My Script in New York!

For the last few years I have been involved with the Gone In 60 Seconds Theatre Festival. A festival that consists of 100s of tiny plays (yes, each just a minute long!). You can read more about this here. The festival takes place in the UK, America, and later on this year possibly some new exciting countries! ;) Writers from all over the world submit plays for consideration (each country performs a different selection of plays).

This year I performed in the UK version for the 4th year running, but for the first time I also  submitted a play - and I'm very pleased to say it has been chosen for the American setting which is in New York! I am very excited to see it come to life. Not, I should add, that I am going to New York to see it (unfortunately!!), but rather because the plays are also recorded and uploaded on the internet, so that the writers from all over the world can see their plays performed  - along with anyone else who wants to watch it! I can't wait to see how they interpret my script!

The UK leg was performed earlier this month, this time at Stage@Leeds. You can already watch the recording of the plays. Grab a cuppa and enjoy an hour of original entertainment:



You can read about my past experiences of Gi60 here.

The Predators Challenge

The Fabularium has been out in the wild again ;-) This time with a new little show 'The Predator's Challenge', which we performed as part of an event called Priory Tales at Birkenhead Priory.

In rehearsal for 'The Predator's Challenge' 

In costume, ready to perform.

Lady Lupin the she-wolf, Pertolotta the chicken,
and King Noble Lion

The festival mostly had performances from youth theatre members inspired by the priory and it's history. We were an added medieval extra! :)

It was great to see the young people's work, it was very inspiring - singing, dancing and acting performances. The youth theatre are very inclusive, involving disabled performers, and the performances they had created together were just amazing.

Some youth theatre members getting ready to perform

The event started each night with a procession involving choral singing and huge lanterns in various shapes related to the history of the priory.

Giant monk and owl lanterns
created by The Lantern Company

A quick snap with the local mayor,
holding Pertolotta the cheeky chicken puppet.

Midway through taking the set down at the end
 of the night, in the beautiful setting of the priory.

I really enjoyed this project a lot. I always have a lot of fun working with The Fabularium and feel proud to be part of the work they produce as it's quite unique and special I think. We had some great audiences responses which is always encouraging. It was also an honour to be part of the project the young people there had created, because their work was truly inspiring.

You can read a bit more about my work with The Fabularium here. To keep an eye on what The Fabularium is up to, check out their Facebook page here.

Easter Concerts

I've been invited by Yorkshire based band Postculture to be a guest vocalist on one of their tracks. In March I performed with them as part of Blue Rooms Easter Gig at at music venue bar 1:22. It was a great night, we got to experience the other acts too including Felka an amazing acoustic duo. Postculture also performed a track with guest vocals from the excellent Leo Transit. Hoping to work more with Postculture in the future... To check out their music you can find links on their website music www.postculturemusic.com. Awesome sounds.

On Easter Sunday I was involved in a gospel concert/meeting in Sheffield which featured lots of different gospel artists and was amazing. I loved performing there as it was so lively and full of love, and I always really enjoy getting to experience different gospel artists.

There is more music in the pipeline which I'm very excited about! Watch this space :)

Decades of Mystery

I have been back to the 40's and 50's recently with a couple of Murder Mysteries!

The first one, set in the 40's, was my first performance with Murder Incorporated and was in Harrogate. As I used to live in Harrogate I used the opportunity to revisit Nidd Hall where I used to work and live and catch up with a friend in Harrogate centre. I'm really fond of Harrogate though I've not been back properly since living there.

We actually performed in the hotel where crime writer Agatha Christie famously revealed herself after going missing in 1926.

In costume

This was an interesting experience. Although I'd been part of a murder mystery play many times at Nidd Hall, this was what I imagine as the more usual format for a murder mystery - constantly interacting with guests, a meal happening alongside the performance and heavily improvisation based. It was a good learning experience for me and good fun.

The second was a fundraising event for Brekenbrough School, directed by Graham Easterlow of Bordello Theatre and Sharon Lancaster of Wooden Spoons Theatre. Brekenborough is a school for boys with a range of learning and behavioural difficulties, you can read more about it here. We went back to the 50's for a hilarious evening of murder and shenaninigans!

This one included more scripted scenes, but interaction with the guests too. As I had worked with some of the cast before it was really fun, we had a great audience response and I enjoyed it immensley.

For Christmas my brother and sister-in-law gave me this book for Christmas and it's proved very useful in ideas for my costume, hair and make-up for these two performances and hopefully it will come into more use in the future too!

Vintage Beauty Parlour
by Hannah Wing

A make-up and hair look
inspired by
The Vintage Beauty Parlour book