Have you booked your tickets yet?
18 / 19 October @ 9.30pm at The London Horror Festival [The Old Red Lion Theatre]
www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk
31 October - 4 November @ 9.30pm & 5 November @ 8.30pm at The Etcetera Theatre
www.etceteratheatre.com
Jack Studio Theatre - Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill - An Interview with Harriet Main
To bring Masque Of The Red Death & The Fall Of The House Of Usher to life who better than Harriet Main?
Despite the hectic schedule she answered some of our questions...
Taking a well-deserved holiday to Morocco with Mum!
The Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill runs at Jack Studio Theatre 6 - 24 June 2017 at 7.45pm
Despite the hectic schedule she answered some of our questions...
What drew you to the project?
The opportunity to be part of the creative process in helping to devise the shows and develop our own characters.
What were you working on before?
I was covering an old acting job, working on a site-specific piece of theatre wearing a Georgian dress and a wig.
What is your role in the shows & how difficult is it juggling two very different styles?
In Masque Of The Red Death I play Lady Stephanie and in The Fall Of The House Of Usher I play Ceclia Usher. I actually haven't found it too
difficult juggling the two styles as we have a different director for
each piece and it is therefore easy to separate the two and put aside
one show when the other director walks into the room.
Who is your favourite character?
Please don't make me choose! I love Cecilia for her playfulness, but I love how Stephanie takes you by surprise in her strength and grit (she's a lot more powerful than she appears!)
Please don't make me choose! I love Cecilia for her playfulness, but I love how Stephanie takes you by surprise in her strength and grit (she's a lot more powerful than she appears!)
Which of the shows is your personal favourite and why?
What are you up to next?
Probably Masque Of The Red Death because there are so many layers and
subtleties to the characters that we have worked on, making them very
satisfying to play. I've also really enjoyed working on the choreography that Omar has included.
Taking a well-deserved holiday to Morocco with Mum!
The Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill runs at Jack Studio Theatre 6 - 24 June 2017 at 7.45pm
Jack Studio Theatre - Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill - An Interview with Nell Hardy
Wonderfully talented actress Nell Hardy is currently hard at work bringing Masque Of The Red Death & The Fall Of The House Of Usher to life.
She took a break to answer some questions for us...
What drew you to the project?
I did a Hallowe'en show last year that took inspiration from another Poe
story and I fell morbidly in love with the world his language creates -
so when I saw flyers for this around the Brockley Jack while I was
performing in 'Macbeth' here in June, I was really keen to come back to
this lovely theatre and bring him to life again.
What were you working on before?
I was performing in 'Macbeth' right here at the Brockley Jack until days
before the audition for this! I was also wrapping up a show I directed
for my company of young actors of 16-19 at Jacksons Lane in Highgate.
What is your role in the shows & how difficult is it juggling two very different styles?
In 'Masque' I play Duchess Boleville, a man who dresses as a woman and
is in love with Norelle, the army commander. In 'Usher' I play Madeline
Usher, the sister of the main character who shares a family curse with
him but is trying her hardest, against his wishes, to live a life
independent of it
I don't think they are stylistically that different - thematically, narratively, yes, but Poe's world is very distinctive. They're very different characters and the through-line of each requires very different approaches, but I think the important thing is to stay true to playing the real people in the script rather than trying to 'be gothic'. Poe's style is profound enough to come through without being laboured: our job as actors is to tell the stories.
I don't think they are stylistically that different - thematically, narratively, yes, but Poe's world is very distinctive. They're very different characters and the through-line of each requires very different approaches, but I think the important thing is to stay true to playing the real people in the script rather than trying to 'be gothic'. Poe's style is profound enough to come through without being laboured: our job as actors is to tell the stories.
Who is your favourite character?
I identify most with Madeline. But I also have a massive soft spot for Bristol! Honestly I don't 'like' anyone in 'Masque', but I kind of think that's the point!
I identify most with Madeline. But I also have a massive soft spot for Bristol! Honestly I don't 'like' anyone in 'Masque', but I kind of think that's the point!
Which of the shows is your personal favourite and why?
I prefer 'Usher' as a story because I love an intimate family drama, but I love what both of our directors have done with our scripts equally so I really couldn't pick. Luckily, we do both each night, so you don't have to pick either!
What are you up to next?I prefer 'Usher' as a story because I love an intimate family drama, but I love what both of our directors have done with our scripts equally so I really couldn't pick. Luckily, we do both each night, so you don't have to pick either!
I'll be starting rehearsals soon to play Hansel in Pandemonium Performance Company's adaptation of some of 'Grimm's Fairy Tales', which will take place in Abney Park from 12-30th July. It's an outdoor promenade show, I did two of them with that company last year and both were awesome so I'm looking forward to it!
The Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill runs at Jack Studio Theatre 6 - 24 June 2017 at 7.45pm
Jack Studio Theatre - Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill - An Interview with Simon James Collier
The Okai Collier Company keeps Simon James Collier pretty busy, but never one to shy away from a challenge he jumped at the chance to bring a double bill to the stage.
During a rare break we managed to get Simon to answer a few quick questions to give us some insight on such a big undertaking...
The Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill runs at Jack Studio Theatre 6 - 24 June 2017 at 7.45pm
During a rare break we managed to get Simon to answer a few quick questions to give us some insight on such a big undertaking...
What drew you to the project?
I am a life-long fan of the horror genre, and in particular 'Gothic
Horror', and there's no one quite like Edgar Allan Poe to truly capture
the essence of what 'frightens us'. The challenge of a project like this
is to successfully translate Poe's themes and ideas from the written
word to a theatrical performance... something I think we've managed to
do thanks not only to the original stories, but also to the input from
the cast and creative teams, all of whom have worked tirelessly to bring
Adam and I's scripts to life.
What were you working on before?
I worked on a series of Gothic Horror productions (Frankenstein, The
Corruption of Dorian Gray, Jekyll and Hyde and Dracula), all of which
did extremely well... so it has been a joy to continue in this 'horror
vein' with these two shows.
What is your role in the shows & how difficult is it juggling two very different styles?
I adapted 'The Masque of the Red Death' and have produced both that and
'The Fall of the House of Usher'. The challenge has been to put together
an enthusiastic and committed team, to work simultaneously on two
productions, in a limited amount of time with very little money. I am
extremely optimistic about the final result, having been involved in and
watched every step of the process from casting to final production...
it was a big ask of everyone and my gut feeling is that they've more
than delivered.
Who is your favourite character?
The Jester in 'Red Death'. I don't like clowns, or Jester's, so watching Anna Larkin bring this creepy character to life with director Omar F. Okai has been absolutely fascinating.
The Jester in 'Red Death'. I don't like clowns, or Jester's, so watching Anna Larkin bring this creepy character to life with director Omar F. Okai has been absolutely fascinating.
Which of the shows is your personal favourite and why?
I actually like both... 'Red Death' because of the visual spectacle and themes that it deals with... also the fact that all the characters in it are absolutely vile... and 'House of Usher' because of it's dark humour and high drama... there's something in both pieces for everyone.
What are you up to next?I actually like both... 'Red Death' because of the visual spectacle and themes that it deals with... also the fact that all the characters in it are absolutely vile... and 'House of Usher' because of it's dark humour and high drama... there's something in both pieces for everyone.
Another Edgar Allan Poe adaptation... this time 'The Raven', which I
have adapted and am directing... it is going to be a part of The London
Horror Festival 2017 and then have a run at The Etcetera Theatre in
Camden.
The Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill runs at Jack Studio Theatre 6 - 24 June 2017 at 7.45pm
Jack Studio Theatre - Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill - An Interview with Bethan Maddocks
This Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill is all about secrets and who better to reveal the secrets of Bethan Maddocks than the lady herself?
We might be only days away from opening a ground breaking show but Bethan has kindly given us a little insight into the dual production.
The Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill runs at Jack Studio Theatre 6 - 24 June 2017 at 7.45pm
What drew you to the project?
It is different to anything I've done before, and I think as an actor
you're always eager to grab something that you feel will challenge
you! As a performer who loves physical theatre, I was fascinated to see
how it would be incorporated into the gothic style
of these Edgar Allan Poe adaptations and excited to be part of the
devising process.
What were you working on before?
I completed my third UK tour with Cats Pyjamas Productions, touring a
variety of One-Woman musical shows, and most recently I finished work on
short film Mending Wall with Pangean Productions, in association with
The Poetry Foundation and Silhouette Films.
What is your role in the shows & how difficult is it juggling two very different styles?
I play Duchess Chantelle in Masque Of The Red Death and Bristol in Fall Of The House Of Usher - two completely opposing characters! The
competition in this business is so high that you are required to fit
yourself into a casting bracket and build your career
out of that, but Okai Collier Company and Evcol Entertainment have
given me the rare opportunity to play with different roles that I would
not otherwise have the chance to do, and it's been great fun! The
physical aspect of the work is what has helped me most
in tackling these two styles. Duchess Chantelle holds herself in such a
proud and controlled manner, completely contrasting
with Bristol's 'jittering' low status style. It's honestly such a great
lesson because it takes you back to basics, and that is what
your whole training was built on.
Who is your favourite character?
Ooh I couldn't possibly make a definitive choice! As a 21st century woman I can't help but be drawn to the very strong female roles that we have and Duchess Chantelle is definitely strong, but I do have a lot of love for Bristol and her comedic antics...poor Bristol!
Ooh I couldn't possibly make a definitive choice! As a 21st century woman I can't help but be drawn to the very strong female roles that we have and Duchess Chantelle is definitely strong, but I do have a lot of love for Bristol and her comedic antics...poor Bristol!
Which of the shows is your personal favourite and why?
What are you up to next?
I've changed my mind about this every day during this rehearsal period. I
find Fall Of The House Of Usher very Chekov-like and sometimes you
despair when these characters refuse to help themselves. However you
soon realise with this adaptation that it is never
that simple - there are so many influences and emotions at play,
Bristol's moral dilemma and final choice at the end being just one
example.
Masque Of The Red Death for me carries a strong political message that
is so very prominent in our current climate, so I am perhaps swayed
towards this a little more because it's so important to hear.
I will be going into rehearsals for a new devised production for the
Edinburgh Fringe, based on the subject of Feminism (yes that's right, I
said feminism!). I love the Fringe - it gives performers, writers,
directors and companies the platform to create new
and exciting work and gain the exposure that they might otherwise
struggle to receive.
The Edgar Allan Poe Double Bill runs at Jack Studio Theatre 6 - 24 June 2017 at 7.45pm
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