Somewhere in France – Let’s Make the Water Turn Black

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The final gig of the summer and it could not be in a more lovely place we are in the Loire valley for five days, its unseasonably warm and the crowds are out. The festival is well organised both in terms of production and artist support, let’s not even mention the catering least it sounds like we were on holiday. There is also a lot to see including Cie Bivouac show – À corps perdus which is a spectacular piece of acrobatic story telling with a brilliant musical score, some triggered stems and some live cello, played on an amazing two tier mechanical rig with a full sized trampoline built high above the revolving stage! My personal highlight was probably Farfare Jo Bitume playing an impromptu version of Frank Zappa’s ‘Let’s Make the Water Turn Black’ in the dressing room. Here’s a link if you don’t know it.

 

 

 

 

Spoffin

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We were at the Spoffin festival in Amersfoort in August making a version of the Spurting Man. For the duration of the festival we became a new town fountain, covering the existing one with a stage.

Mr M’s Glamour Case

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Another in the occasional series from my slight obsession with artists cases. This one is Eric Morecambe’s makeup case. I like the fact its on old cigar case, presumably one owned by the man himself and that he never felt the need to replace it with some swanky bit of kit. Seems to speak of the post war sense of ‘make do and mend’. “A touch of carmine on the nose to de-note comedy” as an actor friend would quote into the mirror just before going on.

People Show 137

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During October, along with Dave Southall, we designed and built a bandstand/royal box, which revolves to become a train carriage. This along with some other interesting objects was for People Show 137 ‘Back in Ten Minutes’. Dave’s structure took on board the need for lightness and ease of assembly and one of it’s remarkable features is that it can be assembled without tools and splits in such a way as it will go through a standard door. Other bits of creative shed work were remote controlled tennis ball drops and deluge (120) and a mysterious smoking croissant. Maureen our animatronic ventriloquist doll also made her London debut. (As her agent I had been looking for an opportunity for her all last year!) She became a kind of narrator and opened the show with this wonderful line from Mark. ‘and so the audience experiences that wonderful feeling that this might just be the best theatrical experience of their entire lives, cue lights, cue sound…..’

 

It was a treat for me to work with Emil Wolk again (For those not familiar with Avanti history Emil directed The Spurting Man and co-devised Crash Cabaret with us, back in the nineties.) and to meet and work with Mark Long and George Khan both legendary figures in the history of this company, which has more than fifty years of experimental theatre work. We were together for a month rehearsing and devising then played three preview performances at Toynbee Hall in December. People Show 137 will be touring in 2019.

Bandstand

Avanti Display

Full Circle comes full circle

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We were in Newcastle under Lyme last weekend performing Full Circle as part of the circus 250 Homecoming celebrations.  We had a short residency at The New Vic Theatre in 2017 when we were devising this piece and have had great support from Appetite both then making the first try out performance and in 2018 we were lucky to be back, again supported by Appetite, with the (nearly) complete (are they ever really finished?) show. This kind of support is unusual for us and much appreciated. It was a treat to be back on such a lovely day and be a small part of The Homecoming very much a homecoming for us.

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