I've been trying to get my writing head back on. It's difficult at the moment because I'm doing a lot of line learning or performing and they are very different mindsets. Last night I was sat, listening to music, notebook on lap, trying to get something flowing. Nothing specific, just general words. And it's not that I haven't written anything for a while. I only finished The Juliet Inquiry a few weeks ago, and Hang a few weeks before that. But most of the writing I was doing was really editing. Rewriting. The ideas, shapes, notes, plans for those plays were done earlier. And I've also been writing The Trolls Trilogy each week. But still, it's not the same. Letting the imagination flow, letting new ideas in - so that the next 'generation' of plays can be written - is really important. I know that once The Shakespeare Delusion is done (I'm learning it now, and with monologues like that there is always some rewriting to do as you learn) I have to be ready to write the next two shows on my project list - Metal Harvest and Historic Crimes. I need to get my head together for that. Hence the sitting with the notebook.
Not a lot came. Nothing useful, anyway. It was mostly self pity, which was interesting. Meditations on memory, which is something I'm preoccupied with at the moment. I have noticed that my brain is not as good at things as it used to be. This is probably temporary, following on from last year and my spell of not-well-ness and I'm learning lines alright. It's more trivial things. I've noticed a certain lack of sharpness to my thinking, where I do like to be precise. Added to that, the discovery that after drinking alcohol, I no longer have total recall of events. I used to be brilliant at remembering things the morning after. It was so useful when others were hazy. But now - a disturbing blur, with occasional flashes of lighting. It's rather like watching Abigail's Party with the sound off. Underwater.
That's new. Interesting. And like all experiences gets filed in the box of things to put in plays - both as writer and actor. Because that's how artists think. We use our lives as material. Sometimes I suspect I don't actually live my life, I merely use it. And then I remember that's just bollocks and make a cup of tea.
Now, time to do some line learning and later to sit and pretend to write again.
Sunday, 11 May 2014
Friday, 9 May 2014
First Broadcast
This afternoon was the first performance of The Milk Bottle Radio Show - a little under one hour of words from me, mostly by Shakespeare. It was oddly stressful, preparing and rehearsing it - though it is supposed to be a relatively light touch show. I had some technical issues before going live, but luckily they resolved themselves and I didn't massively cock it up. There were a few minor slip ups in the text, but it was live, what are you going to do? I thought the reading of Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis went well, though I waffled on too much before the Before Shakespeare contribution, a speech of 'Delight' - which I think is a fascinating bit of a lost medieval play. And I read the wrong bit at the end. But no one has complained. Yet. If you want to have a listen - here is the first show, available until the end of the month. www.ustream.tv/recorded/47335452
So, more next week. I'll finish off Venus and Adonis and then after that put together more of a mixed bag - including my shorter monologues and a reading of the original version of Hamlet. And also maybe bringing a few guests in to help with the Before Shakespeare section. What would you like to hear? Let me know. @RobertCrighton or email contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk
The next show is on Friday 16th May at 3.30pm - which you can listen live to here
www.ustream.tv/channel/robert-crighton-storyteller
Or you can listen again afterwards and I'll post that online after the show on my Twitter feed.
So, more next week. I'll finish off Venus and Adonis and then after that put together more of a mixed bag - including my shorter monologues and a reading of the original version of Hamlet. And also maybe bringing a few guests in to help with the Before Shakespeare section. What would you like to hear? Let me know. @RobertCrighton or email contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk
The next show is on Friday 16th May at 3.30pm - which you can listen live to here
www.ustream.tv/channel/robert-crighton-storyteller
Or you can listen again afterwards and I'll post that online after the show on my Twitter feed.
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
The Milk Bottle Newsletter - Spring 2014
Please, forward this email onto any friends who might be interested in listening these shows - they're either free and streamed online so anyone in the world can listen or Pay-What-You-Want. Pass on the love, help make these shows something special...
Only a few weeks to go before the next project of Project 10/52 is complete - the second of our trilogy of plays to celebrate 450 years of Shakespeare - The Shakespeare Delusion. It's performing at the Quay Theatre in Suffolk, as well as at the LOST One-Act Festival in London - not only that, it's streaming live online - with a bit of luck video as well as audio, but don't hold your breath on that one! And if that wasn't enough Shakespeare for you, Robert is starting a regular Friday radio show The Milk Bottle Radio Show with a reading of Venus and Adonis, the classic narrative poem by the bard. That'll be available for a month after the live broadcast - so don't worry if you can't catch it live.
The Milk Bottle Radio Show
Broadcasting Friday 9th May at 3.30pm.
The Milk Bottle Radio Show features the storytelling talents of Robert Crighton as he performs his own stories and classic works. Starting on Friday 9th May with a live performance of Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare.
To listen on the day - or anytime for one month after go to www.ustream.tv/channel/robert-crighton-storyteller
The Shakespeare Delusion
Complicated Pleasures
Only a few weeks to go before the next project of Project 10/52 is complete - the second of our trilogy of plays to celebrate 450 years of Shakespeare - The Shakespeare Delusion. It's performing at the Quay Theatre in Suffolk, as well as at the LOST One-Act Festival in London - not only that, it's streaming live online - with a bit of luck video as well as audio, but don't hold your breath on that one! And if that wasn't enough Shakespeare for you, Robert is starting a regular Friday radio show The Milk Bottle Radio Show with a reading of Venus and Adonis, the classic narrative poem by the bard. That'll be available for a month after the live broadcast - so don't worry if you can't catch it live.
The Milk Bottle Radio Show
Broadcasting Friday 9th May at 3.30pm.
The Milk Bottle Radio Show features the storytelling talents of Robert Crighton as he performs his own stories and classic works. Starting on Friday 9th May with a live performance of Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare.
To listen on the day - or anytime for one month after go to www.ustream.tv/channel/robert-crighton-storyteller
Written and Performed by Robert Crighton
Professor Ashborn invites you to share in his latest discoveries and lead you through the terrible secrets behind the man people call Shakespeare. Did he really write the plays? Was he really bald? Did he like cheese? Using recently uncovered documentation Professor Ashborn can finally tell the true and completely true, truly true, utterly true, true story of the Shakespeare delusion!
Performing at the Quay Theatre on Monday 26th May at 7.30pm
Box Office: 01787 374 745
Or book online by clicking here.
To listen to the Live Stream on the night go to www.ustream.tv/channel/robert-crighton-storyteller
Also performing at the LOST One-Act Festival on Wednesday 28th May at 7.30pm - tickets available here.
In other news - the audio download for Hang isn't quite ready yet, but the script is available to buy now at the Milk Bottle lulu shop.
Coming up later in the year...
Box Office: 01787 374 745
Or book online by clicking here.
To listen to the Live Stream on the night go to www.ustream.tv/channel/robert-crighton-storyteller
Also performing at the LOST One-Act Festival on Wednesday 28th May at 7.30pm - tickets available here.
Coming up later in the year...
An All New Comedy by Robert Crighton
Matthew has won the lottery, so he dumps his girlfriend because “he can do better”. She rebounds on a single parent whose child is blackmailing him for lollipops. Set in a not too distant future, this is a hilarious sex comedy about messy relationships, the balance of power between the sexes and the consequences of not giving a child a lollipop.
Performing at the Quay Theatre on Monday 21st July at 7.30pm
Box Office: 01787 374 745
And finally, early news on the final project - or is that the first project of 10/52? On the 31st December 2014 we're planning a big New Years Eve bash. It's probably going to be based on The Trolls Trilogy (which can be heard online here) but it isn't going to be a straight performance of the stories. It's going to be a mad, silly, funny (occasionally moving) evening of entertainment and so has a working title of GETTING TROLLIED. Though Milk Bottle will encourage guests to drink responsibly.
Tickets are not on sale yet (like all shows it will be Pay-What-You-What) so if you want to be put on the pre-sale guest list then email us now with a name and numbers. It's not too early to plan where you'll be this New Years Eve.
Box Office: 01787 374 745
And finally, early news on the final project - or is that the first project of 10/52? On the 31st December 2014 we're planning a big New Years Eve bash. It's probably going to be based on The Trolls Trilogy (which can be heard online here) but it isn't going to be a straight performance of the stories. It's going to be a mad, silly, funny (occasionally moving) evening of entertainment and so has a working title of GETTING TROLLIED. Though Milk Bottle will encourage guests to drink responsibly.
Tickets are not on sale yet (like all shows it will be Pay-What-You-What) so if you want to be put on the pre-sale guest list then email us now with a name and numbers. It's not too early to plan where you'll be this New Years Eve.
Saturday, 3 May 2014
After the Inquiry
It occurs to me I haven't told you about The Juliet Inquiry last month. People really liked it - so much so, we may do it again later in the year. It's been recorded and if I like said recording will be released online for download anon.
It was a very holistic process, working with the cast individually, none of them getting to see the script or performance of the other witnesses. I'd added a final character to the show on the last day, bringing in the talented Pamela Flanagan with a few days notice. So on the day of performance I rehearsed and to some degree wrote the opening of the show. That said, we were hardly busy with it at first, having lunch on Friars Meadow in Sudbury before the read through of her script. Then it was all hands to the pumps and I didn't really stop until the show was all over.
The Inquiry was held at the beautiful Lavenham Guildhall, where we set up all the equipment and Peter Morris miked us up for the recording. Then, after a few photos, we were open for business. Doors opened and the witnesses (most of them) and the audience mingled - the audience were all given visitor passes on lanyards (which I wish I'd had more time to do some design work on) and then, with an 'All rise' from the usher and a minutes silence for the victims of the play, we were off.
Now, what I hadn't told the cast was that some witnesses would interrupt their testimony - so when Benvolio libelled Rosaline she shouted out at the back of the court. This was nothing to the scream of 'murderer' from Lady Montague to Capulet at the end of the show.
And, apart from some of the slides with evidence going a little bit wrong, it was an electrifying evening. Not bad for Shakespeare's birthday, I thought.
In fact, The Juliet Inquiry is just the first of a trilogy of Shakespeare themed works - the next being The Shakespeare Delusion which performs later in the month and will be live streamed, and which is about all the bollocks people say about the non-existent Shakespeare Authorship Question (there isn't any question at all) and ending with Historic Crimes which partly follows on from Delusion as it in part addresses Bardolotry and what do you do about someone whose work is part of public consciousness, if they turn out to be a wrong un.
And on top of that, with my Radio show (starting Friday) I'll be performing regular bursts of Shakespearean poetry - so he's got a bit under my skin this year.
Anyway - I'll leave you with some of the comments the audience left us after the inquiry...
It was a very holistic process, working with the cast individually, none of them getting to see the script or performance of the other witnesses. I'd added a final character to the show on the last day, bringing in the talented Pamela Flanagan with a few days notice. So on the day of performance I rehearsed and to some degree wrote the opening of the show. That said, we were hardly busy with it at first, having lunch on Friars Meadow in Sudbury before the read through of her script. Then it was all hands to the pumps and I didn't really stop until the show was all over.
The Inquiry was held at the beautiful Lavenham Guildhall, where we set up all the equipment and Peter Morris miked us up for the recording. Then, after a few photos, we were open for business. Doors opened and the witnesses (most of them) and the audience mingled - the audience were all given visitor passes on lanyards (which I wish I'd had more time to do some design work on) and then, with an 'All rise' from the usher and a minutes silence for the victims of the play, we were off.
Now, what I hadn't told the cast was that some witnesses would interrupt their testimony - so when Benvolio libelled Rosaline she shouted out at the back of the court. This was nothing to the scream of 'murderer' from Lady Montague to Capulet at the end of the show.
And, apart from some of the slides with evidence going a little bit wrong, it was an electrifying evening. Not bad for Shakespeare's birthday, I thought.
In fact, The Juliet Inquiry is just the first of a trilogy of Shakespeare themed works - the next being The Shakespeare Delusion which performs later in the month and will be live streamed, and which is about all the bollocks people say about the non-existent Shakespeare Authorship Question (there isn't any question at all) and ending with Historic Crimes which partly follows on from Delusion as it in part addresses Bardolotry and what do you do about someone whose work is part of public consciousness, if they turn out to be a wrong un.
And on top of that, with my Radio show (starting Friday) I'll be performing regular bursts of Shakespearean poetry - so he's got a bit under my skin this year.
Anyway - I'll leave you with some of the comments the audience left us after the inquiry...
Malcolm (via Facebook): An
excellent event, true drama, I was so mesmerised... Congratulations on some really
moving performances and fine writing.
Julie (via Facebook): "Hear
hear! So glad I was able to see it. 450 years and we have our very own 21st
century Shakespeare amongst us!"
Anon: “It was brilliant, well done to all and thank you.”
Anon: “Lovely – super cast – super venue – more please!”
Sara: “Well done, an illuminating perspective, I’ll look forward
to the report.”
Gemma: “What a fantastic adaptation of a story we all know so
well. Congratulations to you all. A very fitting tribute to the Bard on his
birthday!”
Penny: “Totally fab! Really
powerful stuff and totally transfixing.
So relevant and very well done. I
loved it!”
Friday, 2 May 2014
Radio Ham
One of the tasks set aside for my Artist Residency at the Quay Theatre was to perform all the poetry of Shakespeare. I had planned to release a bit of poetry every day in little chunks - either the sonnets or broken down other work. The year has got a little bit more busy than planned, so now I need to make good. So, the plan is to start the live broadcasting with performances of the sonnets and narrative poems.
So, to start with I'm going to perform Venus and Adonis on Friday 9th May at 3.30pm on my ustream channel - after that, we shall see.
And the first Milk Bottle Radio Show is now available to listen online www.ustream.tv/recorded/47335452
Future shows will be available to listen every Friday at 3.30pm at www.ustream.tv/channel/robert-crighton-storyteller
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Shit Shakespeare
I'm trying to find a shit bit of Shakespeare. It's really difficult. I need to find one line - one line that is irredeemably second rate. Something that leaps off the tongue like an elephant in a swimsuit that plunges into the water of language with a booming untidy SPLASH!
It's for a one line gag in The Shakespeare Delusion which I'm performing in a little under four weeks time. I just need one line of Shakespeare, which is obviously rubbish (or weird - I'll take weird) to punctuate the joke. My choice of line for the first version which premiered a couple of years ago was so so - so I've asked the internet for suggestions.
So far I've had:
The winner of my favourite shit quote will get a free copy of the published script with a thank you inside! There, that's an incentive for you. Either tweet me @RobertCrighton or email contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk
The Shakespeare Delusion is performing at the Quay Theatre on Monday 26th May, at the LOST One-Act Festival on Wednesday 28th May and later in the year at the Face to Face Festival.
It's for a one line gag in The Shakespeare Delusion which I'm performing in a little under four weeks time. I just need one line of Shakespeare, which is obviously rubbish (or weird - I'll take weird) to punctuate the joke. My choice of line for the first version which premiered a couple of years ago was so so - so I've asked the internet for suggestions.
So far I've had:
- To step out of these dreary dumps
- A maid and stuffed? Aye, there's goodly catching of cold.
- I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word; for thou art not so long by the head as honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier swallowed than a flap-dragon.
- Betwixt Dravidian shores and linear five nine three oh one six seven point oh two, and strikes the fulsome grove of Rexel Four. Co-radiating crystal, activate!
The winner of my favourite shit quote will get a free copy of the published script with a thank you inside! There, that's an incentive for you. Either tweet me @RobertCrighton or email contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk
The Shakespeare Delusion is performing at the Quay Theatre on Monday 26th May, at the LOST One-Act Festival on Wednesday 28th May and later in the year at the Face to Face Festival.
Thursday, 24 April 2014
The Juliet Inquiry Programme
Milk
Bottle Productions...
Project
Four: The Juliet Inquiry
Written
by Robert Crighton, with additional material by the company
Performing
at the Lavenham Guildhall, Wednesday 23rd April
Based
on the story of Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Specially
commissioned to celebrate Shakespeare's 450th Birthday
CAST (in order of appearance)
CLERK
OF THE COURT – David Jenkins
PRESIDING
QC – Robert Crighton
ROSALINE
– Pamela Flanagan
LAURENCE
– Michael Harding
ESCALUS
– Mark Holtom
BENVOLIO
– Nick Elliott
LADY
MONTAGUE – Annie Eddington
CAPULET
– Cecil Qadir
Audio
Recording by Peter Morris
Website
tended by Keith Atkinson
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