After Everyman - Thank You

Twenty shows, a little over a month, and a lot of Good and Bad Deeds - thus ends the tale of The Summoning of Everyman.  I'm not saying I won't perform it again, but I won't take it on tour again in this way and not for a while.  I've learnt a lot of good lessons about how to do a tour like this and that means the next touring show - Metal Harvest - will be a leaner, meaner, performance machine.  Well, sort of.

Special Thanks to Jacqueline Cooper Clark - who acted as FOH and has been tirelessly posting about the show online - Belinda Hasler, Phil & Rachel Hope, Bryan Thurlow, Jennifer Davis; Mark Saberton for the gift of shirts as well as other kindnesses; Fiona Dinning for continued support to project Milk Bottle and all the fabulous people who run village halls across Suffolk and Essex, many of whom have gone out of their way to promote the show and make me feel welcome.  Apologies if I've missed anyone out!

I'll finish archiving the shirt of Bad Deeds and the last of the Good Deeds next week.

Stisted Village Hall - the final venue.

The interior - lit by the demonic glow of overhead wall heaters

Me and my shadow at Boxted and Hartest

St Mary's Church Chilton... twas a little chilly.

Steeple Bumpstead - pity I didn't need the stage for this show...

Assington and other Adventures

I have to be frank and admit that the shows are all starting to blur into one.  That's why I haven't posted about the last few shows - I CAN'T STAND THE CONFUSION IN MY MIND!  The old gag about a rock group calling out the wrong name of the town they're in is very true.  Especially as there are only three village halls in the world.
Allow me to elaborate.
Type 1. Is an historic (i.e. usually pre-war) building which is idiosyncratic in it's design as well as in it's acoustic and thermal efficiency (i.e. it's a bloody weird shape, it echos like fuck and the heat goes straight out of the ceiling barely touching the audience.)
Type 2. Is post war, it's got a nice acoustic, a raised stage one end and has probably been updated at some point with mode cons, but still will have the odd party quirk.  Usually warm and inviting.
Type 3. Is a badminton bunker.  The ceiling is so high it has its own micro-climate, which means you can time the echo by clapping, going out for a pee, coming back in and finding the reverb is still enfolding you.
I, of course, exaggerate for comic effect.
The reverb is usually much longer than that.

Boxford - or is it Assington?

Assington - or is it Boxford?

The last show was in Assington, which confused my tiny little brain because the hall is almost exactly the same inside as Boxford.  Here are a couple of compare and contrast photos which don't quite do the similarities justice.
Regardless as to whether the hall at Assington was memorable, the audience certainly were - it was a great show and I enjoyed myself enormously (I can assume by comments the audience did too).

"Riveting - thank you"
"Excellent - Many Thanks."
"Thought provoking - well done!"

A vlog will follow sometime this weekend - featuring the winner of the best village hall toilet competition (so far).

Still not posting more Bad Deeds till the end of the run I'm afraid - but here's a selection of Good Deeds:
I gave Everyman some shirts. (as potential shirt of Bad Deeds replacements...)
Gave my work shift to a girl who was sulking at 'not being picked'
Night shift for Samaritans
Took a neighbour shopping.
Cut my ----- Grass (unclear whose grass)
Talking to a stranger
Help hover our car (very unclear - help holler our cat?)
Cooking someone a favourite treat
I write to my mum every week
Helping Stella
Supported the Arts
Told the truth to a friend who needed to hear it
Looking after friends child while they dealt with emergency
Walking the dog on Monday (corresponding Bad Deed - Not walking the dog on Tuesday!)
Opened up and cleared up round Village Hall
Help with R.D.A.
Pushing a car
Made a pie for friend.
Long term looking after Mother
Stopped singing to the the neighbours
Keeping Asbo the aggressive cockerel alive!

Leaving Leavenheath

I'm halfway there!  Last evenings performance was the eighth in the official tour, with eight to go.
A lovely audience in Leavenheath for the Easter Sunday show.  It was a bit of a gamble, whether we would get an audience at all, but as it happened it was a good solid house - much better than Good Friday, which was a little quiet.  Now it's a question of how many people we will get for tonight's Easter Monday showing in Hundon - another gamble.  Will it pay off?  We shall see.

"Made us all think over Easter - most wonderful timing! Thank you."
"An amazing play - it makes you think about the rest of your life."
"A wonderful revelation - particularly on Easter Sunday."

I have just edited a video for you today (above) - and I thought I'd embed the full playlist of the vlogs so far in order of height... (below)

More excitement from the world of wall mounted heaters...

Funny story, this heater didn't work at first... oh, sorry,
I meant to write 'dull story'. My bad.

The Summoning of Everyman: Touring April 2015
All shows will be Pay-What-You-Want and tickets can be reserved by phone or online.
Telephone: 07946 652 196
Email: contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk
For emails or any phone messages please state your name, contact number, number of tickets and, most importantly, which date/venue you're booking for.

Hundon Village Hall                                   -              Monday 6th April at 7.30pm

Creeting St Mary Jubilee Hall                     -              Tuesday 7th April at 7.30pm

Assington Village Hall                                -              Thursday 9th April at 7.30pm

Brettenham Village Hall                             -              Tuesday 14th April at 7.30pm

Steeple Bumpstead Village Hall                 -              Wednesday 15th April at 7.30pm

St Mary’s Church, Chilton                         -              Sunday 19th April at 3pm

Boxted & Hartest Institute                         -              Monday 20th April at 7.30pm

Stisted Village Hall                                    -              Wednesday 22nd April at 7.30pm

All details correct at time of press – updates, corrections and directions to shows can be found online – or contact us direct.

Beautiful Boxford

From outside...

I have to say I was a little worried about Boxford - I hadn't had much of a chance to do much extra publicity there and the postering had been a bit patchy.  So, the small but select audience was a relief - there is always a possibility that if I don't have enough people I can't actually perform the show.

And inside...

It's also a venue I booked sight unseen - so it's always nice to go into somewhere and find that it is not just fit for purpose, but warm and welcoming.  It is a space for events and drama, not for sport, and I have yet to play a space with a really high ceiling and a badminton acoustic.  There are one or two borderline places - we shall see.

So, tomorrow Cavendish! It's looking like a good house - so do get in touch to book. (Details below...)

An we'll end with a couple choice comments from the audience:
"Excellent - Thank you!"
"Engaging + compelling evening - Bravo!"

The Summoning of Everyman Tours March / April 2015
All shows will be Pay-What-You-Want and tickets can be reserved by phone or online.
Telephone: 07946 652 196
Email: contact@milkbottleproductions.co.uk
For emails or any phone messages please state your name, contact number, number of tickets and, most importantly, which date/venue you're booking for.

Cavendish Memorial Hall                           -              Wednesday 1st April at 7.30pm

Hitcham Village Hall                                   -              Thursday 2nd April at 7.30pm

Maurice Rowson Hall, Gosfield                  -              Friday 3rd April at 7.30pm

Leavenheath Village Hall                            -              Sunday 5th April at 6pm

Hundon Village Hall                                   -              Monday 6th April at 7.30pm

Creeting St Mary Jubilee Hall                     -              Tuesday 7th April at 7.30pm

Assington Village Hall                                -              Thursday 9th April at 7.30pm

Brettenham Village Hall                             -              Tuesday 14th April at 7.30pm

Steeple Bumpstead Village Hall                 -              Wednesday 15th April at 7.30pm

St Mary’s Church, Chilton                         -              Sunday 19th April at 3pm

Boxted & Hartest Institute                         -              Monday 20th April at 7.30pm

Stisted Village Hall                                    -              Wednesday 22nd April at 7.30pm

All details correct at time of press – updates, corrections and directions to shows can be found online – or contact us direct.

Brief Report from Chappel and Wakes Colne

It's a busy day today, getting ready for tonight's performance in Great Waldingfield, so I'll be brief.  I loved performing Everyman last night.  It can be a struggle sometimes.  Sometimes you're not feeling it, sometimes the audience needs to be drawn in, sometimes it doesn't quite click.  For the first time, ever, I felt ready to do the show last night.  Every time I've been Everyman, I've been pulling the show together for one or two performances.  Having now run tryouts and started a tour in earnest, I feel ready - ready to let the play take me where it needs to go.
It helped that the audience at Chappel and Wakes Colne Village Hall were very, very good.  The concentration and eye contact was superb.  Thanks must go to Christine Underwood for being such a good host, and Phil and Rachel Hope for helping with front of house.

Short video and a few comments from the audience - you'll have to wait for more Good and Bad Deeds till the next post.

"Great evening, interesting, makes you think!"
"Very thought provoking..."
"Message all too true! So well put over."
"A most enjoyable show - thanks!"

First Night in Darkest Offton & Willisham

ROAD CLOSED.  Never a good sign.

I really liked these curtains as a back drop for the table...

As signs go, it's not up there with FREE SWEETS or WE ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING A GOOD SERVICE.  I wasn't worried that I wouldn't make it to the venue - I'd been forewarned, there was access - but that it might put off the audience, which when your show is Pay-What-You-Want is really not good.
I meet up with my generous hosts for the evening and set up.  And they really are good at Offton and Willisham Village Hall - welcoming, helpful and really enthusiastic.  I was put onto the space by a friend Mark, who was in The Juliet Inquiry last year and he suggested touring the show there.  It went well and so I was really looking forward to coming back.
Slowly an audience arrived and the ritual began.  Share your Good and Bad Deeds - and the conversion begins.  It's usually around how difficult it is to think of a Good Deed and how hard it is to choose a Bad.
And they're a good audience, they listen.  The space works well with the play - a slight echo, enough to create atmosphere, not enough to destroy clarity.
Afterwards it's time for tea (I'm on antibiotics at the moment so can't have alcohol - boo!) and a chat with the audience.  Finally home and this blog.  As per, here are some of the Good and Bad Deeds we shared.  And a v. short snippet of video - I didn't have time to film more.

Bad Deeds:
Believing that I haven't done a bad deed!
Cheated on a test
Eating Whale Meat (Yummy!)
White Lie
Drinking in Excess
Grumpy
Over Indulgence
Got Up Late
Road Rage
Not Listening
Shot a Rabbit
Did not clean my teeth
I / will have wasted a myriad of opportunities to do a good deed.
Didn't put the wife's Valentine flowers in water - they were a bit floppy by 14th Feb

And one for debate...
Deliberately letting a competitor win a race

Awaiting the audience...

Good Deeds:
Looking after Grandchildren
Raised a family who have raised a family and married a woman who cares for others
Always be kind
Giving your time to charity
Helping others
Raise money for good causes
Volunteered for the RDA
Friendship
Youth Club Sailing Instructor
Volunteered at youth group
Loaned money
Oiled kitchen cupboards
30 years on Hall Committee
Youth Offending Panel
Flowers to a sick friend
Helped a lady out by mending her clutch cable by the roadside
Cleaned my elderly neighbours wheely bin

A Reckoning in a Little Room

It's been a fraught few days as I get down to the nitty-gritty of rehearsing Everyman.  Ironing out those little mistakes (the same mistakes I was making 18 months ago!) and generally feeling like I'm not getting anywhere.  I am, it just feels sooooo slow...
Tomorrow is the last chance to get it right before a double bill of performances to students on Friday morning.  And they've read the play (in theory) so have a far higher chance of noticing any cock-ups.  Tomorrow I will also make my final choices regarding props, costume and additional bits and bobs.
That said, for all my due diligence for Friday, I've actually been mostly rehearsing the show for a performance next week which is at someone's home.  These rehearsals I've been calling 'a reckoning in the little room' - i.e. I've been rehearsing as though no one can move.  It's been interesting.  The only real problem I've had is for this exercise I've been rehearsing in my study, which means I constantly fight the part of my brain that's going - "ooh, I haven't read that book in a while".  Stupid brain.
Anyway, here's the first teaser trailer for the show - I've got material for two more, if I can find a moment to edit them.  Enjoy.  It's short.