Live from the Quay Theatre!

Friday night and it's the last ever Teaching Gods.  Ever.  So, instead of telling a story, how do I start the show?
By doing my vlog.
So, here you have my latest vlog, with a live studio audience.  I'm a little bleached out... but technical facilities were basic and my camera is still playing up.

After that I told three stories - Problem Tree (from Teaching Gods and Other Stories...) and two new pieces, Much Like... and Sleep Inc.  Much Like... was a qualified success - it's a bit self indulgent and probably won't be repeated.  Sleep Inc. however went well and, with a few adjustments, will be added to shows future.  Of course those who were in the audience are free to tell me I am deluded about all the above.
After an interval I closed with Teaching Gods - which is now officially closed for business from me.  It started life as a filler for a show in 2003, was rewritten for 2006 and has been popping up for five years since.  Enough now.  The CD exists - that will have to be it for the time being, unless others wish to stage it themselves.
Right, I'm off into town now for a meet and greet with the cast of Storyteller - so more from me tomorrow on that I'm sure.
From the depths of Lavenham,
Robx.

Before the Gods Arrived...

Last month we (Catherine Eccles, Simon Nader and myself) did the final (bar tonight's Suffolk special) performance of Teaching Gods: The Ultimate Selection.  I was Teaching Gods, Cat was the Ultimate Selection.  It was a very quick set up as there was the marvellous Magic Cavern magician on before us, so I didn't get to drink quite as much tea as I'd like.  This is our journey - as documented by the marvellous Mr Matthew Vile.
NB:  I haven't fully processed these images - cropping and light balances reflect the rough and ready quality of the technical process.

THE CURTAIN'S UP PUBLIC HOUSE
16.00 hours:
Simon runs his lines.

I drink some tea.

Cat has not yet arrived.

THE BARONS COURT THEATRE
17.10 hours:
Simon focuses some lights.

It is a reasonable assumption that I am drinking tea somewhere out of shot.

Cat arrives.  All work stops for hugs and natteration.




17.30 hours:

Cat is put in her box.  The lighting box, that is.

Simon continues to focus lights.

I boil the kettle for more tea.

17.40 hours:
We start a cue to cue - Simon's up first with some dynamic invisible dart throwing.

I am probably drinking some tea.

Cat works those lights.





17.45:  Cat pretends to be a person.

17.50:  I pretend to be a cat.

 18.05:  With less than an hour till the show starts, we check out the merchandise.

18.40:  There's little time left before curtain up, so the cast behave in a serious and professional manner.

And then there was a show. And the audience smiled - for it was good.

Teaching Gods: The Ultimate Selection was performed by Robert Crighton, Catherine Eccles and Simon Nader as a one-off show at the Barons Court Theatre on Sunday 22nd May 2011.  Pre-show photos taken by Matthew Vile.  Special Thanks to Ron and Chris of the Barons Court Theatre.

Meet the Cast - Part Four

Who else do we have in our marvellous cast... well today we have...

Georgina Blackledge

Having decided to swap a sterile theatre for a dusty one, Georgie has thrown herself head first into the acting world. Her most recent work includes filming Emma Peel in ‘The Avengers Return’, of which a pilot series in is development with Gin and Tonic Productions. Other film work includes ‘Africa in her blood’, Nightpiece Media; ‘An act of loyalty’, Evergreen media; ‘Define Crazy’, Ravensbourne Films; ‘Two Birds One Stone’, JAM films; ‘The Cabinet’, Mad Ninja Films. Theatre includes ‘Noises Off’, The Company and ‘The Rover’, The Company. She will also be appearing in ‘Excess Deductable’ with So it goes...Theatre Company later this year. After stumbling upon the audition, Georgie is extremely excited to be making her Milk Bottle Productions debut.

[Bloggers Note: Georgina did indeed stumble upon the audition by complete accident, thinking we were a completely different theatre company.  After talking cross purposes for a couple of minutes like a modern day restoration comedy we did eventually realise we were discussing very different shows.  Luckily for us, after auditioning with our script, she agreed to do ours.]

Elizabeth Jee

Elizabeth graduated from the London Centre for Theatre Studies in 2007. Theatre credits include AFTER THE DANCE (National Theatre) MY BOY JACK (Baron's Court Theatre) and TREWLAWNY OF THE WELLS (New Players Theatre).

She has recently been working on a short film EMPTY PAGES playing the lead role (Release July 2011) and is looking forward to working with Milk Bottle Productions for the first time and helping to tell their marvelous story.

Denys Gaskill

Acting credits include:

The Handwitch of the Second Stage (Camden Peoples Theatre), Rashmon and Hello Paris (Edinburgh Fringe Festival),  Antigone, A Christmas Carol, Trap for a Lonely Man (all at the Lion and Unicorn), ‘House of Bernarda Alba’ (Pentameters), ‘Macbeth’ (The Scoop), ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Rose Theatre Bankside)

Student films: ‘One Word’’, ‘Paul Thomas’, ‘ Spring Clean’ and ‘Man and Dog’.

 

Kate Steel

Kate trained at East 15 Acting School.  Since graduating in 2008 she has played a wide variety of roles, most recently in Los Angeles where she trained with Cinda Jackson and John Pleshette. 

Theatre credits include Tzeitel in "Fiddler on the Roof" and Madame Aubert in "Titanic the Musical" at Hull New Theatre. Last year she toured Slovenia with the Alzaytouna dance/theatre company and is currently rehearsing for an Agatha Christie Spoof, ‘Murdered to Death’. If she survives this play, she hopes to reprise her character, Margaret, in the two remaining plays in the trilogy!

Kate was in Los Angeles from January this year until recently and was thrilled to be cast as Liz in "Me as a Penguin" by northern playwright Tom Wells – although it was a slightly surreal experience for her to play a lass from her native Hull.... in Hollywood! She also played Emma in Harold Pinter’s "Betrayal". Playing a Renaissance Fair Maiden in a US commercial was also an experience! 
Kate also loves film and her favourite role to date was when she gallivanted across the North Yorkshire Moors as a 17th century governess in "The Legend of Beggar's Bridge". Her first feature film, ‘Peter’ (based on the life of The Yorkshire Ripper) is due to be released this year. 

As a former primary school teacher, Kate has always loved telling stories and is thrilled to play her most recent part in "The Natural History of Trolls". 

 

The New Wimbledon Studio

Monday 11^th, Tuesday 12^th and Wednesday 13^th July at 7.45pm

Tickets: £10

Box Office: 0844 871 7646

Groups Line: 0844 871 7696

Access Booking Line: 0844 871 7677

www.ambassadortickets.com/wimbledon

TICKETS HERE

New Wimbledon Studio, the Broadway, London, SW19 1QG

 

Meet the Cast - Part Three

We've been a little female heavy the last couple of posts - we can't help that, it's a female heavy company.  However, today we have sneaked in a couple of men with a lady, and we do have a few more in coming posts.

Elizabeth Nicholson

After performing in stage productions whilst growing up in Nottingham and then Dorset, Elizabeth graduated from the University of the West of England in Bristol and went on to train full time as an actor in her Postgraduate studies.

She has recently filmed a commercial in Romania and been busy filming 3 shorts and a feature film, including the ambitious indie feature ‘Red Heart’ (redheartmovie.tumblr.com), sci-fi short Proximity (vimeo.com/22052733) and the comedy super-hero short ‘Durex-Man’ directed by fellow Storyteller Colin Emerson. 

She is also soon to feature in ‘Like a Fishbone’ by Andrew Weigh at the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone.

Colin Emerson

Born in London, Colin passed a course in Contemporary Popular Musics and went on to become a singer/songwriter working with Garage producers, Delinquent, DJ Fabion and Mischief Makers, and scored a top 10 hit on 1xtra with the track ''R U Ready''. 

Since then Colin has turned his eye to learning Japanese and the craft of acting. He has trained at The Actors Temple and has also worked closely with producer Milly Ellis and screenwriter, Nick Reed and currently in the process of producing/directing a web series.

Last year Colin performed ''Teaching Gods'', written by Robert Crighton at the Tristan Bates Theatre and will next be seen in The Actors Centre/BBC Talent Boost short film ''The Conference'' directed by Justin Edgar.

Simon Nader

Simon Nader is a core member of Milk Bottle having played Teiresias in BLIND SPOTS, Treplev in THE ALTERNATIVE SEAGULL and several solo pieces including KEYNOTE SPEAKER. He trained at London’s Academy Drama School. Previous stage work includes: Billy, BILLY BLISTER’S CIRCUS (Watford Palace Theatre); George, OF MICE AND MEN (National tour); Colin/Policeman, MAGGIE’S END (Shaw Theatre); All the male roles, THE OTHER SIDE (Gilded Balloon Edinburgh); Otto, CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (Union Theatre); Gary, THE REVENGERS (Barons Court Theatre) and many others. Feature Film work includes forthcoming horror THE DEAD INSIDE as Wayne Andrews; Guildenstern in HAMLET (Fodor’s 2006); Horst in FUR MEINEN VATER and as a voice actor on IRONCLAD. He recently played The Journalist in BBC Radio 4’s THE CHESS GIRLS and is currently playing Claudio in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING for Rooftop Theatre in St Albans (until July 16th). Tickets www.rooftoptheatre.co.uk

Let me tell you about a Cat called Gus...

We get to Gus in a round about way.

We start by talking about books.

And shows...

I will get to the cat in a bit.

So, books.  The first text I published was a mini pocket edition of Fantasy Terrorist League - but this was just a test.  Bar that test copy we never did a print run and have only sold a few units online.  The reason for this neglect is we went straight into publishing a collected edition of monologues: Teaching Gods and Other Stories...

This was the title of the show that collected all my major monologues and stories together and had a reasonably large print run (well for us anyway).  The initial collection was expanded with the inclusion of favourites such as The Alternative Seagull and now contains seven different pieces.
The show is in the process of being retired.  We did the last London show last month and I'm doing a last stand in the Quay Theatre bar - watched over by one Gus.

I must say, I never met Gus, he was before my time.  However, he watches over everyone who stops off at the lovely Quay Theatre bar for a drink and never makes a nuisance of himself - which is more than could be said when he was alive.  Gus was the theatre cat.  And as Teaching Gods is a story about a cat, one of the names used for the campus cat had to be Gus.  So it was very important for me to do that story in the bar that he watches so carefully over.
The bar event is free to attend and features a new story that I've been working on - "The Adventures of Shermes Hollocks".  So if you''re around this Friday 24th June do come down to the bar of the Quay Theatre, Quay Lane, Sudbury, Suffolk - the stories begin at 8pm.

Meet the Cast - Part Two

With a company of twenty-four souls, that's a lot of people.  So I'm introducing you to them three at a time, every three/four days.  You've met Catherine, Pamela and Sophie - who's next out of the Milk Bottle bag.
NB:  We don't keep them in a bag.

Emma Burn

Originally from the North East of England, Emma moved to London to train at The Academy drama school.

Previous credits include: Charmian in Antony and Cleopatra at The Rose Theatre, Bankside.  Mercutio in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ which toured theatres in England and Ireland and Hermia in 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' which toured to open air venues.  Suzette in 'Don't Dress For Dinner'at The Palace Theatre, Westcliff, Belle in 'A Christmas Carol' at The Marina Theatre, Lowestoft (with the legend that is Paul Daniels!)

Emma also appeared as Ruth Bechlar in 'Suddenly At Home' and Jane Bedford in 'Murder With Love', both for The Thriller Season at Nottingham Theatre Royal. New writing credits include ‘Bacchus In Rehab' at The Etcetera Theatre, Camden and the comedy musical ‘Rasputin Rocks!' at The Kenton Theatre, Henley.  Emma can also be seen in various commercials and i-dents.

Ailsa Ilott

Having graduated from Middlesex University, shall we say a while ago, Ailsa went on to survive travelling the world on her lonesome to carry on studying acting at Drama Studio London.

Ailsa's recent credits include: The Merry Wives of Windsor (What's in a name Productions); Alice's Adventures in the New World (Old Red Lion); Handbag (BAC); The Haman Bride (The Arcola); Licentogue (the Underbelly); The Enemy of the People (The Arcola); Storm in the Willows (The Albany); Richard II (The Bloomsbury).

Last year she made 3 short films: Exploitation; The Date; and The ID Girl. Ailsa is an associate artist with the all female theatre company Fluff Productions with whom she will be doing a tour of Alice's Adventures later this year.

Philippa Tatham

Philippa started her London acting career dressed as an Elizabethan whore on the Southwark streets.

Since then, her credits have included Autolycus (The Winter’s Tale), Mistress Overdone (Measure for Measure), Dormouse/Tweedledum (Curiouser and Curiouser) and Sebastian (Twelfth Night.) In 2010 she directed her own show The Adventures of Sydney and Arabella, The Exiled Urban Foxes at the Camden Fringe, and has also staged plays at The King’s Head, Tabard, New End, Baron’s Court and Rose Theatres as well as with London Irish Theatre. 

 She is appearing as Beatrice in Rooftop Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing in St Albans this July. 

[Editors note: And Philippa is not the only cast member from Storyteller doing Much Ado, so definitely worth catching both show, as we only use class actors...]

More exciting cast members next week... more other stuff from this blog tomorrow...

The Natural History of Publishing - Part One

Tomorrow I'll post a few more details about the cast - but today let's talk books.
For three years now I've been publishing my plays whenever there is a signification production.  This has been an interesting exercise, when you work on the scale of theatre that I do.  It has many benefits.  It raises a little extra revenue (not a lot, but a little), it spreads the word a little further and it forces me to stop re-writing the play (to the joyous relief of the cast).  There is a cut off point where the script is locked - where I cannot change it.
Much.
I would love to say it works.  It doesn't.  What happens is I scale down the level of changes.  Rather than say, completely changing a scene, I will only change to odd word, turn of phrase or make the odd cut.  (Cuts are not rewrites - they are the directors revenge.)  So The Natural History of Trolls is locked.  My last changes were sent on Monday to the cast.  And it is this book which is on sale. 

!!!SELLING BIT - SKIP TO THE END IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED!!!
You can buy it now - at lulu.com - where it retails at £9.99 plus p+p, or for much less if you download it to your kindle.  Yes, Milk Bottle is e-friendly. 
The easiest (and cheapest) way to buy the play is to come to the show - where we will sell it to you for only £5.  Nearly half price.  Over half price if you include postage.  But numbers are limited, so if you want a copy you can reserve one by email - just send me your name to contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk and it'll be waiting at the show.  Which you will have to buy a ticket to see.  Which perhaps ruins the cheapness angle.  But it's a great show - so you won't be agrieved.  Buy Tickets Here!
!!!SELLING BIT ENDS!!!

And here is the book.  With authentic painting on the front.  I'd say I'm a great painter - but that would be a lie.  I took a picture of a penguin, traced it out and then essentially did a painting by numbers job.  But it's very relaxing.  I recommend it.

Any day now the books will all arrive and I will be terrified that there's a typo somewhere.  I am more careful about such issues these days - there is a story about Teaching Gods and the omnipresent travelling n, which I'll tell in a future blog.

Ultimately the reason why I do the publishing thing is the play has a life of it's own after the show ends.  Again, this happened with Teaching Gods which was put on by an actor called Colin, who is now in cast of Trolls - so you'll hear all about him next week.  Publishing adds another dimension and introduces me to lots of new and interesting people.
Now, I think I'm going to go away and paint a penguin.