Finally managed to finish a piece of art this year. That’s what happens when your life gets taken over by theatre and you’re running between things so much you don’t give yourself time for anything else – sound like a very passive recipient of this put like that. There are a pile of emotions mixed up with all three major productions that I’ve been involved with this year: Pack of Lies at Wick Theatre in March, Connections at Brighton Little Theatre in April, and Bitesize Breakfast Show all through Brighton Fringe: every weekend in May. Yes I embraced it all and said yes to it all and I wouldn’t change a thing as I learned so much – however, I would make different choices if I had to do it all over again. Life can only be lived forwards and understood backwards after all.
Back to art. It’s not the world’s best, but I like it.
Oh what fabulous glorious fun (as well as hard work) playing Davina is in The Wedding Party Immersive Dining Experience. This time, Davina went with pink hair (temporary hair putty – fabulous wash out stuff) – and honestly, this was the best ever. It’s probably 80% improv and there is nothing quite like the thrill of not knowing what people are going to say to you, and responding in character. The amount of work we all have to do to build our characters behind the scenes is insane – stuff that never gets seen really, except to become the character like a second skin.
I love Davina and I love playing her. I love that she’s looking for at least one date at her daughter’s wedding, constantly on Tinder, thinks her daughters are the best people in the universe and would do anything for them – see there, that’s the only thing we actually have in common! She is so very far away from me and yet I adore playing her, the permission I get from everyone in the room to be as outrageous and larger than life as I can. It’s not unlike that one time I dyed my hair blonde and got away with so much – because people expected it. For that six months in my life, I had the best time – and I can assure you, blondes definitely have more fun.
The feedback we got this time was out of this world. We had 5 birthdays, and one 38 year wedding anniversary – we made a point of singing happy birthday to them and congratulating the couple. We always make a fuss of special occasions. A man celebrating his 65th birthday said it was the best night he can remember in years, and one of his favourite things was us all going round the tables to talk to people – I adore this part of it myself. It makes them feel involved, valued – not just as audience, but as participants. Talking with them and engaging them is so special – I always talk about the “hen night” that the ladies on the tables were on, talk about falling out of the taxi… I make up the most outrageous hen night that I can think of and they all join in, add stuff, and always always laugh. Love it.
Here’s some dressing room shots for your delectation!
Me as DavinaDavina and the GroomMother and DaughterDavina and Bridesmaid KarenWaiting to go on!
We open tonight! Just take a look at these beautiful photos from Miles Davies. He’s captured it beautifully. It’s going to be a gorgeous show! Book here
I’m beyond excited to be putting my play ‘Duty’ on at the Brighton Fringe. The actors are inhabiting their characters, they bring the script to life and make these people live. I have to say, it’s really perfect casting. Perfect. Matt Vickery brings such intensity to the character of John, it’s riveting to watch, utterly compelling. Jordan Southwell’s creation of Harry is absolutely brilliant: the perfect foil for John to butt heads with: cheeky, innocent, and so loveable. Jake Marchant is so still, calm and poised as Joe, pouring oil on the waters of their friendship with beautiful diplomacy, tact and intelligence. And between them they create this very real friendship that just feels like they have been friends forever, with their humour, their way of behaving with each other and the grounded dynamic. Sam Nixon as Mags, John’s mum, adds so much to the melting pot and gives us a huge insight into not only her relationship with her son, but in their interactions together we get to see so much more of John, and how others see him, his internal thinking, struggles and motivations. It’s quite simply a joy to watch them all work.
My lovely friend Luke Mepham of Macroverse Films first feature film is currently in production. I play a drama group participant in it: Tina Carpenter. She reads a lot, she’s a little irritating, she has a dominating mother and a daughter Rachel who has a top job in London and rarely has time for her mother. Rachel is always pleasant enough but pities Tina, considering her not worldly wise at all, which is true. Tina is used to apologising for herself, including for taking up space. She hopes the drama group will help with that. So far she’s just got scared of the exercises.
Of course all of that character prep is just in my little ole head, but it helps me to know her better, then I can portray her better!
Well the East holidays went by in the blink of an eye, although it didn’t feel like that when I was in the middle of them. There was time with the ever enchanting and wonderful Mia, but also broken down car, trying to squeeze in all the things I need to do to produce – and direct – my play, into all the moments (like the odd hour) when I wasn’t looking after Mia. And as ever, there was theatre, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Literally.
I saw the the Southwick Players production of the Beauty Queen of Leenane at Southwick, which was absolute class. Stunning production in every sense. I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards: the story, the performances, the reflections on life. I mean who doesn’t love Martin McDonagh of course, he has a unique style: immersing you in the story as if you’re engulfed in a wave. It’s like standing in front of a Rothko painting the way Rothko intended, so that all you see is the painting. Like jumping into their world. Which is full of obfuscations so that you are always surprised, on the roller coaster of the journey, taking each moment by moment of sometimes bliss, sometimes humour, and sometimes madness or sadness. Stunning.
Then I saw, two days ago, Murder on the Orient Express at the Theatre Royal. As a huge Agatha Christie fan I was predisposed to like it: it’s a classic, it’s Poirot, it’s fascinating. But I – and I lot of the public, I heard as I was leaving (I always like to listen to the audience, it helps my perspective, for example, what am I thinking of the play compared to everyone else) – were left with a “oh. That was pretty good. I mean yeh, the set! Wow! The set was fantastic! But the whole thing – yeh, it was OK.”
I don’t ever EVER want to be involved in a piece of theatre where the public leave and say “hmm. Yeh, that was OK.” It would stab me in the heart, as a director, producer, writer or actor. You want your audience to feel something, even if they don’t like it, that’s them feeling something. But a shoulder shrug and ambivalence? Oh no.
And of course the set was fantastic. But the set should hold the play, not BE the play. You shouldn’t have a segment where the train is just spinning on a revolve in the stage showing all sides of the train compartments and ooh! Look! He’s rolling up a window blind. So? Do you know how long the book is? You’ve adapted this play from a novel, you’ve already had to cut out truck loads which might affect people’s understanding and you’re just showing us the train? For ages?
I know other reviewers have loved it, and I know it’s easy to get caught up in the wonder of being shown something that despite being in the theatre all the time, you’ve never seen before, and it’s new and exciting. Of course it is. But that doesn’t mean it’s groundbreaking theatre. And when you get an actor sinking to a chair doing the worst sob noises I’ve ever heard as if they are in a movie melodrama from the 1920s or 30s, almost with a hand to the forehead and wistful gasp – not only one actor, but two – then I want to blow raspberries at the stage, despite some really fine performances from some of the other actors. It’s the widest spectrum of actor capability I’ve ever seen in one single professional production actually, from really amazing to really awful. It’s so sad, I really wanted to love it.
Here is us at the beginning of the show. You can tell it’s the beginning. We are smiling and hopeful. Sigh. I did love Poirot though – so lovely to see his work as I’ve been watching him in various things for years and years – including in one of my favourite all time films: Truly Madly Deeply. Poirot was impassioned and great.
But we’re all different though, right? And mine is just one opinion.
Had a brilliant time at Gladrags looking for World War One soldier uniforms for my upcoming play “Duty” at the Fringe, plus clothing suitable for working on a farm. Gladrags is like Aladdin’s cave, a treasure trove, filled to the brim with all manner of clothing, sometimes overwhelming and some spaces you can hardly move in! Jordan Southwell, one of the actors, was amazing at finding suitable clothing and trying on different sizes and combinations.
It was something else to see him in a First World War uniform.
Even in socks.
Brilliant.
Tickets are going fast – don’t forget to book! Tickets are available on both Brighton Fringe and The Lantern Theatre so if it’s sold out on one, there might be tickets on the other.
I’m delighted to have been cast in Identity Theatre’s latest production: Oh! What A Lovely War. It’s a strong cast and I feel honoured to be part of it. Multi rolling, singing in a full on musical – fantastic. And the choreography, however simple it might be to otherwise non clumsy people, I’m finding that the most challenging as usual! It looks gorgeous when we get it all right. I’m looking forward to “Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts for Soldiers” which is enormous fun!
So watch this space and don’t forget to book your tickets for June!
