Month: April 2025

REVIEW: It’s Nothing Personal, It’s Just Business 

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

“A critique of the systems that maintain the oppression of creativity.”

Suitable for ages 11+. 

We think of the entertainment industry as a place where creativity thrives, new ideas are celebrated, and actors are cherished for the joy they bring to the world. Kelsey Marlowe Jessup, writer and star of It’s Nothing Personal, It’s Just Business, invites us on an actor’s difficult trip down memory lane. Subverting our belief that an actor’s success is all down to natural-born talent, Jessup shows us just how tough it is for aspiring actors to fulfil their dreams. 

The title itself is genius – while a direct reference to the American character’s struggle to stay in the UK despite her extensive CV, it also exposes how devoid of individuality acting has become. Actors are told they must wear their hearts on their sleeves in every role so they can be approachable, while also required to lose themselves in their performances if they want to be worth an audience’s time. Personalities are being commodified, and Jessup’s aim with this play is to salvage the parts of HER that have been suppressed. 

Jessup delivers a palpable portrayal of bittersweet nostalgia. Though the emotion can be quite contrived at times, and the frequent pauses may make it a little difficult for some to watch, Jessup’s passion for this play can be felt throughout. She conveys her story in several ways, from soothing poetry to lighthearted comedy to crying her heart out. When she moves around the stage, it is like we are watching someone having a private, reflective moment in a room they were once familiar with! None of that is easy to convey, so kudos to Jessup for doing so. 

Clement James plays “Clem”, the play’s crew member. He appears mainly early on in the play. While it can be a little confusing to discern the story at first, if there is one – is it a comedic “play goes wrong” story about an actor and a crew member working through technical difficulties? Is it a tear-inducing nostalgia trip? – Clem’s presence is gentle and friendly, a great balance to Jessup’s intensity. He is fun to watch, for sure! 

Kudos to all involved! And here’s to those in the creative arts who fight to be creative. Acting should always be personal, never just business. 

“Nature unfolds all on its own. 

Dare to give in to it. 

Take your time.  

Follow your heart. 

This is correct. 

Everything is correct.” 

  • letter by Nikolai Demidov (quoted in the play) 

REVIEW: Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)

Published on by Claire McArthurLeave a comment

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“A regency delight brought to life.”

It is (probably) a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice is one of the most loved stories ever written. Taking over from Jane Austen, this homage from Isobel McArthur is already a hot ticket, having a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the Evening Standard Award to its name. The story is one you know – five daughters of one family in search of husbands, a highly vexed mother, a couple of handsome and rich bachelors, an elopement, and a happy ending. So far, so rom-com. 

However, a treat is awaiting us on the deceptively simple stage, with a sweeping staircase and pale walls, where a cast of just five actors is about to take on a parade of characters. In tonight’s show in Edinburgh, we had the pleasure of seeing Eleanor Kane, Rhianna McGreevy, Naomi Preston Low, Christine Steel and Isobel Donkin. Without exception, they masterfully whirled their way in and out of their roles, with mere moments between them disappearing as one character, and reappearing fully formed as their next, and coming together in a showcase of acting, singing, dancing and physical comedy skills.  

To set the scene, we’re first introduced to the servants of the Bennet family, who have a vital role in Regency match-making, with pointed inferences, snack offerings, and mildly devious machinations to achieve their aims. Such is the power of Austen’s characters and testament to the acting on display, the main characters are brought straight to life. Scenes are studded with deliciously apt songs, much to the delight of the crowd – Lizzie serenading Mr Darcy with Carly Simon’s “You’re so Vain” brought much joy, and are also used in the more tender and surprisingly emotional scenes with Charlotte Lucas. 

It was especially lovely to hear the actor’s natural speaking voices too – this is not your BBC RP clipped tone adaptation (except for Darcy, naturally). Christine Steel’s Lady Catherine de Bough could have been a venerable Morningside denizen taking umbrage in Waitrose, and the decision to have her lip sync to “Lady in Red” alongside a fawning Mr Collins (Eleanor Kane) was a particular personal favourite. Indeed, there is a pleasingly familiar Scottish humour running throughout, that I hadn’t anticipated beforehand but added a gorgeous warmth. The whip-smart asides and knowing looks neatly mirrored the original satirical tone of Austen, without becoming pantomime. 

With a plot that stayed generally faithful with the original, and key quotes generously interspersed for the aficionados, the production is made all the stronger for the addition of some of the conversations that, deep down, you might have wished the characters had had in the novel. Lizzie robustly telling Mr Collins in no uncertain terms to fuck off was rapturously received. Unorthodox, perhaps, but I think Austen would heartily approve.  

Such was the whirlwind of activity on stage “I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun..” the two acts whizzed by, to have loose ends tied up, lovers reunited, and then all it took was a moment in the spotlight for one particularly maligned Bennet sister to bring the house down. 

A combination of so many elements, above all else, this show is just really good fun, and if the raucous reception at curtain call is anything to go by, it will appeal to even the most reluctant of Austenites out there.

FEATURE: Showdown – a high-energy circus show about our obsession with winning

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Six acrobats race to become ‘the new face of circus’ in a satirical show about winning, asking questions about media and identity, tokenism, and our desire to beat the competition.

Throughout the show the audience is invited to vote for the winner, with each round delving further into the contestants ambition and seeing just how much they’ll sacrifice to come out on top. Mixing comedy and spoken word with circus skills including aerial, cyr wheel and acrobatics, the show is written by stand-up comedian Athena Kugblenu and directed by Upswing Artistic Director Vicki Dela Amedume. The production features original Hip Hop, Grime and Afrobeat music by Afrikan Boy, and a diverse cast from the UK and France.Showdown premiered in Berlin as a major commission by Chamäleon Theater and sees contemporary circus company Upswing reach new heights of skill as they approach their 15thanniversary this year.

Showdown opens at the Albany, where Vicki Dela is Creative Director, before touring for three months, including 14 performances at Norfolk and Norwich Festival in the Adnams Spiegeltent, a venue usually reserved for international headliners. The show follows on from their mockumentary Common Ground, available on YouTube, which went behind the scenes of the fictional search for a Global Majority star to rebrand circus for the 21st Century.

Upswing Artistic Director Vicki Dela Amedume said, “We’re excited to finally bring Showdown to the UK. This production has been a labour of love for the company, and to us, it represents more than just a performance—it’s a testament to the unique possibilities that arise when circus and theatre collide. It promises to be a fresh, dynamic experience: a great night out filled with incredible circus, but one that will also provoke as much thought as it does gasps. Through conversations with Athena Kugblenu and other global majority creatives, I have become really interested in how the conversation around diversity has shifted in recent years. I’m interested in the games we play and what we are willing to sacrifice to get the rewards we hope for and in the dynamics of power. Above all we are interested in making something that people lean into, that rewards them for their attention with some fabulous performance and an authentic reflection on power. Ultimately, we want the audience to leave our show feeling elated, hopeful and ready to change the world.”

Showdown is touring across the UK this spring and summer, tickets are available here.

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Jamie Saul

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Five years and nine productions after their first staging of ‘The Tempest’, award-nominated theatre company Brave Mirror return with a new version of their maiden show, and Shakespeare’s final masterpiece running from April 24 – April 26 at the Cockpit Theatre. A Youngish Perspective holds this exclusive conversation with the artistic director of Brave Mirror -Jamie Saul.

How does your adaptation of The Tempest reframe Prospero’s journey through a female lens, and what new perspectives does this bring to the narrative? 

I met Sarah, the actor who’s playing Prospero, through Directors Cut Theatre Company, which is a group of writers, actors and directors that come together to create shows and showcases. I met Sarah doing one of those shows and immediately thought she should play Prospero. 

The idea for this iteration on The Tempest had been in my head for a while, so when I met her I thought ‘yes, this works!’ and that was a really exciting moment. 

And she was really keen! She wanted to make Prospero a mother especially, which I thought was fascinating, and is probably for Sarah to talk about that rather than me. But, I loved that perspective and I loved that angle on the story because it generates so many ‘what ifs?’ What if Prospero as a parent is a mum, not a dad? What does that do? What if she’s been a single mum trapped on this island,  rather than a single father? What if she was a female political leader who was cast out of the government that she was leading rather than a male leader? What does that do? I want the show to ask these questions rather than answer them. Part of the process of staging Shakespeare plays now is trying to mine the original scripts for new things and new interesting bits and this felt like it brought something new to it. Obviously, we’re not the first people to do this, Harriet Walter was stunning as Prospero in Phyllida Lloyd’s production and that was just brilliant and beautiful and added so much to that script and that story. But I think we’re taking it in a slightly different direction.

With The Tempest: This Island being Brave Mirror’s largest project to date, how have you approached scaling up while maintaining the company’s core values of sustainability and collaboration? 

I think it’s important to acknowledge that this isn’t the largest possible version of this project, we applied a number of times for Arts Council funding and didn’t get it. We wanted to do a lot of work with sustainability and integrating The Theatre Green Book (TGB) into a small scale production and thinking about what that looks like and what that can add to the the theatre industry. What does TGB look like working in smaller scale and fringe theatre, and working with education leaders as well, to add a foundation to the start of people’s careers, thinking about sustainability. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the funding, so we’ve not been able to do that for this project, but we will for something, one day. 

All that to say, this is still our largest project to date. It’s our largest venue, it’s will hopefully *laughs* be our largest audience. And that’s felt like a really natural progression. We’ve never had to think about how are we maintaining our values of sustainability and collaboration. I don’t know how we’d work otherwise. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to collaborate during this process, and been trying to learn a lot about what it is to lead and guide a team and then launch them into a show that I’m ultimately handing over to them. It is theirs more so than it is mine. And that feels collaborative, and it feels interesting. That’s been one of the driving factors for me in this project. But I don’t think I can make something that isn’t sustainable and isn’t collaborative. Those are vital things for me, because my brain, and no one’s brain, is better than the collective brain that we all bring. We all bring our specialisms and our expertises and we as a people have to learn how to make things in a more sustainable way. Both of those things are essential.

The play explores the control leaders exert and stories they create. How does the theme resonate in today’s world, and what message do you hope audiences take away? 

Again, it’s interesting, the word message, isn’t it? I want the audience to go away talking and with loads of questions. I don’t know if I necessarily want them to go away with a message, that’s wrong. I think that this theme resonates in today’s world, just as it did 400 years ago, when Shakespeare wrote this for the first time. There are always leaders who are trying to tell a story. I, as the leader of this process am trying to tell a story to the people involved. I’m trying to tell you a story now as I’m answering these questions. And that’s not to compare myself to Prospero, or the great figures of politics. What I’m trying to say is everyone at every level of their lives, I think is telling a story. 
Prospero is doing that in quite a macro way, I suppose, but also in quite a micro way. It’s all about her life and how she’s been wronged and what happened to her. There’s a tension between the macro and the micro of that. She was a great political figure in Milan where she was removed from, and as the leader, she had consequence and agency over people. We’re trying to ask whether that rings true of people now. The person we’ve been talking about, maybe this is obvious and boring, but it’s true, is Trump. I sort of hate that we’ve talked about him a lot, but we have. He’s very good at telling a big story. I think we need to acknowledge that he’s good at that, whether we like him or not. *laughs* I don’t, we don’t, I think that’s important to make clear. He’s good at that storytelling and he’s done what Prospero does. He inspired an insurrection in 2021 and then he was cast off into the wilderness and he came back. That’s what Prospero does. You don’t have the micro so much with him – we don’t see the dynamics of his family and all of that. Trump as a person I think resonates loads with Prospero, but we’re trying to make Prospero more of a human figure. That’s why we’re thinking about her as a mother and her personal relationships with other people that extend beyond the political versions of those relationships. We only think of Trump as a father with his children when they are being political figures. I think that’s why something like Succession is so interesting, because you see the personal and the private as well as the large, macro-scale, public, and that’s what we’re trying to do.

What challenges did you face in blending Shakespeare’s original text with new elements of magic, music and interrogation of power? 

None of those are new, they’re all there! We’ve not brought that much new to it *laughs* – you can’t, can you? It’s all brilliant. Shakespeare gives you all these brilliant tools, ideas, things, and all these alleyways that you don’t know where they lead. Then you have to find the ending to them, or certainly the next step of them. That’s the brilliance of working with something that’s so storied and such a brilliant story. We have majorly cut the text – I keep saying to people, it’s a 90-minute joyride through this brilliant story. It’s a cut down and condensed version with a few changes and a few surprises. So the challenge has been honouring the original text while trying to create something completely new. And that has been a challenge. We’ve R&D’d it and developed it, it’s been mulling in my brain and other people’s brains for a couple of years now, so we’ve been trying to work out what that is and how to best serve The Story that Shakespeare gave us, while also creating our own story.

As a returning production five years after your first version of The Tempest, how has your vision evolved and what creative risks have you taken this time? 

It’s got loads bigger and that’s probably been a pain for a lot of people involved but also, I think that’s what you’ve got to do! We’re working at the edges of what we can with our budget and our knowledge and our expertise and our creativity and all of that. And that’s hugely exciting. That is why we do what we do, and continue to do so – to challenge ourselves and find the joy in that. 

How is the vision evolved? Weirdly, the vision is similar I think. What has changed is that I’ve learnt more about how I wanted to tell this story. This is probably how I wanted to tell the story five years ago, but I didn’t know how to do that then.

And I, you know I’m always struck by this, I know what I think about it now, and I knew what I thought about it five years ago. Neither of them are right – they’re just true at the time, aren’t they? I guess that’s why theatre is brilliant, cause it’s only true at the time and only exists at the time.

Something that is different is that we’ve not cast an actor to play Ariel – so you can come and see how we play with that character within this version. We’ve been thinking a lot about these characters that exist on the island with Prospero, the less defined characters maybe you’d say. So that’s Ariel, and Caliban as well. With Caliban, we’ve been thinking about the modern definition of a monster. In this version of the play, one that’s thinking about theatricality, performance and storytelling, how does a monster sit within that? And maybe it’s just a man?

How do you balance honouring Shakespeare’s text while making space for Brave Mirror’s signature style and contemporary voice? 

With the intention of care, maybe you won’t think there has been much *laughs*. But there’s been the intention of it, definitely. I’ve chopped it up, loads, which I think is hopefully exciting and keeps you guessing, not knowing exactly what’s next. I was really inspired by The Other Place, which was on at The National Theatre last year, which I think was brilliant and it did loads of new things to Antigone while honouring what it was, and saying ‘this is what it was then’ and ‘this is what it can be now.’ I was really inspired by that. We’ve not changed the language from Shakespeare’s text, and that was a question we started with – we thought we might do that, but we haven’t ended up doing so.

I think a lot of my work was just figuring out what the big things it’s saying are and then thinking about how we want to articulate that. I think it’s really easy to get bogged down in the academia of a project, especially with a Shakespeare project and especially a renewal of the Shakespeare. It’s really easy to be thinking about the themes and all the beautiful language and analysing it all. I’ve had to be quite harsh with the actors, about that and asking them to divorce themselves from that expectation and impulse. I think sometimes we use that and twist ourselves up in knots a little bit, it’s sort of too big for us to hold all of the things that Shakespeare’s doing and all of the different potentials in it, all those brilliant alleys that lead to places that you could go. You’ve got to pick a couple. So we’ve been trying to think about what’s the best story that we can invite people to come and watch for 90-minutes of their day, for £17 or £13, what does that look like?

For tickets and more info about the production, please visit https://tickets.thecockpit.org.uk/sales/shows/the-tempest-this-island

REVIEW: The Rocky Horror Show

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Sexy, slick and silly; an all-round success!

The auditorium shivered with antici…pation as the cast of The Rocky Horror Show tour 2024/25 took to the stage of Oxford’s New Theatre. From the first spotlight beam on Natasha Hoeberig, the audience was rapt. Hoeberig gave her all to every second, tackling a tricky dual-role as Usherette and Magenta, as did every member of the company throughout this boundlessly energetic production. This energy saturated all aspects of production, from the excellent set to the dynamic lighting choices and the consistent skill of the band (sat visibly above the stage). 

We were swept into the world of Transsexual by a dazzling Adam Strong, performing the role of Dr Frankenfurter with an inspired originality. Tim Curry’s definitive original performance in this iconic role has held back many a ‘Frank’ from reaching such heights. Many moments had the audience a-giggle; Rocky (Morgan Jackson) embodied his role with a unique playfulness and the central couple, Brad and Janet (Connor Carson and Lauren Chia), conquered stereotypical characters with an eye-catching charm. They drew the audience’s attention throughout, an impressive feat when viewed beside many flashier characters. The vocal and physical stamina of the whole cast was spectacular, and very well received by the teeming crowd. Audience members were hot on the call-outs, which were cleverly received and rebutted by Jackie Clune’s narrator, stunning us with eloquent ad-libs and risky references.

Christopher Luscombe made some fabulous directorial choices; entrances and exits were endlessly surprising and staging effortlessly slick. Nathan Wright’s choreography was outstanding, masterfully pinpointing the focus of every moment and filling the room with spirit. The second act held us just as suspended as the first, and we were all too ready to jump on our feet and dance at every opportunity. A charming Joyce-lee Zanoncelli, playing Columbia, brought a cutesy elegance to her role, with endless energy and some very impressive moves. Every performer inhabited their role with accuracy, focus and pizzazz from their first entrances to their final poses. Job Greuter’s Riff Raff was an instant hit, glowing from a window ‘over in the Frankenstein place’. Both he and Hoeberig, the sibling duo, shone even from the sidelines in every scene. 

Such an iconic musical is inevitably difficult to attack with such imagination and yet this performance is hard to fault! It was an all-round success and an undoubtedly fantastic night out for the glam rockers of Oxford who had all turned up in their best lingerie!

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Arran Kirby

Published on by Tabitha JamesLeave a comment

We sat down for an exclusive interview with Arran Kirby, part of the community cast taking part in National Theatre’s Public Record. Featuring music from The Futureheads’ Ross Millard, an incredible line up of local legends from Sunderland’s music scene, professional dancers and community groups, this explosive new show from Public Acts brings together a cast of over a hundred people of all ages to lift the roof off The Fire Station with the sound of Sunderland.

Arran Kirby, 23, recent graduate, lives in Sunderland, member of Atlas Theatre Company CIC.

  1. If you could describe the sound of Sunderland in three words, what would they be?

Its difficult to find just three words, but the first ones that come to my mind are:

Banter, Merriment, and of course, Seagulls. 

2.     What’s been your favorite moment in rehearsals so far – any unexpected surprises or funny mishaps?

Probably when we first rehearsed the scene After Dark.  None of us knew what was going to happen going into it, but immediately the vibe in the room was electric.  I could feel the joy radiating from everyone else I was dancing with, which in turn made me go even more all out.  I also loved getting to meet Harry, our oldest company member, and hearing him sing Pure Imagination, that felt really magical.

3.     If you could add one dream song to the show’s playlist, what would it be and why?

I would love to add Leading Away by The Outtakes.  They’re a really awesome local New Wave band who’ve played in a few local venues over the last few years like Indie, and given how much of a light this show shines on local artists, it would have been awesome to see them make an appearance.

4.     Imagine you’re making your own record about your life – what’s the title and the first track?

I suppose I’d have to call it A Series of Severe Mishaps, that about sums up my life!  As for the first track, the first song that comes to my mind is Dizzy by Tommy Roe.  One of my earliest memories is asking my dad to play it, plus I feel like my head’s all over the place in general!

5.     If you could perform on stage with any music legend, past or present, who would it be and what song would you sing together?

Now, that’s a tough one, but I’d probably have to go for Hayley Williams from Paramore.  I’ve been to one of her concerts before, and her energy and stage presence is phenomenal!

IN CONVERSATION WITH: Kirk Dunn

Published on by Tabitha JamesLeave a comment

We sat down with Canadian Kirk Dunn for an exclusive interview before his one-man show comes to the UK in May. 15-years in the making this show explores how his creative and spiritual marathon (creating three huge, knitted panels, designed in the style of stained-glass windows) highlighted to him commonalities and conflicts between the Abrahamic Faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

1. What was the moment that first sparked the idea of knitting these cathedral-sized stained-glass windows, and did you ever imagine it would become a 15-year journey?

    I was looking for a project to take my knitting to the next level—I had been told that knitting sweaters, or gloves, or hats was not really important in the fine art world, and that if I wanted to do be considered as a textile artist, I needed to graduate to some sort of installation artwork. 

    I had always admired the colour of stained-glass windows—I was drawn to their rich blues, reds, yellows and greens. Growing up as a Preacher’s Kid (the son of a Presbyterian minister), I spent a lot of time around stained glass. I also liked that the images of the windows were used to tell stories and communicate ideas. At that time, the 9/11 attacks were still recent, and there was a great deal of religious conflict, and interfaith dialogue seemed to me to be sorely lacking. I had always wondered why these the three Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—had such trouble getting along, because they all come from the same root, and they’re all saying much the same thing. 

    It occurred to me that I could use this project to not only further my exploration of what it means to be a fibre artist, but to explore a theme that had been of interest to me my whole life—the commonalities and the conflicts between the three Abrahamic Faiths—and to delve into the question, why can’t we get along?

    I had no idea how long the project would take. I told the Arts Council it would be one month to design the three tapestries, and then three months to knit each one: so, ten months in all. Of course, it took me 15 years. 

    2. As you worked on this project, how did your understanding of the common threads between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam evolve?

    I had always known that the three faiths were quite similar, but I still wanted to know the specifics.  So I did a lot of research, I read a lot of books, and I consulted with many faith leaders. And there were definitely a few ‘aha!’ moments for me,

    One was learning that the golden rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you), which I had been taught was the essence of the Christian faith, was originally attributed to Rabbi Hillel, who lived a century before Jesus. If Rabbi Hillel offered that as an essential distillation of Judaism, and if I was taught that it was best sound byte to describe Christianity, what did that tell me about the relationship between the two faiths?

    In studying Islam, I discovered that Islam is based on five pillars: The Profession of Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fasting, and Pilgrimage. It occurred to me that those were all pillars of Judaism and Christianity as well. This common ground was such an obvious link between the three faiths that I was deeply embarrassed that I had not heard of it before.

    I also loved the Judaic tradition of questioning or struggling with one’s faith. And I felt that much of Christianity (conservative or right-wing Christianity in particular) could learn from that approach. I am afraid that so many modern Christians see their faith as a monolith—as something that has always been the way it is now, as something that hasn’t developed and is not developing, or reforming, or changing. Or, they may trying to turn it back into something that it never was: some golden age of perfection that never actually existed. So, I really appreciate the Jewish tradition of questioning: of looking at what we are doing now, and how one is being in the world, and evaluating it again and again and again. And it seems to me that if we do that, we have the constant opportunity to course-correct and respond to what is changing in the world around us. Sadly, I think very few of us actually do this. 

    3. Knitting is often seen as a quiet, personal act—what has it been like to transform it into something so public and deeply meaningful?

    When I started knitting, some people expressed surprise that a young man (I think I was 24 at the time) would be caught dead knitting. They thought I’d be teased or mocked for it. But I enjoyed knitting, and I had a lot of free time in public in fairly public places. Being an actor, I would be at rehearsals or auditions, just sitting around, so I’d pull out my knitting and get to work on it, and I always received positive reinforcement. People were interested in what I was knitting and appreciated what I was doing. So, in addition to it being a contemplative thing that I enjoyed doing in private on my own, it was also something I did in public, and happily so. No one in my circles judged me for it. And it turned out—at least to my knowledge—that others haven’t judged me for it either. I knit on public transportation, at the theatre, while in long meetings, on airplanes. Usually, people are fascinated. I think they haven’t seen complicated, intricate knitting like mine, too—so that’s curious to them, too. 

    I’ve also realized that knitting, as a part of the larger art form of textiles, is ubiquitous in our society. Textiles are incredibly important and yet unnoticed. They are like the water we swim in, or the air we breathe—we don’t see them. Everyone wears clothes, everyone has a personal sense of style (whether they admit it or not), and knitting often factors in there somewhere. 

    It’s also an activity that our loved ones engage in to make things for us. We have sweaters or garments that were made by a family member with love and care and have great sentimental value. There’s an inherent emotional power in in knitting. And that makes it an ideal vehicle to convey an important message. Knitting is not threatening—it’s accessible, soft, warm, and comforting, and so it can be a way of addressing something that otherwise might be upsetting or jarring or intimidating. 

    That was one of the reasons I felt it could support the message of The Knitting Pilgrim: while all three faiths are in conflict at times, and all three faiths are invariably flawed (because they are created by humans, and we humans are flawed), nonetheless, Judaism, Christianity and Islam share the common ground of seeking the divine in the world, in ourselves, and in each other. And if we engage that search for the divine from any of those perspectives, it could be said that we are so from all of them. 

    Following performances of The Knitting Pilgrim, the audience is invited to get up-close and personal with the tapestries, and take a look at the ideas and narratives expressed by the images within them. Time and again, I am thrilled that the conversations I hear around me are all about empathy and understanding, proving to me that the knitting can, in fact, provide a gateway to important and relevant conversations about how we should be treating each other. That is incredibly rewarding for me.

    4. What’s been the most surprising or moving reaction you’ve had from someone who has seen The Knitting Pilgrim?

    By the time we finally premiered the show, I had been living with the tapestries for 15 years and I was pretty tired of them. I had come to think of them as an albatross around my neck—a commitment I couldn’t seem to complete, a source of frustration and shame. But at the end of the show, I reveal the tapestries by pulling down the large projection screens that cover them for the entire performance. And I am shocked by the impact that moment has on the audience. People tell me that in that they are so overwhelmed that they cannot move. Some have told me that they just sit and weep. I was completely unprepared for that reaction. And I am still amazed by it.

    I’ve also had non-knitters be moved by the show. They’ve approached me after the show and said things like, I’m trying to finish my PhD in Biology—and I felt this show was entirely written for me. Or, I’ve been wondering all the same questions you asked in this show, and I’m just so glad I came. 

    The other very surprising thing that my wife Claire and I have been told time and time again after the lights come on (Claire was my co-writer and is my co-producer—and is also a big part of the story of the show) is that people feel the show is not just about knitting, but that it is, in a way, a love story. Neither she nor I had seen that aspect of it when we were writing it. I think we were just too close to it. 

    5. If you could sit down and knit with anyone from history, who would it be and what would you talk about?

    Just one person? You couldn’t give me three? If I could get three, I’d choose one from each Abrahamic faith: Rabbi Hillel, Jesus, and Mohammed. 

    But, since I need to pare it down to one, I would choose Rabbi Hillel. And I would talk to him about his three questions: 

    If am not for myself, then who is for me?

    If I am only for myself, then what am I?

    If not now, when?

    I had never heard of those questions until I began to research the Judaic window. And (full transparency) I find questions one and three to be a huge challenge. I am not good at sticking up for (or taking care of) myself, and I am a classic procrastinator. Those two questions hit me right between the eyes, and I have struggled with them ever since. (To be fair, I’ve been struggling with them all my life, but Hillel’s direct posing of them brought them into focus). 

    I would dearly love the chance to sit down with the Rabbi get some advice about how to act upon the answers to those questions. 

    Although now that I think about it, being a good Rabbi, he would probably just turn my questions right back at me and make me figure it out for myself. 

    6. How do you see knitting as a tool for social connection and change?

    Knitting, as a craft, works well as a vehicle for craftivism. Craftivism is a form of activism that uses handmade crafts (knitting, embroidery, needlepoint, to name a few) to raise awareness and advocate for social and political change. It is sometimes described as a “gentle protest,” to a large extent because we associate crafts with positive, hands-on, functional, and intentionally caring acts of creation. 

    I talked above about knitting being accessible and non-threatening. Its disarming charm and coziness make it an ideal medium to sneak a subversive message past the rigid defenses of the staid status-quo. 

    For example, in 2022, I crocheted a huge rainbow tree “sweater” (sometimes called a “yarn bomb”) to wrap around an enormous maple tree on edge of the property of Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church in Toronto (my church). The tree was 12 feet in circumference, and the wrap was about 14 feet high. We installed it to celebrate Pride month, and there was a wonderful reaction from the community. People honked their horns in approval as they drove by while we were setting it up. Strangers would stop, get out of their cars, and take selfies in front of the tree. But apparently, someone didn’t approve of the rainbow and what it represented, because a few weeks later it was found torn off the tree and on the sidewalk. 

    I repaired it and put it up again the next year. This time, it didn’t last 24 hours. And this time, whoever tore it down stole it as well. It was nowhere to be found. 

    There was no way I was going to give up expressing our support and love for the LGTBQ community. So, in the spring of 2024, I decided to put up another installation—only this one had to be even bigger, and also out of the reach of unhelpful hands. I put out the word that we were looking for knitted (or crocheted) 6-inch squares in every hue and colour. We would assemble whatever we received into a patchwork Pride flag and hang it from somewhere up high. I thought we would get just over a hundred squares, and designed a flag that would use 144 of them. Turns out, the project went viral, and we received over 1000 squares from across Canada and even into the United States. I had to keep redesigning the flag to deal with the extra squares, which was a really wonderful problem to have. A whole bunch of volunteers showed up to sew together the squares, apply a huge backing, and assemble the giant installation. The resulting Pride flag was 22.5 feet long, and 12 feet wide. We hung it from the bell tower of the church, where the entire neighbourhood could see it, but no one could reach it. 

    The Patchwork Pride flag was a huge hit. The neighbourhood loved it. People thanked us for our perseverance, and for our ability to find an inclusive, positive, out-of-the-box answer to the destructiveness of those who tore down the original yarn bomb. When they went low, we went high. And there is a delicious irony to the fact that something as soft and unassuming as knitting can make a statement that has the power to annoy and confound destructive vandals. 

    I’m so excited that the Patchwork Pride flag has been invited by the Canadian High Commission in the UK to hang from the face of Canada House in Trafalgar Square for Pride month, June, 2025. The piece is doing what craftivism does best: advocating for social change in a surprising, disarming, and charming way. 

    REVIEW: Music for the Quarter-Life Crisis

    Published on by lydiaakennyLeave a comment

    Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

    Strong performances shone through a programme that lacked cohesion and depth.

    Temporal Harmonies Inc. brought a bold but uneven programme of new music to Wigmore Hall, curated by Zygmund de Somogyi as part of the RPS 2025 Composers Programme. Trio Temporal Harmonies Inc. presented a programme of music written entirely within the ensemble’s lifetime. While the idea promised freshness and relevance, the programming ultimately lacked cohesion and emotional depth. Nevertheless, the concert offered moments of brilliance, particularly through its performers.

    The concert began on uncertain footing with the premiere of de Somogyi’s ‘music for the quarter-life crisis (synth étude)’. Designed to reflect the existential malaise of modern youth, the piece unfolded in brash, electronic textures and lyrics that felt more grating than profound. It came across as crude, both in its sound palette and in its somewhat forced concept, though it was boldly performed by Xiaowen Shang. Although it was an audacious opening, it didn’t invite the listener in — rather, it felt like a statement piece that lacked the nuance to truly resonate.

    Thankfully, the mood shifted towards Ashkan Layegh’s more nuanced duet, a piece which was beautifully written and performed, and Lowell Liebermann’s Trio No. 2, which gave the trio their first opportunity to demonstrate their remarkable synergy and technical control. The music, rich in gesture and energy, brought a sense of classical continuity to the programme — a welcome contrast after the opener’s stark electronic abstraction.

    Then came the undisputed highlight of the afternoon: Caroline Shaw’s ‘In manus tuas’. In this solo cello work, Mikolaj Piszczorowicz gave a performance of rare intimacy and poise. His tone was warm, centered, and expressive, finding both the spiritual stillness and quiet drama embedded in Shaw’s writing. Every phrase felt deeply considered yet effortlessly natural. Piszczorowicz’s ability to balance vulnerability and control was truly remarkable, and this moment alone elevated the entire programme.

    Kaija Saariaho’s ‘Mirrors’ followed, its fragile shimmer and glassy textures offering a meditative palette before the final work of the programme was another premiere by de Somogyi: IN THE EVENT THAT YOU STAY: Trio for flute, cello, and piano, no. 1. Unlike the earlier étude, this piece revealed a far more lyrical and refined side of the composer. The trio delivered a thoughtful, often moving performance, drawing out the work’s melodic tenderness and understated drama. It was a satisfying conclusion, offering beauty where the concert began with provocation.

     Still, the overall curation felt scattered. The guiding idea — to present works written during the ensemble’s lifetime — was novel, but it wasn’t enough to unify the programme in a meaningful way. The transitions between pieces were often abrupt, and the emotional arc never fully formed. Combined with the concert’s overrunning of the advertised length, the result was an experience that occasionally lost its sense of purpose.

    Yet despite these shortcomings, the quality of the playing made the event memorable. With more careful programming, this concept has strong potential. Contemporary music needs champions like this trio, but it also needs context and clarity to connect with its audience. This concert had the right ideas; it just needed a stronger curatorial hand to bring them into focus.

    Pic copyright Phil Tragen 2023

    IN CONVERSATION WITH: Mike Tweddle

    Published on by Ke MengLeave a comment

    Next week, Oxford Playhouse and Out of Chaos bring a bold new of Macbeth to the
    stage, featuring just two award-winning actors who play over twenty roles.
     
    The production is directed by Mike Tweddle, the Artistic Director and CEO of Oxford
    Playhouse, who co-founded Out of Chaos seventeen years ago. Before the production’s
    run at The Playhouse, we spoke with Mike, who told us more about what to expect from this fresh take on Shakespeare’s tragedy.

    Macbeth comes to Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday 29 April to Thursday 1 May. What can you tell us about the show? 

    It’s a unique version of Macbeth, with only two actors energetically playing 20 roles! However, I believe it’s also a faithful rendition of what is – in my opinion – Shakespeare’s most dramatic play. 

    What can you tell us about the inception and development process of this particular production of Macbeth?

    We wanted to find a way to tour a great Shakespeare text to theatres and audiences of all sizes, in a very portable way. Hence there are just two actors, two props and no set in this production! All of the settings and atmospheres that we create are achieved through inventive performance, lighting and sound. In my view, one of the best things about theatre is that it can happen anywhere, and we wanted to create something that embraced this. 

    What makes this production of Macbeth different from previous versions of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy? 

    A key desire for us was to really include the audience in the action. This is essential with only two performers on stage, so the actors are constantly talking to the audience and giving them a range of identities throughout the play. This, I hope, invites the audience into a deeper understanding and experience of the story. 

    How did you approach the challenge of having just two actors portray multiple of Shakespeare’s characters? 

    The actors work very hard at this sometimes! There is one scene in particular, after King Duncan has been murdered when ten characters all converge on the same scene in a flurry of panic and suspicion. Paul and Hannah, our incredible actors, train for this scene as if they’re preparing for a 10k run! Given there is no time for costume changes in this production, we use character names and other verbal signposting, as well as vocal and physical distinctions, to ensure that the audience can follow who’s being who at all times! 

    It looks like this production strays from the typical setting of Macbeth, what can you tell us about the design of the show? 

    We have worked closely with lighting designer Ashley Bale and Sound Designer/Composer Matt Eaton to create landscapes and environments for each scene, full of atmosphere and energy, using only lighting and sound on an otherwise bare stage. This has enabled us to tour the show internationally and to adapt to an enormous range of performance spaces. 

    Macbeth has been touring the country and has entertained thousands of young people so far, why is reaching this audience so significant? 

    Macbeth is a heightened exploration of the dilemmas we all face in our lives, and young people are no exception. Is it right to remain loyal to someone, even if you believe you might create a better world by betraying that loyalty? Should we follow our superstitions or beliefs, even when they lead us down a dangerous path? Should we take the time to think and consider all options, before we make a life-changing decision? Shakespeare explores such questions with great insight and power, and yet his language is inaccessible when you see it on the page. We hope to be able to improve familiarity and confidence towards Shakespeare for young people who see this piece.  

    What do you hope the audience will take away from this performance of Macbeth? 

    The brilliance of this play is that you can interpret many messages from it, depending on who you are and what you’re working through in your life. So I don’t want to second guess its message for anyone! However, I hope that audiences will take away a sense of excitement about the potential of Shakespeare’s language, and of theatre as an artform, to thrill and shed new light. 

    For tickets and info, please visit https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/macbeth

    IN CONVERSATION WITH: Briony Martha and Zak Reay-Barry

    Published on by Claire McArthur2 Comments

    It’s still early in the year to award prizes for most intriguing play title, but Briony Martha and Zak Reay-Barry’s “Do Astronauts Masturbate in Space?” must be a contender. We met with them to find out more about it. 

    Hailing from Greenock and Cumbria respectively, Briony Martha and Zak Reay-Barry have studied and worked in the UK and France, before meeting whilst doing a play in Paris in 2021, and immediately becoming friends. After working together in various projects, “Do Astronauts Masturbate in Space?” (aka “DAMIS?”) is their first joint writing venture, premiering at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

    What can you tell us about “DAMIS?”

    Briony: “DAMIS?” is a dystopian dark comedy, set in a very bonkers Britain where due to overpopulation, everyone now needs a licence, or a “Stork Card” to have kids. 

    We play Lily and Gareth, a young couple who accidentally fall pregnant and need to attend a one-week ‘Retreat’ where their capacity as potential caregivers and their love for each other is put to the test. If they fail the retreat Lily will be forced to terminate the pregnancy, so the stakes are high. The play is a real firecracker that swings between absurdist comedy and a very human drama about a loving couple being pulled apart by their own Government. Think ‘Gavin & Stacey’ meets ‘1984’.

    Can you share a little about what inspired this topic?

    Zak: I first had the idea a few years ago when my Dad was refused an insurance claim after an accident because he’d been prescribed antidepressants (which he didn’t even end up taking) when he was a much younger man. It stuck in my mind this idea of your vulnerability and past being used against you later on. At the same time I was reading “The Body Keeps The Score” by Bessel van der Kolk, and the consequences of developmental trauma, the stigma it has in society even today and the impact it has later on when you yourself become a parent. This sparked the question – ‘should some people not have kids? and if so, who decides that? What would that mean for women and abortion rights? What would that world look like if the state controlled who could and who couldn’t become a parent?’ I started a draft but immediately felt I wasn’t qualified enough to write this story so I called Briony, who seemed like the obvious choice given her talent and intelligence to come on-board and tell this story with me. 

    Briony: I was really interested in coming on-board because the idea felt really interesting to explore as a play. It also felt extremely relevant given the state of the world today. I think the most terrifying aspect of the play is that it’s set in a dystopian world that doesn’t actually feel too far away, despite how absurd it is at times. It’s a story that talks a lot about women’s reproductive rights, mental health and State oppression, and I believe that this is an important story to be told on stage.

    Everyone will want to know more about this title – how many did you discuss before choosing this one? Any notable ones you rejected?

    Briony: So, we actually went through loads of potential titles but funnily enough this was the first title idea we had. We knew we loved it but we were just a bit… nervous? I mean, it is a bit out there, isn’t it? We went through a few “tamer” alternatives…we had ‘The Retreat’ ‘The Elder Tree’ ‘Stork Card’, trying to link the title to the themes of the play, but nothing really spoke to us like DAMIS did. So in the end we trusted our guts and went with ‘Do Astronauts Masturbate in Space?’ and it wasn’t until we had our meeting with Greenside (where the play will premiere at the Fringe) that Tara, the artistic director, told us we had one of the best titles she’d ever seen. It was then we realised we had something which people could really latch onto. 

    Zak: Without spoiling it, it’s a very important line in the play! Come and see the play and you’ll see what we mean, there’s a method to our madness.

    As early career artists, what has the creation process been like so far? Has anyone in particular helped you along the way?

    Briony: Oh, we still can’t believe so many have reacted so wonderfully to our little story and come on-board to help us. 

    We’d love to give huge shout outs to our lovely director Nathalie Alisson, our stage manager Ruben Sparks and our producer Kevan Salahkar who believed in us right from the beginning and our other producer Camille Dreyfuss who keeps us sane as we muddle through the production side of this play. Two other wonderful people we’d also like to thank are Mirren Wilson and Shelley Middler, both brilliant playwrights and actors, for their wisdom, support and pure friendship. 

    Zak: Also just all the people who helped with the production of the play, the poster, to everyone who has shown unbelievable support on our Crowdfunder. 

    As far as the creation process is concerned, it’s actually been absolute bliss. It’s so funny we’ve never actually talked about this together, we’ve been so full on with producing the play we haven’t actually had the time to stop and think. 

    Briony and I are almost always on the same page. We’re very good at listening to each other, we often agree on where the story needs to go. I’ll often have an idea and before I can message her via WhatsApp to explain what it is she’s already proposed the same idea to me. 

    Briony: Totally. We like to say we share the same brain cell. It helps as well that we both have the same sense of humour. We both encourage each other in following through on our wacky ideas, it’s a very safe space for us to try out stuff and follow whatever impulse comes. There’s a lot of trust and it’s really nice knowing you have someone who’ll support you in exploring your ideas, even if they’re not fully formed yet. 

    Zak: We are also not afraid to tell each other how we feel, which is super nice. We don’t hide anything.

    Briony: No, like, I know I can tell Zak whether I’m not sure about an idea, or when he says “I think we can cut that” I’m not devastated by it. But I’m learning a lot about being a producer. I had a lot of respect for producers before but wow man, since doing this play it’s really opened my eyes.

    Zak: Like wow. It’s been crazy. It’s been quite transformative for me personally. I haven’t been so invested in a project as much as this one.

    What challenges have you faced getting to this stage in the creative process?

    Zak: For the amount of work that we have done, I would still give anything just to have more time. Because when I work Briony’s off and when I’m off work, she’s working so we are in this constant struggle to find a time where we can just focus on the play. 

    Briony: This whole process has been incredibly eye-opening:  the development of a play, the marketing, managing people’s availability…

    Zak: We spoke about this the other day, there’s always something that needs our attention concerning the production of the play. Like we’ve been working on it since October last year and there hasn’t been a single day we haven’t either texted or called. It’s been a crazy ride and we’re only halfway there.

    Do you have any tips for aspiring writers/performers/artists wanting to follow in your footsteps?

    Zak: Honestly, we’re not sure if we are the ones to give advice cause we’re still figuring it out ourselves but if you’re called to write something, if you have an idea or if you want to try something just give yourself the license to explore it. Allow yourself to write something without judging whether it’s good or not, that’s not what’s important, what matters is doing it, getting it out into the world. It’s scary but that’s a good sign, it means it matters to you and no matter how hard it is, no matter how many times you get rejected or you fail – own it and keep going. It is a very brutal, competitive world but what’s the alternative? If you have a voice that needs expressing just remember that no matter how tough it is, there’s someone out there who needs to hear what you have to say.

    Want a sneak peak of “DAMIS?”

    There will be a rehearsed reading at The Wee Red Door, at 7pm on 28th April: https://fienta.com/do-astronauts-masturbate-in-space-rehearsed-reading 

    Want to see “DAMIS?” at Edinburgh Festival Fringe? “DAMIS?” is showing at 19:50 from 1 – 23 August 2025, at venue 16 (Willow Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court). Tickets are available now:  https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/do-astronauts-masturbate-in-space