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Comment by Peter Cox MBE on September 14, 2013 at 21:34

Company blurb...

Sphinx Theatre Company present A Berlin Kabaret and Extracts from The Question, a new play by Peter Cox, on 20th September 2013 at the Soho Theatre Downstairs, London.

Tickets are £10 available in advance through Eventbrite or on the door (cash or cheque only please) with a reservation. Two showings. 1.30 & 3.45. To reserve your seat please email: info@sphinxtheatre.co.uk

• SONGS OF REVOLUTION, LOVE AND EXILE: By Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler
A tour de force showcase of the music and poetry of Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler. An exceptionally accomplished company of actor/singers present these classic songs and poems from the war torn era of the twentieth century.

Why Brecht's Poetry? In his fascinating book Empedocles' Shoe Tom Kuhn elucidates: ‘From the outset Brecht had been concerned to reach a different readership, to create a new readership for poetry, and to do that he was prepared to experiment with the medium. He was eager to exploit graffiti, posters and ephemeral forms, he was more willing to publish his work in cheap leaflets than in precious editions, and he was just as interested in performance as in publication. As well as gaining a reputation for himself as a reciter, he of course also included poems, songs and chants in cabaret programmes and wrote them into his own plays.

In 1938, comparing the Svendborg Poems with the Domestic Breviary, Brecht commented ‘ From a bourgeois point of view there has been an astonishing impoverishment’. The richness and feeling and language in the Breviary had given way to a one-sided, cool, political agenda. ‘Capitalism has compelled us to fight. It has laid waste tour surroundings. I no longer walk ‘in lonely contemplation in the woods’, but amongst police spies.’

In the face of such dark times and of the loss of community which exile and persecution entailed, one might have forgiven Brecht for retreating into the monologic voice of a more conventional lyric. But for him that was never an option. He had always understood poetry as a dialogue in a social context. Where that context is anti- Fascist exile, the society may be so ruptured that communication seems scarcely possible – ‘Such poetry,’ Brecht wrote later in his journal, ‘is a message in a bottle.’

The Poems and Songs of A BERLIN KABARET have been edited by Peter Cox and directed in a theatre cabaret by Sue Parrish.

Songs of Revolution, Love and Exile will be followed by...

• A work-in-progress presentation of Extracts from THE QUESTION by Peter Cox, an exploration of the context of World War Two, and the ensuing human debris – revolutionaries, exiles and artists scattered across the globe. THE QUESTION explores with verve and wit the persecution of twentieth century ‘Berliners’ Marlene Dietrich, Lion Feuchtwanger and Bertolt Brecht (among others) and their struggle to find roles in the emerging new world order.

Be astounded by Brecht's political clairvoyancy, and enjoy the bitingly contemporary, dynamic presentation of A BERLIN KABARET and Extracts from THE QUESTION.

Comment by Peter Cox MBE on September 14, 2013 at 21:33

Anyone who has been writing as long as I have will know that patience, doggedness, perseverance and the ability to live on fresh air are among the many qualities and abilities you need as a writer.

After many years absent from ‘the London stage’ I have a showcase event coming up next Friday. We are blessed with a fantastic team: director, designer, musical director, clowning director, choreographer and five superb actors. They sing, they dance, they make you laugh, they make you cry. One of them, our young female lead, is exceptionally gifted with an incredible professional work ethic, a voice to die for and can turn on a sixpence from comic song, to deep tragedy, to achingly beautiful multi-part harmony.

It is good to be reminded that this is why we do our frustrating, lonely work. Work that requires collaboration to find ways of getting our characters’ voices, their place in the world, their story, our story, in front of audiences.

More details from the company below but, in the meantime…

If you don’t know Hanns Eisler’s music it is extraordinary. He composed some astonishingly epic and powerful music and was described as the ‘Karl Marx of music’ by the McCarthy Trials. He collaborated many times with Bertolt Brecht and we showcase their work in this double bill to give a context to the era and to explore the effects of the rise of fascism in Europe on artists and culture alongside the common people.

If you think you know Brecht, then this showcase may take you to parts of his work you perhaps don’t know: songs that we rarely hear, journal extracts and poems. Believe me, editing and condensing his epic body of work into a forty minute cabaret has required some ‘effort’. (For example, you may not know of his early days when he performed in a street act with the great German clown duo Karl Valentin and Liesl Karlstadt - who were an inspiration to Charlie Chaplin. Hence our clowning influence.) We reach into Brecht’s, often forgotten, comedic grab-bag as well as getting under the emotional skin of this elusive playwright (and human being) who has often been studied to death and considered a drab, grey, intellectual apologist for Stalin. We believe his extraordinary range of work speaks to us all and in so many ways is more relevant in today’s global crisis than it ever was.

It has taken many years working alongside the hugely experienced director Sue Parrish, to bring this new play of mine, The Question, to the stage – even just through the extracts we are presenting in this double bill showcase as ‘work in progress’. Sue commissioned it and we have trusted each other and never faltered in our determination to bring this work on to its feet. It has been described by a distinguished reader as, ‘An accomplished, freewheeling meditation on revolution, heroism, tyranny and death… an ambitious and dynamic piece. I loved its formal inventiveness and energy.’

This is our first time sharing it and it would be great to say hello to any NTW friends able to get along.

So, company blurb to follow...

Comment by Adam Somerset on September 7, 2013 at 21:06

Article today on Vicky Featherstone to coincide with new Dennis Kelly play.

Some things don't change. The Guardian/ Observer journalist reports on what kind of shoes the Royal Court Director is wearing. 

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/sep/08/vicky-featherstone-int...

Comment by Simon Coates on September 6, 2013 at 1:58

Artists and Writers...

We think it's about time we give our Guidelines for Artists a little revamp!

This is where we outline how we want to work and strike up conversation with the artistic community of Wales. It's really important that you have an opportunity to tell us how you think we should do this. And this is it!

Have a look at the link and feel free to feedback your thoughts to me. Questions would be just as helpful as statements!

Please get your thoughts to me before 20th Sep so we can make any changes and roll it out before Oct.

Comment by Julie Bainbridge on September 5, 2013 at 0:31

This Sunday you can catch a performance of my play Cages, at Burdall's Yard, Bath at 7.00pm. Directed by Nerys Rees, and co-produced by Tom Wentworth, Cages is a short play about three women in a hospital waiting room. They’ve never met but they’re all trapped by the same prognosis. How each woman copes is very different, yet somehow their reactions are ruled by the men in their lives. 

For more information and ticket details go to : http://9stories2013.wordpress.com/julie-bainbridge-2/

Comment by Gary Owen on August 27, 2013 at 0:48

Oops - I see Kenneth dug it up.  Thanks to you, Kenneth.

Comment by Gary Owen on August 27, 2013 at 0:48

Cheers for digging that up Matt. 

Comment by Matt Ball on August 26, 2013 at 23:40

@Kenneth - Thanks for finding that, it's good to read.

@Gary - It's one of those discussions that keeps cropping up - so we wanted to see if there's the desire for it from both sides.

We all know that people who make work always want more opportunities to get it seen, but this desire has to be matched by the impulses of a venue or venues who have the same ambition, and by a funder who's willing to invest over a mid-long term period.

Thanks to those of you who've already filed in the questionnaire - we want to get as many responses as possible - so if you're sitting there saying it'll never work please tell us why, or if you think it's exactly the opportunity you need tell us why. The more evidence and opinion we can gather, the more informed our thinking will be http://bit.ly/festwales

Comment by Kenneth Griffin on August 26, 2013 at 23:27

Could We Use a Festival in Cardiff? - a Discussion

Posted by Gary Owen on May 20,2009 at 09:54 (a time there was...)

http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/forum/topics/could-we-use...

Comment by Frank Thomas on August 26, 2013 at 9:15

Hello Everyone

There is going to be a Word4Word night on the 10th at Porters, should be a cracking night got one of my favourite poets down to headline!
If anyone wants a slot for the evening just let me know.

http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/events/ntwteam-word4word

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