Reading Refugee Support Group performance

Last night we performed half of 'All The Queen's Children' at The Cultural Night, organised by Reading Refugee Support Group at South Street Arts Centre. We had a great audience who were really engaged and seemed to really enjoy the performance. We had some great feedback from people praising our research and saying that they really understood and recognised the issues raised, and related to some of the characters.

The response from the audience was great and really rewarding for the group, since it was clear that the refugees who watched it related with the characters and stories. It has given us confidence that the play is an important and meaningful piece.

Overall the night was great fun, we saw some local bands, dancers and a designer showing off her dress creations. A highlight was the gorgeous food prepared by the women's group - a few members of the company even tried Mopani worms!

We are now going to resume rehearsals for the South Street performances on the 6th and 7th July. Keep checking out this blog for updates!

All The Queen's Children in The Edinburgh Fringe programme!

On Friday The Edinburgh Festival Fringe brochure came out, and we were so excited to see our show in it! All we need to do now is create a fantastic flyer - we'll be printing about a thousand to cover the streets of Edinburgh with so it has to be striking and unique. We've also got a great show time - 4:50 which means that we have plenty of time before each show to grab audiences and then the whole evening to see shows ourselves and enjoy the Edinburgh Festival experience.

Our rehearsals are now in full flow again in preparation for our July performances. Already the show is a lot better, and with cast changes and new scenes added in it is a lot different to the original version, so it is definitely worth coming to see again if you have already seen it.

Here's the link to our slot on the Fringe website, check it out!

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/all-the-queen-s-children

Nothing to Declare supporting Reading Refugee Support Group

Starting Monday the 14th is Reading Refugee Week, and we're looking forward to Saturday's Cultural Night at South Street Arts Centre where we'll be performing our show. It's going to be a great night with a diverse mix of music and local talent, not to mention the gorgeous refreshments available! It's also free, so the more support the better!

Another Reading Refugee Support Group event we took part in was last weekend's mini world cup tornament at Prospect Park. Our Reading Youth Theatre team took it very seriously and even had a training session before hand, however unfortunately they were beaten by a couple of other teams. It was a great family day out - we had a lovely picnic on the grass (but had to be ready to support the disappointed players!)

It would be great to have some support at Saturday's Cultural Night. For more information call Reading Box Office on 0118 9606060

New poster design

We're in the process of tweaking and improving the show ready for the second run in July, and one big change we've made is the title. Instead of being our production title, Nothing To Declare is now our company name, and the show is called 'All The Queen's Children'.

We've also got an even better image for publicity. We organised a shoot with local photographer Wes Oakland and ended up with this fantastic photo (after a good few hours frollicking in the sun with hundreds of paper dollars!). We hope you all like it!

A Slice of Music / The Hattie Carrolls and Support

As part of our fundraising we have organised two great events on the weekend of the 8th/9th May.

On the Saturday night is The Hattie Carrolls and Support - a gig showcasing 5 awesome local bands, find out more about it on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=357731702530&ref=ts

On the following afternoon we have found a tasty selection of local musical talent to play in a classical concert, along with homemade cakes and fairtrade tea and coffee.

Everyone likes music, so one of the events must float your boat! (Even better - come to both!)

The money we raise will go towards funding our trip to Edinburgh. Tomorrow we are applying for another grant of money from the Youth Oppurtunities Fund to help us, but we need as much money as we can to make our trip as good as it can be!

We hope to see you there

Juliet's thoughts on rehearsals

Last week we took a trip as a company to see a play called "In A Thousand Pieces" by Paper Birds theatre company. It is roughly in our subject area as it told the story of a women who is sex trafficked. Although we knew about the subject matter, not all of us were prepared for quite how shocking it really was. We were thrown into a world which was so far removed from our own and one that we knew little about. The true facts and events shown were horrific. It was a highly emotional story and it was also inspiring to see the actresses’ ability to maintain this depth and emotion despite the amount of times they have performed it. The impact that this play has made in educating people about this problem is huge, so hopefully we can do just the same.

The date of our play is getting closer and closer so we’re pushing on and have now blocked every scene in the play. The pressure’s nowhere near off though as we still have so much to do! But it is exciting to see the play come together.

We now have most of our set, including the hundreds of dollars which we photocopied, stamped on both sides and guillotined (MAKING SURE THE MARGINS ARE THE SAME!) We’re hoping that this attention to detail is appreciated... The inflatables have managed to remain intact so far, touch wood that the sofa doesn’t burst on the first night. Pins away ladies and gents.

The flyers are now done, so they will probably be thrust under your noses very soon. They don’t include any booking info, this can be done on the internet or by phoning the box office (0118 9606060.) But if you want to avoid a booking fee (don’t we all?) then you can get them straight from the Hexagon. Book your tickets soon.

Gig on the 8th of May

As part of our fundraising scheme myself and another company member have organised this gig at South Street Arts Centre. It should be a great night! Tickets are £6 (£5 in advance!) Check out the bands on myspace and come and support Nothing To Declare!

http://www.myspace.com/hattiecarrolls

http://www.myspace.com/wearethebrinx

http://www.myspace.com/garageflowersuk

http://www.myspace.com/thescreenbeats

Halfway there!

Today we had our first intensive Sunday rehearsal and have finally nailed the first half of the play. It's looking good, although with just over three weeks till the opening night we can't help but bite our nails just a little bit!

All week the directors have been eagerly awaiting packages containing costumes and items of set - today we rehearsed with our inflatable sofa, much to the excitement of the boys (but apprehension of the directors; "NO ONE MUST WEAR SHARP CLOTHING ON THE SOFA!" was uttered more than once...)

The play is really coming together, and the group dynamic is great; it occured to me that there has been copius amounts of cake at the last three rehearsals to eat in the break. It may just be me but I'm sure it improves our perfomance! Take the hint directors...

The flyers and posters for the show should also be out soon, and we want to get as much attention as possible through our website, blog and facebook site.

Keep checking out the blog for updates on the run up to our first show!

Rehearsals continue

Last night we attempted to block a movement scene involving all fifteen members of the company - and let me tell you it was trickier than we imagined! Everyone in the cast is so different; from people with two left feet to a dancer who was thinking of the moves in terms of rhythm and beats. We all had a laugh, and the scene is far from perfect but we're starting to see how the show is going to look. Dawn and Rosie have (slightly) panicked us all by telling us we only have a month and a bit until our first run of performances, but I think that if we keep our eye on the goal then it will be ready on time. After all, hopefully we'll be getting some VIPS (fingers crossed!) to have a look at what we've got so far, to help us know what to tweak before the summer.

In a couple of weeks we're going to see a show at Nordon Farm Arts Centre called "In a Thousand Pieces", a show I saw myself a couple of years ago in Edinburgh which then won a Fringe First. The show is about sex trafficking in Europe, and the company have agreed to chat to us afterwards about the subject matter, how they developed the piece and of course what the Edinburgh Fringe will be like! It will be really useful to have a look at the type of shows we'll be up against, and the amount of quality we'll need!

Have a look at some of last night's photographs, and keep checking the blog; we have three regular contributors so there will be stuff put up each week.

Dawn and Simran

Liam working with Monica on character

Dani, Helen and Juliet

Dani, Helen and Juliet

One of our directors, Dawn

Exciting news!

We've just had some great news - we've just booked C Venues for our Edinburgh run! We'll be performing the show at Royal Eagle Lodge from the 7th to the 14th of August - 8 performances! It's a fantastic space; right on the Royal Mile which is a brilliant position to be in for both publicity and for soaking up the atmosphere. Now we've got the weight of finding a venue off our minds we can concentrate on developing the play itself!

Juliet's thoughts on rehearsals

So Monday was the first week of rehearsals on the first draft of the script for the first lot of performances, so everything has been new and exciting. Luckily in the hands of our capable directors we aren’t forced into line stories, pop-up books or other such ‘dramatic’ techniques considered useful in school. Quite a relief to anyone that’s experienced GCSE Drama. We’ve got stuck into creating depth and stories for our characters. Although, some of us did have difficulty finding an animal to represent our character, especially that of a patronizing, yet professional social worker. On the non-dramatic side of things, we’ve started to think about the gaping hole in our Edinburgh fund. After discarding inappropriate fundraising activities, such as converting South Street into a Harem, we’ve settled on some more realistic ideas. All dates and times of these will be updated here, on the website and on facebook so there’s definitely no excuses.

Getting stuck into rehearsals

This week was our first rehearsal using scripts, after our read through last Monday. We played around with a scene set in airports in Britain and Italy, which included a lot of movement going from character to character depending on the country. It's all very exciting at the moment; we're all raring to go but at the same time a bit uncertain about our characters. Since many of us are multi-rolling and playing characters with a background so different to our own we spent some time making character profiles for each part we play, looking at their objectives, hopes and dreams and personal history, to put us more in touch with own characters and the team as a whole.

On a different note, we have had positive news from venues in Edinburgh saying they may consider our application. It's a bit early right now to secure a spot but fingers crossed we'll get our top choice! Plans about transport for example are also being finalised, so the project is really moving forward and becoming a reality. We have also been planning more fundraisers to add to our budget; we're trying to get as much as possible because then any left over money can be used to contribute to theatre tickets whilst at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Lastly - a couple of dates for the diary

Gig at South Street: Saturday 8th May - The Hattie Carrolls and support. Here are a few of the bands playing...

http://www.myspace.com/hattiecarrolls

http://www.myspace.com/wearethebrinx

http://www.myspace.com/garageflowersuk

Music recital at South Street: Sunday 9th May - local classic musicians along with tea and cake

Keep checking out the blog for more updates!

The Start of the Adventure....

Monday 25th January - an important date for the company, as we were presented for the first time with scripts and parts! It was the fourth meeting we have had since returning to South Street after Christmas, and it was worth the wait!
In the first week, having trudged through inches of snow, we were plunged straight into the world of the refugees living in the shadows at Calais. In the middle of the room, a container had been created with tables and pieces of cloth. The company crouched in corners and behind chairs, and a "French security guard" tried to prevent us from getting to the entrance of the container. At first it seemed impossible, in the light of the room, but when the lights were off, the room began to swarm with silhouettes, all desperately fleeing towards the container. We were lying and kneeling in the tiny space, trying to make room for just one more person, but eventually we had to give up. Some of the silhouettes tried to subtly retreat into the shadows, but the guard was too quick and took them to the side of the room. When everyone was either in the container or caught at the side, the lights were restored and those fast enough to get in began to crawl out from under the cloth.
In the second half, we tried to show another experience of refugees in Calais, where they are taken onto a truck and smuggled in by the driver. The company was ushered into the container again, although this time it was slightly bigger. The lights were turned off and the sounds of a motorway began to play. I have never seen the Reading Youth Theatre fall so intensely silent. We spent about ten minutes in there, just listening, so tense that we could barely move. Then, the driver came out again, and told us that more people were coming. The container size was decreased, and we were cramped even closer together. I don't think any of us could have guessed that by the end we had spent a solid twenty five minutes in that state of frozen silence. It was an amazingly surreal experience, but very rewarding in terms of empathising with our characters.
The second week was definitely "time for something completely different", after the intensity of the week before, but I don't think any of us were expected to be so moved by what we heard. We started by sitting around a huge map, and sticking post-its on places where we had been. Not surprisingly, most of Europe was covered multiple times, and everywhere else had a fairly even scattering. We were then given different coloured notes and asked to place them on places where we think refugees came from. This presented much more of a challenge, but we ended up with a fair representation. A young refugee had joined us this week, and was asked to show us his journey in post-its. None of us had ever imagined someone our age could have been through what he had. We were asked to draw pictures - one of where we lived, and one of another place of importance to us. We then created a map of Reading as we experience it. Then, bit by bit, the pictures were turned over, as parts of our lives were being taken from us. Even though it was just a map on the floor, the impact that it would have was just so incomprehensible that it made everything seem so insecure. This shock tactic, at making us see just how significant our homes and families were was very powerful in understanding how much the refugees in the play had left behind.
After the map exercise, we listened to Hanibal, represented as Samuel in the play, explain to us in more detail what happened to him on his journey here. Everything he had been through, from Military Training, to a 14 day drive in a Toyota with 38 other people through the Sahara, to living on the streets in a Foreign country, was just another thing he had had to deal with. None of us could imagine anything that he had been through whilst he was travelling. It was just so different from anything else we had ever experienced. Everyone felt in awe of him, knowing that he had been through so much and had come out the other side, and he had just been a child, the same age as many of us. His bravery and determination were certainly inspiring.

In the third week, we started working on some whole cast scenes: one at a refugee camp, and one in the Toyotas going through the Sahara. The refugee camp scene started off as a still image of Reading Festival, as this was the closest most of us had come to the experience. We were then told to change the scene as though we were having to go on living like this, without the festival stalls and the music, forever, as far as we could see. Slowly the images changed from fun and games, to a fight to stay alive. We considered the elements of society that we thought would stay with a community in a refugee camp. We thought that people would still eat together, children would still play, people would still make music together, they would still worship and they would still try to create some form of alcohol or drug. We then formed one big still image with people inside tents made of sticks and fabric, doctors, families, boys playing football, and brought it to life to introduce one of the scenes.
The Toyota scene was completely different. We stood on one small folded piece of cloth, some kneeling, and some on other's backs. We then split into two - one Toyota for the men, and one for the women. Samuel fell off the men's car and was lifted onto the roof of the women's. An oasis appeared in the distance, and Samuel was lowered. He and the women knelt and threw the water everywhere, drinking it and soaking in it. We discussed how to show this best on stage, using some form of cloth or glitter. These two scenes will later be integrated into the play.
After a short meeting about events to raise more money for Edinburgh, we were presented with our copies of the script. We have read through it once, and briefly discussed the stories, and everyone is eager to get on! So, Reading Youth Theatre's first Edinburgh Project, Nothing to Declare, has officially taken off!