I missed this when it was first announced. Fraser Grace is the playwright who wrote, among other things, Breakfast with Mugabe for the RSC, which I remember doing very well.
He’s now at the University of Birmingham, heading up the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts.
I Like Theatre is a lovely, simple idea and a nice progression from last year’s theatre pledge cards.
Note: a mention of the West Midlands Theatre Awards 2012. You saw it there first.
I Like Theatre was prompted by Ian Craddock at Old Joint Stock Theatre from an initial idea and Pledge Card from James Yarker at Stan’s Cafe / @ A E Harris.
Hold on to your hats – this is big.
The crocodile from Birmingham Rep’s 2007 production of Peter Pan can be hired by schools, youth theatres or amateur dramatic societies for as little as £30 per week.
Apparently it can be operated by as few as three people. Three! That’s a tenner each for a WEEK!
You’ll have to get in quick, I’m thinking of ditching the Christmas tree this year and installing this bad boy in my house over the festive period instead.
In other news, Birmingham Rep have a fancy, new website. It was designed and built by Made Media, where I work.
In Moseley, Birmingham February 2009, just around the corner from where RoguePlay Theatre is based, a fatal accident involving a 14 year old Brazilian girl happened. This young girl was a good friend of RoguePlay’s Artistic Director, Kim Charnock, and had previously undertaken work experience with the Company.
Following the death of the girl, Kim Charnock, who had written new work for RoguePlay since it’s creation, began to write a new piece entitled ‘Crash’. We would like to produce ‘Crash’ for schools touring to help make our young people aware of what can and has happened on the roads, encouraging them to stay safe.
See the Crowdfunder page for more details and a chance to help.
mid*point, the network for West Midlands people in theatre, is planning to hold the next in a series of networking rendezvous. This is an opportunity for anyone involved in theatre, film and other media to meet other creatives and enjoy informal chats and light refreshments.
Theatre Cuppa will be held at the Coffee Room (formerly The Green Room) on Hurst Street, Monday 12th September from 1pm onwards.
Tin Box Theatre are:
A Birmingham based theatre company who create immersive theatre that explores inventive uses of storytelling, visual theatre and site-specific performance
They’re the group that did a show called Stop The Clocks at Newman Brothers Coffin Works recently, if you remember that. They do the Facebook and Twitter thing too.
It’s taken me a few years to finally get round to going to Pilot. I’m not sure whether to kick myself for missing so many or pat myself on the back for finally making it along (what the heck, it’s the end of the week so I’ll go for the latter).
There was a packed audience (extra chairs had to be fetched twice), a great atmosphere and some good (and as yet unfinished) work on show from Little Earthquake, Hamfisted!, LouDeemY Productions, Heart of the Anchor, Alex Brockie and Rebekka Platt.
I have to admit to being a bit surprised by how many people had turned out for it, and not just in light of recent events around the city centre. From what I could make out the audience was a mixed and supportive crowd of fellow performers, friends/family and theatre fans. Folks from Friction Arts, Fierce Festival, the RSC and Women & Theatre (among other organisations) were there too.
Pilot, by the way is a chance for:
a host of theatre companies from the West Midlands region and beyond to share with you their latest artistic doings in an early form. There is a mix of experienced and novice companies, addressing a broad spectrum of ideas, using a wide range of approaches and in the vast expanses of @ A E Harris, there is the chance for a couple of pieces to stretch themselves out
It was good and I’ll be going again.
Well, I’m not (more’s the pity) but plenty of others are. Among them:
These two were previewed at the MAC the other week, following which everyone there had a bit of a chat:
many representatives of WM companies heading up to Edinburgh this month got together to find out about each other’s shows and discuss how we can co-promote our work up there
There’s now a hashtag – #WM2edin – people can lump Twitter activity around and Pippa Frith seems to be making the running in pulling together a list of folks who are travelling up.
I’m sure there’ll be other shows up there too but the only other one I’m aware of is The Other Way Works’ Avon Calling (which I’ve seen and was good). The flyer for that one’s below. If you know of any other local folks taking shows up then hit me in the comments.
Videos for the first half of Birmingham’s street theatre season, Six Summer Saturdays, are up online on the Hippodrome’s Vimeo account. Here’s week three:
And you can follow these links for week two and week one.
Listings for all the craziness happening around the city centre are on sixsummersaturday.com.
UPDATE: I’m planning to be down in the Arcadian/outside the Hippodrome at 5pm this afternoon for music, queueing and speed portraiture. Say hi if you’re down there – I’ll be the tall guy who looks like me.
No, it’s not a very original title. Sorry. Still, Birmingham Rep are continuing their wanderings around the city while building work continues in Centenary Square. Their next show is The Owl and The Pussycat at Birmingham Library Theatre.
After that is something extra interesting. They’ll be setting themselves up at their old home, The Old Rep Theatre, and the same cast will perform two plays whose runs overlap. The first (and longer running) show is Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest (9 Sept – 22 Oct) which is joined by a new production of Tom Stoppard’s Wilde-referencing play Travesties (17 Sept – 22 Oct).
There’s a bunch of other stuff happening around these two plays too:
As well as our usual post show discussions with the cast, there will also be readings of plays by Mark Ravenhill, W.S. Gilbert, Neil Bartlett and Carl Miller; pre-show talks from experts on the Dada movement, the life of Oscar Wilde and Lenin in theatre and literature; two curtain raiser events inspired by the shows and a youth theatre performance of an Anthony Horowitz play by The Young REP.
You’ve got to hand it to those West Midlands theatrical types – they certainly know how to document a set of discussions.
The notes from June’s Open Space get-together are now online. The ones that intrigued me:
But there are plenty more interesting things besides in there.
Mid*Point, the network for theatre makers in the West Midlands, has a new website for West Midlands theatre-related goings on.
If you’re into that kind of thing then you might want to think about bookmarking or subscribing to that one.
As I type this very sentence people are formulating answers to the question ‘What more can we do to create a better future for theatre in the West Midlands?’ at day two of the West Midlands Theatre Open Space event. Am hoping some notes will appear from this somewhere.
Photo by Graeme Braidwood, cropped by Stan’s Cafe.
Just look at that! That’s the Hippodrome 30 years ago that is.
Seriously, I mean you’d think that rebuilding a stage might involve swapping out a few planks, maybe putting in some new struts, checking the hydraulics and giving the whole thing a new coat paint. Or something. Apparently not. Apparently diggers are involved.
I found this at the bottom of this page on the Hippodrome’s current stage appeal. They’re looking to rebuild the stage next year. I think I now understand why it’ll cost £1,137,000.
I can’t find a photo credit for this one – if I’m doing someone a disservice then let me know.
UPDATE: Thanks to Judy Cartwright for pointing out that the photo is by John Whybrow.
BE Festival are crowdfunding the last bit of cash needed for the festival which is due to take place 4-10 July:
We have secured an enormous amount of support-in-kind from the major Birmingham arts organisations but we are facing a £2000 cash shortfall to be able to fully realise the 2011 edition in its current form. Your help will give the next generation of UK and European performing artists a platform to show, explore and develop their work
Go chip in a bit of cash if you can.
