Elin has written this week’s blog post on her experiences working on Anna Jordan’s POP MUSIC over the past few months – and she’s done so in a suitably poppy manner!

I’m Elin, the Assistant Director on POP MUSIC, Paines Plough’s new show by Anna Jordan. POP MUSIC is a joyous roller coaster celebrating the last thirty years of pop. From Whitney to Oasis to Clean Bandit, there is something for everyone.

We are about to take this slice of pop magic on the road where we will be performing at venues across the country, so I thought I would sit down and fill you in on what has happened so far!

Track 1

It’s not every Monday that you come to work and learn the entire choreography for Single Ladies, but at Paines Plough HQ it’s becoming pretty standard. The office workers across the road are marvelling at our twerking and a pop party playlist of dreams is pouring out of the rehearsal room (thank you Anna Jordan).

We have a cast of three, the brilliant Katherine Kotz, Rakesh Boury and Ciaran Alexander Stewart. Together they are going to tell this brilliant story whilst integrating BSL into the production (including sign within the choreography!) I have been learning a bit of BSL too, including the sign for ‘Madonna’ and ‘MJ’. As the Assistant Director, I am making sure I know the show inside and out. I am making notes on all of the routines, the blocking and the rhythm of the words and how they fit with the songs. We are about to do a rehearsal room run for the Paines Plough team. It’s nerve-wracking but we are ready to put it in front of an audience. Roll on Latitude!

Track 2

The tents are up, the glitter is packed and we have arrived at Latitude with 100 metallic balloons and the biggest glitter ball I have ever seen. The Theatre Tent is gigantic, and we are waiting for the first performance, glow stick in hand! This performance is captioned as well as having BSL integration, which is great because as well as making it accessible, it means that we can sing-a-long to our favourite pop tunes, karaoke style. The audience are amazing, they dance and sing and shed a tear and we head back outside just in time for The Killers’ set!

Track 3

We are getting back to it after a break. Anna has had a baby and he is amazing. We are in rehearsals again at Paines Plough HQ to recap the show and make it bigger and better than before. The week is up and before we know it we are Birmingham-bound, heading to the REP for the start of our technical rehearsals. These rehearsals are very important for this show because the action is built around the music. The text is intricately woven in and out of songs so getting the microphones at the right level and making sure every word can be heard is crucial! We are ready to open the show and everyone is excited. The audience stick around after the curtain call to dance on the stage! We go and celebrate in the only way that feels appropriate … a night at Pop World!

Track 4

The show closes at the REP, but we aren’t quite ready to leave Birmingham. We are taking POP MUSIC on a community tour of Birmingham and the West Midlands. The spaces are not always theatre spaces, and some of them are smaller than our space at the REP. I rework some of the blocking with the cast for smaller spaces with different entrances and exits and we perform to new audiences.

 

Track 5

We are welcoming the fantastic Vedi Roy this week who is going to play G on the POP MUSIC national tour as we say Bye Bye Bye to Rakesh (turn of the century NSYNC, anyone?) This is where my note taking throughout rehearsals is going to be very useful because Director James is away, and I am in charge of bringing Vedi up to speed and getting him ready for his first performance, which is fast approaching. We can’t wait to see him out there on the stage with the team!

We are delighted to announce that the wonderful Vedi Roy will be taking on the role of ‘G’ on the PP nation-wide tour of POP MUSIC!

About Vedi Roy:

Vedi Roy trained at DNA Studios, Pineapple Arts, and The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

Vedi regularly Choreographs and directs movement for productions, workshops and classes in London and across the nation. He is currently branching out into directing whilst enhancing his writing practice, with a possible rehearsed reading of his first full-length play mid 2019.

Credits:

As Actor/Dancer – 

Genie in Aladdin (Watford Palace Theatre); Pinky in Miss Meena and the Masala Queens (Rifco Theatre Company/Watford Palace Theatre); Kazi/Ensemble in Laila the Musical (Rifco Theatre Company/Watford Palace Theatre); Banker in The Hunting of the Snark (Sherman Theatre/RGM Productions); Duke Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Dancer for Ideal Home Show; Dancer for Britain’s Next Top Model Live.

As Creative collaborator – 

Co-creator and Actor in Pinky and Preetho’s Comedy Night (Rifco Theatre Company/Watford Palace Theatre), Writer for Future’s in the Making (Spread the Word). 

Social handles:

Twitter – @vediroy

Instagram – vediroy

 

Here at Paines Plough (PP) we’re passionate about bringing truly brilliant theatre to each corner of the UK, whether you’re in Liverpool or Lyme Regis, Middlesbrough or Maidenhead, we’ll be bringing one of our shows to you soon.

We tour all over map, which means we have audiences all over the map! PP CHAMPIONS is our new ambassador scheme looking to create a national team of 18-25 year-olds who are as excited about new plays as we are, and dedicated to championing theatre in their neighbourhood.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

• Passionate about theatre in their local area.
• Outgoing personality: approachable, social and eager to get along with different people.
• Great communicator.
• Connected and in-tune with their local area: knows how to spread the word effectively to a broad range of people.
• Strong understanding of social handles (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and a creative mind to match.

WHAT DOES THE ROLE INVOLVE?

Role:

• Representing PP in your neighbourhood.
• Harnessing your social media channels to publicise the PP productions heading your way.
• Using your local knowledge and networks to introduce PP and your local theatre to new audiences.
• Engaging and exciting people about their local theatre venue and PP.

 

“I really enjoyed working with such a lovely, inclusive bunch of people… It was fantastic to feel like an important part of a large team…I had a ball, basically.”

Paines Plough Festival Team Member

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Management:

• All PP CHAMPIONS will be supported and line-managed by PP’s Assistant Producer Harriet Bolwell.
• All PP CHAMPIONS will be provided with a PP CHAMPIONS Tool Kit, providing you with everything you’ll need to get the word out to your area.

Fee:

• PP CHAMPIONS will be paid at a rate £10 p/h, working for a maximum of 15 hours in the lead up to PP productions arriving at their local theatre. Hours will be logged on online timesheets to be submitted alongside an invoice and a signed PP Champion Agreement.

BENEFITS

• Access to free tickets for you and a friend.
• The chance to network with other ambassadors and arts professionals.
• Working in collaboration with PP and our touring venues.
• Opportunity to develop networking, communication, organisational and marketing skills.
• A chance to be part of a nationwide network of like-minded theatre lovers.
• Signed playtexts.
• Meet the cast of PP productions.
• An insight into a career in theatre.

TO APPLY

Please apply here.

You will be asked to upload your CV and/or a video application.

Submissions close on Thurs 25 October 2018 at 12 noon.

Successful applicants will be invited for a Skype interview the morning of 28 October.

 

Requirements

• Must be 18 to 25 years-old.
• Must be based at an address with one of the following four postcodes in the UK: DT (Lyme Regis), TS1 (Middlesbrough), GU1 (Guildford) and TN1 (Tunbridge Wells).
• Must have a UK bank account and required visas to work within the UK.

Please note you must be over 18 to apply for this position.

Whilst PP CHAMPIONS is in four areas for now, we are hoping to roll out more locations across the UK soon –keep your eyes peeled for more news on PP CHAMPIONS in your area.

If you have any questions or problems just give us a ring on 020 7240 4533 or drop Eman an email on emanpreet@painesplough.com.

Paines Plough is committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Paines Plough is looking to extend our network of movement directors. Polly Bennett is looking to meet movement directors at the beginning of their careers with a view to offer mentorship.

Cue Paines Plough’s STEPPING INTO MOVEMENT workshop with Polly Bennett:

Movement Directors are becoming an increasing part of the theatre-making process, but how do you become one?

One of Movement Director Polly Bennett’s first solo jobs was at Paines Plough, where working with small companies, getting quick results and engaging actors from all backgrounds is the name of the game. With a view to meet movement directors at the beginning of their careers and offer mentorship, Polly Bennett invites you to come and share practice and rehearsal room ideas in this session. Working with text, space (and lack of space) she will create a dialogue around establishing and acknowledging your own movement practice and how to take your first steps into production work.

This is an opportunity to share your ideas and experiences of movement practice and to learn more about the work Paines Plough are doing to support emerging creatives. If you have an inclination for movement and want to explore the next steps this is a session for you.

Expect to move, work with text and meet potential collaborators.

The workshop will take place on Thursday 22nd November, 10.30am – 5.00pm at The Mono Box Studio in London.

TO APPLY:

Please apply here. We ask for a copy of your CV and a short paragraph about why you would like to take part in the workshop.

Deadline for applications is Monday 29th October, and you can expect to hear from us by Friday 12th November. 

—–

ABOUT POLLY BENNETT:

Polly Bennett is a Movement Director and Choreographer working nationally and internationally. She holds an MA in Movement from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is Associate Movement Practitioner at the RSC.

Theatre includes: The Village (Stratford East Theatre), The Lehman Trilogy (National Theatre), As You Like It (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), Travesties (Menier Chocolate Factory, West End and Broadway), The Great Wave (National Theatre), Circle Mirror Transformation (Home), People, Places & Things (National Theatre; also West End, UK Tour and off-Broadway); Touch (Soho), Don Juan in Soho (Wyndhams), Blush (Soho), Salome (RSC), Woyzeck (Old Vic), Junkyard (Bristol Old Vic), How My Light Is Spent (Manchester Royal Exchange), A Streetcar Named Desire (Manchester Royal Exchange), My Country; a work in progress, (National Theatre and UK Tour), The Deep Blue Sea (National Theatre),Three Days in the Country (National Theatre), Pomona (National Theatre, Royal Exchange and Orange Tree), Henry V (Shanghai Dramatic Centre of Performing Arts), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC), The Famous Victories of Henry V (RSC), Doctor Faustus (Duke of York’s), The Maids (Trafalgar Studios), Yen (Royal Court), Plaques and Tangles(Royal Court) hang(Royal Court), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Birmingham Rep), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (West Yorkshire Playhouse), A Mad World My Masters (RSC and UK Tour), The Angry Brigade (Bush), Dunsinane (National Theatre Scotland, US, Asia and UK tours), The King’s Speech (Chichester, Birmingham Rep and on UK tour), To Kill a Mockingbird (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), nut (National Theatre.)

Film: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movement Coach),The Little Stranger (Choreographer),Stan and Ollie (as Assistant Choreographer.)

TV:The Crown Series 3 (Netflix), Killing Eve (BBC America), Urban Myths (Sky Arts) and Gareth Malone’s Best of British (BBC)

Other work includes: Assistant Movement Director on the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Mass Cast Choreographer on the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony and Mass Cast Choreographer on Sochi Winter Olympics Opening and Paralympic Ceremonies 2014.

Polly is co-founder of The Mono Box.