tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868010310720720722024-03-18T03:04:09.028+00:00The home of great theatre in GlasgowAlison Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12362754989793495648noreply@blogger.comBlogger560125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-83802638629201246722023-11-29T10:30:00.003+00:002023-11-29T10:32:08.268+00:00The Gaza Monologues and the Citizens Theatre Young Co.<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our Head of Creative Learning, Catrin Evans, shares some insights into the reading of <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/the-gaza-monologues" target="_blank">The Gaza Monologues</a> as part of our Young Company’s weekly session on 29 November 2023. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Two weeks ago, the Citizens Young Company Director and I became aware of the call from ASHTAR Theatre for theatre companies and youth groups across the world to join them in a global reading of The Gaza Monologues. A series of intensely moving testimonies created with ASHTAR Youth in 2010, after surviving the first war in the Gaza strip the year before.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Since the monologues were first performed, they have gone on to be spoken and performed by thousands of people across the world, translated into 18 languages - acting as Ashtar’s reminder to the world of the suffering endured during that time, and the ongoing siege on Gaza</p><p style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7CNprqQ1Y55pag44Fh7ZQPjjJJyG6k1WanjyXuVbHATTn3-4GCpUpkaPq6Ib1TBigL6oYVSQQikBcyb71mZNL_ciPsiE3LHDc9CC-OvWxc0uga93IlzrzbDnX1YCcyxComLNe03JhaSSf2CDXLVVxgbOIwG7RKIS-axRqCee_dMiRPfGumBX1v-Qz7dK/s900/the%20gaza%20monologues%20blog%201.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Two young actors sitting on a stage with very little light in an object that appears to be a boat" border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="900" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7CNprqQ1Y55pag44Fh7ZQPjjJJyG6k1WanjyXuVbHATTn3-4GCpUpkaPq6Ib1TBigL6oYVSQQikBcyb71mZNL_ciPsiE3LHDc9CC-OvWxc0uga93IlzrzbDnX1YCcyxComLNe03JhaSSf2CDXLVVxgbOIwG7RKIS-axRqCee_dMiRPfGumBX1v-Qz7dK/w640-h429/the%20gaza%20monologues%20blog%201.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">“The Gaza Monologues”– (2010-2015)<br />Student play</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: left;">Reading the monologues in 2023 – in light of the horrific attacks in Israel and the unrelenting violence being inflicted upon the people of Gaza and the West Bank – it was hard not to feel, at first, incapacitated by the weight of this call. The young people who worked with ASHTAR to craft and perform these stories; who took to the stage to raise their voices and be heard (like so many youth theatre participants across the globe are encouraged to do every day) are now adults, enduring another set of unimaginable horrors. Their words in 2010 were shaped to draw audiences out of themselves, and to shake the global community to do something. The fact that they are having to ask us again, over a decade later, to re-tell these stories, made me ask ‘what role can theatre possibly have?’</p><p style="text-align: left;">But there’s a privileged safety in this very question. As a good theatre-maker friend from the region reminds me, ‘in my part of the world, theatre isn’t about selling tickets, it’s about action’. And when you work in the field of community and youth theatre, as I do, this sentiment resonates. Every process, every workshop, every project, is about action – about encouraging whomever one is working with to act upon their instincts, to trust in the power of their voice and to not be afraid of being seen. And very importantly, when making theatre, to listen deeply to your collaborators. And so of course, when artistic colleagues reach out and ask fellow international theatre-makers to speak up with them and draw our attention - not just to the mass destruction and human suffering but also the dismantling of the rich cultural landscape in Palestine– we must trust in what theatre allows us to do. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">We decided to take the idea to our Young Company – our own project for young adults - and opened a discussion about whether this is a call they wanted to answer. It was not a simple conversation. Just like myself and Neil, they felt overwhelmed by the reality of what is happening at the moment. Did we know enough to perform them? Would we do them justice? How do we navigate a landscape that is so fraught with misinformation and accusation? But the Young Co. did want to respond. As an act of listening. As a way of reminding ourselves of the importance of stories that humanise and connect us to one another. To better understand that the story playing out on our screens in Glasgow, did not begin in October of this year. And, because stories should be re-told, until they are heard. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrZdDeA5SSgQivwrB6XDTcQnx0SIsgYuNf6mE62vFcCK2DZfseu0pVvhnMm67TsVnSIS7pbSI4rq7RpBMUCJZXBPlE5HkIb4zL7Uxkxv9QHx0SlBiRvWPS-9wRdrASrsK6D1OD5EJqZRbYjlo2Sz9FCQSDfKJlOtBps7JmD3-cnNl-4mpz7Ijz68zRRq3/s960/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(38).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Four young performers are on stage, they are holding and pulling at each other" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrZdDeA5SSgQivwrB6XDTcQnx0SIsgYuNf6mE62vFcCK2DZfseu0pVvhnMm67TsVnSIS7pbSI4rq7RpBMUCJZXBPlE5HkIb4zL7Uxkxv9QHx0SlBiRvWPS-9wRdrASrsK6D1OD5EJqZRbYjlo2Sz9FCQSDfKJlOtBps7JmD3-cnNl-4mpz7Ijz68zRRq3/w640-h426/MicrosoftTeams-image%20(38).png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">“The Gaza Monologues”– (2010-2015)<br />Student play.</td></tr></tbody></table>And so, on the 29th November 2023, we will come together to read, to listen deeply, to imagine anew and to join with ASHTAR Theatre and so many other young theatre-makers across the globe, to seek peace, justice and equity for all peoples in the region. <br /><br /><i>ASHTAR Theatre have a number of resources on their website that explores the background to The Gaza Monologues: <br /></i><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i><a href="https://www.gazamonologues.com/" target="_blank">Read more about The Gaza Monologues</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.ashtar-theatre.org/" target="_blank">Read more about ASHTAR Theatre</a></i></li></ul>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-6863053209783718912023-08-29T16:34:00.005+01:002023-08-31T14:35:57.700+01:00Citizens Theatre's iconic statues: Part 3 From restoration to glorious return <h3 style="text-align: left;">A pivotal moment</h3>Over the weekend of 19-20 August, our six iconic statues returned to the roof of the theatre; a momentous step as our redevelopment project enters its final phase, with reopening planned for 2024. An incredible amount of teamwork went into the historic lift which started during the week. Scottish sculptor, David J Mitchell, visited the site to give the statues a final tidy-up before their big moment.<p style="text-align: left;">You can read more about the restoration process in <a href="https://citizenstheatre.blogspot.com/2021/01/graham-sutherland-on-our-statues-part-2.html">part 2 of our statues series.</a> </p><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW226881125 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9ef2umYh9FnYFmVVtLqxBQe87WRJxrrO-VdmOaPduOKJRWwY_xmqsSxOTTl7lgUGjDwDHuTEkfUjTa7YUa0J6pOK9gsAUPUzTBOyNYdgQvbGxppS1OUjOa1kTU3C_GjxTRHkMPYeA4vvraPhYR6nv2n_CdUYJQ1lmKgRE2wsHxTson5YT6_xJCQQYqUo/s3605/Photo%2014-08-2023,%2011%2044%2058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2028" data-original-width="3605" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9ef2umYh9FnYFmVVtLqxBQe87WRJxrrO-VdmOaPduOKJRWwY_xmqsSxOTTl7lgUGjDwDHuTEkfUjTa7YUa0J6pOK9gsAUPUzTBOyNYdgQvbGxppS1OUjOa1kTU3C_GjxTRHkMPYeA4vvraPhYR6nv2n_CdUYJQ1lmKgRE2wsHxTson5YT6_xJCQQYqUo/w640-h360/Photo%2014-08-2023,%2011%2044%2058.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David J Mitchell prepairing the statues. Photo by Graham Sutherland.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Project contractors Kier brought in a specialist lifting team, Synergy, (and a very big crane!). Along with some very enthusiastic support from Citz staff, Gorbals residents and onlookers walking along Gorbals Street, the statues were lifted safely into position. Even the Glasgow weather behaved, despite threats of high winds in the morning!<p></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XpCHlZPV7Oubm7ThUd55Xk0TTy5aHIUFHHoa3Ze47ICXmSlxn1edFhql3XOf-IC5EgyQyek40MU6aZyWlWMebtd564f053gYmgN-KbeCuGQk-vDQ8psSbfr3Sy3t9aGrBnY8JTXaxDRPQIKcSm-074WHP3NW5BJzajVQteUfo-0FQl7xcBgaHb7xzLVY/s1131/IMG-20230829-WA0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="848" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XpCHlZPV7Oubm7ThUd55Xk0TTy5aHIUFHHoa3Ze47ICXmSlxn1edFhql3XOf-IC5EgyQyek40MU6aZyWlWMebtd564f053gYmgN-KbeCuGQk-vDQ8psSbfr3Sy3t9aGrBnY8JTXaxDRPQIKcSm-074WHP3NW5BJzajVQteUfo-0FQl7xcBgaHb7xzLVY/w300-h400/IMG-20230829-WA0001.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for an exciting day on site!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h3 class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Guardians of art and community</h3><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </p><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For many, the Citz statues are more than just ornaments or parts of a building. They are woven into the memories of countless theatregoers and local residents - whether you remember them from the joint façade with the Palace Theatre, or from brushing past them in the Citz foyer whilst getting a pre-show drink. <br /><br />Once building work is complete, the statues will sit alongside pink neon and black brick – blending the new with the old in a way that seamlessly marries our heritage with a contemporary and exciting future. Our redevelopment will deliver spaces and experiences full of character which reflect the unique nature of the theatre building and company.</p><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn9pIGQUVUFYscGfSwTQtOl535_3WP4MW4E_FpqGRf8eduvklg4AJrx9_zo6tdeHXCNy9svnOar7XAHhQyyIlqwLE1KS20zlHaWAArjFpmvXxKALEAL9hvFfW94Cgv3_0nTAygLbbUdxLsb1CcYG9nimcwg791D90V5oEIRba8INjCRt_J4w4saB7RDS0/s6000/Mark%20Liddell%20Photography%20230819%20Citizens%20Theatre%20Statues%20(96).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4004" data-original-width="6000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn9pIGQUVUFYscGfSwTQtOl535_3WP4MW4E_FpqGRf8eduvklg4AJrx9_zo6tdeHXCNy9svnOar7XAHhQyyIlqwLE1KS20zlHaWAArjFpmvXxKALEAL9hvFfW94Cgv3_0nTAygLbbUdxLsb1CcYG9nimcwg791D90V5oEIRba8INjCRt_J4w4saB7RDS0/w640-h428/Mark%20Liddell%20Photography%20230819%20Citizens%20Theatre%20Statues%20(96).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Mark Liddell<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For decades, the statues have stood as witnesses to the captivating performances, laughter of friends, and shared moments between strangers that we have hosted. As they regain their rightful positions atop the newly redeveloped building, they rekindle their role as guardians, watching over actors, audiences, and the lively, ever evolving Gorbals landscape.<br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">An ensemble on the roof</h3><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{6c67ba5f-b5f8-48aa-bb1e-7ce8d457e257}{37}" paraid="1128937615" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The six stone statues, lovingly restored, include the Greek goddesses Melpomene, Thalia, Euterpe, and Terpsichore - representing tragedy, comedy, poetry and song, and dance. The quartet is joined by the literary giants Robert Burns and William Shakespeare. Together, the statues represent the rich artistic expression that has been part of the theatre since its inception in 1878. You can read more about the history of the statues which have survived fire and demolition in <a href="https://citizenstheatre.blogspot.com/2021/01/graham-sutherland-on-our-statues-part-1.html">part 1 of our statues series</a>.</p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW226881125 BCX8" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{59c6c619-d843-428d-a4d2-867630ff1bc4}{1}" paraid="1049851036" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEh2pM64t6s4POhdmX0VAN9A7vL_Y6PZamlKCHslGa_Sry3rPOfzaHDngPAPlbVh6FsGM92VTdAAf0ip5_zqzPFkDqd26WibqKzRvzAu4B4QYKkNQTVXDAGN1SxCwx2oOYS-tqQ1EzoHTris4bte2dScEEwdlb5LCWSpR6Zsqr8ZIuxgM273vQhTcVvsU0/s1920/Shakespeare-1977-and-2023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1920" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEh2pM64t6s4POhdmX0VAN9A7vL_Y6PZamlKCHslGa_Sry3rPOfzaHDngPAPlbVh6FsGM92VTdAAf0ip5_zqzPFkDqd26WibqKzRvzAu4B4QYKkNQTVXDAGN1SxCwx2oOYS-tqQ1EzoHTris4bte2dScEEwdlb5LCWSpR6Zsqr8ZIuxgM273vQhTcVvsU0/w640-h236/Shakespeare-1977-and-2023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shakespeare leaving the old facade in 1977 and returning in 2023<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Preserving Heritage, Expanding Access</h3><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{59c6c619-d843-428d-a4d2-867630ff1bc4}{1}" paraid="1049851036" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The redevelopment not only safeguards our beautiful theatre’s history, but also enhances accessibility and secures its future for generations to come. Original Victorian features, including the paint frame and rare nineteenth-century stage machinery, will soon be accessible to view by visitors, allowing them to engage with our theatre's past in a more immersive way.</p><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{59c6c619-d843-428d-a4d2-867630ff1bc4}{1}" paraid="1049851036" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </p><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{59c6c619-d843-428d-a4d2-867630ff1bc4}{1}" paraid="1049851036" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wXMwrIAoAkq7j_g13aEjgLuWc6PTBCiUIuiaoS0hW88ta3ytguqNhKio4TOXAEwzaIIZNDxjztpUdgz5HCaEtfv7_-DdWmoPOaEo0SUkH1FCPAY16WpDTgAkLxEyIFt9v3nIE6k-Q3cUgDWtq-musr9GPB1u2N2itGK0-PPQa7bT7oF7gUhXR8O--Z0I/s6000/Mark%20Liddell%20Photography%20230819%20Citizens%20Theatre%20Statues%20(8).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2wXMwrIAoAkq7j_g13aEjgLuWc6PTBCiUIuiaoS0hW88ta3ytguqNhKio4TOXAEwzaIIZNDxjztpUdgz5HCaEtfv7_-DdWmoPOaEo0SUkH1FCPAY16WpDTgAkLxEyIFt9v3nIE6k-Q3cUgDWtq-musr9GPB1u2N2itGK0-PPQa7bT7oF7gUhXR8O--Z0I/w640-h426/Mark%20Liddell%20Photography%20230819%20Citizens%20Theatre%20Statues%20(8).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Mark Liddell<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />We are incredibly proud to have been part of this moment of Citz history by honouring its past whilst also looking forward to inviting audiences and visitors to engage with us in the future in new and exciting ways.<p></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW226881125 BCX8" paraeid="{59c6c619-d843-428d-a4d2-867630ff1bc4}{1}" paraid="1049851036" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: left; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We cannot wait to get home! <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/about/citizens-theatre/redevelopment">Visit our website to find out more about the redevelopment.</a> </p></div>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-43324224589745803832023-07-21T15:09:00.001+01:002023-07-21T15:19:22.890+01:00John Vallance Tribute<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone at the Citizens Theatre was
deeply saddened to hear of the passing of </span><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW152988392 BCX2" data-contrast="none" face="Calibri, "Calibri_EmbeddedFont", "Calibri_MSFontService", sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; line-height: 20.5042px;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW152988392 BCX2">John Vallance. John was a regular member of our Community Collective and took part in several productions over the years. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our Community Drama
Director Neil Packham, and Community Drama Artist Elly Goodman, pay this
tribute on behalf of the company.</span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6lRMWCdfzx-8ekHkAJ1bAYCPeHznpvsmB7BtVScFVP_Xfs-goe6d1Ch7K-xdIJQ1TZ7ioYeptTpVK1gcqNW7LLfo2rWBIJnHfdLqIxfZ3BuqwMHNydSX0JmKjNwiJLo6zrdjNwy2iWUlJZI8zsr4bRFJl3BaUMTZQv2OAjQ8FLDRuLtb6aRNwhEYcvuD/s4333/John%20Home%20office%20CHOHW.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2893" data-original-width="4333" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6lRMWCdfzx-8ekHkAJ1bAYCPeHznpvsmB7BtVScFVP_Xfs-goe6d1Ch7K-xdIJQ1TZ7ioYeptTpVK1gcqNW7LLfo2rWBIJnHfdLqIxfZ3BuqwMHNydSX0JmKjNwiJLo6zrdjNwy2iWUlJZI8zsr4bRFJl3BaUMTZQv2OAjQ8FLDRuLtb6aRNwhEYcvuD/w640-h428/John%20Home%20office%20CHOHW.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John performing in Come Hell or High Water</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Citizens Theatre Creative Learning Team are hugely saddened by the news that the talented community actor, musician and poet, John Vallance has passed away. When John entered a room, he had a distinct, calming, presence, emanating warmth and a sense of fun that would inevitably lighten the atmosphere. John had an engaging smile and an infectious laugh, and was always willing to share an intriguing tale, philosophical thoughts, and a favourite biscuit or two.<p></p><p>When we think about John, we instantly smile because he conjures up feelings of all that is good. He was a well-kent face in the Gorbals, wise and funny, much liked and respected. He liked to be kept busy and was in and about many of the local community groups. He loved music, theatre, the men’s group, and his meetings, to name but a few. John was the epitome of ‘community spirited’. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0fYaYnX4wEIofGDG_WegO1Wa_Veoe4XHxvP-HkkB3VJrP5HguSViS5ti-2U8PJa9MYOpVplk5Bm56630L91yiiAwOFa04RldHVsLKTOxzjte3Ay3DlNg6kMehIufcMTcXke_OoOaH6939r3xyZUVBWQWKdL4YNuOgouZWfFj8RBOmvM1FNUDbh0IjWM_/s5175/John%20Vallance.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3455" data-original-width="5175" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0fYaYnX4wEIofGDG_WegO1Wa_Veoe4XHxvP-HkkB3VJrP5HguSViS5ti-2U8PJa9MYOpVplk5Bm56630L91yiiAwOFa04RldHVsLKTOxzjte3Ay3DlNg6kMehIufcMTcXke_OoOaH6939r3xyZUVBWQWKdL4YNuOgouZWfFj8RBOmvM1FNUDbh0IjWM_/w640-h428/John%20Vallance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John in rehearsals for community production Come Hell or High Water</td></tr></tbody></table><p>John had been part of the Citizens Theatre for some years and was a regular member of the Community Collective. He had a passion for performing and loved to take part in the weekly group sessions. He was involved in multiple performance projects, including main stage and studio theatre productions. John was a brilliant and supportive member of the Come Hell or High Water and A Night to Remember casts. He attended night school, an evening acting class that he excelled in. His end-of-term performance in the class’s version of Stephen Greenhorn’s ‘Passing places’ was especially memorable, with John playing a sinister character with depth and authenticity. His performances could also be light, joyful, and comedic, as he regularly demonstrated in our annual Winter Warmers at the Gorbals Church. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPJUJYuVweAZBLUhRvcgJ4kMpm1GoWKtgAdizk74-nZC1rBhJ-gDrNHsQN9y-WHnW1gd3Lam5cJXEq20Q69aE3oKbDHFVCPRmvP3d0NF6GFXi2GjI0BrVmWrFjWfMbFQMytRcpnNG8hdYxiSBTc2I1G9XW39t03G81Y7Wz854hrm7thFsmLgD-JQ6pkTt/s5760/Winter%20Warmer%20John%20Vallance.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPJUJYuVweAZBLUhRvcgJ4kMpm1GoWKtgAdizk74-nZC1rBhJ-gDrNHsQN9y-WHnW1gd3Lam5cJXEq20Q69aE3oKbDHFVCPRmvP3d0NF6GFXi2GjI0BrVmWrFjWfMbFQMytRcpnNG8hdYxiSBTc2I1G9XW39t03G81Y7Wz854hrm7thFsmLgD-JQ6pkTt/w640-h426/Winter%20Warmer%20John%20Vallance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John taking part in the Winter Warmer outdoors</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />John’s love of performing continued over the years and we remember with fondness his playfulness during the Citz Community Collective 20th Anniversary celebrations, where he excelled in a featured solo dance in the group flash mob. This then became a duet with Tricia McConalogue, the former manager of Bridging the Gap, who he had a great friendship with. We’ll not forget the joy on his face that day – he was in his element shimmying down the catwalk!</p><p>Lockdown was understandably hard for the Community Collective, with no opportunity for the group to make live theatre while all in a room together. However, this did not deter John, and he joined us for our weekly creative Zoom meet ups. We made a point of visiting folk in person each week where, while on a live feed, they performed a piece of theatre in their doorway before being awarded our version of an ‘Oscar’ for their creative efforts. You can see John with his award in the photo below. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XDLwZL7l6P3X0_fVF2JnJu0EgtRSAjQUzn_Azk7vYF2aPtLpZN8QzLmPE7SnBJ6VJlr7Dvvcp93B4gfO1MHhf2A0NSC3WzbbgP9UGc2l85sqRuP9q7sqyfKLD7vFygG0gA8IPlTDhtkXA9FJh30b_h0M2YlrcaghjDUX0UgMp0NFTAP5YLoBMlDSLc_Z/s2048/John%20Vallance%202%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XDLwZL7l6P3X0_fVF2JnJu0EgtRSAjQUzn_Azk7vYF2aPtLpZN8QzLmPE7SnBJ6VJlr7Dvvcp93B4gfO1MHhf2A0NSC3WzbbgP9UGc2l85sqRuP9q7sqyfKLD7vFygG0gA8IPlTDhtkXA9FJh30b_h0M2YlrcaghjDUX0UgMp0NFTAP5YLoBMlDSLc_Z/w300-h400/John%20Vallance%202%20(2).jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John receiving his doorstep Oscar during lockdown</td></tr></tbody></table><p>John also wrote powerful poetry that explored poverty, crime, addiction, and the plight of people going through the Asylum system. His poignant and heartfelt words landed especially powerfully when speaking of others who were going through difficulties.</p><p>When we returned to live in-person work again, John continued being part of the Community Collective. He was with us every week until the end of March this year. His last contribution was when he co-wrote and recorded the group song ‘The Original Cast’ at the Gorbals Sound recording studio. The song was about the Citizens statues, which will return to the façade of the building when it reopens next year. It was around this time that his illness was getting the better of him; he’d pop in for a coffee at the weekly Com Co sessions but wouldn’t stay for long because of tiredness. He was brave enough to make a poignant share regarding his illness and prognosis. This had a profound effect on the group, because John meant so much to all of us. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72C2DFG17aNWaM1FiI6Ll4WlZg3TjgKbi8erPX2VwM5JvwWdWA9qNU1WiarJhCOKtpYYBk4WBl0qI7SnhvbR6Ncb1x2aBhFABSqm3dykEnqPyJunfYwl5L62rq9eq4wJ_oGk44IouO9anZTc0AEa1DxMN9zbjITSo13PHYd2T_Cm9bd3F_s8JROelSLYM/s3730/John-Vallance-2-square.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3730" data-original-width="3730" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72C2DFG17aNWaM1FiI6Ll4WlZg3TjgKbi8erPX2VwM5JvwWdWA9qNU1WiarJhCOKtpYYBk4WBl0qI7SnhvbR6Ncb1x2aBhFABSqm3dykEnqPyJunfYwl5L62rq9eq4wJ_oGk44IouO9anZTc0AEa1DxMN9zbjITSo13PHYd2T_Cm9bd3F_s8JROelSLYM/w640-h640/John-Vallance-2-square.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John performing at the Winter Warmer at Gorbals Parish Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We are very sad that John has left us. He was wonderful to work with, honest, committed and prepared to give his all. We will remember him with great affection and will leave out extra biscuits at the Community Collective in his memory. <p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-64950554314632472132023-05-05T16:44:00.002+01:002023-05-05T16:44:23.699+01:00'A voice for this generation'<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>PAL: Your AI Care Companion</b> is the latest production from the Citizens Theatre's Young Co. This bold new play by Sara Shaarawi was inspired by conversations with the company and explores topical issues facing young people today. Here, Community Drama Director and Young Co. leader Neil Packham tells us a bit more about the group and gives us an insight into the rehearsal room:</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i4X99UuOeGf4JCkyv4jN2mjHMoHplxut6SrrHkbMG4qcLei-zZaVH157uV7Ov6V_qAJT_1xMasNL1VUG7R0lwTYcvRFenVBu6Soj--6gDyfrCBXQtFPu8Wc6zKGTBk49ROQ0KVmN-9cQZ2Hvj8uqewo0_yFUXPLKG3SU2GAb61GfL6BQ1c89CjqaxQ/s3000/52827268246_afc13eee4c_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="3000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-i4X99UuOeGf4JCkyv4jN2mjHMoHplxut6SrrHkbMG4qcLei-zZaVH157uV7Ov6V_qAJT_1xMasNL1VUG7R0lwTYcvRFenVBu6Soj--6gDyfrCBXQtFPu8Wc6zKGTBk49ROQ0KVmN-9cQZ2Hvj8uqewo0_yFUXPLKG3SU2GAb61GfL6BQ1c89CjqaxQ/w640-h428/52827268246_afc13eee4c_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neil Packham in rehearsals for PAL. Photo by Alasdair Watson</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>PAL: Your AI Care Companion</b> marks the Young Co’s 25<sup>th</sup> production since
it began back in 2005.
While we are so looking forward to getting back into our home in 2024, we are very excited to perform at the Tramway in T4 and with a newly commissioned play by the very talented writer Sara Shaarawi.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our adventure on this project began in the autumn of 2022,
when we met, improvised and discussed the themes, story and character ideas
with Sara in our weekly workshops. Everyone recognised what a special
opportunity it was to collaborate with a recognised playwright. Sara went away
to commence writing the play, having been inspired by the Young Co.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01OGo8r1QTaBh8xc1r5RG1ez4_SEznIF_eFiuqS3B2Ubpkl9q8sNHa9UaMqJ_k8yqz_k4AZKmZiPhuPJp6bbOOl22N3C9D5hbgKLg9idue_GqdRf064WZXs0J0Dl8DglooRBjESIzLZ_8CJhxfa4Xyrb0Z1sfa3D7VaaX8rYp0KhYqYEb5MBulRjkzA/s3000/52827268106_3ddf15402e_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="3000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01OGo8r1QTaBh8xc1r5RG1ez4_SEznIF_eFiuqS3B2Ubpkl9q8sNHa9UaMqJ_k8yqz_k4AZKmZiPhuPJp6bbOOl22N3C9D5hbgKLg9idue_GqdRf064WZXs0J0Dl8DglooRBjESIzLZ_8CJhxfa4Xyrb0Z1sfa3D7VaaX8rYp0KhYqYEb5MBulRjkzA/w640-h428/52827268106_3ddf15402e_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rehearsals for PAL. Photo by Alasdair Watson.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just before Christmas, the early draft was delivered to us. The group devoured this and immediately offered the writer plenty of
questions to explore and move the play on. Sara continued to produce new
material up until mid-February. The first read through with the group caused a
lot of laughter along with a recognition of how bold and pertinent this play
was. Since then, rehearsals have been fast and furious, everyone being totally
committed to creating something special. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2IzM6I0QXfPZWCPj64AJ1H6xSMMM6Smhwsg8FIl1zoVuJhZdSZupEjtARehfMbYHPLg0ou-MW0tRwjmle3YE5Njjv4wrIL2vHXCNj3_qt9RHMCR5FFDcOfrT1oufL9-QDD6foiUuGsYZ2WEdlevn6VSLCRQLNhC7C2B9Ki48cY4meV2lp-DaKiCS5qw/s3000/52827450169_2cf20356df_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="3000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2IzM6I0QXfPZWCPj64AJ1H6xSMMM6Smhwsg8FIl1zoVuJhZdSZupEjtARehfMbYHPLg0ou-MW0tRwjmle3YE5Njjv4wrIL2vHXCNj3_qt9RHMCR5FFDcOfrT1oufL9-QDD6foiUuGsYZ2WEdlevn6VSLCRQLNhC7C2B9Ki48cY4meV2lp-DaKiCS5qw/w640-h428/52827450169_2cf20356df_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rehearsals for PAL. Photo by Alasdair Watson.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sara Shaarawi has created in PAL: Your AI Care Companion,
a voice for this generation, a generation who have been through tough times,
whose future has directly been affected by a pandemic, Brexit, disruption to
their education, climate change, war in Ukraine, political upheaval, an energy
and cost of living crisis, and an underfunded health service struggling to
survive. Not to mention the incredibly pace of the development Artificial
Intelligence and it’s impact, be that positive or negative. This sounds grim and you can’t avoid the pertinence of this
piece, however, I’m certain the dark humour, rich characters and total
commitment of these talented cast of young people will inspire you.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m very proud of the Young Co. all it’s achieved and the
journeys of participants past and present. We all look forward to our next
adventure when we return to the Citizens Theatre, next year.<o:p></o:p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/pal">PAL: Your AI Care Companion</a> runs from 12- 13 May at Tramway. <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/pal">Find out more.</a></b></span><p></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-21693195081173750352023-04-28T10:46:00.008+01:002023-04-28T10:51:42.734+01:00Citizens Theatre Alumni<p><span style="font-size: large;">The Citizens Theatre has always been instrumental in fostering the early careers of many well-known actors. Here we look back at a few of our famous alumni as we get closer to returning to our Gorbals home.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mYDydkDfis1vButQa7KvGFA9Fw5gYYCqirqJVRDS-OYnhZPOTAuRPZAd4exgqIH9i98QRkXxmEO4k4ovpV-6tpPGexVkeVG_7iuWMQYsafsWdO2iGXOFnSt0lgpwETd2ZKCGQ_bZQm2eMeosginu1MDFlhbq34irqXxNrlb928B-aBjCv-mjN7y53A/s800/brosnan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mYDydkDfis1vButQa7KvGFA9Fw5gYYCqirqJVRDS-OYnhZPOTAuRPZAd4exgqIH9i98QRkXxmEO4k4ovpV-6tpPGexVkeVG_7iuWMQYsafsWdO2iGXOFnSt0lgpwETd2ZKCGQ_bZQm2eMeosginu1MDFlhbq34irqXxNrlb928B-aBjCv-mjN7y53A/w640-h360/brosnan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pierce Brosnan – Semi Monde – 1977</td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p>The Citizens Theatre has always been a champion of new talent, discovering and nurturing emerging artistic voices and helping to create new dramatic works. Our expanded studio theatre will form a pivotal part of the Citizens artistic vision, providing a platform for up-and-coming artists and the next generation of writers, performers and creative talent. </p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“A magical hall, as all theatres should be, where anything could happen.”</i> – Mark Rylance</span> <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBJCWbQa4VbTifFe3YOib1Ki1N_lNNAWoV5HzENy3aNXI7h8I7jjd6FOjHkwwepDn__7Ad_tEXbFhUqAV9DHVQRjN4teDfgt2yNEEmgeHjaKwx3By2rx5f-rnKtq6jNR7SOyRMW3NMdFuCWLdrEyAjv9QVm8NQrzVuu2UqVUH9u0-jwrxXAp3jhvYgw/s800/rylance.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBJCWbQa4VbTifFe3YOib1Ki1N_lNNAWoV5HzENy3aNXI7h8I7jjd6FOjHkwwepDn__7Ad_tEXbFhUqAV9DHVQRjN4teDfgt2yNEEmgeHjaKwx3By2rx5f-rnKtq6jNR7SOyRMW3NMdFuCWLdrEyAjv9QVm8NQrzVuu2UqVUH9u0-jwrxXAp3jhvYgw/w640-h360/rylance.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Rylance – Don Juan – 1980 <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2pBV3Qg4FVNa56dzljSm4LPUqUwoq2F5hf4QD2ahxSMuLV3GapYRD6DKiNe_HcOvdOS-GiPG0oR8JTwpPWNTsJbFxDipdYO48ap_rvjgi6c7UIF0w26_PyJ0frrkwIu5B_ayzFL-3_GxjG1y9Ka1MW_0gJwc8OcUXOwAmcl5lIv-EfwI8Bol6B0uLQ/s800/oldman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2pBV3Qg4FVNa56dzljSm4LPUqUwoq2F5hf4QD2ahxSMuLV3GapYRD6DKiNe_HcOvdOS-GiPG0oR8JTwpPWNTsJbFxDipdYO48ap_rvjgi6c7UIF0w26_PyJ0frrkwIu5B_ayzFL-3_GxjG1y9Ka1MW_0gJwc8OcUXOwAmcl5lIv-EfwI8Bol6B0uLQ/w640-h360/oldman.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Gary Oldman – Der Rosenkavalier – 1983 </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaymZLcuDBz_l8qcdUar3IfwE4rGzNhUMg0rDd8qE12hN8ZiwRxjB1iiQo0gRhvnO4UkDdblkaVDunPYd9BlIlkWxqZy9dHdevZCIbS3R56GHk17BTCcUKTmHNpskNF9nmpaNLhgEPtzHfKJxLD9yS8cq3nJCiS2d5sIZNP1xdfi-jFw3Ja7xNkcWZw/s700/everett.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="700" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaymZLcuDBz_l8qcdUar3IfwE4rGzNhUMg0rDd8qE12hN8ZiwRxjB1iiQo0gRhvnO4UkDdblkaVDunPYd9BlIlkWxqZy9dHdevZCIbS3R56GHk17BTCcUKTmHNpskNF9nmpaNLhgEPtzHfKJxLD9yS8cq3nJCiS2d5sIZNP1xdfi-jFw3Ja7xNkcWZw/w640-h392/everett.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rupert Everett – Vortex – 1988</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“…the theatre itself was a jewel inside. A dark crimson palace almost alone on a windy stretch of the Gorbals where the old tenements had been pulled down and forbidding towers raised. Her survival seemed a miracle.”</i>
– Tim Curry
</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKeLQy69DkQdrgIM7NeudcfaSglUeYLk4ngVzcw1-UCAp-emD0-SVskMyfx52Q5o4OMKMTRpIdBvBkw89zJEdgJr1DvKEwMSdu44gM_Zq5ykQzuKWc2UEk_aArY_7oIr1l8XDczjaV6RS2SymWuw6FMGBqimRjo-0Dk2_VzjX9sIsK7fUHvPvDlX4HA/s700/curry.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKeLQy69DkQdrgIM7NeudcfaSglUeYLk4ngVzcw1-UCAp-emD0-SVskMyfx52Q5o4OMKMTRpIdBvBkw89zJEdgJr1DvKEwMSdu44gM_Zq5ykQzuKWc2UEk_aArY_7oIr1l8XDczjaV6RS2SymWuw6FMGBqimRjo-0Dk2_VzjX9sIsK7fUHvPvDlX4HA/w640-h360/curry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p>Tim Curry – The Maids – 1971 <br /></p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The Theatre’s alumni regularly cite their time at the Citizens Theatre as some of the most formative experiences of their careers. </p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“The Citz audience and the very stage itself, embraces you and whispers ‘go on, I dare you’.” </i>– Roberta Taylor</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbuAJGLSbqaXhYN9iS50kqx5RlfO4j6Imq_V7_UN-S9_YLLz6u6J5eBNjAWeH5MUi_MnFLlMItgj1r0N4Vv8nvMIWmkCtg2k15QzRlKyk0IjyOi5vevK9O9wsCPPSLZCGqaHu-3hSG9gxrE0RwEAB52bGIxyzWz3NEutd6RxGzAU8hInQXME5ABKY9Q/s700/taylor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbuAJGLSbqaXhYN9iS50kqx5RlfO4j6Imq_V7_UN-S9_YLLz6u6J5eBNjAWeH5MUi_MnFLlMItgj1r0N4Vv8nvMIWmkCtg2k15QzRlKyk0IjyOi5vevK9O9wsCPPSLZCGqaHu-3hSG9gxrE0RwEAB52bGIxyzWz3NEutd6RxGzAU8hInQXME5ABKY9Q/w640-h360/taylor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p>Roberta Taylor – Private Lives – 1984 </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><b>The new Citizens Theatre will celebrate our rich, creative history. <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/about/citizens-theatre/redevelopment" target="_blank">Visit our website for more information about our redevelopment.</a></b><br />Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-83400893566165791972023-04-21T10:02:00.000+01:002023-04-21T10:02:28.715+01:00Sara Shaarawi discusses her new work for Young Co.<p><span style="font-size: large;">The latest production from the Citizens Theatre Young Co., <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/pal">PAL: Your AI Care Companion</a>, opens next month at <a href="https://www.tramway.org/">Tramway</a>. Written by <a href="https://sarashaarawi.com/">Sara Shaarawi</a>, a playwright from Cairo, based in Glasgow. Sara was also a mentor and writer on the Young Co. Press 2 For Help production in 2022. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here she tells us what she's been up to since then and what has inspired her to write PAL!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLO073ZyOXxiog1Eh2xIdW1bpfSahJQg8pXw2nM6a8BBRSilMEKkbFNqKWpeMjvFo9QypWxuaVj2Gvi3E88PSPPwvPitr8gb6gzkwgIGN0vHkdw-7lnlNpYnCa_F4gXADvUdBiAwYb8JzFVGXK7txJ-SrpnPnHohnGOPh2v8_fqkeY7Mf4TP65rGtmQ/s3000/Citz%20PAL-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2002" data-original-width="3000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLO073ZyOXxiog1Eh2xIdW1bpfSahJQg8pXw2nM6a8BBRSilMEKkbFNqKWpeMjvFo9QypWxuaVj2Gvi3E88PSPPwvPitr8gb6gzkwgIGN0vHkdw-7lnlNpYnCa_F4gXADvUdBiAwYb8JzFVGXK7txJ-SrpnPnHohnGOPh2v8_fqkeY7Mf4TP65rGtmQ/w640-h428/Citz%20PAL-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara in PAL rehearsals. Photo by Alasdair Watson.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p><b class="x_x_x_ContentPasted1 x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0" style="background-color: white; color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's a year since Young Co.'s Press 2 For Help. What have you been working on since then?</span></b></p><div class="x_elementToProof" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="x_x_elementToProof x_ContentPasted0 x_elementToProof" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="x_x_x_ContentPasted1 x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0" color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I've been lucky because I've actually been pretty busy. Last year my play Sister Radio opened at Pitlochry Festival Theatre followed by a tour around Scotland and Derby. It was co-commissioned by Stellar Quines and Pearlfisher then co-produced by Stellar Quines and PFT. I also was invited to write a piece for Wonderfools' brilliant project Positive Stories for Negative Times, I wrote a piece for their third season which will be performed in the summer. I've written a little piece for audio which was lots of fun, as well as writing PAL which was is just so great. There are other things here and there but this has been the bulk of my work and I'm so very grateful for it.<br aria-hidden="true" /></span></span></span></div><div class="x_x_elementToProof x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="x_x_elementToProof x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0" /></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0 x_elementToProof" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0"><span style="font-family: arial;">What were your inspirations or influences when writing PAL?</span></b></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" /></span></b></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0 x_elementToProof" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In terms of genre, it was definitely Sci-fi and Dystopia. I've always enjoyed the genre and lately I've been feeling like I want to explore that more. I've always been interested in truthful storytelling in non-naturalistic worlds, in the fantastical. The other inspiration came from conversations I'd had with members of the Young Co. We initially began with chatting about the effects of social media on young people's mental health and somehow ended up with an interest in automated healthcare, the link for me is that both operate within a capitalist framework of care that preys on people's vulnerabilities. I know this all sounds quite grim, but I think the play has a lot of warmth as well as darkness, and I think it's important to talk about difficult things in theatre so I hope this play offers the space for that.<br aria-hidden="true" /></span></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_x_ContentPasted1"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0" /></span></b></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do you think AI technology poses a threat or opportunity for theatre makers and creatives?</span></b></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" /></span></b></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0 x_elementToProof" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is what everyone's talking about now! I really don't know. I don't know enough about it all to have an informed opinion. I guess with any technology, it'll probably be a bit of both, and as ever I'm much more concerned about the corporations in charge of the tech than I am of the tech itself. Which is something that comes across a bit in PAL actually.<br aria-hidden="true" /></span></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0" /></span></b></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0"><span style="font-family: arial;">What have you enjoyed most about writing/collaborating with the Young Co?</span></b></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" /></span></b></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I've really loved getting to know the members of the young co both individually and as a group, they have a really great energy and spark. I just really enjoy the space they've created for themselves, and the generosity they brought to the room, as well as the curiosity they brought when we chatted about the themes of the play and about what kind of theatre and art we enjoy, and they threw themselves into any task we asked them to. As a playwright, there's really nothing more you can ask from collaborators. I'd go home with my head buzzing with ideas for the play but also with thoughts about why theatre exists, and why we continue to make it beyond the capitalist framework of "bums-on-seats."<br aria-hidden="true" /></span></span></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_x_ContentPasted1"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0" /></span></b></div><div class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" style="border: 0px none; color: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_x_ContentPasted1"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikkmirICoHvIGPT1AzAqVaAX4UtIye1xEUaBlyr3v8c13aQKO2QE7MIxICzgb0qpr7qrcJnwKrkCuiDdIwXS7F5PX4CPTZ89O8XtOh7APNiRSVOEIeOLEFECzh-lGW9wlhANmk8kglHMpN7HshTa9HOloJT67b6Ax4NOD-kn1eSiVaZqfEj2T2-5c1w/s2048/52827268106_af475311ab_k.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikkmirICoHvIGPT1AzAqVaAX4UtIye1xEUaBlyr3v8c13aQKO2QE7MIxICzgb0qpr7qrcJnwKrkCuiDdIwXS7F5PX4CPTZ89O8XtOh7APNiRSVOEIeOLEFECzh-lGW9wlhANmk8kglHMpN7HshTa9HOloJT67b6Ax4NOD-kn1eSiVaZqfEj2T2-5c1w/w640-h428/52827268106_af475311ab_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PAL rehearsals. Photo by Alasdair Watson.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" class="x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0" /></span></b></div></div><span class="x_x_elementToProof" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="x_x_x_elementToProof x_x_x_ContentPasted0" color="inherit" style="border: 0px none; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b class="x_x_x_ContentPasted1 x_x_ContentPasted0 x_ContentPasted0"><span style="font-family: arial;">What can audiences expect from PAL: Your AI Care Companion?</span></b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #242424; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br aria-hidden="true" /></span></div><div class="x_elementToProof" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #242424; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's a piece about young people trying to negotiate a harsher version of the world that exists now, where care (in all its forms) is a commodity, it's funny and dark and maybe a bit unsettling, but it also has a lot of heart. I can't wait for everyone to see it and maybe have a chat about it afterwards.</span></div><div class="x_elementToProof" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #242424; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="x_elementToProof" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: #242424; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/pal" target="_blank">PAL: Your AI Care Companion</a> is on sale now.</b></span></div>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-64593290607555433132023-03-23T11:22:00.002+00:002023-03-23T13:39:29.639+00:00Frances Rose Kelly Tribute<p><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone at the Citizens Theatre was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Frances Rose Kelly, one of the longest serving members of our Community Company and a well kent Gorbals resident. She regularly appeared on our stages and was one of our most prolific participants for over a decade. Our Community Drama Director Neil Packham, and Community Drama Artist Elly Goodman, pay this tribute on behalf of the company.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFRHZA0n7D_taoG9FniS8fket-9XNzqPi_zoH-WglHaVgDlDeenDgmDWGvbql5m1WLde4GEoeadR5mj3YSlkgtQV-HHMbL_ptXMEDXsfVAenAGhunjCmfzlaZtQaPSvLOB_kdeLoMaSF_ynbsz_adgfAjZTZqzMJYTwIRgZNDrbIu52LCPsJxN7dO9Q/s1280/3271803179_715974f3a0_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFRHZA0n7D_taoG9FniS8fket-9XNzqPi_zoH-WglHaVgDlDeenDgmDWGvbql5m1WLde4GEoeadR5mj3YSlkgtQV-HHMbL_ptXMEDXsfVAenAGhunjCmfzlaZtQaPSvLOB_kdeLoMaSF_ynbsz_adgfAjZTZqzMJYTwIRgZNDrbIu52LCPsJxN7dO9Q/w640-h426/3271803179_715974f3a0_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> My Clydeside Valentine</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Sadly, Fran passed away on the 17th February 2023, at the age of just 56 - having been diagnosed with terminal cancer at the end of January. However, she wanted her life to be celebrated, not mourned. </p><p>Fran found the Citizens Theatre in 2003. She looked down on the theatre from her high rise flat opposite, wondering what went on inside. From the moment she entered the building, it became her second home, appearing in 31 projects over the next 12 years.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDfUSnxJYW5KDcZD8bmRJ6oXlXeUgIEOXsSeGNr45RrfD6G_hxZzLyoErXZzDFydLCoSL9ib3qi19pbeHhvJ26H4Rq9NzzVd7jsIsycc7A104Z6gWnXh9slzCIovmP7fz6Ap3o_m2c3ImxoUekz176hUdfePs4tB4XYstmRQahnu1bWS5VevdiQEpPQ/s1292/Fran%20in%20the%20Grapes%20of%20Wrath.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="1174" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDfUSnxJYW5KDcZD8bmRJ6oXlXeUgIEOXsSeGNr45RrfD6G_hxZzLyoErXZzDFydLCoSL9ib3qi19pbeHhvJ26H4Rq9NzzVd7jsIsycc7A104Z6gWnXh9slzCIovmP7fz6Ap3o_m2c3ImxoUekz176hUdfePs4tB4XYstmRQahnu1bWS5VevdiQEpPQ/w364-h400/Fran%20in%20the%20Grapes%20of%20Wrath.png" width="364" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fran in the Grapes of Wrath</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>She appeared countless times on the stage of the Circle Studio for Wicked Christmas, My Clydeside Valentine, Court of Miracles (hunchback of Notre Dame), House of Murders and many other productions, where she would contribute her clever and often wicked writing, be it a script, poem or song. She also owned the mainstage, in community productions of Ice Cream Dreams, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? and Grapes of Wrath. She even managed to get centre stage in the bow at the Citizens Theatre’s 70th Anniversary event, amongst many other Citz luminaries!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Qutf4Am6J3Kp3SJOilOPckwGhbyy_xQFoF5jy3o2CjSs9Z_hA999KtbYA8l32TMWUP7rias9CklvwQz5cqh9KsZTUk5JvEre1p-ZA6VVuoXP6hjFyWoVxRhIVFKGwv0LGkc9dVVzavJh7XPZXzIUFlkNTR2iGAOcI942p_DfLU2d-02H15ocjE8j_Q/s1706/Fran%20in%20Wicked%20Christmas.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1706" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Qutf4Am6J3Kp3SJOilOPckwGhbyy_xQFoF5jy3o2CjSs9Z_hA999KtbYA8l32TMWUP7rias9CklvwQz5cqh9KsZTUk5JvEre1p-ZA6VVuoXP6hjFyWoVxRhIVFKGwv0LGkc9dVVzavJh7XPZXzIUFlkNTR2iGAOcI942p_DfLU2d-02H15ocjE8j_Q/w640-h372/Fran%20in%20Wicked%20Christmas.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fran in Wicked Christmas</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>She always gave 100 percent to whatever character she played, be it a nurse, witch, prostitute, fairy, scorned wife, child, Maw, a pirate, a car salesman or a Bay City Rollers fan! She handled them all with flair, ease and professionalism.</p><p>Fran travelled with us internationally to Sweden and The Netherlands. It was in Rotterdam we met the first nation theatre company Debajehmujig and we believe it was down to her that our partnership flourished. Their show was called Global Savages and they loved her straight away, when she proclaimed, ‘wait till ye see me with ma teeth oot, I’m a Gorbals savage!’. They went on to work with us to create On Common Ground, performed outdoors in the Gorbals Rose Garden, in the summer of 2014, as part of Festival 2014, when Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkCT_y_IhHbFBE6MHZJMJE3h8DHDd9H1HUFGE58knXpMUyuVa9gSbRrCGCzxo9qeGlXBkR7f9NE2xYeQRfwvW2FCU9ICTRfLXKHH5yF0BtgvipHYMxUlc2KgIrQ2kYoR14ccj-TJAMgfurVnON1ywG2OEwRCtZDAEP0sIoLvUlH0ywXnk4uAokf9Z8A/s2048/Fran%20in%20On%20Common%20Ground,%202014.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkCT_y_IhHbFBE6MHZJMJE3h8DHDd9H1HUFGE58knXpMUyuVa9gSbRrCGCzxo9qeGlXBkR7f9NE2xYeQRfwvW2FCU9ICTRfLXKHH5yF0BtgvipHYMxUlc2KgIrQ2kYoR14ccj-TJAMgfurVnON1ywG2OEwRCtZDAEP0sIoLvUlH0ywXnk4uAokf9Z8A/w640-h426/Fran%20in%20On%20Common%20Ground,%202014.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fran in On Common Ground, 2014</td></tr></tbody></table>Fran was a complete one off, talented in so many ways, with a huge heart - and it was a privilege to know her. There was a time when everyone at the Citz knew Fran, particularly the actors she flirted with at stage door as they joined her for a fag. <p></p><p>It’s a pity Frances Rose Kelly won’t physically be around to see the stunning, redeveloped Citizens Theatre re-open - but we’re sure she’ll be looking down on us again and when those doors open, she’ll somehow find a way to get herself back on that stage. <br /><br /></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-10904654001417778442023-03-23T11:14:00.001+00:002023-03-24T09:41:40.499+00:00Scott Gillies Tribute<p><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone at the Citizens Theatre was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of our participants Scott Gillies. Scott was a member of Friday Club, our drama classes for learning disabled adults. His fellow participants and the staff who worked most closely with him wanted to share this tribute. </span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZ-k-XYalrhwkVXkjNpWinrBlS_9YIgJIKgmOHIKOY5GmEw9CC3OpYGdShrhlClY2IZzLS6q_gQXpF8QvpKJK8af08X6wKGZ0jFO54pD17iI5_YVnnQu4R8rPF21zUmr62BFTdF4ZkGXkgZDXeosEVEbK1DlGJ3_lplMbnQPQ1WbCQCvX8Nv8UpOgHw/s5616/Scott%20Clota%201d748f21967cd55e39fcd4c26b88200d1c2ae21dc038943dd1571cc78161ebdd7.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3744" data-original-width="5616" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZ-k-XYalrhwkVXkjNpWinrBlS_9YIgJIKgmOHIKOY5GmEw9CC3OpYGdShrhlClY2IZzLS6q_gQXpF8QvpKJK8af08X6wKGZ0jFO54pD17iI5_YVnnQu4R8rPF21zUmr62BFTdF4ZkGXkgZDXeosEVEbK1DlGJ3_lplMbnQPQ1WbCQCvX8Nv8UpOgHw/w640-h426/Scott%20Clota%201d748f21967cd55e39fcd4c26b88200d1c2ae21dc038943dd1571cc78161ebdd7.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>The Friday Club would like to pay tribute to our dear friend Scott Gillies. <br /> <br />Scott was a huge part of our creative company since he joined in 2016. <br /> <br />He brought his quirky imagination, quick humour and gentle character to our rehearsals and could always be relied upon to bring a different, unique perspective to the work we created together.</p><p>When making the film "The Island of Night", only Scott could come up with the character of a historical reenactment actor as a resident of a remote Scottish island!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjp2Q_QY6FtL13hgvn1xuFycfp_kwus7UU4CltRblk3K_snTUZXohne6Bi93NA11SNyhrRbToa_-pbZKC9flzp0aKFN2Wf79u_NZkP7W-sUV91Ncgy0KOf4x2E6FUjOSh0mrkkhVm0x38jby8tA10ucvXcEuKxoYLmIjiGZSVL1ba0ZmZz5UE5xLWWQ/s5760/ghosts%20rehearse%201b8eca9e5b3e485077f8afd50c0a2b812cfd87aa39b17e0d56ad2ae140ec02226.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjp2Q_QY6FtL13hgvn1xuFycfp_kwus7UU4CltRblk3K_snTUZXohne6Bi93NA11SNyhrRbToa_-pbZKC9flzp0aKFN2Wf79u_NZkP7W-sUV91Ncgy0KOf4x2E6FUjOSh0mrkkhVm0x38jby8tA10ucvXcEuKxoYLmIjiGZSVL1ba0ZmZz5UE5xLWWQ/w640-h426/ghosts%20rehearse%201b8eca9e5b3e485077f8afd50c0a2b812cfd87aa39b17e0d56ad2ae140ec02226.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Although he was a larger-than-life presence in the group, he was never overbearing and was always sensitive and thoughtful about the needs of his friends and colleagues. <br /> <br />Scott performed in all Friday Club productions from 2016 onwards, appearing in The Wedding, The River, The Sea, Silent Movie and our filmed productions of Citizen Ghost, The Island of Night, Penny Lane (sort of) and The Orbs.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJxHtXEkCb0YqDJu5aK2pwAYUhddy-ILPn51z8xAIKaD61uMEaVjXRjapDW4HzTaOJEiMxCKJpyIfHzZMztiDHrfY989kLUrTQc8IPFbosSkPONhQo3Z-QRAbKQp8lPQlVp4AJSe_wRud3XgXXC_eVixPHZKfXyE6veviysfEX9xyiv9GWfqwAzKRpA/s6000/The%20Wedding%20Friday%20Club.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJxHtXEkCb0YqDJu5aK2pwAYUhddy-ILPn51z8xAIKaD61uMEaVjXRjapDW4HzTaOJEiMxCKJpyIfHzZMztiDHrfY989kLUrTQc8IPFbosSkPONhQo3Z-QRAbKQp8lPQlVp4AJSe_wRud3XgXXC_eVixPHZKfXyE6veviysfEX9xyiv9GWfqwAzKRpA/w640-h426/The%20Wedding%20Friday%20Club.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>Scott also appeared on the main stage at the Citizens Theatre in the community production, The Gorbals Vampire. This was something that he was very proud of and we were proud of him too. <br /> <br />Some memories of Scott from Friday Club members: <br /> <br /><i>“When we had our sessions on zoom during the pandemic we were also regularly joined by Scott’s dog and parrot. The parrot even made it into one of the films when at the end of a take it squawked and Scott, as quick as you like, chimed in with “That’s ma parrot by the way”. It had to make the final edit!” </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4utbjYHMyMbQQtXMbEGzjQnOEybEyNdX-WHPEVfB4O4KZXRqRi-1HtlFldPsa5b1pVYAOTvn9BtFahVDTZFi2pagTSlwtN-8p8q1ndScIvfh82_JIMI8vFYBPek0D9WlLL6nRLpLp0LFoyP_mvGaYfEYS9All8QXFu1jAINMu8Tf4xnLPY-XNfx8Fkw/s4128/Scott%20seashore0ac38a2a613520a8821931f2f956b1c23c06f1b144ad17bd74a63c998091113a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4128" data-original-width="3096" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4utbjYHMyMbQQtXMbEGzjQnOEybEyNdX-WHPEVfB4O4KZXRqRi-1HtlFldPsa5b1pVYAOTvn9BtFahVDTZFi2pagTSlwtN-8p8q1ndScIvfh82_JIMI8vFYBPek0D9WlLL6nRLpLp0LFoyP_mvGaYfEYS9All8QXFu1jAINMu8Tf4xnLPY-XNfx8Fkw/w300-h400/Scott%20seashore0ac38a2a613520a8821931f2f956b1c23c06f1b144ad17bd74a63c998091113a.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><i><br />“Scott helped me through the kilt walk last year and I will dedicate my walk to him this year. He loved nature”.</i><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p><i>“We’re all DOOMED!” - best delivery of a line. Every time I watch The Orbs that line makes me laugh out loud.” </i></p><p><i><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ayU1J5y7COM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </i></p><p><i>“Whenever it was Scott’s turn he would say “Hold on, I’m thinking” and twiddle his fingers” <br /> <br />“Scott was a good friend. He was funny and kind. I think I can speak for all of us when I say he is very much missed.” </i><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG0GREicMTKPAwhoZFWiQeKjyY1u39K9K2p37wRCqhqO7P_86qcwSxGkcQdIKTnu-hzzChFyQJ9MK01X1B3GxvSJy932GsuN_zNzaIRO8ysX12XPHEw_KG827x_wm0VNqXaUi-9tWfjnKG34Qh6VG9c-SamaJ1Svbj-Skha_5B2-RV8BDZHoy9i-ddw/s5760/Scott%20bag%201ba4f5f931e25630f57c993177bbd340cfb9e0d61cfbb0205efa56867e07b50e1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijG0GREicMTKPAwhoZFWiQeKjyY1u39K9K2p37wRCqhqO7P_86qcwSxGkcQdIKTnu-hzzChFyQJ9MK01X1B3GxvSJy932GsuN_zNzaIRO8ysX12XPHEw_KG827x_wm0VNqXaUi-9tWfjnKG34Qh6VG9c-SamaJ1Svbj-Skha_5B2-RV8BDZHoy9i-ddw/w640-h426/Scott%20bag%201ba4f5f931e25630f57c993177bbd340cfb9e0d61cfbb0205efa56867e07b50e1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><p>Our days at the Friday Club feel different without Scott but he will always be a part of our group and his influence and creativity have left a mark on us all. <br /> <br />Scott, always thinking of you. <br /> <br />The Friday Club <br /> <br /><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/take-part/theatre/friday-club" target="_blank">Find out more about Friday Club on our website.</a><br /><br /></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-47877949008367539132023-02-21T16:19:00.002+00:002023-02-23T16:57:32.946+00:00Gorbals Schools Residency: Christmas Curtain-raiser<p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our Creative Learning team have been in <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/gorbals-schools-residency-programme" target="_blank">residence at two Gorbals’ primary schools</a>. Over autumn P4 pupils created a curtain raiser performance for Red Riding Hood, our Christmas show. We caught up with Lead Artist Carly </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>McCaig</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> and Creative Assistant Niamh McCarron.</span> </p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajmcrOfx7VKkMAEQNCU6NqS754nH8BMdUT1V5Q1uEKqy3mx0XxebR8vz0OteRhlTWpfy_v2no_K8hK1ID1qo8_V0gUvPdjzgTdbeamz-rH4Z9gNhq1re3IG8wX0eOXMPozcB2QzHeL3PR7vcn2uNVlk-f4ziB3tpTuOZdKKmHDffx_30RUs5xTXcBFQ/s5226/st-francis-primary-school-performance_52606826366_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3489" data-original-width="5226" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajmcrOfx7VKkMAEQNCU6NqS754nH8BMdUT1V5Q1uEKqy3mx0XxebR8vz0OteRhlTWpfy_v2no_K8hK1ID1qo8_V0gUvPdjzgTdbeamz-rH4Z9gNhq1re3IG8wX0eOXMPozcB2QzHeL3PR7vcn2uNVlk-f4ziB3tpTuOZdKKmHDffx_30RUs5xTXcBFQ/w640-h428/st-francis-primary-school-performance_52606826366_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Could you tell us about the process you went through with the children? </b><br /><br />Carly: We explored Red Riding Hood and the different versions of the story we knew and how the characters were presented in the different versions of Red Riding Hood we knew about. We were provided a series of prompts provided by Lewis Hetherington, writer of our Christmas show Red Riding Hood. We used these prompts to create a story structure with space for children to add their own creative flair. The kids created dialogue, movement sequences, and recorded their voices for a soundscape. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOaRgKUqCDbw7hGyoZVY_T_fE1xpRdYk2HmhJUa7iCcEaJQWxSUbFI9RBTLFGFVqdrcveo3czdCH2pSyZG3eY-HScKwn7VSzgDPRFeLPgXiWwZXPglh6pciFgahHs_Dg0ozzKPy3PMp7pSqdaTqmvZNvKcpjFQ-dVY38fd7ECdu59mfeUoB_4wsIIFA/s2049/IMG_0215.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOaRgKUqCDbw7hGyoZVY_T_fE1xpRdYk2HmhJUa7iCcEaJQWxSUbFI9RBTLFGFVqdrcveo3czdCH2pSyZG3eY-HScKwn7VSzgDPRFeLPgXiWwZXPglh6pciFgahHs_Dg0ozzKPy3PMp7pSqdaTqmvZNvKcpjFQ-dVY38fd7ECdu59mfeUoB_4wsIIFA/w640-h480/IMG_0215.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Niamh: The journey was a fast-paced, exciting endeavour which allowed a lot of children access of expressing themselves creatively. The P7s drove the project, with their filled enthusiasm and each managed to explore something new. To me, finding each child’s creative output was the key to this project, and allowed such a variety of expression. <br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dj7XGWip-oY" style="display: block; margin: 0 auto;" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><b> </b></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Could you explain what you feel the value of creative interventions like this residency can be to young people within school environments? </b><br /><br />Carly: This residency opens the Citizens Theatre as a community resource for the children living in the Gorbals. This intervention invites them to be part of the Citz community. <br /><br />Niamh: Creative expression is essential for young people’s development. It allows freedom for “getting it wrong” and a new way of processing emotions. Using drama and art allow for new connections and stepping into different roles where academia cannot support. </p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sl-Rstbg8u1Xeaa0h6Zma97W6PuxITcwmMaeK4Y4xojgQCOGcUhnK6ZEbr9ooWXanH3ZIXUUmg5nfDYQ35XFTX-zcquR6iHmBmOmajpNtqtQ6y-fh45g8y7NQhreZQHvrynFxtXfYVGTspn1fFGJ4Lee7w_TJOhzU-fX2XK71SgK3_BQTr5F7cl1sw/s5176/blackfriars-primary-school-performance_52607276050_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3455" data-original-width="5176" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sl-Rstbg8u1Xeaa0h6Zma97W6PuxITcwmMaeK4Y4xojgQCOGcUhnK6ZEbr9ooWXanH3ZIXUUmg5nfDYQ35XFTX-zcquR6iHmBmOmajpNtqtQ6y-fh45g8y7NQhreZQHvrynFxtXfYVGTspn1fFGJ4Lee7w_TJOhzU-fX2XK71SgK3_BQTr5F7cl1sw/w640-h428/blackfriars-primary-school-performance_52607276050_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Carly: We don’t have an ‘end goal’, as visiting artists, we have the flexibility to shift and change depending on what the children offer to us during our interactions. There’s value in the fact that we only know the children from what they present / offer to us in the room. As visitors to the school, we meet them where they are in the room and give space for each child to make their own creative contribution. Also, I think it’s important for children to have positive interactions with adults they trust who aren’t part of the school staff. <br /><p></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>What was your favourite moments of the project? </b><br /><br />Carly: The utter pride and joy in the kids' faces as they walked off the stage at Tramway. I don’t think we could have prepared them for that feeling. <br /></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEUIPS8SwVHbQi1qq4iQPNIBeFzzzdZ2QSpd59rC1zhkzg2s1Q92WigZ_j7RVcUMkoHgJ9mQ01dsYaL4h7PO0nAhBZtI9ujail-hkdBnZzNVuT9LrYrI_HcZZAZrs0HjmcYXgFANAhusDZ2qSn5Wvz0SRrbqrZ0vAaebo_gna9clB9TqlCXjiLGRAfg/s2049/IMG_0100.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2049" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEUIPS8SwVHbQi1qq4iQPNIBeFzzzdZ2QSpd59rC1zhkzg2s1Q92WigZ_j7RVcUMkoHgJ9mQ01dsYaL4h7PO0nAhBZtI9ujail-hkdBnZzNVuT9LrYrI_HcZZAZrs0HjmcYXgFANAhusDZ2qSn5Wvz0SRrbqrZ0vAaebo_gna9clB9TqlCXjiLGRAfg/w640-h480/IMG_0100.JPG" width="640" /></a> </p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Niamh: One day there was a feeling of a buzz and excitement to get costumes and masks made, so we suggested having over lunchtime an Art club. The young people danced, sang, painted, and created characters and despite all the conflicting relationships that naturally happen in a school, everyone was welcome, with a shared want to be creative. <br /></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Carly: Hearing ‘that was over too quick’ and ‘can we do that again?’ as they walked off the stage at Tramway. Seeing the Tramway auditorium full of 300+ people from the Gorbals was very special. A child decided that he wanted to make ‘claws’ for the wolf group. We weren’t sure if he would do it so just let him roll with it. The next week we appeared to find out that He and three classmates spent a week making 200 origami claws! </p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhKU0dBVddvTFFgepI5vInn1GU7qRSonKk2Ka7IhqsL2Rk5ctIeO_zlK1bDeEFwtjvcMPpyT5a6IxkpmGpXFBOKwTTVdyBA1U_ZDtKJSfDa-AaVobDtn4rv70m8iIBFiIMeQVCXlwaf0USb4NshvQerKF8hIO4DKB-z2kk841CrnM6YqOPrhwk9qZpA/s5424/st-francis-primary-school-performance_52606325937_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3621" data-original-width="5424" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhKU0dBVddvTFFgepI5vInn1GU7qRSonKk2Ka7IhqsL2Rk5ctIeO_zlK1bDeEFwtjvcMPpyT5a6IxkpmGpXFBOKwTTVdyBA1U_ZDtKJSfDa-AaVobDtn4rv70m8iIBFiIMeQVCXlwaf0USb4NshvQerKF8hIO4DKB-z2kk841CrnM6YqOPrhwk9qZpA/w640-h428/st-francis-primary-school-performance_52606325937_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>What do you hope the young people take away from their experience? </b><br /><br />Niamh: I hope that the young people are able to harness their power that with a little bit of creativity, you can achieve anything.</p><p class="Paragraph SCXW256829256 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Carly: I hope the children have finished the project feeling valued and listened to. I hope they feel part of the Citizens Theatre community and encouraged confidence to engage with us in the future as patrons or participants. I hope they’ve left with increased confidence, feeling creatively enriched by their involvement in the project and are proud of what they achieved!<br /></p><div class="WACEditing EditMode EditingSurfaceBody FireFox WACViewPanel_DisableLegacyKeyCodeAndCharCode usehover" contenteditable="false" id="WACViewPanel_ClipboardElement" spellcheck="false" style="direction: ltr; overflow: hidden; visibility: visible;" tabindex="0"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW19038220 BCX2" style="direction: ltr;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW19038220 BCX2" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Our Christmas Curtain-Raiser was part of an 8-month artistic residency at Blackfriars Primary School and St Francis Primary School in the Gorbals. <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/gorbals-schools-residency-programme">Find out more about the wider project.</a><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/gorbals-schools-residency-programme"> </a></b><span class="EOP SCXW19038220 BCX2" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" face="Calibri, "Calibri_EmbeddedFont", "Calibri_MSFontService", sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.1875px;"><br /></span></p></div></div>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-28162290986107808792022-08-29T10:57:00.002+01:002022-08-29T11:12:32.039+01:00Designer Jessica Worrall on The Comedy of Errors<p><span style="font-size: large;">We caught up with The Comedy of Errors Designer, Jessica Worrall. </span><span style="font-size: large;">In this Q&A Jessica told us more about her influences and process.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUhlK1y3v2KrAp50p5cksIgkCk9xVvTXVUVnepPOcHZFg3qMO_tAT34mo3ryKknFVx9etXvF1o5NmSAbHys38-uVyL5nn_QTbdikB6nsYoScd7FwnC-ssjOLeNYQegLTSl1uWdfB5UPRksJi-dAybPXv0zBeIToL8SJt6be0MdwmxtNv31cvK_eVW2Q/s5328/DSC_8028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3557" data-original-width="5328" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUhlK1y3v2KrAp50p5cksIgkCk9xVvTXVUVnepPOcHZFg3qMO_tAT34mo3ryKknFVx9etXvF1o5NmSAbHys38-uVyL5nn_QTbdikB6nsYoScd7FwnC-ssjOLeNYQegLTSl1uWdfB5UPRksJi-dAybPXv0zBeIToL8SJt6be0MdwmxtNv31cvK_eVW2Q/w640-h428/DSC_8028.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Comedy of Errors sketches - photo Alex Brady. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><p><b>Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role on The Comedy of Errors?</b> <br />I'm a costume and set designer for theatre (and some film) and I've been working in both mainstream and experimental theatre for about thirty years now. I'm based in Glasgow but usually work all over the UK so it's really nice to be at home working for the Citizens as the designer on The Comedy of Errors.<br /> <br /><b>What influences and inspires your design process? </b><br />I love research so this is the bit of the design process I really enjoy. I'm a bit of a magpie really so the influences for this design come from all over - club culture, contemporary fashion and Weimar Berlin in particular. Also just talking to director, Dominic Hill about how he sees the world of the play. He's a very visual director and also very sure of what he likes which is great.<br /> <br /><b>What will the set for The Comedy of Errors look like? </b><br />I've woven various elements from the above influences together to create a sort of liminal world which is kind of a club that's both backstage and onstage at the same time. It's one of those places you might land up in one night and you soon realise the usual rules or what you thought were the usual rules don't apply. It's colourful and brash and playful and hedonistic. <br /> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltL7cgn7f5qJkW3hWW1Huo5c8C_uqZm7S4T5wU0FrddRFKAuKiSm2GSMcvSh0LYwZQ2S60hdGje4VxdWwQcRhwyObbEcEGb6HD-hTEiwZfHOHoKOOhAVBDPBtde7bZnrn7KFHBVmg_qUPbVLrzqWcakF_xo8Qfh9AFK253XJ9kq6hzOZkKnv4x82g5w/s2362/Moodboard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1848" data-original-width="2362" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltL7cgn7f5qJkW3hWW1Huo5c8C_uqZm7S4T5wU0FrddRFKAuKiSm2GSMcvSh0LYwZQ2S60hdGje4VxdWwQcRhwyObbEcEGb6HD-hTEiwZfHOHoKOOhAVBDPBtde7bZnrn7KFHBVmg_qUPbVLrzqWcakF_xo8Qfh9AFK253XJ9kq6hzOZkKnv4x82g5w/w640-h500/Moodboard.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Design influences<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>How did you feel about redesigning the show to be taken on tour to a range of venues from traditional theatre settings to an outdoor festival-style stage?</b><br />I've designed so many touring shows that this is really normal for me, although the differences in the venues for Comedy are a little extreme! What I found worked was to treat them almost as two separate designs so we have some bespoke design features for each space, like the balloons in the outdoor space and the slash curtain in Perth, alongside some shared visual elements such as the Ephesus sign in both. The trick really is how to be able to adapt the design to each style of space and not go over budget.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqWvY97EF3pIHdcwhUXP2hwCD2B3-MTmGobPkv_qkAYSMGTIkae6W4c0mHKzqKNw9KI5X1lRxnp6W-6oLTQDwIAS4z2EfTF5iZG6MyvfDrA0pRK4sq_iHKeZZtGGIPHJdGODF325nnm5YjbrvBBHlvcRUEhBBH0Rzjupxy_rNl_cvF58xQ10kkP_xIQ/s6696/DS1_9818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4469" data-original-width="6696" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqWvY97EF3pIHdcwhUXP2hwCD2B3-MTmGobPkv_qkAYSMGTIkae6W4c0mHKzqKNw9KI5X1lRxnp6W-6oLTQDwIAS4z2EfTF5iZG6MyvfDrA0pRK4sq_iHKeZZtGGIPHJdGODF325nnm5YjbrvBBHlvcRUEhBBH0Rzjupxy_rNl_cvF58xQ10kkP_xIQ/w640-h428/DS1_9818.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Comedy of Errors at Beacon Arts Centre - photo Tim Morozzo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NS8iPKYvFV7AFE-eRMJWetIivmd2rz7IzUJS4NfJ_l2adO8Kgw4B1YWUggYkLZZs7gBh21VLfBFgNjFIlSRMcN3AP-TcwYTmdppO4pn73wRRVldm3iZXW9X0DucYtk9e4RGIVJuFl0T8lh1AoWziDhXE5Ln7ZntYojyzG118o6nZMcUPTrW8QHy9LQ/s5000/MB4_3954.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3333" data-original-width="5000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NS8iPKYvFV7AFE-eRMJWetIivmd2rz7IzUJS4NfJ_l2adO8Kgw4B1YWUggYkLZZs7gBh21VLfBFgNjFIlSRMcN3AP-TcwYTmdppO4pn73wRRVldm3iZXW9X0DucYtk9e4RGIVJuFl0T8lh1AoWziDhXE5Ln7ZntYojyzG118o6nZMcUPTrW8QHy9LQ/w640-h426/MB4_3954.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Comedy of Errors at Live at No.40 Festival - photo Mihaela Bodlovic<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>How does your vision when you first read the play match-up with the result on stage? Does the rehearsal room process impact on the design? </b><br />Dominic and I were really clear on the world we wanted to create for the play so that joint vision hasn't really changed and is pretty much as we intended. The rehearsal process always throws up elements of surprise but these are generally welcome additions - like the door frame for the door routine or the fridge. I love both those elements and probably more so as I didn't think of them. It makes the world more real when it changes like that. </p><p></p><p>Theatre to me is a collaborative process so it's important that there is space for a design to grow and evolve through the rehearsal. This is the same with costume - we've tweaked and changed and completely rethought a few of the designs as a direct result of what the actors need or think, or how they are playing a part.</p><p></p>
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<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikS-Qe3cmzC6cRmEK1V44411EU3zwLGqoVJY9aWMQnuCKZkLmosw5s2amd6H9-C7sLPDvJigQqwS6tZ3X-1GjTn_HJmH1sAxijHN-YRqcHYGv_Nmxw8dAY31xC2VLmO-rY-D8m_okxko5E3yRvHt0qLrONfAaLk_BmHkUlpeYKWPp5oRXbRia3I2of8w/s1920/Design-Sketches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikS-Qe3cmzC6cRmEK1V44411EU3zwLGqoVJY9aWMQnuCKZkLmosw5s2amd6H9-C7sLPDvJigQqwS6tZ3X-1GjTn_HJmH1sAxijHN-YRqcHYGv_Nmxw8dAY31xC2VLmO-rY-D8m_okxko5E3yRvHt0qLrONfAaLk_BmHkUlpeYKWPp5oRXbRia3I2of8w/w640-h360/Design-Sketches.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Character sketches by Designer Jessica Worrall<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Shakespeare can be very traditional - how do you think the design of this production makes it feel modern? </b><br /></p><p>I think this is more down to Dominic who has such a fresh and modern approach to Shakespeare. He understands it completely but doesn't treat it with reverence, which I love and I think I've really tried to take that attitude into the design as well. </p><p>It's also important to me that, particularly when I'm designing a classic text, that I'm not making something trapped in time, or a historical reenactment that has no real relevance to a contemporary audience. So I hope what this design does is show how relevant and contemporary the themes in the play are. If not I'm not sure why we are still doing Shakespeare!<br /> <br /><b>Have you got any favourite character designs?</b><br />Well obviously I like them all, but I think my favourites are Dr Pinch, Dromio and Adriana. I think together they encapsulate the world of the play in that they are modern and colourful and a little bit playful.<br /> <b></b></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4bFMfCvU-blXYHSgzsDcz0kqfsrgXUPslUqaZtNm5mwZx8n3XX7fFqWAi1Ibn8IXTeZ-_fExljcJTqzFD5ovtD6qRlAtaJQRNiADnMrQOyD-xr6WriFYzkiCO4gP6EhFXKsQh6NzfOYx_FVn1rXhE24nyvDifKF8f7f3jI7DxFS1l9un23MQBx7vQQ/s5000/MB4_6170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3333" data-original-width="5000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4bFMfCvU-blXYHSgzsDcz0kqfsrgXUPslUqaZtNm5mwZx8n3XX7fFqWAi1Ibn8IXTeZ-_fExljcJTqzFD5ovtD6qRlAtaJQRNiADnMrQOyD-xr6WriFYzkiCO4gP6EhFXKsQh6NzfOYx_FVn1rXhE24nyvDifKF8f7f3jI7DxFS1l9un23MQBx7vQQ/w640-h426/MB4_6170.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Characters Dr Pinch and Adriana with Luciana behind. Photo by Mihaela Bodlovic. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />How are you taking into consideration the environmental impact of the show’s design?</b><br />This is a really important issue in theatre and indeed the world at the moment. It's also a tricky one in theatre as on one hand you want to recycle or reuse as much as possible but also as a designer you are encouraged to be innovative and distinctive. This can sometimes be harder if you are restricted to only using stuff the theatre already has. </p><p>Also if we don't ever make anything new what happens to all those amazing skills like pattern cutting, or costume making or scene painting or carpentry etc? So I guess for me it's a question of balance. </p><p>Wherever I can I will reuse or recycle something but I also love working with others to make something completely new.<br /><br /><b> The Comedy of Errors previewed at <a href="https://www.beaconartscentre.co.uk/events/the-comedy-of-errors" target="_blank">The Beacon</a> in Greenock (Fri 19 – Sat 20 Aug) before returning to the site of the original 2021 production at <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/the-comedy-of-errors-on-tour" target="_blank">Scottish Opera’s Production Studios</a> in Glasgow (Fri 26 Aug – Sat 3 Sep) as part of the outdoor festival, Live at No.40. The show will then travel to <a href="https://www.horsecross.co.uk/whats-on/the-comedy-of-errors-180802" target="_blank">Perth Theatre </a>(Wed 7 – Sat 17 Sep).</b></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-29587528473540742202022-06-15T11:12:00.004+01:002022-06-16T10:38:32.015+01:00Meet the cast of the 2022 tour of The Comedy of Errors<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">We are delighted to unveil the cast for our touring production of Shakespeare’s riotous tale of mistaken identity, The Comedy of Errors.</span></b><br /></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5szLXp1VkiYrFYO04d30LjTKFCp5pQV4AgGlFcyOpsCAte8JRYnoW8Ike9k7J34zo2qEsFZenObz3dHeCPoLZvn8tbWuojGqQ_IqpuQoUiHE_TLoz_C45NHXhVVW3r02sM5X8c86n4pfNhj9W1dHDO-admmj36tKcjfKfBK2dtbcA2jQTxuhrlCGgDw/s800/The-Comedy-of-errors-cast.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5szLXp1VkiYrFYO04d30LjTKFCp5pQV4AgGlFcyOpsCAte8JRYnoW8Ike9k7J34zo2qEsFZenObz3dHeCPoLZvn8tbWuojGqQ_IqpuQoUiHE_TLoz_C45NHXhVVW3r02sM5X8c86n4pfNhj9W1dHDO-admmj36tKcjfKfBK2dtbcA2jQTxuhrlCGgDw/s320/The-Comedy-of-errors-cast.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cast of The Comedy of Errors 2022</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW205435370 BCX0" paraeid="{9cc484f5-c7f7-4412-8404-fa7bad253a57}{6}" paraid="1083307452" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></p>
<p>Directed by Artistic Director <i>Dominic Hill</i>, who is renowned for his fresh take on classics, this re-mounted five-star production features a multi-talented ensemble that will deliver witty dialogue, physical comedy and live music in a production bursting with energy.<br /></p>
<p>Returning to the cast is <b>John Macaulay</b>, who was described as ‘superb’ (<a href="https://www.thenational.scot/news/19466908.no-room-error-scots-production-shakespeares-fast-paced-comedy/" target="_blank">The National</a>) for his performance in 2021.
He has recently toured with Fatal Attraction (Ambassador Theatre Group) and has played several roles in productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre as well as in TV shows including <i>Waterloo Road, Burnistoun, Still Game</i> and <i>River City</i>.</p>
<p>Also returning is <b>Michael Guest</b>. Lauded for his ‘tremendous energy and neat hat tricks’ (<a href="https://www.thenational.scot/news/19466908.no-room-error-scots-production-shakespeares-fast-paced-comedy/" target="_blank">The National</a>), he recently appeared as Puck in Scottish Opera’s tour of <i>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</i> and will be familiar to Citizens audiences who saw his ‘heartfelt’ (<a href="https://www.thereviewshub.com/a-christmas-carol-citizens-theatre-at-tramway-glasgow/" target="_blank">Reviews-hub</a>) performance as Bob Cratchit in the 2021 production of <i>A Christmas Carol</i>.</p>
<p>They are joined by <b>Angus Miller</b> who is well known for his screen role in the hit TV show, <i>Shetland</i>, and for theatre productions including <i>Let The Right One In </i>(National Theatre of Scotland); <i>The Duchess of Malfi </i>(Citizens Theatre/Royal Lyceum Theatre) and as the devilish Sick Boy in <i>Trainspotting</i> (Citizens Theatre).</p>
<p>Bringing his musical prowess to the cast is actor, writer and musician <b>John Kielty</b>. Kielty has written many theatre scores including <i>A to Z of Dundee </i>(Dundee Rep), <i>Dracula ReVamped</i> (Òran Mór) and <i>Time Oot </i>(Toonspeak). He has also contributed to many award-winning musicals with his brothers, including <i>Glasgow Girls</i> for the National Theatre of Scotland.</p>
<p>Making their Citizens debuts are <b>Esme Bayley</b> (<i>Edward the Second, Romeo and Juliet, Measure for Measure, Taming of the Shrew</i>, Bard in the Botanics; <i>The Elves and the Shoemaker</i>, The Beacon; <i>Gaslight</i>, Perth Theatre) and <b>Renee Williams </b>(<i>Hang</i>, Tron Theatre; <i>Horizonal Collaboration</i>, Fire Exit; <i>Up Close and Personal</i>, Cumbernauld Theatre).</p>
<p>As part of our commitment to nurturing new talent, the cast is completed by <b>Cindy Awor</b> and <b>Francesca Hess</b>, who are the Citizens Theatre’s 2022 Graduate Actors. For the past 11 years, the Citizens Theatre Graduate Actor Scheme, which is supported by the Ernst Maas Educational Trust and the Garrick Charitable Trust, has given many of Scotland’s best up-and-coming actors their first career opportunities.</p>
<p>The Comedy of Errors will preview at <a href="https://www.beaconartscentre.co.uk/events/the-comedy-of-errors" target="_blank">The Beacon</a> in Greenock (Fri 19 – Sat 20 Aug) before returning to the site of the original 2021 production at <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/the-comedy-of-errors-on-tour" target="_blank">Scottish Opera’s Production Studios</a> in Glasgow (Fri 26 Aug – Sat 3 Sep) as part of the outdoor festival, Live at No.40. The show will then travel to <a href="https://www.horsecross.co.uk/whats-on/the-comedy-of-errors-180802" target="_blank">Perth Theatre </a>(Wed 7 – Sat 17 Sep).</p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-67104221440633783722022-03-25T10:20:00.003+00:002022-03-25T10:35:04.856+00:00Meet the mentors: Sara Shaarawi<p><span style="font-size: large;">For their latest project, <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" target="_blank">Press 2 For Help</a>, the Citizens Theatre Young Co. have been working with professional playwrights to develop a series of theatrical shorts. The varied pieces they've created all share the common thread of exploring mental health issues faced by young people. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In <a href="https://citizenstheatre.blogspot.com/search/label/Press%202%20For%20Help">this blog series</a> we're chatting to the writing mentors on the project and learning more about their creative process. For our final installment, we sat down with Sara Shaarawi:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDSPAHtonV3MVEZ15m5OnU6vWgaUDHuEOb-LvC17UvpsUVf-Hjh8HVN566UCiSYNaJkc_I4jc5hX1zEsTC_SCtfiTyNHdD9t2MQvxLU22APjdOfXaQEnxyOec4W-otCfzn6jXeU5jkxnkXDhCbNH7HbbwMzG8llnh5BBO4PiWCFx2WFVw9etfGKHYV0A=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDSPAHtonV3MVEZ15m5OnU6vWgaUDHuEOb-LvC17UvpsUVf-Hjh8HVN566UCiSYNaJkc_I4jc5hX1zEsTC_SCtfiTyNHdD9t2MQvxLU22APjdOfXaQEnxyOec4W-otCfzn6jXeU5jkxnkXDhCbNH7HbbwMzG8llnh5BBO4PiWCFx2WFVw9etfGKHYV0A=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing mentor Sara Shaarawi</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your own journey into writing - was it something you always wanted to do?</b> </p><p>It wasn’t actually. When I studied theatre I pretty much trained in every aspect of making theatre other than writing. It was always too scary and I thought I was terrible at it. I became a writer after moving to Scotland, I had finished my studies and I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and a bunch of playwrights I had worked with kept saying that I should be a writer so I started writing. It was absolutely terrifying but I loved it! <br />
</p><div><p></p><p><b>What's it been like collaborating with the Young Co on the Press 2 For Help project?</b></p><p>It was an absolute joy! There was a real urge to create something collectively which became really challenging as most of us had to self isolate at various points, but through zoom and determination we managed to create a short play together anyway. It was also a big learning experience for me, it really challenged me to think through my own process as a writer and why I make the dramaturgical decisions that I make.</p>
<p><b>What did you enjoy most about working with the group?</b></p><p>I loved seeing everyone support one another through the whole process. There was a lot of kindness and generosity in the room from brainstorming and discussing ideas to offering feedback to the actual writing of the piece. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5FzQh59G-k52kqgeI0iY5yDv7HVDetCqBVb51KIy15CpeU1Wi5jEHet5Bf-8QahsL2wMCW7Me_FHx_6WeC_TMz6cB7__bTzI3Wu8Ezkp3B4oJl9DMOLM3Dr-ZnWg6bi7eKJRYXqgW59jTpCKUCSdFBf-ElW5eaa0ZFum3R-gCfCdKbmFYCqP2tx0iA/s6720/51887682325_b738513c79_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5FzQh59G-k52kqgeI0iY5yDv7HVDetCqBVb51KIy15CpeU1Wi5jEHet5Bf-8QahsL2wMCW7Me_FHx_6WeC_TMz6cB7__bTzI3Wu8Ezkp3B4oJl9DMOLM3Dr-ZnWg6bi7eKJRYXqgW59jTpCKUCSdFBf-ElW5eaa0ZFum3R-gCfCdKbmFYCqP2tx0iA/w640-h426/51887682325_b738513c79_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>Did you use any particular processes or tools when working with Young Co on developing the work?</b> </p><p>It was a mix of writing exercises that I find useful, talking through subject matter we find interesting and once writing began, it was about asking and answering questions that came up. The exercises do generate useful material sometimes, but for me it’s mostly about training a muscle and gaining confidence in the fact that you are able to write and tell a story. </p>
<p><b>Do you feel Covid has impacted or changed the way you create new work?</b></p><p>Absolutely. It can massively slow things down (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) but you’re also factoring in that anything can happen last minute, I feel like we’re always ready with some sort of contingency. With this process it was really about creating a piece that everyone felt they played a part in making, keeping that collective spirit was very important and I feel everyone dealt with it beautifully. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0XfEQvP3tD-EBxl6i_motf1GFw7wRbPykFNiMc-rho2hUVdn4S6bxaK_1nIO_J_fRFu45z6IxQ5WpafFoRRa9wqZ54HMUli9KhOENLooAl4L3olT0RnrI8cBUFMMGoCj3HzmpN_dcnirvwKPek7PeCchAlLkw6LGefTvrf-Or1MAr6MREJ1AXS9acQ/s6720/51886057747_287841b3c3_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0XfEQvP3tD-EBxl6i_motf1GFw7wRbPykFNiMc-rho2hUVdn4S6bxaK_1nIO_J_fRFu45z6IxQ5WpafFoRRa9wqZ54HMUli9KhOENLooAl4L3olT0RnrI8cBUFMMGoCj3HzmpN_dcnirvwKPek7PeCchAlLkw6LGefTvrf-Or1MAr6MREJ1AXS9acQ/w640-h426/51886057747_287841b3c3_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p><b>What can audiences expect from Press 2 For Help? </b></p><p>It’s a poignant piece that I think a lot of people will relate to. It’s got a lot of heart and I’d say it’s also an uplifting piece, even though it’s about a heavy subject.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Young Co. are showcasing their dramatic shorts on the 25th & 26th March. </span><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Book your tickets via our website</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> and join us for a thought-provoking and entertaining evening of new writing.</span></p><p><i>Photos by Jassy Earl.</i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p></div>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-79856682056887625272022-03-22T12:12:00.008+00:002022-03-22T12:23:47.568+00:00Meet the mentors: May Sumbwanyambe<p><span style="font-size: large;">For their latest project, <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" target="_blank">Press 2 For Help</a>, the Citizens Theatre Young Co. have been working with professional playwrights to develop a series of theatrical shorts. The varied pieces they've created all share the common thread of exploring mental health issues faced by young people. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In <a href="https://citizenstheatre.blogspot.com/search/label/Press%202%20For%20Help">this blog series</a> we're chatting to the writing mentors on the project and learning more about their creative process. Today, May Sumbanwanyambe tells us about his approach:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWmqZ-3lYJ2R7UaK3N7VQrR5PsBp4T9S418f2y_mSLdbJs1ZS5RygN3ogGZHJ18C1ALJkTtj3OPSvjq7uo47ywbBXxcaaCSRGvAzYebL6prN9ieN55eM5VuiqhPWyhWjKlfe8J1wJk1L6tDGBjvkKvFsEndmBuoS0JPh53KJOuox6xgcpLbFAWSmGhAw=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWmqZ-3lYJ2R7UaK3N7VQrR5PsBp4T9S418f2y_mSLdbJs1ZS5RygN3ogGZHJ18C1ALJkTtj3OPSvjq7uo47ywbBXxcaaCSRGvAzYebL6prN9ieN55eM5VuiqhPWyhWjKlfe8J1wJk1L6tDGBjvkKvFsEndmBuoS0JPh53KJOuox6xgcpLbFAWSmGhAw=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing mentor May Sumbwanyambe</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your own journey into writing?</b><p></p><p>I always knew I wanted to write as a child. I used to write awful poetry which I wouldn’t show to anyone. When I was at law school, I wrote a lot for myself. In my second year I wrote for the student paper, and went to review a play by Roy Williams called <i>Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads</i>. I didn’t write the review. I just felt that whatever that is, I want to do it. That play was telling my story. I wrote a play very quickly afterwards called <i>Why Do All Katherines Call Themselves Kate</i>. I sent it to the West Yorkshire Playhouse (now Leeds Playhouse) and the literary manager replied: it’s not very good but there’s potential. She gave me an opportunity and I wrote two short plays for them, on the back of which I got a commission from the BBC.</p><p>By the time I finished my degree I was fully committed to writing. At that time, there were a lot more resources for writer development with opportunities in regional theatre. I didn’t come from a family that necessarily wanted me to go into the arts. It’s usually law, medicine and engineering. I came to it very late and had to learn very quickly, making mistakes along the way. I feel like I worked throughout my whole twenties to get it.</p><p>It would be an understatement to say that literary managers/dramaturges Suzanne Bell and Alex Chisholm have had a great influence on me as a writer. The truth is, because of the time in my life when I found myself working with them, they had a great influence on me as a man. In many ways I owe these two extraordinary women everything. When I was at that crossroads in terms of deciding what I wanted to commit to doing with the rest of my life, it was their completely infectious passion for theatre and storytelling that was the deciding factor. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzqjeoWpSz-fJQkJLL6CMHhBUka_JyWU0txX4_iRSgeIOv1fJoXg7qBp6A7CexddlGSe63oEppnMCHhSjuZhIVMv5kiJ9S12unpGMHI0-luf6lLadi8uryxcUzA6Hxuk7_jpgKntPbCTq4pqmjYOZWgBwFJAguuEVfYDwB8650CjqI7AGgckUIwkGCA/s6720/51887686645_803bfa6f61_o%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzqjeoWpSz-fJQkJLL6CMHhBUka_JyWU0txX4_iRSgeIOv1fJoXg7qBp6A7CexddlGSe63oEppnMCHhSjuZhIVMv5kiJ9S12unpGMHI0-luf6lLadi8uryxcUzA6Hxuk7_jpgKntPbCTq4pqmjYOZWgBwFJAguuEVfYDwB8650CjqI7AGgckUIwkGCA/w640-h426/51887686645_803bfa6f61_o%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>What's it been like collaborating with the Young Co. on the Press 2 For Help project?</b></p><p>My teaching and dramaturgy is underpinned by two simple philosophies:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>That playwrights learn how to be playwrights by reading and seeing plays; good plays, bad plays, old plays, young plays.</li><li>That statements often damage and shut down creativity, whilst questions that encourage debate and inspire curiosity often open up creativity.</li></ol><p>These principles have served me well over the years with the wide variety of individuals and groups that I've taught and it was very much the same for this fantastic group of young actors and writers I got the chance to work with. I've always had a huge enthusiasm for new writing and developing new talent and I’ve been around long enough to know that when you’re working with young people as talented and full of potential as the Young Co., the most important thing to do is kind of get out of the way and let the process be guided by their seemingly endless amounts of energy, wit and creativity. So, my job was pretty simple, to firstly uncover what it was the Young Co. were keen to write and perform, and then to give them the literary tools to be able to execute their vision. We focused first on dramatic structure, how character relates to action, looking at dialogue as action and the meanings of theatricality. </p><p>What I enjoyed the most was watching how the Young Co., week by week, session by session, became more and more confident in the decisions that they were making in their dramaturgy both individually and as a collective. There some really strong voices in that script and some big personalities, but somehow it all came together in a cohesive whole that was very satisfying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy15i07nNC3lPUlUjhwb7x-LbAL2g_5TkKysTcmjwy0KlyfNDL79Xc_GGc1GpaZxM8B2Hfgpqidgv20CVxsMRQfkZ-3j0-Q9R13p2bEpDxadUqxHcOVDJ6cHxQtugQHZSwJ_1N62B8tyAy0VY4FsNofJ4D0V1rE9Iz9D_eZa2QMDlbtAi0zTOhFYRpw/s6720/51887352539_f5f8261aa8_o%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy15i07nNC3lPUlUjhwb7x-LbAL2g_5TkKysTcmjwy0KlyfNDL79Xc_GGc1GpaZxM8B2Hfgpqidgv20CVxsMRQfkZ-3j0-Q9R13p2bEpDxadUqxHcOVDJ6cHxQtugQHZSwJ_1N62B8tyAy0VY4FsNofJ4D0V1rE9Iz9D_eZa2QMDlbtAi0zTOhFYRpw/w640-h426/51887352539_f5f8261aa8_o%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b><b>Did you use any particular processes or tools when working with Young Co. on developing the work?</b> <br /></b></p><p>Yes we certainly did. Probably a few too many to sum up in one neat paragraph. When we first met up together as a company one of the things that the group were all in agreement on was that they wanted to create a play with memorable, plausible characters. What that meant to us specifically was characters who had goals and dramatic needs. Characters that made choices and decisions and perhaps most importantly a play that revealed character through action instead of exposition. We started off by debating the Edward Bond quote: </p><p><i> “Drama is what happens between characters. A play is made up of a series of transactions between characters. People negotiating, persuading, rejecting others etc.” </i></p><p>At the beginning of the class I’d say the split was 50/50 between those members that agreed with what Bond was trying to say and those that disagreed. This is very common. On the surface it seems that what Bond is saying is simplistic, perhaps a little bit too simplistic. But the complexity that lies underneath this statement can be both disarming and empowering if you can master it’s discipline in your own writing. The students interrogated its many possible meanings with me and very quickly had many more tools to approach the challenge all writers face of creating great Characters We Know And Love (to Hate): What makes them so compelling? How do we describe them? Why do we relish spending time with them? What tools do we have to create characters like this? How do they reveal themselves? This exploration culminated with a simple exercise at the end of the class where students used emotional and psychological questionnaires to establish what they knew about their characters' personalities. There is no one way to create a character in drama, and Young Co. used a mixture of methods such as basing them on themselves, other people they knew, history, memory, dramas, famous people, types, photographs, amalgamations, inspiration, what they aspire to be, and what they could become…</p><p><b>Do you feel Covid has impacted or changed the way you create new work?</b></p><p>Yes and no. From a practical point of view its not very fun having to teach and run workshops from behind a mask and to be socially distanced all the time but these are the times we are living in and ultimately its really important and everyone was on board from the off that people's health has to come first. Even with all of the caution taken in the world, that reality is life still goes on outside of the workshop space, so every week you end kind of showing up praying to the theatre gods that no one has been diagnosed with covid and will end up missing out on one of the sessions. The theatre gods were relatively kind for the time that I was with my group but there were inevitably a few sessions where students had to tune in via the internet instead of being in the room.</p><p>Looking at things a little more romantically and certainly historically, I would happily say that the basics of creating new work in theatre has really stayed the same in spite of Covid. Theatre and theatre people are a pretty resilient bunch I'd say. And those essential ingredients: people, passion, the search for truth were with us as much on this project as any I’ve been on before. Lets face it, the artform has been around for a very long time. It has survived every war and plague and mishap that has ever happened to befall man kind – so we shouldn’t be surprised that theatre looks like it will come out of these strange times we are living through still intact and perhaps, dare I say it, even stronger. If that is a bit too optimistic for the state of theatre in general, ok, but all I can say is that being in the room with the Young Co. each week, seeing their determination to put something excellent on, was just one of those experiences that made you feel like anything was possible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEJYQnaLH6ML7RQ75hsM6yRuAq6RDB-PtpENFfLX_fkJeD3Z2ATpLD2tnZd0pqaecmYN0GhqqU9jV6v6J57RCF3x0OGghSopZYvK2PalSQtRKGZLD-xS30MrYIuGVtRXOMWWFgktAUoYs7cYvT1fvOMXNwUve-LhlmHLE_Nm_Rn-NhOIsNomSuV6WIg/s6720/51872224972_d795063fca_o%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEJYQnaLH6ML7RQ75hsM6yRuAq6RDB-PtpENFfLX_fkJeD3Z2ATpLD2tnZd0pqaecmYN0GhqqU9jV6v6J57RCF3x0OGghSopZYvK2PalSQtRKGZLD-xS30MrYIuGVtRXOMWWFgktAUoYs7cYvT1fvOMXNwUve-LhlmHLE_Nm_Rn-NhOIsNomSuV6WIg/w640-h426/51872224972_d795063fca_o%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>What can audiences expect from Press 2 For Help? </b></p>
<p>A mighty tiny stick of emotional dynamite, ha! My group worked on a circular/chain play. This is when the first scene starts with two characters, one goes on to join a new character for scene 2, the new character then goes on to join a third character for scene 3. Sounds complicated but it isn’t. Basically they all wrote (what started as) two-handers with one character inherited from the previous scene and one character they introduced themselves. This gave each writer room to say something specific about mental health and their own character, whilst also saying something bigger about community and how different people with different mental health issues are related to each other in interesting and surprising ways. </p><p>This Young Co. under Neil Packham and Catrin Evan’s leadership have been a real credit to themselves and though I’ve not seen it since draft three now, I’m sure of one thing, the audience are going to be in for an entertaining journey. </p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Young Co. are showcasing their dramatic shorts on the 25th & 26th March. </span><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Book your tickets via our website</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> and join us for a thought-provoking and entertaining evening of new writing.</span></p><p><i>Photos by Jassy Earl.</i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><b> </b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-75397554955585775912022-03-16T14:44:00.002+00:002022-03-16T16:46:18.592+00:00Meet the mentors: Eve Nicol<p><span style="font-size: large;">For their latest project, <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" target="_blank">Press 2 For Help</a>, the Citizens Theatre Young Co. have been working with professional playwrights to develop a series of theatrical shorts. The varied pieces they've created all share the common thread of exploring mental health issues faced by young people. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In this blog series we're chatting to the writing mentors on the project and learning more about their creative process. We already spoke with <a href="https://citizenstheatre.blogspot.com/2022/03/meet-mentors-martin-oconnor.html" target="_blank">Martin O'Connor</a>, and today we're catching up with Eve Nicol:</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU9eT47ydveNHtknAKHSlK6rt42s9KG6L5I-3_9eZOVf6OLSUtBfUGdhc4_iG1jggwmgjyKpR5DOd-ly1f2XmlbcnV1mUYPHryWyyu5QoAKPgzBLBt28B1TOFlkHgMW-2n5K4iBrVGNJzl2zMr-p9hmWBXkAzdDymmiZZSumj92ZBjwahxOVisEFhPFg=s1500" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU9eT47ydveNHtknAKHSlK6rt42s9KG6L5I-3_9eZOVf6OLSUtBfUGdhc4_iG1jggwmgjyKpR5DOd-ly1f2XmlbcnV1mUYPHryWyyu5QoAKPgzBLBt28B1TOFlkHgMW-2n5K4iBrVGNJzl2zMr-p9hmWBXkAzdDymmiZZSumj92ZBjwahxOVisEFhPFg=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writing mentor Eve Nicol<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your own journey into writing?</b></p><p>Online role-playing games got me excited to write every day as a teenager. I didn't start taking my writing seriously until others did. I stumbled into a playwriting module at uni led by Dominic Hill and Douglas Maxwell. Their interest made me feel I had something to say. I've been blessed with inspiring mentors throughout my career. I hope to be that cheerleader for someone else one day.</p><p>I still refer to my work as fan fiction. I still steal from and squeal over my niche passions. Except now I don't have to do it in secret from the computer in my parent's basement.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK45Wax2bYgBVGQOB8gaXXmZk2GNtj8CtQRepCX6835LMVmGnV5KfjG_eaVGB8_nbIFOdEyU8gyjoRr3Y8c51yDW1FEiR0hAL_NPiQ1vZW0_OpCkJUcTuR-PqK_FOuYovEZ-PvAxLzQI_ff7Ae_7zEfCxzdaRQZdkDCxifpWg3i0vakmzUWV8S7tP5ww=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK45Wax2bYgBVGQOB8gaXXmZk2GNtj8CtQRepCX6835LMVmGnV5KfjG_eaVGB8_nbIFOdEyU8gyjoRr3Y8c51yDW1FEiR0hAL_NPiQ1vZW0_OpCkJUcTuR-PqK_FOuYovEZ-PvAxLzQI_ff7Ae_7zEfCxzdaRQZdkDCxifpWg3i0vakmzUWV8S7tP5ww=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>You were an original member of the Citizens Theatre Young Co. when it launched in 2005. How does it feel to return as a mentor and what have you enjoyed about working with the group?</b></p><p>A bunch of the OG Young Co are established in our chosen fields. It's terrific to see peers succeed.</p><p>It's been 15 years since I was in the Young Co - yet I'm categorised as a "young writer" in professional circles. I've enjoyed hearing from actual young people. What's changed in the last decade? What's stayed the same? Projects like 'Press 2 for Help' allow young people to speak for themselves.</p><p><b>Did you use any particular processes or tools when working with Young Co on developing the work?</b></p><p>You can't beat a daily newspaper. The Guardian's round-up of photographs from around the world provides a regular feed of powerful images. Then take a pair of scissors and a black marker to the thing. As championed by Austin Kleon, "blackout poetry" can even make dry Wiki entries into weep-worthy poetry. <a href="https://blackoutpoetry.glitch.me/" target="_blank">Try out this generator yourself online.</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEQcBiIpVKpArRNPtRJRxmlkJtkgIFPUmDIaOU4NWstbZDp3ThuT-r1glNc5PbE_CoqL5ALNpDmuV9iPXQeXfCuWA6IQyiaWqTrd7yCUiIq4G7Nv9q4fzLGwFHAdp0OX_nLxfTaQ0u8vn4T_PikYO7NwKC0iz_o8mSNulrtmfpQrEKpppJLPU5IRmAFQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEQcBiIpVKpArRNPtRJRxmlkJtkgIFPUmDIaOU4NWstbZDp3ThuT-r1glNc5PbE_CoqL5ALNpDmuV9iPXQeXfCuWA6IQyiaWqTrd7yCUiIq4G7Nv9q4fzLGwFHAdp0OX_nLxfTaQ0u8vn4T_PikYO7NwKC0iz_o8mSNulrtmfpQrEKpppJLPU5IRmAFQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Do you feel Covid has impacted or changed the way you create new work?</b></p><p>It was surprisingly positive to be forced to pause making live shows. The change prompted me to create slowly and deeply. I now reject the industry's demand for fast and shallow creativity. It causes burnout and lacklustre shows. Audiences deserve great nights out that raise their spirits rather than drag them down with the exhausted cynicism of their author.</p><p><b>What can audiences expect from Press 2 For Help? </b></p>
<p>I hope we can deliver a bold, energetic roller coaster ride that leaves an audience with a hopeful glow in their heart.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Young Co. are showcasing their dramatic shorts on the 25th & 26th March. </span><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Book your tickets via our website</a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> and join us for a thought-provoking and entertaining evening of new writing.</span></p><p><i>Photos by Jassy Earl.</i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p>
Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-70973262163372518572022-03-16T14:37:00.005+00:002022-08-26T15:35:08.725+01:00Meet the mentors: Martin O'Connor<p><span style="font-size: large;">For their latest project, <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" target="_blank">Press 2 For Help</a>, the Citizens Theatre Young Co. have been working with professional playwrights on a series of theatrical shorts. The varied pieces all share the common thread of exploring mental health issues faced by young people. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In this blog series we're chatting to the writing mentors on the project and learning more about their creative process. First up, it's Martin O'Connor:</span></p><p><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvl1FP3aBYrIup5uyoG-t9lH03uMBatkH5onASUO1agCGrdKmbIZdYHNmS7nsFLX1sitrRghxEaQef_N9xBZkPw5BZ7evaUHeCXhjxAVgzbwJsMmg3zS9Tssn-l8We5FuLk7DOOhHaAzaRfVu5jN_5Jx-tINlIqlOWN8btctsofYo45kfizx9G0_RqsA=w640-h426" /></p>
<p><b>Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your own journey into writing?</b></p><p><b> </b>I have been working in theatre for around 20 years now – can’t believe I’m actually saying that! I work mostly as a writer, although I sometimes direct and sometimes I perform my own work. I’m interested in biography and verbatim, Scots and Gaelic. I do a bit of everything from spoken word to opera to youth work to anything else that takes my interest. </p>
<p>I started as an actor and my first taste of live performance and devising was at the Citizens Theatre, as part of a summer school youth project. I was 15. We worked with David O’Neill and Annie Wood on the play Tuesday by Edward Bond and some new material exploring the main themes of the play. This was long before theatre venues had departments dedicated to education and participation. This was the first time I really understood what performance could be. It was a major moment for me. Then I was lucky enough to be cast in a few Citizens shows after that and had the honour of working with Giles Havergal amongst others. The Citz has a special place in my heart, and I’ve had some of the best experiences there. I worked with TAG back in the day; one of the first pieces I had written – Changes with Grant Smeaton – was staged in the Circle Studio. So it feels good to back working at the Citz again with the Young Company.</p>
<p><b>What's it been like collaborating with the Young Co on the Press 2 For Help project?</b></p>
<p>My work is always people centric. Even if I’m doing a traditional writing commission or something for a main stage, I feel I always need to have a biographical element to it. Not just because it gives people a chance to be involved, but because I enjoy having conversations with people. Learning from personal experience, and either supporting them in the telling of their own story or weaving it in with my own writing giving an equal platform to both voices. So, for me the most enjoyable part was learning from the group and hearing about what is important to them and the direction they want to take their work.</p>
<p>As I mentioned before I’ve been doing this for a long time and even though I still feel young, I am aware that the gap between our generations is widening all the time. And therefore, our experiences are vastly different too. I didn’t grow up with social media, with information on demand, with the very specific and significant pressures that young people face. The arts world is also unrecognisable from my own youth and training. So, it’s important to acknowledge these pressures and not to make work with young people that fits your view, of what you think they should be saying, feeling, telling. My job is to create a space where creativity can happen. I’m not expert in their own lives but I can provide certain frameworks and structures that support their ideas.</p>
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1SJg0JvNWq_SHUKjf7nmHqXqyKTppwUZPKY-zHZoDM9kSHdzlxnn1n_jz_lOjX4pDrUWwtJXKkI4cQ9XTe26hcIBjA2IBtzBKMe94nKM5edwusKF5pbzjsaonRSvg-KU-4P6R9S3Qt1rQmHJlOrW4BqnRpbREhndD9wPYFt5N3arfDQw-NJuQaVtXjw=w640-h426" /></a></div><b>Did you use any particular processes or tools when working with Young Co on developing the work?</b><p></p>
<p>The first thing I wanted to do with the writers was to tease out the language of mental health. Very often we talk about this theme in very broad terms, but what does each individual story look like? What is the personal experience? For example, are we talking about depression, anxiety, or stress? Do we discuss medication or health systems? Is this brought about by external pressures, or is it internal, biological, or hormonal? These are all really important questions to get to the specifics of what we mean when we use given terms. I sent each writer a link to a website that deals with different aspects of treating conditions associated with poor mental health. From there we chose to explore certain aspects and it was then when we discussed styles of writing and performance.</p>
<p>Some of the writers chose character-based narratives, and some chose non-linear writing. From there they started creating monologues and spoken word poetry. I shared some monologues so that we could look at structure and perspective, and the specific artform of a monologue. We did a long spoken word exercise, looking at different visual stimuli and prompts as well as looking at lots of examples of poetry.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN5q83ARSNOKCQqTK_sJ_Fb5Ipv7xthtTv7y6_rE1uyyitB-aeHH6NwnrC8dsx7I_S7e6xdEoMN0sTAJnr2JcfoIoqG8XZbNq0PIB11uczy9MDrYJftIS8rm0R6yeqsWeUASMnDatssKjBXG0U-YbD8Y4MHkHDY8fenVqvK2CaH2rL5ikdHTYvk4BnIg=w640-h426" /></a></div>
<p><b>Do you feel Covid has impacted or changed the way you create new work?</b></p>
<p>The restrictions and the act of moving online certainly impacted on how I make work. Suddenly, we were in separate places, and making work in a group felt very different. However, with many of the people I worked with, we adapted to suit and found some new ways of working that were really interesting. For example, we looked at how separate writing and performing could sit together as a whole. What does a community look like when they are not together? It also forced us to look at other methods of presenting work such as creating sound pieces for download rather than public facing performance. I also wrote my very first radio play during the first lockdown, which I don’t think would have happened if live performances were still the norm.</p>
<p><b>What can audiences expect from Press 2 For Help? </b></p>
<p>They can expect to be challenged – not only by the themes but by the diverse styles of writing and approaches. I think we often pigeon-hole writing by non-artists and by young people, but I hope that audiences will be surprised at the quality of these pieces and perhaps some minds will be changed about what young people are capable of.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">The Young Co. are showcasing their dramatic shorts on the 25th & 26th March. <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/press-2-for-help" target="_blank">Book your tickets via our website</a> and join us for a thought-provoking and entertaining evening of new writing.</span></p><p><i>Photos by Jassy Earl. </i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-76505419860148793612022-02-03T12:45:00.029+00:002022-02-08T11:21:29.462+00:00Citizens Theatre Redevelopment: Our New Fly Tower<p>We recently celebrated a momentous milestone on our journey back home as our new fly tower was installed on site of the Building Redevelopment.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSNgiXLapN80OBDPyLnH8AaMwivtTkffVbYxoZbrmmQQnpVCmCKn7GXfcfd2N9mDrZc4063_TUtITUUb_aAI0nlGsvPRqfE4LWnQ0pcB04f5Q_JnigwBrLYq-cKhMpR5DCaFI1cTYiRr3xJkMhreW2GPtzDx06aj8LMKVTwf3M3chBDhWRCWyG673cEA=s2984" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1680" data-original-width="2984" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSNgiXLapN80OBDPyLnH8AaMwivtTkffVbYxoZbrmmQQnpVCmCKn7GXfcfd2N9mDrZc4063_TUtITUUb_aAI0nlGsvPRqfE4LWnQ0pcB04f5Q_JnigwBrLYq-cKhMpR5DCaFI1cTYiRr3xJkMhreW2GPtzDx06aj8LMKVTwf3M3chBDhWRCWyG673cEA=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Amber Keating</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A fly tower is used to hang pieces of scenery and cloths on stage that are flown in and out during a show, creating<span style="background-color: white;"> some of the most dramatic moments in a production. Flying scenery is so important in a theatre show that we even have a job specifically dedicated to it - a flyperson.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">Our old flying system was in desperate need of modernisation. Lots of modern shows tend to have bigger, heavier scenery and visiting companies would have to compromise on what they could put on our stage due to the limitations of the old system.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtcvyI-B5sJ544WCJ7ecaQFaul1kD_BZMmJLQjKgF2Jx00p39qOnnweOD5nYHodDlYTEFA0oH2dsE6vvQohBS9Jf1aIQg3QWTnPf00vFbkp4klmN6CwY_WAH8nevN_-0HfHLva1bdFSo5FkUBLJOtStaJDcLRQLFvXCG8mxeM2JztWi6hwLsjbngC6kw=s7901" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5267" data-original-width="7901" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtcvyI-B5sJ544WCJ7ecaQFaul1kD_BZMmJLQjKgF2Jx00p39qOnnweOD5nYHodDlYTEFA0oH2dsE6vvQohBS9Jf1aIQg3QWTnPf00vFbkp4klmN6CwY_WAH8nevN_-0HfHLva1bdFSo5FkUBLJOtStaJDcLRQLFvXCG8mxeM2JztWi6hwLsjbngC6kw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo (C) Tommy Ga-Ken Wan</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">It was thrilling to watch as the new fly tower was placed on top of the historic wooden beams, drums and shafts of the old building, expanding what we can do while still maintaining the historic features of our iconic home.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">Installing the enormous structure was one of the most technically complex pieces of work as part of the Redevelopment project. It involved a 500 tonne crane lifting a very large 70 tonne structure into place! </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxuk4bKmo6chIyh60G2bmeB5nre5LL5BIrIfiRKAoLFxdWpWg-XuEA61wggZ5_F1rt-3XId-3bgz9YJBdpNAd0eqRTxOIPUJq9uVcNi4kfc1wsVYZK5c83xJVOCMWM-GGdxf0dvAczTMb_3U5zqCN6UyBeYDBVOh-THcYk0Us0pAjL6TXRzDCxhNa1DQ=s8230" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5487" data-original-width="8230" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxuk4bKmo6chIyh60G2bmeB5nre5LL5BIrIfiRKAoLFxdWpWg-XuEA61wggZ5_F1rt-3XId-3bgz9YJBdpNAd0eqRTxOIPUJq9uVcNi4kfc1wsVYZK5c83xJVOCMWM-GGdxf0dvAczTMb_3U5zqCN6UyBeYDBVOh-THcYk0Us0pAjL6TXRzDCxhNa1DQ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fly tower being lifted into place. Photo (C) Tommy Ga-Ken Wan</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Urbancroft Films captured this significant day on site. Watch the short film to hear from Dominic Hill (Artistic Director) and Graham Sutherland (Head of Production and Client Representative):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ziKwWkUi7NA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The new, modern fly tower opens up exciting opportunities for what we can achieve with future productions - including being able to:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fly more scenery overhead and use the full depth of the stage</li><li>Increase the scale and weight of the biggest scenic pieces we can use on stage. This gives us even more artistic scope for our own productions and allows us to welcome the most ambitious touring theatre companies to host their productions on our stage.</li><li>Complete get-ins, fit-ups and get-outs quicker so we can produce and host more shows each year.</li></ul><div>The new structure also considerably improves the conditions for our talented production staff who will no longer have to crawl on hands and knees to install pieces of scenery!</div><div><br /><a data-context="true" data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/citizenstheatre/51840309784/in/album-72177720296178197/" title="Fly tower lift"><img alt="Fly tower lift" height="4096" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51840309784_1c0a1bdfa4_6k.jpg" width="6144" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></div><div><br /></div><div>The fly tower is now the highest point of the building, with a 13.8m drop down to the stage, and is visible across the city. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg43bYPe8_xYGptSUUuVSwJvaEKyZb_HoZgMdYR1gKlQNmlTleg_d7WecAcUQFtGu44V5X3n36zSlOnGRdQs64Cl1Z8PK6djM8p3aJDQ11ECi6g71pAwMZ4Crq1uILjcR3lD_a7nsJ_LePysFKdBRwt60ezTsbt7XtpqvM5l5AyU2IrHFEkt9a2hucqjA=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1280" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg43bYPe8_xYGptSUUuVSwJvaEKyZb_HoZgMdYR1gKlQNmlTleg_d7WecAcUQFtGu44V5X3n36zSlOnGRdQs64Cl1Z8PK6djM8p3aJDQ11ECi6g71pAwMZ4Crq1uILjcR3lD_a7nsJ_LePysFKdBRwt60ezTsbt7XtpqvM5l5AyU2IrHFEkt9a2hucqjA=w640-h406" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b>We can't wait to be back on our famous stage inspiring audiences but we still need your help to complete the project.</b></span> <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/support/citizens-theatre/theatre-redevelopment" target="_blank">Please sign up to a regular donation to ensure we reach our goal</a>.</div></div><p><br /></p><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW154524515 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; 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white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="TextRun SCXW154524515 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" face="Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" lang="EN-GB" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-GB"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW154524515 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="Paragraph SCXW154524515 BCX0" paraeid="{6e65f3a3-1c85-4724-89f2-330e3bf88a20}{165}" paraid="745146369" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW184708313 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW212662856 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW212662856 BCX0" paraeid="{9e56cfcb-49ff-4231-9d72-12a9669001b4}{15}" paraid="1097383590" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></p></div></div><p><br /></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-61976507042147697992022-01-12T14:18:00.003+00:002022-01-12T16:36:16.707+00:00Dennis Knotts Tribute by daughter Jenny<p><span style="font-size: large;">The company were saddened to hear about the passing of Dennis Knotts at the end of last year. His family have a long history with the theatre. Dennis’ daughter, Jenny Knotts, a <a href="https://www.playwrightsstudio.co.uk/playwrights/jenny-knotts.aspx">playwright</a>, and familiar face to many Front of House and at Box Office, shares some fascinating insights and stories in tribute to her dad’s time at the Citz.</span><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-IBt7ssbG9JomwuM6v4-W5I0Umj2tFINV6KBbUEXAvQVFnU2fjGl52mPumIvU0xAAzjWlmCWZDpLHNwujQavlnrJcXTbvaZocLJXuNZQaDvUdsxFN5Hl8gP1nUoslc2y1XnRZkw1Ni7nGIOysQvJY_1kxX9Rf8MaBdCQZt0SYhN667g85yAe9CM7YfQ=s2592" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="2592" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-IBt7ssbG9JomwuM6v4-W5I0Umj2tFINV6KBbUEXAvQVFnU2fjGl52mPumIvU0xAAzjWlmCWZDpLHNwujQavlnrJcXTbvaZocLJXuNZQaDvUdsxFN5Hl8gP1nUoslc2y1XnRZkw1Ni7nGIOysQvJY_1kxX9Rf8MaBdCQZt0SYhN667g85yAe9CM7YfQ=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dennis Knotts in the Citizens Theatre paint frame </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Dennis began working in the Citizens Theatre in 1971 when his dad, Big D, got him a job painting the floors for that year’s pantomime, Cinderella. He stayed on helping his dad - the theatre’s Dayman and driver - with odd jobs backstage. Later, his brother Peter would also join the Citz staff and become the theatre’s carpenter.</p><p>Dennis was a keen artist and was desperate to help with painting the scenery, but he was too shy to ask. He began leaving little drawings lying around in the hope that someone would notice his talent and ask him to help. It worked! Dennis became a scenic artist and prop maker, and eventually Philip Prowse’s design assistant working across both the Citizens and the Close Theatre Club’s stages.</p><p>Dennis’s work featured in many iconic Citizens productions, and his creativity and problem-solving skills flourished as he worked to uphold the Citz aesthetic on a tiny budget.</p><p></p><p>When charged with the task of making an edible arm for David Hayman to bite into in a production of Early Morning, he shaved his own and covered it in latex to make a mould. He packed it full of sawdust and filled the top fake blood and melted mars bars so that when Hayman bit into it, you’d see (in Dennis’s words) ‘the stringy bits’ dangling from his mouth. <br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHF9J1LPcsoYEdx_dlHdewsGdhgVlowcFy8sZhsboVzxW3Ywp852qE4VqniVoPKy6e3q4qfz1DoZ804wjXKjMEJ3rNEla-CISH7EjnSMGfdOGdCJS2BELuQ-fcesyZzNMGsIN1QrG9IYv664h5jwjzcnEJ62EBN42joS21kb9B9Pf-gfPDhdtCKcACeg=s1024" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHF9J1LPcsoYEdx_dlHdewsGdhgVlowcFy8sZhsboVzxW3Ywp852qE4VqniVoPKy6e3q4qfz1DoZ804wjXKjMEJ3rNEla-CISH7EjnSMGfdOGdCJS2BELuQ-fcesyZzNMGsIN1QrG9IYv664h5jwjzcnEJ62EBN42joS21kb9B9Pf-gfPDhdtCKcACeg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Hayman in a production of Early Morning </td></tr></tbody></table><p>He recalled being asked to make a ‘lump’ of Macbeth to be paraded onstage by MacDuff instead of the customary severed head. He constructed a jumble of offcuts and organs from the local abattoir, tied together with string. The director told him it wasn’t gruesome enough - he wanted it to ooze - so Dennis went to the fishmongers where he acquired a bucket of fish guts with which he smothered the contraption and doused the lot in fake blood. The director was delighted: the poor actor playing MacDuff less so. The putrid ‘lump’ - which had to be remade every night or two - was thrown onto the stage at the end of the play, spraying the first few unlucky rows of the audience.</p><p>Dennis also worked, and socialised, at the Close Theatre Club adjunct to the Citz. He often went ‘up the close’ after his shift and credits the Close with introducing him to some of his favourite music and also to sweetcorn - which he encountered for the very first time in the Close canteen. He used to paint the signs outside the Close for a few extra pounds. In May 1973, he painted a sign advertising an upcoming film night </p><p>When they got the call that a fire had broken out at the Close, he and the rest of the staff ran to see what could be salvaged. The only thing entirely unaffected by the flames was the sign he had painted the day before. He remembers scrambling through the ash and debris of the theatre with the rest of the staff for 50p pences that had spilled from the till. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEig-XXDjDhckfqP_IdHB005-wbV__isZVoTbBNyRhrsSPM8gskN8zlvZ5RtGCp2RZxrReF2Kz0-bni3TAKKLOve5UC2aoeasL5V7_NhKTNG4nRIvmtjaRT6OMhqvo0ntK4pEqPRt4Dlxk8bf0nrU_0bGPik3FuSrQm5VIUn0kOP34oRvy4BdQA8lAM_jQ=s900" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEig-XXDjDhckfqP_IdHB005-wbV__isZVoTbBNyRhrsSPM8gskN8zlvZ5RtGCp2RZxrReF2Kz0-bni3TAKKLOve5UC2aoeasL5V7_NhKTNG4nRIvmtjaRT6OMhqvo0ntK4pEqPRt4Dlxk8bf0nrU_0bGPik3FuSrQm5VIUn0kOP34oRvy4BdQA8lAM_jQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dennis Knotts as part of The Citz football team<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>One night, in 1974, while making his way from backstage to Front of House, he came across Geraldine, an usherette, sitting outside the dress circle after putting the show in. They chatted for ages and Dennis was smitten. Though he nearly gave up any thought of asking her out when he discovered that she was the daughter of formidable Head Usherette, Mary Sweeney. Luckily, he didn’t, and they married three years later. Many years after that, both of their children also took up roles at the Citz.</p><p>Dennis left the theatre in the mid-seventies to work as a prop master at the BBC, and later as a freelancer. Throughout his career he worked on Rab C Nesbitt, Monarch of the Glen, Chewin the Fat, Still Game, Mrs Brown’s Boys and many, many others. </p><p>The Citz was always enormously important to Dennis for so many reasons, and he was incredibly proud that he, and his family, were a part of its history.</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone at the Citizens Theatre sends their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dennis. </span></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-88676231553123373282021-12-21T11:29:00.005+00:002021-12-21T22:36:27.220+00:00Light Up at the Chara Centre<p>Since 2013 the Citizens Learning Team have delivered a creative residency at the Chara Centre, a residential service supporting women who are experiencing homelessness. A team of artists lead multi-art form sessions for women every week which include creative writing, performance skills, song writing and costume making. In 2019 the team expanded this work to also be in residency at the Elder Street project, a respite shelter for women experiencing homelessness based in Govan.</p>
<p>During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, much of the Citz Learning work had to stop and new ways to remain connected found. This included socially distanced visits to some of our participants, talking through open windows and meeting in gardens with our <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">Through My Window</a> project and developing online digital work such as <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/just-imagine-if">Just Imagine</a>, a song writing project encouraging women to imagine what life might be like post Covid-19. You can listen to the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=147&v=Zd19HYIIAzo&feature=emb_logo">here</a> and learn more about the 'making of it' <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9ZhVSrp-8Q&feature=youtu.be">here</a>.</p><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX0 SCXW250703556" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-asNMmA85zqsYIbRysKvgF-a2RMH2nVDgFICBmN1LwAuTr4KtY8ImvdTdqb_RtZMbvNB-rU9fE1z7QMS6tPrxonw2iZDOM1-c7_jlfpq5biJTJYQ0nY3kC8GSLq_oZ884hhKoOMTS_HriwuRN1ySiTaQmAWhdEXgLOiLfEDGS74L6IwRDpJGhemIMDg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-asNMmA85zqsYIbRysKvgF-a2RMH2nVDgFICBmN1LwAuTr4KtY8ImvdTdqb_RtZMbvNB-rU9fE1z7QMS6tPrxonw2iZDOM1-c7_jlfpq5biJTJYQ0nY3kC8GSLq_oZ884hhKoOMTS_HriwuRN1ySiTaQmAWhdEXgLOiLfEDGS74L6IwRDpJGhemIMDg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Through My Window</td></tr></tbody></table>
</div>
<p><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">The Spoken Word Club</a> was also created, exploring different styles of spoken word, including rap and grime and beat poetry. Led in partnership with much loved comedian and actor Karen Dunbar, the online workshops were a huge success.</p>
<p><i>“Working with the Citz has opened up a whole new world for me, in introducing me to their community groups I’m finding a real connection to others and myself. Creating rap music with these folk is a joy and the Citz make these sessions so easy to organise and so much fun to do. I can actually see the healing take place in people’s eyes and that’s a real privilege”</i> <b>Karen Dunbar</b> </p>
<p>Since Autumn, Karen has also been working with the Citz Learning team to deliver workshops to the women of the Chara Centre and Elder Street. Building on the success of The Spoken Word Club, these workshops explore issues that impact the women's lives and are designed to generate positive change and personal development.</p><p><i>“It has been very satisfying to be back in the room working with our inspiring women in the community. The power of laughter within a group is joyful and will never be taken for granted again. It has been a pleasure to continue to collaborate with Karen whose unassuming style of delivery has kept the women focussed, determined to achieve, and entertained.”</i> <b>Elly Goodman, Citizens Theatre</b></p>
<p>Since August, women in both groups have been working across different art forms, creating textiles, visual art and writing their own songs and raps. A celebration event was held in the Chara Garden on Friday 17th December for the women to share their achievements. <br /><br />Photographer, Karen Gordon, captured some of the brilliant moments from the day.</p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVMLfNwu5EkMIRmQ0Z-2cRovrdrH3PqXJoe4DYtyRekSiMN3xBPnhROk_rDr0FUPyIYdNhEmbxnIqapmsf7l99_YmZ2yU_V7Zka9-R49YWf5ySi8RW7y8x9CWyS3T_t-U_KMFEXBJe8pzcugC0QbEm4Jp0-vCm9dmqAsvKaZkWb8eqZnQwhN4PidXSxw=s5760" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVMLfNwu5EkMIRmQ0Z-2cRovrdrH3PqXJoe4DYtyRekSiMN3xBPnhROk_rDr0FUPyIYdNhEmbxnIqapmsf7l99_YmZ2yU_V7Zka9-R49YWf5ySi8RW7y8x9CWyS3T_t-U_KMFEXBJe8pzcugC0QbEm4Jp0-vCm9dmqAsvKaZkWb8eqZnQwhN4PidXSxw=w290-h193" width="290" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDQ9NVNno42vYOrhmDXP70_oyhiLiFDq6qmGH9-lGutSEEsTLcARyyXL97lm4KCXqup8jzL3ylJI9dCO-_ZukGBgOl2yrmblRpahtJh-D4y7QXlJzMZkJCBrtcXHXDPoRXXaaEfliAQwgnp2NBmBt9DvSoUscKrSyimA3Y5ePIQHYQnCzml0lY-UMh2Q=s5760" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDQ9NVNno42vYOrhmDXP70_oyhiLiFDq6qmGH9-lGutSEEsTLcARyyXL97lm4KCXqup8jzL3ylJI9dCO-_ZukGBgOl2yrmblRpahtJh-D4y7QXlJzMZkJCBrtcXHXDPoRXXaaEfliAQwgnp2NBmBt9DvSoUscKrSyimA3Y5ePIQHYQnCzml0lY-UMh2Q=w292-h194" width="292" /></a>
<p><i>“Thank you so much, I was feeling a bit broken, but you added laughter back that's been gone a long time THANK YOU!!”</i> <b>Elder Street Service user</b></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjF8-u0tfXAW-2MXXv_FbJIOOnqQIUu-B--YHpB_LQJwjOG_bNFkOq8WnfiWO2wuBSu5WH1z5T0SQRs3-hhSxl32C-nJ2x2NKVxaQF8iiSzF__reUISPcTt8TiUSULhwM-lgSjHQrN8bZbmYY7JdB5fL12atKIpCjs7jU3GTg-Aw71YXi5JRoNBqCJX7g=s5760" style="font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjF8-u0tfXAW-2MXXv_FbJIOOnqQIUu-B--YHpB_LQJwjOG_bNFkOq8WnfiWO2wuBSu5WH1z5T0SQRs3-hhSxl32C-nJ2x2NKVxaQF8iiSzF__reUISPcTt8TiUSULhwM-lgSjHQrN8bZbmYY7JdB5fL12atKIpCjs7jU3GTg-Aw71YXi5JRoNBqCJX7g=w289-h193" width="289" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihGcj0NukWmfaryXABJXZixCVcbGcykFqhZm7jb0kF3Wd2sG8T0Fc0C7U8srKytEpl8VgRJELTn7Ti__tNsFLC-RCgn2hNegpEmaa-ll1Jabli6ziwYYMRq9lrZGAlDRL-7nbssKilSl6NYjAvUimOZi2FzPxOadvOSd7QOUYoDB4dFax5cD-2hhgGAw=s5760" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihGcj0NukWmfaryXABJXZixCVcbGcykFqhZm7jb0kF3Wd2sG8T0Fc0C7U8srKytEpl8VgRJELTn7Ti__tNsFLC-RCgn2hNegpEmaa-ll1Jabli6ziwYYMRq9lrZGAlDRL-7nbssKilSl6NYjAvUimOZi2FzPxOadvOSd7QOUYoDB4dFax5cD-2hhgGAw=w290-h193" width="290" /><br /></a>
<p><i>“It’s been a long time since things felt normal and we have a bit to go. Having Elly and the team from the Citizens and our guest Karen Dunbar on board is uplifting, welcoming, great fun and brings a real sense of camaraderie – a positive mindset brings positive things! Thank you”</i> <b>Marian Miller, Women’s Services Manager/Depute Manager, Homelessness Services</b></p><p><b><b>This project is supported by <a href="https://www.comicrelief.com/" target="_blank">Comic Relief</a> and <a href="https://glasgowcity.hscp.scot/" target="_blank">Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership</a>. <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/take-part/theatre/projects-for-women" target="_blank">Find out more about our Projects for Women.</a><br /></b></b></p><b></b><p><b> </b></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-73966246566801618682021-12-07T14:48:00.002+00:002021-12-15T12:34:19.625+00:00Marking COP26 with Citizens Learning<p>In November 2021, people from across the world gathered in Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). Inspired by the event and collective action that was taking place in our local city, many of our groups used it as stimulus to create thought-provoking performance pieces. Read on as we reflect on our highlights:</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Little Amal at COP26: We Are Mighty</b></h3><p>In the lead up to COP26, together with National Theatre of Scotland and Perth Theatre, we worked with over 100 school children on a powerful climate justice arts project - <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/little-amal-at-cop26-we-are-mighty">We Are Mighty</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0skylKUWYS5lilIZEHeFe_oQuzwEIgs6zu1s1s3H6zx47EYzLI7KzckpHPkwHjO2qStuVZ8kPOOI_qS_oQm7iIKTNmrNfzMrwDi8bmIJ5EXKiE8kT8onj_-jq7A_Sl1zjxeK2dvIA_h0/s1281/52113042-c58d-4a88-bcde-4d9236d8dc08.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1281" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0skylKUWYS5lilIZEHeFe_oQuzwEIgs6zu1s1s3H6zx47EYzLI7KzckpHPkwHjO2qStuVZ8kPOOI_qS_oQm7iIKTNmrNfzMrwDi8bmIJ5EXKiE8kT8onj_-jq7A_Sl1zjxeK2dvIA_h0/w640-h442/52113042-c58d-4a88-bcde-4d9236d8dc08.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Amal meets school children in Glasgow - photo credit Colin Hattersley</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://www.walkwithamal.org/about-us/little-amal/">Little Amal</a>, a 3.5m puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, travelled over 8000km from the Syrian border to Manchester, shining a light on the millions of displaced children who have made similar journeys in search of refuge. She then visited Glasgow to attend COP26. </p><p>Using Little Amal's visit as inspiration, six artists (Zoe Bullock, Camilla Crosta, Alice Dansey-Wright, Francisco Llinas Cases, Paria Moazemi Goodarzi and Tawona Sithole) led residencies in six primary schools in Glasgow and Perthshire. They used a range of artforms, including creative writing and visual art, to explore migrant and climate justice and youth activism. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq7_WQucHZ69RcyEa4tmpdeCqz2yu7rmZBugnuRtTmKVXFDOJdd0YTESDYDkbSYLLDHBhA6oyfS4kCDbItLpNYGy7actH6XzroyUSazCrZkcuU4tUWhyphenhyphenYsBZFqRKHpHuOVxyOEUTg-eUp/s2048/St+Teresas+Primary+07+-+photo+credit+Julie+Howden.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1336" data-original-width="2048" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq7_WQucHZ69RcyEa4tmpdeCqz2yu7rmZBugnuRtTmKVXFDOJdd0YTESDYDkbSYLLDHBhA6oyfS4kCDbItLpNYGy7actH6XzroyUSazCrZkcuU4tUWhyphenhyphenYsBZFqRKHpHuOVxyOEUTg-eUp/w640-h418/St+Teresas+Primary+07+-+photo+credit+Julie+Howden.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Primary five pupils from St Teresa's Primary in Glasgow - <br />photo credit Julie Howden</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The workshops culminated in a final event as the pupils accompanied the giant puppet along the River Clyde, sharing the different artwork they'd created. They were also joined by the Ayawara West African Percussion and Dance Ensemble. It was an uplifting morning as the pupils raised their voices to welcome Little Amal and call for change.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Smu9VD2Kgqn3SG6u4aLMrg5KO78o9eQukxGm1uolewv-SlWjYwMspFGGZWf_NV6p7dyHAuT_4vkvlZ-YDQiHMzi-iYfT2hpC6ZI5KEs0FgZPOJv5t7DAjf8xftwy3n2ACvlBRF4corSA/s1333/9a62884e-647c-43f8-9b25-dba69445d8e7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="1333" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Smu9VD2Kgqn3SG6u4aLMrg5KO78o9eQukxGm1uolewv-SlWjYwMspFGGZWf_NV6p7dyHAuT_4vkvlZ-YDQiHMzi-iYfT2hpC6ZI5KEs0FgZPOJv5t7DAjf8xftwy3n2ACvlBRF4corSA/w640-h426/9a62884e-647c-43f8-9b25-dba69445d8e7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School children greet Little Amal with dances and artwork - photo credit Colin Hattersley</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After the event, Catrin Evans, our Head of Creative Learning and creative lead on the project, reflected:</p><p><i>"The young people connected deeply with Little Amal and the forced journeys of young and old that she represents. The joy in encountering her was palpable. They care about her, and they care about the kind of world they are growing up in. It has been inspiring to work with them and the artistic team. I hope the experience stays with them and encourages them to keep raising their voices in creative ways and to demand space to be heard."</i></p><p><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/little-amal-at-cop26-we-are-mighty">Visit our website for more information</a> about this climate justice arts project.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>My Fashion Path: Reclothing The Future Conference</b></h3><p>The Citz Young Co. were invited to perform at Re-clothing the Future, a sustainable fashion conference that took place at Glasgow Caledonian University on the final day of COP26. The event brought together students, sustainable fashion businesses and policymakers to empower young people to shape the future of the fashion industry.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vdgipHSW_CS2FxWiNfudgNUsIPXxs9XHnd-HiPeKfyn_E_p4QCMrvR7fLoW68F_tNWzLMKhn8s8MJE6lt01OawoFQgg8lIi85PPD0POh30GkN0NphRqNIY0XIBhXnu1e2x3z0c9pZw-e/s2048/IMG_7369.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vdgipHSW_CS2FxWiNfudgNUsIPXxs9XHnd-HiPeKfyn_E_p4QCMrvR7fLoW68F_tNWzLMKhn8s8MJE6lt01OawoFQgg8lIi85PPD0POh30GkN0NphRqNIY0XIBhXnu1e2x3z0c9pZw-e/w640-h426/IMG_7369.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Community Drama Director Neil Packham with members of the Citz Young Co. at the conference - photo credit Sandy Young</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The invitation to take part was particularly special as conference host and award-winning comedian Anna Devitt was a member of our very first Young Co. Speaking about the project, she said:<div><br /></div><div><i>"I was the in the original cohort for the Young Co way back (17 years!!) and this is what catapulted me into my career, so I am thrilled that Neil is at the helm on these pieces. The young people have been very engaged and passionate throughout the development."</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X4Thz4A1jhCnjmnxO1rpiy8YbI1IS4Bmms4q0xeaaeit77hzvyiHJMdjGFzzOZjHkew5ANyJ7M5ZZ4Um6nNLj2Cmz32FOS68fXcT2ZVGxtkH2IhEIGuCuaYg1PPeA1V50gGDxoE3vFYY/s1024/904509DF-EFA1-40C0-A71D-44E33A3BEDD2_1_105_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X4Thz4A1jhCnjmnxO1rpiy8YbI1IS4Bmms4q0xeaaeit77hzvyiHJMdjGFzzOZjHkew5ANyJ7M5ZZ4Um6nNLj2Cmz32FOS68fXcT2ZVGxtkH2IhEIGuCuaYg1PPeA1V50gGDxoE3vFYY/w640-h480/904509DF-EFA1-40C0-A71D-44E33A3BEDD2_1_105_c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Devitt in rehearsals with the Young Co.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The company devised two short pieces to introduce the sessions at the conference. Their sketches were around the theme of sustainability and highlighted the problems of fast fashion and how to combat it. It was also great to have Anna back in the room inspiring the current members as they worked together on this fun and thought-provoking project.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus1VFd1dbEGkzlvZ8WmPj7B380JwIVB1kdo9G8YwJ0fe0dH9NZq1oCH3OJxIImm5ojAgIvNeRIR7i0IC7C35L-xYxSslncJDPWDxJlIYAmWxudOwaECyRutyw8CxajmG4bFK_XCVbRgms/s800/51688360788_a4d1265a40_c.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="800" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgus1VFd1dbEGkzlvZ8WmPj7B380JwIVB1kdo9G8YwJ0fe0dH9NZq1oCH3OJxIImm5ojAgIvNeRIR7i0IC7C35L-xYxSslncJDPWDxJlIYAmWxudOwaECyRutyw8CxajmG4bFK_XCVbRgms/w640-h600/51688360788_a4d1265a40_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Members of the Young Co. performing at My Fashion Path - photo credit Sandy Young</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/my-fashion-path-re-clothing-the-future-conference">Visit our website</a> to learn more about the event and the Young Co's performances.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Glasgow is... </b></h3><p>In November 2021, the Community Collective returned to in person workshops and celebrated being back together after so long. For their first project back, 'Glasgow is...' they also created work in response to the climate crisis, justice and COP26. They used live performance as an outlet to express their anger, fear and hopes for the future of the planet and their home city. Watch the film to hear from some of the participants:</p><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cun7UqdkDQM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>You can find out more about the Community Collective and their latest project <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/take-part/theatre/community-collective">via our website</a>.</div>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-71710760081591260082021-10-22T10:38:00.003+01:002021-10-22T10:48:20.663+01:00Playwright Martin Travers on how Cupid, Draw Back you Bow came about <b><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/take-part/theatre/care-experienced-theatre-ensemble" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #a93e33; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The WAC Ensemble </a><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;">is a theatre company for care experienced young adults aged 18-26. It offers a positive, supportive and empowering creative space where to explore and learn about all aspects of a professional theatre and develop creative talents.</span></b><div><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b>For their latest project, the group have created their own horror story for radio, <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/cupid-draw-back-your-bow">Cupid Draw Back Your Bow</a>. Here, Playwright Martin Travers tells us more about how this project began:</b><br /></span><br />The WAC Ensemble were meeting weekly over Zoom from April with me and director Colin White this year and we started to talk about films we have watched recently. We quite quickly started to discuss horror movies. What we liked about them. What worked. What didn’t work. What made a story scary and gripping?<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiBrxMClqVxeM7KZZ6AXP4w4vBmQeSuG98ueR74rUEDa98vj9CHZar0gYHc-Y8qJIIrZfQPG_1bjhGYoWyh8LyeIlzPuZdMMCq2nuqxeEMcxMN7yEJZAUyv6lvjCQhBEDpDK6H86KnpcE/s1902/MicrosoftTeams-image+%252846%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1902" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiBrxMClqVxeM7KZZ6AXP4w4vBmQeSuG98ueR74rUEDa98vj9CHZar0gYHc-Y8qJIIrZfQPG_1bjhGYoWyh8LyeIlzPuZdMMCq2nuqxeEMcxMN7yEJZAUyv6lvjCQhBEDpDK6H86KnpcE/w640-h286/MicrosoftTeams-image+%252846%2529.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group have continued to meet regularly online.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Everyone was getting quite excited about the horror genre, so we decided as a company to try to make our own horror story for radio. We chose a style because the ongoing COVID 19 restrictions meant that a traditional play format wasn’t possible. I am so glad we did choose to work with human voices alone. It opened up a dark and brutal world that just wouldn’t work on stage.<br /><br />Each of the ensemble created their own characters. We then devised scenes where the characters came into conflict.<br /><br />Allan had created an animation of a skull on fire that he shared with us and this became part of the story. It is so cool and scary and haunting that we had to use it! (Check out the animation below.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyNxphPmea1kMf-pmcRMX207O0Ago-L_XiV2u83-fJzIyQFW0BU41JF4U78S1ptvzz8B2KQBDNOy2xePseKGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br />Allan and Chloe from the ensemble transcribed and edited the devised scenes that were all set at a camping trip in Scotland that goes hellishly wrong.<br /><br />I sat down with a whole lemon loaf and a gallon of tea and stitched the wonderful nastiness together.<br /><br />Sound Designer Rikki Traynor then brought the sounds of rust, lost souls and ripped sonic drones to the party.<br /><br />We rehearsed over Zoom and then met with Rikki to record the scenes on different days in the Rose Garden in the Gorbals, Ruchill Park and Cathkin Park (don’t remind us about the grass cutting tractor).</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w32ZsAXJSgL627M4ZIvcgb2HLpX_bVGG47eShuNmS_7tZgdEI1WrYKxwuiPtSIIO7ptz1Z6uDP1rCJIIa7OtkXS1ngtOQHbdXXHKCFWb8MEUmrwRar_gtb9nM9f5ZHwW5OAOGuJ5UVR0/s2048/Cathink+Park+Recording+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9w32ZsAXJSgL627M4ZIvcgb2HLpX_bVGG47eShuNmS_7tZgdEI1WrYKxwuiPtSIIO7ptz1Z6uDP1rCJIIa7OtkXS1ngtOQHbdXXHKCFWb8MEUmrwRar_gtb9nM9f5ZHwW5OAOGuJ5UVR0/w640-h360/Cathink+Park+Recording+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group recorded the play outside</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br />We hope you enjoy listening to Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow as much as we enjoyed pushing the boundaries of how dark we could make it. Don’t listen at night. Do not listen alone. Do have a listen by candlelight when you and your fellow campers are carving your pumpkins!</div><div><br /></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: 16px;"><b><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/cupid-draw-back-your-bow">Visit our website </a>to listen now - if you dare! <i>Cupid Draw Back Your Bow is recommended for ages 15+. It contains scenes of violence, drug references and strong language throughout. </i></b></span></div><div><br /></div>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-44126966516019703982021-10-15T11:24:00.003+01:002021-10-22T11:43:41.745+01:00Genna Allan: Becoming Lucie in Cupid, Draw Back your Bow<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/take-part/theatre/care-experienced-theatre-ensemble" target="_blank">WAC Ensemble</a>'s</span> latest project is a horror radio play <b>Cupid, Draw Back your Bow</b>. This terrifying tale about a camping trip in Scotland that goes hellishly wrong will be available to listen to from 22 October. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ahead of the premiere, cast member <b>Genna Allan</b> told us more about becoming the villain in this new radio play.</span><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQ1qzCqXSwZxGY2VWsnPlynh3Mu56lrSn-k19Q5ZOvngxPz0y6kEqTWITj0QWgI-Lko-hTL8s_IG7goH1K6F0ZISKDzyqBsSKQ3ttQjR5wy7L6iLkHacaRGVPGV60uuTDgZ3dUXw5euNL/s1277/49394023576_7eb36ee918_k.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="1277" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQ1qzCqXSwZxGY2VWsnPlynh3Mu56lrSn-k19Q5ZOvngxPz0y6kEqTWITj0QWgI-Lko-hTL8s_IG7goH1K6F0ZISKDzyqBsSKQ3ttQjR5wy7L6iLkHacaRGVPGV60uuTDgZ3dUXw5euNL/w640-h640/49394023576_7eb36ee918_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gemma Allan in rehearsals for whatever happened to the Jaggy Nettles 2020.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>“People are not born heroes or villains; they’re created by the people around them”</i> - Chris Colfer <br /> <br />When the idea came around for <b><i>Cupid Draw Back Your Bow</i></b>, I knew I wanted to be the villain of the story. Back in 2020 I was due to play Nurse Grice/Nurse Nisbett in Liz Lochead’s, <i>Dracula.</i> Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, Dracula was cancelled and I was unable to make my villain debut. When exploring the script of Dracula I found an interest in playing the baddie as in all honesty, I found the villain to have more of a character story. So when the opportunity came about to create my own villainous character, I jumped at the chance. <br /> <br />I think what’s important to note about Lucie is she is portrayed as a villain in the play, but in actual fact she is still a young 15 year old girl. I think if she was treated differently throughout the entirety of the camping trip, she wouldn’t have wandered off in the first place and therefore never would have become the villain. <br /> <br />When I began devising Lucie, I started by choosing simple things like name and age. I decided to make Lucie young as you don’t often get a female villain, and if you do they are usually older. I thought it would be important to keep Lucie young to show you how much of a journey she can have at such a young age. I chose the name Lucie as I thought it resembles Lucifer. A tough name makes a tough character, right?! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ta9RXQhdxkLac39Fvcf7L7mMKhG80YUrJW8gOu98fYr1AYqM_MtHrL_TGEDNGRsB810O8_Zb_U5HdogP52pjOjq7981BOn7KiYoIbfCZ0hqLx20bG6i-uOLDYD2S5wWvP6dJ8NI4RVus/s1277/Gemma2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="1277" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ta9RXQhdxkLac39Fvcf7L7mMKhG80YUrJW8gOu98fYr1AYqM_MtHrL_TGEDNGRsB810O8_Zb_U5HdogP52pjOjq7981BOn7KiYoIbfCZ0hqLx20bG6i-uOLDYD2S5wWvP6dJ8NI4RVus/w640-h640/Gemma2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br />Becoming Lucie in a park filled with weans was tough! When recording outside on the first day it was tricky to navigate as I felt very conscious of having to shout really vile things while kids ran around playing on the grass beside us. Imagine having to shout things like “Stay away from me” or “Toughen up Riddyan” in a park… it definitely got some looks! After the initial fear was over with, it became really fun becoming Lucie in a place where her character would feel at home. Not necessarily with a Microphone in her face, but just being in a park/ wooded area, surrounded with nature felt like a natural place for Lucie to be. Even though that probably was the first ever camping trip she’s had in her life. <br /><p></p><p></p><p>The real fun happened when we had our first full group recording as I then had the joy of bouncing off of other character’s emotions. Having the opportunity to rehearse before recording gave me the opportunity to work on Lucie and see how she would react to these other characters in real life. You could sense the fear others had when around Lucie, that made her thrive. Lucie as a character doesn’t have a bad bone in her body, but given the situation she had no control over herself. I think that’s what made them scared, they didn’t know what she would do next. There was no predictability in Lucie’s actions.</p><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yGPlCFi9KxzAeln71aDPjqZVOYeKQ-Yitv9197Hzud7HEc7CAbEgO9Mz0PhyphenhyphenDgSWJj5KCOk2BO4HQsE0lXdNS9FJg58ugrkl7U4NpMNuSDeDcjWjgI0N0UNsTMKp80h5rjQkHY5q8WTM/s1599/d34da0b8-6d36-4e32-9e02-26fff91560f5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1599" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yGPlCFi9KxzAeln71aDPjqZVOYeKQ-Yitv9197Hzud7HEc7CAbEgO9Mz0PhyphenhyphenDgSWJj5KCOk2BO4HQsE0lXdNS9FJg58ugrkl7U4NpMNuSDeDcjWjgI0N0UNsTMKp80h5rjQkHY5q8WTM/w640-h360/d34da0b8-6d36-4e32-9e02-26fff91560f5.jpg" width="640" /></a> </p><p>I think that Lucie is a misunderstood character. I believe that if she dealt with her family issues instead of submerging them under a bridge, she more than likely would be a totally different person. Lucie has a lot of anger; she has a lot to say and not a lot of chances to speak. Her act of setting the pigs free was simply a cry for help. She’s lost in herself, and she would do anything to just feel something inside. This trip was a breaking point for Lucie and although she is portrayed as your villain, she is not a bad person, she is simply misunderstood. <br /> <br />Lucie was an incredibly fun character to play. I loved every second from creating her to recording her. I can’t wait to hear the finished result. The cast and the creative team have been brilliant, and I hope we get to create another project like this in the future. <br /></p><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Cupid, Draw Back your Bow will be available to listen to from 22 October find out more about </b><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/cupid-draw-back-your-bow" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">this project</a><b> and our </b><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/cupid-draw-back-your-bow" style="font-weight: bold;">WAC Ensemble</a><b>, a </b></span><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">theatre company for care-experienced young adults. </span><br /><br />Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-68607786956367967472021-10-07T12:47:00.006+01:002021-10-22T11:43:17.059+01:00Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow: Director's Blog<p><span style="font-size: large;">The Citizens Theatre's <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/take-part/theatre/care-experienced-theatre-ensemble" target="_blank">WAC Ensemble </a>is a theatre company for care-experienced young adults. Their latest project is a horror radio play <b>Cupid, Draw Back your Bow</b>. This terrifying tale about a camping trip in Scotland that goes hellishly wrong will be available to listen to from 22 October. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ahead of the premiere, director <b>Colin White</b> told us more about how the group devised and recorded the play during lockdown.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f0HG9O8IvAokP94oPVGnm33Vck8yrvINz4D5PLoVzjKIb7yBvGXGYaQQGBBBQ6ukTibpphzLCTahmAIcMiHZqE1UvzBfN_1a95LmBvepouEnkI_pHOnYQdfgEo1lDPL-Z95rgC-GtlwQ/s1600/IMG-20210714-WA0027.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f0HG9O8IvAokP94oPVGnm33Vck8yrvINz4D5PLoVzjKIb7yBvGXGYaQQGBBBQ6ukTibpphzLCTahmAIcMiHZqE1UvzBfN_1a95LmBvepouEnkI_pHOnYQdfgEo1lDPL-Z95rgC-GtlwQ/w300-h400/IMG-20210714-WA0027.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>When Playwright and Producer Martin Travers approached me to direct the horror audio play ‘Cupid Draw Back Your Bow’ with this stellar Cast and Creative Team it didn’t take much persuading – “Count me in!”. Any opportunity to channel my inner Ryan Murphy would not be denied.</p><p>Working mid-lockdown, in our bedrooms, cupboards or anywhere we could find creative calm, encouraged us collectively to generate work in ways we never thought possible. Weekly rehearsals via Zoom offered an anchor in our week, a welcome distraction from our altered routines.</p><p>It made sense to go back to basics and create an audio play – purely acoustic entertainment made popular in the 1920’s but with a 2020’s revamp. The process wasn’t always smooth, but any technical glitch or time lag was annulled by the resilience and unwavering loyalty of our talented performers.</p><p>During the initial stages of devising we approached each rehearsal with openness and playful energy. Individually we gathered stimulus material by capturing images whilst out on our daily walks and recording and archiving a bank of atmospheric sounds. These were uploaded to our shared space online and provoked much discussion and, of course, moments of hilarity amongst the cast. This shared library of audio and photographs would form the basis of several whole-group improvisations as we began to delve deeper into the horror realm. We explored the mechanics of dialogue, breathwork and, very importantly, techniques for communicating tension through the voice.</p><p>Next came the character building, plot development and storyboarding, with the cast involved at all stages of the decision-making process. We recorded everything as it was imperative that the performers ideas were heavily represented in the final output. We drew inspiration from existing horror anthologies and we shared Netflix recommendations at each session. I made sure to balance my research/horror movie consumption with more than a few episodes of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ – I’m a big fearty… and I own it!</p><p>All became real when Martin announced the completion of the first draft and a date for the online table read. Cast, Creative Team and Department Heads came together to hear the script aloud for the first time and WOW… just WOW! The text came alive in that moment and the performers inhabited their roles with such ease. This opportunity also afforded us with some valuable feedback, allowing us to fine-tune narratives and sharpen the dialogue ahead of recording.</p><p>Fast forward a few months and with a bulk of recorded material under our belts (all thanks to Rikki Traynor -Sound Designer) we were able to meet IRL at Cathkin Park to complete recording. For many of us this was our first in-person group session for quite some time. Delivering warm-ups and games to kickstart our final day sparked so much joy and will stick with me for some time. Again, we were faced with some challenges whilst recording outdoors, but no passing train, barking dog or ride-on garden mower could halt us in our quest for audio play perfection! We learned so much from Rikki, from his tricks in achieving gruesome sound effects to Sennheiser 416’s – he shared his impressive skillset with us and we were living for it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ujcn97jG5bhaNgfZk4RmUh6Skgd6cQmUGiDisKVy9FjPlleGMMePaxK06laS7vve1sxNmLfKHbZunqpGt1SCPtQBWexMbbybjZsNTLLtjfKwMwv5Tg7bkjTm3lwYd7RgQaAv6KWb5wR3/s2048/Cathink+Park+Recording+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ujcn97jG5bhaNgfZk4RmUh6Skgd6cQmUGiDisKVy9FjPlleGMMePaxK06laS7vve1sxNmLfKHbZunqpGt1SCPtQBWexMbbybjZsNTLLtjfKwMwv5Tg7bkjTm3lwYd7RgQaAv6KWb5wR3/w640-h360/Cathink+Park+Recording+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The finished piece offers moments of light and shade, made possible by Rikki’s atmospheric sound design paired with Martin’s clever and naturalistic dialogue. But prepare yourself… this is scary stuff indeed and drops this Halloween - we can’t wait!</p><p>It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with this team, a definite highlight in my 14 years as Learning Tutor with the Citizens Theatre. When I reflect on this journey in the years to come, I won’t think of it as the time we lost out, more as the time that participation and creativity won! Enjoy listening.</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Cupid, Draw Back your Bow</b> will be available to listen to from 22 October. <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/projects/info/cupid-draw-back-your-bow">Find out more about this project and our WAC Ensemble</a></span><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span><br /></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-12520269338255205572021-09-29T16:45:00.003+01:002021-10-01T09:50:29.046+01:00Behind the scenes of Go On with Linda McLean<p><span style="font-size: large;">In our production of <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/krapps-last-tape-and-go-on" target="_blank">Go On</a> by <b>Linda McLean</b>, Jane (<b>Maureen Beattie</b>) considers how an AI replacement might allow her to exist in the future.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> The play has been paired with Beckett's iconic piece, <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/krapps-last-tape-and-go-on" target="_blank">Krapp's Last Tape</a> in a double bill by Artistic Director, <b>Dominic Hill</b>.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Linda takes us behind the scenes and tell us about the play and her appreciation of Beckett's work.</span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJAJ3U0H9tQnPOaj__coIAEGaLPJobS_pW_NB0xvfRLLxpF8wbMOP1cIjGdKW5JsCXMZwBWSHqaZszJy6KNScDcId-toidpSaUDjKr2zsAtqN-h0SUfu1dwDwlWSngQXZxs234BtUq9fu/s1800/Maureen+Beattie+in+rehearsals+as+Jane+in+Go+On+-+Photo+credit+Alex+Brady.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1800" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJAJ3U0H9tQnPOaj__coIAEGaLPJobS_pW_NB0xvfRLLxpF8wbMOP1cIjGdKW5JsCXMZwBWSHqaZszJy6KNScDcId-toidpSaUDjKr2zsAtqN-h0SUfu1dwDwlWSngQXZxs234BtUq9fu/w640-h428/Maureen+Beattie+in+rehearsals+as+Jane+in+Go+On+-+Photo+credit+Alex+Brady.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Alex Brady</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>I have a particular fondness for <b>Krapp’s Last Tape</b>, and <b>Rockaby</b>. The cryptic crossword lover in me enjoys the puzzle and poetry of them. I particularly like the fact that the drawing of the blind is included in <b>Krapp’s Last Tape</b> and is also a motif in <b>Rockaby</b>. (I noticed some years ago that every play I write has the next one embedded in it so it gives me a wee thrill to see that in other plays.)</p><p>But it’s the way Beckett exposes both Krapp and himself that I admire most. The pain and longing for abandoned people and places; the fear of not being good enough; the understanding that when death does finally come it will find him wanting, if not occasionally absurd. And love. What of that?</p>
<p>An artist friend once told me that when she went to art school her lecturer told her that the job of the artist, apart from progressing their talent, was to unearth their question, their very own question that might finally reveal who they were to themselves. And each work should bring them closer to understanding it. </p>
<p>In <b>Krapp’s Last Tape </b>it’s the recording machine that holds all Krapp’s memories and associations. Our job is to piece together not only his past but also his emotions as he listens to or skips over them.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7P-4cwMoSNc2X5QAA1n0VcIQHPl856rZCwYRK4Bf2pLnacVjPoE4N20xtAHdy-_wFVuDACfWWf8YzkhKITyve_45iUQVfgso95m3u1CaCaJXmkD2GVt30dujo5MznR1BzW_5QpW5uDH9/s1800/Niall+Buggy+as+Krapp+in+reharsals+for+Krapps+Last+Tape+2+-+photo+credit+Alex+Brady.jpg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1800" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7P-4cwMoSNc2X5QAA1n0VcIQHPl856rZCwYRK4Bf2pLnacVjPoE4N20xtAHdy-_wFVuDACfWWf8YzkhKITyve_45iUQVfgso95m3u1CaCaJXmkD2GVt30dujo5MznR1BzW_5QpW5uDH9/w640-h428/Niall+Buggy+as+Krapp+in+reharsals+for+Krapps+Last+Tape+2+-+photo+credit+Alex+Brady.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Alex Brady</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>
<p>In <b>Go On</b>, it’s the AI, Jayne, who will hold all of Jane’s memories and their wider, weirder associations – the ones her family would expect her to know. </p>
<p>The idea of an AI replacement at the heart of <b>Go On</b> is rooted in a family joke. Whenever I behaved in a way my kids thought was out of character they’d accuse me of being a replicant, or a pod person. Going one step further they created a coded question that only true members of our family would be able to answer so they’d know whether they were talking to the replicant or the real mum! So it wasn’t a great leap for me to take the technology of <b>Krapp’s Last Tape</b> and apply it to our latest robotic obsessions. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws0AU3KpUpnRUiElbAHIIWtgWEPeczKzrWyOJ1SBV5j49XedWTnpp0SLqFo8vBInHoWIl-qczrP2UV1y4lbBbd0kOUs3us3oRBQ31xDAwNUXyC4Y3fC8fzIcl4Um7ylx6es3TCMD77KAI/s1800/Maureen+Beattie+in+rehearsals+as+Jane+in+Go+On+3-+Photo+credit+Alex+Brady.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1800" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws0AU3KpUpnRUiElbAHIIWtgWEPeczKzrWyOJ1SBV5j49XedWTnpp0SLqFo8vBInHoWIl-qczrP2UV1y4lbBbd0kOUs3us3oRBQ31xDAwNUXyC4Y3fC8fzIcl4Um7ylx6es3TCMD77KAI/w640-h512/Maureen+Beattie+in+rehearsals+as+Jane+in+Go+On+3-+Photo+credit+Alex+Brady.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Alex Brady</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>But the idea that one day you may want to, or have to, train an AI to represent you in the real world doesn’t explain why you would do that. I raised this question with my son, making it a condition that the person taking your place could not be put in mortal danger. As soon as I asked it we hit on the same answer. And that’s the undertow of the play. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWloSCFtAth0tgsOvGhPy23ifbTp6vLBY6as-vDV0dZt7Phf9NC2g3_AIoOCnY4X7l3t2RTcf8FU4wLypOtXvkrtQBajVEUN1mleQS-L_9BhP1eLcYyzZM4mKUWtSKXpezhHjBNhuUrsO/s1800/Maureen+Beattie+as+Jane+in+by+Photo+credit+Mihaela+Bodlovic-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWloSCFtAth0tgsOvGhPy23ifbTp6vLBY6as-vDV0dZt7Phf9NC2g3_AIoOCnY4X7l3t2RTcf8FU4wLypOtXvkrtQBajVEUN1mleQS-L_9BhP1eLcYyzZM4mKUWtSKXpezhHjBNhuUrsO/w640-h426/Maureen+Beattie+as+Jane+in+by+Photo+credit+Mihaela+Bodlovic-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit Mihaela Bodlovic</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>I have no idea how Samuel Beckett would feel about <b>Go On</b> sharing a stage with <b>Krapp’s Last Tape</b>. I hope he wouldn’t mind too much. I imagine a slight smile at the humour, surprise at what we can now say in theatre, maybe a recognition of a soul exposed. I’m sure he knew that for the most part we’re such mysteries to ourselves that we can only hope to gain understanding by baring ourselves in front of others.
</p><p>And oh Lordy isn’t that the joy and terror of putting a play in front of an audience? When I started down this road I thought it would get easier, but no no no, the more layers you reveal the more terror you feel when they’re exposed. But we go on.</p><p>
<b>Our double bill of Krapp's Last Tape and Go On is at the Tron Theatre 30 September - 9 October. <a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/whatson/info/krapps-last-tape-and-go-on" target="_blank">Find out more.</a></b></p><p><br /></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0Glasgow, UK55.864237 -4.25180627.554003163821157 -39.408056 84.174470836178841 30.904443999999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-29700353922169319652021-08-13T11:23:00.009+01:002021-08-14T10:22:38.113+01:00How lighting was used in The Macbeths: Q&A with Stuart Jenkins<p><span style="font-size: large;">Using a radically cut version of Shakespeare's text, The Macbeths charts the breakdown of the ambitious couple's relationship following an act of murder which at first binds them together and then destroys them. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Originally performed live in our intimate Circle Studio, this intense adaptation was later turned into a film for online audiences. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Alongside the film, we have created a series of educational resources to support Drama students. In this Q&A we talk to Lighting Designer </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Stuart Jenkins </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">about how lighting was used to tell this story and the differences in lighting for stage or screen. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDSKpqL4DI5MN10-aMHB4mZ1svn1RCt3R0OOXzwK0xtiYIP8KTIgqED4M4xkfoJW_DUeZyC1fwIGNWnMSydraVccA0fRK721-A1TglRst_bCo9hmIM2oKaY5YPZmK7nZ7MPawS8XXGK8w/w640-h510/Macbeths+10.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><b>How was lighting used in the original stage production to create the atmosphere of the world of the Macbeths? Why were some of these choices made? </b></p>
<p>Originally, Dominic (Hill, Director) was was thinking about doing the show under working lights, which does work, but I felt would lose some of the intensity and focus of the piece, so I designed a very simple basic rig where most of the show was lit buy 2 large (2kw) Fresnel type lamps run no more than 40% at any time with a very dark colour filter (Lee 127 smoky pink) in them. As the lamps go from 0 to 100% the lower intensities give off a warmer yellow/orange glow to the lamps, so the intention was to get a murky dirty look in combination with the colour filter. </p>
<p>At one point in our discussions Dominic said that he felt the characters were in hell and, as it says in the play, hell is murky. I also used a ‘fluorescent’ strip (actually an LED strip made to look like a fluorescent fitting) and an LED PAR lamp as a top light directly above the bed. We would start quite general with the fresnels and the ‘fluorescent’ and as we progressed to the end, we would get tighter into the bed as their world closed in on them, until there was only a very low, dull top light left. </p><p>The intention was also to only focus the lamps to the bed. When the actors were on the bed, they were directly lit by the lighting units, if they moved off the bed they’d move into the shadows more, relying on light bounced from the bed rather than direct light. This was more for the fresnels than the fluorescent, as the florry is very much non directional and throws light in all directions. The top light was very tight and really only focused to the centre of the bed, again not worrying if the actors were directly in or out of light. We also used a lot of haze which helps to add to the murkiness of it all. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZI4s9umBsbh1pgRQC5oKjhHSFmcUEdOETgOHP6R1JYu9Yq912aNqALdnk7mmGWRRfTLpppG7CZPNSrVAYjfdUVs3RW_Bqs1WOczpOF-OfkxsK1QINfx6S62WWksSjnQLi1Kfu-0RlOrjg/w460-h640/Macbeths+63.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bed was directly lit by lighting units. (Image credit: Alan Peebles)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p></p><p></p><p></p><p><b>How was lighting used in this filmed version of the story? What choices were made and why? </b></p>
<p>The lighting was used quite differently in the film. There were certain elements that were kept from the original production, namely the positions of the fresnels and the fluorescents relative to the bed. But instead of working for an in-the-round audience like the Circle studio, you are only working on what the cameras see. We also had real trouble using haze during the filming, as Covid restrictions meant we had to circulate the air in the venue much more than normal, so couldn’t keep haze in the air for any length of time. </p>
<p>The side Pars and profile lamps that can sometimes be seen in shot perform the dual role of lighting the actors and giving a background to some of the shots. We would spend a bit of time working out what the DOP (Director of Photography) and Director wanted to see in the back of shot, and whether it was too bright for the cameras or needed a focus tweak to make the lights work for the camera.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzL3NUPSqqqJs9Rf9frIu_w7LskN_6Wxkl5tMA68E6j1h4_bFEKKjUTtK01Q5zBlTNhhjt7PLmLPulIhREZKBEalN3cqaMSMQHN4-KbC8o2Bakp7yxn_AKHTfuvbJMeDt3VvN4Ap8IXFq/w640-h426/The+Macbeths+BTS+92.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a very different process lighting the production for film versus stage. <br />(Image credit: Alan Peebles)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>In the past I’d been used to throwing as much light as possible at a subject for cameras but was surprised at the low levels we were working at and positioning moving lights to give some bounce rather than directly lighting onto the actors. Lots of high contrast, lit from behind gave a very dark brooding feel to the piece. Shooting for black and white meant we didn’t have to worry about colour, so angles became what we played with. By this I mean the position of the lighting unit relative to what it lights. Low cross or floor lighting looks very different to top or standard ’45 degree to the vertical’ lighting. </p><p>The two examples below help illustrate this idea about position of lighting. They (mostly) use a single source of light. I love the Caravaggio painting, The Denial of Saint Peter, which uses a candle as the primary source of light. Also, the shots from the film The Third Man, which uses big key light and no fill.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHxQLGAYbc09N-d8nRcgpPjnDVYn9UYgf4lLQTuuaYqWix19pbq2mxsfsLUb92Y0a7aByxY8apbCjAf55Z92mexCy6NqyA8VKQ-s4khTq_dFWZsHuVNPVOzl1uw598pnJ2JpVql1NVMRH/s1280/The_Denial_of_Saint_Peter-Caravaggio_%25281610%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1280" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHxQLGAYbc09N-d8nRcgpPjnDVYn9UYgf4lLQTuuaYqWix19pbq2mxsfsLUb92Y0a7aByxY8apbCjAf55Z92mexCy6NqyA8VKQ-s4khTq_dFWZsHuVNPVOzl1uw598pnJ2JpVql1NVMRH/w640-h462/The_Denial_of_Saint_Peter-Caravaggio_%25281610%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Denial of Saint Peter - <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Denial_of_Saint_Peter-Caravaggio_(1610).jpg" target="_blank">Public domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckkAYR77XP5MkijEIgTFkPcPk8mAX3KziYxVaGI8PCXCIsKqIYMUROea0HSOkAKCLiXLr-ijklQl7FjGWEEi_m_UMqdi983711h4Ffa7KuW2m5SNz237RSebNIiGDuv9Xv7hN0XCptxi9/w640-h396/The+Third+Man.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p>The use of light in the film The Third Man was a source of inspiration. (<a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">Image source</a>)</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>How did lighting help support the overall visual language and style of the piece? </b></p>
<p>In meetings before filming, Martyn (Robertson, Co-Director) had spoken of Cinema Verité, shooting in black and white using handheld cameras. It was all kept quite tightly shot, so it ended up being tight focus (for cameras) high contrast, lit from low sides or from the floor crossing, or directly above to try to change angle as much as possible between shots. I’d also on occasion only use one lighting unit so the actors would throw their own shadow onto each other or only be in half light, trying to keep some murk or dirt in it. </p>
<p><b>In his interview, Dominic talks about lighting being used to 'frame the picture' and create a more 'sculptural' and 'painterly' effect. Why do you think this effect was important for telling this story and portraying these characters and how was it achieved? </b></p>
<p>There was no attempt to make it theatre -like in the lighting. Though the idea that if the actors walked out of light, we didn’t follow them remained. We didn’t need to see them perfectly lit front on, but made it dark and murky, to try as much as possible to reflect what the characters were planning and eventually doing. The Third Man and Caravaggio's paintings were inspirations, high contrast again. It is quite literally dark and shadowy. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsvijQtAszMQplrpWSavLY3nAk3ddMmJPduHmDyv_a1G8Q1woC5CKZibqOFGM0qVSYQ3Hwd9aAIPJPYVdf1quJpAbEBY3-u2pLney7zCCHmDTOCWPecYr0m9niF3i0OiMtoDw7wf-zHMb/w622-h640/The_Calling_of_Saint_Matthew-Caravaggo_%25281599-1600%2529.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The paintings of Caravaggio were a source of inspiration. The Calling of St Matthew by Caravaggio - <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#">Public Domain</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Tell us why back lighting was used so much in the film and what impact it was designed to have. </b></p>
<p>It performs a couple of functions. In theatre, back light is used to highlight the top of the head and shoulders to make a person stand out from their background, stops it looking quite so two dimensional. It did the same thing on film, the actors didn’t blend into the background quite so readily. Because the cameras were constantly moving, the overall composition of any individual shot was up to Martyn and the DOP, Julian (Schwanitz), sometimes we’d only see Keith Fleming and Charlene Boyd in back light with the only face light being bounced from the bed, or a covering moving light bounced from the floor nearby. The low cross pars and profiles you can see in the background were useful as a backing, we never ran them at any great level as they’d bleach out the cameras, but they gave a depth to some shots and a bit of power if you needed it. </p><p></p><p></p><p><b>Frequently lighting in the film highlights faces, lips, eyes, lashes, spit, sweat etc. Why was it important to draw attention to these features in the telling of this story? </b></p>
<p>Yeah, again you can thank Martyn and Julian for that, it was shot so tightly that you couldn’t help but see these things. At the start it’s very intimate, quite sexual. I guess it portrays the descent into madness, their mounting desperation as time moves on, the way it’s shot and cut has almost a voyeuristic quality to it. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRo3TEduXifxlqHmW0yyMDw5bPCsX5MLEEBU0iJpCfU0L61ZhudUdLNCnXtDScpJbYaFrr8-wDlzMajJRveYpgWq_G4yFJ0tRxIhMBVZI9g80qgOHMnmBw8Xyp-JuOmOT7Cl-b9bPFddvD/w640-h490/Macbeths+53.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use of lighting played a key role in the film (Image credit: Alan Peebles)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Can you tell us about any other key moments where lighting played a key role in focusing the audience's attention on an image or moment? How did you use lighting to do that, and why was that moment so significant? </b></p>
<p>What the audience focus on was really down to shot selection from Martyn, Dominic and Julian. There was the briefest of moments when Keith is listening on headphones and was ¾ backlit by a line of pars focused just upstage of the bed. When filming it, this was a very striking image, it added height which we hadn’t had before, and it was one of the few times we got the haze to work! I think there was a moment of it on the final edit. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Gq4cUYmmCO6UhKU4cRWC2VdU9qA9TgUC0v_U24EY_dlNyH5xpxuHBQWg1OUROSw4Yb3YH9j2ottzu0OhMkNVtgitF2rDfD7ZYkInALdqhhYMJx315Od3ZFA7norYOJl85ZoyRIczfrd2/w640-h426/Macbeths+13.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haze was used less frequently in the film than the stage show. (Image credit: Alan Peebles)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>What was possible with lighting in this film version which wasn't possible on stage - and vice versa? </b></p>
<p>The colour, obviously, and also the variable haze due to Covid restrictions. The haze would have added a smoky feel to it. Apart from that, I’d made the rig much larger than it was in the stage versions to cover as many eventualities as possible as the filming schedule was so tight, so we rigged seconds or alternates to the more heavily used kit, so we didn’t have any down time changing lamps. </p>
<p><b>Several times we see the actual theatre lights in the background, which reminded me that we were watching a theatrical event in that space. Why do you think it was important to make the audience aware of this? </b></p>
<p>It wasn’t a conscious attempt to make us feel that way, though I suppose the voyeuristic nature of the way it was shot would have made it look that way. I did have a slight thought about the lamps being a representation of looking in on the Macbeths, could’ve been us, or the other people in the play? But I was more looking at giving a backing to the camera and a descent angle to light from rather than a more artistic reason. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHO99PShS0YZ_nfwYDHNKaDWB9k2VzkIcWmd8fVChgLhVP4ZPDCVH294hixz0WBVA4qbr9-cDsljqa_8i2VHk7vuHjXsP4v_FZjyW_12CGfQ2sVQuuPV_Wtf3b7X3_VjgI4cMPmQcQBXCv/w640-h426/The+Macbeths+BTS+61.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theatre lights are visible in shots throughout the film. (Image credit: Alan Peebles)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Is there anything else you want to tell us about choices you made in lighting the Macbeths? </b></p>
<p>It’s almost as if the two shows are two separate beasts as they are so different from each other. They have some similarities but mostly, lighting for camera is a different role to lighting for an audience. I relied very much on the skills and experience of Martyn and Julian and hoped it would look okay in the edit, as I wasn’t involved in any of that bit. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwah10xEoJH_U-rV96TVEb8gU4eZylIiXtHBj9YN8dGHVBmi_COuliR4jZRu8aYjf-fSyDj0Tx9JesXcTNlTiopGiOUXJhLVPcz0ojkWCsbh0pI-qeGAAJvdzkNitmJ1wTW6LgzQbr38Cc/w640-h402/Macbeths+5.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Image credit: Alan Peebles)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Want to find out more about the creative process behind The Macbeths? Our filmed interviews with the cast and director provide more insights. Watch them here. </b></p><p><b>The full film of The Macbeths is available to access as an educational resource until 3 June 2022. <a href="https://themacbethsfilm.co.uk/education" target="_blank">Find out more</a>. </b></p>
Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186801031072072072.post-20953223863874364392021-08-05T15:17:00.002+01:002021-08-05T15:31:33.364+01:00Tales from the Island of Night with the Friday Club<p><b><a href="https://www.citz.co.uk/take-part/theatre/friday-club" target="_blank">Friday Club</a> is our drama group for learning disabled people aged 18 and over. They meet each week, building creative skills and self-confidence in a supportive and stimulating environment.</b></p><p><b>Due to the pandemic, this group have been working online. Course leader, Louise Brown, reflects on what the group have been up to as they transported themselves to the Island of Night.</b></p><p>The Friday Club have been meeting weekly on Zoom ever since lockdown, sharing stories and skills, exploring creative ideas and inspiring one another, just like we used to do when we met face to face. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlBC02oVxCxoBQk32I_O4LFv4tPr0x21i8Tn3lzGW3s0g1RlxJd7f8Lz1fcNpLjQzSU1THczFHmrjQiSwwD9VviQn8ZA8zL87WxPdyFyfKh_ZY69xg5jj7Hfq9OKL2gbbVOS-8Wn55Sg_/s1920/Screenshot+2021-08-05+at+12.48.10.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlBC02oVxCxoBQk32I_O4LFv4tPr0x21i8Tn3lzGW3s0g1RlxJd7f8Lz1fcNpLjQzSU1THczFHmrjQiSwwD9VviQn8ZA8zL87WxPdyFyfKh_ZY69xg5jj7Hfq9OKL2gbbVOS-8Wn55Sg_/w640-h320/Screenshot+2021-08-05+at+12.48.10.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Friday Club meet weekly via Zoom</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In Summer 2021 the Friday Club invented an intriguing community of characters who lived on the fictional Island of Night, just off the coast of Scotland. There were farmers, shop owners and lighthouse keepers, as you might expect, but also DJs, dancers, folk who did historical re-enactments and a prince from a foreign royal family who was keeping a very low profile in the local hotel. It was a pretty cool place. </p><p>Of course, being a Scottish island, it was rich with tales of mythical creatures as well, and recently we created Tales from the Island of Night, a short film about one such creature. Our story was told by a group of the islanders who met regularly in the bar of the Angus Hotel, to share folk tales and entertain each other. We hope that it entertains you as well! Filming this epic poem on Zoom over several weeks needed focus, patience and imagination but was well worth the hard work. </p><p>Hit play below to watch the film:</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JcTYgntowpg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p><p>The Friday Club enjoyed one face to face meeting at the end of the Summer term, and are now looking forward to whatever adventures the Autumn brings!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMJTL5E0srD1MWEL7Ml685KEmaCFCkyN6XLtNJ5OYirNMtKstLMTUSuMABwLMbJfGNYFMArclIXktXc9gvVz6X7qw4Hp5QYalLVfgFuVNitb2pbcTuQlLjEqG0F9OKp2ZTKgI97WZCxV7/s640/MicrosoftTeams-image+%252842%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMJTL5E0srD1MWEL7Ml685KEmaCFCkyN6XLtNJ5OYirNMtKstLMTUSuMABwLMbJfGNYFMArclIXktXc9gvVz6X7qw4Hp5QYalLVfgFuVNitb2pbcTuQlLjEqG0F9OKp2ZTKgI97WZCxV7/w640-h480/MicrosoftTeams-image+%252842%2529.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Friday Club enjoyed an in person catch-up this summer</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Friday Club will continue to meet weekly for their Autumn 2021 term. The group is currently full but please do get in touch if you'd like more information contact Louise Brown on <a href="mailto:louisebrown@citz.co.uk">louisebrown@citz.co.uk</a>.</b></p><p><br /></p>Citizens Theatrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987861264803330104noreply@blogger.com0