Our delightful Designer for Black Shuck, Michelle Bristow, gives us a glimpse into the world of set building – you can come and see the set in situ, 11-19 May 2016 – book your tickets now!
We started out by mitre-ing (real word?) some of the timber so that we could make the structure for the bracing. It was hard!
The next part of the support structure, drilling the main upright piece to the bottom support piece.
Bracing pieces completed!
Laying out the pieces ready to have the holes drilled in to mark where the screws go, in order to be flat packed into my car and assembled at the venue.
Marking out the holes and numbering them, so its easy to match up the pieces at the get in.
Jacobean woodstain was the perfect colour, heres the groyne after two coats –
The fun (and messy) part – painting! All ready for assembly next week.
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
RACHEL NOTT Macarena
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).
MARK KEEGAN Uncle Dave
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).
CINTIA LILEN Public Servant/Mourner/Voice
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.
GEORGE COLLIE Richard/Cleaner/Voice
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 EDWARDS Bank Woman/Mourner/Voice
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.
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.
We’ve had a corker of a year, and as we settle down in front of the fire with a mulled wine in hand and snazzy christmas jumper firmly on, we thought we’d take you through the highlights…
The Blackshaw Arts Hour on Wandsworth Radio (fortnightly from Jan 2015)
2-16th May 2015 – Alice in Wonderland by Richard Stratton, at the Battersea Library
A sell-out run, as part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe.
“…creative, imaginative and seemingly effortless style…The whole performance buzzed with energy, fun and joy.” London Theatre 1
“The fun-filled show brims with chaos, madness and high jinks…the wild but classic tale of Alice in her fantastically retold Wonderland.” – A Younger Theatre
9-14th March 2015 – Character by Florence Vincent, at the Tristan Bates Theatre
“a delightful theatre production on in Covent Garden. Funny, nostalgic, well acted 2 hander” – London Culture Blog
“a witty play…reminiscent of Ab Fab’s Edina and Saffy” – In & Around Covent Garden magazine
Cast pictured… Mary – Rachel Nott Jack- Alexander Pankhurst Jenn – Eleanor Burke Nathan – Brendan Jones Portia/Sarah/Social Worker – Emily Rae Will/Administrator – Stephen Ashmore-Blakely Creative Team pictured… Director – Ellie Pitkin
Nott delivers a nuanced performance as Mary…an impassioned declaration of her raw, aching soul that would move even the most stoic of people.
I suspected Staying Alive would be a good play, but upon watching it I realised how complete it is – the structure, the performances and direction, the emotionally-true characters…Proof that given enough time, talent and perseverance, theatre that really says something about the human condition can be made.
Remote Goat reviewed Staying Alive, and it’s a corker!
– Remote Goat
An unexpectedly funny look at bereavement new play Staying Alive, currently showing at the Pleasance Islington, defies its inescapably grim subject matter.
…highly original, nuanced and enlightening…deeply observed social comedy…
It’s so painfully familiar and human…an elegant exploration of how friendships can break down and change under the weight of tragedy
Rachel Notts’ restrained performance as Mary gives the play its heart…Alexander Pankhurst and Eleanor Burke also do great work as Jack and Jenn…Brendan Jones puts in a really strong performance as Nathan
– London Theatre 1
Blackshaw Theatre 