The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning?

Well, it's been a while, but I've returned from the abyss of uni performances, exams, interviews, and dissertationing. 

My biggest news is that I've now finished my degree for good. I handed in my dissertation (Mental Illness and the Modern Stage), did my last ever inter-uni fencing competition, and finished my exams all in the space of about three weeks. Now's the time to focus on employment, auditions and agencies.

First, though, I don't believe I've blogged about any recent shows I've seen. Let's start from the top. My first trip to The Royal Exchange in the past six months was to see Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams. After mistakenly telling my other half that this play was about a forbidden lesbian relationship in Southern America, sitting in my seat, I soon realised that 'Val' was in fact a man (oops). Being an absolutely massive fan of Williams (focusing heavily on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in said dissertation), I wasn't disappointed by this production. I confess, I haven't read the play, but Williams never fails to haunt reader or viewer with his chilling, atmospheric sounds and visuals; The Exchange captures this admirably. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Imogen Stubbs in the female lead (some of you may remember her short-lived, but memorable performance in Jack and Sarah). I was promised an interview with the director, which I intended to use as a brownie-points-winning appendix, but I'm still waiting on her answers.

Imogen Stubbs in Orpheus Descending

Next came Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall at The Opera House. A touring show, this starred Downton Abbey's and Cold Feet's Robert Bathurst as one of only three characters; a senior mental health consultant. Seeing as this play is centred on mental illness and hospital politics, it was another contender for The Dissertation, until I decided to focus solely on American and Canadian Theatre. Again, this was a triumph of both script and performance. The parts were perfectly cast, the dialogue slick, and the minimalist, animatronic set very fitting for the clinical, soulless setting. Do go and see it whether you're a theatre regular or not. 

The doctors argue over Christopher's (centre) case in Blue/Orange

My second trip to The Royal Exchange was to see Rats' Tales by Carol Ann Duffy. Although initially this seems like a Christmas show exclusively for kids and their parents, my grown-up boyfriend and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. Think Tim Burton meets Angela Carter (without the sadism), meets Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (remember that?!). It was a perfect mix of narration, physical theatre, live music, and elaborate - often functional -costumes. The Tales dealt with included The Pied Piper of Hamlin, Wooden Maria, and something about a changeling (don't worry, most of them weren't especially familiar to me, either). Aside from some poor casting in terms of child 'actors'; definitely worth a watch.  

The troll changeling in Rats' Tales

 Finally came something from my very own department; The Zero Hour by Imitating the Dog at the Nuffield Theatre. This was the brainchild of our Director of Studies, Andrew Quick; a hypothetical, parallel universe take on the end of WWII. Seeing as I used this production for exam material, I can't say much more, for fear of plagiarising myself (!). I will say, however, that unlike many contemporary pieces - mentioning no names (except that their first is Forced and their second is Entertainment) - it didn't outstay its welcome, despite the lack of an interval and the use of a dense, thought-provoking concept to digest. 

Imitating the Dog's signature cinematic frame

In terms of cinema, my most request quest was to see Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. More so than most of his previous efforts, this is a visually stunning film that takes hold of you from beginning to end (I'm not waxing lyrical - it does!). I can't say I was a fan of Moulin Rouge, but with this, Mr L has certainly redeemed himself. The only questionable element is Leonardo's accent - is he...Australian...South African? I think the term 'old sport' confused him (bless). Well, he certainly looks the part. Again, go and see it (and prepare for some unspeakable racism).

The man himself.

Anyway, I shall leave you with news that I'm finally attending the premier of The Wedding Dress (if all goes to plan); a film that I made over a year ago, and I've been dying to see ever since. 

Here are some pictures to illustrate the End of the Road, degree-wise:

The cover image I settled on for my dissertation

Me in my last ever uni performance: Snow White by Elfriend Jelinek

My attitude the night before Lancaster vs York fencing competition

Me (right) huntin' some York

Spinelessness

I resume blogging after a rather lengthy break; the past few weeks has been filled with filming, line-learning, rehearsals and performance.

Following my work on Matt Hilton's The Day, I was cast in a one-woman short play as part of the project Theatre Uncut Lancaster. Spine by Clara Brennan tells the story of Glenda, a library-robbing, senile widow who lets a room to Amy (me), and the carer/patient, mother/daughter, best friend relationship between the two that ensues. I spent the best part of six weeks learning this four-page monologue, which I performed at Lancaster's DT3; a converted church hall which now serves as a small theatre. During this piece, we learn of Glenda's late husband's antics with lingerie catalogues and 'tousers round his ankles'; her obsesion with pastry and tins of fruit cake; Amy's growing love of literature, and Glenda's heartbreak at her beloved libraries being shut down by councils all over the country.

This was, without a doubt, one of my favourite roles to have played so far. Overlooking Ms. Brennan's dubious attempts to write as a teenager (with the inclusion of gems like 'rock up' and 'weird-ass'), the script was emotional, intelligent, funny and heart-warming all at the same time. Everything I've dreamed of in terms of performance.

In other news, I have finally managed to get some professional standard headshots taken (as opposed to off-the-cuff accidents taken by my boyfriend at parties and such). This time, at the hands of the talented Mr Gnosill (director of The Day and cameraman for The Wedding Dress).

In rehearsal for 'Spine'; two days til cutain up.

I must also express my love for a new-found masterpiece: Quills by Doug Wright. After having been introduced to the 2000 film version starring Geoffrey Rush, Joaquin Phoenix, Kate Winslet and Michael Caine, I pursued the original 1995 play. I hoped upon hope that it would be an American work; wanting desperately to use it for my dissertation, as it tells the story of the Marquis De Sade's time at the Charenton Asylum. Lo and behold; I wasn't disappointed. If you liked Amadeus, Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love and From Hell; this is defintely one to watch out for. 

A still from Doug Wright's 'Quills' (2000)

So, October and November have been exhausting, but deeply satisfying - one couldn't ask for more when it comes to experience.

Flaunting said headshot.

Day to Day

Here I am again after a bit of a break from blogging. 'Why the break?' You ask... Because I'm too busy being a diva on the big screen, of course! Seriously, though, I have rather had my hands full with actress-related duties in preparation for my role in Matt Hilton's The Day; a new independent film being shot in the North West.  

Trying not to give too much away, this weekend I finished my first two days of shooting, both on location at Carnforth aqueduct and in a house in Sandbach. Once we'd got all of the dog-walkers, cyclists, long boats, persistent children and HGV vehicles out of the way (who'd have thought such a beautiful patch of countryside would be busy on a perfectly sunny day?), I shot my first romantic scenes with my 'husband', all the while unwittingly burning my shoulders, chest and back in the midday sun. It's just not fair that the one day in the North West bright enough to actually give me sun burn, I was simultaneously freezing to death in a flimsy nighty-esque garment bought by our director. Tip: don't allow a man to take charge of these things. Another exciting feat of the day was having a blag a toilet break out of 'Jack the rower', seeing as the only buildings besides the rowing club for miles were some sort of factory and a housing estate. This came second to having the entire crew suspend a green screen over a car in order for me to get changed discreetly. For future reference, the above does not equal discretion.

Just one of my 'romantic' costumes. This was the main offender when it came to simultaneous sunburn/pneumonia.

Day two: arguing, Bibles and blood. As I said, I can't give too much away, but once my character - Clare - was 'home', she proceeded to bicker with her husband, Matthew, and cling to her beloved Bible for comfort. This is before she develops a hefty nose-bleed which proves to be the crux of her - and the film's - fate.

Applying 'my blood'.

So, two shoots down; two to go. My showreel is also, to my elation, very much underway. Even if things are looking fairly drab for Clare, they're certainly looking quite good for me. Do keep checking back for all the back-stage gossip (we even have a documentary in the works).

NB: Don't work with skittish cats if you don't want your tragic moments to be disturbed by a distressed  'meow'.

Edinburgh Festivities

So, as promised, I return from north-of-the-border with tales to tell. Trains were ridden, drinks were drunk and shows were seen.

My friend Amber and I set off from Manchester Wednesday lunchtime, to arrive in 'Burgh just before 4pm. No longer than ten minutes of getting off the train had I bumped into several university peers; all members of the student theatre group, promoting their play. Rucksack and sleeping bag in hand (or on back), I wasn't prepared to chew the fat for too long, so we bought some toothpaste - which we'd both coincidentally forgotten - and settled down in Rabbie Burns cafe on the Royal Mile. Note, if ever you find yourself there, the eerily life-like (at first glance) mannequin in the window, leaning into the seating area, apparently making some sort of geographical discovery. Things could get messy after a few whiskeys.

The first show we saw was Mark vs John; a sort of stand-up meets showdown variety act. Mark does stand-up...John does stand-up...they fight to the death in any context suggested by the audience. In this instance, a rap battle (Mark won, just out of interest, and I'm assured that the score now stands at 6-4). I could recommend this free event to anyone looking for bargain entertainment at the Fringe; topics covered included bisexuality, interactions with children in theme parks, sharing a birthday with one's 80-something grandmother and the fun that can be had when changing the meaning of certain acronyms.
Next came Edinburgh University's 'review' sketch show. It's worth going just for the comfort of the old school cinema style seats, and the fun orienteering exercise when it comes to navigating The Banshee Labyrinth pub. This was what it says on the tin; a sketch show devised and performed by some of Edinburgh Uni's creative students. Hit and miss, but mainly 'hit'.

Me brandishing a tag from one of the posters I found caught on my foot in C Venue. I thought the description fairly accurate.

Thirdly, The Late Show. Slightly more high-brow, this was an Underbelly event (you may be familiar with that big, purple cow). The artist who attracted our attention this time was Henning Wehn, a satirically patriotic German comedian who explores both his native and British culture, occasionally slipping into the surreal. The other comedians on that night didn't disappoint either. I was glad to have seen The Boy with Tape on his Face, who proved to be groundbreaking in his fusion of mime, audience participation, puppetry and classical slapstick. I was almost disappointed to clock a wedding ring on his finger. Then again, I could only see two thirds of his face.
   

Brief encounter

Films. Music. Edinburgh Fringe. 

Seeing as it's been a while since I last updated, here's just a quick run-down of where I'm up to. 

At the time of my last post, I'd just started reacquainting myself with my guitar playing. The principle things I've learnt between then and now, however, are that my boyfriend's guitar's strings are far too hard for me to impress him with my picking - or even strumming - abilities, and that my nails grow far faster than I'd ever realised. These things take time.

The development on the film front (Matt Hilton's The Day) is that I've seen the final design for the posters...I think I speak for all actresses when I say that one's dream has just about been realised when your face dominates any kind of promotion for a motion picture. When I've secured permission, I will reveal all ('all' being a horizontal shot of myself in profile, with mine and my co-star's names as the header).

One of the dresses chosen by our director for me to appear in, in The Day

Vanity aside, news of the week is that I have booked a last-minute trip to Edinburgh, right in the middle of the Fringe festival. I sampled the festival for the first time last summer, and fell in love with both it and the city. I'd pretty much given up on the idea this year, when a good friend of mine told me we'd been invited by another friend to annexe a student flat for a few nights next week. Last year we wangled our way into two free BBC recordings for Radio 4, and I was - at one point- about a foot away from David Mitchell. I failed to catch his eye and shuffled off with my tail between my legs.

Me (almost) at the top of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh

My collection of leaflets/posters/tickets from last year's Fringe

Old habits die hard; new films start soon.

Along with having my name in print, I now have a confirmed start date for my new role in The Day. Until then, I've decided to brush up on some of my old skills. 

Being in possession of 4 guitars of all shapes and sizes back from when I took lessons, as well as desperate to keep up with my ridiculously dedicated and adept guitar-playing boyfriend, I've made an executive decision to say goodbye to my long nails and hello to my old six-stringed friend. In a past life, I played lead guitar at several school concerts, 'battle of the bands', Manchester Art Gallery and a charity gig at Manchester's Band on the Wall in aid of the Haiti appeal. Not having properly played my Tanglewood, Fender or Yamaha in over two years, I think it's high time I polished that item on my CV. I'm doing 20 minutes' practice a day to begin with; tonight I strummed my way through Karma Police, The Drugs Don't Work and There Goes the Fear. We'll see how long this pursuit lasts without the discipline of a teacher.

Me playing my boyfriend's guitar in his old flat.

The most exciting news this week is that there seem to have been real steps in the pre-production of The Day; the film in which I am to play the protagonist's wife. The director tells me that the official start date for filming will be 25th August - less than a month away! This doesn't mean I will start filming then - I'm awaiting confirmation of when I'm needed. I hear some of my costume has already been bought; a first in my experience of film-making (usually I double up as wardrobe co-ordinator). Exciting still, the film's director has kindly agreed to help me to make a showreel once my scenes are filmed. Once I have those, my copy of The Wedding Dress and another of my films, The Mirror Group, I hope I'll have at least 2 minutes' worth of material to showcase my abilities. Irritatingly, however, the one film in which I played the lead was - as I understand it - deleted off the computer system it was transferred to. Fortunately, 2012 has turned out to be a blessing film-wise, and I'm more than happy with everything that's come of these projects so far.

A teaser for 'The Day', featuring my name on the top row.

Hazard, 24:7 and more...

As I predicted, as soon as my feet touched Mancunian soil, my week was filled with excitement and busyness.

First came 'Hazard', a one day arts festival organised by the company Word of Warning. My job was to wander around the square in the glorious - and unanticipated - sunshine, adorned by a bright yellow tshirt, offering the public information on the event and generally keeping an eye on things. To my surprise, there were some familiar faces doing the same job, and it turned out to be a unique, worthwhile afternoon. Initially, I was 'stewarding' an artist who had buried herself in sand in an effort to recapture her childhood holidays to the beach, and later I came across a mermaid fishing rubber ducks out of the fountain; a large scale game for adults involving answering stray mobile phones and attacking their opponents with clothes pegs, and a man who could talk just like a bee (if bees could talk).  

Today's task was to join the front of house team at the 3 Minute Theatre for my first shift at the 24:7 Theatre Festival. Given today's weather and my complexion, I was eternally grateful for this being an indoor event. Theatre lovers really should get themselves down to there, or to New Century House, to sample some new writing and acting talent all this week.

And just because all that wasn't quite enough, I now have to prepare for my interview at The Lowry on Wednesday, to see if I'm suited to being on their FOH team...and then it's back to 3MT come Thursday. 

I could get used to this.