Theatre503

Over the last few months it has been really interesting for me  to go back to the 1990′s and to a time when I was personally just beginning to experience what theatre could be.

Researching plays of the era it was exciting to discover that before the likes of Sarah Kane and Mark Ravenhill were hitting the headlines with their debut works, there were many writers and plays that seemingly set the tone for what became known as the ‘In Yer Face’ movement. Of course one of these was deservedly Anthony Nielson, who continues to make groundbreaking theatre to this day; but there were others, and Simon Donald seems to have been one of them.

Whilst The Life of Stuff (1993) offers up much that can connect it to the movement that follows, it also stands alone as a brilliantly funny black comedy, arguably even a farce that re-ignites an established form of theatre with contemporary personalities and concerns. Discovering this has been a joy, and seeing it come to life in our tiny black box space continues to fill me with wonder, as I watch the play break free from the limitations of the space and simultaneously bring some of that familiar 1990′s shock and awe into collision with the present day. It’s a strange, joyous thought-provoking experience, establishing the future by illuminating the past.

It is therefore a great pleasure to be able to host a forthcoming discussion around these issues with a panel of four esteemed theatre professionals:

Mel Kenyon (Literary Agent – Mark Ravenhill/Sarah Kane)

Jack Bradley (Literary Associate for Sonia Friedman Productions and Literary Manager of The National Theatre 1995-2007)

Ian Brown (Artistic Director Traverse Theatre 1988-1999 and West Yorkshire Playhouse 2002-2012)

Stephen Greenhorn (Playwright and screenwriter, co-writer of ‘Sleeping Around’ (1998) with Abi Morgan and Mark Ravenhill)

All of whom were involved in making the theatre of this era actually happen. It will take place after the performance of The Life of Stuff on 23^rd April, so come see the show then stick around for what should prove to be a lively discussion.  It’ll be a great night; I look forward to seeing you there!

- Steve Harper, Literary Manager at Theatre503.

by Bobby Brook, Assistant Director.

As our time in the rehearsal room for The Life of Stuff draws to a close, I just thought I’d share with you a couple of the more weird and wonderful moments the last three weeks has brought, to give you a taste of the sorts of things you can expect to see on stage in just under a weeks time!

Firstly an example of some serious commitment to the role from one of our lovely actors Owen Whitelaw.  In playing the part of Fraser, Owen has had to undergo a rather serious transformation in hairstyling – and not necessarily in a good way…  So last Friday, after a morning’s rehearsal, Owen, director Paul and I popped over the road to the hairdressers. We sat and watched whilst the very charming (and somewhat bemused) hairdresser began to give Owen a haircut that he has to live with for the next five weeks. Without wanting to give too much away, the hairdresser created a completely new style, something that can only be described as ‘butchering’. What was even more amusing for us onlookers, was seeing other customers arriving and looking terrified that they would receive the same treatment…

Thankfully Owen is a total sport and quite happy to put his vanity to one side, which is an absolute blessing as I’m sure most people, myself included, find the idea of having to have their hair purposefully massacred the stuff of nightmares.  However, from an actors point of view there is more to it than that; as Owen pointed out, being faced with a reflection so transformed by a haircut that you no longer recognise, is a highly effective way to become immersed in the character that your new image is designed to embody.  To see exactly what it ended up looking like you’ll have to come and see the show, of course.  I can promise it is absolutely worth the wait!

On Tuesday we finally had the 9^th member of the ensemble come into the rehearsal room.  We were all delighted to finally meet Delilah, who plays a small but vital role in The Life of Stuff.  She’s one and a half years old, and has been adopted by Tim, who looks after her when she’s at the theatre. This will be her professional debut.

The cast and team were thrilled to meet her, particularly Ben Adams, who plays Sneddon, and will be acting opposite her.  However its safe to say we were all smitten! Here’s a pic of her with Cameron Jack, who plays Arbogast.

Everyone else was just as keen to get a chance to spend some time with her – notably Rhys, who plays Leonard, seen here with Cameron taking the opportunity very seriously:

I hope you all agree she’s absolutely gorgeous.  To see her in the flesh of course, you’ll need to come and see the show. So for this plus the opportunity to feast your eyes on Owen’s radical change of image, you’d better get booking now. We’re all very excited (if a little sad) to be reaching the end of the rehearsal process and cannot wait to be seeing the show truly come to life on the set. Speaking from direct experience, you really don’t want to miss out! Looking forward to seeing you there!

Bobby xx

We are delighted to announce the appointment of RSC Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman as Chair of Theatre503’s Board. Erica succeeds Emma Stenning, who steps down after four years, and will work closely with Artistic Director Paul Robinson and Executive Director Jeremy Woodhouse.

Together they will continue to build on our strong reputation for staging plays by first time writers, having previously launched the careers of playwrights such as Dennis Kelly, Phil Porter and Katori Hall, and developing Paul’s new SECOND LOOK and PLAYWRIGHT PRESENTS series.

Speaking about Erica’s appointment Paul said:

I have been a huge fan of Erica’s for over ten years, when she made The Gate pulse with excitement. She’s been inspiring to me personally as an Artistic Director and director and I’m certainly hoping some of that will rub off. Emma Stenning, our outgoing Chair, has been an incredible source of support and encouragement, particularly in the transition to my sole leadership of 503. Her stewardship has been generous and indefatigable though it helps that she is the hardest working person I’ve ever met.

Speaking about her role as Chair of the Theatre503 Board, Erica said:

I am delighted to be joining the Board at this exciting time for Theatre503.  I very much admire Paul’s ambition for the company and his energetic and talented team, who are looking to the future with great purpose and vigour.  I look forward to being able to play a part in ensuring they can realise their vision and secure long-term success.

We thank Emma for all her hard work and we wish her all the best in the future. We look forward to welcoming Erica to the 503 family in September.

This country is one that is reliant on roads.  Millions of people drive daily.  It is an essential part of their lives.  Many use their car to get to work in the morning, to visit their family or to holiday.

Despite this, the roads in our country remain criminally underfunded.  An article on the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) website states that; ‘The local road network in England and Wales […] has been consistently underfunded for over 15 years and to the tune of nearly £800 million in 2012/3 alone’.  These cuts have very real effects.

A recent AIA  and YouGov survey states that the economic cost of poorly maintained road surfaces is up to five billion pounds a year.  This figure takes into account factors such as ‘wasted staff time, production delays, increased fuel consumption and vehicle damage repairs’.

In addition consumer watchdog Which? has reported how local councils have been required to pay over twenty million pounds in compensation to motorists for injuries and vehicle repairs caused by poorly maintained roads.

Potholes is a play borne out of a continued frustration at this situation.

Recently, citizen awareness of potholes has grown considerably.  Developments in communication brought about by websites such as fillthathole.org.uk and potholes.co.uk has allowed dissatisfied road users to come together and share stories and advice, such as this one from John Ashworth, dated 11^th March 2013; ‘I was driving my Audi A4 in a northerly direction at 20 to 25 mph from Embleton towards Doxford Hall hotel along cycle route 1 when the car struck a pothole deflating the near side front tyre. 
I stopped immediately to change the wheel as the tyre was completely deflated.’
Luckily most of these stories only result in minor and easily repairable damage to vehicles.  However, as Keith Sands has pointed out in his article ‘Britain’s Pothole Crisis’ for Motoring Issues (February 2013); ‘potholes are a potentially lethal blight on our road network [and] the councils’ lackadaisical attitude towards the problem could eventually prove fatal.  Will the Government begin looking for a solution now, or do we have to wait until after a fatal accident has occurred?’

Hopefully my play will provide a voice for those drivers and road users who are aware of the scale of disrepair on our roads yet continue to feel isolated and ignored and will help to prevent this problem from escalating to these levels.  Perhaps it will even prove to be the start of more in depth discussions about the problem with local authorities and begin to present some potential solutions to it.

I truly believe that if we make our voices heard then the powers that be will no longer be able to ignore this problem.  Together we can make a change and improve our country for the millions of drivers who travel on our roads every day.

Made From Scratch present Joe Harbot’s ‘Potholes’ at Theatre503 on the 19th, 21st and 23rd of March. Tickets can be bought here.

Today is a special day down at Theatre503. With the set in place, it’s time to start technical rehearsals for Desolate Heaven, the first production in Paul Robinson’s inaugural season as sole Artistic Director. Paul and the cast have arrived and there’s an air of anticipation as they take to the stage for the first time. For Bríd Brennan (Tony Award Winner, Dancing at Lughnasa), it’s her first time on the Theatre503 stage. For Carla Langley and Evelyn Lockley, there’s an extra element of excitement – Desolate Heaven marks their professional stage debuts.

From left to right: Carla Langley, Bríd Brennan & Evelyn Lockley

So how has their first professional experience been? “Since graduating in July, the past six months have been full of ups and downs with auditions, and almost getting that first job, but not quite,” Carla explains as I catch the girls on a quick tea break. “When the audition for Desolate Heaven came my way, I absolutely loved the script and felt really passionate about the part.  I feel really lucky to be doing my first professional job with Theatre503 and to have such a good cast, director, and playwright on board.  The prospect of only having three weeks rehearsal was quite scary, but the play has really come to life over the past few weeks.”

“Every moment working on this amazing play, from that first audition onwards, has been such an exciting exploration of a truly wonderful story. This process has been such a learning curve and it’s both daunting and thrilling to get to work with such a strong creative team at Theatre 503,” says Evie in between sips of Earl Grey. “Throughout rehearsals it has been wonderful to know that this is new for both Carla and I, and to go through the process together has been a real gift. I can’t wait to continue learning with her through the run.” She continues, “Bríd’s support, advice and encouragement have been endlessly helpful during the rehearsal process. As a young actor, being given the privilege to learn from her is a pure joy. Though I may be a little nervous for the run, I’m also looking forward to every moment.”

As she skips back up the stairs into the auditorium Carla adds, “I can’t wait for the run to start and to see how the public respond to this story and how we’ve portrayed it.  I think it will be quite a different story and message to what people are expecting, but that’s what makes it exciting to perform.”

The girls enthusiasm and natural talent shines through as the tech continues and I for one can hardly contain my excitement. It’s going to be a grueling couple of days before the curtain goes up, but when it does, we’re in for a treat. Carla Langley and Evelyn Lockley – remember the names and watch this space…

Desolate Heaven runs at Theatre503 from Tuesday 5th February to Saturday 2nd March 2013, with performances Tuesday to Saturday at 19.45 and on Sundays at 17.00.