To blog or not to blog! Arghhhh. This blogging lark is a fantastic way to document and promote my activities and demonstrate to my clients the merits of blogging. It's finding the time to blog chronologically. Edinburgh was an immensely inspirational 4 days for me and has sparked my creativity and rocketed my business focus to new heights. I want to share that but so much is happening to me I get swept away. This time to reflect is as important as the act of doing. So my task for today is to finish the blog entry so you can access the links and check out the companies and performers for yourself.
I will continue...
I left pt 1 at the end of my first performance.
You may recall I made it to 18 events over the 4 days. Hence the notion of the whirlwind trip!
Later on my first night I saw an out door performance of Macbeth. Live theatre in the open air is always magical when you feel the night air on your skin and watch a production in night time darkness. The lighting acting on the real environment, illuminating the stage setting in a real space and not a constructed inner darkness of a blacked out theatre space. Outdoor theatre has a life and energy different from confined performance. Its like a soaring escaped spirit resounding its freedom. As I write this I know I should see more. However it doesn't mean its the best theatre you will ever see its the experience of the theatre form. Out door acoustics and the expanse of space to fill can sap performers of there presence being dwarfed by the stage production its self.
The production took place in the Old College Quad, performed by award winning Polish company, Biuro Podrozy and titled "Macbeth: Who is that bloodied man?"
This link is to the fringe listing and reviews.
This is the link to their web site.
Day Two
During the Edinburgh Fringe beside the numerous performances and activity of the public facing event that is referred to by many as just "Edinburgh" the entertainment industry bubbles beneath with agents and promoters looking for productions and organisations awarding beautifully sculpted pieces of glass for outstanding merit and recognition of talent. I accompanied the Equity team to the Total Theatre Awards breakfast. The time of the event given away by the events title!
Total Theatre, an organisation summed up by this extract from their website is what pioneering quality live theatre is all about and why the Equity "Small Scale Theatre" tag that all the work in Edinburgh is classified under is such a misnomer.
"Total Theatre demands that theatre is more: more than a building; more than a
style; more than a museum piece. It suggests a complete and compelling live
experience.
We resist too narrow a definition of the term ‘total theatre'
but imagine artists and companies leading innovative work within devised
theatre, live art, visual performance, mime, experimental theatre, clown,
circus, street arts, mask, cabaret and new variety, site specific,
dance-theatre, puppet-theatre… and more."
Awards ceremonies are by their nature are a predictibly structured affair with celebrations, disapointments, with excited and heart felt thank you speachs. The presenters with elloquence and passion each spoke about their personal attachments to the Total Theatre ethic and their vision for the future. This is what makes fringe and small scale performance so ground breaking. The West End and commercial tours may bring in the crowds and make the money but we have the industries soul and innovation and heart.
The entertainment interlude was unexpected coming in the form of a delightfully sultry performance by Meow Meow. (pictured right)
Visit her website and listen to her at My Space.
To find out more about Total Theatre click here
To see who was nominated and who won what! Click here
In part 3 I will share with you the rest of that day. Thanks for reading along please come back for next installment before the end of the day. I promise!
My first performance of the day was ICQ by Seeing Red at a venue called Diverse Attractions. (pictured left) The performance space was through the arch. A tranquil retreat from the buzz of the Royal Mile in the street beyond. This haven of quiet was enchanting.
