REELING - A play by Sean Gregory
art by Angela Guyton (Click on image for artists website)
Monday 28 June 2010
Reeling Trailer
Credits:
Mr Melks - David Corden
Jude - Joanne Smart
Alice - Java Bere
Sound - Joel Clements
Cinematography and Editing - David McLaughlin
Writer - Sean Gregory
All the above did a fantastic job on the trailer... apart from Sean, who did nothing but knock out two pages of script.
Please, pass on this link - http://bit.ly/dt085e - and help to get as many people down to 24:7 this year. Any comments left on youtube would be marvellous, also.
Saturday 26 June 2010
Latest News!
Tickets now on Sale!
This year's festival website is now live and tickets can be booked. For a direct link to our booking page you can follow this link http://tinyurl.com/reel24
Reeling was also mentioned in Kevin Bourke’s article ‘Preview: 24:7 Theatre Festival 2010’ on the City Life website. Here’s an edited version of the article…
Anyone who’s at all interested in exciting new drama and comedy should already have earmarked the week of July 26-August 1, because those are the seven days of this year’s 24:7 Theatre Festival.
Now in its seventh year, 24:7 has long-since established itself as one of Manchester’s landmark cultural events. Driven by actor David Slack, the festival gives new writing talent the chance to shine and bloom. Every year, playwrights are asked to enter one-hour plays on any subject.
This year, hundreds of entries have been narrowed down to an exciting top 10, with four more plays being given a rehearsed reading. None of them last more than an hour and they’ll all be performed several times over the course of the week at 24:7’s home this year, the Co-operative Society’s New Century House. So there’s really no excuse to miss out.
In Reeling, by Sean Gregory, sisters Jude and Alice break into their elderly neighbour’s house only to stumble across a wall of cassette tapes that are recordings of their entire lives. The cast includes M.E.N award winner Ruth Evans, David Cordon (from last year’s Lub You) and 12-year-old local girl Hannah Hughes, while it’s directed by Festival favourite Richard Vergette.
“I attended a workshop where everyone was asked to come up with a frightening idea for a one act play,” says Reeling’s writer Sean Gregory, who also had a 24:7 entry in 2009. “The idea of your neighbour recording your whole life seemed pretty nightmarish to me, and finding the tapes seemed even worse.”
For the full article link is listed on this blog.
Cheers!
This year's festival website is now live and tickets can be booked. For a direct link to our booking page you can follow this link http://tinyurl.com/reel24
Reeling was also mentioned in Kevin Bourke’s article ‘Preview: 24:7 Theatre Festival 2010’ on the City Life website. Here’s an edited version of the article…
Anyone who’s at all interested in exciting new drama and comedy should already have earmarked the week of July 26-August 1, because those are the seven days of this year’s 24:7 Theatre Festival.
Now in its seventh year, 24:7 has long-since established itself as one of Manchester’s landmark cultural events. Driven by actor David Slack, the festival gives new writing talent the chance to shine and bloom. Every year, playwrights are asked to enter one-hour plays on any subject.
This year, hundreds of entries have been narrowed down to an exciting top 10, with four more plays being given a rehearsed reading. None of them last more than an hour and they’ll all be performed several times over the course of the week at 24:7’s home this year, the Co-operative Society’s New Century House. So there’s really no excuse to miss out.
In Reeling, by Sean Gregory, sisters Jude and Alice break into their elderly neighbour’s house only to stumble across a wall of cassette tapes that are recordings of their entire lives. The cast includes M.E.N award winner Ruth Evans, David Cordon (from last year’s Lub You) and 12-year-old local girl Hannah Hughes, while it’s directed by Festival favourite Richard Vergette.
“I attended a workshop where everyone was asked to come up with a frightening idea for a one act play,” says Reeling’s writer Sean Gregory, who also had a 24:7 entry in 2009. “The idea of your neighbour recording your whole life seemed pretty nightmarish to me, and finding the tapes seemed even worse.”
For the full article link is listed on this blog.
Cheers!
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Road to the 24:7 Festival - Producers Guide
Media Launch at The Contact
I had an interesting afternoon yesterday, attending the Media Launch for the festival. It was great to get a taste of the other shows involved, as well as a chance to intrigue others and sell our own show. The launch presentation was introduced by the Chairman (Actor), John Henshaw, who spoke about festivals appeal to non theatre goers. He was followed by the Corrie actress, Vicky Binns, who spoke about the festivals development and how it is always looking to do something new. I got chance to speak to both of them during the event and they seemed to be lovely down to earth people, just the way actors who I like should be. What followed was a 20 minute presentation with 5 Promotional Video’s and 5 Live performances. This gave a nice structure to the event, though personally I think Video is the better promo format. In that, it can used again for marketing adding value for more.
Our video was first! Which was great but, I also had concerns we would be forgotten by then end of the event. Hopefully this wasn’t the case. I would recommend more than a week edit. Joel our technical director was given the job of post production sound. Which he did a great job and all in one day! But there was some difficulty in getting the Credits on to the piece, which resulted in no claps from the audience. I think this was because of a combination of being first up, no credits, and the music for the second piece coming straight after. I say this because during the ‘networking’ after the presentation there was a good response from the people I talked to. Richard (our director), who hadn’t seen the promo until that point, thought it was excellent and enough to intrigue the audience, which was our aim. (Me, the writer – Sean, film maker David and Joel).
Though I only spoke to few people from the press, I had my first radio interview with WFM radio. Thankfully not a national station as my answer to the question, ‘How are finding the whole process’ being ‘I just love this play’, might not have been the most articulate response! Luckily Richard knew exactly what to say, Thank you. It was great to have someone there who knew the score.
Jo
I had an interesting afternoon yesterday, attending the Media Launch for the festival. It was great to get a taste of the other shows involved, as well as a chance to intrigue others and sell our own show. The launch presentation was introduced by the Chairman (Actor), John Henshaw, who spoke about festivals appeal to non theatre goers. He was followed by the Corrie actress, Vicky Binns, who spoke about the festivals development and how it is always looking to do something new. I got chance to speak to both of them during the event and they seemed to be lovely down to earth people, just the way actors who I like should be. What followed was a 20 minute presentation with 5 Promotional Video’s and 5 Live performances. This gave a nice structure to the event, though personally I think Video is the better promo format. In that, it can used again for marketing adding value for more.
Our video was first! Which was great but, I also had concerns we would be forgotten by then end of the event. Hopefully this wasn’t the case. I would recommend more than a week edit. Joel our technical director was given the job of post production sound. Which he did a great job and all in one day! But there was some difficulty in getting the Credits on to the piece, which resulted in no claps from the audience. I think this was because of a combination of being first up, no credits, and the music for the second piece coming straight after. I say this because during the ‘networking’ after the presentation there was a good response from the people I talked to. Richard (our director), who hadn’t seen the promo until that point, thought it was excellent and enough to intrigue the audience, which was our aim. (Me, the writer – Sean, film maker David and Joel).
Though I only spoke to few people from the press, I had my first radio interview with WFM radio. Thankfully not a national station as my answer to the question, ‘How are finding the whole process’ being ‘I just love this play’, might not have been the most articulate response! Luckily Richard knew exactly what to say, Thank you. It was great to have someone there who knew the score.
Jo
Monday 14 June 2010
Latest News
Media Launch 15/06
The Festivals media launch takes place tomorrow evening. This event will be streamed live via the festivals website www.247theatrefestival.co.uk. To view go to the site at 6.15pm tomorrow and refresh the screen.
You may even catch the promo for 'Reeling!'
The Festivals media launch takes place tomorrow evening. This event will be streamed live via the festivals website www.247theatrefestival.co.uk. To view go to the site at 6.15pm tomorrow and refresh the screen.
You may even catch the promo for 'Reeling!'
Friday 11 June 2010
Road to the 24:7 Festival – Producers Guide
Well, what an exciting week this has been! After several meetings with other fantastic directors, this Sunday, I managed to secure Richard Vergette to direct. For those of you who regularly come to the festival you may remember Richard who wrote and performed the one man play 'An Englishman's Home' which won critical acclaim at the 24.7 Theatre Festival 2008 and later transferred to The Library Theatre in Manchester. As well as writing and performing in the thought provoking play ‘As We Forgive Them’ (see link to listen to an audio version of this play) which won audience favorite production at the 24.7 Theatre festival in 2009, The Vicky Allen memorial award from Equity for Best Production and The Manchester Evening News Theatre award for Best Fringe Production in 2009.
Monday, we filmed the promo. Big, big thanks to the talented Dave Mclaughlin (film maker Daydreamz Productions), David Corden (playing Mr Melks), Java Bere (providing the voice of Alice) and Joel for designing the sound. The afternoon ran very smoothly and we finished well before my over estimated finish time. The morning was spent inviting actresses to audition for the role Alice which took place on…
Wednesday, finally met the lovely Richard in person and spent a good 6 hours auditioning possible Alice’s. As always auditioning is a painful process for everyone involved. The festival is such a fantastic opportunity and in an ideal world I’d love to give something to everyone who came along. The standard of performance was really high. But in the end we decided on the talented Louise – Clare Henry, who I’m really excited to be working with. The day was finished off with production meeting making decisions on technical requirements for a play we haven’t started working on properly in order to make the deadline for Monday 14th June. My advice is to over estimate what you require and then all bases are covered.
Meantime, while all this happening in Manchester, Sean was busy spending hours perfecting his skills in graphic design and adding a few details to the poster and flyers designed by Anegla Guyton. Which meant by Thursday we were able to order our posters and flyers which fingers, toes and everything crossed will arrive in time for the Media Launch next Tuesday 15th June.
So with the Media Launch approaching I’ve spent the last couple of days gathering information for Alexis the festival’s Press and PR person (alexis@247theatrefestival.co.uk). I’ve written our press release and hopefully contacted all the actors who have taken the time to contact me and apply for a role to say Thank you. (If you reading this and not received a message, I’m really sorry, but Thank you!)
So tonight I’m drinking a well deserved glass of wine as I continue to plan, market and email into the early hours!
Jo
Monday, we filmed the promo. Big, big thanks to the talented Dave Mclaughlin (film maker Daydreamz Productions), David Corden (playing Mr Melks), Java Bere (providing the voice of Alice) and Joel for designing the sound. The afternoon ran very smoothly and we finished well before my over estimated finish time. The morning was spent inviting actresses to audition for the role Alice which took place on…
Wednesday, finally met the lovely Richard in person and spent a good 6 hours auditioning possible Alice’s. As always auditioning is a painful process for everyone involved. The festival is such a fantastic opportunity and in an ideal world I’d love to give something to everyone who came along. The standard of performance was really high. But in the end we decided on the talented Louise – Clare Henry, who I’m really excited to be working with. The day was finished off with production meeting making decisions on technical requirements for a play we haven’t started working on properly in order to make the deadline for Monday 14th June. My advice is to over estimate what you require and then all bases are covered.
Meantime, while all this happening in Manchester, Sean was busy spending hours perfecting his skills in graphic design and adding a few details to the poster and flyers designed by Anegla Guyton. Which meant by Thursday we were able to order our posters and flyers which fingers, toes and everything crossed will arrive in time for the Media Launch next Tuesday 15th June.
So with the Media Launch approaching I’ve spent the last couple of days gathering information for Alexis the festival’s Press and PR person (alexis@247theatrefestival.co.uk). I’ve written our press release and hopefully contacted all the actors who have taken the time to contact me and apply for a role to say Thank you. (If you reading this and not received a message, I’m really sorry, but Thank you!)
So tonight I’m drinking a well deserved glass of wine as I continue to plan, market and email into the early hours!
Jo
Tuesday 1 June 2010
Pre REELING - The Back Story
1. Where did you get the idea for the play from and how has it developed?
There were several threads that all led to the creation of Reeling. The catalyst was a conversation I had with Joel Clements, the sound and lighting designer and all around technical man on Reeling. He told me about a project he was putting together using Ambisonics - which is basically very accurate surround sound. I had the idea of recording performances and then, playing these back, having live actors engage with them. I had the idea, just didn't know who they were, or why they were doing it. Last year, I had a one page play on at the Hotbed festival, Cambridge, called Melks. Melks, a loner, had recorded his next door neighbour, and would play back her words again and again, replying to her differently every time, as to change her meaning. Melks stuck with me, as did the idea of him recording the people next door.
Later in the year, I attended a theatre workshop with Jack Bradley, who asked everyone to come up with an idea for a one act play - something that frightens you - during lunch. So, the idea came of two sisters listening back to tapes of their lives that Melks has recorded. The idea of your neighbour recording your whole life seemed pretty nightmareish to me, and finding the tapes seemed even worse.
I spent a lot of time thinking about the sisters, I wrote short stories about them, and wrote lots of scenes between them. My laptop is awash with pages of Jude and Alice, every major moment in their lives charted.
2. Have you ever had a play in 24:7 Theatre Festival before? What made you apply again? And if not, what prompted you to submit this year?
I had a play on last year (Donal Fleet: A Confessional). That was the first play I'd ever written; I felt like I'd learnt so much through the rewriting, rehearsing and, especially, seeing the play performed, that I wanted to write another piece for 24:7. However, this wasn't it! I thought the play may have too many technical issues for 24:7. With fifteen minutes to set-up and take-down, you really need to think carefully about set design, lighting etc, with 24:7. That's the fantastic thing about the festival though. We've rethought the play, and tried to come up with an interesting way to stage it. 24:7 is such an exciting festival, and I'm so pleased to be a part of it again. Everyone involved in the festival really wants to make it the best it can be, and that comes from David and Kathryn right through to front of house staff, so it's a joy to participate.
3. What are your ambitions as a writer? And your ambitions for this play?
I'd love to see the play tour, and that's something we'll be looking into in the not to distance future. Having set up a theatre company of our own to put on Reeling, I'd like to write more stageplays under the Piece of Work banner. I've already got a few more ideas in the pipeline. Through 24:7 I've met some lovely actors, and I'd really like to write a play for some of them, specifically (I've already started writing it, actually).
There were several threads that all led to the creation of Reeling. The catalyst was a conversation I had with Joel Clements, the sound and lighting designer and all around technical man on Reeling. He told me about a project he was putting together using Ambisonics - which is basically very accurate surround sound. I had the idea of recording performances and then, playing these back, having live actors engage with them. I had the idea, just didn't know who they were, or why they were doing it. Last year, I had a one page play on at the Hotbed festival, Cambridge, called Melks. Melks, a loner, had recorded his next door neighbour, and would play back her words again and again, replying to her differently every time, as to change her meaning. Melks stuck with me, as did the idea of him recording the people next door.
Later in the year, I attended a theatre workshop with Jack Bradley, who asked everyone to come up with an idea for a one act play - something that frightens you - during lunch. So, the idea came of two sisters listening back to tapes of their lives that Melks has recorded. The idea of your neighbour recording your whole life seemed pretty nightmareish to me, and finding the tapes seemed even worse.
I spent a lot of time thinking about the sisters, I wrote short stories about them, and wrote lots of scenes between them. My laptop is awash with pages of Jude and Alice, every major moment in their lives charted.
2. Have you ever had a play in 24:7 Theatre Festival before? What made you apply again? And if not, what prompted you to submit this year?
I had a play on last year (Donal Fleet: A Confessional). That was the first play I'd ever written; I felt like I'd learnt so much through the rewriting, rehearsing and, especially, seeing the play performed, that I wanted to write another piece for 24:7. However, this wasn't it! I thought the play may have too many technical issues for 24:7. With fifteen minutes to set-up and take-down, you really need to think carefully about set design, lighting etc, with 24:7. That's the fantastic thing about the festival though. We've rethought the play, and tried to come up with an interesting way to stage it. 24:7 is such an exciting festival, and I'm so pleased to be a part of it again. Everyone involved in the festival really wants to make it the best it can be, and that comes from David and Kathryn right through to front of house staff, so it's a joy to participate.
3. What are your ambitions as a writer? And your ambitions for this play?
I'd love to see the play tour, and that's something we'll be looking into in the not to distance future. Having set up a theatre company of our own to put on Reeling, I'd like to write more stageplays under the Piece of Work banner. I've already got a few more ideas in the pipeline. Through 24:7 I've met some lovely actors, and I'd really like to write a play for some of them, specifically (I've already started writing it, actually).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)