Productions The Chalk Circle

Both of my previous theatre projects have relied on traditional folk tales from their respective cultures, but I decided to try something different this year.  I could not be sure

The moment of truth today, when I discovered whether my hopes for putting on an actual show were realistic.  Or not.  Today we launched the project, something far more challenging,

The rehearsal process, from starting point to final destination, from first read-through to final performance, is a journey.  (Not that we’ve had a read-through, would that that were possible.)  You

I began the week with some roles still unfilled, and options for doubling restricted, so it was heartening to have a couple of new recruits.  The fact that they were

I made my way to the Ecohub garden today, armed with two scrubbing brushes (on the basis that someone might lend a hand – ha!) and a retractable knife, in

A rollercoaster of a week.  We still had three big scenes to translate – hard, slow, tedious work, but necessary.  Deborah had sent me along a regular helper/interpreter – Isaq

Of course, it would be nice if I were to get the full cast for every rehearsal, but that’s not going to happen.  In fact, if this is anything like

Costumes for the play are going to be pretty representational and tokenistic.  That is an ideological decision in relation to the sort of theatre we are trying to create –

I had always intended for the cast of the production to have a base costume, and when I spotted black t-shirts on special offer in the local supermarket – Eu.1.99

I suppose I ought to be used to this by now, after close on forty years of doing theatre with young people.  I used the roller-coaster metaphor last week, so

I was chatting online with an old friend from Oxford, Jackie Keirs.  Many years ago, she had directed me in several productions, including some by Brecht, and she reminded me

 I have always enjoyed performances which end with something more than just a formal curtain call, so wanted to end our production with a dance; the fact that Brecht’s original