porn re-drafting and supermodels

Braved the cold and the snow this morning to meet up with the supermodel again – this time with the writer in tow – a great success and lots of creative juices flowing all round.  Yay.

And this afternoon I’ve a meeting with the producers for one of next year’s Metta shows – Points of Light – a dance theatre/circus theatre piece inspired by Jeanette Winterson‘s Sexing the Cherry (well more precisely inspired by my stage adaptation of Jeanette Winterson’s Sexing The Cherry).

But before that time to start another draft of the porn opera Snuff. Hopefully Olly the composer can start setting some of it in the new year. Exciting times…

re-drafting

A lovely quiet (if chilblain-inducing-ly cold) day in the flat, working on my Sexing the Cherry adaptation. Looked back over the original novel, which I’ve not done for about a year – it’s so hard with adaptations choosing what to use and what to not to use. It’s all good! But have written another draft, and it’s all much tighter and more coherent (though hopefully no less magical). Hard to believe I’ve been working on it for over 4 years now though…

no food

We had one of our quarterly Metta Theatre board meetings this morning (9am on a Sunday, ouch!) – we were uber efficient and actually got through everything on the agenda for the first time since…well since we became a limited company. Alas I think this was because the meeting didn’t revolve around a meal (which in the past has always the enticement needed to keep me interested in all the financial and logistical business). Maybe next time I can just bring my own secret supply of donuts and sneak out every 45 minutes for sustenance.

Then off to meet a producer about a Noel Coward play I’m hopefully directing at Riverside Studios in February. Very exciting for me to work on something so conventional – no opera singers, no circus and not even any puppets!

articulacy

Off to Euston this afternoon to watch a one-man show called The Articulate Hand at the Wellcome Trust – have heard it is brilliant and the performer Andrew Dawson is exceptional. So finger’s crossed for that (is that almost a pun – fingers, hands etc?)

But before that time for another fortnightly Metta meeting catch up – lots to catch up too – everything’s moving so fast at the moment. Tour dates being booked, budgets being signed off, funding applications being sent left, right and centre.  Phew!

sequins, feathers and googly eyes

Had the most amazing meeting with my costume designer for Points of Light and Sexing The Cherry this morning – Kate Lane – extraordinary woman. And I think rather brilliant artist…well we’ll see, but looking very interesting.

Then a meeting with Heather and a director friend advising us on Arts Council application stuff – always good. Maybe 2011 will be the year we finally get something out of them!

Then  a puppet workshop at the Young Vic for parents and children – who were all going to see their show My Dad’s a Birdman. Lots of sequins, lots of feathers, lots of googly eyes. Utter mayhem and utter joy.

Then off to New Cross to catch up with The Man With the Flower in His Mouth – avec famille. They loved it and it was packed tonight.

Hurrah. Good day.

puppet making

Gosh it’s cold, all of a sudden. But Will’s away lighting a show in Leicester tomorrow, and Birmingham next week, so in his absence I can turn the heating on (ever since we lived on a boat, where the temperature was mostly around minus 2, he’s become immune to the cold).

Went to meet a prospective AD this morning – if next year turns out to be as busy as it seems I’m going to need at least five assistants!

Then back to the flat to make some puppets in advance of my next puppetry workshop at the Young Vic – all very simple – paper and string – but should be a fun hour with parents and children making and operating their puppets together.

Then off to check on in Coalition – their second night.

gordon brown

Oh my god – Gordon and Sarah Brown came to see Coalition last night. And Oona King. To quote one of the characters from the play ‘Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!’ Also got a review out already – ours was ‘captivating’ and ‘the only real connection to emotion of the evening’ – read more here Yay!

A nice quiet day of catching up on admin – and drafting the Arts Council application for next year’s tour of The Man with The Flower in His Mouth. Then off to see it again tonight – Working Title are in – maybe they’ll make a film of it? It was the first piece of televised drama back in 1930 so there’s a precedent…

dress and chips

Had a quick re-tech – actually able to make noise now – joy! Sounding good, looking good. Had some chips for breakfast/lunch from the chip shop next door – the best chips in London. Seriously. Dress rehearsal went well. Cast seem happy and secure.

And we’re sold out tonight, with some decent press in – bring on the critics!

Hurrah!

(Hmm…pride comes before a fall…)

a very short tech

The one brilliant thing about teching 10 plays in one day is that it means you can only tech for an hour. That said the worst thing about teching 10 plays in one day is that it means you can only tech for an hour.

And hilariously – given that our piece has an almost constant sound-scape – we were given a ‘quiet’ slot in which we couldn’t make any noise, because the chef who lives above Theatre503 likes to have a nap every day from 2-4. On the plus side it means we get another hour to tech tomorrow morning. So all is going surprisingly well.

Managed to cram in a meeting with a prospective producer for the tour of Cocteau in the Underworld, a meeting with Victoria Brittain and Heather about the tour of Waiting and a meeting with my agent. Phew.

And even had time to see A Dog’s Heart at ENO this evening. Amazing – loved it. Fantastic puppetry by Mark Down and Blind Summit. And just brilliant theatricality. As I said to Will in the interval – so much to steal!

So good to have only an hour to tech, after all.

almost a day off

Today I spent a wonderful few hours walking round Richmond deer park, with one of my oldest school friends…well actually we only spent about 20 minutes in Richmond park because we’d got a bit lost walking around Richmond trying to find it. But still 2 hours of solid walking, followed by a hearty pub lunch. Nice.

And almost a day off…but tonight I’m off to Theatre 503 to get in a bit of extra tech time before tomorrow’s manic and epic teching-10-plays-in-one-day tech. It’s going to be interesting…