Director's Blog - Unboxing Reading Gaol

I miss the postman, most of the time, so I’ve never really noticed what a keen interest he’s been taking in my mail. Until I met him this morning and he told me that I had the most exciting post on his round. If only he knew the amount of theatrical nonsense he delivered and I’d managed to accumulate over the last three years. I wonder if he knows that behind my front door was Lady Bracknell’s handbag, almost the whole of Saucy Jack’s bar (complete with Glitter Boots) and one very expensive customised small stage box from the first version of Reading Gaol. Our postman is only one small part of helping to create the worlds we’ve put together the last three years, and that little stage box is about to head to a much bigger stage than the last time we saw it, alongside today’s package, with lord alone knows what’s inside.

So what’s it all about? Well, the marketing describes Reading Gaol as a “remix” of Oscar Wilde’s classic “Ballad of Reading Gaol” with five new pieces of writing and storytelling with some physical theatre thrown in for good measure. We use the original work by Wilde as a “framing” mechanism to tell the stories of five prisoners each with their own voices and personalities. You’ll find out more about them and their stories in the weeks to come – and I’m sure some of them will pop up here in the next few weeks.

Reading Gaol is really a darker, more unexplored version of Oscar Wilde’s story. We’re all familiar with the lighter, more comedic elements of his work, but the end of his life was altogether a darker affair. From respected society figure to dying in poverty and disgrace, the end of his life was as far removed from the sparkling and witty figure we’d all prefer to remember him as. We’re choosing in this version to use Wilde’s story as in inspiration, a look into one man’s darkest hour as a parallel with Wilde’s own story (but with our usual twist on proceedings – so expect a more “modern” and fresh version of the show than we staged last year.)

For this new version of the show, we’ve gone back and revised some of the staging a little bit, (we’ve got more space to play with, for a start) and we’re going to be looking at using some of the more practical elements offered by Theatre N16 in its brilliant, brand new space at Styx in Tottenham. We’re going to really bring home that brutal sense of incarceration for the audience and push our actors a little bit more than in the previous production, so if you saw the production before, you’ll definitely be seeing something new and interesting in this new version. The brilliant thing about Reading Gaol last time was the fact that it made people talk in the pub afterwards, and we hope that this will be the same this time. One of the things I love about my job is sitting in the audience watching people’s reaction during the show, and I’m excited to see what you make of this brand-new version of the show.

We’ve got a brilliant cast for this version of the production, and we’re delighted to be introducing some new performers to our growing family. I’m really looking forward to spending time with them and seeing what they bring to Monster, Guardian, Human, Innocent and Hero. We have five really strong pieces of writing from Cat, Simon, Erin and James and it’s also a dream to welcome back Harriet Lambert and Erin Read to Team “Triple Threat” and produce a bigger, more exciting version of one of our first true collaborations together.

So, look out for updates from us in the weeks to come. We’ve got a load of plans for some blogs, lots of behind the scenes stuff and more content as we chart our journey back into the dark, and I really hope to meet some of you either in the run up to the show or in the bar afterwards. Grab your tickets while you can, this one is going to be special.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got five prisoner’s uniforms and five mail sacks to unpack. I wouldn’t want the postman to think I was ignoring him, would I?

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David is Artistic Director of Proforca Theatre Company and director of Reading Gaol (2018). You can find follow him on Twitter and Instagram @DavidBrady83. Reading Gaol is adapted from "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde and features new material by Catrin Keeler, Simon Marshall, James Lewis and Erin Read. Associate Directors Harriet Lambert and Erin Read.  

Reading Gaol is performed at Theatre N16 Monday 23 July - Thursday 2nd August 2018. Tickets are on sale NOW from www.proforca.co.uk/box office. Use discount code "Early10" for 10% off your tickets. You can follow Proforca Theatre Company on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @proforcatheatre and via our website at www.proforca.co.uk 

10 Questions from Reading Gaol - Jonathon Cooper

We sat down with some of our brilliant cast and crew prior to our production of "Reading Gaol" which starts next week! Next Up is Actor Jonathon Cooper who takes on the role of "Innocent" in the production, but not before he's tackled 10 of our very tough questions first! 

1) How would your friends introduce you?
Jonny.

2) Tell us a bit about your character and what you like most about them?
Innocent is a leaf caught up in a storm. As his name would suggest, he's not guilty of the crime he was accused of committing. But what's most heartbreaking about him is that he isn't sure whether he is ultimately responsible. It's a great depiction of how we can blame ourselves out of confusion or biased learned behaviour; Innocent is used to being trodden on.

3) What is it that you like most about Reading Gaol and why do you think people should buy a ticket?
It's taken aspects, characters and nuances from a fantastic poem and magnified them. They are all built to exist at opposite ends of the spectrum, socially and morally. But they all exist with one thing in common, and that is where the poem bridges the gaps between them. 

4) If you could play any role yet that you haven’t what would it be and why?
That's a tough one...I'm not sure I have a straight answer. I think what I say will probably be different month to month. I read Jack Thorne's rendition of Woyzeck recently, so right now that's my answer. Last month it was Judge Brack from Hedda Gabler. When I'm in the right age bracket, my ultimate role would be Iago. He's the villain that everyone gets behind - to succeed in winning over the audience...even when you're plotting against the title character...

5) What's the best piece of advice you've been given?
"Good acting is being confident enough to be private in public - so don't hide onstage."

6) If you could swap lives with someone for the day who would it be and why?
If it can be anyone: John Barton; 24 hours inside his head and Shakespeare would probably be a whole lot less intimidating. If they have to be alive: Sir Ian McKellen; self-explanatory really. Not for Magneto or Gandalf...they were great; but he is a titan of classical stage acting. 

7) What scares you and excites you most about acting?
In acting I get most scared about boring the audience, or losing my focus and becoming sloppy. I get excited about the exact opposite frankly; having an audience hooked and feeling absorbed in what you're telling them. Sorry, that sounds really fluffy, but it's true. For a few hours I can get lost in my imagination, and taking the audience with you is an incredible feeling.

8) What's the most challenging thing you've done on stage that you're most proud of?
Portraying the Creature in Nick Dear's Frankenstein. I've never done something so physically or emotionally demanding.

9) What would the title of your autobiography be?
I dunno...'The Adventures of a Chocoholic on Stage'..?

10) Tell us a random fact we may not know about you...
I was a world bronze medallist in the BUCS World Karate Championships in Slovakia when I was 20.

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Jonathon is an actor from London and plays the role of "Innocent" in "Reading Gaol" which starts this week. This is his first performance for Proforca Theatre Company. Don't ask him what's in the box because he doesn't know, honest. You can find out more about Jonathon from his Mandy Actors profile which you can find here. 

"Reading Gaol" is being performed on November 2nd - 4th 2017 at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. Tickets are available now and can be found at our website at www.proforca.co.uk/boxoffice or via www.lionandunicorntheatre.co.uk

Director's Blog - David Brady

We sat down with some of our brilliant cast and crew prior to our production of "Reading Gaol" which starts next week! Next Up is Artistic Director David Brady on what you can expect from Reading Gaol, and some of the elements of putting the show together...

Two shows in 6 weeks is a bit mad, isn’t it? For those of you who joined us for Earnest, we;'re looking forward to welcoming you back, and if you’re new, hello and we're looking forward welcoming you to the Lion and Unicorn!

Reading Gaol is the climax of our 2017 look at the work of Oscar Wilde and it’s definitely been a creative challenge for us. I sometimes refer to it as a “grand experiment” and some respects that’s exactly what it is - trying some new ideas, concepts and performance styles that are new to us. Whereas Earnest is a much more “black and white” satirical piece of comedy, Reading Gaol has so many more shades of grey and we hope to be able to challenge your “moral compass” a little bit. We've also experimented with different types of storytelling and from what's coming out in rehearsals, RG has a much stronger "physical theatre" feel to it, which has been really interesting to explore more.  

From a writing perspective, it's been really great to producing our "own" work again - and the five monologues you'll see on stage really capture our point of view, and its been brilliant to be able to use Oscar Wilde's beautiful words as a framing mechanism to be able to tell our stories, which pay homage to the men and characters that inhabit Reading Gaol, but also respond to the original material in more of a contemporary style. We've got all the bases covered, I think, from an emotional gut punch to some really dark humour in some of the pieces. We're excited for you to see it!

As is usual before a show, our thanks, firstly to our stellar group of boys: James Bowen, Ross, Myles, Jonathon and James Baxter-Derrington who’ve not only worked so hard to bring these brand new characters to life, but also kept us laughing through rehearsals and made this experience a joy. (Even if the hardest challenge has been getting them to STOP CORPSEING IN REHEARSALS!) 

Again. we could do this without a brilliant production team, and we have one of the best in Erin, Harriet and Cat - Proforça is driven by the hard work, dedication and belief of a brilliant team of these fantastically talented, strong and creative women and their enthusiasm, passion and talent knows no limits. We are not worthy.

Finally a big cheers to our audience for coming back to see us again, particularly for something a little bit different and experimental. Thanks for all your support in so many ways.  Look out for some exciting news about next year and we hope to see you in March 2018.

Enjoy the show, it’s what we did for love.

David X

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David is the Artistic Director of Proforca Theatre Company and the Director of  "Reading Gaol" which starts this week. Watch out for the Stan Lee style cameo at the start of the show. You can follow Proforca on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @ProforcaTheatre and via our website at www.proforca.co.uk. 

"Reading Gaol" is being performed on November 2nd - 4th 2017 at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. Tickets are available now and can be found at our website at www.proforca.co.uk/boxoffice or via www.lionandunicorntheatre.co.uk

10 Questions from Reading Gaol - James Bowen

We sat down with some of our brilliant cast and crew prior to our production of "Reading Gaol" which starts next week! We'd love to take this opportunity to introduce you to James Bowen prior to taking on the role of the ever so slightly unhinged "Monster" and asked him some leading questions about his role, his life as an actor, and some random wildcards to see how he'd cope with some tough questioning!

1) How would your friends introduce you? Hopefully as James...

2) Tell us a bit about your character and what you like most about them?
"Monster" is an enigma of a human; what I enjoy most is his detachment from any emotional spectrum. I enjoy the  "psychopathic" role: the research I've done has brought these new, intuitive choices that are hopefully quite playful - finding new ways to upset an audience sounds wrong - but... 

3) What is it that you like most about Reading Gaol and why do you think people should buy a ticket?
I like the dual narratives: without giving too much away, the links between the poem and the stories being told are becoming more clear to me. I think the underlying message of the piece grows as the piece develops, rather than being "spoon fed" which I think is important. Audiences will connect in some way to the stories, though hopefully not mine so much.

4) If you could play any role yet that you haven’t what would it be and why?
Christopher in Curious Incident. I vividly remember reading the book in about 4 nights. Incredible writing which translated so well onto stage.

5) What's the best piece of advice you've been given?
Be Selfish. Not in a rude way(!) - more for self-preservation. 

6) If you could swap lives with someone for the day who would it be and why?
Gregory Porter or if he's too busy, Jez Butterworth - just to know how they do it?

7) What scares you and excites you most about acting?
Scares: Performing as a character that I find too much of myself in or being "lazy".
Excites: Holding an audience's attention - even for just a bit.

8) What's the most challenging thing you've done on stage that you're most proud of?
"We Had a Black Dog", definitely. To try and portray mental health and its effects on individuals and those around them is really f*cking hard. Being able to add a voice to that  conversation felt really empowering.  

9) If you were president for a day, what three laws would you enact? 
Destruction of all nuclear deterrents, a ban on all future presidents coming from an Entertainment background (boring is best), and monthly 'Attenborough' day. He might not be around much longer so it's important he knows he's loved...

10) What three luxury items would you take to a desert island? 
I am going for very pragmatic choices, hopefully. A flint, because I have not watched enough 'Bear Grylls'; a machete, and a recently - tuned piano.  

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James is an actor and lives in Egham, Surrey, and originates the role of "Monster" in Reading Gaol" this November. If he asks you to play Backgammon then you should probably be very, very scared.  You can follow James on Twitter @jvbowen1. You can also follow Proforca on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @ProforcaTheatre and via our website at www.proforca.co.uk. 

"Reading Gaol" is being performed on November 2nd - 4th 2017 at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. Tickets are available now and can be found at our website at www.proforca.co.uk/boxoffice or via www.lionandunicorntheatre.co.uk

10 Questions from Reading Gaol - Myles Delahunty

We sat down with some of our brilliant cast and crew prior to our production of "Reading Gaol" this November. First up is Myles Delahunty prior to taking on the role of "Human" and asked him some leading questions about his role, his life as an actor, and some random wildcards to see how he'd cope with some tough questioning!

1) Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about who you are. 
I am an Actor who has recently moved to London, i'm a huge film fan, and have recently acted in my first professional film role. I'm also a Singer and an Illustration artist and use a lot of my spare time painting all kinds of things. 

2) Describe your character in one sentence. 
He is a being who's happiness has been entirely stolen by Loss, and is continually haunted by his past. 

3) What is it that you like most about Reading Gaol and why do you think people should buy a ticket?
It's an entirely unique and game changing take on an Oscar Wilde poem, and it holds the lens up to the intricacies of Humanity and it allows you to see within the lives of these prisoners in a very intimate way. 

4) Which theatre people (performers or creatives) do you admire and why?
I admire the Theatre Actor Denise Gough, as she has strived toward her acting goals all of her life, even through incredibly tough times and relative poverty. She is an incredibly unique actor who sticks to her unique visions of a character, and creates performances that astound. 

5) What do you like most about working with Proforca? 
Proforca is an incredibly comforting and friendly environment for Actors and creatives alike, allowing freedom for artistic expression.

6) What's been the best piece of acting advice you've been given and why?
Be in the moment and let the characters personality, emotions etc channel through you. 

7) If you could be in any one piece of theatre what would it be?
'Romeo and Juliet' as Romeo 

8) Who would play you in the dramatic retelling of your life? 
Thats a tricky one, probably Chris Hemsworth. But thats probably because i want to be Chris Hemsworth.

9) if you could change something about living in London, what would it be?
I'd add more Trees.

10) If you weren't going to be an actor, what one other job would you like to do?
Marine Biology, working in the Bahamas. 

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Myles is an actor and artist from London. For Proforca he previously played "Lane / Merriman" in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and will take on the role of "Human" in "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" in November. Whatever you do, don't make off with his cucumber sandwiches.  Myles is represented by Allsorts Agency and you can find his details here. Follow Proforca on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @ProforcaTheatre and via our website at www.proforca.co.uk. 

"Reading Gaol" is being performed on November 2nd - 4th 2017 at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre. Tickets are available now and can be found at our website at www.proforca.co.uk/boxoffice or via www.lionandunicorntheatre.co.uk

An Earnest Q & A with Erin Read

In the run up to our performances of "The Importance of Being Earnest" We sat down with some of our brilliant cast and crew. We sat down and grilled Proforca Assistant Director and now our very own Cecily Cardew on life with Oscar, Weaponising tea and cake, and her other inspirations.

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself
I'm a 21 year old actress, dancer, singer and musician.  I am also currently in my last year at QMUL sudying Ba(Hons) Drama and working as a Publishing Assistant and an Usher - I like to keep myself busy!

2) Tell us a little bit about the character you play in "Earnest" 
I would describe Cecily as an intelligent and witty free-spirit who runs rings around the men in her life.

3) What do you like most about "Earnest" and why do you think people should buy a ticket? 
I think the best thing about Earnest, and about all of Wilde's work in fact, is how the language and characters' speech is so beautifully well crafted that even if you read it completely devoid of emotion you can't help but find the work funny.  So if you are looking for a hilarious show put on by a cast of incredible actors you should buy a ticket for our show!

4) Which actor / performer do you admire the most and why?   
Oh my goodness I wouldn't know where to start, there are so many performers I admire - I admire anyone who is lucky enough and driven enough to work in the job that they are most passionate about.

5) What's been your favourite Proforca moment so far? 
My favourite Proforca moment has to be when I got the phone call from David to invite a relative unknown (me) to be the Musical Director for their run of 'Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens'. (And the rest is history...)

6)  What's the best piece of advice you've been given?
Treat every rehearsal like a performance because that way you are putting enough energy into the rehearsals to really push yourself to be the best you can possibly be.

7) What show would you like to be in? 
I would love to be in 'Chicago' - I love the songs and really enjoy Fosse's jazz dance style!

8) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
My dream holiday would be a round the world trip stopping off at all the famous historic ruins like Herculaneum and Pompeii in Italy and the pyramids in Egypt - I love all of the history behind them!

9) If you could change something about living in London, what would it be? 
If I could change one thing about living in London, it would be the prices! Being a student in London is hard work!

10) If you weren't going to be an actress what one other job would you like to do and why?
If I wasn't an actress I would work in something related to history - I am fascinated by the stories of our past and how people lived around the world.

Erin is an Assistant Director and one of Proforca's founding members and is an actress based in London. Erin is also one of the contributing writers to "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" You can find Erin and some of her other projects on Twitter @eoread7. 

Follow Proforca on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @ProforcaTheatre and via our website at www.proforca.co.uk. 

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is performed 27th - 30th September and "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" is on November 2nd - 4th 2017. Tickets for both shows in our "Project Wilde" series are available now and can be found at our website at www.proforca.co.uk/boxoffice or via www.lionandunicorntheatre.co.uk

Proforça Blog - Going Wilde!

We're back! 

We're two years old this week. Can you believe it? It seems like a very long time ago that we at down and first started wondering whether we'd ever be able to get up and running, and here we are about to embark on shows three AND four. They're on their way! Thanks to everyone who has supported us; actors, production teams, audiences, family members, and friends alike. 

We're getting all fired up and ready for the next two shows in our catalogue, and we're giving it the full Oscar Wilde treatment this Autumn with our productions of "The Importance Of Being Earnest" this September and "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" in November. For the first time we are delighted to be performing both shows at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town and we're looking forward to an intensive but fun rehearsal process. 

We've got some really exciting plans for both of these forthcoming productions, and we're really excited for you to see what we've got in store. We're keeping some surprises back. but you can expect a fresh twist on Earnest, putting Oscar Wilde's words back on stage and adding a stylistic modern twist we hope will blast a bit of fresh air into some brilliantly funny 120 year old material.  For Reading Gaol, we're adding some brand new material which we hope gives it a "Proforca" twist that responds to the original poem, tells some new stories and highlights the brilliance of the original text. We're also adding some great physical staging to the piece to bring it to life which we hope you will enjoy. (We're doing a LOT of walking in circles!) 

We have a great cast assembled for both shows, and we're almost following a "repertory" approach to both productions - with the actors for both shows appearing in each. We hope to establish just enough of a crossover between both shows and reward you for seeing both (you should buy tickets, if you haven't already!) I'm really looking forward to starting work on both pieces as we kick off rehearsals tomorrow, welcome back some brand new faces and some of our favourite returning actors. They've got a lot to do! Massive credit to Erin, Harriet and Cat too for being superstars during the pre-production process and I can't wait to see what they come with for their material for Reading Gaol. (as well as their acting performances for Earnest!) 

Speaking of keeping busy, August is always a brilliant time for theatre, and not just for those people lucky enough to go to Edinburgh fringe. London has it's own version of the fringe held in Camden and we've been lucky enough to see some great shows this year. from the provocatively titled "Grab 'em by the P*ssy" with our new Dr Chasuble Alasdair Melrose to something a bit more serious from our mates at Glass Half Full Theatre with "Monologues of a Tired Nurse" which has been doing the rounds with some really great feedback. In between, we've also been able to squeeze in the bloody, brilliant (and bloody brilliant) production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Open Air Theatre at Regent's Park, as well as the bonkers but great musical 5,6,7,8 by Shaun Kitchener at Above the Gatehouse. (a musical with the song of Steps is pretty much going to win anyway, isn't it?) Exciting times indeed. 

One of the great things we're hoping to do with this project is focus on the cast and crew and their journeys through the productions - so look out for video blogs, photos, notes from the rehearsal rooms and special guest blogs as we go through the rehearsal and show process. All of this additional material will be featured on our social media channels (which you should check out, if you haven't already) as well as in the new "Backstage" area of our website which you can find at www.proforca.co.uk/backstage

Looking forward to getting back into a little black box in North London now. Hope to see you at the shows! 

David x

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David Brady is Artistic Director of Proforca Theatre Company. Follow Proforca on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @ProforcaTheatre and via our website at www.proforca.co.uk. 

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is performed 27th - 30th September and "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" is on November 2nd - 4th 2017. Tickets for both shows in our "Project Wilde" series are available now and can be found at our website at www.proforca.co.uk/boxoffice or via www.lionandunicorntheatre.co.uk

Presenting - The Ballad of Reading Gaol!

"Some love too little, some too long,
Some sell, and others buy;
Some do the deed with many tears,
And some without a sigh:
For each man kills the thing he loves,
Yet each man does not die."

The Ballad of Reading Gaol was the poet and writer Oscar Wilde's final work. From celebrated playwright and society figure to a broken man dying in exile in Paris, the ballad of Reading Gaol is a heartrending exploration of the deprivation of liberty, a spectacular fall from grace and a soul searching quest to hold onto the shreds of humanity during one man's darkest hour. 

This adaptation of the Ballad of Reading Gaol mixes the power and grotesque beauty of Oscar Wilde's words with the anger, scandal and salacious gossip of his criminal trial to tell the story of the punishment and despair experienced by prisoners at the turn of the century.

Proforca Theatre Company presents a visceral new staging of Oscar Wilde's haunting and evocative piece which explores oppression, censorship, and conformity in and ever more conservative society with themes which are as relevant to us in our world today as they were over 100 years ago.

The exciting new staging of this piece of work is the perfect companion piece to our September production of "The Importance of Being Earnest", also being performed at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre and features Myles Delahunty, Piers Hunt, Ross Kernahan,  Graeme Thomas King and Alasdair Melrose.  

For more information, check out www.proforca.co.uk, on Twitter @proforcatheatre and on Facebook / Instagram @proforcatheatre

TICKETS FOR READING GAOL WILL BE ON SALE VERY SOON FROM WWW.LIONANDUNICORNTHEATRE.CO.UK