The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter, new seats – donated from the Oldham Coliseum Theatre

Live performance is all about bums on seats, and The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter, has addressed the comfort of the former by improving the latter.

A kind donation from Oldham Coliseum Theatre saw 60 beautiful, retro, second-hand, red, folding theatre chairs make their way into the Exeter theatre’s auditorium.

‘These seats provide our theatre audiences with added cushioning, comfortable arm rests and greater leg room for an improved theatre experience,’ a spokesperson for the Bike Shed said.

The old chairs have gone to Exeter’s Book Cycle for indefinite storage.

Pop along to see some of the varied performances at The Bike Shed – you can vote with your feet, and then with your seat!

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Kuwait Little Theatre: a great night out for ex-pats and others in Kuwait

A major complaint of ex-pats (that is foreigners) in Kuwait is that there is nothing to do here. The weather is so hot most of the year and the infra structure so poor it is can be really difficult to get around (along with the obvious lack of drinking establishments). I did feel this way at first, but I have slowly realised that under the surface there are lots of things going on.

I enjoy going to the theatre in the West and so, when I got chatting to a colleague, who said she was in a local amateur theatre group, I was really interested in going along to see some of their performances. The theatre they use is in a suburb of Kuwait called Al Ahmedi. The headquarters and oil refineries of the Kuwait Oil Refinery are here and the town is built according to an American plan. It has straight, numbered avenues, which have signposts and pavements, there are also parks, shopping areas and a hospital. And the whole area is very green by Kuwaiti standards.

A few weeks ago my class won a singing competition at school (rather strange sitting watching 25 Kuwaiti children singing “mamma mia here I go again…” ) and their prize was to spend the morning at Ahmadi Park, and went along with our picnics, footballs and hula hoops. The children loved playing in the park, but we were all slightly concerned by the eclectic, sad looking selection of animals which they kept there. The poor animals had small cages with dirt floors.

The stags had lost their antlers and the monkeys were frantic. We did feel sorry for them, but weren’t sure what we could do about it. However, the saddest thing there was the workers asking the children for food. Luckily we had all brought picnics and the children were kind enough to offer some food and drink to the men – granny’s homemade chocolates went down a treat.

A few weeks later I was in Ahmadi again. This time it was for the evening performance of the show Hairspray at Kuwait Little Theatre. The theatre itself is further on than the park, past the church and hospital and is generally rather difficult to find. Going to the theatre is not really a pastime here in Kuwait so the taxi drivers have never heard of it.

The theatre, however, is well established, having been set up in 1948. It is housed in a Nissen hut with a foyer, large seating area plus all the necessary technical equipment and well known among ex-pats.

In Kuwait anything being shown has to pass the Government’s strict regulations. Once the ministry have agreed the show can go on. The only obvious concession to the ministry was the “bottle of FANTA” (as the actor so loudly put it!) the father came and grabbed from the shelf. I hadn’t actually seen the show or film before but really enjoyed it.

The cast were mainly western, although they had a few locals playing the main parts. The costumes were really colourful and fitted the era it was set in (there are some great tailors here who will make clothes at a quarter of the price of the UK) and the main characters had great voices. The funniest part was the double act played by the father and mother of Tracey (both played by men). I was left wondering how it was allowed for the father to be so firmly clenched between his “wife’s” ample cleavage! It was really refreshing to have such an entertaining evening out in Kuwait-and not a drop of “Fanta” in sight.

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Exeter Northcott theatre – which came out fighting from the Arts Council funding debacle just two years ago – has been put into administration. And already public support is being shown with the theatre riding high in the Twitter trends.

The trustees made the move when they were presented with financial information that the theatre was insolvent.

Chairman of Trustees Geoff Myers said: “We took this decision with a heavy heart, but when presented with the latest financial information we had no choice but to place the Theatre into administration. It is to be hoped that a way can be found to effect a rescue of the theatre.

“In the meantime I would encourage theatre-goers to continue to support the Exeter Northcott in the knowledge that those who book their tickets while the company is in administration will, in the event of any performances being cancelled, be issued with a full refund. I have been greatly encouraged by the response of stakeholders, who have agreed to do all they can to ensure the theatre continues in some way as a performance venue.”

Administrator Ian Walker said: “In the short term is it our intention to try and ensure that all performances in the spring programme can continue and announcements will be made in the press and on the Exeter Northcott website as soon as possible. In the longer term I believe it is important to ensure a theatre can be maintained in Exeter and I intend to hold discussions with all existing and possibly new stakeholders at the earliest opportunity.”

Exeter City Council and Exeter Univeristy have agreed to explore with the administrator ways of continuing to use the theatre as an arts venue for the benefit of local people. They were among various organisations who contributed to the refurbishment of the theatre in 2007 and provide annual grants towards its operating costs.

Philip Bostock, the chief executive of Exeter City Council, said: “The city council will play an active role in any discussions to look at a way forward for the Northcott. We are wholly committed to the arts and the provision of high quality theatre for the city.”

Exeter University Drama Professor Nick Kaye,  said: “The Theatre is a high-quality venue and will continue to be made available for public performances. We will work with the other stakeholders to try and find a sustainable model to continue providing artistic events there.”

There was an outpouring of support when the Arts Council announced that the theatre wouldn’t receive funding in December 2007 with the public and acting community rallying round to ensure the theatre’s ongoing existence.

With a number of strong shows, and a Tweet up only last week along with a sell out for the forthcoming English Touring Opera’s Midsummer Night’s Dream already being sold out, it looked as if the Northcott was fighting back well in terms of audience and innovation. That audience support has continued – the Twitterers had pushed the annoucement of administration  to the top of the country’s trend.

• What’s your experience of the Exeter Northcott? Comments below, please

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Newton Abbot is set to turn itself into a fun venue for all the family on Saturday, July 25 (put it in your diary), when the inaugural Newton Abbot Festival swaggers into town.

It’s early days yet, but what’s already in store are, amongst other things, Newton Abbot in Bloom, a Court Leet Ale Tasting, poetry readings and a big exhibition about Darwin with street theatre, and a stage full of activities right at the town’s famed and face-lifted St Leonard’s Clock Tower.

There’s even ‘the Expression Zone’ (you know, for kids) possibly named after the look on all the youngsters’ faces after they’ve been dragged around the Darwin exhibition at Forde Hall. And with a graffiti wall, skateboarding, bmx-ing and djs, this is the Air Fusion-lite section of the day, now that the music festival has disappeared.

“Enjoy a FREE day of Devon at its best,” extols the website. “Why? Because a dedicated group of folk have put a lot of effort into this Festival day.”

And you’d better enjoy yourself, too!

posted by Cptn

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‘Whoever comes are the right people’ is the first principle of Open Space Technology, which is the technique the Exeter Northcott will use to inspire a theatrical revolution in the South West.

Apparently Open Space Technology (which sounds like standing around chatting) was pioneered in the UK by Improbable Theatre.

“Our vision is to have every corner of the building buzzing with conversations, heated debate and quiet coffees about what theatre is and what it can be here in Exeter and across the South West,” says the Northcott.

“Anyone can come and start or join a discussion and if you’ve had enough, you can go and join another one or start one of your own. We aim to ask questions, slay a few demons, share our inspirations and come up with a few ideas to take theatre forward.”

This redefining of South West theatre takes place on Saturday, June 13 between 10am-6pm and Sunday, June 14, 10am-2pm.

And unless you’re thinking the right people are those who pay (a weekend ticket is £20/£10), lunch on Saturday is included in the ticket price, free refreshments are available all day and all ticket holders receive a full printed report of the discussions that take place on the first day, so don’t be so cynical and get using that open space!

posted by Cptn

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This performance made me feel cooler just watching it.

Let me set the scene… imagine a harsh world where the Hoodies rule and ASBOs are rife. There is only one man who can save us… The Pied Piper.

The choreography was devised by Kenrick ‘H20′ Sandy. It was a smooth mixture of Hip Hop/ Breakdancing and Martial Arts, using animal styles for each of the gangs.

The five gangs were all diverse, not only with their different fights/dances, but their costumes were simple and evoked the spirit of each gang. For example the Cobras swaying and rocking, ready to pounce were scantily clad women.

Another fantastic device was found in the Mosquito gang, all of them were wearing black but they were also wearing white gloves which are the only thing that could be seen in the dim light mimicking these flying insects

My favourite characters were The Man – four performers dressed in suits with oversized paper mache heads on (a permanent shocked expression on their faces), symbiotic in their movements, sometimes moving in canon.

These characters were so emotive with their movements, I found myself booing loudly at the stage, much to the bewilderment of the surrounding audience members (although it was the matinee so it wasn’t too bad).

The simplistic and up-to-date reworking of a classic tale is breathtaking. Ultz (the director) focuses on the beauty and strength of the dancing rather than bombarding us with extraneous speech and information to get the message across, and it works fabulously.

The cherry on this calorie-laden sundae, the piece de resistance was a snippet of community theatre. A number of local children, who had been working with the company came on in the final scene as the children saved from the oppression of the ASBO gang and they werent bad, in fact i was a tad jealous, I wished I was there layin’ down my moves!

posted by Ems

• Ems reviewed, Blue Boy Ents presents The Pied Piper – A Hip Hop Dance Revolution, at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter. She went to the matinee performance on Saturday, June 6.

To become part of our reviewing team, email info@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk with your details

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Election round up by Disabled Kevin

Until Thursday 14th, I was going to write a piece arguing why you should not use your vote in the European and local elections on June 4, as a protest vote but I cannot think of a good reason why to argue this!

I don’t mind MPs claiming expenses and having second homes, were appropriate but I cannot understand why some MPs think it is ok to claim for such things as £1000 TVs, claiming interest payments on mortgages which have been paid off, dog food, moat cleaning and multiple second homes.

I do not accept the defence ‘it was within the rules’! I hope if I ever got elected, if I felt it was necessary to buy a TV on my expenses I would claim less than £75! If I ever claim for biscuits I hope everyone would question my sanity.

MPs must be paid enough so they do their job properly, if they feel their wages are not enough to carry out their duties, they must make the case for adequate wages. We want our representatives to look after our needs and not to have reason for grubbing around, thinking of ways to increase their income!

Although professional politicians do not apologise very often and they are entitled to make forceful defences of their positions, sometimes they have to realise they must say sorry, even though they feel they are not in the wrong!

On Thursday I felt that the Government had really lost touch with reality when; that night’s Labour Party European election broadcast, solely concentrated on attacking David Cameron, Margaret Beckett would not even concede she maybe in the wrong and Shalid Malik thought it was acceptable to claim for a £2000 home theatre system!

Although some Tories live in another era, David Cameron did at least rerecord his European broadcast to explain how he was tackling Tories MPs’ expenses misuses and this reinforce my perception that Labour Ministers do not understand the anger of the electorate.

The European and local elections should be about the issues but everyone is focused on MPS expenses, so many hard working Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors will be harshly punish, if the public can register their outrage to the political leadership by voting for ‘alterative’ parties, this maybe the best way of renewing our democracy!

posted by Disabled Kevi

Got an opinion? Twitter #devonelection #swelection

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Diggin It, the organic garden people in Plymouth, have lured internationally renowned guerrilla gardener Richard Reynolds to Plymouth to give advice on how to transforming urban wastelands into areas enriched with flowers and wildlife in a special talk for anyone who wants to see a bit more green in the concrete jungle.

The Colourful Communities talk takes place at the Jill Craigie Lecuture Theatre, Roland Lewinsky Building University of Plymouth between 6pm – 8.30pm on May 11.

Call 01752 300250 to book tickets.

Listen to what Diggin It do

posted by Cptn

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If you missed the consultation on the future of Eastcliff Park, Teignmouth, on Friday and Saturday, you’ve still got chance to fill in the online form, and there are some interesting ideas for the green space.

The Teignmouth Arts Advisory Group (TAAG) is all for opening up the walled gardens and converting it back to a garden area but with a theatre/performance area

A spokesperson for TAAG told the PRSD: “We believe this would be an ideal location for a variety of events yet retain many of the existing features. We would also like to see extensive use of eco friendly techniques such as compost loos, reed beds, water heating using compost heaps and low energy / solar lighting.

“We are also keen to encourage people to use the gardens regularly into the evenings which should help make the park a safer, more welcoming place. One idea is a Fitness (Trim) Trail with exercise equipment spaced around the area.”

You can still submit your ideas on the online form, or contact Liz Lockyear, lizlockyear@aol.com, or Roger Smith, rogersmith46@aol.com for more details.

posted by Cptn

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Young theatre critics have a chance to sharpen their prose in the Young Critics Competition when they write about what they think of Teatro Kismet’s The Snow Queen – it plays the Exeter Northcott theatre from Tuesday, April 28 to Thursday, April 30.

The review needs to be no more than 250 words, and we would say pithy and insightful, but we’d also recommend you check out the advice from Guardian theatre critic Lynn Gardner on The Snow Queen site.

There are two age categories, 8-11 years and 12-16 years, with a prize of £100 of theatre tokens up for grabs for the winner in each category, as well as a Snow Queen notebook, a poster of the show, and a programme signed by the cast.

Reviews should be sent to Snow Queen Review, Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL. Or emailed to b.c.bishop@warwick.ac.uk. Include your name, address, age, where you saw the production, and a contact telephone number.

For more details of the competition, visit The Snow Queen site.

The show is at the Exeter Northcott Theatre from Tuesday 28 to Thursday 30 April. Tuesday 7pm, Wednesday 1pm and 7pm, Thursday 10am.

Of course, all you budding writers out there can also write for the People’s Republic of South Devon, check out our submission guidelines and email info@peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk

posted by Cptn

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Wildworks, the people who make ‘landscape theatre in challenging places with extraordinary communities’ is looking for singers, front of house volunteers, as well as people to help out with costumes and scenery, plus gardeners and growers for its next production in Devonport, Plymouth in June 2009.

If you’re passionate about singing and don’t mind braving the summer weather, and fancy joining in for some voluntary theatre, you could be inline for a place in the choir of their next production, The Beautiful Journey.

For more details, visit the PRSD jobs page.

posted by Cptn

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Are you a singer? Can you dance with confidence? Based in or near Devon? The Common Players are looking for a Devon-based female actor/musician/comedienne.

The theatre group, which aims to inspire communities, is looking for an actress who can sing, dance, play music and do loads more (honestly, a kazoo was mentioned) for its Heathen Harvest performances at community suppers in town and villages throughout Devon during September and October.

For more details and how to apply, see the People’s Republic of South Devon jobs page.

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