The Elephant has left the room

So the virtual curtain has come down on The Maltings' run of TheBYTE's  'This Is My Elephant' which has exceeded all my expectations a brilliant job by uber-director Lisa, scriptmeister Anna Reynolds and the cast. The quality of the performances, scripting and characterisation were superb and demonstrated just what a strong group we now have at TheBYTE - our only sadness is that soon we are losing some to university and drama school but we know they will go there with some solid experience and technique behind them thanks to their time at TheBYTE and Best - and hopefully a whole bunch of great memories. Here are a few pics...

We did film the show too - hopefully we can do something with that.

We think that after the Greenwich Festival there's still another step for this show to take. The lovely thing was that when we asked the cast whether they'd be interested in a further show and rework, their hands shot up in unison.

The Maltings is a lovely little theatre. When Best was launched it was the venue for our first three years' public performances - 'The Selfish Giant',  'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Shake, Ripple & Roll.' but then it just became too small for the sizes of casts we had.

Then when we launched TheBYTE we took our first shows there too - 'The Musicians', 'Just' and 'Shut Up'. At that time it was  happy and thriving council-run venue with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff who supported us at every stage. It was sad to see this energy dismantled - firstly when their budget was cut (mostly diverted to the incoming Trestle) and then when it was threatened with closure.

But now the space has a new lease of life thanks to local group, 'OVO'. They've brightened it up, brought high quality theatre back to the stage and we are delighted that from September we'll be basing our youth theatre activities there - including (we hope) a technical stream for budding lighting gurus.

So next on the agenda is our Best School of Acting showcase - 'Reality Bites'. This is a collection of mini scenes from the works of James Saunders and aims to flex their Stanislavskian muscles. It's tomorrow (Wednesday 26th March) at The Maltings.

For today, the last piece of costume for the weekends 'Oscars' show has arrived - joy!

This Is My Excellent Elephant

What a wonderful show TheBYTE has devised with the help of Lisa and Anna Reynolds. I admit I shed a tear at the dress rehearsal and I was smugly satisfied to see a number of pairs of spectacles being hastily removed and tissues applied in the first night audience. Sorry about the picture - will try and get a better one tonight...

TheBYTE has developed into a really strong team and this show is all about teamwork.

The devising process too has been a very important and valuable one for the cast.  Starting with their own character they allowed the story to develop organically. What has resulted is a witty, warm and very moving piece of totally original theatre - something they can all be very proud of.

It's the second night tonight and I strongly urge anyone who is free to get down to. The Maltings and see it. Tickets on the door are £5. You won't regret it!

From here the show moves to the Greenwich Young People's Festival on 6th April.

Next up it's Best School of Acting with Reality Bites on Wednesday, also at The Maltings (which is a fab venue by the way).

Meanwhile an offer has arrived of some really great things with which to decrease The Sandpit for the shows this weekend. Very exciting.

I am sitting here printing off tickets for tonight's show - need some more programmes too. Also have to write the programmes for the weekend...

Production week tales

Best is coming into a frantic week of shows:-

Saturday 22nd - First Class showings in St Albans

Sunday 23rd- tech, dress and show TheByte's production of "This Is My Elephant"
UPDATE - have just seen the dress of this and it is SUPERB!!! DON'T MISS IT!

Monday 24th - second show of T.IM.E., 

Wednesday 26th - Best School of Acting's show 'Reality Bites' at The Maltings

Saturday  29th First class Hertford show 'Jack and the Beanstalk', and we tech dress and perform 'A Night at the Oscars' with Hertford and Best St Albans Friday schools

Sunday 30th - Tech dress and perform 'A Night at the Oscars' with Best's St.Albans Saturday schools

So I thought I'd keep a little diary so you can see what this is all like for a behind the scenes point of view!

I'm sitting in the foyer of The Maltings Theatre as the tech whizz Phil and director Lisa set things up. 

Cast member Isaac has just arrived, fresh from his first Friday at the 'Thriller' academy which seemed to go really well. What and exciting opportunity for him! And aren't we proud?

At the moment the stage is bare and for anyone in the theatre a space like that sends a thrill of anticipation.

Meanwhile, back at Best HQ (er... our house) every available piece of space has been taken up with costume and props for the upcoming Oscars shows.

This is not a fun time - all the costumes are bought in or come from our ever burgeoning store in our garage and it's very hard on the back shifting around heavy tuff crates.

We hear two of our Hertford cast now won't be there for the show. This is not the place to set down our reaction to such late news but primarily our concern is for the rest of the cast and the work they now have to do in recasting, learning new lines and resetting choreography.

On the subject of missed rehearsals etc, this is the hardest thing to communicate positively to parents. The missing cast member (although they might know their lines) has to be brought up to date with the latest changes and as we only see people once a week they lose familiarity with the blocking and choreography and we have to do it all again when they return.

And it's the remaining cast who turn up who suffer. A rehearsal where any cast member is missing is not a true rehearsal and they lose the chance as a group to take the piece further - you can only tread water as you know you will have to go back and redo the changes and cues.

But we do know we are here first and foremost to give all our students a fun time - we can't be overly worried when children miss rehearsals - they have so much on in their lives it's hardly surprising. So we take a very laid back approach to our shows knowing "we'll get what we get" and although our teachers can get stressed as they want to out on e best show they possibly can, we are happy if our students are happy.

The cast for today's show arrive soon for their tech and dress. It's an exciting play they have devised themselves which has than been scripted by local playwright Anna Reynolds. After it's run here it going to the Greenwich Young People's Festival in April where it'll be performed at The Tramshed in Woolwich.

Check back tomorrow to find out how everything goes!

Cromwell v Lear

Two major shows seen this week - 'Wolf Hall' - the RSC's adaptation of the Hilary Mantel mega-award winning book at the Swan Theatre, Stratford, and Simon Russell Beale's 'King Lear' on the Olivier stage at the National.

Actually to compare the two would be somewhat unhelpful, but I guess the overall impression left  is valid - and for me, perhaps unexpectedly,  'Wolf Hall' wins it.

I'll juts mention here there is a SPOILER ALERT later in this blog about something in 'King Lear' - just so you know

The RSC has created a fast-moving, gripping narrative throughline with 'virtual' scene changes, snappy dialogue and an extremely strong ensemble who worked hard from first to last to tell the tale. Cromwell is of course central to everything but the action happens around him, with his controlling touch applied with deftness and calculation. So the show is about the interaction of a group of extremely well-rounded and beautifully defined characters rather than an individual tour-de-force. The Swan Theatre is a fitting environment for it too - intimate and at times a little claustrophobic. And hot!

Ben Miles as Cromwell was (for me) an unexpected choice for what has to be one of the plum roles of the year, but my goodness he is good. He beautifully portrays a man shaped by a cruel and relentless childhood into a tough, quick-witted and increasingly ruthless survivor with a yearning for security. He makes his choices and follows through and although he is never really likeable he is always fascinating. It was a complex and finely drawn characterisation.

As, indeed, were all the characters: there had clearly been a huge amount of thought put into each one, and this was described in the cast's question and answer session after the show - a rare treat and a big thanks to the RSC for putting this on.

We're seeing the second part of the production 'Bring Up the Bodies', next week. Can't wait! If only Stratford was a bit closer...

And so, last night, to 'King Lear'. I don't know whether it's an advantage to know a play very well. For my sins I studied it at A level and during my degree. It kind of helped in the opening to this production. There was a lot of indistinct shouting and even though I know the lines to the first scene backwards I was having trouble following where we were! Thankfully things calmed own and the production, for me, got better and better as it went on.

Sam Mendes has placed the play in a militaristic Eastern-bloc dictatorship and this suited the play well. It gave Lear a clear position as a fading despot and ensured the political elements where readily recognisable to a modern audience. It's a huge stage, the Olivier, and the setting used the vast area well, especially in the storm scenes.

So once we were over a slightly indistinct start the production got the play moving quickly. It isn't one of Shakespeare's shortest so pace is vital.

Beale's portrayal of the descending dementia was quite spellbinding - the scene with blinded Gloucester and his reunion with Cordelia being very moving.  Here comes the SPOILER...

Adrian Scarborough as the Fool is superb throughout - a tricky but important role made accessible and central. His death at the hands of a confused Lear was unexpected, violent and deeply unsettling - brilliant piece of thinking and theatre. I wish I had thought of that! (you will, Oscar, you will)...

Tom Brooke as Edgar was splendid - touchingly naive and raw. Other strong performances from Anna Maxwell Martin as Regan and Kate Fleetwood as Goneril and, particularly, from Stanley Townsend as Kent.

But some of the other supporting cast were not so strong and this gave the production a somewhat lumpy feeling.  In particular Olivia Vinall as Cordelia seemed to have dusted off 'Shakepearean Lady character B' for the occasion - over declamatory and not much sublety. I was a bit unsure about her as Desdemona in 'Othello' recently and I'm afraid I didn't like this either. Sorry...

So overall, I was left with a feeling that this was a very good King Lear, but perhaps not the definitive Lear I'd been hoping for.

And overall it was the ensemble work in 'Wolf Hall' that left me more satisfied and inspired.

Moving forwards

There's a truism that we must adapt to survive (or perhaps a scientific fact as my Biology student son might advise) - and it's no different in theatre schools.

We started Best nearly 16 years ago using the model that was then (and still is now) prevalent amongst art-time / weekend theatre schools - an hour of acting, singing and dancing. It's a model that has worked well for us for a long time but if you simply sit back and say ' there it is' there's a danger that such complacency can lead to inertia.

To be honest, we've always tried to find new things to move Best onwards - youth theatre, adults' classes and even toddlers classes, but from time to time you need to bring in some radical change, which is what we've been doing for the past year.

Launching Best School of Acting was a natural, even overdue, step. Focusing purely on acting, and aimed specifically at those who had already made the decision that they wanted to be the best actor they could be, we have mirrored the classes of a 'full time' drama school, to give the students a real taste of what life is like. In fact I've been taken back to my old drama school days at (the now merged into Central) Webber Douglas by some of the exercises - it all makes me want to act again!

We seem to have struck a chord with a fantastic group of young actors, some of whom are already now auditioning for full-time drama schools, and we even have a first success at Tring Park (well done FH!)

And now we have established a link with an agency. This has require a real shift in thinking from us as it's something we hold strong views on. But we have to accept that the world is changing rapidly. Children are growing up with all kinds of choices that weren't available 10 or 15 years ago and our approach has to adapt to reflect this. So our chosen agency, Daisy and Dukes, we think stands for many of the values through which we operate.

Next term we launch a class specifically for those considering auditions, or preparing speeches for exams (whether in school or LAMDA).

And there will be more...so watch this space.

The same founding principle holds firm though - it must be FUN!

David's 10 M's of Mega-success

You know, I’ve lost count of the number of people who haven’t asked me for my secrets of success in business. Well, I follow my own mantra which I like to call ‘The 10 M’s of Mega-success!’

1.       Mea culpa

Always say “It’s my fault.”  Don’t try and blame others for things that go wrong. And let’s face it even if the issue is nothing to do with you, there is probably something that you’ve done badly that has led to this. So accept blame for everything! You’ll be popular with colleagues and they are sure to involve you in every project.

2.       Misery

It is only through abject misery that we appreciate the good times. So make sure you are as miserable as you can be for as long as possible. Your successes (if they ever arrive) will be so much sweeter. 

3.       Must I?

Question everything you are doing. Constantly. And if anyone asks you to do anything, especially your boss at work, just say to your self, “Must I?” In fact, it’s even more effective to say it out loud. In this way you will develop a deep understanding of not only what is important to you, but also what is important to everyone else.

4.       Manage upwards

A natural follow-on from “Must I?”  Question every decision your management make, to their faces as well as behind their backs. They’ll quickly identify you as someone worth watching! 

5.       Manipulate

Use people around you to get what you want. Lie, cheat, subvert, anything to position yuourself ahead of your rivals.  The more you are able to force people to do things for you without their realising, the happier and more popular you will be. And the greater their surprise when, having achieved your goals, you then reveal exactly what you did to get there. This will earn you respect and sometime legendary status in the office. You’ll be the talking point at every desk.

6.       Moan

Don’t hold it in where it will just fester. If there’s something that you don’t like, say it. Every time. Expressing yourself like this is cathartic and gives your colleagues a real sense of the true you. What better way to make friends?

7.       Machiavelli

Don’t believe the press, the guy was a genius. Put succinctly (and despite what I said about blame above) if a colleague says or does anything that might even remotely be considered to be not in your best interests, crush them. Mercilessly. Totally. Respect through fear is a gift.

8.       Mediate

Get involved in each and every dispute around you. Make sure you strongly and publically take a side so that the issue can be quickly resolved. 

9.       Meditate

It’s not all hustle and bustle in business. Take time out to relax and shut out the cares of the day. The best time to do this is in a management or board meeting, during an appraisal, or even in front of an important customer. Plugging in your headphones will help to keep out unwelcome distractions. After a good 15 minutes downtime you’ll feel refreshed and ready for action.

10.   Move

Change your job as often as you can. It’s usually advisable to let your latest employer and all your colleagues know exactly what you think of them when you leave so as to avoid those annoying ‘buy back’ conversations, awkward leaving do’s and attempted superficial friendships.

Just follow these top tips and your future career is assured. In my next article I’ll focus on management style.

The Minotaur Returns...

Back in 1979 I was a fresh-faced (well a bit spotty) 18 year old making the long car journey in my Mini from Cumbria to Norwich to begin my Drama degree course at UEA. I’d really fouled up my A levels so was very grateful to UEA for ‘seeing the potential’ behind the poor grades (wouldn’t happen today – warning note to all our students – study hard!)

We were to be the first intake ever at UEA on the Drama degree course so the whole thing was new to everyone and we’d been invited to arrive a couple of days early for a project.

On arrival we met our tutors, and were introduced to a brand new, purpose built studio space which was to be our home for the next three years. We were given the theme ‘The Minotaur’ and no other guidance and asked to produce something over the next two days.

Well, we did – it was a fantastic way to get to know everyone and we bonded very quickly and very closely as a group. The project also made sure we tested out the new facilities and got rid of any nerves. I honestly can’t remember exactly what we did with the theme, but we reckoned it was pretty good. But the experience was invaluable and we suggested to the faculty that from then on, every Drama intake should do the same project.

We formed our own theatre group, Minotaur Student Theatre Company, to put on self-funded shows as a result which worked very well – averaging a couple of productions a term and always making money.

And I heard yesterday that one of Best’s long-standing students, Michael Bird, was going up to UEA to begin his Drama degree course – and that he’d been asked to go up early to take part in a project – called ‘Minotaur’.

I was at once proud, thrilled for Michael and overcome with a wave of nostalgia – and fair amount of jealousy! It’s great to see our ex-students really take flight and Michael has so much to look forward to.

So on the subject of ex-students, we have a 15 year anniversary coming up soon and soon there will be news of a Best alumni project to track our ex-students down. No-one is safe...