CAST Tam Karen Alanna/Nikki Tollman
the bridge
NEIL BRATCHPIECE VIVIEN GRAHAME CAT GROZIER MARK KYDD
Directed by ......................................... Wendy Miller Design ............................................ Claire Halleran Lighting ................................................ Bruce Benzie Production Manager ....................... Neil B Anderson Produced by ................................... Steven Thomson 8 8 8 HOW do you juggle bad kissing, punishment exercises and parents laying down the law when what you really need (like right now LOL) is to blast your tunes? For some teenagers that stuff is just the start - a few wrong turns is all it takes for your life to spiral out of control. How do we cross the bridge into adulthood and why do some of us never make it? Roots, role models, choices and consequences; living your life like there’s no tomorrow. Wendy Miller and Rachel Amey present a thoughtprovoking new play about four characters seeking hope in one of the darkest of places.
“Three people who met by chance - all tangled up - all pulling apart. If that isn’t a definition of a family, I don’t know what is.” The Tollman of the Bridge shares snapshots of Karen, Alanna and Tam’s lives - all linked to the missing girls. 8 8 8
A Glasgay! Commission & World Premiere
BY WENDY MILLER & RACHEL AMEY Directed by Wendy Miller The Arches 26-30 October 2010
BIOGRAPHIES WENDY MILLER was until 2008 a prolific journalist with the Herald and Times group. She wrote her first full play in 2009 entitled Even In Another Time, which was staged as a boutique, emergent artists production as part of Glasgay 2009. She offers a contemporary voice with an witty insight into the female condition. She is also known as performance poet, Wendy’s poetry collection In Love With My Accountant was published in 2008. Recent performances have included Hidden Cities 5 and an Amnesty campaign launch at the Scottish Parliament. She is also one half of live art collective Monosyllabic. RACHEL AMEY is a writer and performer based in Edinburgh. Previous writing for theatre includes forum theatre piece The Whistleblower (Birds of Paradise), performed readings of work for development projects Playgirls and Colours of the Chameleon (Traverse), Skincare and Threading the Needle (solo shows for Girl’s Best Friend) and co -writer for Eggshell Blues (Skulduggery). In devised/collaborative work she has contributed text for many diverse projects including Mime Forum, Nothing ever Burns Down/Black Sun over Genoa (Theatre Workshop), Commedia comes to Town (Charioteer), and Chrystal and the General (Portal). She regularly writes and performs poetry/spoken word and - with the support of Confab- plans to tour her new solo piece Where have I come from? Where are we going? which premiered at Arches Live 2010.
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NEIL BRATCHPIECE (Tam) Neil has worked extensively with the Citizen’s Community Theatre and with Kickstart Theatre Company. He also played a leading role in the award winning short film Fool Proof. Neil is best known for his cult creation The Wee Man, a Glasgwegian ned featured on YouTube with over 2.6million views. Neil Bratchpiece, is the smallest member of the diminutive comedy Bratchpiece family. Hailing from Motherwell he is also comedian and got to the final of the ‘Scottish Comedian of the Year’ in 2006 and 2007. VIVIEN GRAHAME (Karen) Vivien trained at RSAMD. This is her second show for Glasgay. She has previously worked with Platform, Dogstar, Theatre Hebrides, Lickety Spit, Giant and Wee Stories. TV and radio appearances include Lorraine Kelly’s Make Me Happier STV, Stake Out and Hedz for CBBC, Revolver, The Key, and Velvet Soup for BBC 2, The Today Programme for Radio 4, Comedy Café, Fred Macaulay Show, Cover Stories and Velvet Cabaret all for Radio Scotland. Short films include Flower Girl and Voodoophone for HardWhere Films, Bad Date for Moniton Pictures and the Kino Award winning film The Most Boring Woman in the World in which she played the title role. Vivien also performs as the stand-up comedian Viv Gee. She has compered T in the Park, The May Day Celebrations, The Longest Day, Glasgow’s Hogmanay in George Square and supported Jo Brand, Mark Thomas and Henry Rollins to name but a few.
NEIL B. ANDERSON (Production Manager) Neil has worked on several Glasgay! productions, Tennessee Williams’ And Tell Sad Stories of the Death of Queens; Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads; Louise Welsh’s Memory Cells and Martin O’Connor’s Playing Houses. BRUCE BENIZE (Lighting Design) With a passion for lighting from early teens, after a summer tour with Scottish Youth Theatre, Bruce studied at Telford College and Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, and has worked across theatre and dance in Scotland for several years. While theatre is his first love, Bruce says he would die happy to light just one gig for Muse! SPECIAL THANKS TO: Steven Thomson for having the vision to examine difficult social issues by undertaking this commission. Alphonso Harrison and the rest of the Glasgay! team for all their support. All the crew at the Arches including technical and front of house staff. David Reid for invaluable guidance and research on vulnerable young people and self harming. Alan Benzie and Ben Talbot Dunn for audio and musical support. THANKS Jo Masson & Malcolm Rogan (Tron Theatre); Joe Campbell (New 2 You); Mr & Mrs. Benzie; Alan Benzie; Ben TD; Fran Craig.
CATRIONA GROZIER (Alanna/Nikki) Catriona Grozier is a Scottish/Canadian actor and writer who currently resides in Glasgow, Scotland. Her recent professional acting credits include Cinderella (Platform, Glasgow), My Little Lark (Arches Theatre Co), Battle of the Bulge (Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow), Hephaestus & Digging Up Dad (Oran Mor, Glasgow), Mouse Wings (Stolen Stories, Edinburgh), The Man Who Went To Work One Day and Got Eaten By a Bear (Gruppo Rubato, Ottawa Canada). Writing credits include Underneath it all, Gutted (A short play that is now being developed into a sitcom), and various short comedy sketches. MARK KYDD (Tollman) Since graduating from Queen Margaret University, Mark has played everything from a prince to a dog. Recent credits include Desire (2Landa), Cinderella (Platform) What Women Want (Citadel) and The Chalky White Substance/The Municipal Abattoir (Glasgay!). Directing credits include Spring Awakening and Bad Girls: The Musical. Next month he will appear in Burke for Siege Perilous. CLAIRE HALLERAN (Design) Claire Halleran is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art (BA Hons) and Queen Margaret University (MFA). Claire is currently based in Glasgow and is a theatrical set and costume designer throughout Scotland.
PRODUCED BY GLASGAY! t/a GALA Scotland Ltd 87-91 Saltmarket, Glasgow G1 5LE Tel 0141 552 7575 / 8 info@glasgay.com | www.glasgay.com A Ltd Co. Reg. SC 157153 Charity SCO 23620 VAT Reg 797 3863 59