The Difference Engine--Get-in and Tech

After a fantastic first week of rehearsals of "The Difference Engine" at the Museum of Science and Industry we've spent this second week moving in and installing into the courtyard of the Manchester Town Hall. It's looking fantastic. Here's the steampunk computer where we start the show designed by Jo Pocock and built by Brian Tweedle. The "screen" is a toy theatre stage.

There are so many elements to this show, so many big makes which each need adjusting into the space. We haven't spent very much time actually rehearsing these last two days but I think as we'll still be in fine shape. We have our tech run today and hopefully our first non-stop run in the space later this afternoon. We have our first test audience tomorrow. K and I are exhausted--I think it's a combination of stress and standing about for 8 hours a day on cobbles.

Ghost Ship

Here a great video of an event by Walk the Plank, the company we're collaborating with on "The Difference Engine". Gorgeous stuff. It's amazing just how much they can pull off. 

The Difference Engine--First Week of Rehearsals

Just finished the first week of rehearsals of "The Difference Engine" a show Kathy and I are creating with Walk the Plank for the Manchester International Festival. It's a site-specific, promenade piece for younger audience in the Manchester Town Hall. Kathy and I are writing, directing, music directing and performing in it but there are loads of people involved. Its not the usually Thingumajig Theatre play where Kathy and I do everything so it's been hard to get a handle on the project. But now, with the parade done, we can put our energy (what's left of it) on this. And one week in and it's looking pretty good and still has a Thingumajig Theatre feel to it. Even with a cast of six and about ten different makers on it.

We have an excellent cast who are not only good performers but folks who will muck in with ideas but not too precious about things. The show is designed by Jo Pocock of Liverpool Lantern Company so everything we're seeing is looking great. Above is the spider made and performed by Eilidh Bryon. I already knew she was a good maker--it's really nice to see her perform more. 

We've blocked most of the play and today, we finished the week with a run. Felt like we're really getting somewhere. After the rush of such a successful parade, I wasn't sure we'd be 100% ready to start rehearsals of a new play but actually, once we started, we found ourselves really excited about making it work. A parade and a play require such completely different skills so perhaps I'm not as burnt out as I thought. Or it's just the fear of God or fear of public humiliation. Go figure. 

Tomorrow is the first day off in over five weeks--since we that weekend in Denmark! Only this time we probably we're so exhausted that we probably won't even leave the house. In fact, as soon as I post this, the computer and the router are having a day off as well. 

2009 Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade

We had an absolutely brilliant time yesterday with the parade. Despite a little rain in the morning everything went off without a hitch. In fact, somewhere around the Raising of the Sun pageant in the park, the sun did make an appearance. We had about 530 people in the parade and another 140 or so performers in the park and the streets were very lined with people the entire route. 

I'm still buzzing from the whole experience. Folks really came out and made some fabulous art. There was so much colour, creativity, passion and silly fun. I can't believe something that was just a little idea I had a couple years back has been so quickly embraced by this community. I am exhausted but very, very pleased. See the parade website for links to some great photo galleries. 

How about this as a family portrait: I'm the tall beggar, the gnome is my wife. 

It's been mad here at Thingumajig Theatre. We've had big project after big project this spring into summer and all of them have gone very well--the residency at Bishop Bilsborrow, the giant puppet workshop in Denmark, and now the second Handmade Parade. We're on a bit of a roll--let's hope this carries on to the Manchester International Festival play. Rehearsals start on Tuesday!

One Week to Go

We're a week away from the big event and the workshop is getting full. There's a lovely energy lately--people seem to be really enjoying themselves making their own costumes but also just hanging around, helping with the bigger builds and just chatting. One of my goals this year with the parade was to get more adults participating. Between the Samba band and the parade art classes, the workshop seems to be buzzing every evening with adults making all sorts of things. Here's a short movie of the Sun made in Kerith's giant withies workshop. 

We have an amazing crew of volunteers, many of whom are taking one or more parade art classes. It's great to have people coming into the workshop in odd times making their project just a little bit better. It's the creative, nurturing village I so loved about other events such as MayDay, Islewilde and Fremont Summer Solstice. It's what I missed most living and working in the UK so I'm proud that I've been able to start something which is not only a nice-looking event but building towards a vibrant and generous art community right here in my new home town. 

I finally started on the big tree I've been meaning to make. The reality of being one of the main organisers is that I don't actually get very much time to make my own art. I thought about cutting the tree (no pun intended) but decided I have to have something just for me. So even if it might mean longer nights, this is the base which will be a tree puppet. The base is timber with some castors. I built up a bamboo frame and next I will sculpt withies to shape it; then cover bits in muslin, paint it then add some green leaves. 

The other exciting news is that I'm learning how to weld! It's a skill I've often wished I knew how to do but was never in the right situation to learn. Dave Young, one of the lead artists has generously shown me the basics and I'm helping him put together some of his giant ant and spider. This below is my very first weld. Sure, it's not much to look at, just a blob of steel, but it's my blob of steel. 

It was big day for Thingumajig Theatre today. I don't mean to be too arrogant but our footprint in West Yorkshire was quite large today. While we where giving parade workshops in Hebden Bridge for the parade we started and co-produce, our giant puppet Veronica was doing walkabouts at the Bradford Mela and the Samba band I started was performing at a parade in Halifax!

Outside Again

At the back of the parade workshop, there's a great space which opens up to a woodsy area over the river. Not quite as scenic as the giant puppet workshop last week, plus you get a dog. But I must admit, this glorious outside work was short lived: not long after this photo was taken, the wind picked up and it started to rain so back inside. 

I spent the day making stilts to tomorrow's workshop. Not quite finished but I promised K that I'd have an early night as we've been working a bit too hard lately. 

This morning we went to see Brian Tweedle in Sowerby Bridge. We need to check out some of the set pieces for the show we're writing and directing for the Manchester International Festival. Things are looking great--it quite a change working on a show with so many artists working on it when we're used to doing all the work ourselves. It's a big show so there's really no way a few people can make everything but I don't know if I have a handle on all the elements that are happening. I suppose this is what must happen in the rehearsal process. Here's the design by Jo Pocock for the set piece which Brian is making based on the story element which K and I wrote. 

Parade is Starting to Take Shape

Here's what we walking into this morning: Kerith Odgen, of the section leaders and the artist who made the Heron of last year's parade has started a sun in her Parade Art Class. It's amazing how quickly that woman can crank out big beautiful things. 

Today was the second day of open workshops. We had a nice healthy crowd--about 30 or so and nicely distributed in all the sections. Dave's ants are becoming legion. 

But for me, most of today was spent making stilts. I had my first stilt workshop today. In the middle of the day, I had a bit of a panic as I had the wrong size wood for the bolts I had and I just didn't have the time or the tools to deal with it. Thankfully, Tom our production manager cut some wood for me of the right width and Dave lent me the appropriate socket wrench and drill bits to do the job. We have such a great team of people putting this together. 

I love teaching stilting. It seems like such an impossible thing but actually, for children and fairly nimble adults, it only takes about 15 minutes to learn (with the right equipment and the right teacher, of course). It's so great to see the joy in people's faces when realise that they can do it. I've also done something a little different this time around: I've staggered the first class so I have some today and some starting on Saturday. This turned out to be a good idea as it's always difficult on the first day as I can only really help one person at a time which others have to wait. 

We now three more people who know how to stilt in Hebden Bridge. Another good day.

Giants Here, Giants There

In the midst of all the hustle of setting up the parade workshop in Hebden Bridge, I went off to Liverpool to help them get ready for the Lord Mayor's Parade which is this Saturday. I was asked to come in for a few hours as the puppetry movement coach for some new and some revamped giant puppets. It looks like a fabulous parade: The Liverpool Lantern Company has teamed up with LUXE, a Northern Ireland company who works in inflatable costumes and big sculptures to create a parade of 1300 participants on a environmental theme. The costumes look absolutely amazing--some of the best I've ever seen in the two plus years I've worked with them. I'm really sorry to miss the parade but I'll be teaching Handmade Parade workshops. Jo, the director has offered to lend us some of the costumes for our parade so I'll see some of them first hand. 

Look at this sweet turtle she's made. It's heads legs are made with her puffy lantern technique (see Jo's Heads post from last year) while the body is build on a bike parts and steel constructed in such a way that all four legs move off the turning of the wheel. 

It's the easiest giant puppet in the world--you can drive it with one hand and turn the head with the other hand. Hi-tech/lo-tech at it's finest. 

One of the other puppets I coached was the Swimmer. We made this for them their last year's Lord Mayor's Parade (see the movie HERE). He was given a diving mask, tank and flippers.

Earlier in the day in Hebden Bridge, Jamima of Spacecadets started working in the parade workshop. She'll be our artist-in-residence making these giant inflatable ladybirds with whoever wants to come and help. It's a good day seeing so many giant parade art in one day. 

Handmade Parade Workshops Begin!

The 2009 Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade is now officially up and running! After three tough days of setting up the workshop, drawing storyboards and making mock-ups, we opened to the public for two workshops today. 

It was a gentle start, just a few families at a time but actually, it was a perfect way for us to practice how to teach what we would make. The bees where very popular and not far behind were the ants and the ladybirds. 

Here's the workshop space which was donated to us for these three weeks by Setbray, a local commercial estate agents who are very generous to community groups. They donated the space we used last year as well. And here is the workshop set up to go. 

It was a tough transition for Kathy and me as last week was so full-on and we didn't really get to have a break in between. But now that the workshop is ready, we can breath a bit and start to actually get excited about this parade. 

Ærø Workshop-Days Nine and Ten: Mission Accomplished!

Just finished our last day of class--what an amazing success! At the beginning of the day, all the components were done except just a few costume details and the hair needed to be attached on to both puppets. After a fast and furious morning of attending to details, we put the puppets together completely for the first time. 

We went over some basics of how to (and how not to) perform in a giant puppet and then took the puppets out one at a time. Then after a quick lunch, we dressed ourselves up in decorative blues and green. Then at 2:30pm, just as the ferry was landing, we suited up and with the help of a fabulous fairground organ, we were alive and kicking. We did a fine turn at the ferry dock and then walked through town to the Ærøskøbing museum to help kick off a mask exhibit there. The puppets looked fabulous against the tiny houses and cobbled streets of this fairy tale town. And sure enough, after a little while, both the Mermaid and the Sea King started to find their characters: the Mermaid was fascinated by shiny things and loved looking into windows; the Sea King was distracted by a pub or two. 

Despite the wind, the students became full-fledged puppeteers and really stepped up to the challenge. As soon as that organ started and the audience started responding, it all made sense why we did all this work these last two weeks. You could just feel the joy and excitement in the maker/performers and the audience alike. It was beautiful, strange and fun. Kathy and I felt so proud.  

I didn't get a chance to write about the Day Nine of the process as we had a long day and a long night (of eating, drinking and singing) so I just couldn't be bothered blogging. But just to be thorough: on Day Nine, we spent the entire day painting everything and finishing the costumes and hair. In the morning, I gave a painting demonstration of how to paint to maximise shading for outdoor work which needs to be read from a distance then turned them loose. It was a fabulous and sloppy day. There was also a news crew filming for Danish television who seemed very interested in all of this. 

In the evening, we all gathered at one of the student's house and had a big old potluck to wrap up the process. Some delicious dishes (especially if you eat pork), some great comments, plenty of wine and, the best bit: lots and lots of folk songs. The Danes are just like Koreans--get some alcohol in them and you can't get them to stop singing! Kathy and I were forced to learn the Ærø national anthem. Here's a short movie of the singing:  

Speaking of Korea, Kathy and I presented Susan and Helge, the workshop organisers, a gift of a pojagi (Korean patchwork wrapping cloth) and a mask. The mask was based on Imae, a fool from the Hahoe tradition. We had secretly been borrowing workshop materials in the evenings to make this mask and I think it turned out quite well. They seemed very pleased. 

Tomorrow early in the morning, we are off: car, ferry, three trains, airplane, another airplane, shuttle bus, our van and then we're back home cuddling our dog on our very own couch. We've experienced so much that it seems like we've been here forever. But I'm certian that this beautiful bright island, the kind people, and the fabulous fun of making giant puppets here will stay in our hearts forever.