http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php Copyright 2012, Theresa Heskins Theresa Heskins en-US SPHPBLOG 0.5.1 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120509-103906 I usually find rehearsals hard work but a real joy. I know there’s nowhere I’d rather be; and, like a tough run, there’s a profound satisfaction to be gained from both the sweat and the miles covered. This time, though, the hard work is outrunning the joy by some margin.
I might have realised before now that making two fairly large shows with the same cast and director one after the other would take its toll. Of course freelance directors do this all the time and come to us appearing well prepared and fresh as a daisy, even though they may be anything but!

Despite the difficulties of putting together a demanding epic in a fragmented rehearsal period I think we have the makings of a good show. Over the next four days my job is to draw it together – a pinch here, a polish there; put in a bit of air here, galvanise a moment there – my final chance to make sure Far From the Madding Crowd reaches its full potential.
]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120509-103906 Theresa Heskins Wed, 09 May 2012 09:39:06 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=05&entry=entry120509-103906 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120504-103835 A really good show from our youth theatre in Deborah Gearing’s Burn which took over the main house auditorium this week. It’s a difficult space for untrained voices, but the young performers dealt with it admirably, and crated a piece of work that was both moving and theatrically ingenious.]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120504-103835 Theresa Heskins Fri, 04 May 2012 09:38:35 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=05&entry=entry120504-103835 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120501-094034 So free-market think-tank the Institute of Economic Affairs advises that £1.6bn of government spending could be saved by cutting the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Is such an austerity measure as attractive as it looks upon first sight? Since when was the impact of a business calculated by looking only at one side of the balance sheet?

The New Vic is a tiny fraction of the country’s arts industry, but a study from Sheffield University suggests that we alone generate £11.6m of activity in our local economy. The suppliers we use, the people we employ, their spending power and the travel, accommodation, restaurant trade we kick-start. That’s a single organisation in the Midlands having a positive impact on the economy equivalent to 1% of Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s £1.6bn investment.

Add in all the other subsidised arts organisations across the country, many of them much bigger than the New Vic, and it’s clear that the sector punches well above its weight in what we contribute back to the economy. Take out £1.6bn investment and you also take out almost four times that amount of economic activity. You also take out all that the subsidised sector contributes in the way of the research and development, road testing and artist training without which our West End could not exist – together with the £90m it contributes to the treasury through VAT on ticket sales.

Still an attractive austerity measure?
]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120501-094034 Theresa Heskins Tue, 01 May 2012 08:40:34 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=05&entry=entry120501-094034 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120427-103730 This morning to the opening of Jubilee 2, Newcastle-under-Lyme’s new leisure centre. Princess Anne arrives fifteen minutes early, whereupon we and the assembled dignitaries hurry to our places. We’ve been warned that her time with us will be very brief, so I’ve prepared a single sentence to speak to her: I will remind her of how she opened our Borderlines department twelve years ago, tell her we’ve worked with more than 100,000 young people since, and gesture towards some of those very young people who are rehearsing a piece to mark the opening of the centre.

Whereas meeting her mother earlier this year I was struck that I was the taller (a rare enough delight for me), Anne’s willowy height impresses. So does her warmth. She doesn’t need reminding about the previous visit; she wants a conversation, not a single sentence; and she wants to meet the young people. Despite being dumbfounded they conduct themselves well. Then they meet the High Sheriff, the Lord Lieutenant, the current mayor and the next mayor. It’s a very special day for these young people, who then go on to perform two terrific water themed performances to mark this special occasion.

Afterwards, I need to hurry back into rehearsal, but with the main staircase still closed, New Vic Executive Director Fiona Wallace and I are pointed towards the back way down from the second floor and out of the building. This back route seems to take us through every changing area in the building. Dressed in our heels and business suits, we bustle through rooms full of women in nothing more than towels and swimsuits. I’m reminded of Father Ted and co lost in the lingerie department. It’s a good tour of the new facility, though, which impresses. The ladies’ sauna is especially attractive: in blue mosaic with loungers, it looks like a holiday waiting to happen. I know where I’m coming after work next Friday.


]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120427-103730 Theresa Heskins Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:37:30 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=04&entry=entry120427-103730 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120409-150306 An eventful week on the WHIBAML front begins with Easter Sunday and Monday off. I struggle to stay awake for more than five hours continuously, which is a shame as I’m starting far From the Madding Crowd rehearsals on Wednesday and really should be doing preparation. I squeeze in some planning in between power naps and gardening.

We’ve had some wonderful karaoke before the show, and also some truly awful stuff – some of it perpetrated by our very own cast. A lengthy rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody saw the audience fleeing the bar to take refuge in the auditorium…where they found the very same song being piped through to them. Complaints ensued, and we had to replace the piped karaoke with Frank Sinatra.

I knew people would want to talk about the show afterwards but the degree to which they’ve done so has surprised me. In the bar afterwards, the only conversation is about the show. That’s immensely gratifying, as how often does that happen? Days after seeing it, people using our restaurant stop me to talk about it and earlier today it took me fifteen minutes to get across the car park because two separate groups of audience members spotted me and wanted to discuss it further. We have two ‘talkbacks’ each week, where actors and invited panellists (local MPs, the Vice Chancellors of both universities, local council Chief Executives) meet after the show to talk about issues raised with the audience. The first took place on Thursday, and was very controversial. A couple of women in the audience kicked it off, almost in tears at how unfair they felt it was to Stoke. They wanted to see heroes on stage; complained that there wasn’t one bit of niceness or sweetness in it; hadn’t we noticed that no one had clapped or laughed? Other members of the audience leapt to the plays defence. They felt it was absurd to say that, the audience had been clapping and laughing throughout; this show about the truth as it is, not heroics; Cheeseman had innovated fifty year ago with that first documentary and half a century later it was entirely appropriate to innovate again.

The best night though was Saturday, when fifteen of the interviewees came to see the show. We were nervous beforehand, of course. How would they feel about how they’d been portrayed? Would they have enough of a sense of humour to mind the fact that some of the things they’d said would elicit laughs? In the end they were wonderful, delighted that we’d told their stories, and feeling very special and valued. ‘We’re still on Cloud 9…you made us feel like celebs-for-the-night…with the exception of my wedding, the best day of my life…’ one of them said. Saturday night ended with more karaoke, this time with the real-life characters who did duets with their actor counterparts. Marvellous, surreal, immensely moving. Weirdly, as they stood up on stage side-by-side, we were certain we could see the resemblance…
]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120409-150306 Theresa Heskins Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:03:06 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=04&entry=entry120409-150306 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120407-100212 …But in fact, a day off has been very welcome, and everyone comes back slightly fresher and considerably calmer. A second dress goes relatively well, and in the evening, to an audience of mayors, staff, close friends and ordinary audience members, we brave that first, terrifying performance. Despite that difficult tech, everyone pulls it out of the bag. The show goes well, leaving me in awe of the people I have the good fortune to work with.]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120407-100212 Theresa Heskins Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:02:12 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=04&entry=entry120407-100212 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120405-170056 A tough week in tech for Where Have I Been All My Life? Two soundtracks operated on separate Macs – one the actors hear, one the audience hears. Yet another Mac runs the digital images featuring on the seven televisions erupting through the landscape. Two hundred lighting cues, many of them moving lights and arms, all of them meticulously focused and plotted. Then there’s a moving trap section, flying costumes and flying mirrors. Another stage in the bar for karaoke, and the main stage extending into the auditorium. No wonder it’s tougher than our average tech. Everything stopping for Good Friday seems like a bad idea, especially as we’ve cancelled our first dress and only had enough material teched to do three quarters of our second dress…]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120405-170056 Theresa Heskins Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:00:56 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=04&entry=entry120405-170056 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120329-125843 Week four, and we’ve managed to fit in the equivalent of a week’s rehearsal on Far From the Madding Crowd as well as pulling Where Have I Been All My Life into shape. It’s amazing what you can achieve when lines don’t need to be learnt! The actors are in for quite a shock, though, when they have to start learning lines for the Hardy and realise that they’re in rehearsal all day and on stage all night. And there are an awful lots of lines in that play.

This morning, we did some more work on sheep and sheepdogs, and spent some time looking at distance fighting, letter throwing and distance kissing/caressing. Techniques I’ve developed through working in the round, and designed to include the audience at the same time as playing with focus. One of these days, I’d like to see what would happen to these techniques in an end-on theatre. ]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120329-125843 Theresa Heskins Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:58:43 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=03&entry=entry120329-125843 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120324-125724 John Humphrys and I have a robust relationship. It’s played out at around 8am each morning and it usually involves John challenging some slippery minister, and me urging Humphrys to ‘at least let him answer the question, John’.

If John were at the New Vic this morning I’m sure he’d have got on stage to dispute the facts with the characters in Where Have I Been All My Life?. Fortunately he’s too busy in London, and so instead the delightful Colin Paterson joins us, interviewing Alecky Blythe and some of the actors. He also records the first act of our run through.
It’s the second time we’ve had a BBC crew in recoding rehearsals.

The first was on only our third day, when Chris Eldon Lee and Paul Allen joined us to record some material for a documentary on verbatim theatre, Word for Word, which will be transmitted on 5 April. This second visit is for The Today programme. It has an audience of 8 million. If I’m honest, I could wish for a little more rehearsal time before meeting such a large crowd. Having them at our very first stagger-through, a full two weeks before we open, isn’t my dream. But it’s rare enough for Today to cover theatre, and I’m delighted that an article about this remarkable piece will be broadcast in our opening week alongside Chris and Paul's documentary.]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120324-125724 Theresa Heskins Sat, 24 Mar 2012 12:57:24 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=03&entry=entry120324-125724 http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120323-095121 My name is Sam Wood, currently assistant director for the New Vic's upcoming show, Where Have I been All My Life. Wow. What a two weeks it's been. Rehearsals are moving rapidly forward, so much to say, don't really know where to start but nonetheless I shall make a bold attempt to condense a busy two weeks of very fruitful work into this short blog.

Week 2 saw us without Alecky, both an exciting and scary prospect, however having left us in good stead after an intensive week one we were very much ready to stand the play on it's feet. By this point in an 'ordinary' rehearsal process the actors are still burdened with a script in hand and lines to learn, so putting a structure of movement in as well usually means this is the most time consuming part of any process. This however is no 'ordinary' show however, having all their lines fed through earphones has meant there is no script to speak of and no lines to learn. Being without this burden has not only been a refreshing change but ultimately very liberating for all involved and meant we have moved forward at breakneck pace. In fact I have never been a part of a process that has got up on its feet so quickly.

It's not all roses however, this play has presented some very unique challenges indeed. The most apparent, being able to successfully represent some 25 different locations in a single theatre space and some 37 characters with a mere 9 actors to play them! We're by no means running scared however, exciting challenges like this can produce some of the most creative, watchable and dramatically interesting theatre. We have had to look at ways of transforming an actor from one character to another in the blink of an eye using simple techniques that if executed correctly are a joy to watch and show off the true dexterity of these performers. Realising all these different locations has meant we are using the theatre space in new and interesting ways with scenes dotted throughout the whole auditorium. A mammoth undertaking by any standards, however in two weeks we have rehearsed the whole play, with very useful runs in the auditorium and we've still got another two weeks to go!

The show itself has sparked a huge amount of interest both locally and nationally and over the past two weeks we have been visited by all sorts interested in the production. We've had creative writing students and young people on work placements come to sit in on rehearsal. The actors have had interviews with Radio Stoke, BBC Radio 4 and last week when we invaded the auditorium for our first run of the whole play we were visited by The Today Show. Brilliant to have them there, if not a little scary as they broadcast to an estimated 8 million listeners everyday!!

We've had the pleasure of a visit from The New Vic's Ages and Stages group. The company are currently making their own documentary celebrating the New Vic Theatre through the eyes of people who have been linked to it over the past 50 years. The group is comprised of theatre employees, volunteers, audience members and people involved with the theatres previous pioneering documentaries and so where too valuable a resource not to utilise. We held an open Q&A session where the actors were able to ask any burning questions and moreover gain a better understanding of how this show fits into the the theatres already illustrious history in the documentary genre. John Morton, our head of marketing, both long time employee and resident, provided further context about the theatre and local area by taking the actors out on a road trip. The performers got to see each of the six towns that make up Stoke, visit general land marks, pot banks and some of the places actually referenced in the documentary. And to top it all off, even with such a manic schedule we've still managed to plough on with Far From the Maddening Crowd rehearsals. In fact last week we even managed to rip ourselves away from the documentary for a whole day! Devoting it instead to exploring physical world of Hardy's masterpiece, then finishing with a rather wonderful read through, giving us all the opportunity to hear the play spoken for the first time by the actors.

An all round top two weeks I have to say. Next week we head into the technical rehearsal, where all the other elements of lighting, sound and design will be added to the production. Expect an update then!
]]> http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/index.php?entry=entry120323-095121 Theresa Heskins Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:51:21 GMT http://www.newvictheatre.org.uk/blog/comments.php?y=12&m=03&entry=entry120323-095121