In January 2016, we staged our 2015 showcase award winning show, ‘Call It Even’.
More info, cast list etc, here.
Photos by Ellie Pitkin.
Tag: Call it Even
Showcase 2015: Call It Even
Call it Even by Naila Vázquez Tantinyà
WORLD PREMIER: Industry Showcase
Blackshaw’s Showcase Award Winner 2015
“Dad, you couldn’t even get dying right…”
Jamie’s father has died. In Gran Canaria. And now he’s got to deal with it – all of it.
Call it Even follows the struggle of a young transgender man to reconcile with his Dad, after he’s gone. Feeling like a stranger in a land where he doesn’t even speak the language, Jamie has a lot of tidying up to do. Uncle Dave isn’t much help, but will he find an unexpected ally in Macarena, the new woman in his Dad’s life (death)?
Naila Vázquez Tantinyà graduated in Journalism and Filmmaking in Barcelona. After working as a freelance writer for several publications as well as a script analyst for Arcadia Motion Pictures — where she co-wrote a TV movie — moved to London in 2011. There, she studied a MA in Script Writing at Goldsmiths University thanks to the prestigious La Caixa Scholarship for further education. She has also been a script reader at Cascade Media and Big Rich Films, as well as a sales assistant at Celsius Entertainment. Call it Even, developed with Blackshaw Theatre Company is her first theatre production.
CAST
Training: The Poor School
Credits include: Staying Alive (Pleasance Theatre), Save Me (Horse & Stables), Billy Liar (Coopers Arms), Pirates! (Polka Theatre), Saturday, Sunday, Monday (Workhouse Theatre), The Memory of Water (Rose and Crowne), FourPlay (Hen & Chickens), The Bill (Talkback Television).
BEN LAWSON Jamie
Ben directed and performed as Lawrence in Abigail’s Party at The Edinburgh Fringe (Sell Out Show Award 2007). Since then his credits include: Six Characters in Search of an Author (Winterflood Theatre, London), Antigone (Studio Theatre, Ealing), Doctor’s Dilemma (Bridewell Theatre, London) and Tartuffe (Theatro Technis Theatre, London). Voice over credits include: Alice in Wonderland (Take 2 Studios), Peter Pan, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol , Robin Hood, The Lost World and The Secret Garden (ARM Productions).
Recent theatre includes: ‘The Janitor’ in Dry Land (for Damsel Productions) which has just finished a successful run at Jermyn Street Theatre, ‘Dr Ray’ in Protocols (with Kernel Theatre Company) RADA’s entry in this year’s Camden Fringe, ‘Ed/ Priest’ in a rehearsed reading for a new play Good Girl (at RADA as part of their 2015 Festival), and Smorgasbard (a Shakespeare revue for Another Way Theatre Company).
Cinthia Lilen is a London based, Latin American born actress and a recent graduate from Drama Studio London. A Spanish speaking actress, dancer, deviser and improviser with an additional degree in theatre design. Her multiplicity of talents include stage combat training, physical theatre experience as well as various forms of dance such as Jazz, Belly-Dance and African dance. Cinthia has last performed in After Columbus directed by Helena Bell at the New Diorama Theatre.
Since graduating drama school in 2011 George has found his niche in comedic roles in London fringe theatre and film, with a prolific run of work in classical and contemporary shows. Most recently he joined Gimcrack Productions in their acclaimed theatrical cabaret Moribund, and has started the first of many forays into the world of cabaret compering…
Rosie graduated from Drama Studio London in August 2014.
Credits since training include ‘Maggie’ in Feydeau’s Le Dindon at the Theatre des Alouettes in Paris, ‘Lucy’ in Once Upon a Rhyme at the Etcetera Theatre, ‘Sat Nav Girl’ in Be my Eyes at the Edinburgh Festival, ‘Prince Charming’ in Cinderella (tour) and ‘Charley’ in Backseat Drivers with The London Theatre.
CREATIVES
LIAM FLEMING Director
Liam is an Actor, Director and Writer for multiple disciplines. He is the Artistic Director of in(ep)trepid, an immersive theatre company who just completed a run at The Vaults in Waterloo. He is also the Creative Producer for Encompass Productions who run Bare Essentials, a critically acclaimed New Writing Night in New Cross, along with other full scale productions.
He is happy to have been asked to come on board for this project as he knows and loves the Blackshaw team, having performed in several of their previous shows including ‘Tweedle Dum’ in Alice in Wonderland and ‘Swelter’ in Gormenghast.
Twitter: @imaginationpipe / @ineptrepid
Website: www.ineptrepid.com
MICHELLE BRISTOW Set & Costume Designer
Michelle has assisted on set and costume for previous Blackshaw productions: Staying Alive by Kat Roberts (The Pleasance, Nov 2015); Alice in Wonderland by Richard Stratton (2014 & 2015), Character by Florence Vincent (2014 & 2015); Audience with the Ghost Finder by M. J. Starling (2013). She also designed set and costume for Blackshaw’s Halloween Tales (2014), featuring a candlelit reading and Fetch by Duncan Gates.
Since graduating from Wimbledon College of Arts (2014) with a degree in Costume Design, Michelle designed Blackshaw’s Showcase of Staying Alive in January (2015), and more recently has been working with Fourth Monkey Theatre Company. Michelle is also experienced in the production of dance pieces, and has spent time working in the Costume Department at the London Contemporary Dance School.
ANDREW CRANE Sound & Lighting Designer
Andrew is a graduate in Drama and Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway University (2012), and has worked as a sound designer and technician for Blackshaw Theatre since 2012. Sound Design credits include Staying Alive by Kat Roberts (The Pleasance, Nov 2015); Alice in Wonderland by Richard Stratton (2014 & 2015), Character by Florence Vincent (2014), and Fetch by Duncan Gates (2014).
For Blackshaw Theatre’s Arts Hour on Wandsworth Radio, Andrew has edited several radio plays including the radio adaptation of Audience with the Ghost Finder by M. J. Starling (2015), and a serialised adaptation of Great Expectations by Marcus Bazley.
NICOLE LOCKE Producer
A recent graduate from Royal Holloway University of London. Nicole has been a part of Blackshaw for three years, with varying roles from Administrator, to New Writing Night Manager, and is now acting as a Producer for the first time.
VIKKI WESTON Co-Producer
ELLIE PITKIN Co-Producer
THANKS FROM THE WRITER
For their patience, numerous revision and feedback: Laura Maestu, Claire Basarich and Alice Moore. To Pau Crego Walters for his enlightening insights.
Special thanks to Vikki Weston and Kat Roberts for all their help and Ellie Pitkin for her londonisation.
Dedicated to Manuel Vázquez Pardo.
Coming up in 2016
So, ‘What’s next for Blackshaw?’ I hear you cry!
It’s a box-fresh new year, and we’ve got lots to look forward to in 2016…
Great Expectations: a radio drama adaptation of Dickens’ classic
A fantastic collaboration with Cyphers theatre, the first episode of this epic adaptation will be aired tomorrow evening (Sunday 3rd Jan), 6-7pm on Wandsworth Radio for The Blackshaw Arts Hour. Tune in live or listen again by subscribing to our podcast on iTunes (or stream online via podbean).
Read more about the project, its cast and creatives, here.
Industry performance of Blackshaw’s Showcase Award Winner 2014: Call it Even by Naila Vázquez Tantinyà
11th January 2016 – StageSpace, Pleasance, London, 7.30pm
“Dad, you couldn’t even get dying right…”
Jamie’s father has died. In Gran Canaria. And now he’s got to deal with it – all of it.
Call it Even follows the struggle of a young transgender man to reconcile with his Dad, after he’s gone. Feeling like a stranger in a land where he doesn’t even speak the language, Jamie has a lot of tidying up to do. Uncle Dave isn’t much help, but will he find an unexpected ally in Macarena, the new woman in his Dad’s life (death)?
Booking open for industry only.
New Writing Nights at The Horse & Stables, Lambeth
Weds 30th March – Shortlist for the Showcase Award 2016 (submission deadline: Fri 11th March)
May TBC (submission deadline: Fri 29th April)
Weds 27th July (submission deadline: Fri 8th July)
Weds 28th September (submission deadline: Fri 9th September)
Weds 30th November (submission deadline: Fri 11th November)
You can submit your writing, or get involved as an actor or director – see our website for details.
(Seeing) Black Shuck by D. J. Hands at WAFF 2016: Wandsworth Arts Festival & Fringe
A fantastic piece of new writing from emerging playwright, D. J. Hands, who is working with us to develop the piece. A tragi-comedy about two would-be smugglers, this play explores the treacherous relationship between Martha and Andy as they await a shipment from Holland on a beach in Norfolk. The possibility of a ghostly visit from ‘Black Shuck’ and the tense situation put additional stress on their already strained relationship.
6-22nd May 2015 (exact dates TBC), The Bedford, Balham
Gormenghast: Titus Groan at Battersea Library
3rd November – 4th December, Battersea Library, Clapham Junction
We’re thrilled to be staging a full run of our adaptation of Mervyn Peake’s cult classic.
With some cast from our original (2012) production, we will be opening auditions for some new faces (around June/July) and recruiting a top creative team so keep your eyes peeled for upcoming opportunities.
This production is contingent on funding – we’re beavering away already and will keep you updated on our progress.
The Blackshaw Arts Hour Episode 11
This week on the Blackshaw Arts Hour, Iasha, Ellie and Matt are in the studio reviewing the film It Follows. We hear from Vikki with another Arts Thing of The Week, this week we debate the usefulness and copyright issues surrounding the Clean Reader app.
We also announce the winner of the Blackshaw showcase New Writing Night and play a short live clip of Call It Even, the winning piece of new writing. Call It Even will be developed and performed in 2016.
Matt introduces us to another Carnacki story titled Whistling Room, part 2 of which will be played on the show next week. Tune in for the spooky conclusion!
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NEWS: Showcase Winner 2015
*Announcement Klaxon* We’re thrilled to announce that the winner of our 2015 Showcase Award, is Naila Vazquez Tantinya, with ‘Call It Even’.
We’ll be working with Naila for the next 9 months, and then birthing (sorry not sorry) her finished work as an industry showcase in January 2016.
New Writing Night – March 2015 – The Showcase Shortlist
The 4 pieces performed at this New Writing Night were shortlisted for Blackshaw’s Showcase Award 2015.
Sleeping Dogs
Written by Lisa Lawrence
Directed by Kat Roberts
Ben— George Collie
Anna— Rose Turner
Jack— Stanley Eldridge
Annette— Diana Brooks
Eromenos
Written by Nick Cheesman
Directed by Matt Beresford
Sheri— Janie Shepherd
Nigel— Richard Zanik
Call it Even
Written by Naila Vazquez Tantinya
Directed by Marcus Bazley
Jamie— Jonathan Cobb
Macarena— Eden Avital Alexander
The Meeting
Written by Michael Halliday
Directed by Stephen Bailey
God— Isaiah Ellis
Muse— Freya Evans
Fate— Caitlin McMillan
Demon— Charlie Woodward
Administrator— Colson Dorafshar
Photos by Richard Stratton
Blackshaw Theatre 