One last thing from The Doubtful Guest....

Posted by Sara Green (Marketing and Admin Assistant, Hoipolloi)

So the spring tour of The Doubtful Guest has ended. Everyone is slowly getting back to normal and it feels as if the show was just a whirlwind of excitement that passed us by in the blink of an eye.

In an attempt to retain some of the magic, I managed to grab the composer at the last minute and ask his point of view on the show. Alexander Rudd, a hugely talented freelance composer and musician, composed and recorded all of the fabulous music in the show. Alexander was recommended to Hoipolloi after being part of a workshop with another friendly theatre company and so became involved by chance, having never actually seen a Hoipolloi show before.

However, as soon as he walked into the rehearsal room back in November, he fitted right in, with his massive smile and cheerful, jokey nature, and one of my favourite parts of the rehearsal process was learning his catchy warm up tune “I like bumble bee, bumble bee tuna…”

Apparently this is the first time Alexander has worked with a company that devises but it didn’t show at all and I was really impressed with the way he jumped straight in, creating wonderful accompaniments for the actor’s early improvisations.

Next came the awful question, “so, would you work with us again?” Luckily Alexander felt the same about fitting in and his answer was “definitely.” He loved being involved in a project from the beginning of the creative process especially because composers usually come in right at the end when the piece is already formed. He found the experience very liberating as he had the freedom to experiment and have a say in the process as it was happening.

Alexander’s main role in the rehearsal process was a mix between composer and musical director. He would lead the warm-ups and create music to go with the scene that was being devised as well as using his musical knowledge to help the actors with the singing and the timings etc. I was also interested to find out the way in which the music was created and was told that it was a definite collaboration between himself and Shôn, the music being composed as the drama was so they worked together and not separately. I think this collaboration is evident in the final production as I cannot imagine the show without the atmospheric and often mood dictating musical accompaniment.

Alexander told me that he works in many different styles, from Jazz to musical theatre. The music for The Doubtful Guest has a really eclectic feel to it with definite classical influences as well as more abstract sounds and gothic vocalisations. He feels that the music compliments the story and the design of the show, something that I would definitely agree with and he likes to think that the music is very much part of the production.

When I asked him what he thinks of the finished result, the answer that I got was simply “LOVED IT!” He added that it is rare to see something grow and to see the actors really playing with what they were developing and he feels really proud of the finished show.

Apparently the actors were brilliant to work with and open to trying different things, something that I also found when I observed the rehearsal process.

Finally I asked Alexander what his favourite bit of music is, and he actually said the same bit that I am in love with, the sleepwalking music, which is beautifully dark and magically engaging, especially paired with Steffi’s gorgeous physical representation.

So, we end this tour with a lovely chat with a wonderful composer and look forward to the autumn when The Doubtful Guest and its musical gems will return…..

Some lovely comments and a new review...

Posted by Sara Green (Marketing and Admin Assistant, Hoipolloi)

It seems like yesterday that we all traipsed down to Watford for the opening of The Doubtful Guest. In fact, it doesn’t seem like it’s been a week since we were having vague meetings seven months ago discussing some set ideas for the show. But, yes, we are into our fourth week of touring and actually, at the end of this week the first tour of this Edward Gorey masterpiece will be over!

Although it has gone by at the speed of light, we haven’t missed the attention of some lovely audience members who have sent us great feedback on the show. We didn’t realize just how many closet Gorey fans existed, but they do, and it’s nice to know that there are people out there who share our love for this crazy misfit!

One of the nicest emails we received was from David from Qicksilver Theatre Company who wrote to tell us that “it was the best cross-age range show I’ve seen.” And that “its mix of humour and theatricality created an electrifying environment.”

As someone who has worked in children’s theatre for a long time, David’s opinion is really valued at Hoipolloi. This goes for all the people who sent in comments, they are always appreciated!

Someone else who enjoyed the show was Donald Hutera from The Times. We were ecstatic to read the fantastic review that he wrote us. Here is a sample of what he thought of the production:

“It functions on a smaller scale, but the Cambridge-based touring company Hoipolloi ranks with Kneehigh Theatre as a group with a genuine desire to connect with its audiences. Like its older Cornish counterpart, Hoipolloi offers work that is clever, accessible and engaging, as Shon Dale-Jones’s adaptation of Edward Gorey’s 1957 book, The Doubtful Guest, proves.” …."All in all, it’s a playful, accomplished piece of nonsense, and I mean that as a compliment.”

To read the rest of the review click here.

So, as we continue our tour in Newcastle we hope to receive more comments from people who enjoyed the show, from Gorey fans, and from people who want just want to say hello!
All is welcome.