Exit, pursued by Simon Smith and his Dancing Bear

in situ: The Winter's Tale - term 2, week 3

I wrote about our brush with Judy Garland and vaudeville last week.

This week we took a turn into Dennis Potter territory, trying out "This Year's Kisses" by Nina Simone and Alan Price's version of Randy Newman's "Simon Smith and his Dancing Bear". The latter has some particularly nice beats which a bear-suited actor can fill with a few nifty dance steps.

We spent the majority of our time focusing on the paranoia choruses which we've only fitted in at the end of previous sessions. Different partnerships came up with imaginative ideas... perhaps it's just my impatience that makes it seems things are moving slowly. It's only week 3 of nine, after all...

Exit, pursued by a bear singing Judy Garland

in situ: The Winter's Tale - term 2, week 2

I mentioned "The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert" last week. Last night I found myself lip-synching to Judy Garland. Well if it's good enough for Rufus Wainwright...

Our director is looking for ways to transition between scenes, so we are now experimenting with Judy and Johnnie Mercer singing "Friendship" (Antigonus and the bear), Bryan Ferry's version of "Jealous Guy" (Leontes), Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care of My Baby" and Screaming Jay Hawkins version of "I Put A Spell On You".

Anyone new to experimental theatre expecting something akin to Rowan Atkinson's "Alternative Car Park" is in for a surprise.

in situ: back to work on The Winter's Tale - term 2, week 1

I got off to a poor start last term, missing the first week of The Winter's Tale and then injuring my back, so this won't be as complete a record of rehearsals as I had hoped. Nonetheless, the term went well and we had something worth presenting by the end. Sadly we've lost some good actors for the new term, but the new slimmed-down group might make it easier to get to know everyone a bit better.

Throughout last term my partner kept jokingly suggesting the inclusion of song-and-dance numbers, so it is slightly unnerving to find we're exploring that territory tonight. We spend time in twos and fours teaching each other naive and simple dances which we are going to use to show the happy nature of Bohemia in contrast to the paranoia of Sicilia.

The second half of the evening we spend lip synching in pairs to Dean Martin and Peggy Lee singing "We Was". I'm happy being partnered with Rachael because she's great at letting go, but watching some of the all-male couples it soon becomes apparent the more deadpan and sincere you look, the funnier it is.

Let's hope someone finds a louder CD player for next week.

[Update]

Of course, "Non-professionals often use lip-synching as a form of musical pantomime in which the performer moves his lips to a musical recording done by someone else. This form of lip-synching is often performed by drag queens and, more recently, drag kings."

Which puts us firmly in "The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert" territory (Northern, obviously).

Nice one!

Back trouble leads to Adam Curtis OD

A new osteopath has recently put me to rights, but before that I spent much of the past few weeks on my back.

Earlier this year I began to lazily neglect the exercises my old osteopath gave me. Driving to Leeds to see Leyton Orient become the first team to take a point home from Elland Road this season (rightfully all three, if only the linesman had been correctly placed in the closing minutes) put more strain on my back than it could handle and within 24 hours I was only able to move when doubled over.

Determined not to waste this precious time, I spent most of it reading, before deciding to catch up on a batch of Adam Curtis documentaries I downloaded some time ago.

I was impressed by "The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom" earlier this year. Each programme begins, in classic Minto pyramid style, with a statement of what "in this programme..." Curtis will explore. Once introduction hooks you the momentum never lets up.

I watched four complete series, prone, in various rooms of the house, often accompanied by my six month-old daughter, who found the idea of daddy lying around the house just as novel as a little screen displaying stock footage from the past 100 years:

- Pandora's Box told of the danger of placing all your trust in systems and technology (I really should lend that to some people in IT)

- The Mayfair Set looked at the impact of four members of a Mayfair gambling club on the British economic and political landscape

- The Century of the Self looked at how Freud's theories influenced PR, marketing and self improvement through the 20th century

- and The Power of Nightmares looks at the parallels between the rise of the neoconservative and radical Islamist movements.

Each episode is based on strong storytelling, illustrated with archive footage interspersed with interviews. Watching them all in one go you notice footage being reused in different series, emphasising the overlaps between them.

It's a simple technique to emulate - turn the sound off and you could just as easily be watching "The Staggering Stories of Ferdinand De Bargos" - but the strength of the storytelling keeps you engaged. You constantly feel you are going somewhere.

Something to bear in mind next time you sit down to work on a set of PowerPoint slides.

straight8 "art" screening - Chiswick

Finally, nearly six months after delivering the completed film and soundtrack to an office in Soho less than a week after Anna's birth, "One Across", my entry for Straight8 2007, premieres. This is the first film I've had selected for exhibition after three years of trying.

We arrived in Chiswick with five minutes to spare, delayed by roadworks on the outskirts of Cambridge. Happily, three different groups of friends are already there. Not knowing (or recognising) each other, they are spread around the auditorium. Should I invite them all to sit together or leave them where they are? The films start soon - there isn't time.

A selection of seven all-time straight8 greats sets the scene. Nick Scott's "Earth To Earth" leads off with its amusing story of a man growing electrical appliances on his allotment. Diego Arredondo's typically impressive stop-motion-with-actors piece "Tequila Chamuco" follows.

The tension mounts as we're called to the stage for a round of applause, though sadly only four of the directors were able to attend. Then it's back to our seats for the first showing of the 2007 "art" selection.

"One Across" shows third and it's difficult to concentrate on the images and sound when I'm so aware of how the audience in the room are reacting. There is a slight sense of anticlimax after - I need watch it again to see if it really succeeded. Organiser Ed kindly compliments the colours and asks what camera I used (Canon 514 XL-S).

I enjoyed Matteo Pizzarello's "Knots" with it's Comedia Del'arte touches. Along with Mathew Tucker's "The Embrace" and Sam Giles's "Portrait (I May Not Know What I'm Doing)", all made great use of light, which made me feel my effort lacked some dynamism. I'm not the only one who notices forests and trees feature frequently.

Bill Rodgers's "Clapham" was cute. He later admitted to me that his actor had bailed out shortly before he was due to start filming, so he abandoned his original film. but his and still made the top 20% of films! He even used the alien mask we used in our 2006 submission "Normal".

Duncan White's "Itch" was unsettling, but it's violent conclusion wasn't universally liked. In contrast, everyone I spoke to enjoyed Coral Aiken's "Last Night, After Sex, Ali and Jerome Broke Up", with it's air of unrelenting tension. Ian McAlpin's "The Shape Of Pills, Powders and Pellets Proved Unreliable" featured a great setting and a real sense of foreboding.

The "art" selection will show again on 26th October in Nice, along with the Cannes 12 at Regard Independent.

Now we just need an idea for 2008 which will be good enough for Cannes..!

"One Across" premiering at Straight8 "Art"

My short film about Cambridge's Carter Bridge will be shown for the first time as part of this event at the end of the month:

"30 sep 2007 - straight 8 'art' - 12 loose films to pin down from the s807 crop

these films have never been seen before. be there with the filmmakers and have your questions answered in the bar. plus a few extra films, (not the cannes 12)

4.30pm the back of: george iv pub, 185 chiswick high road, london w4 2dr. it's a great venue - we used it last year"

Tickets are available from straight8.

The pub is a short walk from Turnham Green tube - and a much, much longer one from Hammersmith.

Hallam no!

Hugh Macleod recently drew attention to preview screenings of Hallam Foe.

As Hugh says, the trailer looks great. So I was pleased when I heard back from The Film Factory saying I had two places reserved at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse screening. Until I realised the screening had taken place earlier this evening and the confirmation e-mails ("be there at 6pm for a 6.30 start...") at 5:15pm..!

Even if I'd been at home and happened to see the e-mail, I would still have needed to get my skates on to be ready and get there in 45 minutes. Someone have an off-day at The Film Factory..?