New girl at St Mary's

Lovesong - Love is a leap of faith

2012-01-19T02:55:00.000-08:00

Frantic Assembly have always been great and I have always enjoyed their version of physical theatre coupled with great stories. Last year I was gleefully extolling the virtues of Beautiful Burnout, their show in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland about a young boxer and his life, to anyone who would listen. Pool, no water was another show that I was thoroughly wrapped in and was so excited by the element of physical theatre that they brought to the stage.

But theatrically, dramatically, emotionally I always thought there was something missing and I put this down to my lack of understanding about physical theatre as a whole. I became an ignorant observer.

Last night, as I arrived at the Lyric, Hammersmith to see Frantic's latest offering Lovesong I felt that same awkward feeling of inadequacy. But something about this show was different. The story is very simple, a story centred around a couple at two points in their life (young and old). In the young couple we see an initial state of hope as they move to America for their new life together, but as their relatonship progresses we see the toughest times as they try to concieve but fail, and as Margaret finds new love in a work colleague. But throughout all of this you are never in any doubt at the love shared between these two people. In the later version of the couple, we see a different relationship - one more 'lived in' and natural, but still they face difficult times and decisions as Margaret is revealed as suffering with an unknown condition which is obviously causing her much distress and pain. As the story of the young couple centres around life, the old couples story revolves around the theme of death and slowly we realise that Margaret intends to end her own life in order to release herself from the pain.

The older couple are particularly strong (Sam Cox and Sian Phillips) showing real depth of movement and physicality, as well as a beautiful portrayal of a couple in love. As a plethora of school children left the show I heard various cries of 'that was so depressing'.......or 'why was everyone crying?'. But what makes it so moving is how real it is. Anyone with even the slightest sense of mortality will relate to this story. And it certainly did with me. I'm not known for my over-emotional disposition and even I was crying uncontrollably throughout.

A fantastic evening at the theatre, and something more beautiful that I've seen in a long time.

Running until the 4th Feb.

Thinking Creatively in the Natural History Museum

2011-10-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

I am ashamed to say that my frist visit to the Natural History Museum only happened this year! In a Summer Holiday jaunt with my brother Kieron I ventured to South Kensington to the museum tha I had heard so much about. So impressed was I of the building, information and people that I decided to use this as the focal point of my Creative Thinking lectures - how could the Natural History Museum inspire you to create theatre?

So last Thursday I visited again, this time with 60 level 2 Drama students and one agenda - to look at the Natural History Museum as a venue for performance and explore its vast array of influences and information for theatrical endeavour.

By taking the students out of the university and letting them 'run free' already their creativity was doubled. They immediately started to look at things as a catalyst for ideas, development and theatre. But much more importantly, tey learned something. By being in that space and being surrounded by the museums many facts the students broadened their knowledge about dinosaurs, anatomy, the Earth, space, animals, evolution and biology.

In the Creative Thinking lectures I've been writing and delivering one main theme has come pushing through every time - in order to create good theatre you have to know about everything else!! No good theatre can be created just about the workings of theatre. It needs conflict and relationships, as well as a host of knowledge so that you can create the world of that play, that scenario or character. We have to develop our minds in so many ways - understand relationships, emotions and lifestyles, as well as be interested int he world around us, allow it to inspire and guide us. Without that what does theatre become?

I look forward to reading the students pitches for their pieces of theatre at the Natural History Museum, and maybe even a few we can pass onto the museum for their perusal too. Either way by getting the students out of the classroom and into another environment they have learnt and developed creatively already.

Little Voice, Little Audience

2011-09-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend I saw Hull Truck's production of Jim Cartwright's infamous play, 'Little Voice'. The play was first performed by Hull Truck, starring Jane Horrocks in the lead role, and has since been made into a film of the same name starring, Horrocks, Ewan McGregor and Brenda Blethyn.

The production was nicely set, and had real energy from the beginning. Little Voice here was played by Lauren Hood, who's singing voice was truly wonderful and showed the range of emotion and character in those she was impersonating, whereas the rest of the performance was also an impersonation, this time of Jane Horrocks, but lacking the sparkle Horrocks added to the role.

Mari Hoff, the mother, was here played by Helen Sheals. The performance overall was sketchy in parts, particularly in moments of humour where laughs were expected but seldom came.

This lack of guffaw cannot be solely attributed to the performers, however, but rather that awkward feeling you have when you are one of only a handful of people. For a Saturday matinee of a show like this one could expect a packed house, filled to the gills with families, theatre goers and enthusiasts who had seen and loved the film. However, this show at the Rose told a different story. As I sat on my lone cushion in the pit of the theatre, I couldn't help but feel very isolated, as the remaining dozen of the audience sat 3 meters behind me and the action happened three meters in front. Inadvertantly my squirming had become part of the show.

My concern is who is going to the Rose Theatre? If the audience they were hoping to capture were people who enjoyed some light entertainment on a Saturday afternoon, they haven't succeeded. But then, does 'Little Voice' have anything to say the people of Richmond and Kingston in 2011?

My visit to the Rose this weekend left me thinking more about the theatre I was in rather than the show I watched. The audience numbers both saddened and angered me - not only because of this show but every subsequent ill-attended piece of theatre I've seen there. I was saddened that another theatrical resource isn't reaching out to the community it resides in - and angered for the same reason. Do the Rose know who their audeinces are? What they want? And what the're prepared to pay for? There are some serious questions to be asked, otherwise the future of this tehatre could be in jeopardy.

Running Headlong into the next Decade

2011-09-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Mark and I heralded the new term, and a new theatrical season by going to Decade, a show marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11. This Headlong show, in association with the National Theatre was a site specific piece in St Catherine's Dock (as a brief sideline, this as part of London I'd never been to before and was given a swift but very knowledgable tour by Mark. Well worth a visit).

I had no idea what to expect, and as we entered the seemingly non-theatrical, stark office building I had no idea what to expect. As we joined the cue into an American airport, complete with fear inducing metal detectors and burly American officials I was no nearer an explanation.

The show was set in the 103rd floor of the Twin Towers North tower. Once inside you were taken to your table for breakfast, surrounded by American waitresses and waiters, offered drinks, given menus and treated to a view over New York.

What followed was a bringing together of new writing about 9/11 and it's legacy 10 years on (writers such as Alecky Blythe and Mike Bartlett are amongst the 20) along with physical theatre sequences, songs, monologues and audience interaction and participation. The space was used to it's full, truly exploring the site specific nature of the place and exploiting it's glass corridors and stairways.

Specific mention should be made for two specific pieces, both featuring Tobias Menzies who was shining throughout. The first, a monologue (we presume by Alecky Blythe, although the pieces are not attributed to their writers) where a British worker from the tower firstly discusses how they narrowly missed the event by simply swapping shifts - but also a much deeper story of possible conspiracy surrounding the explosions and a suspicious security bypass in the days before 9/11. The beauty of this has to be given to the performance by Menzies, simple and direct - direct enough so you acknowledge his beliefs, but the emotion behind the story was palpable.

The second, a scene within the editorial offices of the Daily Mail really captured the media's position - cowardly, obnoxious and and emotionally devoid. Again, Tobias Menzies gives a sterling performance as a Piers Morgan type figure, and like Piers Morgan the audience revel in hating him.

The downsides - the show clocks in at around 3 and a half hours! (although it has since been shortened by half an hour). Although the inclusion of the writers material is, of course, important, one couldn't help but yearn for Rupert Goold to be a little more ruthless with his
pencil. Some scenes seemed small and inconsequential in comparison to others and, although showing a different perspective, seemed more style over substance. By adding the more physical aspects of the show too, which were not always necessary and rarely perfected, you started to resent the performance making later, more substantial pieces almost impossible to make an impact.

Putting all this aside, I've found this blog very difficult to write. I don't want to be negative about this show, because to be negative would suggest I felt something. I actually left the space feeling surprisingly apathetic towards the show. The subject matter is so emotive and personal to everyone, that the show didn't seem to measure up to the reality of the situation and how the event has affected our lives. I think I'm still unsure what the show was trying to say, and whether including the work of so many writers was the right way to do it.

I believe the show has been edited since the first night and I'd be interested in seeing this again and where the axe may have fallen.

London Road

2011-08-01T04:29:00.001-07:00

Last week Ben and I went to the National to see London Road, spurred on by great reviews, both in the press and from friends as well as a fascination with how the play was constructed.

In 2006 5 women were murdered in Ipswich which lead to a large media furore and investigation. But as the culprit was found the media never told the tale of the remaining residents of London Road, the street where Steve Wright, the killer, was found and possibly lured his victims.

The play meets the residents of London Road as they hold their first AGM since the murders and they discuss rebuilding their lives and breathing new life into the now infamous area. The determination of the characters is obvious as they discuss community quizzes and garden flower shows.

Alecky Blythe, famous for writing plays such as The Girlfriend Experience and Come Out Eli uses verbatim theatre as her usual modus operandi where they actors retell real accounts from people involved in the situation - usually representing that person totally. This is a slight departure as she teamed up with Adam Cork, a composer, who took the words from the recordings to make verbatim songs. The inflection and melody of the local accent creates the tune throughout and in the few places where the recordings are played the melody is obvious. The result is a new form of verbatim theatre, not only acknowledging what the people say as being important, but also how they say it.

Both Ben and I found the music impressive for different reasons. As a musician Ben could appreciate the complexity of the music, and how the seemingly inconsequential conversations between people could become strong themes and unlikely anthems. I was impressed by the delivery, particularly as the 11 members of the cast played over 50 people between them, all with their own slight variation on the accent.

A show highlight was two young girls in a cafe explaining how you see any man on the streets and 'you automatically think it could be him'. Not only did this really capture the mood of the women involved but also created a sense of a busy, bustling community keen to move on with their lives and leave the tragedy behind them.

But, I can't say either of us were particularly impressed by the play. The heightened form of the music and the effects that has on the style of the performance didn't seem to match the scale of the happenings in the 'story'. The stories of those involved in the surrounding area seemed to pale in comparison to the events of the killings that we had all witnessed on the television and in the media in 2007. The story of the sex workers who, obviously scared and vulnerable, began to change their lives around as a result was incredibly powerful and very moving, but did seem to be overshadowed in the production by the lives of others on the street.

This is a definite must see, if only because this will be the first time you've seen anything quite like it. I'm going to look out for more work by Adam Cork, he's obviously an incredibly talented composer and I look forward to seeing what else he can do.

Well and truly 'Beached' - Lee Hall and Opera North

2011-07-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

Today saw the fallout between Northern Playwright Lee Hall and Opera North.

Opera North have been working as part of a two year 'residency' with Bridlington community groups. Part of the project was an opera composed by Harvey Brough with a libretto written by Lee Hall, known for writing 'Billy Elliot' and 'Cooking with Elvis'. Today, with two weeks before the performance, involving children from local schools, Lee Hall wrote an article in the Guardian documenting his disgust that the opera; 'Beached', was being cancelled as the LEA's involved wanted to change homosexual references in the text.

From further investigation it seems the homosexual references include a character saying 'I'm queer' and 'I prefer a lad to a lass' (that's Geordie for boy and girl, for my Southern counterparts). Lee Hall was asked to change the references but refused, also making it clear that during these parts of the text the children, to whom the LEA are attached, are not on stage during this exchange between two male characters. Lee has also created a large media interest, obviously beginning with the Guardian but following on to be daytime talk show TV fodder and a facebook page that has recruited 100's of members by the hour.

There has been a lot said about the whole affair, Opera North are now onto their third statement in regards to the situation. They have claimed that it is not about "personality or personal opinion, it's about education policy over which Opera North have no control."

It seems however, they have slightly missed the point. Opera North are so scared of being deemed homophobic or discriminatory, they haven't realised the majority of the rising uproar is in their refusal to support Lee Hall in his decision, and defend the writers prerogative to write about issues as they see fit.

In a personal aside, why employ Lee Hall if this type of language or subject matter is going to cause issues? It seems Opera North employed Lee Hall as a 'Northern' man, not a man who discusses sexuality, life, death and everything inbetween. But as we know these definitions can only lead to trouble. Lee Hall's play Billy Elliot deals with a huge range of political, sexual and prejudice issues, with down-to-earth, 'real' dialogue - and that is what he does best. Billy Elliot is now used as a discussion point for school children across the country who, through creating their own productions are discussing the varied and important themes throughout. Surely this is the way forward? Surely this production of 'Beached' could have done the same - given children an education in a topic through the form of art and Drama, isn't this what we want?

On a final note, I went to see Benjamin Britten's 'Midsummer Night's Dream' at the ENO last month, a production oozing with sexual intrigue, exploration, with references to paedophilia in a cast that were as a young as 9 or 10. Not only is the opera a masterpiece, it's also continuously explored in relation to Britten's sexuality and how he uses it in his music. Could we get away with more then? Is it just a matter of timing? There seems to be obvious parallels in this work. Maybe in hundreds of years time Hall's original libretto will be performed to packed houses of people who find his sexuality 'charming'...........?

Two Boys

2011-07-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

Last night Trevor, Ben and I went to the ENO to see their production of 'Two Boys', a new commission from the ENO, written by Nico Muhly, a ridiculously talented Canadian 30 year old composer and libretto by Craig Lucas.

The story is not the stuff of Carmen, but is filled with Drama and intrigue from the beginning. We open to a detective looking through the case notes of a stabbing incident. The victim is not yet revealed but the suspect is 16 year old Brian (Nicky Spence). A boy who not only lives in this life but also a virtual world on the computer, filled with 'real people' and situations. Spending a lot of time on his computer chatting to 'mindful16', a girl called Rebecca who takes an interest in Brian and he becomes quickly besotted.

As far as proof goes, it's pretty watertight. CCTV footage shows Brian leading the boy into a desolate shopping centre, then leaving alone and screaming for help. It all seems lost for Brian. However, he is adamant he is not the only person involved - gradually we hear about Peter the Gardner, a Secret Agent and a young computer hacker. Obviously this falls on deaf ears, the detective Anne Strawson (Susan Bickley) seeing this as a young boys imaginary world to detract from the seriousness of the crime - that is until she finds the transcripts of conversations between Brian and all his seemingly not so imaginary friends. As the piece progresses we discover with the detective the real reason behind Brian's actions.......(dramatic pause)

The story is wonderful and incredibly dramatic. The structure of the piece overall teases the story from the stage piece by piece and leads to an incredibly interesting conclusion. Musically this is the same, the choral sections particularly are stunning, and give an impression of fluidity and complexity parallel to that happening in the story which you don't come to expect from opera ensembles.

If you have never been to the Opera, I'll be honest, having people singing does take some getting used to. Particularly in the more contemporary operas where people are as likely to be singing about buying a pint of milk as singing the huge dramatic arias synonymous with the artform. And as a total opera covert and lover, I must also admit I often find myself thinking, 'this would be a great play'.

But why wouldn't opera want to tackle modern issues? And can the expression of the story through song give us a new meaning or perspective on these issues? Theatre is meant to be a tool for change and awareness, as well as entertainment and event. The form of opera seems to be changing too. As the action happens around the music, there can be large sections where performers have to silently 'act' because they're not due back in for another 14 bars. But 'Two Boys' had less of that fill, and much more speed in delivery which fitted with the fast paced world of technological communications.

Overall, a wonderful evening at the theatre and another success for the ENO. Obviously well done to Val Reid as well who not only sang beautifully her portrayal of Anne's mother showed real interest and characterisation.

A great show. I would recommend to anyone and everyone.

Singing is Good for You - Fact!!

2011-06-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

This week I went to Nordoff Robbins in Gospel Oak to a Research Seminar about singing and well-being. Speaking at the seminar was Dr Stephen Clift and his Phd student Rita Munro from the Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Helath based at Canterbury Christchurch University.

Stephen Clift was discussing his 'network' prject, which created choirs for people with mental health NHS service users, workers and supporters. These choirs showed a marked improvement in the health of the participants, as well as movement from being clinically diagnosed, to less severe forms of their conditions. The project, in partnership with NHS Kent, started in 2007 and has been thriving ever since.

The original group that was set up, 'The Mustard Seed Singers' visited mental health care homes and wards to perform and share their experiences, as well as give invaluable support to potential new singing groups.

Rita Munro, was very interesting. She has no background in music at all, claiming to even find spontaneous acts of singing very difficult, but was a student in behavioural science and psychology and decided to look at the effects of singing on the participants from a purely scientific viewpoint e.g. saliva swabs, hormonal change etc. Her talk was incredibly interesting, particulrly in hearing about her difficulty in getting the samples from the participants, and her movement in understanding of how creative endeavour affects people. Looking at the five points of well-being, outlined by the government recently, these include;

Connect - with people around you.
Be Active - walk, run, cycle, dance, sing......
Take Notice - savour the moment
Keep Learning - makes you more confident and can be fun
Give - do something nice for a friend or a stranger

The singing sessions that took part engaged in all fo these activites, as well as show scientific evidence of improved well-being as a result of their singing.

At the moment I am looking into reader and non-reader choirs, looking at the attributes of 'Kinesensic learning', a phrase coined by Arthur Lessac, and whether the health and well-being benefits are different depending on the type of singer you are. I'll keep you updated.

For more info abotu Sindey De Haan please see - http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/Research/Centres/SDHR/Home.aspx

The ONLY Choir That Rocks......................?

2011-06-24T03:39:00.000-07:00

(Yes yes, I haven't written a blog in ages, apologies and all that..............)

Last week saw a documentary called 'The Choir that Rocks' on ITV's, chronicling the last 5 months of a choir phenomoena that is moving across the nation, 'Rock Choir'. This first episode saw Caroline Redman Lusher discussing how from humble beginnings starting as a budding popstar to running a local choir in Farnham Surrey, she decided built up a singing empire where evryone wears the same t-shirts, sings the same songs and choir leaders aren't paid if they're late. Obviously all underscored with inspirational ballads and stabbed throughout with colossal threatening events e.g. will the Yorkshire choir get more than 9 members, will Caroline sign and pay to hire Wembley and will there be a chance that Caroline won't get to sing on one of the following episodes?

I'll be honest, as someone who's run choirs for a long time, there's a lot I like about Rock Choir. The participants were obviously getting a lot from the experience, and who am I to take that away from them.

But I have a great sense of unease about it, and am slowly finding myself disliking the brand more and more. I can't explain to you how much I detest people wearing matching t-shirts, or singing to backing tracks or being rallied along by American corporate style enthusiasm (You will enjoy this, and if you don't there's something wrong with YOU).

This franchise model has already proven successful financially. 'Stagecoach', the weekend Drama group for young people has gone from strength. But why do they all have to be this 'brand'?? And can the quality of the work ever be good if it's all standardised?

I have many issues with what I saw in the Rock Choir documentary, the biggest of which being an assumption that if you were looking for a choir there was black or white - Rock Choir or the Choral Society of Wherever which sing boring classical repertoire and everyone's 100 and you have to read music (I know, I a choir. How bizarre).

Well my first response is there are thriving choral societies who have been established and successful for many years giving pleasure and interest to all involved. They may not wear matching t-shirts, or sing songs that Caroline RL likes, but I don't think they particularly care.

Secondly, if this is black and white, what about the grey? What about the hunders or thousands of local community choirs who sing up to date repertoire, don't sight read, don't audition. These choirs have been running for many years bringing a singing culture to many places that didn't have one or couldn't afford one. However, for the sake of this documentary have been conveniently forgotten so Caroline can look like a one woman crusade in the fight for creative expression for the masses. Why can't we be filling Wembley with ALL types of choir, celebrating their own unique style and embracing their difference. Why call something 'inclusive', when you're creating events which are 'exclusive'?

We're beginning to create the Tesco's of Creativity, companies who have an entirely different view of how we should express ourselves, what we should want to buy and how we should buy it. As always the 'local shops' suffer. But remember, although some of the local shops vegetables may be a little oddly shaped, they always taste better........

A change is as good as a................

2010-09-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

This year I have started co-leading Singing it Back, a choir I met organising the Ham House singing event and founded by Mary Bourne. Mary approached me during the Summer and asked if I'd be interested in co-leading the choir with her in order to share material, and learn material more rapidly and with more help. This was a real joy to be asked and I started getting very excited right away about the work I could do as well as the arrangements I could write and the new people I would meet (a very important point for any project I get involved in)

Last night was our first joint session, made even more scary by the realisation that Mary hadn't told the choir I would be joining them. More than anything I was worried that they would resist change, seeing it as a negative other than a positive. Once one has become accustomed to a certain style it can be difficult to shift. Mary is a strong and capable leader and I didn't want to ruin their sound by my being there.

If something isn't broke we don't need to fix it..........but if we can see a better more productive and successful time ahead surely it's worth tinkering with??

As we go into our first year at St Mary's with the full three years of our new degree programme I am so excited about the prospect of new things and embracing all that is new in the course, the staff and the institution. I understand how difficult those original decisions must have been to make those changes, and really hope that this year we begin to see the fruits of that labour, proving that those choices for change, no matter how difficult, were worth it - they have been long coming and much deserved.

Last night, as I watched the choir go from initial intrigue, into small slightly worried glances and through to acceptance and generosity in such a short space of time I couldn't help being very humbled by their response. Not only had they given themselves to the singing sessions, some having never sang before and others feeling very vulnerable in this musical world, but also accepted and welcomed change quickly, happily and appreciating Mary's offer to them and trusting in her and I. I too hope that we will one day see the benefits of our partnership and Mary's choice to invite a new person and move in a new direction.

I couldn't help thinking our students at St Mary's could learn many valuable lessons from these men and women as we move into the final phase of this first step - our new three year degree programme. I hope that our students will show the same acceptance and generosity of spirit that Singing it Back did last night - grabbing each opportunity that comes their way in the exciting times ahead.

(Some of the choir arrangements I've been working on this Summer are on my website - www.patsyburn.co.uk on the Performance and Coaching page. Have a listen if you like)

St Mary's Summer Siesta

2010-07-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

Yet again my blog has been pushed to the far reaches of my capabilities over the past month. As more and more people ask if I am 'enjoying my Summer holiday' the more work I seemed to have. Moving from marking all the students work, to planning for next year almost immediately. However, the excitement is huge and I think this coming year is going to be a good one!

The university is an odd place without the students. After the students leave, there is a slow drip of students knowcking on the door, and phones ringing occassionally, but it's not long before the ebb stops and we are left here alone. It is then that we can take just a tiny time to look back and feel happy and proud of what we've done. But this is short lived as we run straight into a Summer of planning, researching and consolidating.

It feels right that we're now moving into our three year new degree programme. The students who came out of the old degree are by no means behind, but to see the full three years in situ will be fascinating. My year is production heavy, with lots of really creative projects to get my teeth into, as well as fashion fantastic learning opportunities out of. Political Cabaret, Acting Showcases, Theatre Arts shows, as well as music composition, singing and continued Vocal development.

And how do I feel at the end of my first year here?? Knackered, frankly and more than a little overwhelmed. But safe in the knowledge I am in the right place and I made the right decision for me and Ben a year ago.

The only problem is the heat. I'd trade all this in for a few months of rain!!!

Ham House's Birthday Celebrations!

2010-05-27T02:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the day came, we saw it and we definitely conquered!

Last weekend saw the culmination of our efforts over the last 5 months. Expectations were high, and the worries of the past half year came to a head. Early views of the work at Ham Common, the brilliant puppets the students had made, as well as tech runs and leafleting gave us an early indication of how good the event would be. But still there was niggeling doubt. Would anyone show up??? And if they did, would they get rained on?

Saturday saw the students playing an early game of 'zip, zap, boing' much to the amusement of all around the grounds before settling in for a long and hard days work.

As Sunday came I suddenly realised I too had to 'step up to the plate' and do some work too, and it felt different. Being at Ham House alone and without students around for support. Looking at my last blog, discussing my attractions to working alone, it was odd to suddenly feel very lonely.

Luckily Ben was on hand, keeping me calm and cool in the 30 degree heat. My mum was even roped in at one point to sort flags for the choirs. It wasn't long before Lee and Brad turned up to rganise the speakers, Benedict and his band arrived to perfom with Ben and I was given a radio to be in constant communication with Gary, Jorge and the Ham House staff.

From around 2pm the whole event started to roll and nothing could stop it. Van after van arrived with equipment for the front and back of the house. Choir after choir arrived in their droves, wearing pastels and following their leaders. In a matter of days they went from wanting bring gazebos for the rain to worrying about how the heat may effect their voices! Oh well.

By the time I got to the warm up at 5.30 I was absolutely exhausted, but hearing all 400 people singing at once and leading them was truly inspirational and I remembered why I loved doing this job and why singing is so important.

As they began to scatter around the grounds and I heard the first strains of singing in the air I had a little cry to myself - we'd finally made it, we were finally here, and it sounded great.....................

...................Also I was Geordie in 30 degree heat and I hadn't eaten all day.

Community events are special. They bring people together, and they also make people the best they can be. I'm so honoured to have been part of this event and I hope to be in many more here at St Mary's.

I hope our students see the potential in these events for real social change and true empowerment for its participants. And for those students for whom this was their last event at St Mary's, I hope they were as inspired by it as I was. I truly hope this experience leads them to creating community events of their own.

General Politics at the General Election

2010-04-16T05:19:00.001-07:00

Did anyone see the live debate between the three party leaders last night on ITV1?

As Mark and I rushed back from distributing leaflets around Ham with our bag of Chinese takeaway and sack full of excitement for the nights events, I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed by the outcome. I don't know what I was expecting exactly - I have watched the American versions in the past and do not wish to recreate the great lashings of Drama they seem to add to every shot and angle. Although at times last night, as the camera slowly zoomed in on a wistful and idealisitc facial expression of Cameron, Brown or Clegg I couldn't help expecting 'Land of Hope and Glory' to slowly fade in behind.

There was much of what was said I was expecting - a constant 'boys club' tussle by Gordon Brown and David Cameron which was unnecessary and did nothing to endear them to a disenchanted and disengaged public.

Altogether I think Brown did a good job in a very difficult role. He not only has to look towards the future, but come out of a really difficult time for the country and say 'we're still the ones who can get you through this'. He was constantly being questioned last night about his past 13 years with the party and 'why haven't you done these things before', but political parties, much like the public need that fresh boost in confidence and outlook in order to continue to grow.

Nick Clegg has been heralded by everyone as a clear winner in the debate, and he did show a new type of politician. His body language, speech and 'front foot' approach showed a man who had nothing to lose and, true or not, a man who had nothing to hide. I hope last nights events give the Liberal Democrats a real push in their votes in the coming election. Including the questioners names at the end of the show may have demonstrated some of the saccharine stickiness I found the American version guilty of, but it showed a shrewd man with very good oratory skill. I must admit, I loved it.

The biggest surprise was Cameron, the 'golden boy' of the group who began very shakily and preceeded to look like a deer trapped in the headlights throughout. His constant pushing of the Labour 'National Insurance' issue seemed misplaced and a little forced into debate, without having judged his audiences reaction. He didn't seem to have a rapport with anybody, looking away from others eyes and looking more than nervous where Brown and Clegg hit their stride.

I can draw no huge conclusion, but I am so happy this live debate has now been woven into the fabric of general elections to come. Any thoughts gratefully recieved.

Easter - the metaphorical finshing line in the race of this term

2010-03-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

So, Easter is upon us. I can't say I am itching to get back to work as I sit in my pyjamas and contemplate the day.

This has been a long term and everyone, staff and students have been crawling to Easter. The work grows in intensity in these last few months culminating in performances and assessment preparation. The students are expected to take a lot in in a short amount of time. The results are exciting, innovative and extremely educational, but Easter works as a time for consolidation. Giving the mind and body a rest to fully realise the amount we have all learnt since Christmas.

So, what have I learned?? Well, I have quickly learnt that I don't feel like the 'new girl' anymore. I have adapted to my new life at St Mary's with alarming pace. The speed of the work means you always move forward or risk being left behind. Christmas seems like an age ago, when I still felt naive and in awe of the place. Now I feel settled, with a task and goal and have already gone about achieveing lots of it.

This term has seen my directorial debut at St Mary's of Arabian Nights and this was generally succesful. In the aftermath it has meant I have closer links with he third year students, which has proven very beneficial and means I feel more ingratiatied. Third Years are now coming to me for advice about Careers and courses which has been great.

There have also been a range of performances I have seen or been part of. 3 Birds Alighting on a Field and Junkyard Gods as well as Drama Society shows 4:48 Psychosis and The Shape of Clouds. I didn't get to see Psychosis due to work commitments but heard good things about the show, and was very impressed by the Physical Theatre Piece created by Laura Watson and her team. The Drama Society has seen a real flourish this term and continues to grow.

Careers wise we have had a real interest in Careers events and opportunities at St Mary's. This began with a Creative Industries Forum in conjunction with Media, and this included people form all areas of production. Most relevantly included 'Break a Leg' Arts Management which the 3rd years who attended now have good links with.

The discussion with Sarah Esdaile, professional director was a refreshing and interesting look at the world of the Arts and the students who attended got a lot from the event. I'm hoping to organise even more of these over the coming term and hope to see attendance grow.

After Easter, the Ham House 400th birthday project will begin to take over my life and I will be subsumed in a World of community choirs and logistics. No doubt there will be much more to write about in the coming term!

Happy Easter!!!

Katya Kabanova - 'Go Compare' should be ashamed of themselves.

2010-03-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

I think everyone should go to the opera.

A bold statement I know, but one which I completely believe in.

Do I think it's everyone's cup of tea? No.
Do I think it's the best style of theatre there is? Definitely not.

So why?

Because Opera is the greatest demonstration of resonance there ever was.

Not often do you see a show where the lead actors aren't mic'd up to high heaven. There mouths moving in front of you and the sound coming from somewhere behind you. There is nothing more infuriating as a Voice Coach but to see technology being relied on more and more heavily.

So, last night Ben and I went to the English National Opera Coliseum in Charing Cross to see the opera Katya Kabanova. The story itself is a little basic; a typical love triangle story which won't have you confused or misguided. Some of the characters seem a little superflous but all go towards stretching a story that could be told easily in half an hour into a 1hr 45 minute epic. But the music that Janacek wrote for the piece takes centre stage. Beautiful, enchanting and moving in the extreme.

As the orchestra swim through the reams of manuscript you can't help but be impressed as the singers voices soar across the audience, leaving your body resonating in sympathy and the hairs stading up on your neck. When I have my singing lessons with Val (Valerie Reid, ENO Mezzo) I am always blown away and left a little inadequate by the sheer power she can achieve by vibration and resonance alone. The feeling and empathy she has with the music is perfectly placed; this attention to sound was reiterated time after time last night, and I was left speechless.

I was also struck by how timeless the story is. Although written many years ago, the staging and interpretation left us with something we could all relate too. Like a good piece of Shakespeare the pieces never lose their relevance. And David Alden's production giave a modern representation of a classis love story.

If you haven't been to the opera, don't think it's for you, don't listen to classical music, I urge you to buy a £5 ticket in the gods and go. It will leave you with a lasting impression.

My Musical Masterplan

2010-03-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have always written music. As a child it was making up tunes in my head which I painstakingly repeated and rehearsed infront of anyone who would listen. As I grew older, and began the piano lessons I had pestered my mum about for what seemed like forever I started to realise that if you layer those tunes on top of each other they can work quite well. Phrases such as 'key', 'chord' and 'note' became everyday parlance. I was more than a little smug.

As I grew older I found learning music difficult. Not doing music, just learning it. The endless white pages and black dots seemed to become very boring all of a sudden and lost their earlier mystery. I began to dabble in other sorts of music, music that didn't require paper or worry about harmony, but made me feel free and excited and full of life.

I still regret not keeping up with my music lessons in such a strong way. My singing thirst for knowledge has remained, thank goodness, which means I now run choirs and teach an elite group for private singing lessons, as well as continuing to study myself.

Last night I was anxious. I was nervous and almost a little bit sick. For the first time I was going to allow someone to come and look at my musical arrangements. Songs which I have written or arranged, but have never shown. The inadequacy of my putting pen to paper on show for everyone to see. But this was no ordinary person. I contacted Karen Wimhurst who has written music for the Royal Shakespeare Company and is currently working at the Royal Opera House. When she arrived I felt like a small child again at my first piano lesson.

We went through arrangement after arrangement, Karen pulling each one apart ruthlessly with her Classical Music training, discussing the key of a piece, the dynamic, the arcitecture. It was fascinating stuff and continued to highlight what I knew to be true - I'm much better at practicing music, performing it and being spontaneous than committing notes to a score. The process makes me feel inadequate and more than a little bit rubbish.

Karen is helping me because I want to write musical scores for Theatre, with the hope of writing soundscapes and music for the shows here at St Mary's. Every show having a score of music written specifically for it, and working closely with Director and cast to make sure it's perfect.

At the moment, this seems a million miles away as I sit with my head in a sight reading book. But will hopefully become a reality. I'll let you know how I progress.

Welcome to the House of Fun!

2010-03-12T09:05:00.001-08:00

This term has been a real eye opener at St Mary's. After Arabian Nights and being totally absorbed in that project I finally look up and look around me, only to find everyone is beavering away at something. These projects vary hugely in size and style, but it really is a different place to be as we move into our second term.

For the third year, deadlines are looming, as well as the prospect of going out into the 'real world' and starting to forge a career for themselves. I remember this time well from my own university experience and how nerve wracking the thought of going out into the wilderness was. But I also remember the feeling of anticipated freedom, wanting to move on and feeling I had out grown my university bubble (which is as it should be).

Working on the Ham House 400th Birthday project (have I mentioned this in my blogs yet??) with the 3rd year students has been interesting so far. Contacting and visiting choirs around the area for the best part of 3 months. I feel priveleged to be able to share in their work with them and be included in the time they share. The students who have accompanied me to these sessions also seem to have enjoyed the experience as well as gaining an insight into the world of Community Projects. We are working hard, moving forward and making new friends which can only be a good thing.

The procession also seems to be moving ever onward (no joke intended) and community groups are being contacted left, right and predictably centre. Some are what you would expect at a National Trust event, and some are further afield.

As the event looms ever closer I've thought a lot about the recipe for a good community project, and what I see as being important aspects of the work. I've done a lot of this work before and they have all been strikingly different, however there are always common themes. The biggest of all things being a sense of 'fun'. Can we truly be creative if we're not enjoying ourselves? Embracing our silly sides? Experimenting with the line between childlike and childish?

Albert Einstein once said 'Play is the highest form of research' and I can't think of a more fitting model for how all of our work should be undertaken - particularly in Drama. Fun brings an energy with it, a naughtiness, a cheekiness, even a cockiness that can only be beneficial to your projects and this will be the driving force for our work between now and May.

So Happy Birthday Ham House! May your party be cheeky, crazy and even a little bit bizarre. But most of all FUN, for everyone involved!

St Mary's in Ham-ony

2010-02-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

Since starting at St Mary's (which seems like forever ago now) I have had a lot of requests for singing lessons or group choir sessions, and finally I've been able to do something towards that. The Wednesday singing workshops have been running this term and have been great fun! Music is so important to me, particularly singing and this has been a great way to get my fill. Since Arabian Nights has finished I have found myself steeped in music and singing at every turn and I love it!

I have been arranging a lot of music for the singing workshops as I've gone along, and I've really enjoyed the range. The Flying Pickets, Survivors Eye of the Tiger, Paul Simon and Britney Spears, as well as some classic gospel and acapella songs. Theres been a rich tapestry and the students seem to have been enjoying it. What's great is there willingness to try new things and sing new songs, which is the blessing in any choir.

But the singing workshops have only been the beginning of this musical marathon I find myself running. Since November I have been looking for Community Choirs in the local area to take part in an event organised for Ham House's 400th birthday. Since then the event has grown even bigger with the inclusion of a community groups procession organised by our 3rd Year St Mary's Drama in the Community Students. So far they've been very impressive in there work ethic as well as the results and I'm enjoying working with my singing team - Zoe, Ed and Rachel.

Only last week Zoe and I visited a choir in the Vineyard Church in Richmond, lead by Ruth Fenton. After an hour and a half of singing it was clear how much people enjoy the singing they do and gain so much from it. Not only the singing, but the sense of community and cohesion it brings. It's a social gathering as much as anything else. But also an amazing amount of talent, choir leaders and participants. People who give so much of their time for the love of what they do, and this is what will make the event at Ham House such a success.

It has lead me to learn even more about myself however, and this has been really interesting. I've worked on my own for so long, and taken charge of every aspect of a project that it's been strange having other people to work with again. I am enjoying it and the whole team are working very hard, but I've never had a support team, a sounding board, a work partner. Throughout all my directing I've never had an assistant, not because I am amazingly good, I've just never felt good enough to ask anyone.

When working on your own you make mistakes, but it's easy to cover them up. If you want to have a week off you can, as long as you work twice as hard the week after. At every point you know exactly what has been done and what needs to be done. To give some of the responsibility has been liberating beyond measure, but does take a certain outlook to make it work.

All I can say is it's been good so far - harmony has been achieved throughout - musically and communicatively. Long may the music at St Mary's continue............

One Thousand and One Nights (since my last blog)

2010-02-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

Ok. So I appreciate that not making a virtual contirbution since before Christmas is positively an age in the blogosphere, but sooooo much has happened. As a treat I will endeavour to make this as interesting and fun as I can.

This week saw the opening of 'Arabian Nights', and also sees the beginning of me trying to reclaim my life back on a social level. Most of my blog tardiness can be denoted to the show, with an intense rehearsal schedule, technical meetings and talking about the show endlessly to anyone who will listen. But to anyone who came to see the show last night I hope they thought it was worth it?? The students did their best performance yet and I hope that they continue their good run into tonights proceedings.

But I am not writing this blog in order to discuss the finer points of the production but more to talk about what I have learnt about myself throughout this time. The results have been more than startling and I have kept mental notes of these transitions as they happen.

I have directed before; student shows, amateur shows and with professional companies and every time I have the same sense of dread and foreboding when going into a project. Of course the usual excitement is also present, sprinkled with enthusiasm, but still this inner feeling remains. Directing a play is like flying a plane and the engine cutting out. Once started you can't stop, you must just keep going and hope that you land on a cotton wool factory - and hope to goodness you don't land on a bomb factory. And, much like all plane crashes (oh yes, this extended metaphor still has life in it) you don't know where you're going to land until you're really near the ground. It never fails to surprise me the momentum at which a production moves along, and you have to make sure that you're going with it or be left behind.

As an actor I have worked with directors who have let the play go too far without them, and when they try to sneak back in they find it impossible. I have also worked with directors that are so 'on top' of what's going on it's hard to get any creative fulfilment as one of the performers. But saying 'I will not be like those directors' proves as futile as saying 'I will not grow up to be my mother' - we both have the same face, sarcastic repertoire and an anal fascination with cleanliness. But more importantly she was my female role maodel and showed me what it is to be a woman; in the same way that all the past directors I have worked with have taught me about how to direct.

I caught myself working with this group of actors sometimes and knowing that if I did it again I would try something different. But overarching all this uncertainty was a deep rooted belief that everything was going to be ok. The play was good, the music and live musicians was great, the students are being challeenged and I was working on a show that truly reflected what working with me as a director is like - slap-dash and random but also with discipline and fun.

As I watched the show I felt like the last few months have melted away and all I have left are new skills as a director, new ideas as an educator and a show which I, and my students can be proud of. I hope anyone who comes to see it this week agrees.

Give Praise Where Appraisal is Due

2009-12-11T03:43:00.000-08:00

As the year goes on and we come to an assessment and performance heavy time of year such as this one, more often than not I can be found talking to students, appeasing and comforting them whilst imparting what little wisdom I have so that they can continue to work, grow and develop - cultivating a little plot of knowledge all of their very own.

But giving 'feedback' (appraisal after the event) can be more tricky. In fact 'feedback' in itself is an odd word. At least odd enough to be taken apart and analysed with a dictionary in hand in a slightly anal fashion;

'feed' meaning 'to give food to; supply with nourishment: to feed a child'
'back' meaning 'the return of posession: to give back'

In short, 'feedback' means to give nourishment back to the original owner of a piece of work. To give them your views, feelings and comments so that the participants may take them and literally 'grow'. Following this there may even be a a following process of appraisal where views can be exchanged and learnt from for much longer periods of time, until conclusions are reached, work 'runs out of steam', or owners don't need the guidance anymore.

Recently, through the appraisal and giving of feedback on students work I have been looking for where I fit in this circle of commenting and responding to students work. Wondering if it's enough to just say what I actually think or should I change what I want to say so as not to offend or annoy. Since beginning my role here at St Mary's this has been the hardest part of my learning so far.

It's not good enough to relate it to my own experiences, not that I was an extremely good/bad/indifferent student myself, but it's not fair to judge others purely by my own standards.

What I have found is that whatever feedback I give, and in whatever form the important thing is that the students are nourisjed. They can develop from what is said, learn from it and grow. In giving feedback I have no alterior motives, I want nothing in return; only to see the students thrive. I am doing no favours to a students learning if I tell lies, tell them how much I enjoyed something when I didn't, say I saw learning and Dramatic theory when there wasn't any (particularly in Drama where they will recieve harsh criticism/appraisial over many things). But I also have to strike a balance between that and letting students make mistakes in a comfotable and 'safe' environment - making 'feedback' constructive.

What happens from that feedback then becomes the interest of the student. How they react and respond can say a lot about the type of student they are and what they want to achieve.

The Art of Self-Discipline

2009-12-08T02:39:00.000-08:00

Can self-discipline be taught?

That's my big unanswerable question for this installment. Over my time teaching in all areas in and around the course and to a whole range of students the notion of self-discipline and being able to motivate/challenge yourself seems to be a recurring theme.

Over the past few sessions I have been using a lot of work by Tadashi Suzuki. Suzuki is a Japanese practitioner who focusses on the stillness of the Actor, creating a strong centre to the body and feeling movement from the core muscles. He puts the body through an endurance test, not unlike the early martial arts training, and sees how the performer copes with what is thrown at them.

I love this work because it gives students responsibility for their own actions. Students seemed shocked that I wasn't interested in their aches and pains, how difficult they were finding it or if they were struggling with the point. Instead they had to find their own justification for the work, work through their pain, play games with themselves in their own minds and ultimately overcome them. This work also shows development very quickly to those who respect it and are willing to give in and 'play the game'. Likewise it highlights those who lack focus, discipline and awareness very quickly. A good student will see these issues and continue to work on them, develop and improve. Other students will see the work as a waste of time, blame others, berate me and ultimately learn nothing.

But should I be worried about how students react to the work? Surely the role of a teacher/lecturer is to give students the tools to facilitate their own learning. But do the students today have the skills within themselves to self-motivate, self-analyse and self-discipline? In short, I don't know. And more pressing, is it my responsibility to give students these skills?

I know that we rely heavily on the skill of self-discipline to function as a Drama department. Turning up to classes, completing the reading, reading outside of the reading lists, going to see theatre, engage in community projects, turning up for rehearsals.................students finding their own learning outcomes for all of the above! (that last one is the most important, and one which I bang on about all the time). I am still learning every day in my job here at St Mary's, because I want to and what I do interests, inspires and involves me. I hope our students are doing the same.

Me, the 02 and..........JULIE ANDREWS!!

2009-11-30T10:08:00.001-08:00

For anyone who knows me, this won't come as any surprise....but I have a secret obsession.

Ok. It's not really a secret, more a a full blown fact. And not really obsession, just mild fascination and adoration.

Yes. I am a Julie Andrews Fanatic!

Ever since I was a child and I used to watch the Sound of Music on my gran's TV, I found my singing voice at an early age and was given Julie Andrews videos to study, from the moment I danced along to Mary Poppins I knew she was everything I wanted to be.

And why this fascination? Well I think she comprises of all the things I wanted to be growing up. She's typically British, with her long vowels and slightly old-fashioned outlook. But also an ambassador for British eccentricity which we all love and admire. She's also an amazing singer with a beautiful tone and range (never changing no matter what the song, but with a voice like that who needs to?).

But long into my adulthood this flame has continued to burn and I have watched diligantly as she lost her voice and went through painstaking amounts of therapy and treatment. I was delighted when two years ago, in a rare moment of hope, she sang four short songs to show her development. But the best is still to come...........

On the 8th of May 2010 I will be sitting in the 02 Arena listening to the lady herself! Singing all the songs that made her famous (which lets face it, could be any of them). This is a one off concert. ONE OFF! How excited am I!

Think of the merchandise I will buy/wear/drink out of/stick up on my wall/listen to endlessly.

Think of the songs I will be singing non-stop between now and the show.

Think of the songs I will continue to sing after this date and for the rest of time.

Think of the brownie points I'll earn at my weekly Sound of Music Appreciation Society meetings (ok. That's a joke..................but..............)

I hope you can join in my excitement for this amazing news! No doubt I will be posting blog after blog about it after I have been!!!!

(Having bought my tickets however, I'm not sure I can afford to eat.)

Vocal Play

2009-11-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

‘The Human Voice knows no bounds’ I said in a particularly impassioned section of my research seminar on Monday at St Mary’s.

Many weeks ago now Michelle asked me to deliver a seminar to St Mary’s Staff about a National Voice project I am co-ordinating and delivering called ‘Vocal Points’ (more on that in a few weeks when I go to Newcastle for the final culmination event at The Sage Gateshead on the Banks of the Tyne). I was happy to do it, having delivered a lot of presentations about the project throughout the year and across many different mediums.

The seminar went well I think, allowing me to discuss a topic incredibly close to my heart – the power and potential of the Human Voice, not just for Performers but for ‘real’ people too (said quite deliberately). Looking at social etiquette and how it kills vocal spontaneity and freedom in early years. Why do we make noise so willingly as children? And more importantly, why do we stop? This all leads to the sort of problems - anatomical, psychological and emotional that I have to deal with every day. So what can we do to combat this? How can we get people to respect the notion of ‘play’?

Some interesting questions were asked and I fielded them as best as I could, but this will never be as important as experiencing the work first hand. When I went into the field of Voice it was never focussed on the Voice of the Performer, but about realising and releasing the human voice in Community settings, promoting self-advocacy, vocal ownership and confidence. And the Vocal Points project has been a big part of that.

I struggled as I attempted to find words to describe how important and enjoyable vocal expression can be……….I should have just bought them all tickets to see Naturally 7 last night………….

The show opened to 7 of the coolest men I have ever witnessed, walking onto a bare stage. One by one they turned into a 7 piece band/modern day orchestra. Beat-boxing, vocal scatting and instrument imitation filled the Royal Festival Hall for over 2 hours, until the normally stale upper class defined atmosphere felt more like a high school pop concert.

The sheer impressive success of these men was not only in their vocal trickery, obvious bond with each other or dynamic stage presence but their amazing technical ability for pitch, volume, breath control, power and flexibility – all of my students can learn a lot from these men!

As I sat and watched them move from piece to piece I became inspired by this spectacle. How amazing if more people like this acted as ambassadors for vocal tradition? If new vocal rituals could be started from performances such as this. Gone are the days that we readily use text and speech purely for pleasure or entertainment in mainstream contexts. But we could start something new, something age defying, gender defying, class defying and ‘talent’ defying (vocalising for pleasure, not product).

As the end came on my night in the Royal Festival Hall, and in the company of this amazing act I walked to the train station past posters of X Factor finalists, and Ex Britain’s Got Talent auditionees who were ‘lucky’ enough to get a break. If the Grand Canyon were merely a crack upon the surface, the gap between Naturally 7 and these other acts was a huge gaping hole.

Naturally 7 are performing at the London Jazz Festival and can be found on you tube www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5MkNOXSdkA

Oooh, it makes me mad!

2009-11-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

This is a rant. I am not apologising for it, but I do think it fair to warn you....

So, this weekend Ben (the Piscatorial Pianist (check out his blog if you haven't already)) and I went to Newcastle to see off our friends Stu and Sam as they embark on their 6 month trip to Cuba. A good time was had by all..........blah blah blah.

Anyway, on the way back I was listening to Radio 1 on the long journey from Newcastle to London stuck in a two hour traffic jam at the Chiswick roundabout and lots of people were calling in talking about the week they were having, fulfilling some need to broadcast into our homes what kind of sandwhiches they were enjoying today (?!?!) when one girl rang up and said she was on reading week and she was enjoying having a chance to relax because she'd been working so hard over the first part of her third year so far.

Fantastic I thought, how lovely that she's been working so hard. And what a positive message! 'What kind of things have you been doing to make you so busy?' enquired a tepidly interested host. 'Well.............'

'I was on freshers team and I had to look after all the first year students. That meant going out and getting drunk every night for a week which is really hard work'

'God yeah' replied the presenter.

'Then I have been doing a promotion in our local students union where I had to sit in a hot tub in a bikini whilst people came in and joined me and had pictures taken. My skin was all wrinkly and the bikini was really chaffing'

'Terrible!' replied the presenter with growing enthusiasm.

'Then I slept in last week and missed the first 3 HOURS of my lecture because I was so tired from all the work and so I have missed loads of notes and things. And the lecturers haven't put the notes on the e-learning website for me to look at. How am I supposed to learn?'

The presenter suddenly burst into action; 'That is so unfair. It's like they don't understand how much work you've been doing.'

'I know. Now I have to catch up on all the work I've missed because I've been so busy at work during reading week. Rather than chillaxing (?!?!?) with my friends.'

'Oh no. That sucks.' said the presenter in a sympathetic voice.'And where are you now?'

'In the PUB'!!!!!!!

OK. I'm going to sound old now. I know, and I admit that whole-heartedly. But am I the only person who finds this completely appalling. I know how important it is to have fun at uni (I was there not too long ago myself and had a great time) but there is a fine line. Students must be able to organise their priorities and understand that lecturers are not here to work around you, but work with you to help you learn. Whether you pass or not is another matter, and one which is solely your responsibility.

And, responsibility is key. Who is responsible for their own education? Does this change depending on where you are or what level of education you're in? Time after time I see students who struggle with the responsibility University life comes with. Not having looked after themselves before, not having been treated like an 'adult' before in an Educational setting. And this is not entirely their fault, of course not. They can't be expected to know what goes into being responsible for their own actions if they've never been ALLOWED to do it before.

However, in the case of this girl above, she seems to have her priorities all wrong. Going to university is an EDUCATION. It is about growing up, it is about a 'coming of age', but more importantly it's about being given an opportunity to learn, to better yourself and to be in charge of your own time. It is a huge honour and I hope there aren't too many students out there wasting it.

Finally on the radio show, listened to by millions of listeners, students, or teenagers about to embark on a degree or higher education course, the presenter said; 'No-body bothers reading in reading week anyway. It's just an opportunity to bunk off anyway, isn't it?'.

I give up.

Living Newspaper

2009-10-27T12:49:00.001-07:00

I've always been fascinated by Living Newspaper. A theatrical form presenting factual information on current events to a popular audience, made famous by the Federal Theatre project in the 1930's (amongst other incarnations). But more than that, Living Newspaper has historically urged social action, creating propaganda by using agit-prop theatre and multimedia.

The links to Brecht and his work are obvious and it's difficult to discuss this without alluding to his work and style of Epic Theatre. I remember sitting at University during my Applied Theatre degree like a sponge, drinking in all the information. As a practitioner I had long believed that Drama had powerful social influence. But Brecht was an example of a man who truly embodied these beliefs. Living Newspaper was an example of this idea in practise.

More than anything it is an example of Drama making ideas/thoughts/information accessible for all. An ides that is very common - conference after conference, workshop after workshop, class after class is concerned with using Drama to open up a topic, Drama in the classroom, Drama in the Community and using Drama as a tool for change. All the way back to pioneers like Dorothy Heathcote and Gavin Bolton who believed Drama could be used in any classroom, and on any subject.

Anyway, back to Living Newspaper. I've used my own version a lot recently. Taking the basic principles and incorporating a body of work by North East Theatre practitioner Sheila Stewart who works with children and adults with learning difficulties getting them to create their own environments using newspaper and masking tape.

The level 1 Theatre Arts students and Joint Hons students have been creating pieces of theatre using newspaper articles as stimulus, finding other supporting material, then creating props, costumes, set (and even giant parachutes) out of newspaper.

The topics were as diverse as Social networking and body image, to pressure, the Iraq war and paedophilia. But I was always amazed with the sensitivity these students showed about their chosen focus, and how much opinion they shared on each and every article.

It makes me pleased to be a Drama teacher, because the students in level one begin to question the world. And this is what makes their transition to Higher Education so exciting - so tangible. For me it's good to see that students are still being driven by their curiosity and belief in Drama and the huge body of work and knowledge that surrounds it.

'Living Newspaper' has been an interesting task and one which has seen the students be creative, inventive, focussed and involved. And I've been very pleased with the results.......

Cherry and Ham

2009-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

I forget to say............On going to Newcastle I went to see Chekov's 'The Cherry Orchard' at The People's Theatre. I know the People's people really well and have done a lot of work there myself over the years. It was good to see some familiar faces on stage and in the production team and to be in a familiar theatre.

I was immediately struck by how much I love this play! Chekov seems to encapsulate so much about human feeling, expression, nature and life that it's impossible not to swept along with his words. He does for me what Beckett always wants to, present us something which is 'real' and shows us the 'dreariness' of our own lives, but with much more wholesome and complete results. I can see why we use it so much in our lectures. There's so much in the lines that is to be drawn out, speculated upon and ultimately explored.

As for the show, it was a first direct by my friend Ben and he did a good job. There's a lot of people in the play and it is a huge undertaking. It's also good to see people taking risks now and again, Ben choosing not to stage the play conventionally but in a stylised way. Bringing the cast on as a group of travellers who tell the story, and creating a set which looks like an old run-down home. Whether they all paid off, I'm not entirely sure. But I think it shows a lot of imagination and potential as Ben continues to grow and develop.

It reminded me of how much I like directing and also, how important voice work is in Directing a play and getting the best from your actors. Voice is not to be confined in the warm up; and should not even be confined to accent or articulation work. But truly used as a means to get your actors to communicate the story through the words, connect to the text, and explore their body and voice through performance in a way that other disciplines don't. I can't wait to get started on Arabian Nights and use the techniques that I am so confident about. And show the actors what good there is in using Voice work as part of their performance work every day!!

On the second note.................Ben and I have found a house and we are soon to be residents of Ham (of Mark Griffin fame). From then on we can start to feel like real dwellers of South est London and begin to plan our new lives in this new location with good roots and foundations. Very excited!!! And can't wait for the old fashioned piano parties already.

If this is 'wrong' I don't want to be 'right'?

2009-10-19T12:33:00.001-07:00

This weekend I went back to my Sunny (?) home town of Newcastle. It was so good to be back and see friends as well as telling everyone about my new job at St Mary's. But it wasn't all fun and games, I went back to deliver a keynote speech at a Secondary School to speak to a group of English teachers about 'Putting Fun Back Into Practise'. This is a subject which is incredibly close to my heart knowing the difficulties I had at school as a youngster. I didn't find out I was dyslexic until I was 22 and studying for my MA. This was a daunting prospect at this point in my career and I found it very difficult to adjust.
However, in hindsight I believe my dyslexia had a lot to do with the disenchanted feelings I had as a students in my younger years. Never feeling like I really fitted in, finding everything much harder than everyone else seemed to, finding writing a constant strain and struggle (look at me now! Writing for fun heaven forfend!). I didn't have much 'fun' in the classroom and have spent all of my teaching career so far trying to find ways that I can put 'fun' back into my own teaching and communicate with learners of all kinds through many different mediums. I try not only to teach the 'right' words and the 'right' ways to perform, but also enhance what I consider to be essential life skills; spontaneity, creativity, child like behaviour and imagination. All of which are at our disposal but need to be untapped. I found Keith Johnstone's book 'Impro' an inspiration. He talks a lot about his experiences as a students and expresses much the same as I felt. Saying that if you feel like your inspiration is being quashed you will finally stop speaking for fear of being 'wrong' or of 'failing'. So I propose an education-wide banishment of the words 'right' or 'wrong'. Instead people should be free to experiment, play, explore and develop in whatever ways they choose. By doing this not only will our students minds be opened but as will the minds of our future leaders and people of important roles in society. By creating a world where we don't censor ourselves, where we ask questions about everything around us then nothing becomes 'taboo', nothing is 'naughty', nothing is 'bad'. Instead everything becomes a positive learning experience where we learn to choose, to be self advocates, be self aware and create our own boundaries of what is personally acceptable and what is not. Needless to say this was a little too much for my friends in Newcastle I feel. And what was more bizarre was that they seem to be scared of their own students?? A lot of the work was deemed too much, too 'over the top', 'not what the students would involve themselves in'. But, in truth, not anything that the teachers would be happy to try for fear of 'failure' or fear of being 'wrong'. And that is the crux. Can we banish these words in the classroom for our students if the teachers are using these words in regards to their own learning/teaching everyday??

I suddenly had a much greater understanding of my students frustration at Undergraduate level. And I think it will take a positive cultural and educational revolution to change it. Anything less may just be lost.

Any thoughts??

My first blog

2009-10-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

How does one start a 'blog'????

I don't really get blogs. I don't understand the point generally. They seem incredibly self gratifying, talking endlessly about yourself and your own work. However, the more of them I read the more intrigued I get. 'What a good way to communicate to my students' I thought? 'What a good way to let everyone into my research thoughts' I thought to myself. So here I am!

I decided to write this blog to journal my thoughts, feelings, ideas, inspirations, activities and general random happenings as I begin my new career at St Mary's University. I hope my students find some of what I say interesting. I'll be putting lots of things up as I encounter them. Maybe it will start some discussions? Who knows??

Things here are going well so far. The students all seem very lovely and brimming with ideas and creativity. So much has happened already in the first four weeks that seems like possible blog fodder that I almost wish I had started this earlier.

Year ones are all very enthusiastic, working hard on their pieces. Looking forward to 'living newspaper' (which I am sure I will 'blog' about later).

Year 2's are proving really great to work with. Very thoughtful, lots of good work going on in sessions. Looking forward to seeing their assessments at Christmas and hoping that the Voice work will pay off!

Met the 3rd years for the first time last week. After Christmas I am directing their production of 'Arabian Nights'. Sounds good. They're excited, I'm stressed................but excited.

All in all a good first few weeks!