wrote the play?

      I wanted to use spoken word and music when I set out to write Shoes to Fill. When I started my writing journey a lot of what I was writing was spoken word, as I feel like this is a really freeing form to write in. I enjoy rhythm, flow, and rhyme and this is something I wanted to incorporate into the play. I also feel like spoken word has less rules. I’m not, and have never been, great at grammar and structure but by using a form such as spoken word I’m able to just let the words just fall out of me. –(sounds cringe I know! But it’s true!)

      For the elements of music, firstly- I just love moving and singing to music – in particular, the bass of a song. But music also encapsulates different cultures so well and to transport audiences to the worlds of Granny and Grangran music was always going to lend a helping hand! Plus, music is fun and can move us in so many ways, it can make us sad, happy, angry, determined!

      There is a very feminine focus to things – granddaughter and grandmothers all get mentioned – was it a conscious effort to focus on the female side of family and culture?

      Yes, this was a conscious effort! The Grandmother/Granddaughter relationship is so precious, and I wanted to highlight this. Also, Granddaughter is 26 and this whole idea of womanhood across different generations is really interesting. By the time both of my grandmothers where this age they had migrated to England, were married, had jobs, had homes and had children and the conversation around milestones in a woman’s life is a theme that the play looks at.

      The play is being performed in the gardens of The Actors Church, does performing outside require a different approach to the final draft of the play?

      The play has been written especially for an outside space! When we were awarded the Iris seed commission, I only had a rough draft of what the play was going to look like- so I have been able to write with this in mind. The biggest change in approach that we are having to keep in mind is the fact that we cannot use lighting to create atmosphere. But within the writing there is a sense of the classic, ‘’black out’’ or ‘’scene change’’. Getting creative with words and not relying on lighting has taken us back to the foundation of theatre.

      You are part of Soho Theatre Writers Lab, how did you get involved in that and how has it helped you develop your writing?

      I only started writing over the first lockdown, having not really written creatively since secondary school (ten years ago – gross!)  A friend told me about Soho Writers Lab, and I had a piece ready to send in but did not really expect to gain a place. But I did earn a place and it has been so great! It has firstly giving me the confidence to say that I am a writer. I have learnt so much about structure, different techniques, ways of unlocking ideas and all the different forms that plays can be written in. I am learning and absorbing so much information that is aiding my skills as an artist.  Being able to read some amazing plays by other amazingly talented new writers is so inspiring and really pushes me to produce my best work.

      As well as Shoes to Fill I am writing another play which I am getting feedback for through the Soho writers lab and although the plays are separate, I can apply the dramaturgical advice to both. Doing so I can break down the play and really push the narrative to an exciting place.  

      So, how does it feel knowing your debut play is all set to be unleased upon the world?

      Brilliant! I cannot wait to share Shoes to Fill with an audience. It’s a really fun piece and we have a lot of surprises in store! Also Shoes to Fill is not only my debut play as a writer but the debut show of my production company FAIR PLAY.  It’s so exciting to see everything coming together and years of hard work paying off. Eeeakkk so many emotions right now!

      ================================================

      Thanks to Tanya for her time in chatting to us. Shoes To Fill will be playing in the gardens of The Actors Church in Covent Garden between 5 and 10 July. Further details and booking via the below link. More

    • 150 Shares139 Views

      in Theater

      Interview: Tom Foreman on Big Boys and why they really should cry

      by

      Big Boys is the first play from Tom Foreman Productions. It takes aim at the meaty topics of male mental health and coming of age in a time when we feel more divided than ever. We liked the sound of this, so we thought why not catch up with writer and director, Tom Foreman, to find out more.

      Let’s dive straight in with the obvious, what is Big Boys all about then?

      Big Boys is, at its simplest, a story about two boys growing up together. You see them from 11 until about 19, and all the ups and downs that that period of life throws at them. It’s hopefully a bit more than that though too! Firstly, it’s a bit of an ode to the past 10 years and coming of age in that time. Most nostalgia pieces I see focus on the 90s or early 00s, but there’s a generation of us entering adulthood who hit puberty in the early 10s. Secondly, it’s also an exploration of male friendship. I don’t think it’s something you see that much explored for its own sake, so I wanted to dive into it and really try to grapple with the dynamics of male friendships, warts and all. In extension of that, the play also focuses quite heavily on themes like mental health. The fact that suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 30 has become so commonly quoted that it’s now become almost meaningless, but when you stop and think about that for a minute, it’s crazy. As a 21 year old male, I’m more likely to be the cause of my own death than any illness, accident or other. We still have such a long way to go with destigmatizing mental health, particularly among men, and so whilst I don’t profess to have the equation to solve it all, I really wanted to scrutinize what it is about male friendships that make them so closed off at the times they need to be the most open. I hope that gives some flavour of what it’s about!

      You had a previous play called “Big Boys Don’t Cry”, is this a reworking of that piece? Was the past year without theatres being open an opportunity to rework it into something new?

      I did. It was the original version of Big Boys, which we performed in 2019. After those performances, I got a huge amount of feedback, and I decided there was a lot that I still wanted to explore. So I went on this process of pretty brutal refinement and reworking. I was hesitant at first to edit it so much because the reception had been so positive and I didn’t want to risk losing that, but ultimately the writer in me won out over the businessman. I decided to change the name to Big Boys instead of BBDC because it really is a completely different show now. The past year has certainly allowed me to refine it even more. BBDC was originally programmed into Paradise at the Vaults at the Edinburgh Fringe 2020, so it’s pretty crazy that its (new) version will only see the light of the day for the first time in July 2021. Ultimately though I think it’s only crystallized in that time and the narrative and themes have become clearer, so I’m stoked to finally be sharing it with people.

      The play starts in 2011, is that a special year for you? And was Angry Birds really that long ago!

      2011 was the year I started secondary school! And it certainly was, Angry Birds was released in late 2009 so it was certainly in it’s boom phase by 2011. I’ve based all the timings on my own life, since so much of the play is based on my experience, hence starting in 2011.

      You’ve written and directed the play, are these two roles you feel can work together, is that any concern that maybe in doing both you could not spot any issues that need addressing?

      Personally I find the writing and directing go hand in hand, because I have such a visceral image of it all when I put pen to paper (or fingers to keys?) What I’ve been more concerned about is starring in it as well. I’ve taken the role of one of the boys in it because as a writer who also acts, I find that writing to my acting strengths is really helpful, however also because the play is so close to me that it felt like something I wanted to do respectfully. I really admire writer/directors like Jim Cummings or John Krasinski because I always think you can feel how much the projects mean to them which only draws me in deeper as an audience member, although maybe that’s just some cognitive dissonance on my behalf! It’s definitely challenging because when blocking and acting, I can’t see it from an audience perspective and especially on stage being aware of those sightlines and perspectives is absolutely essential. Luckily I have a wonderful assistant director, Pip Pearce, who joined the team and has been enhancing the project from the first online Zoom rehearsal. I’m really lucky to have him and his artistic vision on the team.

      Clearly male mental health is a big theme of the play, still a topic you think men are scared to talk about too often?

      Absolutely. With suicide still being the leading cause of death in men under 30, we have a huge way to go in this department. The ground we’ve made in destigmatizing mental health has been valuable, but we can’t get complacent. So much of it starts at a young age, and we have to realise that targeting these awareness campaigns at young men isn’t going to make much of a dent if they’re still growing up in environments that promote toxic masculinity and norms of ‘manning up’. I’m very aware of this stuff, but even I sometimes take it on myself when I’m having a rough day and find it hard to be honest with my mates. So absolutely, there’s a deeply engrained idea of what manhood should be for guys, and put bluntly, it’s killing us. We need preventions as much as we need interventions, and it’s on all of us to keep up the fight against mental health issues. 

      Have you drawn from much personal experience in writing the play?

      Largely, yes. I went to an all boys school with a co-ed sixth form, and when the girls arrived when we were 16, I suddenly realised how bad the masculine culture was. It’s so easy for those toxic norms to ferment when you’re surrounded all day every day by only other guys, and what had been lurking in the shadows was suddenly under a spotlight as soon as there was a break in that routine. So a lot of the experiences of myself and those of my friends and peers are reflected in the show. In fact, a lot of the stories they tell are genuinely true, and just pinched from my own life (I’ll let you try to figure out which are which!) Drawing it from my own experiences and those of my friends was important to me in producing something that felt real. However, I was also really aware that, given the weight of the topic, I needed to respect that. Accordingly I did a lot of research into others’ experiences of growing up male, having male friends, and navigating coming of age. I looked on forums, YouTube, anywhere I could. So I guess it’s really an accumulation of all the research, both personal and non-personal, that I conducted before writing the play so long ago now.

      Besides drawing from your personal life, what other research went into the writing?

      One of the earliest things I did was chat to Richard Pacitti, who’s the chair of Mind in Croydon, the mental health charity. Richard was wonderful in helping me understand the mental health endemic among young men, and he gave me some really insightful thoughts on a very early draft of the script. We had a long chat in his kitchen about the issues, and it really helped to inform the direction the script should take. Besides that as I say I did a lot of research online, and I’ve also just finished studying Psychological & Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge, and part of my early studies was psychological issues like depression and OCD. So in the end I had quite a holistic idea of it, although of course still for every person it’s so so different. But yes, throughout I have tried to pay close attention to it being sensitive and responsibly explored.

      Who do you hope this play will appeal to? And what message would you hope they leave the theatre with come the end?

      It’s the hardest question you get asked when you apply for theatres and festivals: who’s your target audience? We have a tendency as performers to cry to the sky “but everyone will enjoy this piece! It’s so deep and multifaceted!” That response doesn’t tend to go down well though, unfortunately. Joking aside, in terms of a demographic, I think certainly those aged 18-28 will appreciate the nostalgia and celebration of growing up in the 10s the most, so I think it’ll really resonate with young theatre goers. However, in truth, anyone seeking a self-examination or a critical address of mental health issues we face at the moment (particularly given the psychological impact of Covid), will, I hope, enjoy this play. On top of that, I’ve made it sound very heavy but the play is genuinely very fun for the most part too. It’s intense, it’s fast paced, and you get to see two young adults play 11 year olds, so it’s a great laugh too. I’m always hesitant about admitting what I want the message of the play to be. For me, whatever someone takes from the play is the most valuable thing they could have taken. However, for me, if it sparks one conversation about male mental health, or mental health in general, I think I will have been successful in my job as a writer. A couple of conversations about sour skittles and Lucozade may also suffice, if people enjoy the nostalgia.

      And finally, would it be bad of us to point out Woolworths closed in 2009 (Woolworths is mentioned in the press release as things that happened in the 10s)

      God, I’ve just looked it up and you’re right! When I wrote the marketing, I could swear I read somewhere that whilst it shut down in 2009, the very last store to close was in 2011, although I can’t find that anywhere now so I guess I was dreaming (who doesn’t dream of Woolworths?) Luckily Woolworth’s doesn’t actually feature in the show (spoilers) because otherwise I may have had to change that to HMV (another high street giant I lay a flower for before bed.) 

      ==================================

      Thanks to Tom for giving up his valuable rehearsal time to chat with us for this interview.

      Bad Boys will be playing at Lion & Unicorn Theatre between 6 and 10 July. Further details and tickets can be found via the below link. More

    • 88 Shares169 Views

      in Theater

      Playlist: ET radio show 16 June 2021

      by

      Author: Everything Theatre

      in Features and Interviews, Radio playlist

      17 June 2021

      7 Views

      Interview with Aaron-Lee Eyles on ‘I Didnt Want This, I Just Wanted You’

      You can also find a written interview with Aaron here

      Shows, Venues & Theatre Companies mentioned

      Music Playlist

      Beastie Boys – SabotageAudioweb – BankrobberBig Audio Dynamite – Can’t Wait/ LiveFinding Rhythms – Change – available via the charity’s bandcamp page herePeter Doherty & The Puta Madres – Paradise Is Under Your NoseUnkle feat Damon Gough – Nursery Rhyme BreatherFrank Turner – Don’t WorryGoat Girl – P.T.S.TeaBombay Bicycle Club – Carry MeMy Life Story – World CitizenBusdriver – Unemployed Black AstronautThe Streets feat. Idles – None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This AliveYoung Fathers – NestSage Francis – Lie Detector TestDan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip – Beat That My Heart SkippedThe White Stripes – Feel in Love With A GirlMetermaids – Advice I Know You Won’t Follow – check out the video hereImogen Stirling – WhiteKae Tempest – Tunnel VisionThe Beloved – HelloThe National – Nobody Else Will Be There More