Wow - it's been a long time, my friends. Sorry about that.
Firstly, apologies for not posting a summary of the final day like I said I would - it's unbelievable just how much your body and mind can reject the possibility of doing anything after your run has finished. During the final couple of days in Edinburgh post-show it felt like I was floating around, like a weird out-of-body experience - suddenly you're a step removed from the hundreds of people flyering and promoting their show, yet not quite a normal punter or local resident. You're in a kind of limbo, where you fall between these various groups and thus have a sense of being removed from it all.
Packing up the show after our final performance on Day 20 was a melancholic experience - although we were all absolutely shattered by the end of the run, we were also in a routine which we still enjoyed (notwithstanding the early starts!). Knowing we would no longer be setting up our seemingly endless rows of cardboard boxes each morning, there was an air of quiet contemplation in the dressing room as we flattened down our set and packed it into suitcases, ready to be transported back to London and put into storage until next time.
After finishing packing up, we did of course take the opportunity to have a refreshing drink to toast the end of the run - and then we spent the afternoon taking the opportunity to have one last chance to do the things in Edinburgh we hadn't yet had a chance to. Well, that was the theory, anyway - in reality, we saw some theatre. When in Rome...
We did go en mass to see The River People's work-in-progress showing of 'Little Matter', as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. Although not a finished piece, their performance had the same high-quality as their other work, and the Q&A session post-show was interesting for both the company and audience. The piece came from a motivation to explore some incredibly vast themes (quantum physics, the works of William Blake), but as per their usual work its strength came from focusing on personalising the story, and letting the piece be driven by character. It'll be fascinating to see where they go from here with the ideas they have.
Then, of course, we had the curry - and Max's run-in with the Kismot Killer...
And soon it was morning, and time for the company to make their merry way back to London. There were no tears for us, as we'd soon be reunited once more to potentially do it all again! Max and Lisa boarded the Megabus, and Ronan and Naomi jumped on a train - leaving me all alone in the flat, as I was staying an extra day. Being in an empty flat was weird, considering how packed it had been up until that point - but I'll admit I appreciated the luxury of sleeping in a bed for my last night there, as opposed to on the kitchen floor!
After cramming in a few more shows on the final day - and meeting up with some friends for last-night drinks - I myself was soon on a train heading to King's Cross, finding myself staring out of the window as the so much of country passed by on the way. EmptyBox Theatre's first Edinburgh experience was finally over.
So, what can we take away from the experience?
Well, after spending so much time creating and developing Norman Shadowboxer it was great to finally perform it for a 'real' audience, and we are grateful for the fact that so many people came along seemed to genuinely enjoy it. Theatre ultimately lives and dies by the response of an audience, and when you stage something you've invested so much into you're really putting a lot on the line - so it's great when you get positive responses from those who come along and choose to pay for a ticket. As well as the families who attended, we also really appreciated the feedback from other performers and companies who were in Edinburgh - supporting each other's work is a big part of what makes the Fringe community such a great thing to be a part of, and we're glad to have made some new friends during our time in the Highlands.
We'd never dare suggest that everything is perfect in what we do, and the run has given us some food for thought - in terms of the show, our general working practices and any possible returns to Edinburgh we've learnt a lot this summer. As a fairly new company we're still finding out who we are and what we do, so we're always looking for ways to develop as a company and solidify our practice; we're always looking for feedback and input from anyone who has any to offer, as it's one of the best ways for us to learn.
And we DEFINITELY know we'll have a day off in future!
So, what next? We've already taken Norman 'on the road' to the Rotherham Open Arts Festival, with a slightly altered company - alas, Max has now also departed these shores to return to the US - and we're now preparing for a spell of Research and Development for a potential future project. Keep 'em peeled for news about that via our Twitter account or the website...
We're also planning to set up an e-mail list in due course, which you're more than welcome to join. If you'd like to have your name on the list - or if you have any feedback/comments at all - then feel free to email us at info[at]emptyboxtheatre.com. (Change the [at] for @ - typing it that was saves us from being spammed, you see!).
So, we'll now ride off into the sunset until next time. Thanks to those of you who've been reading this blog - we hope it's been an interesting read for you all!
Best Wishes,
Dan
(On behalf of Ronan, Naomi, Max, Lisa and Liz - and Norman!)
Friday, 1 October 2010
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Day 20 - The Kismot Killer strikes!
Hi all,
To celebrate the end of our run, we all went out for a curry - and Max, being the crazy fool he is, decided to take on the Kismot Killer.
Now he's dying, and we're all running around to make sure he can survive the night. You may think I'm joking, but the poor boy is in a world of pain - seriously, read about it online and weep at the thought of it.
We'll have a proper round-up of the final performance day tomorrow, and a summary of the whole run soon after - once we've all left Edinburgh.
May you all sleep well - or at least, better than Max will!
- Dan
To celebrate the end of our run, we all went out for a curry - and Max, being the crazy fool he is, decided to take on the Kismot Killer.
Now he's dying, and we're all running around to make sure he can survive the night. You may think I'm joking, but the poor boy is in a world of pain - seriously, read about it online and weep at the thought of it.
We'll have a proper round-up of the final performance day tomorrow, and a summary of the whole run soon after - once we've all left Edinburgh.
May you all sleep well - or at least, better than Max will!
- Dan
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Day 19 - And now, the end is near...
So it's a little after 11pm on Saturday, and in a little under half an hour I'll be going back out to a show. This is clearly the best possible way to prepare for our final show.
Preparation for today's show was a bit manic, what with the switch-around of roles alluded to yesterday - nails were bitten, and nerves were slightly frayed; the good news is, a supportive audience helped us on our way to a good show - after a slightly nervy start, everyone relaxed and began to enjoy performing. We had some friends in the audience, which also helped.
It made a massive difference to us not having Liz, though - it was a bit sad that she wasn't with us today, and we definitely felt that something was missing. We still want her back!
I'm afraid that I'm going to have to cut this short, as I have to make my show - but, with one show left we'll leave you with a treat. Here's a company photo (albeit sans moi, as I was talking to someone important from the industry):
Goodnight!
- Dan
Preparation for today's show was a bit manic, what with the switch-around of roles alluded to yesterday - nails were bitten, and nerves were slightly frayed; the good news is, a supportive audience helped us on our way to a good show - after a slightly nervy start, everyone relaxed and began to enjoy performing. We had some friends in the audience, which also helped.
It made a massive difference to us not having Liz, though - it was a bit sad that she wasn't with us today, and we definitely felt that something was missing. We still want her back!
I'm afraid that I'm going to have to cut this short, as I have to make my show - but, with one show left we'll leave you with a treat. Here's a company photo (albeit sans moi, as I was talking to someone important from the industry):
Goodnight!
- Dan
Day 18 - Ooops!
Howdy folks,
It appears this blog is slightly late. However, through the magic of reflective writing I shall make you believe this entry was written on Friday!
"Today has seen us wave a fond farewell to our dear Liz. It's incredibly strange to think of performing the show without her being a part of it, and we're fully aware that it's a massive loss to not have her with us for the final three performances of the run.
The company ventured to Edinburgh Waverley station after the show, in order to wave Liz off as she heads back to London - before boarding a flight back to the US. Fortunately, Norman did not go with her - so at least he's still in the show!
Due to Liz's departure, we've had to change things around a little in terms of who does what in the show. Lisa will now be 'assisting' Norman during the show in place of Liz - and Naomi will now undertake the role of narrator. Having viewed the show from the capacity of Director during the run, Naomi has seen Lisa's performance so many times she probably knows it inside out - but still, there needed to be some rehearsing to ensure everything goes off smoothly, and Naomi and Lisa have been running their respective lines around the flat most of the day. Lisa also has the added task of getting to grips with Norman, and ensuring all of his movements and gestures read correctly - Liz makes it look incredibly easy, but Norman can be a tricky customer when he wants to be, so care and attention is needed! The boys in the company still have the same roles - so we've have a comparatively easy day of it!
Yet again tiredness has been sneaking in as the day has progressed - but having been getting a decent amount of sleep, it seems as though it's mental tiredness which is affecting us (well, me at least). I must again state that not having a day off is a BAD IDEA.
We've had some lovely comments from audiences during the run, and today we had a couple of industry people we know watch the show. They had some really positive things to say, and genuinely enjoyed the show - but they also gave us a few pointers on how to make things even better. As an emerging company it's incredibly useful to be able to draw upon the knowledge and experience of others, as it can only help us improve.
Anyway, off to bed - it'll soon be Saturday!"
FIN
It appears this blog is slightly late. However, through the magic of reflective writing I shall make you believe this entry was written on Friday!
"Today has seen us wave a fond farewell to our dear Liz. It's incredibly strange to think of performing the show without her being a part of it, and we're fully aware that it's a massive loss to not have her with us for the final three performances of the run.
The company ventured to Edinburgh Waverley station after the show, in order to wave Liz off as she heads back to London - before boarding a flight back to the US. Fortunately, Norman did not go with her - so at least he's still in the show!
Due to Liz's departure, we've had to change things around a little in terms of who does what in the show. Lisa will now be 'assisting' Norman during the show in place of Liz - and Naomi will now undertake the role of narrator. Having viewed the show from the capacity of Director during the run, Naomi has seen Lisa's performance so many times she probably knows it inside out - but still, there needed to be some rehearsing to ensure everything goes off smoothly, and Naomi and Lisa have been running their respective lines around the flat most of the day. Lisa also has the added task of getting to grips with Norman, and ensuring all of his movements and gestures read correctly - Liz makes it look incredibly easy, but Norman can be a tricky customer when he wants to be, so care and attention is needed! The boys in the company still have the same roles - so we've have a comparatively easy day of it!
Yet again tiredness has been sneaking in as the day has progressed - but having been getting a decent amount of sleep, it seems as though it's mental tiredness which is affecting us (well, me at least). I must again state that not having a day off is a BAD IDEA.
We've had some lovely comments from audiences during the run, and today we had a couple of industry people we know watch the show. They had some really positive things to say, and genuinely enjoyed the show - but they also gave us a few pointers on how to make things even better. As an emerging company it's incredibly useful to be able to draw upon the knowledge and experience of others, as it can only help us improve.
Anyway, off to bed - it'll soon be Saturday!"
FIN
Friday, 20 August 2010
Day 17 - Farewell, Liz!
Morning, all!
Apologies for the lateness of this blog entry - of course, we usually do these in the evening, but due to the events of last night it's had to wait.
Alas, yesterday was a sad day for EmptyBox Theatre. We're incredibly upset that Liz - our amazing puppeteer, and all round wonderful person - is leaving us on Friday afternoon; unfortunately, she has to return to the States, abandoning us for the final couple of performances.
To give her a proper send-off, we all took her out to dinner last night - we went to a nice little Italian place, where we enjoyed some continental cuisine and a couple of drinks so we could toast her properly. Max and Lisa had been given the task of getting Liz to the restaurant without her knowing - and it seems as though they probably need to brush up on their skills at keeping secrets!
However, there was a proper surprise when Liz returned to the house to find a farewell banner and some decorations awaiting her. Lisa had gone all-out in setting everything up, and I think it's fair to say Liz appreciated the effort - although there weren't any tears, I'm sure I saw some welling-up...
So were now sat at the breakfast table, going through our morning routine for the final time with Liz here. She boards her train away from us at 1pm...
DON'T LEAVE US, LIZ!
- Dan
Apologies for the lateness of this blog entry - of course, we usually do these in the evening, but due to the events of last night it's had to wait.
Alas, yesterday was a sad day for EmptyBox Theatre. We're incredibly upset that Liz - our amazing puppeteer, and all round wonderful person - is leaving us on Friday afternoon; unfortunately, she has to return to the States, abandoning us for the final couple of performances.
To give her a proper send-off, we all took her out to dinner last night - we went to a nice little Italian place, where we enjoyed some continental cuisine and a couple of drinks so we could toast her properly. Max and Lisa had been given the task of getting Liz to the restaurant without her knowing - and it seems as though they probably need to brush up on their skills at keeping secrets!
However, there was a proper surprise when Liz returned to the house to find a farewell banner and some decorations awaiting her. Lisa had gone all-out in setting everything up, and I think it's fair to say Liz appreciated the effort - although there weren't any tears, I'm sure I saw some welling-up...
So were now sat at the breakfast table, going through our morning routine for the final time with Liz here. She boards her train away from us at 1pm...
DON'T LEAVE US, LIZ!
- Dan
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Day 16 - Ch-ch-ch-changes!
Crikey - is it really Day 16 already?!?
We're very much feeling the effects of doing back-to-back shows around these parts - I must remember to ensure we have a day off next year! This morning found me at my most lethargic (despite a quiet, early night before), and I needed a few prods to get my brain engaged with the show - doing it every day means you can easily go into auto-pilot mode, which is a dangerous way to work!
Kids in Edinburgh went back to school today, which has caused some fears that our audience numbers may decrease; however, I'm delighted to say this was not the case today. We had a really healthy house this morning, with a number of people booking on the day - this suggest that our flyering is working, and that people have been reading our positive reviews. Having focused largely on getting family audiences in for the show, we're often guilty of forgetting that it appeals to a wide range of ages - with many of our previous shows being performed to audiences of our peers, there's clearly a wider appeal to the show that we've not really thought about for a while.
It's great when we talk to our friends and members of other companies who have come to see the show, as there seems to be a quality to the show which allows them to awaken their inner child; I don't know if it's the simple aesthetic of the show, the simple and subtle gags contained within or just Norman himself, but we're getting lots of laughs from some pretty big kids. With the kids now back at school, it would be nice to bring that to the fore once more.
On a producery front, I've had various bits and bobs to sort out today - I've been doing stuff all day, most of which has been unplanned. Such is the life of a producer.
We've had some issues related to some online advertising, which has dragged on for ages to the extent that the end of our run makes it almost pointless - this is both annoying and ultimately a financial grievance, as I don't think we've got what we paid for. When you're working on tight budgets, it's an incredibly difficult job to work out how best to spend the little money you have - and when the decisions you make go wrong, through no fault of your own, you find yourself tearing out what little hair you have left. Bah.
Also, we've arranged some rehearsal time in the space tomorrow morning - sadly, our dear Liz will soon be departing us, and we'll have the final two shows without her being here. We're all gutted about this, as she's an absolute star - we've been so lucky to find her, and not having her around will be a loss not only to the show, but to us personally. We're trying to arrange to smuggle her back into the country as soon as we can.
On a more positive note, though - Ronan and I have been invited to go on air with Fresh Air Radio and talk about the show. Between the two of us we can probably manage to string together a few coherent sentences, so if you can listen in at about 14:10 to hear us talk! I'm the well-spoken yet cool-sounding English guy, and Ronan's the genial, excitable Irishman.
Due to the early start for rehearsals tomorrow, we're all in bed already - so I bid you adieu...
- Dan
We're very much feeling the effects of doing back-to-back shows around these parts - I must remember to ensure we have a day off next year! This morning found me at my most lethargic (despite a quiet, early night before), and I needed a few prods to get my brain engaged with the show - doing it every day means you can easily go into auto-pilot mode, which is a dangerous way to work!
Kids in Edinburgh went back to school today, which has caused some fears that our audience numbers may decrease; however, I'm delighted to say this was not the case today. We had a really healthy house this morning, with a number of people booking on the day - this suggest that our flyering is working, and that people have been reading our positive reviews. Having focused largely on getting family audiences in for the show, we're often guilty of forgetting that it appeals to a wide range of ages - with many of our previous shows being performed to audiences of our peers, there's clearly a wider appeal to the show that we've not really thought about for a while.
It's great when we talk to our friends and members of other companies who have come to see the show, as there seems to be a quality to the show which allows them to awaken their inner child; I don't know if it's the simple aesthetic of the show, the simple and subtle gags contained within or just Norman himself, but we're getting lots of laughs from some pretty big kids. With the kids now back at school, it would be nice to bring that to the fore once more.
On a producery front, I've had various bits and bobs to sort out today - I've been doing stuff all day, most of which has been unplanned. Such is the life of a producer.
We've had some issues related to some online advertising, which has dragged on for ages to the extent that the end of our run makes it almost pointless - this is both annoying and ultimately a financial grievance, as I don't think we've got what we paid for. When you're working on tight budgets, it's an incredibly difficult job to work out how best to spend the little money you have - and when the decisions you make go wrong, through no fault of your own, you find yourself tearing out what little hair you have left. Bah.
Also, we've arranged some rehearsal time in the space tomorrow morning - sadly, our dear Liz will soon be departing us, and we'll have the final two shows without her being here. We're all gutted about this, as she's an absolute star - we've been so lucky to find her, and not having her around will be a loss not only to the show, but to us personally. We're trying to arrange to smuggle her back into the country as soon as we can.
On a more positive note, though - Ronan and I have been invited to go on air with Fresh Air Radio and talk about the show. Between the two of us we can probably manage to string together a few coherent sentences, so if you can listen in at about 14:10 to hear us talk! I'm the well-spoken yet cool-sounding English guy, and Ronan's the genial, excitable Irishman.
Due to the early start for rehearsals tomorrow, we're all in bed already - so I bid you adieu...
- Dan
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Day 15 - Our humblest thanks...
 |
| (Clockwise, from top left) Max, Ronan, Lisa, Liz, Dan |
Getting 'Norman Shadowboxer' up to Edinburgh has taken a lot of hard work, and we've had a great deal of help from some lovely people; this post is dedicated to them all:
Elizabeth Fazzio - For coming up with the first itineration of Norman, and being at the centre of the company's foundation
Heidi O'Connell - Our Associate Dramaturg, for being a founder member of EmptyBox Theatre, the original narrator and a continuing source of support whilst developing the piece. Come back to us, Heidi!
The International Student Puppet Festival - For hosting the first ever showing of 'Norman Shadowboxer'
Central School of Speech & Drama - For giving us somewhere to start out, and providing us with space to start finding out what the show could be
Penny Francis - For being such an inspiration to us, and for supporting us in our work
All Saints C of E Primary School - For allowing us to come in and do our first school show (and for then getting ALL the kids to see it as the day progressed!)
Heather Young and Siva Zagel - For believing in us early on, and for persisting in trying to get us to bring the show to C Venues!
Bailey Lock and Lyric Hammersmith - For inviting us to come in for some R&D on the back of one scratch performance
Vicky Ireland - For some invaluable feedback about the show, helping us improve it even further
Linda Lewis and Emma Leishman at Puppet Centre Trust - For welcoming us into your family of puppetry enthusiasts - we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with you!
Mark Tinkler of Music Platform - For helping us have a base to try things out over the past few months
Pooles Park Primary School - For being that base, and for allowing us to trial performances and workshops with pupils
The Cochrane Theatre and Birbeck College - For providing us with rehearsal space when preparing for Edinburgh
Rymans - For providing us with 50 boxes for Edinburgh, free of charge
All of our families, friends and loved ones - For your continuing support of our work, and patience with us as we try to get things just right (hopefully we'll make a living off this soon!)
And, most importantly, to all those who have seen the show and have enjoyed it in some way. We'd never claim to have made a perfect show, but if you've taken something away from it - be you child, adult, critic, important theatre person or A.N. Other - then we hope we can continue to make work that makes you smile. We plan to be around for a while yet, so feel free to tell us what you like and how you think we can become even better!
I'm sure I've forgotten some people, so apologies - I do this not out of malice, but tiredness. Everyone we've met along the way on our journey has helped us make the show we have today, so we all owe you a huge debt of gratitude. Here's to many more years of appreciating your support.
- Dan
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