ROBERT MARSDEN

2010-11

2011-07-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Since May 2010 (Last blog!!!- I'm not really a true blogger some may say!) I have bee busy directing the following:

KING MACBETH (Tour - August-October 2010) Picture of Angus King and Emma Laidlaw
SLEEPING BEAUTY (Reading and Halifax for Imagine Theatre- Christmas 2010-11)
JOURNEY TO THE EAST (Buffavento Castle, Cyprus)

As well as for Universities and Drama Schools:
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS (Staffordshire Univesity)
CRY HAVOC (Arden, Manchester)

More news soon...

Research...

2010-05-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

I'm deep in the middle of research for a new play I'm directing this autumn, KING MACBETH.
Deborah McAndrew's new verse play explores the life of the real Scottish King in the mid 11th Century in Scotland, and examines the motivations behind how and why he came to power. Shakespeare's intentions for writing his MACBETH were often at odds with telling the story of the real king, and yet it is his version which we now cling to as being the story of an honorable king Duncan who was murdered by a man clinging onto the prophecies of the three sisters of fate with his manipulative wife using every tactic to persuade him to kill Duncan. In the real story Duncan is Macbeth's cousin and the current king is called Malcolm (the Second). We begin in 1020 when the young Macbeth has just learnt of the death of his father who has been murdered by one of his cousins.... Any more and I'll be revealing the plot so you'll have to come and see it!

I'm enjoying the research period, and piecing together what little we know of the real King and the life of Scotland in the 11th Century (where it is all the rage to kill to acquire power and few eyelashes were batted!). From this I am examining the motives which are explicitly on the page; and also more implicit motives of honour, shame and jealousy and how person qualities affect motive. I'm currently using Cameron Taylor and Alistair Murray's fantastic book On the Trail of King Macbeth as stimulus and background reading. I'm especially excited about going on a three day research trip starting in Inverness to retrace Macbeth's steps and to get a living, breathing insight into the landscape to try and get a glimpse into the psyche and lands which Macbeth, Duncan and Gruoch (the basis for Lady Macbeth) held so dear.

Some Links:
www.kingmacbeth.com/index.htm
(To Taylor and Murray's site on the real King Macbeth)
www.revealtheatre.co.uk
(to Reveal Theatre's site for production news)

Silent Anger pics

2010-04-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Some pics from Silent Anger I've co-produced. Directed by Patrick Connellan and production shots by Andrew Billington (Vital Photo)

Opening this week..

2010-04-25T11:44:00.001-07:00

Silent Anger opens this week... It's been a busy few weeks and will post some pics and details about the project later this week

Arran..

2010-03-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Am off to Arran this week to co-ordinate 'Voices of Arran'... site specific documentary exploring the Highland Clearances. Also coming with us are 15 postgraduate PGCE students to explore new narratives and creative techniques of working.
And it's been given out for snow!!

March 2010- the month of Silent Anger!

2010-03-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few months of which I've obviously not been blogging! I had a wonderful time in Porthcawl with a fantastic cast and creative team on Beauty and the Beast. See some pics here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coventry/Imagine-Theatre/100435475543?ref=mf#!/album.php?aid=103425&id=100435475543

So, what's new? I'm currently co-producing and on the script construction team for Silent Anger our new documentary play for touring combatting right wing views and extremism. We've been researching now for a number of weeks. It's a powerful medium documentary and verbatim theatre and, as Max Stafford Clark posits, it really does do what journalism fails too. We have to now think of how to construct and weave these various narratives together to create a compelling and dynamic drama that will be suitable for Year 10 students through to public performances also.

We had a great casting session in London, aided by actor Neil Roberts alongside myself and co-producer Julia Barton.... Normally at casting you start from the premise that the actors you will see CAN actually act; so then all the other factors then influence proceedings, such as parity, whether people would get on for 7 weeks touring and seemingly mundaine issues such as height and accent! We like to give actors at least 30 minutes at auditions as its imperative to assemble to right cast for such a specific piece. We also look for people interested in the political and social aspects of the piece... but all the actors were- such a tough day but we've a fab team in place.

So this Friday we begin with our team of script editors- myself, Dom Meir (an actor in the piece and who has undertaken most of the interviews), writer Deborah McAndrew and director Patrick Connellan. We have to find the material that will support what we want to say and sift through piles and piles of primary and secondary source material. But director Peter Cheeseman's mantra always remains true: "if there's no material, there's no scene". After Friday I imagine we will have to go away and delve deeper into research as well as interviewing more people.

The journey begins (as the designers are desperate for a script we'd better make it a speedy journey!!)

October 2009..

2009-10-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month. Not least with my own theatre company, Reveal Theatre (www.revealtheatre.co.uk). We have been busy constructing various funding bids for our GAME ON initiative as well as new bids for national touring with ACE.

I've also been busy in a freelance capacity . Over the past 6 months I've been working with Sara Christie on developing a children's play which (fingers crossed) should be going into production in July 2010.... (watch this space!). I will be directing, but am working closely on the structure and writing of the piece too. Children's theatre is an artform in itself; and I still pray for those who see it as an 'easy' form of theatre. David Wood is my children's theatre hero- I'm sure we each have one. Yet, the balance between the visual and verbal; a strong narrative through-line, participation, orignal music, running times, characterisations and the nature of discovering a strong 'quest' or journey is not easy. I think we have a strong piece and it can build.

I'm also excited to be directing Beauty and the Beast for Stephen and Sarah Boden at IMAGINE Theatre this Christmas at Porthcawl... so get your tickets! http://www.grandpavilion.co.uk/ Great cast- great team- great production company with high production values www.imaginetheatre.co.uk

Back at Staffordshire University I'm guest lecturing on Acting, Directing and Directing Caryl Churchill's TOP GIRLS as well as directing at Manchester Met too. I thoroughly enjoy working with undergraduates at University and Drama Schools- it allows for me to reflect on my practice as well as feeding that into student's thinking.

Summer '09

2009-09-03T02:06:00.000-07:00

This year, after working every summer since 1998, I finally managed to get the the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to see some work! I feel embarrased that it has been so long in the planning to get to Edinburgh!

My favourite two pieces were, firstly, the fantastically surreal work My Name Is Sue (Pleasance Two, right) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HFMpUG3M80 by Welsh collective Dafydd James and Ben Lewis , fused music, dramatic narrative and cross dressing. This wonderfully surreal cabaret/drama showed us that a happy exterior can reveal drug taking, family breakdown and a sinister and dark ending. Wonderful arrangements and compositions from this quartet of actor-musicians.

Paul McCleary - a good colleague of mine- was in King of the Gypsies (Pleasance) and took us on a hour long journey through the struggles of the gypsies over the generations. Fusing verbatim with dramatic intervention, the piece hopes to tour in 2009 and I hope to be able to bring it to Studio One on the Staffordshire University Campus.

Didn't get to see Orphans or Sea Wall unfortunately. Yet Orphans plays at Birmingham REP so I'll be heading to Brum soon!

On the way back from Edinburgh stopped off in Keswick at the Theatre by the Lake to take in the Studio production of Shelagh Stephenson's Memory of Water. One of the most emotionally memorable pieces of theatre I have experienced. Working in theatre sometimes you divorce yourself from the emotional through line of a piece when you are an audience member; yet this ensemble served the text with integrity and precision. See it while it lasts!

Back to Staffordshire now, where I'm preparing panto for Porthcawl; two documentary plays for touring and site specific for 2010 and Top Girls for Staffordshire University...

London, Keswick, Stoke and Porthcawl !

2009-07-31T08:01:00.001-07:00

After casting for Beauty and the Beast (Porthcawl panto) on Monday morning at the Drill Hall in London I rushed up to the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. I love the theatre and how it has grown over the past decade, as well as the fantastic programme- a mixture of the classics, new writing and contemporary pieces across the mainhouse and the studio.

After a lovely meeting with Ian Forrest, the Artistic Director, I saw Ayckbourn's Chorus of Disapproval (picture left) and loved every minute. It's a fantastically crafted piece and the cast were wonderful - including my good friend Aimee (thanks for the z bed and wine and chats!!) It was also great to bumpt into Eliza Hunt (a fine actress and colleague who I worked with alongside Alan Ayckbourn 6 years ago on Sugar Daddies for National Tour) again and to catch up. I'm looking forward to seeing Memory of Water in the studio later in August. If you've not been to Keswick yet- do! http://www.theatrebythelake.co.uk/

It's been busy planning the Blackpool Summer Season in the office this week with Kev and designing the AV with Manoubi Ben Lamri. The show looks at the history of Burlesque from the parody of musicals and operas in the 19th Century onwards.

It's Porthcawl photoshoot tomorrow at the theatre for panto so it'll be great to meet some more of the cast and see Steve and Sarah (Boden- producers of Imagine Theatre). I love the start of pantomime and pre-production.

Blackpool Summer Season!

2009-07-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

It's often amazing how this business works... one week directing a documentary play for National Tour.. the next co-producing Burlesque productions in Blackpool!

Burlesque Revealed will be presented at the Pleasure Beach this Autumn..however, we will be ensuring that this has a narrative through line!

The show uses A/V footage to look at the narrative of Burlesque from the 18th. Century to the present day resurgence. I've found it fascinating exploring the early parody and social satire that Burlesque started with to its current 'feel' via America in the 1920s and 30s..

My co-producer Kev McGreevy has ensured we've got some of the best UK performers on board as well as vocalist Sarah Tuson (from TV's I'll Do Anything)...

We open in Blackpool on the 8th August so hope to see you there!

Pantomime 2009-10 !

2009-07-04T11:51:00.001-07:00

Casting so far includes Jessica Sandry (who I worked with in 2003 at the New Vic Theatre in Outside Edge -can't wait to be working with her again!) Plus...Tony Wright as Dame, who's played at Porthcawl last year and Vern Griffiths... looking forward to working with you!

I'm delighted to be back working with producer Stephen Boden of Imagine (formally WISH Theatre) to direct Beauty and the Beast this Christmas at Porthcawl, South Wales.

Imagine's scripts are written by Tweenties creators Iain Lauchlan and Will Brenton and I love directing them... real story driven scripts and Imagine has fantastic production values and great creative teams and casts...

It'll be great being back in Wales as I've directed at Aberystwyth, Cardiff and Wrexham and love the Welsh theatre scene.

So am packing my scarf and wolly gloves for a Welsh pantoland adventure!

Have a peep on http://www.imaginetheatre.co.uk/Productions/Beauty-and-the-Beast-Porthcawl.aspx

and http://www.grandpavilion.co.uk/ for more info!

Blog Up and Running!

2009-06-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Am going to start properly on my blog- with insights into the theatre and drama projects I am involved with as well as other information.
Watch this space!

Arran Rekkie

2009-06-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Am currently on the Isle of Arran off the West Coast of Scotland. Next year, Reveal Theatre (my company) is working in partnership with Keele University and creating a piece of documentary theatre. I packed thermals and a coat but have a tan!!

Reveal Theatre is theatre company in residence at Keele and over the past three years we have worked intensively with PGCE students looking at ways of using creative and dramatic techniques in the classroom.

As part of this; we have been commissioned to create two pieces of site-specific theatre in the past- The Savonarola Debate in gorgeous Italy and They Called It Passchendale in Belgium on the World War One Sites.

2009-10 sees us working in Arran exploring The Scottish Clearances between 1750 and 1850+.... Myself, Maria Whatton (storyteller) and Graeme Easdown and Alison Parr from Keele spent three days on the Beautiful Arran Island researching the stories and planning the trip where, as well as any local audiences, all the Keele students come to see the work and undertake copious tasks around the topic.

We met some wonderful people on the Island, including Alison Prince (creator of Trumpton and writer) who was fantastically helpful at signposting us in the right direction and talking about creativity, theatre and much more.

So.. watch this space for more details as they come!

ALL MY SONS

2009-01-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

ALL MY SONS

Arthur Miller's ALL MY SONS starring a magnificant John Lithgow as Joe. This seminal piece of work was directed by Simon McBurney of Complicite on Broadway... I hope that it transfers to London for UK audiences to experience... for an experience it was. McBurney placed a definite Complicite 'style' onto the piece without in any way negating the demands of the text nor indeed one which interferes with the need for realistic characterisations.

Lithgow put in a powerful and overwhelming performance- myself and Chris Martin became hooked on every word with McBurney instilling a contemporary resonance as sons go off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan as I write. A conquering, muscular Method (without being self indulgent) style of acting brought grit and energy, especially amongst the triptych relationship of father, mother (Diane Wiest) and son. After the students took photos of katie Holmes coming out of a limo flanked by bodyguards ('Where was Tom Cruise?' asked one!) they were then able to see her Broadway debut. Although panned by certain critics, Holmes put in a credible performance; what was lacking in technique was made up for by a strong emotional connection with character and text.

Fingers crossed this heads across the Atlantic....