The Last Post

I'm not really sure if this will be the last ever post on Shrew Stories...but we have certainly done our last ever show and gone our separate shrew ways...

There are shows, as an actor, that you never want to do again...you've flogged them to death...and a few of your fellow actors have a glazed look in their eyes; there are others where you feel cheated, you were just getting into your stride, just beginning to discover things, when it is taken away.

At the moment Shrew feels somewhere in the middle (although without any glazed eyes I might add) - with nearly 100 shows we probably had done it enough, but I was never bored, and every show was different.  It won't sink in for a while that we're not just having a break, that I've really hung up the nylon suit and packed away the Wicker glasses for one last time (and, please God, the violin).

I'm sure we will all meet up, probably paths will also cross in work - but if there's one thing I now know after about ten years of shows - however hard you try, you will never get the whole cast and crew in one room (tent) again - the nature of our work means we don't stay put.

Here we are on the night of the storm singing 'Health to the Company' from the show -

The Full Shrew Crew - Here's a health to the company

Thanks for reading in your thousands, and for coming to see the show in your tens of thousands...and as for Hortensio...to misunderstand the words of Rosalind in As you like it:

Farewell, Monsieur Traveller; look you lisp and wear strange suits

Singapore

Here we are in Singapore, guests of the amazingly glamorous pan pacific hotel, and despite several shrews being struck down with severe lurgy, the shows have gone down a storm...(more of which later).

We are performing outdoors in temperatures that even at night can reach 35 degrees...it's been up to 40 in the day times.    It is not easy, and many of the multi layered costumes are leaving us hideously sweaty...poor Sally and her world of wardrobe.  We have also been covering ourselves in deet...and performing to a chorus of bullfrogs.

We are in Fort Canning Park, and as well as our bullfrog friends we have some exciting sounding birds and beautiful trees keeping us company...





and the team here have built a wonderful 'mini globe' to enclose the back of the playing space...

Some of the Shrews also managed to catch 'The Reduced Shakespeare Company' who are out here with ABA productions as well and it was good to meet the boys for an actorly beverage.


We also managed the night safari on a rare night off - in celebration of Becci Shrew's birthday.


I last did a show in Singapore about eight years ago and am glad to be back.  Since I was last here the University of Singapore have acquired a house which they have restored to its 1920's glory, and it is an excellent way to make sense of the Peranakan culture that is unique to Singapore.  If you ever get the chance, book a (free!) tour - it's well worth it.

find out more here:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/cfa/museum/about.php

and here I am with our wonderful guide Ailee.

p.s. about that storm...I am able to catch up on our blog tonight because for the first time EVER the shrews were beaten by the weather - it took a tropical storm, thunder and lightening - and rivers of water running down the paths - but the show was called off!  This leaves us with only 3 shows and much as tonight was crazy and fun, and ended with the Shrews hiding from the rain drinking prosecco - we don't want to lose another.

HONG KONG!!!!!

And so we have finally begun the Far East leg of our tour, arriving in Hong Kong 'just clipping the edge of the tornado' to quote our pilot....so for many many reasons we were very glad to arrive! 

Globe Cupcakes

We are hosted here, and in Singapore by aba productions http://www.aba-productions.com/about_us.asp

the theatre - see our poster?

and Matthew and Emma, along with their team, made sure that we were very well looked after.  Their amazing hospitality extended to trips to the beach, several meals out and hiring a junk boat to take us on a tour of the harbour...complete with Pimms.  

It's amazing we managed to fit in any shows...although with a 4 show weekend we did begin to feel we might have been burning the candle at both ends, perhaps.

Josh tries chicken feet...

bury st edmunds and the minack

And so to the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, a theatre I have loved working in before and so was glad to return with Shrew...


The theatre was built in 1819, is Grade 1 listed and is the only surviving Regency Theatre. Our time there coincided with three Shrew birthdays, Sally, Josh and Joy - so it was cakes all round...




We shrews then descended on Cornwall in what seemed like promising weather, for a week like no other, involving more hill, cliff and stone step climbing than some of our knees could take!

The theatre was built by Rowena Cade, an extraordinary woman, and posthumous honorary shrew. Having already built herself a house at Minack Point, in 1929, having seen a local village version of the  Dream, she offered the use of her garden for their next production (The Tempest) and literally began lugging great chunks of rock to make a basic seating area, with the sea as a stunning (some might say upstaging) backdrop. She and her gardener continued to built up the theatre in the winters for the rest of her long life!

It is a very bizarre space to perform in, and we had to rework a lot of the show with Josh, to allow for the very different entrances and exits, and the permanent stone features.

It seats 700, and for the first time ever we shrews were amplified, to help us contend with the sea.  This was just as well, as on our second matinee it blew up a gale, with rain and mist and the tent nearly took off. 

The minack have a wonderful website with live webcam which I urge you to have a gander at.

St Donats and Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond

First a couple of photos from St Donats, where we had only one show - our only show in Wales, in the shadow of the castle (some of which dates to the 13th century) and with the sea to stage right...






Have I not heard the sea, puff'd up with winds, Rage like an angry boar chafed with sweat?

...luckily both weather and water were calm.



Then it was onto The Georgian Theatre Royal, Britain's oldest working theatre in its original form.


To quote the georgian theatre royal website

'The Georgian Theatre Royal is Britain's most complete Georgian playhouse. Built by the actor-manager Samuel Butler in 1788, the theatre was in regular use until 1830 when performances became less frequent.

I'm sure it made sense at the time...

Built by actor-manager Samuel Butler in 1788, the Georgian Theatre Royal was managed by Butler along with his circuit of theatres at Beverley, Harrogate, Kendal, Northallerton, Ripon, Ulverston and Whitby.'

I've worked at Harrogate Theatre before and it was lovely to work in another Butler Theatre. The theatre itself is tiny - and the stage was twice the depth we are used to but half the width - which took some adjustment. The audiences were wonderful - funny, enthusiastic and insistent on repeat curtain calls...

and...

depending on your point of view...

I may or may not have seen a theatre ghost.

Although the only staff member I asked insisted he had never heard of one...and I don't think I believe in them myself...

During the Saturday evening show I saw (in a moment where, in a still tableau, I had chosen to look at the front of a stage right box) the shadow of a graceful woman in a dress, slowly putting on elbow length gloves, and carefully putting on each finger. I watched it for a good minute before having to turn into the scene. It was so clear in shadow the only explanation I could think of was that (as the only shadows were cast from the stage) it was Olivia, as Bianca, for some reason putting on long gloves. But...of course...when I turned to her she wasn't wearing any. It was incredibly clear - and for the two Sunday shows I watched the same area again for any sign of a shadow or flickering that could have tricked my eye. There were no shadows at all.

Forgive me if you think the blog has descended into nonsense...I know I've never believed anything 'supernatural' anyone else has ever told me...

Still seeking the rational explanation I leave you with Antigonus from The Winter's Tale:

I have heard, but not believed, 

the spirits o' the dead 

May walk again...

ne'er was dream 

So like waking.

Richmond Castle

Leaving Kilkenny...onto Cambridge

Before leaving Kilkenny, the lovely Roisin McQuillan invited me for a tour of Rothe House https://twitter.com/rothehouse

Rothe was a 17th century merchant and the house was built between 1594-1610 - and as Shrew is thought to have been written between 1590 and 1594, it seemed a timely visit.  Roisin also showed me the gardens and orchard which they are re-establishing with plants of the period.

 We also visited the luminarium for a little Shrew downtime... architects-of-air

And Leah and I were visited by our good friend and 'Earthquakes in London' stage manager Catherine Buffrey who is currently working in Dublin...











From Ireland to Cambridge, and six shows in four days in the beautiful gardens of the Master's House of Corpus Christi...where we just about avoided the worst of the rain...

Kilkenny Arts Festival

We've landed at The Kilkenny Arts Festival, http://www.kilkennyarts.ie/ and the Shrews have enjoyed a very warm welcome - infact I think all this being stopped in the streets by all and sundry to say how much they love the show could go to our heads...

The courtyard of the Design Centre - beshrewed!

I remember now the warm, and vocal responses last time I worked in Ireland - and the Kilkenny crowd have topped my previous expectations.  It's great for us as we hit half way through the shows (last night was show 45 out of 90) to be reminded that everything is landing - even when (with quieter audiences) people don't vocalise their feelings.  And, conversely, if it doesn't work in Ireland...it just doesn't work!  We were so pleased that Josh, our assistant director, got to see our first show here and be overwhelmed, alongside us, at the fantastic response.

The festival have made a beauteous promo video of us - which I urge you to watch here:
The Shrews at Kilkenny We are so delighted with the way it captures the feel of the show.

The festival is a gathering of all types of Art and Artists and we've managed to see some of it so far...although a lot of the performances clash with our show so we have to get a bit creative....

Luckily Junk Ensemble, a dance theatre company whose new work Dusk Ahead http://junkensemble.com/the-work has been specially created for the festival, allowed us to watch their dress rehearsal.  It was a magical piece touching on themes of dusk, twilight, where light meets dark, and stories shift into the realms of fairy tales - and as well as being astounded as I always am when I see dance, at just what the performers can make their bodies do (and ashamed at my own lack of fitness!) I thought the duets were particularly strong - if you get a chance to see it and see the chair and the kiss duets you'll see what I mean!

We also went to see James Shapiro and Finton O'Toole discuss Shakespeare's relationship with Ireland, which was a great chance to have a bit of a Bard-think.

Looking through the programme I had noticed another 'talk' called 'meet the actors', and circled it as something interesting to go and see.  It was only later that I realised we were the actors...luckily  the Shrew word was spread in plenty of time, and along with Carrie turned up ready to answer as many questions as we could on the play, performing in Kilkenny, performing at the Globe, stage managing such an unusual tour etc.  As ever, dear reader, you are very welcome to tweet or message me on here any questions for any of the cast, and I'll do my best to catch them in a reflective moment... tweet!

We also had our first Shrew Darts Championship - won by the valiant Leah Whitaker...I did not participate as I know my lack of aim...and that Darts in the head of my fellow actors do not a happy company make.

Bungay and Buxton

Firstly, as you too will learn to your cost if you get onto the local bus and ask to go to bun-gay - it is pronounced bun-gey...oops...

A great three shows in the grounds of a Bigod castle - hosted by the friendly local Fisher Theatre
http://www.fishertheatre.org/

our view from the stage

and where we were also put up in the homes of the theatre's volunteers who keep the place going through giving their time and efforts - we were also well fed by Fay who runs the theatre cafe.






 And then onward to Buxton - and the pavilion gardens next to my previous haunt, the beautiful, Matcham designed, warm and DRY Opera House...I think you might be able to guess where I'm going with this...

Yes, the Shrew luck has finally broken and we had two very wet shows, in what was always going to be a bit of a challenging venue (a good 5 minute walk from toilets and dressing room, and no electricity on site would have been interesting in the dry...but in the rain...cue some very soggy cold Shrews).

attractive rain ponchos were on offer!

But, as Carrie, our Stage Manager, had previously told (warned?) us, it takes a lot for the British Public to admit defeat - and a determined and anoraked crowd turned up each night, showing spirit, determination, and tenacity - and seemed to have a whale of a time.

Austria

And so to Austria as the guests of the art carnuntum world theatre festival - and more specifically our genial host Pierrot and his family. http://www.artcarnuntum.at/

We ate our body weights in cheese and bread and managed to spend an afternoon in Vienna - all around performing in a roman amphitheatre.

The experience of performing in Austria had similarities to Malta - in that the laughs were very text based - we also discovered that Austrians like a LOT of curtain calls - all very flattering of course.

How was the 38 degree heat?  Never mind the heat - you're talking to the girl who managed to collect nearly 40 insect bites in one performance...to quote a fellow shrew 'how did they manage to get into your socks???'

a pre show austrian storm

the rain was so heavy the fire brigade helped to clear the flood!

A couple of Oxford Pics

photo courtesy of - Helena Miscioscia

Joy and me backstage.

A couple of pictures by way of a midweek blog as we hit our second week here in Oxford...where the 30+ heat threatens to melt the shrews at every nylon-clad performance...
I took the opportunity this week to see the Bodleian's first folio Shakespeare, which the library acquired in 1623.
more info here:
 http://shakespeare.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/the-bodleians-first-folio/


The folio is on display in their 'Magical Books' exhibition which is also a must for fans of Phillip Pullman (like me), or indeed Tolkien or C.S.Lewis.  It's free and highly recommended.

More Oxford thoughts to follow after the weekend four-show heat challenge!

Oxford Week One

Our poster at the Playhouse

And so to Oxford and the beautiful Bodleian Quad for a whole two weeks.


I've been looking forward to Oxford as it is (apart from the Globe) my 'home' venue and not far from the village where I grew up.  Leah and I also have great memories of doing 'Earthquakes in London' at the Playhouse.  The first week of shows have been filled with friends and family, and it's been great to catch up with Katy and Michelle at the Playhouse, and the lovely Fiona at the Bodleian (who was an expert costume designer in a previous life and made the wonderful costumes for the 'Vincent in Brixton' I toured with several years ago).


My mum also came to see the show, having seen it at the Globe and it was interesting to get the perspective of someone who saw such an early stage...Much like being on a diet, you don't notice the gradual results day-to-day yourself, it takes a friend who hasn't seen you for a while to remind you of how far you've come...

View of the Quad lying on the stage

It's a beautiful space to be in, and although a little echoey the general acoustics make for a fairly easy vocal ride - which is just as well because hot, dry weather does odd things to your voice.

We had a lovely review of our first night in Oxford which you can find here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/10174331/The-Taming-of-The-Shrew-Old-Schools-Quadrangle-Bodleian-Library.html
(Yes, that's me in the photo uncredited next to Kate....I'm trying to put on a brave face and get over it).

It has been boiling...and it turns out that, of a matinee, the quad is essentially an oven.  We have cold flannels, iced water, fans, magicool spray etc. backstage - and I've given up on makeup which slides down my face within the opening scene...

A well earned shrew-beverage

We are slightly dreading the predicted high temperatures of next weekend - when we have four shows.  But we are trying to curb our whinging by reminding our shrewselves of two things:
1) The alternative might be pouring rain
2) The poor 'Henry' cast.  When we were sweating it out on a two show sweltering Sunday yesterday...they were at Towton Battlefields Site, fighting their way through what must have been a punishing triple bill in what looks like super hot trad dress.  We Shrews salute them and their epic quest.  We're hoping to see them soon - you can too, the dates are here: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/whats-on/globe-theatre-on-tour

If you build it...they will come.

P.S.

If you're coming to Oxford look out for G and D's who have been bringing their local and fab ice cream to the Quad on a magical bicycle...mmm...

I have been a lifelong admirer of their work and recommend the 'Dime Bar Crunch'.

We Shrews do love us some sugar.
http://www.gdcafe.com/website/index.php

Malta

Last week the Shrews landed in Malta...and it was tough.  We were happy to have the lovely Helena from the Globe with us, and we faced the trials of a five star hotel with a pool, temperatures in the mid thirties, and exploring Valletta together like the brave little soldiers we are...

sweet sweet joy!

We began with a line run round the pool - but I promised the Shrews not to put any bikini shots on here...

 Our shows were at 9pm to avoid the heat o' the sun, and insect repellent was liberally applied to avoid being eaten alive.

The Maltese audiences and crew were so welcoming, and the response to the show was great.  We noticed that the audience were particularly hot on the text, some lines getting laughs that never have before...

We also split in two to run two acting workshops for the Arts Festival...we were apprehensive about this as we had received no information about who might be coming, what they might be expecting, and what we were expected to do...despite our stage manager Carrie's best efforts to find out anything that might help.  Luckily Joy and I have many years experience in running Shakespeare workshops so we came together to make a makeshift plan...with the understanding that we would have to quickly adapt once we found out the ages / experience / expectations / volume of the group....it turned out to be a really great experience - and the undisputed star of our group was 10 year old Roxie, who was expecting to read her book in the corner while her mum took part...little did she know!

the view from the pool deck

Tring and Whitstable

This week the Shrews were originally going to be in Romania...but sadly complications meant we were unable to go.  However the Globe managed to organise two one nighters to keep us Shrewing...

Backstage at Tring

On tuesday we went to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts http://www.tringpark.com/ which was Arts Ed. back in the day I think.  We had a very enthusiastic audience of students and locals and once again the weather smiled on us.




I think this might be the only time we perform to rows of students in pajamas and onsies under duvets...but watch this space...

Whitstable Ahoy!

Oh we do like to Shrew beside the seaside

Fish and Chips by the front

Yesterday we went to lovely Whitstable and the amazingly cute Playhouse Theatre...which proudly boasts a beautiful balcony despite being the size of your average studio theatre. 

behold the balcony!

We were made very welcome, and the audience were so enthusiastic we managed an extra curtain call.

Afterwards Leah met Simon Paisley Day at the Stage Door, who lives in Whitstable...and played Petruccio in last year's Taming of the Shrew at the Globe - I think it's always a bit intimidating to think that another actor who has played the same role has been watching you - but she took it in her shrew-stride...

Next stop...Malta!



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