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stella41b -> The road from Battersea to Orlando via Toronto (2/25/2009 2:40:25 PM)
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This is to let everyone know that the delayed opening of the theatre's fringe season takes place next month here in Battersea, London and also, subject to confirmation, we will be performing on the fringes of this year's Brighton Fringe Festival between 2nd and 25th May in Brighton, probably at The Colonial. I'm currently directing three plays 'Death', a comedy known as 'The Civil Wedding' and returning to the repertoire will be that play in the BDSM context 'Switch'. You will be able to see either 'Death' or both 'The Civil Wedding' and 'Switch' at our performances.
I'm also setting up various projects involving theatre workshops and productions in partnership with other charities working with the homeless in London which will see my previous comedies staged, the ones with larger casts, on which professional actors will be working together with the homeless via the charity I am setting up to eliminate social stigma and social exclusion.
Some of the productions will be known as Q or Q Fringe which is the official name for the theatre and some of the productions will be known as Simply Q, which is the official name for the charity. Some of the productions will involve professional actors, some will involve homeless people, some will involve both. We refuse to say who is who and hopefully you won't be abe to tell the difference. This is the whole point of the project, to release the homeless people from social stigma, offer them the chance to achieve something positive which will inspire in them the confidence and optimism to make a fresh start and work at rebuilding their lives.
The theatre even for fringe is working to be highly individual, innovative, and different, eschewing many or all of the conventions of theatre and preferring to stage performances in pubs, clubs, galleries, and bars. I;m sticking to my formula which I developed in Polish theatre to be very much (as one newspaper put it) 'the bard of theatre, very much like Bob Dylan is to music.'
We are developing as an international touring company, I'm currently working on a short tour of Poland and though we are still focussing on London and the South East we are looking for other venues in other areas of the country. Unfortunately due to the decision of the local authority to cut funding for this year's Prague Fringe Festival we won't be there, but we are preparing to cross the Atlantic and intend to apply to perform at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Eventually we plan to spend our summer season touring the States and Canada and are hoping to start off our summer season (not this year, but next year) with the Orkando International Fringe Festival.
The work in setting up these projects and productions is demanding, sometimes difficult, and in the current economic climate not always guaranteeing success or that the efforts will ever come to much, but I wouldn't have it any other way. This year is also my 20th anniversary of artistic work and I'm so happy to be doing what I am doing after my downfall in Polish theatre in 2005 and over the past few years when I was never really sure if I could pull it off. Now it looks very possible, but please, cross your fingers and pray for me, for us, all of us who are working together on these projects.
Now this probably means my presence on the boards will be less and I may disappear, there will be less postings and fewer song parodies. But looking on the bright side, we might actually get to meet and come together and be able to talk with one another face to face and even hug each other.
One of my basic principles in life is that if you want to get anywhere in life then you have to take other people with you. This isn't just about me, but about us, the people working on the projects, people working in the venues, the spaces, the charities an also and not least the people we are seeking to help, the homeless and those who are affected by social stigma. It's also an invitation for you to get to know what we know, to get involved and show your support, and work together to work at bringing people together - irrespective of who they are - but to work at bringing people together in the spaces available to share ideas, to share experiences, and to come together to become part of the solidarity - solidarity with the people.
Shameless plug it may be, but I thought I would post this as a feelgood thread, to post about something positive, and something in which anyone and everyone can be a part of. This is another way of saying I need your support and help, primarily with information, such as possible venues, places where we can set up performances, places where we can meet, if you know of any festivals going on in your area which aren't subject to funding cuts then please feel free to share such information. I will also be coming back to this thread to interact, answer questions, provide further information and updates, and basically I'm happy to let this thread develop hopefully into having a life of its own.
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