Crescent-FourPlay-100

2008-06-28T03:40:00.000-07:00

100 - Time's Up

With less than 12 hours to go til we open there's no denying it, time is well and truly up.

As director, the only thing I can do now is thank the universe for delivering up such a wonderful team of actors. They've been magnificent throughout. I could not have hoped for better.

It seems an age since the call went out for five brave actors to create worlds as fragile - and beautiful - as soap bubbles. In fact it was exactly two months ago.

Rehearsals kicked off on May 16th and in these last six weeks the 100 team have clocked up just short of 48 hours of pure sweat bringing the piece to life.

Looking back from this vantage, it occurs to me that I must have been mad to think the task we set out on was do-able. I am in no doubt that it could not have been done without the team's total committment to the piece and their willingness to give it maximum effort at all times.

They worked like Trojans and never baulked at the challenging physical tasks demanded of them. Just as importantly, they brought rich supplies of intuition and creativity to the development process. And the key to it all?

They allowed themselves through co-operation, care and humility to connect with each other in heightened mutual awareness, with the end result being, a wonderful ensemble of talented individuals working together as one.

It has been a huge honour for me to assist these five brave actors in the creation of their production of 100 and I have every faith they will have touched a great many hearts and souls before the run is over.

Break a leg, team !!

2008-06-28T03:36:00.000-07:00

100 - Director's Programme Notes

Like so many others, I'd watched the plane disappearing into the side of the tower; the flames erupting, the debris falling, the tiny figures jumping into the void.

And then the second plane, tilting wildly as it sliced through the first tower's twin.

The visual impact of these scenes had me in a trance state even before the stricken buildings collapsed onto the rescue workers below.

Bearing witness had left me stupified. Humane feelings beyond reach, obscured, denied from me by my amazement.

Where was my compassion? I felt guilty. I wanted to connect. I wanted to empathise. But how? And when?

The reckoning, when it came, was swift. The human cost of the disaster finally got through to me, when I heard the messages that had escaped from the catastrophe by phone, as those about to die spoke last words to loved ones.

Silently intruding into those private moments compelled me to imagine myself in the same situation. But who would I phone? And what would I say?

These were the most uncomfortable questions I had ever asked myself and the truth was,
I had no answers. The realisation was overwhelmingly profound.

The power of that moment came back to me the following August. I was in Edinburgh for the Fringe and was lucky enough to get in to see the play that everyone was talking about that year.
I had no idea what it was about and certainly no idea how hard it would hit me.

The play was 100 and the reviewer from the Scotsman newspaper, who was at the same performance as me, wrote that it moved her more profoundly than any other theatre she'd ever seen.

I entirely concurred.

In fact I'd resolved to one day be involved in a production of the play, even before the performance had ended. I've been nagging directors to take it on ever since. In a way I'm glad none of them did. When I was asked to direct at the Crescent there was no hesitation. 100 was top of my list. At last a chance to see it again!

I should make it clear that the play has nothing whatever to do with 9/11. In fact I'd say it has very little to do with death at all. I like to think of it more as a celebration of life.

If it achieves this by confronting its audience with some rather discomfitting questions along the way, it does so with the very best intentions.

2008-06-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

100 - Cast Biogs

2008-06-24T07:50:00.001-07:00

Solomon Gordon

Solomon's fascination with acting began when as a very young child he piled up cushions in order to climb up and turn the television on. He had wanted to watch his favourite cartoon but found himself captivated by the black and white film that happened to appear. He has no idea what film it was but the vision has lived on in his memory and may have influenced his decision to take a degree in Drama Production and Creative Writing at Buckinghamshire University. 100 is his Crescent debut and his return to the stage after a two year absence.

2008-06-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Paula Wall

Paula studied acting, directing and writing at Manchester Metropolitan University to gain a BA (Hons) Degree in Drama and Writing. She went on to complete a diploma in Physical Theatre at the London Academy of Dramatic Arts (LAMDA). Since completing her studies she has worked professionally in theatre for over four years. In this time she has worked as actor, director, writer, technician, educational facilitator and company manager. She has thoroughly enjoyed being involved in 100, her second play for the Crescent Theatre and is still nervously pondering over the choice of her favourite memory.

2008-06-24T07:45:00.001-07:00

Neil Warner

Neil is 19 years old. He has been involved in performing for most of his life, appearing in both professional and amateur productions in and around the Birmingham area. He has recently decided to take his acting more seriously and hopes to attend drama school in the coming year. 100 is his Crescent debut.

2008-06-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

Kerry Murdock

Kerry started acting at 11 when she joined a local youth theatre group and was cast as Toad because "you have a very loud voice." She continued with the group until university where she appeared in TV's student soap opera "Tiverton Road". In 2007 she wrote and directed her own show, "My Voice(s)" which she took to the Edinburgh Fringe. The Scotsman described it as "Beautifully performed, funny and moving." Three months later another play she'd written, "The Veil" was performed at the Progress Theatre in Reading. This time the reviewer could only say "Every season needs its turkey and this may well be it." 100 is Kerry's second appearance at The Cresent - she was last seen lying in bed for the whole of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". She is also involved with the online comedy show thedangersigns.com.

2008-06-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

Andrea Stephenson

Andrea joined the Crescent one year ago and 100 is her third production since joining. She made her debut singing in the Christmas Wassail and followed that with a role in ‘Top Girls’,

which was where she first worked with Paula Wall. Prior to the Crescent, Andrea’s experience was limited to school and college productions but she studied Shakespearean and Jacobean theatre

as part of her degree.

2008-06-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

100 - PROGRESS
Yesterday was exactly one month into the rehearsal process and to mark the occasion the cast did their first full run. The small audience present was unanimously astonished at how far this team of actors has come in such a short time. Putting in five personal bests was an achievement in itself but the real joy was seeing five individuals merge into a living breathing single entity with its own consciousness. All that hard work developing connectedness has paid off handsomely. With two weeks to go this ensemble has already earned the right to amaze its audiences.

2008-05-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

100 - REHEARSALS

One hundred rehearsals? Wouldn't that be nice!

The reality is somewhat more restricted however. The rehearsal period is actually very short for this type of play which explains why the cast are going at it hammer and tongs.

100 is a play that demands a perfectly-tuned ensemble of players; five distinct voices working together as one instrument.

With this in mind the cast are bravely devoting generous quantities of what little time they have to facilitating connectedness.

As such the first 40 minutes of each rehearsal are spent opening up the senses in order that the cast may function as a cohesive unit.

Once group kinesthetic awareness kicks in, the devising begins.

And that's when the magic happens!

Great cast, doing a great job. Long may they prosper.

2008-05-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

100 - PERFORMANCE DATES FINALISED

The FourPlay New Director Showcase will run from 28 June until 05 July.

100 will be performed on the following dates:

Saturday 28 June at 7:45pm
Tuesday 01 July at 7:45pm
Thursday 03 July at 7:45pm
Saturday 05 July at 2:45pm

100 will be sharing a double-bill with The Street Cleaner by Jefferson Collins.

2008-05-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

100 - THE CAST:

Congratulations to the five brave souls who've taken this one on.

Ketu --------------Solomon Gordon (Crescent debut)
Sophie ------------Paula Wall
Alex --------------Neil Warner (Crescent debut)
Guide -------------Kerry Murdock
Nia ---------------Andrea Stephenson

They're going to be working like Trojans to bring it home.

2008-05-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

100 - AUDITIONS

High Risk Strategy?

The Casting Call gave fair warning that the audition for 100 would be a physically gruelling two hour improvisational workout. Whether or not this was a good idea remained to be seen. Would anyone turn up?

Of course they would! This is the Crescent we're talking about here. There was an excellent turn out of very keen applicants. (Phew!)

A big thank you to everyone who turned up and apologies to those among them who had trouble walking the following day.

2008-04-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

100
Press

'… this breathtaking piece of theatre. I do believe I will remember it, in both my head and my heart, all of my life. It is a tiny, huge, simple, complex play that touched me in places I didn’t even know I had. (…) This play moved me more profoundly than anything I can remember seeing in theatre..'
Kate Capstick, The Scotsman, Edinburgh

' Beautifully executed … its sheer unaffected simplicity is an integral part of its power... there is an energy and real connection here between actors and audience… this is a show that you will carry around with you long after you have left the theatre'
Lyn Gardner,The Guardian, London

' An arresting show…your mind and heart dilate during it... I’ve never had one, but I suspect that a massage will leave you feeling renewed in the way 100 does.'
The Independent, London

' The unfolding tale is a work of powerful proportions. The beauty of this play is in its simple premise and the purity of its execution. Unlike plays that resemble television sitcoms on stage or are constipated with words, ‘100’ is a reminder that a single gesture can speak volumes. This play is likely to be the hit of the Perth International Arts Festival.'
The Australian

' 100 is the type of performance you don’t notice going by. What takes place kidnaps us completely; it transports us, shatter us. It is a precious alchemy filled with simple solutions which are at the same time extraordinary, resourceful and unforgettable. It’s the most impressive show of the festival.'
Hoje em Dia, Brazil

' Sublime. Extraordinary. An almost perfect piece of theatre'
Adelaide Advertiser (Australia)

' Spellbinding. Ecstatic. This was theatre of the highest order
'Blaze Media (Australia)

2008-04-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

100

THEMES

are we missing some kind of balance in our lives?
what changes would we make if we had a clearer sense of what was most important to us?
why does it take a near-death experience to make us re-evaluate our lives?

2008-04-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

100

The play was co-written in a devising process at the Young Vic by

acclaimed German theatre director, Christopher Heimann
award winning Brazilian film maker, Diene Petterle
British writer for theatre, television, radio and film, Neil Monaghan

2008-04-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

theimaginarybody

a collaboration of actors from diverse backgrounds fusing a range of different theatrical influences including Michael Chekhov and Jacques Lecoq
interested in creating narrative-driven drama with a focus on visual styles that reflect content in ways that stretch the boundaries between reality and fiction

2008-04-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

100

originally produced by international theatre company, theimaginarybody
premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on 01 August 2002
sold out even before the reviews came out
won Fringe First Award for 'innovation in theatre and outstanding new production'

2008-04-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

100

Director: Andy Jones
Familiarisation: Sunday 27th April at 7.00pm
Readings: Monday 28th April at 7.30pm

Journey into the void.
Stop. Look at yourself.
Reconsider all the choices you ever made.
Choose a single memory from your life.
Jettison all other memories forever.

THE CLOCK IS TICKING - YOU HAVE ONE HOUR TO DECIDE

And if you think that's rough, that's just the play. Wait til you get to rehearsals!

100 needs five brave actors to create worlds as fragile - and beautiful - as soap bubbles. Knowing that one wrong movement - one actor not quite fully connected with the image -and pfffttt, the bubble bursts.

WELCOME TO 100 -

A challenging physical piece in which an ensemble of five actors will ask how we all might live if somehow we had a clearer sense of what was essential to us. For those wary of the term 'physical theatre', a physical depiction of death without props or music may not sound all that appealing. Fortunately 100 is much, much, more than that. The heightened levels of mutual awareness, co-operation, care and humility that will be crucial to the actors in performance are, of themselves crucial elements within the meaning of the piece.

100 is celebration of life so incredibly rich, it has the potential to cause people to review and change their own way of living.

CHARACTERS:

KETU - MAN (AFRICAN VILLAGER) 25-40
SOPHIE - WOMAN (EXECUTIVE) 25-40
ALEX - MAN (MOTORCYCLE COURIER) 20-30
NIA - WOMAN (ALEX'S GIRLFRIEND) 20-30
GUIDE - MAN (MERCURIAL GATEKEEPER) 30-50

This hour-long show is based on such an engaging and fascinating idea; like Sartre’s Huis Clos, but much more interesting, this is a show that actually makes you think about your own life, pulls you up sharp. Would you have a memory worth keeping, one that is really significant? - Lyn Gardner – The Guardian.

FOR DETAILS CONTACT: asrjones@hotmail.com