REVIEW: Doubt at the Chichester Festival Theatre

Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, is a story about that- what happens when we look behind the hard outer layer of something and you let yourself listen to doubt? This play inspires provocation in its questions and as an audience you leave asking them. Who do you believe? Who is in the right? What do I believe? The list goes on. 

Amongst the austere setting of the church and the (unfortunately) familiar story of a suspect male priest is subtle, comments on a women’s role within the Catholic church and how in the pursuit of fundamentally an honest intention they are painted as wrong or evil. 

The epitome of this is portrayed by Monica Dolan as Sister Aloysius Beauvier, who's quick whit is brilliantly executed through her enduring and berating pursuit of the truth. Its quite heart breaking to see someone do the right thing, while the whole time being questioned as to weather it is the right thing to be doing, and indeed while others around you are manipulated or persuaded in to having doubts towards your intentions. 

Spotlight On: Ella Mesma Company

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Here we chatted with Ella Mesma from ‘Ella Mesma Company’, a diaspora dance theatre company.

Can you give us a little intro into who are and what you do?

My name is Ella, and I created Ella Mesma Company to make work that reflected my background in Afro-Latin, Breaking and Contemporary dance. I love to work with the dances of the Orishas, contemporary and Hip Hop styles to create theatre collaboratively with my company. I am super inspired by dance as a healing ritual, as a path for transformation and for change. I have a holistic approach to creativity and love to connect with my audience through discussions and play (whilst ensuring the audience never feel pressured to join in!)

What made you want to start Ella Mesma Company?

I have always been creative, but didn’t start dance until late. In 2011 I was invited to create and perform a solo called Evol at Breaking Convention (Sadlers Wells), and this was the birth of the company. It was important for me to reach those who wouldn’t necessarily have a background in theatre. As a woman of mixed heritage, I wanted my artistic voice, and the voice of others who are under-represented to be heard on stage.

Spotlight On: Aimee Leigh

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Here we chatted with Aimee Leigh - a London based theatre choreographer.

Can you give us a little intro into who you are and what you do?

I am a theatre choreographer with a focus on musical theatre jazz. My work has varied from community dance projects to commercial theatre. Originally from Leicester but moved to London around nine years ago. Growing up, I very quickly fell in love with all things showbiz, show people especially, so moving to London became the dream - and here I am!

What are you up to during Covid19?

Each day my activities vary, mood dependant! Currently, I am working part-time in Sainsbury's - that has been a crazy journey! However, every Friday I host a live interview on Instagram where I chat to fellow creatives about their work and the industry - it's a great opportunity for people to get to know new faces and to learn about what they do, but also to take this time to get to know them as a person as well as a creative. People can send in questions during the live chat! I have really enjoyed hosting them.

How can people get involved?

Follow me on Instagram and tune into the live chat on a Friday at 12:00! I'll announce the day before who the guest will be.

Spotlight On: ChewBoy Productions

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Here we caught up with ChewBoy Productions - Associate company to ‘The Lion and Unicorn Theatre’ and made up of Georgie, Lucy and Hal.

Can you give us a little intro into who ChewBoy Productions are and what you do?

We’re an award-winning multi-arts production company dedicated to working with emerging artists from a range of backgrounds and art forms to create inventive, slightly surreal work which aims to stick with an audience long after they’ve experienced it. Currently, we’re an Associate Company at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre and are due to bring our next theatre production there in late 2020 (corona providing), whilst also having 3 other projects in the works. We work across a range of mediums, from theatre to film to poetry to visual arts and everything in between!

So far in our little life, we’ve produced 5 large scale projects including a critically acclaimed theatre show called EUAN which enjoyed a UK Tour in 2019, alongside an experimental short film trilogy in which the audience got to decide the edit of the film they were about to see, based on their answers to questions asked prior to the screening. We also run workshops for theatre community groups, as well as creatively produce projects with young people with additional needs.

Currently, we’ve got three projects in development, and the company is being run by its two co-founders Georgie Bailey (Me) and Hal Darling, and we’re lucky enough this year to be supported by the brilliant Lucy Betts who is our Resident Director.

Spotlight On: Fable Workshop

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Here we caught up with Sean Hollands (Director, Movement Director, Frantic Assembly Practitioner & 2016 Bryan Forbes Award winner) to talk about his company Fable and everything they are up to during this stage time.

Can you give us a little intro into who Fable are and what you do?

Fable Workshop is a company made for people to collaborate and make work together. We want to make stories first and foremost, and in that way, we try not to tie ourselves too tightly to any particular form. We are young but I’m keen for us not to have any particular “style”. I want the company to be known for pushing boundaries by working with innovative creatives. We want to be mainstream and experimental. We currently have a VR piece in the works, as well as a “traditional” play, and an immersive production. We are trying lots of things with lots of different people. I called the company Fable Workshop because I wanted the company to make stories, that are developed through building, study, and excavation of exciting ideas. It’s my own little story building factory!

What made you want to start Fable?

Collaboration has always been at the heart of everything I have ever done in theatre, and in that time I have worked some incredible creatives. I lost count of how many times I would discuss projects with people, only for us to fall at the first hurdle, how do we actually go about doing it? For me starting Fable was the first step in being able to make the projects I am passionate about. However, I want it to be a company where others can make their own work as well. I am not putting myself forward as the director for everything that Fable makes. I want to use the company as a platform to shout out about the projects I find exciting. In that way, I guess it’s a little bit like selfish collaboration. I collaborate because I want to see something, or learn from something, in that way I would call it selfish. I just want to see great stuff! Fable exists to put talented, creative and amazing people together.

Spotlight On: GymJam

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Here we caught up with Will and Gavin co-creators of GymJam, an open artists community dedicated to getting a creative sweat on.

Can you give us a little intro into who Gym Jam are and what you do?

Gym-Jam is an open artistic community founded by William Townsend and Gavin Maxwell. Primarily, we offer creative workshops for movers and theatre-makers. Our first series of workshops Creative SWEAT, which were hosted at The Monobox, were 1-day intensive sessions designed with the aim of getting participants to sweat, play and create. To put it crudely, they were workout sessions for theatre-makers, who wanted a physical and creative blast. We found we preferred keeping fit by doing physical theatre exercises as well as topping up our skillset, as opposed to monotonous home workouts. Our workshops are a sandbox style environment which is playful, open, and free of expectation.

What made you want to start Gym Jam?

Gym-Jam was born out of a conversation that we both had about a lack of affordable, regular and accessible physical theatre training. We’re aware that there is an abundance of companies and opportunities to train, but we wanted to create a space where working-level artists could play, sweat and create that was agenda free. In the past we have both experienced spaces where bringing ourselves didn’t feel like it was enough, or part of our focus was preoccupied with the possibility of a job opportunity or audition. We felt we needed a space free of expectation, ulterior motives and agendas where the focus was purely on rigour, playfulness and creative provocation. At the very beginning before we knew what it was, we were just playing around in office spaces between sessions, spilling cups of tea and challenging each other to find another creative game or movement using office stationery. Most of these have made it into our sessions now! Minus the stationery... Mostly.

Spotlight On: MoveSpace

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community! 

Here we caught up with Laura Dredger and Ingrid Mackinnon, co-creators of Movespace - a space for movement directors and movement creatives to connect and share.

Can you give us a little intro into who Movespace are and what you do?

I: MoveSpace was founded in 2017 by Laura and myself, with a mutual desire to connect to other Movement Directors working in the UK and the International theatre industry. MoveSpace was developed by two colleagues who met once a month for coffee to discuss both personal and professional issues. After each meeting, we felt empowered from the support and guidance given by the other.

What made you want to start Movespace?

I: Realising the importance of building a network of like-minded peers, we are committed to connecting Movement Directors to create a space to discuss issues, network and share practice. The need to build a community. Also as theatre makers, we wanted to create something.

L: In the industry, there was support for other roles, like directors, writers amongst others, and we felt that there was a lack of professional development support for movement practitioners. The hope was that by building this network we could then be in a position to facilitate this support and open a dialogue.

Spotlight On: Abeille Theatre

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Here we chatted with Emma and Bettina from Abeille Theatre- a London based female lead theatre company.

Can you give us a little intro into who Abeille are and what you do?

Abeille Theatre is a female-led theatre company, co-founded by us (Bettina Paris & Emma Rowbotham), that aims to create fresh, innovative, and inspiring new work that, we hope, will strike up a conversation between audiences of all generations. Besides making our own work, we also offer affordable, process-led workshops to creatives within the industry.

What made you want to start Abeille?

After finishing our studies at Arts Educational Schools, we stumbled upon an opportunity to create a new, original show for a festival promoting emerging companies and creatives. We applied with an idea and we were one of the selected few to form part of the event. This opportunity allowed us to create our first show titled ‘Little Big Girl’ and it was after its debut, that we decided we wanted to keep Abeille Theatre going. We knew we wanted to invest our time and energy into making it something bigger, by looking for and creating more opportunities for ourselves as a company.

Spotlight on: Industry Minds

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and celebrate the work that people are still managing to generate during these difficult times. In this ‘Spotlight On’ series, we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share what they are up to during these challenging times and how you can be involved.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Here we chatted with Scarlett and Cathy from Industry Minds- a critically acclaimed mental health support service to those in the arts.

Can you give us a little intro into who Industry Minds are and what you do?

Industry Minds is a mental health charity and platform for the creative arts. We run an award-winning podcast (which is what we started with), we run low cost and free counselling sessions through our counsellor Mary Burch BEM and run a variety of seminars and support programmes.

What made you want to start Industry Minds?

Scarlett: I struggled with my mental health shortly after graduating and realised there wasn’t any supportive outlets anywhere for creatives specifically in the arts. I turned to a podcast as at that time no one spoke of mental health, and it was listening to that podcast that I sparked the idea. The aim was to open the conversation in the arts and so that’s just what we did!”

REVIEW: Bin Juice at The Vaults

‘Bin Juice’ directed by Anastasia Bruce-Jones is playing in The Cavern at The Vaults until the 15th March. If you’ve never been to The Vaults, as a venue it’s known for being damp, hot and dark... a very fitting setting for this play that shies away from none of these things. 

A fast paced glimpse in to a surreal world of waste disposal to the extreme is navigated by three actresses: Adeline Waby, Madison Clare and Helena Antoniou, playing ‘bin ladies’. We meet them interviewing Belinda, (Antoniou), to become their apprentice and by the end we learn the true meaning to the cost of waste disposal. 

It’s a fairly standard start to the play, watching it you feel as if the actress’s are pushing both vocally and rhythmically- but it being the first night in a new space as the run settles in this will probably subside. That being said the back and forth between Antoniou and Waby, (as Francine), is berating throughout and doesn’t feel reactive or that they are listening to each other. Throughout the piece the pair are fairly unadventurous with their choices almost bulldozing through any attempt of comic pause or dramatic tension, and it’s hard to get on board with their characters as they just seem a bit too young to be playing them. The light relief in this, and throughout the whole piece, is the wonderfully measured and detailed performance both physically as well as emotionally of Madison Clare as the slightly dim but endearing Marla. The jewel of the show is a back and forth driven by Clare about faces on food packaging- a wonderfully witty and nuanced delivery. The only time we ever hit any empathy for a character is nudged at during a speech about Marla’s fear of flies and finding her mother dead, but there just doesn’t seem enough air given to it, maybe a choice deliberately made but doesn’t pay off.