Amelia Forsbrook's Posts - National Theatre Wales Community2024-03-28T23:02:40ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrookhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2986205850?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profiles/blog/feed?user=3g4lfbd5ukm86&xn_auth=noiPads, Squashed Tomatoes and Justin Timberlake... just another day in Edinburghtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-08-11:3152760:BlogPost:742202011-08-11T16:52:52.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<p>… it turns out Lyn Gardner's recommendations are really worth something. My last day in Edinburgh was spent participating in Alma Mater and viewing I Hope My Heart Goes First. What a wonderful way to end my time at the Fringe.</p>
<p><span style="color: #00ff00;"><a href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/alma-mater" target="_blank">Alma Mater</a> ★★★</span> is a one-person journey into a child's imagination, powered by an iPad. Looking at the video on the tablet as you would the…</p>
<p>… it turns out Lyn Gardner's recommendations are really worth something. My last day in Edinburgh was spent participating in Alma Mater and viewing I Hope My Heart Goes First. What a wonderful way to end my time at the Fringe.</p>
<p><span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/alma-mater">Alma Mater</a> ★★★</span> is a one-person journey into a child's imagination, powered by an iPad. Looking at the video on the tablet as you would the screen of a camera, you are led into a white bedroom, simplistically furnished with a bed and a chair. <br/>As new objects come into the on-screen room and a child plays around you, the show certainly delivers an odd psychological sensation, tricking your senses of perception by exploiting a vivid spatial link between the film and current reality.</p>
<p>Naturally, this innovative iPerformance welcomes up comparisons with National Theatre Wales' <a target="_blank" href="http://nationaltheatrewales.org/whatson/performance/ntw11">Outdoors, currently running in Aberystwyth</a>. Both test our perceptions, using video to fragment our ideas of place and time. But, while Outdoors allows us to celebrate a place by seeing it through somebody else's eyes, Alma Mater really plays on the uncanny element of simultaneous experience, with quite unsettling results.</p>
<p>I'm really glad that I managed to follow this with<span style="color: #00ff00;"> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/i-hope-my-heart-goes-first">I Hope My Heart Goes First</a> ★★★★</span>, a work by Glasgow-based youth company Junction 25. The show has been criticised for an abundant use of cliché in its explanations of love and this can be seen as the teenagers crush bright red tomatoes and sing along to Justin Timberlake's Cry me a River with doubled-over angst. Yes, it is undeniable that such cliché exists here but, remember, there is a reason why we talk of our hearts in such a way. I feel a real strength of this work is that it presents these familiar sensations in a very self-aware and honest manner.</p>
<p>Being in Edinburgh with National Theatre Wales has been such an amazing experience – I've been so lucky to see so many performances, have met plenty of really interesting creatives doing great things across the UK and have built on my critical voice, gaining invaluable knowledge of what's going on this year in theatre.</p>
<p>If you are in the Scottish capital this month, do make time to see The Dark Philosophers. With a certain playfulness that borrows a lot from mime and a mournful musicality that adds a depth as deep as the valleys, this show is a must-see in anyone's Edinburgh schedule. Add Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, Muscle, The Seagull Effect, 2401 Objects, I Hope My Heart Goes First and The Incredible Book Eating Boy and you'll have yourself a pretty spectacular time up there.</p>
<p>All that's left to say is thanks so much to all the staff at National Theatre Wales for letting me join you this week. This trip has been the most amazing adventure for me and is proof that TEAM doesn't just provide valuable industry experience, but also some fantastic opportunities, for which I am immensely grateful.</p>
<p>Right, that's it from me. Keep an eye on <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/#!/NTWtweets">@NTWtweets</a> for updates on The Dark Philosophers throughout the festival – I know I will be.</p>
<p>Thanks for following,</p>
<p>Amelia </p>Paper Boats, Booby-Trapped Umbrellas and a Pile of Old Wardrobes... just another day in Edinburghtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-08-10:3152760:BlogPost:741282011-08-10T16:16:32.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<div><p class="western">If it is true that 'nothing succeeds like excess', then Brent and I have had a very successful few days indeed. Seeing up to six shows a day as well as a far from quantifiable load of street theatre, we've absolutely binged on the stuff... and I'm starting to feel a little full. While I'm still enjoying myself to the core, it must be said that it's starting to take a lot to impress me. Beware, Cardiff. I'm going to be a much less forgiving critic when I return.…</p>
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<div><p class="western">If it is true that 'nothing succeeds like excess', then Brent and I have had a very successful few days indeed. Seeing up to six shows a day as well as a far from quantifiable load of street theatre, we've absolutely binged on the stuff... and I'm starting to feel a little full. While I'm still enjoying myself to the core, it must be said that it's starting to take a lot to impress me. Beware, Cardiff. I'm going to be a much less forgiving critic when I return.</p>
<p class="western">Thankfully, refreshment came in National Theatre Wales' <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/dark-philosophers">The Dark Philosophers</a> ★★★★</span>. Now. I understand that you perhaps won't trust me when I sing the praises of this particular show. If you feel this will be the case, please listen to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY7Fz1Bn8Dc&feature=related">these other people</a> instead. However to those still with me, I can say with complete honesty that I was so happy to be shoe-horned into the packed audience of such a powerful and playful piece that is an utterly fitting way to represent the company.</p>
<p class="western">Dark Philosophers heartily mixes Gwyn Thomas' biographical details with quirky adaptations of his collection of stories of the same name, forming a patchwork quilt of valleys experience that is strung together with haunting song and inventive movement.</p>
<p class="western">Made up of a chaotic stack of wardrobes, the set is exquisite. As the actors devilishly metamorphose from miners to TV personalities to bodily components of an imposingly puppet, the set endures similar transformations as the compartments beyond the wardrobe doors represent pubs, train carriages, coffins and more.</p>
<p class="western">Next stop was Idle Motion's <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/dance-physical-theatre/seagull-effect">The Seagull Effect</a> ★★★★</span> at Zoo Sanctuary. So far, so very <em>very</em> good. Just like yesterday's 2401 Objects, The Seagull Effect enriches its narrative with an informed scientific tone, making the diverse backgrounds of the company's founders quite clear.</p>
<p class="western">The work takes us back to one night in 1987, where a freak hurricane played its part in sculpting lives. With video projection, genius use of props (including a particularly effective scene where water is poured between umbrellas to neatly represent a torrential scene) and an emphasis on movement, The Seagull Effect is an exceptionally visual piece which ultimately reminds us that it's not just the big events that make a difference but rather ever single little movement plays its part in driving us through our lives. Intelligent, subtle and beautiful, I would urge any Edinburgh-goer to pay this a visit and everyone else to look out for this 'brilliant emerging company'.</p>
<p class="western">After this, it all started to go downhill. Following a great review from box office staff which gave us an unwarranted lesson in the power of bias, we headed off to see <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/tonight-sandy-grierson-will-lecture-dance-and-box">Tonight Sandy Grierson will Lecture, Dance and Box</a> ★★</span>. In this show, the passion of the single performer was undeniable and his demand on the audience to gradually fashion origami boats out of a fact-sheet about his relative was a clever inclusion. Yet the story he told (channelling the experience of his great-grandfather) was far from engaging and his attempts to engage the audience were far from completely accomplished.</p>
<p class="western">Unfortunately, <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/what-goes-up">What Goes Up</a> ★</span> completely lacked any lifting moments to help us out of our theatrical slump. Full of toilet humour, two-dimensional characterisation and irritating twists, this was an extremely disappointing way to finish the evening. Tomorrow I shall really try to go out on a high – have booked two tickets following Lyn Gardner's recommendations on Twitter and shall be heading off to see Alma Mater and I Hope My Heart Goes First. Fingers crossed that these will restore my faith in theatre.</p>
</div>Picturebooks, clowns and brain dissection... just another day in Edinburghtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-08-09:3152760:BlogPost:735052011-08-09T13:05:29.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<p>Any day that begins with a special, personalised performance of a delightful children's tale is already set to be spectacular. And this is what we had on Monday as we popped along to <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a href="http://www.edfringe.com/search#q=show_performer%3AThe%20Incredible%20Book%20Eating%20Boy&fq=dates%3A%5B2011-08-01T06%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202011-09-05T06%3A00%3A00Z%5D" target="_blank">The Incredible Book Eating Boy</a> ★★★★</span>. Although billed as kid's theatre, this…</p>
<p>Any day that begins with a special, personalised performance of a delightful children's tale is already set to be spectacular. And this is what we had on Monday as we popped along to <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/search#q=show_performer%3AThe%20Incredible%20Book%20Eating%20Boy&fq=dates%3A%5B2011-08-01T06%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202011-09-05T06%3A00%3A00Z%5D">The Incredible Book Eating Boy</a> ★★★★</span>. Although billed as kid's theatre, this five minute chunk of performance is a real treat. Through projection, puppetry and acting, Oliver Jeffers' story of a boy whose idea of balanced diet is a few Shakespeare plays washed down with an encyclopedia is vividly brought to life. Sitting alone in the inside of a Punch and Judy style booth, you are spoilt by a show performed just for you. After having <a href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/and-the-birds-fell-from-the-sky" target="_blank">a rather terrifying experience of one-on-one theatre</a> in recent weeks, it was great to feel so welcome – and the company's aim to blur the boundaries of performance by making puppet-like actors and actor-like puppets was truly accomplished. At the end of the show, we were lucky enough to catch James Baker, the production's director, for a quick interview with can be found on our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/nationaltheatrewales" target="_blank">Youtube channel</a>.</p>
<p>After lunch, it was straight to Analogue's <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/2401-objects">2401 Objects</a> ★★★★</span> on NTW's Creative Associate Matt Ball's recommendation – and what a good shout! 2401 Objects is a multi-media production, bringing theatre, video and live projection together in the biography of patient H.M., who gave his brain up to medical science to be 'Google-mapped'. What's refreshing about Analogue is that they seem indiscriminatingly cross-disciplined, bringing science to the stage in a way I believe is under-done. Their work, therefore, is incredibly layered and intelligent and definitely worth a see.</p>
<p>Next, it was off to the Traverse Theatre to grab a few seconds with the National Theatre Wales staff and check on the warm up for The Dark Philosophers. There's so much excitement building up around this show right now, which is so good to see. I'll be talking about this further in tomorrow's blog post.</p>
<p>Following a remarkable hearty chip supper we headed to <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/7-day-drunk">7 Day Drunk</a> ★★★★</span>, a theatrical piece by comedian Bryony Kimmings which seamlessly married cabaret and documentary. The work was based around the idea that creativity can be heightened by drunkenness and followed the artist as she endured a week in an originative hotbed of intoxication. Inviting singletons onto the stage for a slow dance, offering a drink to one girl on the front row and bringing us all together at the end for a rave to the tune of The Knife, Kimmings' interaction with the audience was spot on.</p>
<p>But despite all her hard work, Kimmings' efforts to improve my opinion of cabaret were swiftly diminished with <span style="color: #00ff00;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/vive-le-cabaret">Vive le Cabaret</a> ★★</span>. Credit must go to the organisers for provided a mixed bag of surprising entertainment (the highlight being a Chinese pole artist who balanced alarming strength with witty culture references) but the way in which these were billed certainly undermined the artists' messages. A particularly striking example of this was seen when a song about female body dis-morphia was immediately followed by a sparkly little number by a troupe of young dancers tossing their glossy hair and fluttering their false eyelashes. I can't say I enjoyed the hour or so spent watching this, but I did learn one thing: Now matter how poor the performance is, an enjoyable show is one that provokes discussion and debate – and I got plenty of this with a far more satisfied Brent who, unlike me, finds enjoyment in watching table-cloths being removed from tables.</p>
<p>The evening finished with a deliciously laid-back gig by The Blues Water Collective at Forest Fringe and a comparatively early night to prepare for the first day of The Dark Philosophers. We've got plenty of interviews up our sleeves for today so keep an eye on our YouTube channel. Until then!</p>Puberty, fishnets and princes... just another day in Edinburghtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-08-08:3152760:BlogPost:726482011-08-08T11:30:00.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<p>I should tell you straight away: I'm not a fan of musicals. However, there is something very alluring about <em>Spring Awakening</em> - something that moves far, far away from jazz hands, chihuahuas and black canes. Telling the tale of a group of adolescences struggling to gain knowledge of their sexualities and their worlds, the piece is a dark and appealing fable about growing up and knowledge. In Gordonstoun School's…</p>
<p>I should tell you straight away: I'm not a fan of musicals. However, there is something very alluring about <em>Spring Awakening</em> - something that moves far, far away from jazz hands, chihuahuas and black canes. Telling the tale of a group of adolescences struggling to gain knowledge of their sexualities and their worlds, the piece is a dark and appealing fable about growing up and knowledge. In Gordonstoun School's <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em><a href="http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/musicals-operas/spring-awakening-1" target="_blank">Spring Awakening</a> </em>★★★</span> these elements are brought out strikingly. As autumnal leaves coat the stage and the moody acting takes the piece along a few seasons, the inevitable deaths within the script are mournfully mapped out.</p>
<p>Generic character names such as The Hurt, The Sensitive and The Innocent were brought out with just the right of caricature, matched with a warming plausibility and sense of background. The Misfit was especially strong, as Tom Williams delivered his lines with a naturally accented passion.</p>
<p>As the day was already turning out to be one of taking chances, I decided to follow <em>Spring Awakening </em>with the next show I could stumble in on. The result was a dose of <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em><a href="http://www.edfringe.com/search#q=show_performer%3Avertigo&fq=dates%3A%5B2011-08-01T06%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202011-09-05T06%3A00%3A00Z%5D" target="_blank">Vertigo</a> </em>★★</span><em>,</em> a two person devised piece centred around the curious concept that two acts with the same name had been double-booked. As the two competing actors told stories of childhood push-bike accidents and hungover sky-diving - battling through a limited set, a shared stage and having to work with 'unseen' material - two richly convincing characters were built. At times, the awkwardness of the situation was overplayed and there was perhaps one too many references to a cat's anus. Yet with gentle and fitting musical pieces and a dedicated quest for finding a pure feeling, the result was a surprisingly moving little chunk of theatre with a powerful note of optimism at the end.</p>
<p>Nabokov's <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em><a href="http://www.edfringe.com/search#q=show_performer%3Ayoung%20pretender&fq=dates%3A%5B2011-08-01T06%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202011-09-05T06%3A00%3A00Z%5D" target="_blank">Young Pretender</a></em> ★★★</span> was the first production of the festival that left me disappointed. It wasn't bad. Far from it. I was very excited about seeing this fashionable young company (they've worked with Undeb – that's the kinda cool we're talking) but I didn't really connect with this performance. But apart from the lack of chemistry, I would say this is exactly my type of theatre. Paul Woodson's Bonnie Prince Charlie was utterly captivating; swinging from flamboyant and charismatic royalty to a down-on his luck prodigal son, he was a rich presence on stage. The production also articulated the conflict of war that exists on what is conventionally bundled up as a single, united side. We saw a man struggle against his people, contend with his history and – in a more abstract reading – battle with his superego.</p>
<p>While Prince Charlie was trying to find a free Scotland, my fellow TEAMmember was set on discovering a free Edinburgh. Slightly envious of Brent's success at being one quality theatrical scrounger, I decided to pop into an event on the free fringe that will remain kindly unnamed and purposefully un-star'd. The piece is best described as shambolic cabaret theatre and so we left in a hurry, with the ever educational Rob Harper giving me the invaluable advice: it's always better to leave when the performer can't see you. I guess that's one merit of traditional puppetry.</p>
<p>After a splendid feast in the flat, I joined the pro on a quest for free tickets and gained a much-needed lesson in how to be cool (<a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profiles/blogs/ntw-team-ed-day-3" target="_self">see Brent's tips</a> for yourself and you too can play the game). The rules of the game were simple: if we were offered a ticket to a performance, we had to go. This crafty little clause led to a very unique night indeed, with The Hangover style sketch show <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em><a href="http://www.edfringe.com/search#q=show_performer%3Aguilt&fq=dates%3A%5B2011-08-01T06%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202011-09-05T06%3A00%3A00Z%5D" target="_blank">Guilt and Shame</a></em> ★★</span> providing some inappropriate laughs and <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em><a href="http://www.edfringe.com/search#q=show_performer%3Abriefs&fq=dates%3A%5B2011-08-01T06%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202011-09-05T06%3A00%3A00Z%5D" target="_blank">Briefs</a></em> ★★★</span> delivering a mesmerising boylesque performance that borrowed enough from circus to make for a spectacular watch indeed.</p>
<p>I finish with one request. If anyone has stumbled into any quality shows on the free fringe, please let me know. I think the idea that you can absorb theatre alongside a cool pint in a bar somewhere is excellent – I just wish I had evidence that the practice lived up. Get in touch!</p>Corruption, manipulation and death... just another day in Edinburghtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-08-07:3152760:BlogPost:718272011-08-07T11:00:00.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<p>With a busy day ahead of us, <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/BrentMichaelDrewMorgan" target="_self">Mr Morgan</a> and I decided to warm ourselves up with a thirty-minute production by south Wales based <a href="http://www.bandwagon-theatre.com/" target="_blank">Bandwagon Theatre Company</a> at Greenside. <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em>A Rotten Little Story</em> ★★★</span> exposes the corruption of the British Government as they acquired Diego Garcia for the US…</p>
<p>With a busy day ahead of us, <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/BrentMichaelDrewMorgan" target="_self">Mr Morgan</a> and I decided to warm ourselves up with a thirty-minute production by south Wales based <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bandwagon-theatre.com/">Bandwagon Theatre Company</a> at Greenside. <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em>A Rotten Little Story</em> ★★★</span> exposes the corruption of the British Government as they acquired Diego Garcia for the US by coercing the island's original inhabitant into moving away: 'Didn't they offer you the trip of a lifetime? Well that's how long it lasts.'</p>
<p>The strength of this production lies in the deceptive simplicity of its telling. In a clever nautical pastiche of stories recounting the heighday of Britain's colonial influence, actors walk upon a map that is tea-stain brown below, and a grey blue as it reaches up to the sky. To each side of the set are wooden signposts, locating the victims of colonisation at the various point in their involuntary placements. On top of this, the original soundtrack adds an urgency to the tale.</p>
<p>Masked, the four exiled Ilois are again robbed of their identities. As a result, the overall work acts to tell the tale that its characters can't quite articulate. The Ilois' rights are later fought for in a generic deed which is unravelled and sits alongside the characters like the writing in a picturebook, again bringing simplicity of telling and depth of meaning together in a powerful way.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, with aviator-sporting Americans against a background of stars and stripes and haughty Brits uttering such exclamations as, 'Crumbs!' 'Gosh' and 'Crickey', the Western characters are played to a similar level of caricature, preventing us from viewing the full brutality of the situation. However, the tense discussions of a certain American George with his wife and the nightmare sequence that follows – where the president pictures the reaction of his citizens if the story hits the headlines – are particularly effective, and root the tale in a very specific history. It is this, together with the company's partnership with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/">The UK Chagos Support Association</a> that cements <em>A Rotten Little Story</em>'s status as a worthy play.</p>
<p>Next, was a classic twentieth century play that I've been meaning to catch for a while as we headed to <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em>Ibsen's Hedda Gabler</em> ★★★★</span>. <em>Hedda Gabler</em> tells the story of a newly married woman frustrated by her place in society and keen to play those around her like pawns in an assertion of her own significance and aesthetic on life. Texan company <a target="_blank" href="http://www.palindrometheatre.com">Palindrome Theatre</a> has not just presented a tired old play. <em>No, it can assess an action</em> well and have made a fitting <em>reviver</em> of a foreboding canonical work - complete with lashings of melodramatic pathetic fallacy and urgent, fiery monologues.</p>
<p>Deciding that was just about enough murder and manipulation for one day, we had Brent's choice of show in a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sammy-j.com/">one man</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6JrD6M4mZM">one puppet</a> show called <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em>Ricketts Lane </em>★</span> which had a nice colourful flyer with no mention of derangement on the back. For Brent, who expecting far more rude jokes and on-stage smoking, it was a mild disappointment; for me, it was a tedious lesson in the benefits of cultivating a closed mind. However, while we were both left feeling a little let down, I did find amusement in the couple behind us who laughed... and laughed... and laughed. Taste is a funny thing.</p>
<p>What is a man? Is it the devoted father? The result of thousands of years of evolution? The guy next to the urinal with the biggest penis? <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em>Muscle</em> ★★★★</span> is a rich discussion of masculinity, merging symbolic physical representation with gripping emotional monologues. The result is mesmerising, raising two big questions:</p>
<p>-How do you justify a show like this by recommending it enough? Do you Tweet reminders on a half hour basis? Do you borrow the cannons by the castle and spell it out in military morse code? Edinburgh is such a deliciously saturated place, you wonder what it really is that makes a show successful.</p>
<p>- Why did I travel so far just to prove that Welsh performance has reached such a strong point? With productions like <em>Muscle</em>, we have developed a confident voice with which to speak to the rest of the world.</p>
<p>OK, I lied: I hadn't quite had my fill of derangement and darkness for one day. While Brent chilled out with a litter of kittens, a collection of nursery rhymes and a cocktail with an umbrella in it (well - this is what I imagine, but you'll have to check <a target="_self" href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profiles/blogs/ntw-team-ed-day-2">his blog post</a> for confirmation), I realised I could catch <span style="color: #00ff00;"><em>Witzelsucht and Moria</em> ★★★</span>, an absudist solo show by GC Morgan. Given in the form of a speech at a convention of retired psychiatrists, this piece is a quirky celebration of big words and the peculiar nature of the mind. The implied audience was fitting: throughout, as madness permeated between content and presentation, the talking cure became something that was not merely described, but seen in action. As he became increasingly stained in black bile and blood, our monologist continued to describe surreal journeys into the human body which were brought to their extravagant climax as the speaking doctor entered – organ by organ – through a wound in a patient's skull.</p>
<p>The day ended, as I think far more good days in Edinburgh probably should, with a beer at the Forest Fringe. This was the moment where Brent redeemed himself beyond the puppet show moment and regained my trust. </p>
<p>Right – day three here I come!</p>
<p>(<a href="http://twitter.com/ameliaforsbrook" rel="nofollow">@ameliaforsbrook</a> / <a href="http://twitter.com/dextartuk" rel="nofollow">@dextartuk</a> / <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23TEAM_ed" rel="nofollow">#TEAM_ed</a>)</p>NTW TEAM in Edinburghtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-08-06:3152760:BlogPost:719012011-08-06T01:13:29.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.11997663858346641">Arrived in Edinburgh earlier today after far too many hours spent on the train from south Wales, listening to Chipmunk renditions of Chumbawamba.</span> <br></br>Now, with over 600 pages of information in front of us, it’s fair to say that both <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/BrentMichaelDrewMorgan" target="_self">Brent</a> and I are a little overwhelmed. Officially, there are 2,543 shows on around the city this…</div>
<div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.11997663858346641">Arrived in Edinburgh earlier today after far too many hours spent on the train from south Wales, listening to Chipmunk renditions of Chumbawamba.</span> <br/>Now, with over 600 pages of information in front of us, it’s fair to say that both <a target="_self" href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/BrentMichaelDrewMorgan">Brent</a> and I are a little overwhelmed. Officially, there are 2,543 shows on around the city this month, 700 of which are theatre. We’ve now seen two, so that leaves a lot of ‘must-sees’ to cram into just under 6 days.</div>
<div>As a member of TEAM Cardiff, I'm really looking forward to seeing shows by Welsh companies and artists such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.shermancymru.co.uk/performance/drama/llwyth-eng/">Llwyth</a> (Sherman Cymru), <a target="_blank" href="http://www.shocknawe.org.uk/">Muscle</a> (SHOCK N AWE) and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fragmentsofash.co.uk/">Fragments of Ash</a> (Notional Theatre). I'm also enthusiastic about seeing groups at the forefront of clever, modern theatre as Analogue deliver <a target="_blank" href="http://analogueproductions.blogspot.com/">a new piece to follow Beachy Head</a> (which I loved) and I finally find myself in the same place as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nabokov-online.com/">Nabokov</a>. For obvious reasons, National Theatre Scotland will be interesting to see, and it is perhaps with the most anticipation that I look forward to stumbling in on my new favourite outfit thanks to a random buy-one-get-one-free offer or a recommendation from a stranger.<br/>Then there’s the street entertainment, impromptu music sessions and fellow theatre lovers to share stories with. Our diaries are truly set to overflow to intimidating levels with events and experiences.</div>
<div>But we’re here to represent TEAM and have our fingers crossed that you will support us by pushing us to shows which you think will be undoubtedly good, intriguingly horrific or just plain strange. If you want us to feed back to you on any events, let us know on Twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/ameliaforsbrook">@ameliaforsbrook</a> / <a href="http://twitter.com/dextartuk">@dextartuk</a> / <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23TEAM_ed">#TEAM_ed</a>) or through this community - by messaging us personally or through comments on any of our blog posts.</div>
<div>Right - so far I've reached the letter C in the index so it's time for some serious bedtime reading.<br/>Nos da</div>De Gabay Updatetag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-06-08:3152760:BlogPost:577722011-06-08T21:30:00.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<p>I got a rather odd look from an elderly lady as I purchased a tacky, broken Elvis toy from her charity shop. For some reason, this kind old woman couldn't quite understand why I was about to splash out 25p on a <em>once-lovely</em> item that had been absolutely <em>ruined by the children</em>. Similarly, the man in the PDSA store was reluctant to ask what kind of 'desperate times' led to me buying two Action Men. Little did they know that ten minutes later I'd be helping to break up the…</p>
<p>I got a rather odd look from an elderly lady as I purchased a tacky, broken Elvis toy from her charity shop. For some reason, this kind old woman couldn't quite understand why I was about to splash out 25p on a <em>once-lovely</em> item that had been absolutely <em>ruined by the children</em>. Similarly, the man in the PDSA store was reluctant to ask what kind of 'desperate times' led to me buying two Action Men. Little did they know that ten minutes later I'd be helping to break up the plastic figurines in Chapter's Market House, all in the name of art.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999364101?profile=original"><img class="align-center" width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999364101?profile=RESIZE_480x480"/></a></p>
<p>Today was Day Three of a mightily interesting week at the De Gabay R&D where we've been using experimental and interactive techniques to explore the different stages of man. With an inspiring group of guys with Somali/British identities, we've been testing the extent to which masculine individuality can be classified in terms of age and geography. We've also been working to present fresh writing in challenging new ways.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999365149?profile=original"><img class="align-center" width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999365149?profile=RESIZE_480x480"/></a></p>
<p>Our writer-performers have brought more angles to the table than Bauhaus ever could, exploring themes as diverse as ownership and belonging, travel and stagnation, nightingales and hairy aliens. Now we have quality writing that is blunt, honest, funny and philosophical, I'm desperate to see the work developed and showcased by the end of the week. </p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999365331?profile=original"><img class="align-center" width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999365331?profile=RESIZE_480x480"/></a></p>
<p>With workshops with freestyle record holder Ruffstylz, we all totally triumphed at tongue twisters (or something like that). Ruffstylz also shed light on how different writers' tones are naturally more suited to a specific medium, for example rap, spoken word or poetry. The performers have boldly experimented with how they deliver their pieces and the week so far has been a fascinating exploration of how stories make the journey from pen to stage.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999368570?profile=original"><img class="align-center" width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999368570?profile=RESIZE_480x480"/></a></p>
<p>The power of language as competitive force has also been played out to its full potential. Echoing Ruffstylz's freestyle battles, Ahmed, Daud and Basheer scripted hyperbolically good-natured insults, amusing everyone bold enough to stay in the room. Tomorrow, Belgian choreographer Ben Benaouiss will be joining us to take this dynamic energy further through movement and focused staging. I leave you with the knowledge that nothing has been finished and everything is yet to be explored and evolved. We’ll keep you posted.</p>A Year of TEAMtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-03-24:3152760:BlogPost:525102011-03-24T19:00:00.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Baskerville, serif"><font size="2"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Attempting to pin down and describe the TEAM Experience is a very hard task indeed: In my voluntary role as Assembly Production Assistant, I've had the chance to tour Wales'</font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3"> </font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">communities,…</font></font></font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Baskerville, serif"><font size="2"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Attempting to pin down and describe the TEAM Experience is a very hard task indeed: In my voluntary role as Assembly Production Assistant, I've had the chance to tour Wales'</font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3"> </font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">communities, meet interesting people, and fill a wide number of different, vibrant and challenging</font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3"> </font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">roles.</font></font><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3"> </font></font></font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">I've had experiences I never thought I would have. I've watched <a target="_blank" href="http://nationaltheatrewales.org/whatson/performance/ntw00#islovedangerous">ballet in a bus station</a> in the dead of night and I've been up and down on a <a target="_self" href="http://nationaltheatrewales.org/whatson/performance/ntw00#isabertheendoftheroadaiaberydydiweddyffordd">funicular railway</a> handing out seaweed. I've sat between an engineer and a tween pop-star in the making, learning how to make a boat out of last week's Western Telegraph, a handful of elastic bands and three milk cartons. I've helped cover Theatr Brycheiniog's entire stage with turf in preparation for a <a target="_blank" href="http://nationaltheatrewales.org/whatson/performance/ntw00#whatisbreconguardingandprotecting">surreal indoor picnic</a>. I've played with toy cranes in <a target="_blank" href="http://nationaltheatrewales.org/whatson/performance/ntw00#doesbutetownwanttocrossthetracks">a former bank</a> and I've witnessed an artist cook up his own shoes as part of a Live Art Speed Dating event in an <a target="_blank" href="http://nationaltheatrewales.org/whatson/performance/ntw00#joinusatthenewportassembly">empty shop</a>.</font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">I've learnt so much, from a general geographical knowledge of the country I live in to personal stories from the people who live just half an hour away from my house. The Assemblies have all been so different, yet are linked by the fact they all provoke interaction and so a lot of my work has been about finding out about what matters most to a community, and encouraging a dialogue between theatre and community, and between individuals within a particular corner of Wales who would not usually come together. I've seen enough eye-opening ideas sketched on blackboards this year to make me question whether I ever left primary school.</font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">I got involved in TEAM after joining <a target="_self" href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/group/teamcardiff?">the group</a> on this community, not quite knowing what it was but curious about how I could get involved with National Theatre Wales' work. What I eventually discovered was an extraordinary opportunity to expand my own experience and enjoyment of arts. Working closely with Creative Associates Mathilde Lopez and Catherine Paskell, I gained a real insight into how the theatre works, giving me chance to expand my understanding of theatre and develop ideas regarding what role suits both my skills and my passions.</font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Motivated by an environment where innovation is encouraged, I have had chance to broaden my experience through training, shadowing and experimentation. Throughout the year, I have picked up new skills in both formal and casual ways. I undertook training in online marketing and general leadership as well as picking up more specific skills in technology and stage management through shadowing. There have been moments where I felt I could do better, but my experiments have largely enabled me to to find my own 'voice' and see my work experience as a chance to learn from my mistakes with the security of constant support and guidance. Overall, TEAM has provided me with a wonderful opportunity for development, which I consider myself so fortunate to have had.</font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Yet it is not just me that has been developing. Working with a new company, I did get the sense that I had become part of an alive, creative process with an organisation that is also trying out new ways to (re)present theatre in Wales. I am sure that I've benefited from working with a company that is still exploring innovative ways to represent a country in a really inspiring time for theatre to reach a wider audience in this country.</font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">Yes, the experience has most certainly been tiring. From early morning mountain climbing to late night toy boat painting, the working days are so erratic. In fact, join TEAM and the only 9-5 you'll ever come across is that of the Dolly Parton variety as you sit crammed into a car from Aberystwyth to Cardiff in a reluctant sing-along. For me, TEAM has certainly been hard work but I've found it impossible not to get swept away by the creative mood, surrounded by people who are passionate about what they do.</font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">In a time where most arts organisations are cutting back and restricting who they take on, the TEAM programme is refreshingly inclusive. Like me, many of my fellow TEAM members are trying to gain more experience before starting a career in arts but there are many others who have a passion they want to bring to the company but who would never usually go near the theatre. We're not only <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999365188?profile=original">the best dressed volunteers in the UK</a>, we also bring different things to National Theatre Wales from our very different backgrounds and interests. Being part of this has been hugely enjoyable.</font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font face="Baskerville, serif" size="3"><font color="#000000"><font face="Times New Roman, serif"><font size="3">With opportunities to build on existing skills, as well as numerous chances to try out something new, my experience with TEAM is what work experience should be: an opportunity to try out a vocation and see what fits, and have a unbelievably good time doing it.</font></font></font></font></p>
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<p class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> </p>The Tuesday Beforetag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2011-03-15:3152760:BlogPost:514272011-03-15T21:00:12.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<p class="western"><font size="2"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>Time until Milford Assembly: 02days, 21 hours, 59 minutes, 49 seconds (approx)</span></font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>It's really starting to look ship-shape in Milford Haven ahead of Friday's Assembly. Today, we've been speaking to a number of our special guests and there seems to be a real buzz to…</span></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font size="2"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>Time until Milford Assembly: 02days, 21 hours, 59 minutes, 49 seconds (approx)</span></font></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>It's really starting to look ship-shape in Milford Haven ahead of Friday's Assembly. Today, we've been speaking to a number of our special guests and there seems to be a real buzz to get involved in the open-mic, with some quality acts already signing up and reserving their slot on the night.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>After a few hours putting the finishing touches to our plans at the production house, Catherine Paskell and I hit the Torch Theatre for rehearsals with the marvellous Tamsin and Shawn, a duo from Milford. Tonight, we're at our venue, The Three Crowns, checking that the Felinfoel ale is up to scratch and meet to some more artists to form some secretive plans for Friday.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>Back to the question 'What is Milford's Energy?', the ideas I've heard today have been amusing to say the least. Apparently, we should forget the town's oil refineries and caffeine fixes as 'Tom' is the answer. It is that simple. Now, I would really appreciate your feedback as to whether or not this mysterious figure gives you energy. Other suggestions include the energy of young people and 'a big pile of flowers'.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>So tomorrow will be all about getting the word out as much as possible, so everybody in Milford gets the chance to be involved. I'll be continuing round town with my super flip cam to collect vox pops for the event. If you've already got some ideas on what Milford's energy is, drop me a message here or get in touch at <a href="mailto:ameliaforsbrook@nationaltheatrewales.org">ameliaforsbrook@nationaltheatrewales.org</a>. Whether you want to promote the work your society does to <i>energize</i> the community, or give us a cheeky bit of trivia about the power station, we want to catch it!</span></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"><font color="#000000"><font face="Ari, sans-serif"><font size="2"><span>Right, that's all for now. I'll be blogging more tomorrow, hopefully with more info about the mysteriously omnipotent Tom...</span></font></font></font></p>
<p class="western"> </p>TEAM NTW03: Is youth a state of mind?tag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2010-09-08:3152760:BlogPost:407932010-09-08T10:00:00.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
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<br></br><a href="http://www.kizoa.com/slideshow/d1095949k1591734o2/team-cardiff"><b>TEAM CARDIFF</b></a> - <i><a href="http://www.kizoa.com">picture slideshow</a></i></div>
<p></p>
<p>Following NTW03's Assembly, <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/MelodyLouiseBrain">Melody Brain</a>, <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/NatalieStone">Nat Stone</a> and I went round our fair city with youth on our minds. It wasn't skateboards we…</p>
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<br/><a href="http://www.kizoa.com/slideshow/d1095949k1591734o2/team-cardiff"><b>TEAM CARDIFF</b></a> - <i><a href="http://www.kizoa.com">picture slideshow</a></i></div>
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<p>Following NTW03's Assembly, <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/MelodyLouiseBrain">Melody Brain</a>, <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/NatalieStone">Nat Stone</a> and I went round our fair city with youth on our minds. It wasn't skateboards we wanted, though. Nor was it the latest 'dermatologically tested' whatever from Olay. Instead, we wanted to interrogate the lovely citizens of Cardiff on what their attitudes to age were, and so we asked them to boldly write down a number.</p>
<p>We didn't want people to tell us not how old they <em>actually</em> were (we wouldn't dare be so rude!), but how old they felt.</p>
<p>The results were varied, with some people keener to break the mould than others...</p>
<br/>NTW06 Brecon Assemblytag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2010-08-25:3152760:BlogPost:400662010-08-25T11:30:00.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
There was something decidedly odd about the build-up to National Theatre Wales’ Assembly. Rumours flew around town claiming that somebody had coated Theatr Bycheiniog’s stage with real turf. <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profiles/blogs/what-is-brecon-guarding-and">Posts</a> on the NTW community website hinted that they’d be traditional Ghurkha dancing alongside hot-off-the-press scriptwriting and aerial performance, bringing Brecon’s artistic and cultural variety together.…
There was something decidedly odd about the build-up to National Theatre Wales’ Assembly. Rumours flew around town claiming that somebody had coated Theatr Bycheiniog’s stage with real turf. <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profiles/blogs/what-is-brecon-guarding-and">Posts</a> on the NTW community website hinted that they’d be traditional Ghurkha dancing alongside hot-off-the-press scriptwriting and aerial performance, bringing Brecon’s artistic and cultural variety together. Indeed, in the spirit of Wales’ young national theatre, this was set to be a community event with a difference.<br/>True to expectation, NTW kept us all on our toes throughout the evening. Bluntly refusing to let us go along with the recognisable conventions of theatre, they instead chose to generate a curious, if not a little puzzled, crowd. After meeting in the upstairs bar at the venue, we were shepherded through the labyrinthine network of the theatre’s backstage. The audience were then abandoned behind the backdrop for a few exciting minutes, relishing the expectation as the fabric finally lifted to reveal the spectacle from the other side.<br/>The production took advantage of the kind of controlled atmosphere that only theatre provides, sculpting a surreal and magical world where actors dressed in animal masks pranced across real turf in a curiously imbalanced take on reality. Yet the conversation was something National Theatre Wales couldn’t control, and so the discussion swayed from issue to issue as different members of the community brought their own individual insights into the question, ‘What is Brecon guarding and protecting?'. The result was a night tailored to Brecon’s significant economic and cultural role in modern Britain.<br/>A sister project to the company’s more publicised shows, the Assembly has rapidly built up a reputation for providing intimate and quirky community orientated events, with a focus on local talents and concerns. This was a night which innovatively and effectively fused community discussion with performance, resulting in delightful reminders of why Brecon is unique. Now, we can only hope that the ideas expressed in the Assembly are aired outside the artificial world of the theatre, and we can continue to be reminded that Brecon is indeed a town worth protecting.Follow up to NTW03 Assembly: Is Cardiff a young city?tag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2010-08-20:3152760:BlogPost:398172010-08-20T01:13:54.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><br></br></font>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><font size="3">Just make one brief visit to Cardiff’s page and Wikipedia will tell you a lot about the age of our city. Look a bit harder and the timeframes become extremely clear. In infancy Cardiff was the site of a fort, where Common Era men and women spent their days fashioning and swapping coins (or so archaeologists would have us believe). The settlement…</font></font></p>
<font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><br/></font>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><font size="3">Just make one brief visit to Cardiff’s page and Wikipedia will tell you a lot about the age of our city. Look a bit harder and the timeframes become extremely clear. In infancy Cardiff was the site of a fort, where Common Era men and women spent their days fashioning and swapping coins (or so archaeologists would have us believe). The settlement then went through a somewhat troubled childhood marked by Norman occupation, before it tried to lie down and not think of England as Victorian gentlemen used it as an architectural playground.</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><font size="3">So, with all this in mind is it ever possible to argue that the city is young? Evidently, with the question for Cardiff’s <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/group/debaterespond">Assembly</a>, there was a slight demand for thinking outside of the box, with guests looking beyond the fact that Cardiff’s telegram from the Queen is way past its due date and investigating the extent to which Cardiff exhibits traits traditionally associated with youth. Is it energetic? Is it developing? Does it stay awake past midnight? Cardiff ticks all the boxes and so, despite having a lifespan which precedes the year dot, it can rightfully be described as young.</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><font size="3">If our city can escape boundaries of fact and logic to become youthful, then so can we. Youth, therefore, is clearly a state of mind, a flexible concept that need not be pinned to the quantitative measure of age.</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><font size="3">As part of a follow-up project to the Cardiff Assembly, the lovely <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/MelodyLouiseBrain">Melody Brain</a> and I will be exploring the view that youth and age are far from antithetical. Like the early-Victorian buildings which have once again come to represent the height of modernity, housing trendy bars and quirky shops, we all have the power to dislocate the youth which contributes to our personalities from the reductive, and perhaps frightening, notion of linear age.</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><font color="#000000" face="Calibri"><font size="3">Melody and I will be looking at how the internet works to allow the youth within us all to express itself freely, and will be asking whether avatars can now express this allusive quality in a more genuine way than our bodies ever could. Whether you went to the assembly or not, your ideas and inputs are more than welcome. Young or old of body or mind, please get in touch.</font></font></p>Bring on Barmouth Assemblytag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2010-07-08:3152760:BlogPost:365352010-07-08T10:16:49.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
Bore da!<br />
After a more than hearty breakfast overlooking the point where mountains meet sea, I'm ready for the busy run-up to the fourth assembly.<br />
Rehearsals at the Bath House last night were simply amazing. I've heard rich soulful singing, listened to some incredible Barmouth-centric lyrics and seen the early stages of the video-game film. Can't wait for the discussions and guests, where the whole thing will come together... I'm fully confident that my first assembly will be a good 'un. Check…
Bore da!<br />
After a more than hearty breakfast overlooking the point where mountains meet sea, I'm ready for the busy run-up to the fourth assembly.<br />
Rehearsals at the Bath House last night were simply amazing. I've heard rich soulful singing, listened to some incredible Barmouth-centric lyrics and seen the early stages of the video-game film. Can't wait for the discussions and guests, where the whole thing will come together... I'm fully confident that my first assembly will be a good 'un. Check out the pictures on Devinda's blog post and I'll hopefully see many of you guys later,<br />
Amelia xNotes on the Art of Poetry - TEAM blogtag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2010-04-18:3152760:BlogPost:300322010-04-18T14:48:05.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
<font size="2">Wandering around Swansea after the absolutely excellent <span style="font-style: italic;">Shelf Life</span>, I decided to seize the opportunity to bring Dylan Thomas's poetry to life in his very own city.<br></br>Working together with good friend (and fellow TEAM member) <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/BeccaOakley">Becca Oakley</a> and taking inspiration from the fact that the Old Library used to house thousands of works by this writer, we decided to test…</font>
<font size="2">Wandering around Swansea after the absolutely excellent <span style="font-style: italic;">Shelf Life</span>, I decided to seize the opportunity to bring Dylan Thomas's poetry to life in his very own city.<br/>Working together with good friend (and fellow TEAM member) <a href="http://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/BeccaOakley">Becca Oakley</a> and taking inspiration from the fact that the Old Library used to house thousands of works by this writer, we decided to test the notion Dylan Thomas's 'Notes on the Art of Poetry' is still relevant today.<br/>The experience was interesting to say the least. It was a night of torn pages interspersed with Katy Perry and Simply Red and this is the result....<br/><br/><br/><br style="font-style: italic;"/><span style="font-style: italic;"><br/> I could never have dreamt that there were such goings-on</span><br style="font-style: italic;"/><span style="font-style: italic;">in the world between the covers of books,</span><br/><br/></font><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="2"><img style="width: 645px; height: 409px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999358375?profile=original" alt=""/></font></p>
<font size="2"><br style="font-style: italic;"/><span style="font-style: italic;"><br/><br/>such sandstorms and ice blasts of words,</span><br/><br/></font><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="2"><img style="width: 648px; height: 405px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999358399?profile=original" alt=""/></font></p>
<font size="2"><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic;"><br/><br/>such staggering peace, such enormous laughter,</span></font> <font size="2"><br/><br/></font><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="2"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999358644?profile=original" alt=""/></font></p>
<font size="2"><br style="font-style: italic;"/><span style="font-style: italic;"><br/><br/>such and so many blinding bright lights,</span><br/><br/></font><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="2"><img style="width: 650px; height: 380px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999358777?profile=original" alt=""/></font></p>
<font size="2"><br style="font-style: italic;"/><span style="font-style: italic;"><br/><br/>splashing all over the pages</span><br/><br/></font><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="2"><img style="width: 645px; height: 385px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999358908?profile=original" alt=""/></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: left; font-style: italic;"><font size="2"><span style="font-style: italic;">in a million bits and pieces</span></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="2"><img style="width: 645px; height: 435px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999359074?profile=original" alt=""/></font></p>
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<p style="text-align: left; font-style: italic;"><font size="2">all of which were words, words, words,</font></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><font size="2"><img style="width: 642px; height: 454px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999359186?profile=original" alt=""/></font></p>
<font size="2"><br/><span style="font-style: italic;"><br/><br/>and each of which were alive forever</span><br style="font-style: italic;"/><span style="font-style: italic;">in its own delight and glory and oddity and light.<br/></span> <br/></font><p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2999359228?profile=original" alt=""/></p>
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<font size="2"><br/></font>Puns to be left on the shelf.tag:community.nationaltheatrewales.org,2010-04-14:3152760:BlogPost:297422010-04-14T16:45:05.000ZAmelia Forsbrookhttps://community.nationaltheatrewales.org/profile/AmeliaForsbrook
That good old fellow Oscar Wilde once said that the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.<br></br>
With this philosophy in mind, I want to go wild with a puntastic celebration of Shelf Life before go and see it on Friday. I'm hoping as many people as possible can join in the fun times. What, with this being a fully booked show in an empty library (get it, yeah?) the cheesier the comments the better.<br></br>
Dominic Cavendish from The Telegraph has already unwittingly joined in the game…
That good old fellow Oscar Wilde once said that the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.<br/>
With this philosophy in mind, I want to go wild with a puntastic celebration of Shelf Life before go and see it on Friday. I'm hoping as many people as possible can join in the fun times. What, with this being a fully booked show in an empty library (get it, yeah?) the cheesier the comments the better.<br/>
Dominic Cavendish from The Telegraph has already unwittingly joined in the game by describing Shelf Life as 'Put-downable'.<br />
Who's Next?<br/>