AMA Digital Day

Good evening! It is Sunday night, X Factor is on TV (I don't think I really care about any of the final 5 although if I'm honest I think it's definitely time Lloyd left. Isn't it?) and I'm here tapping away a little blog entry.

This is preparation for my presentation to the Arts Marketing Association's Digital Marketing Day tomorrow afternoon. I'm pretty excited as this is my first big London gig at Sadler's Wells no less. Anyway, if you're reading this on Monday after I've spoken, I hope it was useful!

So, here are the videos I'm going to need for the presentation, plus a few more bits and pieces that you might find useful.

VIDEO ONE



VIDEO TWO



And some other bits and pieces for you:

Hoipolloi on Twitter
Hoipolloi on Facebook
Hugh Hughes on Facebook
Our YouTube channel
Our audioboos

And a couple more videos for you:






EDIT: Wed 2 December

CJ from PCM Creative qik'd my presentation, which you can view here if you have a spare 43mins. Always slightly cringy to watch yourself back, so I won't be viewing it in too much detail although was pleased with how it all went on Monday!



Posted by Simon Bedford (Producer, Hoipolloi)

Neon, brains and cake

I was most intrigued by Hugh’s recent ‘tweet’ about fluorescent clothing sales. In fact I thought I might be able to work this trend in with my ‘bed-linen chic’ collection. Sadly my trawling through news websites didn’t offer many neon revelations, although I did stumble across something else fascinating. Now I know I’ve been guilty of straying away from topic recently, taking what is essentially a theatre blog into the realms of fashion and gastronomy, however I am going to remedy this immediately with some very relevant news regarding what happens to an actor’s brain when they play a role. It’s fascinating stuff I promise...

Fiona Shaw recently had an MRI scan to assist with some brain research in London. This was very brave of Fiona. I had an MRI scan recently and can tell you that it is not at all pleasant. You get strapped down so that you can’t move and then shoved into a big tube which makes strange noises. Terrifying. Although you do get a picture of your brain at the end, which is rather exciting.

While Fiona was having her scan she recited some lines from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. Personally I would’ve gone for a splash of Spike Milligan to keep my sprits up while stuck in the scary tube, but hey, each to their own. The results of the scan showed a few things. Firstly, that Fiona used more areas of the brain when reciting poetry than when counting. Good. Also, that she used the part of the brain called the ‘infra parietal sulkus’ . To me this sounds like the name of a dinosaur, but what do I know about brains? Or dinosaurs for that matter. Anyway, Wikipedia tells me that the ‘infra parietal sulkus’ is associated with memory, analysis and doing a complex transformation of a visual image. Interestingly, when they are acting, actors use a part of the brain to create a voice which is different to the part of the brain we usually use when we speak. So that’s what happens inside an actor’s brain when they’re on stage! Aren’t you glad that’s been cleared up?

The results of the experiment and other similar ones will be displayed in an exhibition on identity at the Wellcome trust. If you haven’t already been, the Wellcome Collection is WELL worth a visit. (Please excuse the horrendous joke. I just couldn’t help myself). It is a fascinating place and the cafe there is fantastic. In fact I’m going to take this moment for a bit of cake news (now a regular item on the blog): the Wellcome cafe has some of the most gorgeous cupcakes your eyes and taste buds may ever have the pleasure of enjoying.

Righty – o, from brains and cake back to our very own Hugh Hughes:

You can see him. Tonight! He is performing the marvellous ‘360’ at the Drum Theatre in Plymouth until November 28th.

Don’t forget that he’s also going to be in Sydney in the New Year. Last time he visited tickets were snapped up like hot cakes (cough, wink, cough) so make sure you visit http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/ to grab yours in good time.

One final note before I depart for now... I am delighted to share the news that Hugh will be performing 360 at the Oxford Playhouse on March 3rd 2010. Although my heart lies with Cambridge, Oxford is pretty lovely too. Why don’t you book yourself a ticket and make a fun trip to Oxford for some punting and a wander around the Ashmolean or Magdalene College’s deer park? You can’t beat a bit of fresh air and spot of deer spying now can you?

Thanks to My Name is Rom for this fab brain picture

Blankets and cake

Hurrah! Friday is here! The sun is shining and we are basking in the thrill of Hugh and Sioned’s award. For those of you who missed yesterday’s post, here is the link to the full article in The Age. What they have written about Floating really is lovely, so if you have a mo, do check it out.

I know Cate Blanchett’s award caused Simon to be befuddled by the question ‘what on earth is a blanket dress?’, so I have taken it upon myself to investigate and shed a little light on the subject... Cate wore a rather jazzy dress to a snazzy red carpet event a little while ago. I’m not quite sure how to describe it in order to do the dress justice, but I will try my best:

It really is quite unique...Imagine a crocheted blanket with different coloured squares. Now imagine more colours. And more squares. Use the power of your imagination to transform this blanket into a long sleeved dress. Now cut off one of the sleeves. Add a giant black pom-pom to the wrist of the remaining sleeve. Next add some faux fur (black) to the hem. And there you have it! It does look very snugly and warm, except for the fact that one shoulder will get rather nippy. However, paired with an extra sleeve and some UGG boots, I think this outfit would help me to keep warm in chilly and blustery Cambridge. Although I’ve done a bit of research on the designers who made Cate’s dress and I don’t think it’s in my budget. Never mind. Maybe I could achieve a similar effect by attacking my duvet with a pair of scissors and a sewing machine. ‘Bed-linen chic’ will be taking off very soon no doubt. Just remember, you heard it here first.

Other hot news from Hoipolloi HQ...There are still three more performances of Story of a Rabbit at the Curve in Leicester. Are you free tonight? Tomorrow afternoon? Or tomorrow night maybe? If so, why not grab a ticket to see Hugh. If you do already have plans, do a bit of re-shuffling and wangle your diary so that you can see Hugh after all. If you’re lucky he may even make you a cup of tea during the show. Click here to book tickets.

In fact I think that is all of the ‘exciting’ news to report. News fit only for the ‘mediocrity piles’ (there is both a literal and figurative pile; one for my dull scribblings on various scraps of paper/post it notes and one for my frequent inane thoughts) include the discovery of some rather delicious wheat free Dutch apple cake in the shop across the road. The inevitable consequence of this discovery is that I have been doing a sterling job devouring said cake. In fact I think it’s time to go and grab another slice...



Thank you to ejhogbin for the lovely photograph

Another Award

Today I received the very exciting news that we've won another award! Hugh and Sioned have been rewarded for their travels down to Melbourne with Floating by being named Best Live Theatre in The Age newspaper's inaugural M-ie Awards.

The awards were announced back on the 8 November but I've only just received word from our friends at the fantastic Arts House, who were our generous hosts during Floating's time in the city.

Sadly there is no glamorous awards ceremony to attend and I'm not even sure we'll receive any form of trophy to add to the cabinet (or the awards shelf as it actually exists as). But it's a delight to form part of the highlights of the social year in Melbourne.

And I'm really impressed by the lovely write-up it's received...

"You'd need to be lacking a heart not to have fallen in love with this teeny-tiny production from Wales. Somewhere between performance art, stand-up comedy and old-fashioned storytelling, it felt like the most thoughtful and generous gift you'd ever received. From a stranger, no less."

Also commended in this category were Jersey Boys and Ontroerend Goed's Once and For All We're Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut up and Listen. Several of us were fans of their Internal which played in Edinburgh this year, so it feels like honourable company to reside in.

The awards are a ludicrously diverse mix 0f categories from Most In-Demand Party Guest (which went to film star Eric Bana although Dannii Minogue did get a commendation) and Best Fashion Moment (going to Cate Blanchett and her blanket dress - although I have no idea what that is!) to the seemingly more sensible Best Pub/Bar (Madame Brussels - a choice that I'd definitely agree on) and Best Coffee (which the fantastic Auction Rooms missed out on, but they're definitely worth a visit if you're heading to a show at the Arts House).

You can read the full article here, although you might have to scroll down or skip to page 4 to find us!

If you're reading this in Australia, don't forget that Hugh will be returning to Sydney (although sadly not Melbourne on this occasion) for performances of 360 at the Sydney Festival (22 to 30 Jan). Tickets for that can be booked here.

Posted by Simon Bedford [Producer, Hoipolloi]

Hugh speaks... Monday morning

Monday morning! My brother would doubtless sing the classic Boomtown Rats hit I Don’t Like Mondays if he was reading this now. He has got a really good voice too. In fact, his impression of Blondie is the best I have ever heard. When you open your eyes and see him, your mind cannot accept it. And that is a bit like the experience I had last night in Durham. Artichoke were in the city with a wide variety of artists, illuminating the city. When I woke up this morning, it was like seeing my brother, not Blondie, there out of the window. Durham had been wonderfully and magically transformed by the imaginations of these fabulous artists. And my brother and Blondie weren’t involved at all. The whole thing was dreamlike.

It made my journey south on the train this morning more colourful. First of all I heard this conversation: Tall Boy to Small Boy, “You will never know what it is like to be this size, but I know what it is like to be your size.” Small Boy to Tall Boy, “But you will never know what it is like to be this size as well as I do.” Then I saw an owl-like tree overlooking a cabbage-filled field and unused warehouses holding clouds hostage, issuing ransom fees to the farmers on tractors.

Getting off the train and onto this computer to write this blog was like waking up properly for the first time in a while. I feel like I’ve done an all-nighter…

Home alone...

Its been a busy, jet-setting week for many of the Hoipolloi team; Hugh's in Edinburgh performing Story of a Rabbit, and Simon is in London being important and inspiring (he's giving a talk to drama students). Of course someone's got to hold the fort back in Cambridge so I'm today's official 'fort-holder-upper' - a very technical term for an extremely vital post, you understand.

The exact job description is malleable, but today I have defined it as follows:

-Some routine 'quality control of refreshments': testing the new teas on the famous Hoipolloi tea shelf. It was a close battle, but after great deliberation I have reached a final decision. Green tea with mint is the new favourite, although Raspberry and Echinacea comes a close second.

-Replying to all of the lovely people who have emailed to say they've seen Story of a Rabbit. Thank you for getting in touch. We're always thrilled to hear from people who have enjoyed the shows.

-Looking wistfully out of the window at the puddle coloured clouds and fierce rain droplets beating against the windows, pondering whether to write some poetry with a melancholic tinge as I muse deep philosphical thoughts...*

-* these include - what to have for lunch. How wet I am likely to get on the cycle ride back home. And whether to see Bright Star, Fantastic Mr Fox or The Hurt Locker at the cinema this weekend.

-Being on the look out for any supernatural events. This was a last minute adidtion to today's 'to do' list which slipped on when I realised that today is Friday 13th (cue scary music for dramatic effect).

So that's what I'm up to. But if you are free tonight or tomorrow, and either in Edinburgh, or keen to visit Edinburgh - and you really should as it's a lovely city - then do go and say 'Hello' to Hugh at the Traverse Theatre.

Have a good weekend!

Thank you to iamthepinkcupcake for this lovely atmospheric photo

Hugh speaks... travelling to Edinburgh

Hello! I am very happy to write this blog. We have embarked on a short tour of STORY OF A RABBIT in the UK, five months after our tour in the USA. It is really good to be performing this show again. I really do enjoy it. Aled said, "it’s like visiting an old friend."

We'd like to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who has joined us so far – in Eastleigh and Cambridge - and to say we are very much looking forward to meeting our audience in Edinburgh, Leicester and Plymouth later this month.

Right now I’m travelling to Edinburgh by train. My favourite kind of transport. We’ve been through gentle rising fog and blinding bursts of sunshine. It’s remarkable to think how this ball of a planet is enveloped in so many weathers. My brother once left a leather football in the garden throughout the whole winter – when my father found it in the spring, it was deflated, sagging and discoloured. "Luckily this planet is not made of leather," Aled said and we all laughed and then imagined we were part of a giant’s game of football in Brazil. Then Tom said, "In a way, Pele is a giant."

I haven’t been to Edinburgh outside of festival time. Neither has Aled. "It’ll be the same but different," he said. "It’ll be wearing it’s winter coat," he said as he looked out of the window at Newcastle. "While Sydney is putting it’s shorts on, Edinburgh is pulling on a thick jumper," said Tom. Then he said, "I wonder if we could knit a giant jumper for Pele and present it to him as a gift at the next World Cup. A nice golden yellow one trimmed with green." Aled said we probably could but he’d be unlikely to wear it because the World Cup was taking place in South Africa and it’d be too hot.

As we get ever closer to Edinburgh I’d like to use this opportunity to say another "thank you’ to the Sydney Festival for inviting me to present 360 in January. I’m really looking forward to it.
Goodbye for now.

Hugh Hughes

[I found this lovely photo on Flickr by laurencea taken during a London to Edinburgh train journey. I'm guessing it was during the snow we had in January this year. Thought it illustrated Hugh's blog nicely. Simon]

[pps. we've just had this lovely review come in for Story of a Rabbit]

Hugh learns to Tweet and is off down under... again!

With Story of a Rabbit out on tour, there's plenty going on at the moment. And we have lots of exciting news to report as well!

First up, for those of you who follow us on Twitter, you'll have noticed that in the last 24hours a brand new voice has been joining in the conversation, our very own Hugh Hughes.

Now that he's the (very) proud owner of an iPhone (other phones are available), I've taught Hugh how it all works and he spent his journey up to Edinburgh today sharing his thoughts on the world around him.

As there will now be multiple voices sharing the Hoipolloi account, we'll try and reduce confusion by signing off each tweet with who we are! Hugh's been busy doing that today and from now onwards, I'll be adding 'SB' to the end of my tweets so you can tell whose voice is whose!

I've also taught Hugh the simplicity of audioboo and he's promised to make a least one boo during his time at the Traverse this week. I'll repost it here when he does.

Which reminds me to plug this week's performances of Story of a Rabbit. Hugh and Aled are at the Traverse from tonight (11th) until Saturday (14 Nov). Tickets can be booked by calling 0131 228 1404 or via their website.

Perhaps our most exciting news is that Hugh will be returning to Australia to perform 360 as part of the presitigous Sydney Festival from 22 to 30 January 2010.

A copy of the brochure landed in the office this morning and we'll be joined by some illustrious company from the UK... Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Tim Key, Isy Suttie (from Peep Show), a charming family show from Oxford Playhouse and Rupert Goold's acclaimed Six Characters in Search of an Author.

I've heard via Twitter that tickets are already flying out the door for Hugh's limited season (just 8 perfs) so if you're in Sydney or know someone there who should go, get them to the box office swiftly!

Details of how to book and the full festival programme can be found by clicking here.

And my final plea, if you've been to see Story of a Rabbit, why not share your thoughts by commenting here on the blog, visiting our Facebook groups (Hoipolloi or Hugh Hughes) or via the delights of a tweet. Thank you!

Posted by Simon Bedford (Producer, Hoipolloi)

Have your say...

Have you just seen Story of a Rabbit? Why not get in touch and let us know what you thought. There are a whole host of ways to engage with what we're up to!

Someone who saw the show last night in Eastleigh messaged us via Twitter to say "Hugh Hughes was wonderful (as always)... He makes me laugh and cry at exactly the same time!".

Just add @hellohoipolloi into your tweets and we'll spot them (or in fact, just mentioning Hugh Hughes often catches our eye!).

If you're not a fan of Twitter, why not comment on this blog with your thoughts or head to our Facebook pages - here is Hugh's and here is Hoipolloi's.

Someone wrote this on our wall earlier...

"Saw "Story of a Rabbit" at Eastleigh Theatre last night. Hugh Hughes is a highly original and talented performer. The show was genius - comic, reflective, moving, evolved and original. Thanks Hugh"

Or you can send us a slightly old-fashioned email if you'd like! Just drop a note to info@hoipolloi.org.uk and it'll make it's way through to us.

Finally, if you'd like to get a little closer and receive regular email updates from us, you can sign up to the mailing list here.