Letter sealed and posted!

Letter To The Man (from the boy) had its first ever performance this Wednesday.  The 6.30 show was sold out, even over-sold, so we packed in a selection of randomers, friends, family and TakeOverians.  The show started off slightly fast, but I think I got into the swing by the end.  The 8pm show was still pretty damn busy, with the group getting more into the interactive element as the show went on.  Had some great feedback (“is was ASZZOME!!!!") but any more feedback don’t hesitate to e-mail me at henrythepoet@btinternet.com

So THANKS to everyone who came THANKS to TakeOver for hosting me and THANKS to Megan, Tom and Ruby who are all ace!

What does the future hold for LTTMFTB?  Hopefully adapting the show for Barefoot in the Park in Leeds (watch this space) plus other possibilities may reveal themselves.  It’s still a work in progress so we’ll see how the piece shapes up and evolves and changes...just like growing up.

If you missed the show, no sweat, I’m always performing somewhere r another.  In fact, come down to Apply Within, a brand new spoken word and poetry night at Stereo down Gillygate in York with me and some other ace performers as well as open mic for anyone looking for perform!  http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=171691112883614

I think after doing so much poetry I might try and focus on some theatre-writing in the future, maybe like Inua Ellams’ work.  I do want to include some poetry within the work, Sarah Kane or even Beckett style.  We’ll see, eh?

Thanks everyone, 2011 is shaping up to be an ambitious affair!

2.5 Days Later

So we had our 3rd day of rehearsal and to be quite frank I'm feeling like a pinch of butter being spread all over Australia.

We worked on the in-between exercises today, and they seemed to go down with our 'test' audience of TakeOverians.  Need to fine tune the questions a little bit, get a\n idea of time and, above all, make the whole thing seem worth doing!

"Hmmm...no this pillar has to go!"



Sticks & Stones poetry night this Monday in Leeds, probably should plug the show I suppose but the ace Inua Ellams is also headlining:  http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=156641874394491

Me and some other poets in York plan to start up a night of spoken word stuff, more info to keep, keep your eyes peeled!  Or more accurately keep your fingers tapping on my links, like speedy pistons of keyboard adoration.

Stay free!

Henry

"It's a spoken word piece, the words have to do the speaking"-Tom Bellerby's pearls of wisdom

So me and The Tom Bellerby had another rehearsal in the Keregan Room, I can safely say we’re cracking on rather nicely thank you very much.  We’ve gone through each poem and looked at an overarching flow for the piece, as well as little extra tricks in store for the show itself.  We need to make sure the space and environment is theatrical and not simply the Keregan Room with people in sat around listening to me ramble ramble ramble like a Rambler or Ramb-Lor, Lord of Yattering.

Tom’s not the best director in the world; he often shows up late, drunk and has a habit of removing his clothing at inappropriate times.  Still the best we could get though.

I’ve also written some new stuff, including a ‘dark’ poem, because growing up isn’t always smiles and sunshine (hell no).

I also was very privileged to do a quick workshop with the Youth Theatre group I volunteer with, who gave me some great feedback with the workshops in writing your life experiences and thoughts and feels and ideas.  Trying to stage them is always tricky, but some practical elements do appear from below the writing and scribblings, like a submarine to the surface, like a rose from the earth, like a DVD from a DVD player.

So here’s a video we took in rehearsal, and here’s a link to another little (more serious) blog for TakeOver festival:  http://audioboo.fm/boos/297666

Tickets for Letter To The Man (from the boy) available NOW:  http://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/cgi/events/events.cgi?t=template&a=817

More shows at TakeOver festival free, dirt cheap or even apart of 3 for 2 deals:  http://www.takeoverfestival.co.uk/