Jubilee by Checkov at the Souladeni Festival in Cesky Krumlov
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Monday, 30 July 2012
Departure
Once we were in the Czech republic it all became clear. All those crowns on top of the letters, lovely. Made me happy all day to see them. They are háček in Czech or carons in unicode. Sparrows in children's cartoon books. They indicate a rise in tone on the second part of the letter.
Our last day in Cesky Krumlov, twelve hours of travelling ahead. Getting on and off trains is tricky, particularly with heaps of costumes, speakers, instruments, tools and other bags. It seems to get trickier the further East you travel. By the time you get to the Czech Republic you have to make a dash across other railway tracks and clamber up dangling steps set at neck height. Makes me think that Anna K's death might have been an accident after all. A Health and Safety nightmare that somehow dredges up lost memories from my sub conscience/TV viewing past.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Friday, 27 July 2012
The Inner Tent
Twelve hundred miles, twenty minutes late (not our problem, recalcitrant goat). First up on the first night of the first Souladeni Festival the New Factory swept the boards. Actually the audience sat on the stage, the show was done on the grass and around a hole that mysteriously appeared, downstage left. Bank heist, mine workings or Grand Design? Plenty of clapping, laughter and music.
Great success, a great occasion. Pity about my grotty pic to document the finale, but you get the gist.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Wales
It's commercially driven and all pretty naff but I've been intrigued by the concept of town twinning since i was small. Over dependancy on local newspapers for information and gullibility as a child.
How many twins is each town allowed?Do they have to be balanced, size wise in some way? Why doesn't everybody choose New York? Has London got a twin town? Has the Internet and multinational companies changed the whole scope of the thing? Is it just for school trips, heads of departments and Rotary Club jollies?
Llanwrtyd Wells seems the obvious winner in this list (though Miami Beach is a sneaky choice). Not because of the continual rain and verdant hills, but that getting here we had to get off the train, travel a mile or so on an executive coach, then get on an identical train for the last leg of the journey.
How many twins is each town allowed?Do they have to be balanced, size wise in some way? Why doesn't everybody choose New York? Has London got a twin town? Has the Internet and multinational companies changed the whole scope of the thing? Is it just for school trips, heads of departments and Rotary Club jollies?
Llanwrtyd Wells seems the obvious winner in this list (though Miami Beach is a sneaky choice). Not because of the continual rain and verdant hills, but that getting here we had to get off the train, travel a mile or so on an executive coach, then get on an identical train for the last leg of the journey.
La Ronde
Servant of Two Masters actually. Last night we went to the open air Rotating Theatre in the grounds of Krumlov Castle. Very risky, what with the weather, but it was a warm evening and the show was excellent. Full on action packed Commedia. Love was in the air and the auditorium moved. The performers remaining on the ground trying to catch up, enjoying the novel surroundings.
The theatre building is over fifty years old yet still functions well. Rumours are that it will have to be moved due to the UNESCO heritage status that is pickling Cesky Krumlov sometime in the nineteenth century.
The theatre building is over fifty years old yet still functions well. Rumours are that it will have to be moved due to the UNESCO heritage status that is pickling Cesky Krumlov sometime in the nineteenth century.
A Lift
Though Chekhov's 'Lift' scenes are rightly considered difficult and usually cut, our director has insisted that we play an uncut version of the script. Spent 2 hours today working through the lift scene in Jubilee, but I'm still unsure that it's going to work. I remember a production of The Cherry Orchard in the early seventies where the essence of Chekhov's vision was laid bare by the climactic moments in the lift. I hope we can reach those heights by the end of the week.
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
The fateful adventures of the good soldier Svejk during the World War.
The rain which followed us over from Britain has only just stopped.
One cafe we have been hanging out in is the rather excellent Restaurant Svejk. A quiet, wood panelled bar in the centre of town. Large portraits of Austro Hungarian emperors and cheeky cartoons of the Good Soldier hang on the walls. The menu explains what the character represented both to the Czech people and to those opposing the war for other reasons. It started a long discussion about (Super) Mario, Brecht, Piscator and German Avant Garde theatre of the twenties. Good fun.
Memo to self; read the book when I get home.
One cafe we have been hanging out in is the rather excellent Restaurant Svejk. A quiet, wood panelled bar in the centre of town. Large portraits of Austro Hungarian emperors and cheeky cartoons of the Good Soldier hang on the walls. The menu explains what the character represented both to the Czech people and to those opposing the war for other reasons. It started a long discussion about (Super) Mario, Brecht, Piscator and German Avant Garde theatre of the twenties. Good fun.
Memo to self; read the book when I get home.
Monday, 23 July 2012
Cafe Van Gogh
After seven years the Van Gogh exhibition has been taken down. Missed it by forty minutes but the owner of the Van Gogh bar in Cesky Krumlov did invite us to the opening of the exhibition of paintings by a local artist, Jersey (?) Musil.
We were the bulk of the attendees, theatre company as rent-a-crowd. He was pleased and gave a speech explaining his work and introduced his friend, who entertained us with her clarinet solos.
We were the bulk of the attendees, theatre company as rent-a-crowd. He was pleased and gave a speech explaining his work and introduced his friend, who entertained us with her clarinet solos.
In the barn
The (old hammer) Mill House, which seems to be the base of operations for the festival, has a lot of out-buildings, stables and a fish farm in it's grounds. On one of the walls of the barn are piles of crucifixes (crusifii ?). They are impressive. The whole place has a medieval grandeur. Dragon Flies, goats, beautiful horses, impish children, teams of cyclists, stoned locals, BMW tourers, jumping frogs, all wander past. A fabulous film location.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Saturday, 21 July 2012
The work begins
Sara will be the youngest member of our company whilst we are here. Never been that keen on workshop sessions with masks, but this seems to be working.
Friday, 20 July 2012
Mittel European Traveller Incident (theatre)
At stations en route Gregory and Penny have taken to grabbing fellow train travellers, thrusting a bouquet of roses into their hands and then, in loud English, asking them to wave us off as if we were long lost cousins. Works fine and ensures we get decent seats on the train. Causes havoc with europe wide pre olympic security clampdown paranoia. Expect incidents with piles of suitcases and solitary chairs soon.
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)