Don't Mime If I Do

Said goodbye to Hadleigh on Saturday morning. It's been really cool having him around. A real chilled out cool guest.

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Read Chekhov's The Seagull.

It comes across a bit boring on paper, but I can see how it can be very funny when played. The characters are hilarious. All depressed unhappy liars.

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Went to Thomas' house for dinner on Saturday night and we watched Rhythm Is It which was really uplifting. Great to see young kids discovering their ability to really be somebody. I really like Sir Simon Rattle! He's a conductor that is totally full of life! I liked what he said in the film about how music should be shared with all - not just with those that can afford to get tickets to a posh theatre. I feel that way about theatre too. 

“We have been educating people for many years to be a certain type of person. We have been educating for a society that maybe is gone. We need more and more creative people in society. We need more people who will make things connect together, who will go in strange directions. We don’t only need good workers. Those days are over.” - Sir Simon Rattle

Also watched the Making of War Horse. 

Great getting an insight into making such an epic production. A lot of time and money and resources involved. And risk! But it payed off. How can I make work of a similar scale without the money?

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On Sunday night I went to see a show called L'heure où l'on ne Savait rien l'un de l'autre (The time when we knew nothing of each other) by Troisieme Generation - a company that specialises in mime and physical theatre - at Studio Théâtre de Montreuil.

We'd actually gone to see the show on Friday night but the company has got stuck in the middle of a stupid kerfuffle between the owner of the building and the director of the theatre they are using. So they were prevented from performing. We waited around for 2 hours, and lawyers were there, and police. It was crazy. But luckily they sorted it out for Sat/Sun.

Maria from Gaulier was in the show, and she's been working on it for a long time now, so a bunch of us went along to support. Go Maria!!!

Incredible technical work - body control and articulation.

Surprising and creative use of set and props.

There were many great images.

This was my favourite scene. A sex scene underneath, and covered by, a park bench. Really playful and mysterious. Quite beautiful.

Great to see actors really really engaged with their bodies. You feel it in the space, and it's exciting. Much more interesting than just talking.