Every day for the next 3 weeks Digital Theatre Plus will be interviewing over 70 actors, directors, technicians and practitioners at The Lyric Hammersmith as we rapidly expand our digital education platform.
Initiated and developed by Digital Theatre+’s Creative Producer, Fiona Lindsay some of those who have agreed to be interviewed include: Declan Donnelan, Lolita Chakrabati, Orlando Gough, Imogen Knight, Richard Bean, Roxana Silbert, Mike Poulten and Sean Holmes.
“We are delighted to be conducting an industry-wide capture of practice and talent on this scale” said Lindsay. “Access to the arts has never been more important and we are extremely grateful that they have given up their time to share their invaluable perspectives to our 3 million subscribers around the world.”
As well as sharing their experience and expertise in the performing arts Digital Theatre will be asking everyone being interviewed to explain in their own words why they think arts education is important. Digital Theatre+ will be sharing answers to these questions along with photos on our @DT_Plus twitter account and across social media daily at 13.00 and at 18.00 GMT, culminating in a final composite image of all participants and a short 3-minute trailer of the best of our captures in early September.
To follow the campaign visit this page to see daily updates or follow us on twitter @DT_Plus or use the #artaccess and #artseducation
Tuesday 12th July: John Leonard, Sound Designer - John shaped the development of sound design moving it from basic effects to becoming an integral part of the creative palette.
Tuesday 12th July: Amit Lahav, Artistic Director of Gecko Theatre - Breathing and how it informs performance and offers access to the deepest emotions was at the heart of Amit's conversation about the work of his company Gecko. The physical storytelling of his ensemble uses movement and sonic techniques to stir up stories that have their roots in very ancient traditions. They spend years honing each show they make and thereafter continue to examine them to refresh and refocus the purpose of them.
Wednesday 13th July: Lolita Chakrabarti wrote the play Red Velvet, she was encouraged to write the play by her friend and collaborator - the director Indhu Rubasingham. The play is actually only a small slice of the tale and Lolita conjured up the life and loves of a man who took on the British establishment as well as sell out the Bolshoi playing Shakespeare.
Thursday 21st July: Tim Etchells from Forced Entertainment, interviewed by Matt Truman. Forced Entertainment is anti theatrical and supremely theatrical all at the same time. They flout convention with a passion and through improvisation, debate and intervention create experiences that immerse the spectator in a series of provocation about the big stuff.
Thursday 21st July: Eloise Thyne, Production Assistant at Lyric Hammersmith - offers insight into the transition between school, university, volunteering , low paid but high experience work and how to move yourself forward.
Friday 22nd July: Alison Hodge, Artistic Director of The Quick and The Dead - Alison has developed a core practise that is based on a set of key principles. Like a few others she spoke about the need for connectivity with the self- energy, breath, space, the spine and time all being anchors for her work.
Friday 22nd July: Michael Fentiman, Theatre Director - gave huge insight into Victorian London, revenge tragedies, the psyche of serial killers and those that commit murders in partnership with others. He brought the characters of Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett alive using wonderfully evocative language . It was a gruesome start to the day but poignant too.
Monday 25th July: Benet Brandreth, Novelist - Demonstrated how to use language to maximum effect. He went through the 5 key principles of invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery and set up a faux argument to illustrate how it all works. He then related all of this to playwriting, acting and audiences and used the prism of key Shakespeare text and characters to illuminate this exactly.
Tuesday 26th July: Bijan Shibani, Director - talking about Lorca's The House of Bernada Alba. It was the last play that Lorca wrote before being shot for being a socialist under Franco's dark regime in Spain. Lorca was a prodigious talent - writing poetry, plays, acting and directing as well as being a virtuoso piano player. The House of Bernada Alba is a brilliant play for 8 women. Bernada has just buried her husband and proceeds to lock down her house into 8 years of mourning - much to the dismay of her 5 daughters. Tensions mount due to this captivity plus the brooding presence of Pepe Romano. Pepe is not seen or heard but it's his intrusion into the emotional lives of the family that ignites the drama of the play. Written on the cusp of the Spanish Civil War this piece is about what happens when control and authority is imposed on people against their will.
Tuesday 26th July: Orlando Gough, Composer - Orlando is a total one off. A mathematician, cook and self taught composer that has created inspiring innovation in music and voice. With his singing group The Shout he created the acclaimed piece Tall Stories. Orlando composes in such a way as to release an individual's whole voice. He spoke enthusiastically about what happens to a persons performance when they are completely engaged to the power that can come when a voice is enabled.
Wednesday 27th July: George Dillon, Director - George is a skilled physical performer who has spent a great deal of his career working with Steven Berkoff. He talks about what sets Berkoff's work apart and how best to begin to work with it. He demonstrated the famed slow motion walk and the challenge presented by taking in the role of the beetle in Metamorphosis. Berkoff was the vanguard of physical theatre.
Wednesday 27th July:
At the end of each week, Digital Theatre Plus will be posting a Storify board summarising the events. Stay tuned.
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