Democracy (Old Vic)

“Eleven separate democracies all tied up like ferrets in a bag…”

It wasn’t a play that initially held much appeal for me; I was unsure as to how gripping and dramatic a political play could be, and a tad uneasy about how much of it would go over my head. But Paul Miller’s production of Democracy had me gripped from start to finish. Striking tableaux, riveting performances and flawless storytelling made up what has got to be the best production I’ve seen this year.

This production was striking in its simplicity, with the physicality of the men on stage used to convey a compelling story of power, betrayal and politics. In smoke-filled rooms German leaders of a coalition government manoeuvre and second guess one another, revealing many of the contradictions of power; in which the ideals of a party are more triumphant in electoral defeat than victory, where men are all out for themselves and yet utterly dependent on one another, and the best leaders are beaten down by disillusionment and frustration.

Viewed through the eyes of Gunter Guillaume, an unlikely double agent who has managed to infiltrate West German government – we follow the political life of Willy Brandt, the charismatic leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, and Chancellor of West Germany between 1969 and 1974. We watch as he triumphs, compromises and finally abdicates his Chancellorship, amidst rumours of scandal and betrayal, in a production in which an overriding stillness emanates a sense of brooding disquiet and disintegrating power.

Michael Frayn’s play paints a picture of a leader who is inspiring, charismatic, in touch with the needs of his country, and, like all good heroes, ultimately flawed. Patrick Drury’s steadfast, almost messianic, portrayal of this iconic man contrasts brilliantly with Aidan McArdle’s sycophantic Gunter Guillaume, whose narrative voice is at once humorous and conflicted. Powerful scenes, such as the controversial Warschauer Kniefall, are delivered against a backdrop of political machinations, duplicity and the suggested adultery and alcoholism of West Germany’s leader. Miller’s direction of his exemplary cast really highlights the significance of defining moments in this period of Germany’s history, with use of blocking and powerful tableaux to convey a lasting impression of iconic moments and events. Having the majority of actors on stage at all times played perfectly with the overlapping dialogue and time/place-transcendent dialogue, effortlessly portraying five years of politics in just a couple of hours.

I was inspired by Miller’s production to look a bit further into the story of Brandt and Germany’s division, and discovered an incredibly fascinating period of history which I knew very little about. From the corruption and terror of East Germany’s Stasi, to the ideals and reforms of Willy Brandt, who sought a life without conflict and a land of love and justice, comes a story which highlights the failures of government, and the price of power.

Performed by an excellent ensemble cast, Miller’s production is thought-provoking and visually striking. Aidan McArdle is faultless as the perfect servant of two masters, always eager to please and tragically naive; whilst Drury really captures Brandt’s melancholic descent into depression and disillusionment. I would thoroughly recommend that you go and see Democracy, which plays at the Old Vic until Saturday 28^th July. Catch it while you still can if you’re a fan of powerful, moving and inspirational theatre.

Image taken from http://www.oldvictheatre.com

The Suit (Young Vic)

Even in war ordinary life has to go on…

Before I went to see The Suit last Thursday I had a quick read of a Young Vic blog article on Can Themba, the short story writer who wrote ‘The Suit’ on which Peter Brook’s production is based. Living in South Africa during apartheid Themba was a well-educated, creative and intelligent man trapped within a country which denied him the rights and privileges of his white counterparts. Finding a type of solace in Johannesburg’s Sophiatown, a culturally significant hub for black creatives, where liquor, drugs and violence mixed with literature, music and journalism, Themba found himself writing for Drum magazine and becoming increasingly enamoured with alcohol. This brief snapshot of Themba’s life painted a picture of a community embodied by creative vibrancy and defiance, passion, violence, hope and crushing oppression. With these things in mind I anticipated Brook’s production.

A simply staged and near-propless production, Brook offered us the opportunity to revel in the story without the distraction of an elaborate set. Accompanied by three musicians the cast painted a picture of colourful lives brooded over by restriction and segregation. With an impressive physicality (most notably from the lead William Nadylam) the ensemble recreated Philemon’s humble home, a cold and wet bus stop, a shaky and cramped bus journey, the shebeens and women’s clubs of Sophiatown, all through the clever and witty manoeuvrings of some chairs and clothes rails.

William Nadylam as the devoted and besotted Philemon (husband to Matilda), who returns home to find his wife in bed with another man, was the unmistakeable star of the show. Delivering a charismatic and engaging performance he outshone his fellow cast members and really made, what I found an otherwise underwhelming production, his own.

I went to the Young Vic expecting a heady mixture of passion, intrigue and injustice. Themba’s quirky tale of a husband who forces his wife to treat her lover’s suit like an honoured guest in their home, set against a fascinating cultural background promised all these things. But the production felt like a short story stretched very thin. The musical interludes were fantastic but I never felt like they moved the story along. Nonhlanhla Kheswa as the disloyal wife has a heart-wrenchingly beautiful voice, but she seemed stiff and uncomfortable on stage; and Jared McNeill as the narrator and supporting cast member lacked the stage presence which so naturally emanated from Nadylam. However, credit is due to Rikki Henry (the assistant director who found himself on stage as part of the cast, much to the chagrin of drama school graduates everywhere) who had excellent comic timing, and whose inclusion was an inspired idea by Brook; but still I came away feeling like I had expected more.

Humorous, with exemplary staging and musicality, the theatricality of the production cannot be denied, but I wanted more from the story and more from Sophiatown’s inhabitants. What should have been a heartbreaking and moving denouement to the play, where Matilda takes her own life humiliated by both Philemon and her own actions, fell so flat that the friend I went to see the show with thought she had merely fallen asleep. And perhaps there lies the productions weakness – for all its cheeky, mischievous wit it lacked dramatic punch; the anticlimactic ending not unsurprising from a production which promised a lot but delivered very little.

Picture taken from youngvic.wordpress.com

The Conquest of the South Pole (Arcola Theatre)

“You still unemployed?”

“Nah, just without a job”

A curious blend of prose and poetry, fiction and reality, The Conquest of the South Pole, by German playwright Manfred Karge, is a frantic, vivid portrayal of life on the dole. A poignantly pertinent revival of this contemporary classic, which played to sell-out audiences at the Royal Court in 1988, Stephen Unwin’s production is fraught with the pent up energy and frustration of its characters.

The industrial, subterranean feel of the Arcola’s Studio 1 lends itself well to Karge’s play. Bursting onto the stage, Slupianek and his gang break down the fourth wall, grab the audience’s attention and introduce us to the force of energy which characterises this 90 minutes production. Brilliantly lyrical, Karge’s fast-paced dialogue reflects his characters’ need to constantly be on the go, lest they fall into lethargy and the inevitable depression that follows. Utterly desperate for work, but caught up in a system which denies them it, this hopeless band of brothers devise a way to escape their own harsh realities, and immerse themselves in the honest and worthy endeavour of conquering the south pole (in a washing-strewn attic). Inspired by Amundsen’s triumphant trek through the Antarctic, they find a sanctuary and purpose in their make believe which otherwise eludes them in real life.

Unwin brings together a fantastically strong cast. O-T Fagbenle as the garrulous ring leader, Sam Crane as the downtrodden Braukmann, Mark Field as the headstrong Buscher, and Andrew Gower as the manic-depressive Moose, create a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood onstage which is intensely palpable and amusingly absurd. So young and so hopeless their reality is bleak, unjust and inescapable, and casts a dark shadow over their enthusiastic re-enactments. Finding relief and solace in one another, as a unit the group can face any storm, literal and fictional; but alone they are vulnerable to the crushing realisation that they have failed to meet society’s standards, despite their best efforts.

This production is not only a darkly relevant reflection of our country’s current unemployment crisis, but is also a touching portrayal of friendship. Fusing Karge’s anarchic tone with a stark set and bursts of techno music between scenes, this production is an edgy and grungy portrayal of lives which have slipped between the cracks. I would thoroughly recommend that you make your way to the Arcola to see this darkly comic tale, which is handled expertly by the hugely talented cast.

The Conquest of the South Pole is running until Saturday 26^th May – don’t miss it.

www.arcolatheatre.com

Image credited to The Stage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travelling Light (Waterside Theatre)

“I will die and you will die, but our movies will live for always” Jacob Bindel

Nicholas Wright’s new play visited Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre at the end of March as part of its National Theatre Tour which has seen it visit The Lowry in Salford, Grand Theatre in Leeds and Newcastle’s Theatre Royal.

With a fantastic set (designed by Bob Crowley) transporting us back to a small Eastern European village at the beginning of the 20^th Century, we meet a motley crew of Jewish immigrants who go on to influence the development of motion pictures in a revolutionary way.

A charming and nostalgic look back at the humble beginnings of a medium of storytelling which has become a worldwide phenomenon; this production cleverly juxtaposes the power of aural and visual storytelling through its rustic players.

Jacob Bindel (played notably by Antony Sher) is the infectiously enthusiastic timber merchant turned producer who’s overwhelming love of stories urges him to finance his nephew’s first tentative attempts at filmmaking. Enchanted by Motl Mendl’s silent projections, which transcend lingual barriers, Sher presents Bindel as a garrulously generous uncle and fearless entrepreneur, transfixed by the idea of making his mark through film.

Sher delivers a strong and moving portrait of Jacob which feeds off the energy of the supporting ensemble. And despite their odd mix of accents, a strange concoction of English and quasi- Eastern European, the ensemble are an endearing rustic menagerie who add a comic energy and spark to this production. Unfortunately, performances by leads Damien Moloney (as Motl Mendl) and Lauren O’Neill (as Anna) fell flat of the mark for me.  Their delivery lacked the natural power and sentimentality which Sher produced in abundance; and O’Neill’s star turn as the lead in Mendl’s silent films showed more magic and dramatic grace than her performance as Anna in the play actual.

The most memorable scene of the night followed the first showing of Mendl’s film to a small group of the villagers. Critiquing his work the ensemble stumble upon the need for narrative, and the group go on to develop the tale of The Singing of the Angel. As each character adds to the story Wright manages to effortlessly juxtapose the plays main theme of the birth of visual storytelling with a fantastic example of powerful aural imagery. I found myself swept up in the tale of a young orphan girl reunited with her opera singing mother by the bedside of her dying grandfather; and this exuberant storytelling by Wright and the cast is what makes this such a captivating play. Juxtaposing the older Mendl’s narration with visually striking video projections of his films, this play is a celebration of the old and new traditions of storytelling; making the story itself the real champion of the night.

This is a great production for those intrigued by the history of film and its progression. In the age of 3D blockbusters it is uplifting to see a play which celebrates the medium at its most basic and visceral. Melding bold designs with evocative video projections, atmospheric music and a passionate script – this tribute to our love affair with film is testament to Nicholas Wright’s skill as a writer and storyteller. He paints a vibrant and captivating picture, and I look forward to seeing future productions of this charming play.

“They will laugh and cry, and feel it in the hearts” Jacob Bindel

Image credited to the National Theatre

 

 

After Miss Julie (Young Vic Theatre)

“You took advantage of me!”…

…”Vice versa I think”

Last night I had the privilege of being present at the opening night of the Young Vic Theatre’s production of After Miss Julie, directed by Natalie Abrahami.  After the show one tweeter described it as a “psychosexual class war”, which I thought was a perfect summary for this fantastic play by Patrick Marber, which plots the psychological demise of the privileged Miss Julie (played impeccably by Natalie Dormer).

Taut with sexual tension Abrahami’s production is a charged and beautifully stage piece of theatre, making full use of the venue’s unique features. Polly Frame plays the heartbreakingly steadfast Christine, who dutifully prepares dinner and busies herself with mundane household tasks as the audience filter into The Maria. Oblivious to the audience members brushing past her on the way to their seats, her plain and lack lustre meanderings about the stage are later starkly contrasted with the flair and oozing sexuality we get from Miss Julie; who steals John away to dance – returning him to the prim and proper Christine sweaty, flushed and dishevelled.

Kieran Bew plays the beguiled John, chauffeur to Miss Julie’s father and unofficial fiancé to Christine. Enchanted by Miss Julie, eager to please Christine, he is a man enslaved to his desires and caught between two strong-willed women. Similarly, I feel Bew’s performance is somewhat of a touchstone to the two female leads who sharpen their own performances against him, somewhat overshadowing his own.

Natalie Dormer is outstanding as the fiery and contradicted Miss Julie. At once fragile and authoritative, meek and domineering; she expertly manoeuvred Miss Julie’s erratic mood swings revealing a deeply disturbed psyche seeking release and escape.  Manipulative, and overwhelmingly unhappy, her fixation with blood, pain and sex paint a disturbing picture of a young girl trapped by her class, her parent’s authority and her own longing for happiness, which seems to have cruelly eluded her her whole life. I couldn’t help but be fascinated by Miss Julie’s inherent duality. Instructed by her mother to never be a slave to a man, she uses her exceptional beauty to ensnare the men she prizes only to lust after domination. She is both the sadist and the masochist, and flips constantly between the two.

And she is not only contradicted in her sexuality, but in her political leanings too – lauding socialist ideals, at the same time as constantly reinforcing her standing above Christine and John.  Similarly, John, who obviously aspires to gentility, jumps to the sound of a bell without hesitation while ironically wearing his own master’s shoes. Marber offers an excellent insight into human conflict, its inner turmoil and its longings. With all the characters trapped within the roles life has prescribed them, only the stoic Christine adamantly accepts her place in the world – and yet ultimately it seems that none of them get what they want despite morality, and despite desire.

I find Marber’s text almost unbearably thought-provoking. There has been a lot of discussion recently about the roles available to women in theatre, both on stage and behind the scenes (e.ghttp://tinyurl.com/7oaj8nn); and I feel Marber’s two female characters in this play are rich examples of the psychological contradictions inherent in women. On the one hand we long to exude sexuality, to be alluring, playful and exciting; and on the other, we battle with trying to be judged regardless of our sexuality, as individuals with a lot more to offer. It is difficult to be both alluring seductress and motherly housekeeper – wrecked with insecurities about being more one than the other, when it comes down to it none of us would choose to be Christine over Julie, would we?

But extreme rambling feminist digressions aside – I felt this was a fantastic production of a deliciously provocative play. An excellent use of space and flawless set and costumes all worked seamlessly together (thanks to director / designer collaboration between Abrahami and Patrick Burnier). Before I sign off it would be remiss not to mention the “Classics for a New Climate” venture entered into by Abrahami and Burnier. Using recycled materials for the set and costumes, operating a ticketless event with programmes for hire, and a reduced energy consumption of 60% by the production on a whole – this was not only a stellar performance by all involved but an ecologically conscious production to boot.

After Miss Julie will be enjoying an extended run at the Young Vic Theatre until the 14^th April due to popular demand. Visit the Young Vic Theatre’s website for more details (http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/after-miss-julie).

BRILLIANT TRACES update

Tickets are now on sale for our production of Brilliant Traces at both venues, book now! I’ll be adding some rehearsal shots etc in the next week or so, so keep an eye out for those!

Limelight Theatre, Aylesbury                                                                                                           Fri 9 & Sat 10 March, 8pm                                                                                                            Tickets: £8 / £6 concessions
Box office: 01296 431 272                                                                                                                  Book online: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/146443

Tristan Bates Theatre, Covent Garden                                                                                          Mon 30 April – 7.30pm                                                                                                                     Tue 1 May – 2.30pm                                                                                                                   Tickets: £8 / £6 concessions                                                                                            
Box office: 020 7240 6283                                                                                                 
Book online: http://www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk/Also_on.asp

An extremely punctual interview with Daniel & Donal…

Daniel Frankenburg

Blog readers I introduce to you Daniel Frankenburg and Donal Coonan, two esteemed alumni from Love Bites projects; and an accomplished comedic writing/directing/acting duo in their own right. With individual credits in TV (Dan cut his teeth at ITV, TalkBack Thames and the BBC, and Donal has worked for Dave and Channel 4), Donal’s training at the Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris, who’s alumni includes Sacha Baron Cohen and Emma Thompson, numerous YouTube sketches cataloguing their ongoing work, and two successful runs at the Edinburgh Festival which saw them playing to sell-out audiences at the Gilded Balloon and featuring on the BBC Culture Show; it seems that their careers are steadily gathering speed.

Donal Coonan

With a new Love Bites production being staged at the Drayton Theatre on 29^th February, I met with them to find out about their involvement with Love Bites, their individual careers and what it’s like to work with some of the most fresh and exciting emerging talent in London.

To set the scene, Love Bites was founded by writer Ziella Bryars in 2008. Inviting writers to submit one act plays revolving around the theme of ‘Love and Relationships’, Love Bites offers emerging writing, directing and acting talent the opportunity to collaborate and create unique pieces of theatre; its only stipulation being that each piece shares the same setting and venue.

How did you both come to be involved with Love Bites?

Donal: Ziella Bryars, who founded Love Bites, was a friend of a friend. I got cast in one of her own Love Bites pieces called Good Clean Fun about a boyfriend taking his girlfriend on holiday with his family after they’d only been going out for two months. I think I introduced Dan to Love Bites.

Since then you have both been involved with Love Bites on a number of occasions now, do you find it hard to continue to write pieces based around the theme of ‘Love and Relationships’?

Dan: Love can mean anything; it’s so big a theme that it’s practically a non-theme. Love Bites give you complete free reign to come at the theme in your own way.

Donal: Yeah, there is a lovely mix of moods when you watch Love Bites plays.

You worked together on Land Of Dragons for Love Bites’ last event, a monologue in which Donal’s character crashes an ex girlfriends party only to awkwardly give a wistful speech about their time together. It had the audience rolling in the aisles; how did you come up with the idea?

Donal: I’d been asked by Ziella to write and perform a monologue for their next event; I literally sat at my computer screen for four days straight without coming up with anything. I even resorted to typing in ‘how to write a monologue’ on Wiki-How, which opened with, “Monologues are one of the hardest things to write”. So I called up Dan, and he had something written in about a day!

Dan: It’s great working with Donal because it’s more like a dialogue than me telling him what to do, we’re very used to working with each other. Although I think I kind of used myself as inspiration for the character.

You’re both inclined towards the comedic in both writing and acting, does that fit in well with the love theme?

Donal: Definitely, no matter how funny something is there’s always genuine suffering and feeling behind it, something deeper.

Dan, you’ve had experience of working in TV for ITV Comedy Cuts, amongst other things; which do you prefer, writing for TV or theatre, and what are the main differences?

Dan: In the theatre you can tweak things; you get live and constant feedback from the audience. If you’re not getting the laughs you know you’re doing something wrong. Theatre sustains you, it lets you know that you might be doing the right thing with your life. Working in TV can be a frustrating process for the writer; at times it can feel quite sterile. Also, although its never been easier to upload what you want online, the nice thing about Love Bites is actually hearing people laugh.

What is it about Love Bites that you admire, why do you keep going back to it?

Dan: The quality of the acting is brilliant, there is a real professionalism there. You get the sense of people at the beginning of their careers.

Donal: Yeah, and from an actors’ perspective it’s really exciting each time to see the new plays, and see actors you’ve come to know playing very different parts.

Dan: There is pedigree all the way across – from the writers to the actors and directors. In fact, I think Anthony Lau, who directed Everybody Happy at the last event, is now assistant directing for Bingo at the Young Vic.

Donal: Ziella is so enthusiastic, this is her love, it’s really quite inspiring.

And finally, what’s next for the both of you?

Donal: Well we’ve got the next Love Bites event which is an Anti-Valentines night at the end of February, and I’m hoping to keep doing sketches, there will probably be more Flight Club (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cPty3kwUqk)

Dan: I’ve just finished writing a full length play called The Balkans about five blokes in a pub playing a board game, so looking to get that put on.

And so, there you have it, I really got a sense from both Dan and Donal that they felt Love Bites was a project worth putting their time and effort into. Their passion for theatre and comedy, their obvious talent and integrity all shone through when they were discussing their approach to both their own projects and Love Bites; I hope I’ve been able to put that across in the brief write-up above.

You’ve heard me banging on about Love Bites before, and here you have two first-hand accounts of the great things coming out of Ziella Bryars’ exciting company. Don’t miss the chance to check them out for yourselves at their next event – the Love Bites Anti-Valentines Plays at the Drayton Theatre, South Kensington on Wednesday 29th February at 7:30pm. For more information and to book tickets visit http://www.thelovebitesplays.com/index.htm

Thanks to Dan, Donal and Katy for helping to set up the interview, here’s to much more success and theatrics in the future!

 

 

UTFB update…

Under the Floorboards Theatre’s newest production, Brilliant Traces by Cindy Lou Johnson is going to be staged at the Limelight Theatre, Aylesbury, on Fri 9th & Sat 10th March (tickets available via http://www.qpc.org). We are also very happy to announce that it will be performed at the Tristan Bates Theatre, Covent Garden on Monday 30th April & Tuesday 1st May. Tickets £8 / £6 concessions in both venues.

A two-hander with Lauren Granham as Rosannah DeLuce and Jamie Kwasnik as Henry Harry.

In the middle of a white-out it an isolated barn in Alaska a young runaway bride and a disillusioned recluse find themselves unwillingly brought together. Forced to endure each other’s company they begrudgingly tread through each others pasts in this witty and touching play about love, loss and loneliness.

Will post poster images as soon as we get them, and rehearsal shots too! Hope to see you all there!

Silver Shores (Tristan Bates Theatre)

“Did they forget to switch the lights on…?”

Taken from http://www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk

Plunged into pitch dark at the outset of the play, the quiet whimpers of a lone cast member are, for a time, the only sound we hear. As two other voices react to his sobs we find ourselves, like the inmates on stage, unable to see, feeling lost, claustrophobic, and somewhat agitated.

Thus opens an intriguing look at the lives of three slaves, captured from their homes in West Africa, and subjected to solitary confinement; on board a slave ship where anthropologist, Kayode Joseph, examines their struggles with an unsettling and frustrating naivety. A slave himself, albeit a well-educated and well-dressed one, Kayode’s interaction with the West African detainees soon reveals to him the injustice and humiliating reality of his own position.

As the lights fade up we see three prisoners trapped within the confines of their individual boxes, represented by chalk-drawn lines on the floor. The suggestion of the ship’s boards are back lit by a menacing red glow; and a small spot-lit corner down stage right is reserved for Kayode’s writing retreat, in a fantastic use of space that was incredibly effective.

Emmanuel Akintunde played the newly captured Lekan, whose dreams and fresh memories of home flavour his disbelief with the hope of escape and finally getting to take a beautiful bride. His idealism and optimism are counteracted by Edd Muruako’s Villager, a seasoned slave who has little or no recollection of his time as a free man. Villager’s suggested insanity, as a result of a long time in captivity, is kept in check, for a time, by the steady and authoritative voice of Warrior, played by Tapiwa Madovi, a quiet and brooding realist.

Whilst at times I found that Tyson Oba’s character, Kayode, acted as more of a plot device than a well-rounded character; the naive prattling of this westernised “pet” slave offered a fascinating look at the nature of freedom and made this a thought-provoking and intriguing play. The interplay between the three bound slaves as they dared to plan their escape was brilliantly delivered, particularly considering the confines of their relatively static positions on stage. The clever movement device which rotated the cast from one “box” to another, accompanied by the steady beat of a live drum, ensured that neither cast nor audience grew uncomfortable with the lack of movement on stage, and helped to facilitate the changing dynamics within the play.

With stand-out performances from Emmanuel Akintunde and Tapiwa Madovi, credit is due to Tian Glasgow, producer, writer and director of this unique production; and to the production team who helped bring the project together. An impressive theatrical debut for Tian Glasgow’s company, New Slang Productions, Silver Shores delivered a moving, intimate and fresh take on questions about freedom and identity.

Schmoozing in London’s Fringes with Hannah Rodger

Smuggling theatre into people’s lives…

Co-Founder of If You Dare Productions (alongside friend and writer, Emma Fleming), part-time New Writing Coordinator at the BBC writersroom, and an emerging writing talent in her own right, Hannah Rodger has many brightly coloured feathers in her cap. Taking some time out of her busy schedule Hannah met with me in the comfy environs of BFI Southbank to tell me about her work with If You Dare Productions.

 A passion for new writing, collaboration and working in unusual spaces characterised Hannah’s enthusiasm for performance art – and these qualities stood out to me as the definitive ethos behind If You Dare Productions, which was conceived in a tree house by Hannah and Emma during a pub lock-in. Hannah’s enthusiasm and energy when talking about her company was palpable, and like many young artists in the City she was well aware of the fact that opportunity very rarely comes knocking on your door, if you don’t get out there and make it happen for yourself.

 Seeking a stage for their own writing Hannah and Emma set about founding If You Dare in 2007, and organised a number of script in hand readings; followed by a series of regular “cabaret” nights which showcased poetry, photography, dancing, comedy, music and short plays. Recognising an absence of avid theatre goers amongst their peers they devised their cabaret nights to smuggle theatre into people’s lives without them catching on, by nestling short plays in amongst comedy, film and music, for which most twenty to thirty somethings more willingly part with their hard earned cash. Billed as “daring, defiant, sexy and shameless” the cabaret events showcased some of the City’s great emerging artistic talent across the art forms, and allowed If You Dare to forge some lasting relationships with exciting writers and directors, including directors Rob Watt (currently working for the National Theatre) and James Quaife (Old Vic New Voices), as well as a myriad of performers, poets, djs and much more.

 Fearing that they might be slipping into a “routine” Hannah and Emma both decided to take a year off in order to think about where the company was going to go next and seek out inspiration for their next projects, both individually and collaboratively.

 And so we find ourselves in the present day. Their latest project, RE:MIX (Staged in the Rosemary Branch Theatre in Nov ’11), saw 3 writer / musician collaborations working to create uniquely inspired performance pieces, which fused theatre and music from the grass roots of a piece of work through to its realisation, and the company is now set to embark on the next chapter of its story. Fostering and supporting the work of their new writer in residence, Vickie Donoghue, IYD will be staging readings of her work for industry professionals in early 2012. They will also be taking between three – six new writing pieces to Edinburgh in the summer, and are working on a site specific museum promenade piece which has been slowly evolving over the last year. With Hannah’s own collaboration with the Old Vic on her own writing projects, 2012 looks set to be a great year for the IYD founders and its associates.

 Charming, engaging and honest, it was a great treat to get to chat to Hannah about her company and her work as a writer, and I thoroughly look forward to IYD’s future projects which will continue to buck against the trend with their unconventional and innovative approach to theatre making. Inspired by the idea of musicians, photographers, writers and dramaturges all working together to produce great live theatre, you may find me hanging out nonchalantly in art galleries, casually trying to gain backstage access at gigs and getting behind the lens myself to try and capture the magic of IYD’s vision for myself!

 “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult…” Seneca – http://www.ifyourdareproductions.com