NEWS UPDATE AND DAILY BLOG 2010

This page features information about the Telling Tales National tour which is currently taking place between 30 January and 25 April. This blog will be updated on a daily basis to keep audiences up to speed with the latest news during the tour. A new photograph will be uploaded every day to show the progress of the show along with a blog from Company Stage Manager, Michael Dennis.

Click here to view the full Telling Tales stories and Education Follow - Up Activities.

Friday 29 January
Dress rehearsals over, van packed, the team set off for the first date, in Stockton.

Saturday 30 January
We woke up in Stockton to find a layer of snow over everything, which was pretty, but made for a bit of a hairy ride from the hotel to the venue!

After weeks of rehearsal, it was exciting to be in a new space, looking out into a very different auditorium. Paul, the Production Manager, got his first go at relighting in a different theatre, while I (Michael - Company Stage Manager) sorted through props and costumes. 

The show went well and before we knew it we were back in the van, heading home, while the dancers travelled back on the train. And that's it for a fortnight!

Saturday 13 February
It's a fortnight since we last performed the show, but it's good to be back on the road and terrific to be at The Lowry in Manchester - a great venue in a great city.

The Lowry is a big building with several different spaces within it. They're used to getting very big shows, so ours doesn't cause them any headaches. Can you guess which is our van in the picture?

150 people came to see the show, which was very exciting. All the dancers were thrilled to be performing it again, and to such a great crowd. And it was lovely to hear how much people enjoyed it during the post-show discussion - something which Amy did a great job of leading! But, no sooner was the discussion over, then we were off to our next date - in Derby.

Sunday 14 February
Though Deda is a much smaller theatre than The Lowry, where we were yesterday, it's a lovely space; the dancers are so close to the audience that it makes the show feel very intimate and special.

A couple of the dancers had friends and family in the audience, which meant that they performed on their best behaviour!
We had a great time in Derby - but no time to rest! Guildford is calling!

 

Monday 15th February
I find myself sitting in a dressing room in The Electric Theatre in Guildford mending a costume. This is the reality of touring theatre - the bits that audiences never see!

We had a really good audience in Guildford - over 130 people, who loved the show, giving warm applause and lots of lovely comments after.

We travelled to Newbury this afternoon and David, Ezekiel, Isabelle, Paul and myself spent the evening playing 20 Questions - thinking of a famous person and the others having to guess. Ezekiel was very good at this, though he did ask a lot of questions 'off the record', so maybe that's why...

 

Tuesday 16th February
This was the first time on tour that we were doing two performances in the same venue, and it felt great not to have to pack everything away after the morning show - though, of course, feathers needed to be swept up and bags re-packed. Newbury Corn Exchange has quite a big stage and the dancers all loved having such an amount of space to warm-up in. It was also a great space for them to try out a dance you *don't* see in the show, which is an amazing routine for Beyoncé's Single Ladies... or it *will* be amazing by the end of the tour, if David has anything to do with it! The fruit from The Hare and The Tortoise was looking a bit sorry for itself, so we'll buy some more for the next performances in Ipswich. You'll be glad to know it wasn't wasted, though, as Keir sneaked it home to make juice! What great value we get from that fruit!

 

Production Manager Paul setting the sound levels

Friday 19 February

The Dance East dancehouse in Ipswich is quite a new building and the dancers loved having a purpose-built studio to warm-up in. What Ezekiel loved more, though, was the giant picture of him on a screen above the box office!

We had two shows today, to great audiences. And, because Ipswich was the first venue where we staying for more than a day, we didn't need to worry about travelling after the second show. Instead, the whole company went out for a fabulous meal and then the girls decided to be sensible and go back to the hotel, leaving the boys to explore the delights of Ipswich...

Ezekiel looming over box-office

Ezekiel remembers what he said about Kier's pudding in the restaurant last night...

Saturday 20 February
Another great couple of shows today. During the first, while David and Laura were squabbling about the coat ("It's mine!" "No, it's mine!"), a little voice from the audience shouted out "Stop arguing!" - which I thought was very good advice!

Paul and I went out shopping for paint, as the chairs are starting to look a little bit tour-weary now. But our reward on returning was a slice of cake from the dancehouse cafe - oh, it was very good cake...!

We have another break now, but next time we get into the van, in a couple of weeks' time, we're taking the high road to Scotland. I can't wait!

The thrill of chair maintenance

 

Sunday 7 March
Sunday was a beautiful day in Barnsley - clear, blue skies, a glorious sun - what a pity we had to spend the day inside! There'd been a fortnight's break between this and the previous performance so Amy was rigerous in making sure that everyone was re-rehearsed and top-notch. She isn't Dance Captain for nothing!

I had lots of ironing to do, with the costumes having been washed over the break, and I was then thrilled when Amy gave me her costume which needed some repair due to excessive wiggling.  Showbusiness is all glamour!

Warm Up

Wednesday 10 March
Another lovely morning, with bright blue skies over St Andrews. We performed at The Byre Theatre and had a great time thanks to the lovely audience - lots of reaction throughout and LOTS of hands in the air after, wanting to tell us their favourite bits! This time it's David who gives me his trousers to repair. It's nice to have something to do.

After the show, we had a great lunch sitting outside a cafe, soaking in the sun and watching all the oddly-dressed students walking by. We liked St Andrews and would have liked to have had another day there to look around and walk on the beach. But that's not how touring works - it's back to the van, a 10 minute wait for Izzy, and then off to Stirling!

Lunch: Izzy and a big ice cream. David, Keir and Ezekiel admire the scenery.

 

Thursday 11 March
Today, we're at the Howden Park Centre in Livingstone; a lovely new theatre, though our in-van sat-nav, Mrs Mansfield, didn't seem to want to acknowledge that it exists. We ignored her attempts to direct us to the local hospital, and set up for what turned out to be a great performance. All of the dancers enjoyed performing in this space; though my highlights would be Amy and Kier turning their "ums" and "errs" at the end of their piece into a mini-show of their own, and David's unfettered joy every time he pulled out a piece of green silk during Sea of Clothes (to be fair, this was my request - but he fulfilled it admirably!).

The children who came to see the show were wonderful, and there were lots of comments and excitement in the post-show talk.

Following the show, we had lunch in the restaurant front-of-house at the theatre. This was much-needed, especially for Ezekiel, whose sugar levels had dropped alarmingly, meaning that he wasn't able to help with the post-show clean-up as enthusiastically as normal... It was fun to relax and listen to the musician who played along throughout our meal; a talented chap who was much admired by our whole group and we were very sorry when, eventually, he packed up and left!

Friday 12 March
A day off in Stirling and we all went our different ways, though the award for Most Eclectic Pursuit goes to David and Ezekiel who climbed up a large hill to see the Wallace Memorial, before ending up in Body Shop, leaving with £20-worth of free gifts, somehow.

Saturday 13 March
One great performance today, at the Macrobert centre in Stirling.  David was leading the post-show talk today and was greeted immediately with a cry of "my brother didn't like it!" which only threw him for a moment, because thankfully, everyone else did like it, with Tortoise and the Hare particularly having a lot of fans today.

We had to do a quick clear-up after this performance so that Kier, Laura and myself could get a train back down south; everyone mucked in and we had the van doors closed and ready to go in 20 minutes, so I'll be looking at my watch with that as a new benchmark at future venues...!

We were all on the same train and, while I just planned to *read* the newspaper, Keir and Laura had raided Craft City and spent the whole journey making Mother's Day cards from their papers. Keir's, in particular, was something quite extraordinary. The next day will have been a day to remember for both their mums...

 

 

 Friday 19 March
Today we're at Laban, the UK's 1st Conservatoire of Music and Dance, no less. The performance space is lovely; it's a large stage with a beautiful auditorium and well-maintained by the resident technical staff, so getting-in was a joy. The dancers loved having such a beautiful space to perform in, and the show got a terrific response from the audience. There was no let-up for the dancers, however, as they went straight from the show into a workshop. Well, they love it! Paul and myself cleared up and got the van packed and then it was time for lunch. Shona, the director of the Lakeside, had come down to see the show and joined us in the cafe, afterwards. She'd brought cakes with her, which is a great tip for anyone wanting to join us after a performance. We're always up for a nice cake.

'During lunch at Laban, Paul tells Shona how impressed he was with Keir's organised travel arrangements...'

Sat 20 Saturday morning brought a drive through the Chocolate Market, which was held outside the venue. We were the only vehicle to be given special dispensation to drive through the Chocolate Market, which was a first for me. It wasn’t quite so glamorous, however, actually getting in to the venue, as we had to pass the bins and broken bin bags to make our way in!

It was a bit of a shock to be presented with our smallest venue yet, especially considering the day before, but the technicians at the Brighton Dome couldn't have been more helpful. We had to reblock most of the entrances and exits, as there was only really one entrance from backstage, but the dancers are an adaptable bunch and, with a bit of Blitz spirit, we got to the first show…

…and what a show! Almost full house for the first performance, and sold out for the second, both performances were rapturously received, with lots of applause and not a small amount of cheering! Having gone into the shows a little tentatively, given the size of the venue, it was thrilling to hear the response throughout. Brighton loved it, and we loved Brighton back! Bins and all!

Sunday 21 March
In one of the scheduling idiosyncrasies that characterises a theatre tour, we found ourselves back in Laban, less than 48 hours after we'd played there the first time. Thankfully, they'd had no show in between, which meant that Paul and I didn't have to do a complete technical get-in from scratch again, and also meant the dancers could enjoy a two-hour dance class with Claire Cunningham, who'd come down to see us. There were two shows today; the first had a large and enthusiastic audience, and that sent us off into our lunch break feeling as warm and bright as the weather that day. The second show brought a slight bump, literally, as in the midst of her piece with David It’s Mine Laura had a fall, and poor thing landed squarely on her head. She was holding an ice-pack to her head in the wings before going on for the full company finale Sea of Clothes, but threw her coloured silks around with an abandon that demonstrated what a great performer she is. Everyone was concerned about her, but Laura was a consummate professional. Nonetheless, Paul warned her not to operate any heavy machinery that night, if she got the urge, before we left. She's got a few days off before the next gig in Leeds, and, so, if you're reading this Laura… sit down! Lie back! Relax!

Saturday 27 March
aul has gone off to look after some Italians, so I'm doing his job today, and being me is someone new to the team: Claire. We're in Leeds, at a venue called The Carriageworks. We get a good audience here - almost 200 people - and it all seems to go well. It's certainly good, when you're doing a new job, to get the first one under your belt.

Sunday 28 March
We're back in Nottingham, at The Lakeside, the show's spiritual home! The get-in is easy, and even fun, as we all know each other. The clocks went forward in the early hours of today, but it doesn't seem to have affected anyone unduly, and the dancers all appear promptly - but then there was a 10-point action programme unfolding over the previous evening to ensure that they would!

We do two shows today, which makes quite a nice change from the routine of 'one and then out'. The show looks terrific in this venue, and the dancers do a great job. I particularly enjoyed David's spontaneous ghost, late on in Sea of Clothes. There's always something new to see in this show!

One piece of costume maintenance from each dressing room today: Amy's white top and David's orange trousers. Well, this is where Claire picks up some experience...

Monday 5 April
Travel down to Bournemouth today. Crikey, it's a long way in a van with no radio and a broken door seal. But blue skies and the smell of the sea made it all worth while...

Tuesday 6 April
Today we're at the Lighthouse in Poole. It's a lovely venue and the technicians are very helpful. We had a great show with a lovely audience, but, more important, is that it was Laura's birthday over the weekend. And birthday means cake!

Tuesday 13 April
Back down towards the south coast today to play at The Point in Eastleigh. The sun is shining gloriously but it doesn't feel quite so bad going into a dark room today as our two technicians, Dean and Hannah, are incredibly friendly and organised. It makes the job so much easier and much more fun when that's the case. It's a more modest audience than usual but that's OK: the dancers still gave it their all and the audience loved it.

Afterwards, we had an impromptu picnic in the park next to the venue, before heading off to Bath. Laura was very concerned that everyone ate a carrot, while Amy was very taken with Keir's figs. What a healthy lot!

 

 

Wednesday 14 April
The Egg in Bath is a pretty little venue. It posed a few questions for us as we got in, however, as they don't have any dance floor. Having looked at the floor, Amy thought it would be OK; they would certainly perform the morning show as usual and do any reblocking, if needed, for the afternoon. As it was, the performance was fine, though the stage did leave several black marks on the boys' trousers. Those trousers are a maintenance nightmare!

Thursday 15 April 
No show today; instead, a few hours off in Bath and then travel to Swansea. Well, a few hours off for most people...

Friday 16 April
Swansea, and - oh, the weather’s too nice to spend the day in a dark room! But we must – and at least the Taliesin is a great venue with really helpful staff. We have a terrific show here, with a really enthusiastic audience; lots of cheering and applause and some good responses in the post-show chat. We’re sorry to leave, really – especially given that we have to drive to the other side of the country…

Sunday 18 April
Another sunny day… spent indoors! We’d all had a day off yesterday, and the dancers needed some encouraging to get into the spirit of things today in Epsom. Luckily, I had some choice tunes on my phone, to send through the theatre’s system: you can’t be lacklustre after a burst of Dolly Parton! Today was Claire’s last day with us; she’s been a real help over the last few weeks and we were sorry to see her go. But it means Paul rejoins us for the final few dates, and we’re happy to welcome him back. It also means the dancers have to give all their receipts to him now, so I’m delighted. Hooray for Paul!

Saturday 24 April
We're at the Norden Farm Centre for the Arts today. It's a lovely space, hidden away in suburban Maidenhead. Paul is back with us now - the team reunited! - and we've agreed that I'll lead on getting us set-up for this performance, and that he can slot back in tomorrow. So, he's off ironing costumes while I focus lights and set sound levels. We have a fun time here this afternoon, and then set off for Reading, remembering not to use the handbrake on the van, because otherwise the wheels will lock, and we'll be stuck.

Sunday 25 April
The last day! We had a lovely meal as a company last night, in a swish restaurant that Ezekiel found in Reading. We had a room to ourselves, which was probably just as well, and everyone had a terrific time - really due to Amy and her surprising opinions on the physics behind blown glass and resistance, which leaves everyone slack-jawed. Astonishing, the knowledge some people have!