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This week we had the chance to sit down with Francis Grin, writer and dramaturg of Mrs. C’s Collective’s upcoming production of That Was All.

Jennie Eggleton in rehearsal for That Was All (Credit Maxim Levy)

Firstly, tell us a little bit about That Was All, how did you create this story?

That Was All is a play about a young woman who, like most of us at some point, has a major loss in her life. In her quest to come to terms with it, she meets a very eccentric spiritual healer and goes on a bizarre journey, somewhere between reality and memory. At the heart of it, this play asks, ‘how do you deal with grief when you don’t have a firm belief system or religion to fall back on?’

Like most of my stuff, I haven’t quite trained my imagination to go beyond my personal experience! Yes, this play is *slightly* autobiographical. Growing up, my parents, both agnostics, encouraged me to figure out my own spiritual beliefs rather than forcing anything on me. They weren’t anti-religion either, my mum even tried to get me to read the Bible (I didn’t have the attention span, sadly). Being agnostic felt okay until my dad died. I couldn’t make sense of it and just didn’t understand how he wasn’t around anymore. On top of that, I’d developed some body pains. I got in touch with a chiropractor who introduced me to a lot of holistic healing. I’d hang around after sessions and we’d talk about life, death, the meaning of it all – stuff I would have never been able to discuss with my friends with a straight face.

One day he asked me for a favour which involved spending a day translating for a Mexican healer. A man who had thousands of followers and could apparently cure people just by looking at them. I wasn’t sure what to think. Still, even if this world felt totally bizarre, I found myself in a space where I could finally process some of my grief.

That Was All has been performed previously, but your editing process is continuous, how does your writing evolve?

Like most plays, at the beginning it was just me sitting in a room with a concept and some loose ideas on how that should be executed. But once I started working with Charlotte and Jennie, the process naturally evolved into something else. My current editing process involves having a lot of chats with our team, trying to answer questions. Mike Carter has sent us some cracking questions that we’ve endlessly been talking about! I’ll then use these conversations as a starting point for a bit of solo editing.

That Was All at the Space’s Spring Season Launch party, January

Fans of the Space will remember your hit Welcome To Mine (Two Fest 2020), is it fair to say there are a couple of parallels: New Age behaviours; Loss; The struggle for one’s identity?

I don’t think I’ve ever had a ‘hit’ so thanks for that! Definitely. Loss/death is a huge subject in my plays. It feels like one of the most ungraspable elements in my life. Going from having daily conversations with someone to picking out their casket. It’s all kinds of bizarre. In a way, death in both these plays is like the ‘third guest in the room’. Silent, yet present and the characters do a good job of getting through life ignoring them. It’s the reason why they do many of the things they do. Whether it’s watching reruns of The Bachelor, a shopping spree, drunken Samba dancing, a new vegan diet or a questionable series of exercises – anything feels better than facing the unknown.

You want your characters to “Make Sense of The Unspoken”, how do you write the unspeakable?

I think you write it by exhausting your characters’ distractions. Exhausting the rituals they carry out to avoid ‘the unspeakable’ (which in this case is death). Eventually everyone runs out of new episodes of Netflix, shopping sprees, the diet or new exercise regime eventually breaks down, the meditation becomes a ball-ache and the pub crawl comes to an end. And then we’re just left in our own silence.

Photo by Maxim Levy

How do you craft a world of characters, relationships and interactions through just one actor?

I think it’s about writing out these characters with a set perspective in mind. At the end of the day, we’re seeing these characters through one viewpoint – and so they all exist in the space of a single reality and memory. Our actor, Jennie is really skilled at this and understands that part of creating these different characters isn’t just about looking at who they are and what their motivations are – but also what her own character’s view towards them is.

As part of Mrs C’s Collective, you are credited as both company Writer and Dramaturg, how do each of these roles inform the work you create?

When I’m in my writer’s mode, I have to shut off all criticisms and go with wherever my gut is taking me. I really struggle to be creative and critical at the same time. I think most of us do. But then, as a Dramaturg I can take a few steps, see the bigger picture of the play, and enter a more critical mode. I almost see the writer role as being stuck in the middle of the play, whereas the dramaturg is looking over the whole room, seeing all the bits and pieces. Most of the writers I work with naturally take on both these roles, and it’s about knowing when the timing is right for one role or another.

Mrs C’s Collective (L to R):
Charlotte Everest, Director; Jennie Eggleton, Actor; Francis Grin, Writer/Dramaturg

Any advice for emerging writers?

I think dealing with rejection and criticism is one of the toughest ordeals that any emerging creative has to grapple with. If you’re working and putting yourself out there, it’s impossible to avoid either. So rather than trying to avoid criticism, I recommend getting a few good coping techniques that work for you. Also, find a support system. Other creatives, supportive friends/family and people who ‘get it’.

And finally, part of the play deals with a pub crawl, tell us about your perfect pub.

Any pub that serves a good Sunday roast is perfect in my book. Comfy seating and a fireplace are also a win. Can you tell I live on the edge?

That Was All – 31st March – 4th April 2020

Click here to book for
THAT WAS ALL

 

Space Literary Manager – Mike Carter

Ahead of our first ever duologue festival, Two Fest, we had a chance to chat to the master of words, literary manager and festival dramaturg Mike Carter, about managing 13 short plays.

There are 13 new plays that have been commissioned for Two Fest, what criteria did you have for commissioning writers?And what brief did you give them?

There’s no formula to these things. We approached people who had impressed us with strong work, but also had original ideas and takes on life – sharing our vision for the festival. If you are a writer, and fancy having a go in the future, come say hello. Our doors are always open. All we did was gently steer them away from some of the common short play cliches; long lost love, strangers meeting on a train or the waking in the afterlife for example.

The Space has regularly hosted The One Festival, dedicated to monologues, why did you decide to double up?

Monologues are a fabulous form and often give performers a chance to shine, but I’m not entirely sure they are always as satisfying for the playwright. The cut and thrust of dialogue felt worthy of celebrating this time round.

Programme A:
‘Foliage’; ‘Luigi’s & Pickles Shoes’;
‘A Crying Shame’ & ‘Mnemonic’

There’s a huge range of themes from gardening, LGBTQ+, politics through to the apocalypse, how do create cohesive evenings from such varied topics?

I’m not sure we are aiming for cohesiveness – at least not politically. Our writers have reflected the times we live in, and that’s all we asked. We are all human. We all live and love and struggle with it all. In programming, we focused on that commonality. Ultimately, the audience will make up their own minds and find links of their own. Good luck to them.

Dramaturgy is one of the fastest growing fields in theatre, but not everyone is familiar with it. Can you tell us what your role as ‘Festival Dramaturg’ entails?

Oh gosh. I am a dramaturg and I haven’t quite worked out what the job description is yet! In this case, I have worked with most of the writers through the redrafting process; asking questions, making suggestions and acting as a sounding board. With short plays, it is important scripts are focused and themes and concepts clear. That has been the main task, I think.

Programme B: 
‘Welcome to Mine’; ‘Protest’;
‘In the Mouth of the River’;
‘Going Outside’ & ‘Fifty/Fifty’

In addition to running the literary side of the festival, you’ve also written a piece for Two Fest, care to share?

Yes, I nicked a slot for myself so I’m clearly under pressure. All I’ll say is it was a theatrical experiment that was fun to write. The good news is that spirit has been captured on stage by a fab cast. And, yes.  I am aware I have cheated slightly. There are more than two characters.

As our literary manager, any advice for aspiring writers reading this?

Think about your views and issues you feel passionately about. They should shape your writing and develop your unique voice. All the pieces in Twofest achieve this. You’re in for a treat.

Programme C: 
‘Why are You Still Here?’ ‘Balls’ 
‘Progress’ & ‘The End of Us’

And on a lighter note, who is your favourite double act?

I’ve recently rediscovered 80s classical music drag act Hinge & Bracket.  They were huge, but have been written a little out of history. They deserve a resurgence, I reckon.

Mike on set, filming for ‘A Crying Shame‘

Two Fest – 11th – 22nd February  2020

Click here to book for
PROGRAMME A
PROGRAMME B
PROGRAMME C

 

Blue Stocking Effigy is a theatre company and artist collective that focuses on supporting women and non-binary artists and their stories.

This week they’re performing Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. by Alice Birch, we sat down with director Krysianna Papadakis to talk about revolting, making a stamp on an existing work and what counts as violence.

In deeply troubling times, this play highlights the ‘devastating humour’? How do you find the funny? 

The funny is how we get through the troubling times! Obviously, when things seem to be going downhill in the world, we’ve still got to keep challenging and finding ways to fix things. But that doesn’t mean we have to be boring about it. Women today still have to deal with a lot of nonsense, and those expectations can weigh you down. But we’re trying to use those weights as material to play with onstage.

Blue Stocking Effigy in rehearsals

The idea of a revolt is appealing to many, is this a call to arms? 

If we do it properly, we hope so! There’s a lot of calls to arms out there – online, in the news, in politics – so the desire for change seems like a pretty universal experience right now. But many movements have not been very inclusive. We’re hoping this call appeals to people from different ages, backgrounds and genders. Intergenerational dialogue is particularly important to our show, so we’re hoping this revolt achieves that!

You’ve told us this play is primarily about language, can you tell us one of your linguistic pet peeves? 

I hate it when people use ‘he’ for things (people, babies, pets) when they don’t know the gender. Change the default people! It’s great that ‘they’ is becoming more common. 

An atmospherically lit rehearsal

Alice Birch’s play has quite a following and has received very varied productions, what are you seeking from your interpretation? 

I think our interpretation leans into how familiar these characters and situations are, rather than how bizarre they are. These are experiences most people have, especially women, and so we’ve set them in very familiar, relatable locations. We’ve also slightly modernized the settings. For example, rather than placing a 1980s cubicle style office, we’ve set the scenes in a hip young start-up. ‘Cool’ environments can still be oppressive! 

Tell us a little about Blue Stocking Effigy, how did you come together and what is your mission? 

We came together after a successful run of the Vagina Monologues in March 2019, where we were raising money for a group of charities. We really enjoyed the working relationship and the creative process, and shared a common passion for social change through theatre. We started brewing ideas over the summer about what our next show could be, and we landed on Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. because of how it conveys our company ethos.  

Blue Stocking Effigy at
the Spring Season Launch Party

And lastly, we did have a contextual difference, what you call ‘mild violence’ we consider ‘obscene and graphic violence’, can you tease us a little about what this may involve? 

 I think it has to do with the fact that there is no malicious intent in the physical violence on stage. Without giving too much away, the most gruesome violence occurs as a way to avoid confrontation rather than continue it. Though disturbing, something about that seemed empowering to us, and hence less frightening. 

Krysianna Papadakis – Director 

Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.
By Alice Birch

January 28th – February 2nd

BOOK HERE

 

As Us Two is your debut play, how have you found the process of bringing a script to life?

So obvious bringing Us Two to life is still a work in progress, but it’s been really exciting. The final version of the play is very different – much tighter than the first draft, so the evolutionary process of writing it has been very insightful. Obviously I write as a journalist, so I’m used to re-drafting etc but this is a different level because there’s so much of it. I think for me, the key “wow” moment was actually at the auditions when we had all these amazing actors reading out the parts and for me it was really the first time I’d heard the lines read aloud for the first time in someone else’s voice. It was actually really emotional.

You’re an investigative journalist, your character Lizzy is also an investigative journalist. Would you be friends, or strictly colleagues?

That’s a really difficult one, because their are moments with Lizzy where in my head I’m like ‘girl you are being pretty mean right now’ but a lot of that is for good reason. Sometimes I’m like ‘wow you really do care a LOT’. I think the one thing Lizzy and I both have in common is a fighting spirit and it could go either way. If we were on the same team? I think we’d work well together – and because high pressure environments can be so intense – you often find you forge friendships with the people you work well with even if in the ‘real world’ you might not naturally be drawn to one another. Some of my closest friends to this day have been formed in ‘baptism of fire’ situations. If we were pitted opposite each other I don’t think that friendship would form but I definitely think we’d have a mutual respect for one another – like we wouldn’t be double crossing each other and stabbing each other in the back.

With a background so rooted in finding the truth, how have you found creating two fictional characters?

​Surprisingly easy actually. I think all good fiction is based on a grander universal truth. Particularly with something like Us Two which is so character driven. While both characters are obviously not real, the psychology behind their belief structure is something that is pretty genuine. I think understanding people is quite important in journalism. For example, there are certain things in my life that I’ve never experienced, or I don’t agree with, but if I’m interviewing some-one or writing about a movement, I think its so important to understand what it is psychologically that leads them there – and that’s something people have commented on previously that I’m able to do. Its why a lot of people trust me with their stories – that and the non threatening accent lol.

I think with Us Two and creating these characters, even though they aren’t real, its been about applying that understanding of human psychology to a fictional situation and then suddenly these two characters just appeared in my head.

I think something like Harry Potter is a prime example. Now I bow down to Rowling’s talent and I’m not saying I am anywhere near as amazing as she is, but the whole grander ethos behind Harry Potter and the Dark Wizards vs inferior muggles kind of stems from real prejudices in our society. and Rowling generally seems to understand where they come from pretty well.  Even within the text there are a lot of holocaust references and imagery – so all of these characters stem from real world issues and beliefs. While obviously that doesn’t guarantee a work is going to be a masterpiece it does give a writer a good solid foundation upon which to build characters if they have the skill to do it. I’m hoping audiences think I have that skill.

I guess the same principles apply to all fictional writings whether that’s a best selling children’s novel to a small show at The Space theatre.

The #MeToo movement is incredibly emotionally charged, yet you’ve been able to communicate two very plausible perspectives and differing views on it, how hard is it to remain impartial as a writer?

Thanks for the compliment – I’m glad you think they are plausible. I always worry that I see things a certain way and the rest of the world is going to be like “awe sweetie – just, NO”

To be honest, I don’t feel I have remained THAT impartial as a writer. I think as a writer I’ve been less impartial than I am as a journalist. However what I think has happened is that each time I write or read the script, the character I am biased against flips. So at some points in the writing process I was less favourable towards Beth – and interestingly in the first few drafts her story arch was a LOT weaker. Then next draft I was less inclined to like Lizzy, so Beth had a stronger arch. Each time I read the script I side with a different character – so I would say I’m not impartial at all. Its just that my bias towards one character over the whole creative process totals the same level of bias I hold towards another at different points. So it cancels out. Does that make any sense at all?

When casting the show, each actor initially came in to read for their opposite number but you cross-cast, why did you make this decision?

Because we are evil! Just kidding. So our director Therese pretty much ran the audition process and she has some amazing visions for the show. We asked each actor to prepare one part specifically – the one they wanted to audition for. We then made them read for both part. I think the idea behind this was to see what acting choices were made when actors had a chance to really think about it, and what choices they made instinctively. We did this as a group audition We then had one on one chats about their choices after the audition.

There were two things interesting that I found about the process. Firstly the majority of the actors on the older end of our casting range chose to read for Beth having identified with her more and this was something that they openly discussed throughout the process. However the actors on the younger end of the spectrum all prepared for Lizzy. More interesting a large portion of the younger actors when we spoke to them after about which part they preferred and why were like “I’m going to be honest, I’d prepared for Lizzy, she is my preference, at a push but after reading Beth as well in the audition process if I HAD to choose I think she’s now my preference because …”

Actually I was a bit worried that making the actors read something they hadn’t prepped would make the audition a bit too stressful for them. But actually when I was grabbing them for the one on one interviews they were all upstairs in the bar socialising. I think half of them swapped numbers and things like that. There were a lot of comments on how pleasant an experience the whole thing had been which was lovely to hear.

And finally, in an age of fake news and mistrust, do you have any words for people who still seek the truth?

​I would say read around what you are told. So if you are told a story from one source of info – lets say The Sun look for the same story in other papers or websites with different biases and you can figure out what’s legit and what’s not by the bits being reported that they have in common.

Also please do trust in experts. A prime example I’ve got is recently a dude on twitter (the most unreliable source ever by the way, a dude on twitter) told me the gender pay gap didn’t exist. I pointed to a number of Government figures and economic research that proved it did and his response was that “it didn’t exist because women have babies.” Now if he’d said it existed BECAUSE women had babies we could have engaged in a sensible discussion on whether the current reporting was fair or whether I agreed with what he was saying. But he simply said “the experts are wrong”.

Which leads me on to another thing. Don’t trust social media as your only source of news. Naturally on social media sites you are going to follow people who you identify with or like. So if you are liberal, the majority of your newsfeeds will have a natural liberal bias because you follow people who think like you and share information that adheres to their ideals. The same if you are more to the right of the political spectrum. This is part of the problem as to how fake news spreads so quickly.

Having said that, I do follow Katie Hopkins. She’s just so ridiculous and irrelevant to the world and to be honest her hate filled tweets always cheer me up a bit if I’m feeling down about something. Its like looking at something and being like ‘well things are bad right now, but at least I’m not HER’. Also any facts she tweets out – take with a pinch of salt.

January 21st – 25th

BOOK HERE 

Feeling Lonely at Parties takes place in a world where the population have their mood regulated by music played over headphones, can you tell us a little about how you created and developed this idea?

A number of things actually. For the last couple of years I have noticed that I and the people around me have experienced mental health problems which have negatively affected relationships. There is also a lack of understanding, even now, for people with mental health issues which causes people to discriminate against them or mistake the uncontrollable illness for a display for bad human characteristics. When love is added to that, it can be really difficult to form and sustain healthy relationships. This I feel is due to this lack of understanding but also from self-doubt and a lack of security that comes with having poor mental health. For me personally, I have also found this to make me feel quite lonely in the past, even in situations where I was amongst friends, or environments that are supposed to be happy. Such as parties. And what makes it worse is that everyone else seems so happy in those situations, which makes you feel even lonelier.

So there was all these feelings, and experiences that the people around me and I were going through, and I just wanted to vent it all out in the form of theatre, which is my way of dealing with my own negative emotions. I also use music frequently in my work, and knew that there would be a continuous soundtrack, and that the piece in some shape or form should feel like a party. As well as this, I am a story teller and always which to tell a story in everything that I make, so began to construct a story that could explore the themes I wanted to explore, in the form I wanted to explore them, thus Feeling Lonely at Parties was born.

I know that all of this is really deep but I’m a big believer in creating work that takes the audience on an emotional journey. So the show is as joyful and funny as it is dramatic and sometimes heart-breaking. And that’s what I have tried my best to do with this story. We have also developed the narrative a lot since we performed in Camden Fringe Festival so that we could delve more into this dystopian world a little more and make it more dramatically satisfying.

FLAP is all about communication but performed entirely without dialogue, can you tell us about the process of developing a physical language for the show?

My university had a strong focus on physical theatre, and as I was coming up with the idea for the show I knew I wanted it to be movement based and sort of explore emotions and feelings through a none-verbal language. Especially as the characters in the show live in a world where they have to hide their feelings anyway, their bodies would be the only thing they have to communicate with. I also believe that bodies can communicate even more than words can sometimes. Luckily I found other Middlesex University Students and Alumni, who share the same movement skills and physical language, to work on the show and form the company. Once we got together and knew that we wanted to use movement with no words, we would just improvise specific scenes and situations where they could only use their bodies. We also use mime a lot, which is a very simple but very clear way of telling the story. It is also very fun to play with and brings out some of the more joyful parts of the show.

As an international ensemble, how does having a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and voices affect the work you create?

It’s a constant source of inspiration. We are such a diverse group in terms of where we come from and the experiences we have had. It constantly brings different perspectives into the rehearsal room and layers our work with a range of different tools that have been obtained by company members before coming to Middlesex University. It also shows us daily how much we have in common despite our differences. The themes that this show explores are important to all of us even though we come from very different places. That’s just a nice thing to be reminded of. In a world full of division and hatred it feels like we are creating an environment of togetherness as well. Moving forward I definitely want to expand the variety of people that we work with and hopefully make the world just a little bit kinder and the arts a lot more accessible.

FLAP has previously been performed at the Camden Fringe, can you tell us about your experience there? And what (if any) changes can we expect from the show?

Camden Fringe was the best week of my life. I absolutely loved it. It was the first full show I had produced, and that our company had produced outside of university and I wasn’t expecting to be as successful as it was. It had an almost sold out audience for every performance and it got such good feedback. The thing is though, a lot of the show was poor weirdly. I wasn’t as good of a director as I am now. It’s only been 6 months, but I have grown SO MUCH. Furthermore, the story I had written and its structure was quite repetitive and lacked a dramatic build up, I felt. So it said something that it did so well, and that people really enjoyed it, even with a show that I didn’t think was the best it could be. However, for The Space we are bringing a show with a new story structure, and a re-jigged second half that we feel people are going to really like. Furthermore all the company have gotten so much better at what they do. They’ve all been working hard since we did Camden, with members doing The National Youth Theatre, Starting MA’s in Theatre Arts and, for myself, an MA in Theatre Directing. We are just more skilled and I feel like that is helping us make a much better show. I’m very excited to bring it to The Space.

Let’s have something a little lighter! We’ve heard of being pursued by a bear, can you tell us about being Pursued by a Dragon?

Being pursued by a Dragon is a lot more fun, because getting pursued by one always leads you into a world that is different to our own. Even if it has similarities. Also, dragons aren’t real so anything can happen with them. The Possibilities are endless.

You’re in the world of the show. One album or artist is going to be played to you on loop forever, what do you pick?

That’s a tough one. Any artist you listen to on loop would get really annoying after a while. And then there’s the fact if that ever happened it would put me in the dystopian world of Feeling Lonely at Parties, which would be horrific. Probably would have to go with The Handsome Poets if I had a gun to my head though. But only with a gun to my head.

And finally, you’re at a party, where will we find you?

You would find me in quiet room playing board games with my friends.

January 14th – 18th

BOOK HERE 

Out of all the Christmas tales out there, why did you specifically choose ‘A Christmas Carol’ to perform? 

It’s my favourite Christmas story, my favourite Dickens story, my favourite story about London and perhaps my favourite story of all. Its power never diminishes however many times you read, hear or see it.

How did you find The Space and how do you think our venue fits your performance? 

I think it’ll be absolutely perfect. Wonderfully atmospheric; it can be cosy or bleak depending on how the audience is feeling at that moment, which is ideal for A Christmas Carol.

 

What’s your favourite version of ‘A Christmas Carol’? The original version, the Jim Carrey version, the Muppets version, or something even better? 

My FAVOURITE version is Dickens’s original book, but if we’re talking movie adaptations I’m very fond of a slightly lesser known TV movie from 1984 starring George C Scott.
You’ve already done a recording of ‘A Christmas Carol’, why did you decide to do a live version of this story? Do you think performing it live will give the story a different feeling versus the audio recording? 
Well for a start it’s shorter; the whole book takes about three and a half hours to read out but I’ll be working from Dickens’s own abridged “performance text” which he used when he gave live readings of the story himself. That only lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes.
In the recent political climate, how do you think this story is relevant? Do you think spreading ‘Christmas Spirit’ can truly help others? 

I think it’s truer and more relevant than ever, sadly enough. But it’s a hopeful, optimistic, uplifting story at its heart and we could always use some of that.

December 18th, 2019

BOOK HERE 

2020 marks a major commitment from the Space, and associate company  The UnDisposables, to support new writers. There are numerous events and initiatives planned from January on wards, designed to encourage emerging talent, of any age and background.

Mike Carter, Literary Manager, commented “The Space has a long-established reputation for welcoming emerging theatre makers. 2020 sees us extend this more formally to playwrights. Our doors are more open than ever before.”

Esther Joy Mackay, Artistic Director of The UnDisposables added “Our company began with new writing in 2018. We are excited to be continuing to put writers in the centre of our work, offering increasingly bigger and bolder opportunities for emerging artists in 2020.”

The following events are already in the diary.  Everyone is welcome.

January 5th 11:00 am to 1 pm – Writer’s Meet-up
We’re starting a bi-monthly open house Sunday morning workshop and discussion group for theatre writers. There will be the room to discuss challenges/topics, share opportunities and plug whatever you’re working on.  Join us for a couple of hours of free fun in the theatre space followed by the opportunity to network and socialise at Hubbub Bar and Kitchen afterwards.

There’s no need to book ahead. Just email mike@space.org.uk to say hello.

Scriptspace Submission Window January 6th to 31st
Scriptspace is the Space’s submission window for new, unproduced full-length plays.  Each and every play is read and will receive feedback from our experienced volunteer readers. Shortlisted entries will be read by an industry panel including Space Artistic Director, Adam Hemming, UnDisposables Artistic Director, Esther Joy Mackay, Space Literary Manager Mike Carter and 2019 BBC Northern Voice Writer and OFFIE Award’s Most Promising Playwright Nominee, Guleraana Mir.

Entries should be sent to Scriptspace@space.org.uk. Selected plays will be performed in a series of rehearsed readings over summer.

Kickstart your writing 2020 January 25th & 26th
Literary manager Mike Carter has devised a series of exercises to help playwrights make progress. He will share a range tools over two days that will help you develop the building blocks of your play and, most importantly, increase your confidence. Designed for writers with any level of experience, the goal is to kick-start your latest project. Places are strictly limited, so don’t miss out.

Scratching the Surface April 24th
Scratching the Surface is a night of new writing produced by The UnDisposables.  The performance will be a collection of 6-8 new short plays (under ten minutes). The team are looking for a range of styles, forms and content with the overarching theme of celebrating new work.

You can read more information about the event and how to submit your work here
If you have any questions or comments about any of the above events, do contact Mike@Space.org.uk or Esther@unDisposables.co.uk.  If you are a writer, or a supporter of new work, we look forward to seeing you at the Space next year.

Júlia Levai is the director of our upcoming show, ‘The Prince of Homburg’. In this radical & modern retelling of Kleist’s classic , the story is placed in 2019, into a world which could be ours, but somehow feels like a dream. Freely adapted from Neil Bartlett’s translation with a gender-swapped lead, this production asks what we do when the reality around us becomes confusing and chaotic.

Tell us a little about yourselves as a company. What do you aim to achieve with this show?

“We are a collective of young theatre-makers and we are beyond excited to bring our show, ‘The Prince of Homburg’ to The Space as for most of us it will be our first show since finishing our training in different drama schools, making this a really invaluable and crucial opportunity to start making our own work. We are hoping this might be a start of future collaborations. I originally collaborated with Zoe (designer) on this project as part of LAMDA’s MA Directing Season and now with a new cast we are hoping to explore the piece further and bring something for the audiences of The Space which feels playful, but also political aiming to strike a cord and raise questions in anyone who comes to see it.”

The show will be coming up soon, but what has the most memorable moment of the process of creating this show been so far?

“So much! We have been lucky enough to use the rehearsal spaces at LAMDA and at The Space, but there were some occasions when we found ourselves rehearsing in dressing rooms and my living room so we had to be creative and use the constraints of the space almost as exercises so the actors can now confidently play certain scenes as if the floor is lava or in a tiny square. We also have a bit of movement in the show and it’s been great to devise those bits. One thing we have been keen and hopefully will get to do before the show is to go as a company to an escape room as ‘ensemble building’.”

You have changed the setting of the show from 1675 to 2019, but why is it so important to bring this show to life right now, in light of today’s political climate?

“It’s been really interesting actually, because the more we have been working in rehearsals the more resonance we are finding with our current socio-political climate. Kleist’s play explores social responsibility, questions of personal being mixed up with political and whether the rules and systems we live by built on old laws are still fitting or whether we do need people like Homburg who following an impulse goes against orders, but with that brings change? We found that living in this uncertain political climate where we seemed to be always blaming others, not taking responsibility and at a time of fake news there is so much resonance with Kleist’s text that it made sense to us to place the piece into 2019 as a way to reflect that and also to allow an audience to connect to the characters and the story more by getting rid of the period and the dust around the text.

It’s also essentially on a personal level a coming of age story of the young characters from falling in love, to recognising and facing the idea of death and taking up agency to protest against the system. What’s really brilliant in Kleist’s writing is that there is all the political implications, but it also allows for real connections to these characters who are going through all the things that we are or have whether it’s 1675 or 2019.

What message are you attempting to convey with the portrayal of the Prince of Homburg, a headstrong military leader questioning his own fear of death, as a female?

Homburg is a beautifully complex character who goes through an a huge journey from real highs to low – from falling in love to aspiring for power and then later facing death and the complexities of the system she lives in. I found it important on a political level to have Homburg as a woman because by placing the piece into 2019 the politics of a woman being impulsive -and actually successfully – lead the army and aspiring for power seemed to be a much more exciting premise than if Homburg was played by a guy. I think there is a real issue with gender equality still at work places and what we wanted to explore with this piece is how still today women seem to be allowed to be managers, but you rarely see women becoming CEOs of big companies. I remember it being headlines a few months ago that not one country is set out to achieve gender equality before 2030. It really hit me and made this play feel like a strong parallel and something we were passionate about exploring.

I also think it is still so rare that we see really complex and flawed women on stage. Homburg is by no means perfect (How could she?) but she has a real drive and this beautiful naivety towards people – she really trust the people around her which is extremely rare. We joked about it in rehearsals how this is our slightly odd, German version of Hamlet as there are so many resonance between the two characters. I think it’s also really important in our production that Natalie, Homburg’s love interest, gets a much bigger role and grows from being the quiet princess and love interest into a strong and confident leader to stands up against the system and demand change. I think it’s really exciting to see two widely different female characters both growing up throughout the play and somehow finding one another through that journey.

The idea of suicide is contemplated in the show, what was the company’s reaction to themes of suicide and how did you all approach this sensitive topic?

It’s interesting because what we have found is that actually what Homburg is dealing with and what causes most of her anxieties is the sudden realisation of how none of us our invincible and her trying to work through the sheer panic of it once the idea of death appears as a real possibility. So for us the way of approaching this topic was by looking at it from a coming of age point of view and as an essential part of her growing up.

A question that you ask the audience is: “do we stand up for what we believe in or passively go on as before?” Do you think this production is a way of standing up for what you believe in or is it a call to action for the audience to do so?

I guess the making of this show so far has allowed us to really question the rules we live by, our social responsibilities and the political climate we currently live in. It would be amazing if watching the show could raise some of these or similar questions and ideas in the audience members.

We recently interviewed the stage designer, Hannah Batt, and the writer, Morgan Noll, from Somna Theatre’s production of ‘There’s a Man in the Woods’.

Established in 2018, Somna Theatre is a brand new, London-based theatre company.  Somna focuses its body of work on both new writing and established pieces. They believe storytelling comes first and create accessible story driven pieces that are supported by experimental forms of presentation and design. They centre themselves around genres such as dark comedy, horror, and science fiction.

 

What has inspired you as a company to centre on genres such as dark comedy,
horror, and science fiction?

Hannah: “I think for me, from a design perspective, it’s all about wanting to build the most evocative kinds of narrative spaces. There’s a reason that certain franchises have such strong communities around them- fans of fantasy, sci-fi and horror are so dedicated because those fictional worlds are always so intense and narratively rich, there’s so much to explore. I think we’re all interested in how we can create a really heightened experience for audiences, so we’re drawn to genres with the most potential for that
intensity.”

Morgan: “I think…we’re fascinated by the spectacle! We always trash our stages in some insane way— we’re sort of famous for that, ha. These genres allow us to play in big, stylistic, and grand ways! Moreover they physically transform the air in the room. For an hour, you’re out of your day to day. You’re in space, you’re in a storm drain in 1945, you’re in 2054 in an alternate timeline. Isn’t that fantastic? It’s not interesting to me to parrot back to you reality as it is authentically experienced. I want the realities I will never get to experience. I think it’s more interesting to heighten it, tweak it, or re-order it. To some degree, how we envision future or other worlds, affects how we shape our own. There’s a massive movement right now for Sci-fi writers to write more positive visions of the future. Why? Because some of them feel personally responsible for instilling, even in a small way, an unconscious assumption of this surveillance/authoritarian system we’re seeing emerge. What we imagine has more power than you realise.”

 

How has the process for this show been thus far? What have been some of the
most memorable moments?

Hannah: “I won’t lie- the challenge of bringing the woods into the theatre has felt a little daunting at times. I think my favourite moment so far has been the expedition to the woods Morgan and I took last week to scavenge. Most of our set is organic and involves us getting more than a little dirty, but that’s half the fun! That and sitting in my first rehearsal with Brad (our co-director) and Jack (playing Russell). I legit got shivers hearing the script out loud.”

Morgan: “I’m banned from calling Homebase in Swiss Cottage so yeah it’s been fun. They thought I was a nutter. “Hi, hello, do you have any dead tree stock?”. Ha. The most memorable has been the handing down of Grant 2 The Lantern. We’ve done this show before and have had a few of them (RIP Percy and Grant 1). I handed Jack over the prop and it was lovely to see ol’ Grant have a go again.”

Hannah: “I’ve heard that Jack has given the lamp a whole different character this time round though, so it’s Grant no more! We have a habit of naming our set/props it seems- our Tarp structure for our last show (Infinityland at London Horror 2019) was called Greg. He’s just hanging out in my basement
right now!”

‘There’s a Man in the Woods’ was a five star hit at the 2018 London Horror
festival. Why have you chosen to bring it to The Space?

Morgan: “Space is really special for emerging creators. Space treats emerging artists with respect, compassion, and understanding. We wanted to do it here because the venue is incredible and the staff truly want you to succeed and do everything in their power to ensure that. We knew that this old church as well would be perfect for the show. It’s old, it breathes by itself and it adds just that little extra touch of atmosphere.”

Hannah: “Everyone at The Space has been so accommodating! Even when I came in with the most ambitious and ridiculous ideas, we’ve found ways we can bring them to life. It’s such a great place for theatre-makers to nurture their craft.”

How have you as company dealt with portraying the themes relating to the limits
of love especially when it comes to one’s own children?

Morgan: “This came out of me watching an interview with Linonel Dahmer where he talks about his son while also hawking his book about the whole ordeal. It was incredible to watch. He says very calmly, ‘yes I still love my son’ but his face is a totally different picture. I remember being like, ‘he’s lying? He must be?’.. But to be honest, I’m still not sure. That’s the funny thing about parental bonds, some people are truly, truly, ready to die for their children. It’s beautiful…but you have to wonder does that belief dampen, even a little bit, if they’ve done things that are truly awful? We try to show a case in which a father is perhaps being a little more honest than Lionel…I think it’s a show where you really have to put yourself in the characters shoes and ask yourself: is there a part of me that would snap?”

Hannah: “It can be quite a heavy script to sit with long-term- it certainly challenges that assumption we all carry that parents always naturally love their kids, even if it’s buried really deep down. Over the period we’ve had this show in development I’ve been making sure to call my mum a lot more often!”

It seems that hyper-masculine culture and the disintegration of communication seem like rather large themes within ‘There’s a Man in the Woods’. How are those themes dealt with within the story and what should the audience take away from that?

Morgan: “Sometimes, when someone hurts you, or something’s wrong you just can’t get words to come out of you. It seems almost impossible to explain why you’re upset, so you swallow it. The classic “It’s fine”. We kind of just take this suppressing to its absolute worst outcome. ‘There’s a Man in the Woods’ follows this father who is reliving the nightmare of his life with his only son. The experience of watching it is frustrating because you feel like there’s so many times he could have stepped in, could have addressed it, could have reached out…but he doesn’t. He can’t. There’s this blockage in him that prevents him from really communicating with his spiraling son. In some American communities, it’s really hard for men to express themselves, especially in male-to male relationships. So that expression has to come out in other, less direct ways. Sometimes these releases can be violent. The takeaway from this, I think, is to be vigilant of that ‘lump in your throat’ feeling—what that’s telling you is something in you needs to come out and pushing it away takes you further from those around you.”

Overall after seeing this show, what message do you want the audience to leave
with?

Morgan: “It’s happened before, it’s happening now, and it can happen again.”

Hannah: “Horror theatre is alive- kicking, screaming, and ready to break down
your door.”

 

Running from November 26th-November 30th

BOOK HERE

Suha Chakravorty is the director of  the School of Oriental and African Studies – Indian Dance Society’s upcoming performance of ‘Adajhyo – The Unburnable’. SOAS IDS is a student led dance community established in 2013. IDS welcomes, introduced and acquaints those who are keen with the folk, classic and martial dances of India. The IDS continues to create performances with non-dancers, present students and alumni under careful mentoring or professional performers in order to understand various styles and aesthetics that inform the field of Indian dance.

How has the process for ‘Adajhyo – The Unburnable’ been for you so far?

“The process has been mind boggling for us and this piece is a result of a lot of nerve racking idealisation and hard work in terms of both the thematic arrangements of the scenes physically and weaving it together with the dance and music along with elements of physical theatre.”

 

What have been some of the most memorable moments of this process?

“The most memorable moments being choreographing some of the steps to resemble the Haka dance but through a body rhythm that also brings out the traditional elements of Chhau dance and the use of masks at different points in the performance.”

How has the use of different mediums, such as dance poetry, etc., lent itself to the telling of the story? 

“The use of dance and live music overall heightens the production and gives it a dimension that can only be felt when one sits through the experience of the play.”

 

Considering the current sociopolitical climate today, what is the significance of putting on this show? 

“Considering the current social political climate it is just apt for this production to take place simply because it is a sharp rejoinder/ retort on everyday gender objectification and gender-based violence we face, brings out the subtle mockery we make of ourselves in the way we live today!”

 

What message do you want the audience to keep in mind when watching this show?

“This performance piece is a journey… an experience that one is thrown into rather than one of passive spectating. It is an interactive show and meant for audiences strictly 16+ up and will also have a Q and A after the performance.”

 

Adajhyo – The Unburnable

November 23rd 

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