AUTUMN / WINTER 2012
BLACK WATCH THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART BEAUTIFUL BURNOUT YELLOW MOON THE MONSTER IN THE HALL COUNT ME IN GLASGOW GIRLS THE GUID SISTERS MÉNAGE À TROIS ENQUIRER MY SHRINKING LIFE LIFEGUARD JUMP FIVE MINUTE THEATRE A CHRISTMAS CAROL
IT IS OUR AMBITION TO MAKE INCREDIBLE THEATRE EXPERIENCES FOR YOU, WHICH WILL STAY IN YOUR HEART AND MIND LONG AFTER YOU HAVE GONE HOME.
ALL OF SCOTLAND IS OUR STAGE, AND FROM HERE WE PERFORM TO THE WORLD. WE ARE A THEATRE OF THE IMAGINATION: A THEATRE WITHOUT WALLS.
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ON THE ROAD
BLACK WATCH
A NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PRODUCTION Touring to the USA and South Korea, Autumn 2012 and Spring 2013. Check nationaltheatrescotland.com for full tour details
A NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PROJECT
COUNT ME IN
RUCHILL COMMUNITY CENTRE, GLASGOW WEDNESDAY 12th SEPTEMBER 2012, 7pm
tfd
CASTLEMILK COMMUNITY CENTRE, GLASGOW THURSDAY 13th SEPTEMBER 2012, 7pm PALACE THEATRE, KILMARNOCK FRIDAY 14th SEPTEMBER 2012, 7.30pm
BLACK WATCH BY GREGORY BURKE THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART CREATED BY DAVID GRIEG AND WILS WILSON BEAUTIFUL BURNOUT BY BRYONY LAVERY THE PROPER NAME IS THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND, BUT THESE DAYS, WE'D BE JUSTIFIED IN CALLING IT THE INTERNATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND. Ever since 2006 when producers from all over the world fell in love with Black Watch, the National Theatre of Scotland has flown the flag for home-grown theatre everywhere from New Zealand to Poland, Australia to the USA. In just six years, the Company has established such a reputation that promoters and audiences have learned to recognise the National Theatre of Scotland’s name as a sign of quality. "I don't know what's in the water over there in Scotland, but very good stuff is coming out," says Cynthia Patterson, programmer of Texas Performing Arts at the University of Texas, Austin. "Aside from the quality of the work and the quality of the writing, working with the National Theatre of Scotland has been a tremendous pleasure because of the Company's level of professionalism, camaraderie and willingness to understand. They are a joy to work with." This season, audiences abroad are enjoying the mighty Black Watch as it undertakes yet another tour of duty and, at the other end of the scale, thanks to support from the Scottish Government, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, David Greig's celebration of the Border ballads goes on an extensive tour among the tables and chairs of real pubs and bars and arts centres across North America, Australia and New Zealand. It's not long since Alan Cumming brought his startling one-man Macbeth to the Lincoln Center Festival in New York ("the performance has a smooth virtuosity," said the New York Times), and American audiences have also recently enjoyed the country-andwestern hoolie of Duncan McLean's Long Gone Lonesome. Added to that, Bryony Lavery's punchy boxing drama Beautiful Burnout returns for a UK tour this Autumn and David Greig’s The Monster in the Hall visits China, marking the National Theatre of Scotland’s furthest adventure yet. "The shows are all so different, which is part of the beauty of the National Theatre of Scotland," says Patterson. "It's very unexpected for a presenter, particularly when you do something as strange as going from Black Watch to Long Gone Lonesome – you just can't swing any further." It’s a view that chimes with the experience of Neil Murray, the National Theatre of Scotland’s Executive Producer. "Some of the people who were in to see Alan Cumming in Macbeth in New York had been to see Prudencia Hart in New Haven," he says. "We get people who are starting to follow the Company. What's really appealing to them is the range of work – they're not quite sure what we'll turn up with next." As Murray sees it, such journeys beyond Scotland are a great validation of the Company’s work. "It's fantastic for the confidence of the Company," he says. "People are excited about two things: the model we have as a Company – they're starting to get the theatre-without-walls concept – and the versatility of our performers, whether it's Alan Cumming having the balls to do a one-person Macbeth, or Prudencia Hart where an actor plays the banjo then gives an amazing speech. We seem a lot more daring in what we ask our performers to do and, indeed, what our performers are capable of." That, he says, reflects well on everyone: "We fly the flag for the Company, but it rubs off on Scottish culture generally." By Mark Fisher Arts writer, editor and critic 4
THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART
A NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PRODUCTION Touring to venues across the USA, Autumn 2012, and to Australia and New Zealand in 2013. Check nationaltheatrescotland.com for full tour details US tour supported by Benromach
BARLANARK COMMUNITY CENTRE, GLASGOW THURSDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 2012, 2.30pm PENILEE COMMUNITY CENTRE, GLASGOW FRIDAY 21st SEPTEMBER 2012, 7pm
YELLOW MOON
CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW 6th to 22nd September 2012 THE LEMON TREE, ABERDEEN 28th & 29th SEPTEMBER 2012 Check nationaltheatrescotland.com for full tour details.
THE MONSTER IN THE HALL BEAUTIFUL BURNOUT
PRESENTED BY FRANTIC ASSEMBLY AND THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND Touring throughout the the UK, October to December 2012 See calendar or check franticassembly.co.uk for full tour details
CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW 7th to 22nd SEPTEMBER 2012 THE LEMON TREE, ABERDEEN 28th & 29th SEPTEMBER 2012
Check nationaltheatrescotland.com for full tour details.
WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
THE MONSTER IN THE HALL
PRESENTED BY THE CITIZENS THEATRE AND THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND Touring to China and venues across the UK, October 2012. (See opposite page for full details) TWITTER #blackwatch #prudenciahart #beautifulburnout
COUNT ME IN BY GARY MCNAIR YELLOW MOON AND THE MONSTER IN THE HALL BY DAVID GREIG, DIRECTED BY GUY HOLLANDS
Bank of Scotland has supported a programme of activities to accompany the tour of Yellow Moon and The Monster in the Hall including four free theatre workshops for young people, led by director Guy Hollands, and free tickets for all workshop participants. The four workshops are: Sat 22 Sep Sat 29 Sep Sat 6 Oct Sat 10 Nov
Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 11am – 1pm Aberdeen Arts Centre, 2 – 4pm Rothes Halls Studio, Glenrothes, 1.30 – 3.30pm Renfrew Town Hall, 10am – 12pm
To book a place, email bankofscotlandworkshops@ nationaltheatrescotland.com, stating which workshop you would like to attend. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. YELLOW MOON and THE MONSTER IN THE HALL Supported by Bank of Scotland Pioneering Partnership
THE AWARD WINNING TFD (IT MEANS WHAT YOU WANT IT TO MEAN) IS TRAVELLING FURTHER AND WIDER TO DELIVER ITS WORLD CLASS PROGRAMME OF THEATRE, WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES TO YOUNG AUDIENCES.
This season, Gary McNair’s one-man hustings hustling show, Count Me In, is joined by a pair of plays by David Greig – Yellow Moon and The Monster in the Hall – on an extensive tour accompanied by a comprehensive workshop programme, the Scottish leg of which is supported by the Bank of Scotland Pioneering Partnership. Count Me In is a show that puts voting to the ballot. Written and performed by performer-auteur Gary McNair, the show visits schools and venues in Fife, Strathclyde and Ayrshire. “It gets all the audience members to vote live on stage,” explains the National Theatre of Scotland’s Learn Producer, Karen Allan. “The young people are very much involved in what’s happening in the performance, and what comes out of it reflects what the audience are feeling and thinking. It really invests in the audience, and takes them on a journey.” A key component of the tfd concept is the range of workshops that are available to all subscribers, covering the spectrum of theatre arts, from performing to playwriting, via stage management, set design, and wardrobe. “Ultimately, the aim of tfd,” according to Karen Allan, “is to tour performances aimed at young audiences, to take shows which are light on their feet – basically, shows that don’t require a lot of set and lighting – accompanied by creative workshops.” David Greig’s multi-award winning Yellow Moon and The Monster in the Hall, both directed by Guy Hollands and originally produced by Glasgow’s TAG theatre company (part of Citizens Theatre), fit perfectly into the tfd model as plays for young audiences which are ‘light on their feet’. “With Yellow Moon, the challenge was to write something that had all the dynamics of a Hollywood movie, but was set in Fife, and could be performed by just pushing the furniture to the side,” says writer, David Greig. The same basic principles apply to The Monster in the Hall, written specifically in response to young carers. “With Monster, I asked young carers what would be the worst kind of show I could write, and they all said, ‘something sad, and serious about what a hard life we have’. So I took that note on board and set out to write a story about a teenage girl in Fife with the number one aim of making it funny, and everything else came after that. “Both plays were written with a very clear intention: one was to thrill you with adventure, the other to entertain you with laughs. One has a teenage boy hero, the other has a teenage girl hero; one is a little bit like a road movie, the other is like a musical.” Yellow Moon and The Monster in the Hall tour to schools and venues across Scotland, England and Wales in the Autumn. For the Scottish dates, director Guy Hollands leads a programme of creative workshops for young people supported by Bank of Scotland Pioneering Partnership. By Lesley Hart Freelance arts writer 5
THE GUID SISTERS
A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN THE ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE, EDINBURGH AND THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND
A
TITLE
ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE, EDINBURGH 21st SEPTEMBER to 13th OCTOBER 2012 PREVIEWS: 21st, 22nd & 24th SEPTEMBER EVENINGS: 7.45pm MATINEES: WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS, 2.30pm POST-SHOW DISCUSSION: 2nd OCTOBER
FROM LES BELLES-SOEURS BY MICHEL TREMBLAY TRANSLATED BY BILL FINDLAY AND MARTIN BOWMAN DIRECTED BY SERGE DENONCOURT KAREN DUNBAR AND KATHRYN HOWDEN ARE SITTING IN A PARTICK DINER COOING OVER PICTURES ON A MOBILE PHONE. They're the publicity shots of the two of them in 1960s period garb, looking every bit the part in Michel Tremblay's hilarious comedy, The Guid Sisters. You can just picture Howden as Germaine, the lucky winner of a million Green Shield stamps, and Dunbar as Rose, one of the close friends – or "good sisters" – she invites round for a stamp-sticking party. "I've been explaining to younger people that Green Shield stamps were like Nectar points," says Dunbar, a mainstay of the King's Glasgow panto as well as a regular on Chewin' the Fat and four series of her own TV show. "I remember they were always in people's bags – wee loose ones," says Howden, another much-loved face on Scottish stages. "There was the actual thing of licking and sticking that you don't get now." Dunbar agrees. "It was the tangibility. These are mine, you can count them. Whereas with Nectar cards and everything, it’s like something in an iCloud that belongs to me. In the play, she gets four boxes delivered – three of them are stamps, and the other one is the books to stick them in. It's like a suitcase of money: this is mine." First performed as Les Belles-Soeurs in Montreal in 1965, the comedy gained a new lease of life when it was translated into the language of working-class Glasgow by Martin Bowman and the late Bill Findlay in 1989. With a cast of 15 women – a figure remarkable in itself – the Tron Theatre production was such a hit that the company was able to take the play back to Canada where Anglophone audiences were amazed to see the Québécois playwright in a new light. "What's lovely about it is you get snippets of everyone's life," says Howden. "It's a beautifully written play." Not only does the latest production by the Lyceum and the National Theatre of Scotland feature a number of actors who were in the original show, but it is directed by Serge Denoncourt who has staged many of Tremblay's plays in the original French. He is an experienced hand in dealing with the playwright's special combination of razor-sharp everyday speech and passages of theatrical poetry. Above all, he writes with great playfulness. A typical example is when Rose starts bickering with the other women. Accused of arguing, she replies: "And for your information, ah didnae say 'argue', I said 'argybargy'." "That line really sealed it for me," says Dunbar. "She's like that all the way through it until this pathos-filled monologue at the end when you realise why she is the way she is. It's phenomenally well-written for women. I'm reading it and I hear my mother." Howden is quick to agree. "It's somebody who's been around a load of women. It's got those rhythms. When you get women together they'll finish sentences, they'll start before the other one's finished . . . I don't think a group of men do that as much." By Mark Fisher Arts writer, editor and critic
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ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AUDIO DESCRIBED: 4th OCTOBER, 7.45pm (TOUCH TOUR 6.15pm) & 6th OCTOBER, 2.30pm (TOUCH TOUR 1pm) SIGNED: 12th OCTOBER, 7.45pm CAPTIONED: 13th OCTOBER, 2.30pm BOX OFFICE: 0131 248 4848 www.lyceum.org.uk KING’S THEATRE, GLASGOW 23rd to 27th OCTOBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7.30pm MATINEES: 24th & 27th OCTOBER, 2.30pm POST-SHOW DISCUSSION: 25th OCTOBER ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES CAPTIONED AND AUDIO DESCRIBED: 24th OCTOBER, 7.30pm SIGNED: 25th OCTOBER, 7.30pm BOX OFFICE: 0844 871 7648 www.atgtickets.com/glasgow Ticket prices vary. Contact venue Box Offices for full details. Booking fees may apply. TWITTER #guidsisters @lyceumtheatre
Supported by Bank of Scotland Pioneering Partnership
Image/ Kathryn Howden and Karen Dunbar. Photograph by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
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GLASGOW GIRLS
THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND, THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST, CITIZENS THEATRE, PACHAMAMA PRODUCTIONS, RICHARD JORDAN PRODUCTIONS LTD IN ASSOCIATION WITH MERRIGONG THEATRE COMPANY, AUSTRALIA CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW 31st OCTOBER to 17th NOVEMBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7.30pm MATINEES: 10th & 17th NOVEMBER, 2.30pm POST-SHOW DISCUSSION: 8th NOVEMBER
CONCEIVED FOR THE STAGE AND DIRECTED BY CORA BISSETT BOOK BY DAVID GREIG
ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AUDIO DESCRIBED: 7th NOVEMBER, 7.30PM SIGNED: 8th NOVEMBER, 7.30PM CAPTIONED: 15th NOVEMBER, 7.30PM BOX OFFICE: 0141 429 0022 www.citz.co.uk
GLASGOW GIRLS IS A NEW SCOTTISH MUSICAL BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF SEVEN SCHOOLGIRLS WHOSE LOVE FOR THEIR FRIEND, AND THEIR CITY, INSPIRED THEM TO LEAD A CAMPAIGN AGAINST INJUSTICE. Torn from their beds in the middle of the night, Agnesa Murselaj’s family were among the first victims of a series of dawn raids on failed asylum seekers in Drumchapel, Glasgow, in 2005. Seven of Agnesa’s school friends protested against her detention, spearheading an audacious campaign to protect the rights of children of asylum seekers in Scotland. By revisiting the real-life stories of refugees in Glasgow, Cora Bissett, director of Olivier Award-winning Roadkill (a site-specific play about human trafficking), may appear to be in familiar territory. In fact, Glasgow Girls marks a departure in form. “Roadkill made its impact by playing to a tiny audience in close proximity,” says Cora. “I want Glasgow Girls to play to a bigger audience, in big proscenium arch theatres like the Citz. I want it to have popular appeal, to celebrate Glasgow as a gutsy, vibrant, beautiful city; rich in culture and diversity.” Cora’s handpicked creative team includes playwright David Greig (The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Dunsinane, The Monster in the Hall), leading musical director Hilary Brooks (Sunshine on Leith, Sweeney Todd), and a world of music influence packed into two young Glaswegian songwriters, Patricia Panther and MC Soom T. Rap artist, activist and secret fan of The Sound of Music, MC Soom T contributes a number of songs, including the title track, We are the Glasgow Girls, which she describes as “a typical activist song, about girls uniting together, binding to make a fist against injustice”. Patricia P brings her “electronic grime” to tracks like Cuff You, about the dawn raids – a dark, aggressive and angry track because, as she says, “It’s dark when you’re being removed from your house at that time in the morning”. Cora, a prolific songwriter in her own right, adds a folky element, with some traditional style Scottish songs – there’s even some Robert Burns thrown into the mix. “We’re using To a Mouse, because it has a brilliant parallel – the mouse being dug up and made homeless. We’ve jammed in Arabic rhythms and Balkan-style singing and done a huge remix of it. That’s the concept for the music – a big multicultural mix of styles, just like the girls are a big multicultural mix of styles.” Glasgow Girls offers much to celebrate in its teenage protagonists. David Greig has written the book for the musical, notes that the Glasgow Girls company is “full of young people, because the seven young actors are not far off the ages of the real girls in the story, and that energy is really exciting and fun to be part of, and fun to write for too.” Cora’s concept centres on young teenage girls who have genuine aspiration, and take strength from an indomitable sense of community. “Yes, it is about asylum seekers who almost got deported,” she says, “but at its heart it is a rites-of-passage story – and a big love song to Glasgow.”
THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST 8th FEBRUARY to 2nd MARCH 2013 BOX OFFICE: 020 8534 0310 www.stratfordeast.com Ticket prices vary. Contact venue Box Offices for full details. Booking fees may apply.
Supported by
By Lesley Hart Freelance arts writer Image/ The cast of Glasgow Girls. Photograph by Simon Murphy.
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CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND AND COMMISSIONED FOR UNLIMITED, A PROJECT CELEBRATING DISABILITY, ARTS, CULTURE AND SPORT ON AN UNPRECEDENTED SCALE AS PART OF THE LONDON 2012 CULTURAL OLYMPIAD.
MÉNAGE À TROIS
MÉNAGE À TROIS
QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL, LONDON FRIDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2012 EVENING: 8pm ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCE AUDIO DESCRIBED BOX OFFICE: 0844 875 0073 www.southbankcentre.co.uk EDEN COURT, INVERNESS TUESDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 2012 EVENING: 7.30pm BOX OFFICE: 01463 234 234 www.eden-court.co.uk TRAVERSE THEATRE, EDINBURGH WEDNESDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 2012 EVENING: 7.30pm BOX OFFICE: 0131 228 1404 www.traverse.co.uk Ticket prices vary. Check venue Box Offices for details. Booking fees may apply.
THE PROJECT IS PRINCIPALLY FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL LOTTERY THROUGH THE OLYMPIC LOTTERY DISTRIBUTOR, AND IS DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LONDON 2012, ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND, CREATIVE SCOTLAND, ARTS COUNCIL OF WALES, ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL.
Image/ Claire Cunningham. Photograph by Sven Hagolani.
BY CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM AND GAIL SNEDDON
EXAMINING DANCER CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER CRUTCHES, MÉNAGE À TROIS REFUSES TO PULL ITS PUNCHES. Ménage à Trois explores the anxieties of modern dating, body image and the hypocrisy of the quest for perfection, integrating choreography, text, set design and video projection to create an organic and immersive work of theatre. Cunningham has been working with co-creator and video designer Gail Sneddon to combine these diverse arts into a cohesive whole and to capture the anguish – and humour – of life beyond the romantic dream. After the international success of Mobile/Evolution, Cunningham's earlier double bill that used her crutches as prop and partner, she realised that Ménage à Trois was a work she had to make. Wondering how far the crutches had taken the place of a lover, she teamed up with Sneddon to create a performance where video is integral to the dance, rather than as a spectacular after-thought. "Usually video projection comes in after the choreography," says Sneddon. "But this time, it has been working in tandem with the dance." Every element was organically produced to be part of a whole," Cunningham remembers, ensuring that the visuals and choreography work together. She dances with the visuals, as well as the set which towers threateningly above her. Even before the arrival of her dancing partner Christopher Owen, Cunningham already appears to be part of a cast rather than a soloist. This integration perfectly mirrors the complexity of the piece's concerns. Far from being simply about Cunningham and her crutches, it sets up a fantasy world where clichés of romantic love, the boastful descriptions of online dating profiles, emotional insecurities and the unrealistic expectations of perfection in potential suitors argue and reconcile, climaxing in the sudden appearance of a male dancer, representing Cunningham's attitude towards her crutches. "The danger of autobiographical work is not to let it tip into therapy," says Cunningham. Ménage à Trois balances a portrayal of Cunningham's specific situation and a more abstract description of the dating process; the crutches act both as a literal presence and as a stark metaphor for emotional dependency. The texts that accompany certain scenes are Cunningham's honest reflections on her own desires and frustrations but speak of a common hypocrisy which demands perfection in a potential partner while expecting their own weaknesses to be understood. Sneddon, who has worked as a choreographer and installation artist, uses her skills to realise a vision of the world inside Cunningham's mind, and to forge a work where every aspect on stage has a focus and an impact that is both immediate and moving. "It's about finding that synergy," she says. Sneddon and Cunningham realise that choreography can be about far more than just bodies moving in space. Sneddon also notes that, although she works with diverse art forms, her aesthetic remains primarily choreographic. As Cunningham concludes, "we were keen to create a world for the audience, the feeling of being immersed in a world full of magic, of being able to revert to a childlike wonder." Behind its serious intentions, Ménage à Trois aims to captivate and seduce the audience with wit, self-deprecation, elegant choreography, stylish visual design and wry humour. By Gareth K Vile Theatre Editor, The Skinny 11
MY SHRINKING LIFE
A NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PRODUCTION TRON THEATRE, GLASGOW 8th to 15th SEPTEMBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7.45pm POST-SHOW DISCUSSION: 13th SEPTEMBER ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES SIGNED: 14th SEPTEMBER AUDIO DESCRIBED: 15th SEPTEMBER BOX OFFICE: 0141 552 4267 www.tron.co.uk
CONCEPT BY AND FEATURING ALISON PEEBLES DEVISED BY THE COMPANY AND DIRECTED BY LIES PAUWELS
ALISON PEEBLES’ AMBITION TO MAKE A SHOW ABOUT LIVING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS WENT THROUGH VARIOUS TRANSFORMATIONS AS HER CONDITION PROGRESSED. “First of all I wanted to perform it. Then I decided no, I couldn’t be in it because I can’t physically do what I used to be able to do. So, I thought, I’ll direct it and create a fictional character to explore the experience through her.” Soon, however, actor/director Alison realised the fact that she isn’t physically the same as she used to be is actually the point of the show she wanted to make. Despite her limitations, even because of them, My Shrinking Life is to be a very physical piece of theatre, performed by Alison alongside two dancers, one dance-trained actor and a child. “Working with the dancers is really liberating. They are so used to using their bodies to express whatever they’re thinking and feeling. But it’s deeply frustrating as well, because sometimes I just want to be able run or jump or do something, and I can’t. Even if I tried to do it, I couldn’t. Everyone has different limitations, but I feel these limitations on myself – and I want people to see that.” The show is being devised in collaboration with Belgian theatre director Lies Pauwels, whose bold reimagining of Knives in Hens for the National Theatre of Scotland in 2011, both startled and thrilled audiences. “Putting reality on stage is always a special thing,” Lies says. “It’s not documentary or objective reconstruction. Theatre gives us permission to use imagination, absurdity, humour, emotion, crazy associations. I like to discover layers underneath the story, and in those layers, the emotional trip of life that we all recognise. This project will be a collaboration of different people, ideas, inspirations, cultures, theatre, dance, humour and tragedy.” Alison began developing the piece with Lies through a series of workshops. “She’s just extraordinary,” Alison says. “She has a unique approach which seemed to fit this project. Also, she doesn’t really know me, so has no preconceptions of me. That’s a good thing.” As one of Scotland’s leading theatre, film and television talents, Alison is renowned for being able to turn her hand to almost anything. Even with MS, first diagnosed 12 years ago, she has carried on working, and struggles to accept her limitations. “I have been in a lot of denial. I still am. I carry on as I’ve always tried to.” Handing her story over to Lies and her creative team to realise on stage, and placing herself starkly in the spotlight, is a leap of faith for Alison, but one she feels ready to take. “I don’t mind if the show veers away from the particulars of my story. I just hope it captures something of my world, of my experience.” Alison likens her MS to “the ageing process accelerated”. But MS is not one condition. “It’s different for everyone. That’s what I’m getting at: we all have frailties and limitations, whether we are old, young, disabled, able-bodied, whatever, and we all experience them differently. We can’t presume to know what is going on inside the outer shell of a person, and that’s fascinating to me.”
BYRE THEATRE, ST ANDREWS 27th & 28th SEPTEMBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7.30pm BOX OFFICE: 01334 475 000 www.byretheatre.com TRAVERSE THEATRE, EDINBURGH 2nd & 3rd OCTOBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7.30pm BOX OFFICE: 0131 228 1404 www.traverse.co.uk EDEN COURT, INVERNESS 5th & 6th OCTOBER 2012 EVENINGS: 8pm BOX OFFICE: 01463 234 234 www.eden-court.co.uk Ticket prices vary. Contact venue Box Offices for full details. Booking fees may apply. TWITTER #myshrinkinglife
By Lesley Hart Freelance arts writer Image/ Photograph of Alison Peebles by Simon Murphy. 12
A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND AND THE ARCHES, IN ASSOCIATION WITH GOVANHILL BATHS COMMUNITY TRUST
LIFEGUARD
GOVANHILL BATHS, GLASGOW 99 CALDER STREET GOVANHILL, G42 7RA 5th to 27th OCTOBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7.30pm MATINEES: 20th & 27th OCTOBER, 2.30pm POST-SHOW DISCUSSION: 18th OCTOBER ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCE SIGNED: 18th OCTOBER
CREATED AND PERFORMED BY ADRIAN HOWELLS
BOX OFFICE: 0141 565 1000 www.thearches.co.uk Ticket prices vary. Contact venue Box Office for full details. Booking fees may apply TWITTER #NTSlifeguard.
ADRIAN HOWELLS HAS SPENT THE LAST DECADE BUILDING A REPUTATION FOR BOLD, INTIMATE PERFORMANCES lifeguard is a new site-specific piece being developed with the National Theatre of Scotland and The Arches, where Adrian is currently Artist-in-Residence, and takes his work in a new direction in an exploration of the human relationship with water. "I've been doing one-on-ones for quite some time," says Howells. "And after eleven years of performing on my own I decided I wanted to perform with someone else." A recent residency in Singapore inspired him to want to play to a wider audience: noting the stronger connections between the generations there, he became interested in how performance can build communities. The venue, Govanhill Baths in Glasgow, has a dramatic history of its own: when it was closed by the council, the local community occupied it and set up a trust to restore it. Yet lifeguard is more than a memorial to this much-missed swimming pool. Howells is adamant that he is exploring the bigger themes, investigating “what it means to be a human being and our relationship with water and swimming. It's a celebration and a contemplation of water that goes to darker places as well." Using a script devised in part from conversations with members of the local community, Howells reflects on water both as a metaphor and a literal presence: the performance will happen in the Govanhill Baths’ refurbished teaching pool. The narrative is formed around the connection between an older man – the lifeguard, performed by Howells – and a younger swimmer, performed by Ira Mandela Siobhan. Like Howells’s earlier work, this piece examines the nature of intimacy and trust. "When I, as the lifeguard, first meet the young man, he can't swim. He needs me to teach him. He then becomes this fantastic swimmer and doesn't need me any more," Howells says. "There’s a pain connected to feeling redundant and superfluous to requirement when the pupil doesn't need the teacher anymore." From the rest of Howells's cast to the collaboration with Govanhill Baths Trust and the involvement of a creative team that includes Jane Mason, Rob Drummond, Minty Donald, Nichola Scrutton, Mike Brookes and Nick Millar, lifeguard brings Howells's newly energised interest in community to life beyond the stage. Clydebank Synchronised Swimming Club will be providing a surprising interlude and the audience will be invited to have their own unique experience of entering the pool. While this latest work may be a departure from his most recent performances, such as The Pleasure of Being: Washing, Feeding, Holding – a critical and word-ofmouth success at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe which saw Howells bathe, cradle and feed one single audience member at a time – lifeguard retains his preoccupation with risk and intimacy. The imaginative use of pre-recorded text, original film and site-responsive design – both in terms of the sound/music, and visually – make this far from predictable, scripted drama, but it is a step towards a more traditional theatre than his one-on-one performances: a clear dramatic story that has time to ponder our relationship with a liquid that surrounds us, sometimes threatens us – but which also sustains us.
Image/ Photograph of Adrian Howells and Ira Mandela Siobhan by Simon Murphy.
By Gareth K Vile Theatre Editor, The Skinny
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JUMP
A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND AND ON AT FIFE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STRATHCLYDE POLICE PLATFORM, GLASGOW 22nd & 23rd NOVEMBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7pm BOX OFFICE: 0141 276 9696 www.platform-online.co.uk
DEVISED AND DIRECTED BY SIMON SHARKEY
ROTHES HALLS, GLENROTHES 28th & 29th NOVEMBER 2012 EVENINGS: 7pm MATINEE: THURSDAY 29th, 1.30pm BOX OFFICE: 01592 611101 www.onfife.com/box-office £3 deposit required per ticket, refunded after the performance. TWITTER #NTSjump
IT NEEDS DISCIPLINE, SELF-AWARENESS, STRENGTH AND SMART, CAUTIOUS DECISION-MAKING. These all are qualities that must be perfected in order for a traceur – a practitioner of the sport parkour – to guide himself or herself safely, efficiently and gracefully through an urban landscape. A similar set of qualities, one might say, could describe those acquired by an adolescent boy negotiating myriad obstacles on the challenging path from youth to manhood. It’s a parallel which National Theatre of Scotland Associate Director Simon Sharkey seeks to draw with his latest project, Jump. Parkour has already played a central part in previous National Theatre of Scotland productions Extreme and Transform Inverclyde: Bolt. For Jump, parkour serves as its central aesthetic, both as a visual spectacle and as a metaphor. “It’s a really graceful and purposeful activity,” says Sharkey. “There’s a philosophy behind it – it’s not just about the fancy, tricksy stuff. It’s about being yourself and being useful and training in a team and working in groups.” “And it’s a great way of engaging with young men,” he adds. As the father of four boys himself, Sharkey recognises that adolescent males can be a hard group to communicate with and are often unfairly stigmatised by society. “I felt that there was a need to give young men a platform to express themselves, and also allow their communities to get an honest view of them.” A 10-month project in partnership with ON at Fife and Strathclyde Police Safer Communities Department, Jump is being developed through workshops in secondary schools in Fife and in the East End of Glasgow, involving some 600 pupils. Two performing companies will eventually be created, ready for Jump’s climax in November at a number of “event theatre” performances at Rothes Halls in Glenrothes and Platform in Glasgow. These will be “very physical” spectacles, combining parkour with autobiographical storytelling – drawn from creative writing workshops led by Glasgow-based rapper and musician MC Loki – as well as a soundtrack curated with assistance from Radio 1 DJ Ally McCrae and David Weaver’s award-winning independent music promotion company Detour Scotland. “It’ll be more like a gig than a show,” explains Sharkey. Chris Grant, founder of Glasgow Parkour and Parkour Director for Jump, hopes the project will raise the profile of the sport he loves, and offer up an antidote to popular misconceptions of it being all about taking risks and showing-off – “guys doing backflips to drum’n’bass,” as he puts it. “It’s about showing that parkour always has a context,” he says. “A lot of the time the movement is almost secondary to what you get out of it.” One long term ambition for Jump is that it will lead to a new surge of interest in parkour in Scotland. But just as important an outcome will be a wide communication of its core values of self-improvement and self-expression, in a manner that participants and audience alike find exciting. “It’s a good way to see all the aspects of parkour in a way that’s really entertaining to watch,” Grant surmises. “Within the context of a narrative theatre piece, we can get all these ideas across in a way that’ll hopefully make people think a bit.” By Malcolm Jack Arts journalist
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@nts_simon @nts_karen @nts_adam
Image/ Shutterstock.
JUMP
FIVE MINUTE THEATRE
A NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PRODUCTION fiveminutetheatre.com
THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND AND THE LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS BARBICAN (OFFSITE), LONDON 3rd to 21st OCTOBER 2012 EVENINGS: 8pm BOX OFFICE: 020 7638 8891 www.barbican.org.uk BELFAST FESTIVAL 26th OCTOBER to 4th NOVEMBER 2012 EVENINGS: 8pm BOX OFFICE: 028 9097 1197 www.belfastfestival.com
THEATRE BY EVERYONE FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ANYONE
THERE ARE PROBABLY 1000 DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH IMAGINATIONS WERE CAPTURED BY FIVE MINUTE THEATRE IN 2011. That would make one for each performer involved in the remarkable 24-hour online theatrical experience, staged to celebrate five years of the National Theatre of Scotland. 207 five-minute pieces by professionals, enthusiasts and complete beginners alike – 74 performed live at hubs nationwide, 133 pre-recorded – were streamed back-to-back over the course of June 21, 2011, to an audience of thousands worldwide. It trended on Twitter, received unanimous praise from critics – taking Best Technical Presentation at the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland – and broadened participants’ minds and horizons on an international scale. For Marianne Maxwell, the National Theatre of Scotland’s Audience Development Manager in charge of the project, there was never a question of whether Five Minute Theatre should return, but only when and how. It returned in 2012 in a revised format that breaks the concept down into multiple smaller instalments, without sacrificing anything of what made the marathon original so innovative and democratic. “We realised the full 24-hour event was something special,” says Maxwell, “that was for the fifth birthday. But the idea of co-producing with our audience was something we wanted to hang on to.” A number of separate themed events are being staged over the course of a year. “They’re shorter in length than the 24-hour one,” Maxwell explains, “but with the same spirit – we throw it open, and whoever wants to submit an idea is welcome. The themes put a nice frame around each event.” The first theme, “Protest”, launched proceedings in May 2012, followed by “Youth” in July, with more to be announced. Sign-ups can be made ahead of each forthcoming event via the fiveminutetheatre.com website. The project continues to capture peoples’ imaginations in new ways. Take Ben Vickers – a theatre technician at Scarborough’s Yorkshire Coast College, who saw in “Protest” an opportunity to fulfil a long-held ambition to step out from behind the scenes and try his hand at writing and performing. “I just thought ‘yeah, I can do that – five minutes is achievable to me,’” he says. His funny and heart-warming solo piece Chipper Johnny was a resounding hit that boosted Vickers’ confidence hugely. He definitely intends to write and act again: “It really has been great for me, because it’s got all kinds of other cogs whirring.” Love Drama, an Edinburgh-based drama-in-education company for young people, has taken part in every instalment of Five Minute Theatre to date. For them, as for so many amateur bodies, to work with a national theatre organisation on the same platform as professional companies, and to enjoy the recognition that comes with that, has been unlike anything they’ve experienced before. “It’s given us something to work towards,” says Love Drama’s founder and director Kirsten McCrossan, “something that’s involved all the parents, involved family, involved friends. “Before we were just a little group working in a church in Musselburgh,” McCrossan adds. “Now we feel like we’re part of the theatre community.”
PRESS REVIEWS 2012 Protest: “Sums up how protest can lead to real creative action” THE HERALD * * * *
PRESS REVIEWS “The National Theatre of Scotland’s most politically charged piece since its breakthrough hit, Black Watch” THE INDEPENDENT * * * * *
Youth: “A lively, non-stop five-and-a-half-hour mix of rites of passage and a desire to be understood on the one hand, and a mourning for lost youth on the other” THE HERALD * * * *
“This bittersweet elegy to the newspaper industry has the ring of truth, straight from the editorial floor” THE GUARDIAN * * * *
“Real gems of miniature theatre” THE SCOTSMAN * * * * TWITTER #fiveminutetheatre @NTS_marianne Showcasing the diverse talents of Scottish playwrights, devisers and practitioners @NTSonline #fiveminutetheatre THEATRE WITHOUT WALLS! from @RabbDunn Signing off #fiveminutetheatre absolutely amazing achievement again by @NTSonline makes you proud to be Scottish so it does! from @JohnMcLarnon
“Documentary theatre at its devastating best” THE HERALD * * * * “Shockingly timely” THE SCOTSMAN * * * * TWITTER #Enquirer Real theatre lives again - powerful expose of journalism from the mouths of journalists. Superbly 'staged' #enquirer from @icyprof We just saw #Enquirer by @NTSonline,a spellbinding, absolutely of the moment piece of work. from @BBCBookCafe
Great variety of items coming along live on #fiveminutetheatre . True National Theatre of the people. from @regnron
EDITED AND DIRECTED BY VICKY FEATHERSTONE AND JOHN TIFFANY CO-EDITED BY ANDREW O’HAGAN BASED ON INTERVIEWS BY PAUL FLYNN, DEBORAH ORR AND RUTH WISHART
HARVESTED, THEN EXPERTLY MONTAGED, FROM THE EXPERIENCES AND OPINIONS OF 43 JOURNALISTS, ENQUIRER EFFECTIVELY DISTILLS THE ANGER, REGRET AND LOSS OF CONFIDENCE AMONG A GENERATION OF JOURNALISTS. Enquirer shows the industry on a cliff-edge. Regardless of the centuries of history behind it, the UK’s Fourth Estate risks losing its very raison d'être — the gathering and dissemination of information — amid an exponentially evolving information revolution. At times the sense of loss, and the unfairness of it all, is palpable in Enquirer — a visceral and bittersweet elegy to a profession on the cusp of changes so fundamental that it could well be unrecognisable within a generation. Certainly timely, given Lord Leveson’s unremitting inquiry into the “culture, practice and ethics of the Press”, Enquirer outlines print journalism’s “perfect storm”, not least the vicious denigration of the profession following the revelations about the Milly Dowler phone-hacking. The production is also critical enough to confirm that some practices, such as the paying of public officials for stories, were long-established and simply ignored by startlingly complacent editors and publishers as long as they resulted in exclusives and increased sales. This has led inexorably to a rapid shift of both readers and advertisers to the world wide web which, by offering ‘content’ and advertising space for free, has effectively pulled the rug from under the newspaper industry’s traditional business model. This is not, necessarily, a problem solvable by those so rooted in the industry’s traditional ways, which is why Enquirer cannot suggest a suitable remedy for this undeniably sick industry. But then, no one has yet found a new paradigm that works. As Claire Enders — founder of respected media research company Enders Analysis — recently explained to Lord Leveson, not even the Daily Mail can be said to have yet found the “magic bullet” to guarantee commercial success in a digital-only future. Whether or not such success is even possible — whether we are witnessing the unavoidable decline and fall of another industry, or just its necessarily violent evolution to suit a new media environment —Enquirer reminds us why print newspapers and the journalism they support have mattered in the past, and arguably could still matter today: the role of local papers in strengthening the self-identity of local communities; the “public interest” value when holding the powerful to account; and, just occasionally, the genuine good they can directly achieve — most effectively shown in Enquirer by Ros WynneJones’s account of her Sudan campaign which managed to raise £1 million from Daily Express readers. It’s said we too often miss something only after it’s gone; Enquirer is a timely reminder of why we shouldn’t take the continued existence of professional journalism for granted. By Paul F Cockburn Edinburgh-based freelance journalist & copywriter
Malcolm Jack Arts journalist Image/ Filming Five Minute Theatre at the Bongo Club, Edinburgh. Photograph by Colin Hattersley. 18
ENQUIRER
Image/ Gabriel Quigley in a scene from Enquirer. Photograph by Mark Hamilton. 19
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND AND ON AT FIFE THE OLD KIRK, KIRKCALDY KIRK WYND, KY1 1EH 7th to 30th DECEMBER 2012 POST-SHOW DISCUSSION: 13th DECEMBER ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCE SIGNED: 23rd DECEMBER, 2.30pm BOX OFFICE: 01592 611101 www.onfife.com
BY CHARLES DICKENS ADAPTED, DIRECTED AND DESIGNED BY GRAHAM MCLAREN
WHEN YOU ENTER THE TINY ROOM WHERE A CHRISTMAS CAROL IS PERFORMED, IT'S MORE LIKE YOU'RE STEPPING INTO AN EXTENSION OF EBENEZER SCROOGE'S OFFICE THAN A THEATRE. Ushered into the musty Victorian space, the audience can almost reach out and touch the ledgers, documents and scrolls surrounding poor Bob Cratchit as he toils his way through the festive season. Its debut run in Govan Town Hall, Glasgow, was named Best Production at the 2012 Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland and, when it is presented at the Old Kirk in Kirkcaldy, it will feel like one of the most intimate shows in the Christmas calendar. Appearances, though, can be deceptive. "We carry more kit on A Christmas Carol than we do on Black Watch," says Production Manager Chris Hay, referring to the large-scale National Theatre of Scotland hit that typically plays in drill halls, exhibition centres and warehouses. "If you went outside the room, the control system is as complicated as any West End show." The reason for this is surprising. Although the room feels like it has been lying dormant for centuries, it is actually a set constructed from scratch. Walls, ceiling and floor are all fake. It means audiences in Fife will get precisely the same spooky experience as they did in Glasgow. "The aspiration for the show was to tour it to various locations," says Hay. "But it dawned on everybody that finding a room in a building in each town, bashing holes in the walls and having puppets come out of wardrobes was actually more of a challenge than building a room." The illusion is perfect, the result of three years' careful planning by the technical team. In particular, the large ceiling had to be solid and secure. "The biggest job was to get a structure that could hold it up," says Kevin Murray, Technical Stage Manager. "And also to figure out how to get all the audience into the room – you discover all the regulations about how big the steps have to be and the various standards you have to meet to get your licence." With that accomplished, director Graham McLaren wanted the show to be lit as if it were a real found space. That meant ruling out traditional theatre lighting and using regular light bulbs or fittings the actors could carry round. "You don't have the precision you do with theatrical lighting, where you can shutter something exactly to someone's face," says the show’s Lighting Designer Paul Claydon. "You're doing that job with bulbs in various different places and relying on the actors to light themselves. It was an unusual way of working, but it worked really well." They had to do further creative work on moving and lighting Gavin Glover’s fabulously creepy puppets, while Sound Designer Matt Padden had to find ways of enhancing Jon Beales' live score to bring an extra spooky edge to the show. "I think the hidden trick in A Christmas Carol was the sound," says Hay. "Some people thought you could hear Govan Town Hall chime – but Govan Town Hall doesn't have a clock! It was the speakers placed miles away. The sound created an underlying feeling to being in that room that you didn't quite realise was there." Proof, if it were needed, that it’s not just the devil in the detail – but the ghosts as well. By Mark Fisher Arts writer, editor and critic 20
Times and ticket prices vary. Check venue Box Office for full details. Booking fees may apply. PRESS REVIEWS “Wicked witches and angry giants may be stalking stages across the land, but none can be as terrifying as the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future that haunt this tremendous adaptation” THE GUARDIAN * * * * * “Deserves to be remembered as one of the classiest pieces of theatre to have been staged in Scotland, not only in the winter season, but at any time of year” DAILY TELEGRAPH * * * * * “A work of tremendous style, vigour and atmosphere” SUNDAY HERALD TWITTER #NTSchristmascarol And straight in at number one is Christmas Carol by @NTSonline. Beautiful, funny, scary, profound, astonishing. A staggering piece of work. from @foolisholly Just been to see preview of A CHRISTMAS CAROL . Unique, true to Dickens, WONDERFUL! from @eddireader @NTSonline I salute you! #ChristmasCarol was fantastic! What a set! from @jamesalcockfilm
Image/ A Christmas Carol, from left: Josh Elwell, Jon Beales (violin), Beth Marshall and Ben Thompson (2011 cast). Photograph by Peter Dibdin.
NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND LEARN
TAKE A STAND Inspired by Glasgow Girls, groups of 13 to15 year olds living in and around Glasgow were invited to take action for a cause through creative campaigning. Successful groups were awarded ten days' mentoring by a professional artist and a project grant of £500 – and were asked to design an innovative campaign, to capture hearts and minds, and drive positive change in their community. A showcase for the finished campaigns is presented at the Citizens Theatre, to coincide with the run of Glasgow Girls (see page 8 for full details).
THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND’S LEARN DEPARTMENT PROVIDES AN EXCITING RANGE OF WAYS FOR PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES TO INTERACT, TAKE PART, TALK AND CONNECT WITH THE COMPANY.
Take A Stand is sponsored by ScottishPower and developed in partnership with the Citizens Theatre and the Scottish Youth Parliament.
From post-show talks and backstage tours to workshops in schools and large scale events involving thousands of people, the National Theatre of Scotland provides the opportunity to engage with the creative minds involved in bringing work to the stage and encourages, supports and inspires homegrown creativity in communities across Scotland.
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE Inspired by lifeguard, we have been working with pupils and teachers of St Brides and Cuthbertson Primary Schools, Glasgow, as well as the community of Govanhill, exploring their thoughts, memories and experiences with water through written word, music and design.
EXPLORING PRODUCTIONS
An extensive range of creative learning opportunities exists to support the productions, including master classes with leading international artists, multi-discipline workshops for all ages, as well as readings and talks. For audiences everywhere, there is a comprehensive online catalogue of digital resources including trailers, cast and creative team interviews and behind the scenes features from productions past and present.
INSPIRING TEACHERS AND LEARNERS
There are many ways for teachers and learners to gain a deeper understanding of theatre with the National Theatre of Scotland. Teachers can now access CPD sessions delivered by the Company and a selection of free resource packs for teachers and students is available to download. Our new Transform Toolkit is now live and can be found on the Education Scotland website: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/resources/t/transformtoolkit/introduction.asp Class sets of scripts can be ordered easily and there are regular workshop opportunities throughout the year. As a special offer in 2012, we are touring careers workshops for classes who want to find out more about the many different kinds of jobs that exist in theatre.
CONNECTING COMMUNITIES
The National Theatre of Scotland takes root in communities in Scotland to create unique individual projects mixing theatre, music, visual art, dance and literature.
TRAINING THE ARTIST
If you are a student, young professional or experienced theatre practitioner, there are a number of ways to connect with the National Theatre of Scotland. We create various bespoke training packages, from trainee associates to placements and inclusion in one-off or week-long master classes, with some of the best theatre practitioners in the world.
INSPIRING YOUNG PEOPLE
It is easy for young people who are passionate about performing to feel part of the National Theatre of Scotland. Information about the right shows, in the right place and at the right price can be always be found online and fans can tell us what they think on Facebook and Twitter. Look out for our tfd programme touring Scotland this year (see page 5 for details).
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The aim of the project is to create an installation within Govanhill Baths main pool that brings all of those thoughts and experiences to life. Step inside and instantly be immersed in the sights and sounds of people’s memories of water while taking a moment to reflect on your own. Admission to the installation is free and can be seen during the run of lifeguard at Govanhill Baths Tue 9 – Sat 27 Oct 2012 Open from 4pm on performance nights and from 12pm before matinees. For more information about lifeguard see page 11. THE GUID SISTERS To support The Guid Sisters (see page 6), we are offering 2 hour workshops to schools, tailored for Higher Drama students studying gender and characterisation. If you are a teacher looking to book a workshop, please contact: Philippa Tomlin Creative Learning Coordinator E: philippa.tomlin@nationaltheatrescotland.com T: 0141 227 9232 TW: @nts_philippa
To find out more about any part of our work or to help us improve our service, contact: Marianne Maxwell Audience Development Manager National Theatre of Scotland Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow G4 9RH T: +44 (0) 141 221 0970 E: marianne.maxwell @nationaltheatrescotland.com TW: @nts_marianne AUDIO DESCRIPTION Audio Description offers a live commentary for audience members with visual impairment. The description starts about 10 minutes before the show and includes information on the production. The audio describers then provide commentary on the action and visual effects throughout the performance. This information is relayed over an infrared system to individual headsets, which are available free of charge from the venue Box Office. TOUCH TOURS Touch Tours offer blind and visually impaired members of the audience a chance to orientate themselves with the set and costumes immediately prior to an audio described performance. The Stage Manager will lead these tours. Those wishing to take part in a touch tour should register with the Box Office when booking tickets for the performance. AUDIO GUIDES When we are unable to offer full audio description we will provide an Audio Guide to the performance. This will be free and will provide audience members with thorough detailed content about the show including scene by scene breakdowns, descriptions of the set and information provided by key members of the cast and creative team. BSL INTERPRETATION BSL (British Sign Language) interpretation offers deaf and hearing impaired audience members a live translation of all spoken words and sound effects into sign language. Please mention when you contact the Box Office that you are booking for the BSL interpreted performance so you can be allocated seats with the best view of the signer. CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES Captioning converts the spoken word into text that provides people with hearing loss access to live performance. In captioning, the words appear on a screen at the same time as they are spoken or sung. Captions also include sound effects and offstage noises. TICKETS FOR ALL ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES, HEADSETS FOR AUDIO DESCRIPTION AND AUDIO GUIDES MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE FROM VENUE BOX OFFICES.
CONNECT WITH YOUR NATIONAL THEATRE AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND WE ASPIRE TO LET YOU CONNECT WITH US IN A WAY THAT SUITS YOU. Everything that we do should be accessible to you. In 2012, there are several ways for audiences everywhere to get closer, get involved and get more from us.
DEAF THEATRE CLUB
Now in its second year, Deaf Theatre Club is set to roll out nationally. Working in partnership with Solar Bear, we are creating innovative theatre packages for deaf audiences including information on all our BSL performances, interpreters, ticket deals and exclusive talks, tours and events. Find out more and sign up to Deaf Theatre Club at solarbearaccess@me.com
THEATRE COMPANY
In Autumn 2012, we are offering a new opportunity for older people interested in going to the theatre more and who would like to join a group that meets regularly to attend performances, events and trips to productions across Scotland. If you would like to get involved and see some great Scottish plays, why not come along to the first Theatre Company events being held in October in Glasgow and Edinburgh around The Guid Sisters (see page 6). Saturday 13th October 2012, 2pm – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Saturday 27th October 2012, 2pm – King’s Theatre, Glasgow Each event will involve a reception at 2pm where we will share our plans and ask for your ideas and suggestions on how Theatre Company could work. Then, there will be a performance of The Guid Sisters at 2.30pm followed by an informal post-show talk. Tickets cost £10. To take part, simply register your interest and tell us how many tickets you would like. We’ll organise the tickets, all you have to do is collect and pay for them at the venue on the day. In exchange, we’d like your help and advice. Register your interest and find out more by emailing us at info@nationaltheatrescotland.com or by calling 0141 221 0970
POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS
There will also be a chance for audiences to meet some of the cast and creative team as part of our talks programme, hosted by Janice Forsyth. Details below: My Shrinking Life The Guid Sisters Lifeguard Glasgow Girls A Christmas Carol
Thursday 13th September Tuesday 2nd October Thursday 25th October Thursday 18th October Thursday 8th November Thursday 13th December
Glasgow Edinburgh Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow Fife
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BANK OF SCOTLAND
AND THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND – PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP
PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP CONNECTS BANK OF SCOTLAND AND THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND IN A RELATIONSHIP ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PROGRAMME DURING 2011 AND 2012. The partnership will reach into communities across Scotland through productions, workshops and events, particularly in the area of supporting creativity and emerging talent. With common goals, Bank of Scotland and the National Theatre of Scotland aim to encourage and support new theatrical talent through programmes like Emerging Artists and New Directors. Molly Taylor, one of 2011’s Emerging Artist’s and creator of the show Love Letters to the Public Transport System, which sold out at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, had this to say about her experience:’ “I have a long-standing relationship with the National Theatre of Scotland. I’ve worked within their Learn Department on one-off projects, I’ve designed and delivered workshop programmes, but more importantly, it was under their supervision and guidance that I first began writing. “The piece I am currently working on is called How Do You Begin to Begin?, broadly speaking it’s about family, an exploration into the moments and choices that change the course of a life, and the decisions people make, or not, when they bring someone new into the world. I am in the process of interviewing friends, strangers, and colleagues about their family set ups, whether conventional, adoptive or secretive. I’ve been working closely with the National Theatre of Scotland’s Literary Manager, using my research as the starting point for a series of monologues, and he has been reading draft after draft and giving me positive and focused feedback. “The opportunity to develop a new piece of work in a structured and supported environment is a rare luxury. I am relatively new to writing, so a programme like this, made possible only by the dedication and generosity of the Bank of Scotland, is a wonderful and enriching challenge. I’m thoroughly grateful to the Bank of Scotland and the National Theatre of Scotland for providing fledging writers like me the chance to develop new ways of working, allowing us to flex muscles we didn’t know we had.”
This year, Bank of Scotland Pioneering Partnership is supporting:
To find out more, please visit: www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/supportus or contact:
SUPPORT THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND
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Appointment with The Wicker Man by Greg Hemphill and Donald McLeary, directed by Vicky Featherstone. Toured Scotland in February and March, and performed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 2012.
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The Guid Sisters by Michel Tremblay in Scots translation by Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay – in co-production with the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. Also touring to the King’s Theatre, Glasgow October 2012.
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Tour of The Monster in the Hall & Yellow Moon, by David Greig, directed by Guy Hollands. Touring Scotland October and November 2012.
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
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Emerge – Event series to showcase the work in progress of the National Theatre of Scotland’s New Directors and Emerging Artists.
A partnership between your company and the National Theatre of Scotland will create amazing opportunities for your clients, reward and entertain your colleagues and make a real difference to your local community.
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Bank of Scotland Development Fund Investment to support the continuing development of the Emerging Artists and New Directors class of 2011.
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New Directors – Application-based programme for three young directors to work with established theatre directors for a tenweek placement.
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Emerging Artists – Invitation-based programme for four talented artists to create or develop new theatre.
Elly Rothnie Development Director T: 0141 221 0970 E: elly.rothnie@nationaltheatrescotland.com TW: @nts_elly For a full list of the National Theatre of Scotland’s supporters, turn to page 22.
Supporting us is good for business.
Talk to us about how supporting the National Theatre of Scotland can help your company achieve its business objectives. Email elly.rothnie@nationaltheatrescotland.com, call 0141 221 0970 or visit www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/corporate
PATRONS
Our Patrons are an inspirational group of supporters who help make the National Theatre of Scotland what it is. To find out more about this unique opportunity to join us at the very heart of what we do please contact stella.litchfield@nationaltheatrescotland.com, call 0141 227 9236 or visit www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/patrons
FRIENDS AND BENEFACTORS
Two exciting new schemes for individuals, couples and families who want to get the most out of their relationship with their national theatre. Our Friends and Benefactors help us create some of the most exciting new productions in theatre today and in return they enjoy a close relationship with their national theatre. For information on how to join, email michael.oneill@nationaltheatrescotland.com, call 0141 221 0970 or visit www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/friends
TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
Trusts and Foundations play an essential role in supporting many areas of our work. For more information, please email our Trusts and Foundations Manager, stuart.rennie@nationaltheatrescotland.com or call 0141 221 0970
AMERICAN SUPPORT
We are very proud to have our own 501c3 set up for our US based supporters. If you are based in the United States and interested in supporting the work we share with American audiences then the National Theatre of Scotland America Inc would be delighted to hear from you. Please visit our US website for more information at www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/america
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THANK YOU
A NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PRODUCTION For more information about Ignition and how to get involved, please contact:
COMING SOON
Karen Allan Learn Producer E: karen.allan@nationaltheatrescotland.com T: 0141 227 9013 TW: @nts_karen
IGNITION DIRECTED BY WILS WILSON
THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT: PATRONS AND VISIONARIES Peter and Diane Cabrelli Jo and Alison Elliot Vicky Featherstone Richard Findlay Joan Elliott Joan and Enda Logan Tari Lang Peter Lawson Gerard and Amy McCusker Nick, Margita, Siri, Jesper and Freja Price Rita Rae Ian Rankin Ian Ritchie Elly Rothnie Jeremy Smeeth John Tiffany Chris Weir CORPORATE PARTNER National Theatre of Scotland Pioneering Partnership: Bank of Scotland PRODUCTION SPONSORS 2012 Benromach Mackie's of Scotland ScottishPower CORPORATE MEMBERS Bank of Scotland Private Banking BDO LLP Brooks Brothers UK Ltd Stewarts and Murdochs SUPPORTERS Arnold Clark Car and Van Hire Bank of Scotland Beth and Jim Adams B Scenic Construction LTD Crerar Hotels David Morris Associates David Stevenson DCI Print Management Limited Esmée Fairbairn Foundation F. G. Burnett Fred & Irene Shedden Hiper Ltd Ian Gilmour Transport Inchrye Trust ISIS Itison John Mather Charitable Trust Jonathan and Fiona Muirhead Juliette Paton Kynesis Lady Eda Jardine Charitable Trust 26
Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation MAC Cosmetics Maclay Murray & Spens LLP Mairi Mickel Material_GROUP May & John Moreland MB Martin Brown Hair Miss E.C. Hendry's Charitable Trust Miss Jean Ryeburn Stirrat's Charitable Trust Mr Boyd Tunnock Mrs Katharine Liston Nancie Massey Charitable Trust North British Hotels Trust Pinsent Masons LLP Prairie Trust Santander Foundation Schuh ScottishPower Sir Adrian Shinwell Sir Iain Stewart Foundation Sir Ronald and Lady Miller Sylvia Aitkin Charitable Trust Talteg Limited Tayfield Foundation The Alma and Leslie Wolfson Charitable Trust The Binks Trust The Craignish Trust The Cresswell Family Foundation The David & June Gordon Memorial Trust The Endrick Trust The Ernest Cook Charitable Trust The Hamamelis Trust The Hugh Fraser Foundation The James and Elizabeth Murray Charitable Trust The JTH Charitable Trust The Margaret Murdoch Charitable Trust The McGlashan Charitable Trust The Merchants House of Glasgow The Pleasance Trust The RJ Larg Family Trust The Roger & Sarah Bancroft Clark Charitable Trust The Robertson Trust The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust The Russell Trust The Wolfson Foundation Turner & Co. Two Fat Ladies Restaurants Union Advertising Agency Warehouse Sound W&P Longreach STV
IN 2013, A NEW, LARGE-SCALE COMMUNITY PROJECT FOR SHETLAND IS TO BE PRODUCED AND DELIVERED BY THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND IN ASSOCIATION WITH SHETLAND ARTS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND SUPPORTED BY CREATIVE SCOTLAND FIRST IN A LIFETIME FUND. The National Theatre of Scotland will be working within the Shetland community over a nine-month period to create an original piece of ‘event theatre’ facilitated by professional theatre artists including director Wils Wilson (HOME Shetland, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart ) and John Haswell (Shetland Arts Development Agency). Ignition explores Shetland’s bittersweet love affair with the car. Elements of the production will include a car recording pod, a “hitcher in residence” as well as music, parkour and dance. Wils had this to say about the project: It's absolutely wonderful to be asked back to Shetland to create Ignition with John Haswell. Firstly there's Shetland, and its people, who will make, dance, write, drive and dream Ignition into being. There's the scale of the thing, the ambition behind the project to touch the lives of so many people and create something together, to ignite creativity and community. And there's the car: that confusing, complex, powerful, iconic, dangerous, provocative, exciting invention that has been inventing us for more than a century. Get in and buckle up!
Image/ Lerwick harbour.
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NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND CIVIC HOUSE, 26 CIVIC STREET GLASGOW G4 9RH Tel: +44 (0) 141 221 0970 Fax: +44 (0) 141 331 0589 info@nationaltheatrescotland.com www.nationaltheatrescotland.com
Design by Graphical House www.graphicalhouse.co.uk Copyright 2012 National Theatre of Scotland and individually named contributors. All information correct at time of going to press and subject to change. The National Theatre of Scotland reserves the right to alter casts, performances, seating or ticket arrangements and latecomers may not be admitted. Booking fees may apply on tickets, please check with the venue Box Office when booking. The National Theatre of Scotland, a company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland (SCO33377), is a registered Scottish charity. The National Theatre of Scotland is core funded by the Scottish Government.