Absent Theatre at Avignon Festival

Last week was a very prolific week for Absent. While previews of 'Patience' have been staged in London, our writer, Eleanor, was at the Avignon Festival with a French translation of 'Old Rabbis in the Sky' (or 'Les Vieux Rabbins Dans Le Ciel').

Read Eleanor's account below:

On a gloriously hot day myself, Cyrielle Garson and our two stunning actresses, Loren Troubat and Pauline Vermeule headed to the University of Avignon. I had been busy exploring the Festival, while the girls had been considering how to stage the reading. They decided to use the characters, by placing their names on the ground and moving between them, so that the audience was more aware the relationships between them. This was a formula of reading I was unfamiliar with, but after a little tweaking in rehearsal it worked perfectly for the script. All we had to do now was to wait for an audience!

Well we had a small turnout for the Performed Reading of ‘Old Rabbis in the Sky’ but it was an unmitigated success. The feedback and comments after the reading lasted longer than the theatre and was insightful and positive. Many commented on the high standard of the translation, the use of heightened language and how well it had been translated into the French. At the same time everyone noted how the play remained faithful to my voice and to its Englishness. There was one Parisian student, who found the play very moving, and several asked to see copies of the text in both French and English.

Needless to say after discovering not only the epic and utopian Avignon Festival, but also the very talented translator Cyrielle Garson, we are planning to return if possible next year, both Amy and I taking Absent Theatre international. All I can say is a big thank you to Cyrielle, Loren Troubat and Pauline Vermeule for all their hard work and their hospitality. It was a week not to be forgotten.

Eleanor


Stay tuned for more international Absent Theatre news coming soon.

Coming up: Patience at Bare Essentials

Absent Theatre is delighted to announce a further performance of our extract of 'Patience' in forthcoming event, Bare Essentials.

Hosted by Encompass Productions at Battersea Barge, and in collaboration with

Mixed(up) Productions, the event showcases new writing and emerging artists.

We are very excited to be included in this event. Preparations are now underway at Absent HQ for the performance at Battersea Barge on the 1st August.

Due to actor Oliver Malam's schedule, we have re-cast his role and are thrilled to welcome Ellie Morris to the team, following her performance in Spring Awakening at the Brockley Jack.

We also are delighted to welcome Ben Mills, who joins this round of rehearsals as Assistant Director.

Details of the event are available here:
http://www.facebook.com/EncompassOnline

Stayed tuned for rehearsal photos.

Rehearsal photos: Patience

A couple of photos from today's rehearsal of 'Patience'.

It's been a brief rehearsal period, but an exciting one. We've been working with actors new to Absent; Clare Langford and Oliver Malam. It's been great encountering the script as a new team and I'm looking forward to Sunday very much!

Amy

Rehearsal week: Patience

This week sees the return of Absent Theatre with a 10 minute preview of Eleanor's 2010 work 'Patience'. This marks Absent Theatre's first production of the work, though it has been staged in Lincoln and Sheffield previously.

Rehearsals begin on Thursday with a performance at the Brockley Jack scratch night on the 15th July. A whirlwind rehearsal period.

The play, a portrait of a relationship in three movements, features two actors new to Absent Theatre; Clare Langford and Oliver Malam. Having seen their work in productions of As You Like It and Spring Awakening respectively, we are very excited to begin working with them both.

Tickets are available from the Brockley Jack's website here:

http://www.brockleyjack.co.uk/brockley_jack_studio_whats_on.html


Or just come along on the 15th. The night starts at 6pm. Tickets are £7 each for a whole night of new material.

New Play: Patience

Since 'Old Rabbis in the Sky' performed to sell-out houses in March, Absent Theatre has been relatively quiet. Spring/Summer has been rather busy for us, for different reasons.



Eleanor has been working on her final submission for her MA in Writing for Performance at Goldsmiths College. 'On Beauty' had its first reading at the Soho Theatre on 6th July, produced by Ugly Sister Productions. She's now preparing to attend the Avignon Theatre Festival, France, for a reading of 'Old Rabbis in the Sky' (the readings are in both English and French).



I've been working as a stage manager (the day job) on The Great Gatsby at Wilton's Music Hall and on Spring Awakening at The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre. Both productions received excellent reviews and have been great fun to work on.



But now it is time to look towards our next production. Written by Eleanor Rodda in 2010, 'Patience' is a portrait of a relationship in three movements.



'Patience' has been staged in Sheffield, and more recently in Lincoln. This performance marks Absent Theatre's first production of the work. Our first performance is hosted by Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, as part of their scratch night on the 15th July. This is a 10 minute preview of the work, to gain audience feedback.



Tickets for Brockley Jack's night can be found via their website:
http://www.brockleyjack.co.uk/brockley_jack_studio_whats_on.html



We are then staging the full play on the 19th, 20th and 21st September at The Harrison Pub, Kings Cross. Please stay tuned for further details.


Until then,

Amy