Thursday, April 23, 2020

Now I wouldn't have imagined that it was house confinement to lead me back to The Tempest. But life is full of twists and turns, isn't it? Some times more than others. Just as The Tempest suggests, in fact. 

Ten years ago, probably about now, I'll have been auditioning for our Tempest. Negotiating with Leith and the Council to get a licence to do it on Leith's Mary of Guise barge in the Fringe. Off we went. A fortnight in each other's pockets and it was a wonderful isle full of memories from start to finish.

Ten years on, the shipwreck takes to zoom. Brainchild of Creation Theatre, it was a brave beautiful brilliant flight of fancy

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Monday, April 13, 2020

So we're currently enjoying a period of time where we're entreated to stay home on account of the rampant spread of coronavirus. Boris told us all to stay home, just as we were winding up auditions for our Fringe show. Then the Fringe got 'cancelled'. Then the Quaker Meeting House decided they weren't going to open as a venue this summer. 

All these things are small trivial and inconsequential in comparison to the risks that a huge portion of the population are undertaking every day in a quest to keep us all fed, watered, tidy and safe. 

But I nonetheless felt a little bit - let's just say - vexed.

In a sort of plaintive attempt to pretend everything is normal, I've been frantically watching online theatre. The National Theatre are doing great things to make theatre more accessible to everybody.

But in lots of ways, more interesting are the chances to see the less lavishly budgeted - and less representative of the national interest in theatre - contributions from the littler companies. Following Ross' recommendation, I very much enjoyed It's True It's True It's True by Breach Theatre. Missed in the 2018 Fringe but captured here for all time on film.

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