Exclusive previews in Sydney

 

Are you in Sydney? Perhaps you'd like to join Hugh Hughes at Carriageworks for some exclusive work-in-progress sharings of Stories from an Invisible Town.

The sharings take place this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (15 to 17 December) at 8pm. They are free to attend, all you need to do is sign-up here online beforehand to reserve your place:

Stories from an Invisible Town is Hugh's brand new project and an artistic investigation of childhood. It's probably easiest if I let Hugh explain...

Stories from an Invisible Town - An Introduction (by Hugh Hughes by hughhughes

Posted by Simon Bedford, Executive Producer, Hoipolloi

Story of a Rabbit in Sydney

 

We're really excited to be returning to Sydney Opera House with Hugh Hughes and Story of a Rabbit.

It's Hugh's third visit to Australia and his second to the Opera House itself. And I'm giddy with excitement at the honour of once again helping Hugh tour to such a prestigious venue.

Hugh is especially excited as Aled, who created the show with Hugh is returning to the stage after having handed over the musical and technical reins to his brother, Dafydd for the last year.

If you are in Sydney, or can get to Sydney or know people in Sydney, we'd be delighted to see you there for Story of a Rabbit. The show opens on Tuesday 29 November and runs until Saturday 10 December.

There's more information here at the Sydney Opera House website... http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/story_of_a_rabbit.aspx

You can also read more about the process involved in the creation of Story of a Rabbit in this blog from Shon, Hoipolloi's Artistic Director...
http://freshinkaustralia.com/2011/11/16/hugh-am-i-the-hugh-hughes-project/

And if you're after a quick preview of what to expect, here's a short snippet of the show:

 

Posted by Simon Bedford (Hoipolloi's Executive Producer)

Things to see in Cambridge

For anyone in Cambridge, I wanted to share a couple of recommendations of things you should definitely see at The Junction over the next month or so.

Starting next Monday, the fabulous Non Zero One are heading to the city with The Time Out. I've become a huge fan of this emerging company since seeing their technically spectacular and surprisingly emotional show, Would Like To Meet at the Barbican Centre last year. And their beautifully poignant farewell to the old Bush Theatre recently was one of the best shows I've seen for a while.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Time Out when I caught it in Edinburgh this year - it's a great opportunity to bond with strangers and become a successful team in the space of an hour. You'll need to be prepared to get involved but trust me, it's definitely worth it! 

As it's a limited capacity, some of the performances are already sold out. There are currently spaces left at 9pm on Mon 21 Nov and then 6pm, 7.30pm and 9pm on Tue 22 Nov and Wed 23 Nov.

More info here at The Junction's website... http://junction.co.uk/artist/3687

And if you're looking for Christmas entertainment, our good friends at NIE are creating Hansel and Gretal  for your viewing pleasure.

Not only that, but Hoipolloi's own Associate Director, Stefanie Mueller is both designing and performing in the show.

The show opens on 7 December and runs right the way through until 3 January so there's plenty of opportunity to catch the show. And as they say, it's "a delicious Christmas show for the whole family to enjoy."

More info here at The Junction's website... http://junction.co.uk/artist/3419

And NIE are blogging their way through the making of the show so if you'd like to see what Steffi has been up to, you can see plenty of pics here.

Posted by Simon Bedford (Hoipolloi's Executive Producer)

A few reminders and recommendations

Firstly, a quick reminder that Hugh is performing 360 at the Words in Walden Festival over in Saffron Walden on Friday night (7 October). There's still a few tickets left and you can find out more by visiting the festival's website.

For those of you in Cambridge, Hugh will also be doing some more work-in-progress on his new project, Stories from an Invisible Town at The Junction on Friday 28 October if you'd like to join him. More info here.

The Junction itself has a packed autumn schedule and if you're in Cambridge I can definitely recommend getting yourself down to see as much as it as you can, including (if you can get a ticket) Little Bulb's Operation Greenfield which is on tonight and tomorrow. I adored this show when I saw it at Soho Theatre in the summer and if you enjoy Hugh's work, I'm sure you'll be charmed by this too.

In the week before Hugh's visit to The Junction, Forced Entertainment will be bringing Void Story to Cambridge on 18 & 19 October. Forced Entertainment's work is admired around the world and, although I'm sure it'll be quite different from the work we produce, it sounds very intriguing. Here's a taster...

And in November, you should definitely be getting yourself a ticket to Non Zero One's The Time Out. I love their work (they're most definitely my favourite company at the moment) and I saw this in Edinburgh in the summer. You need to be prepared to work with your fellow audience members to become a successful team but it's a lot of fun too.

And finally, just to give some balance to non-Cambridge things - if you're a director and can get yourself to London, why not book yourself a place on Told by an Idiot's intensive Director's workshop with Paul Hunter. It's taking place from 17 to 21 October at the Jerwood Studios and costs £200. More info here.

Posted by Simon Bedford (Executive Producer, Hoipolloi)

Floating on BBC Radio 4 - this Friday

 

We are very proud of Hugh's continued success with Floating which he initially created with us here at Hoipolloi. It's amazing to think that it was September 2005,  6 years ago, that he and Sioned first performed Floating at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast.

Since then it has travelled all over the world, playing in Edinburgh, London, Vancouver, New York, Sydney, Moscow and beyond.

I had some time together with Hugh up in Edinburgh this summer while we were both there watching some theatre. I asked him about his experience of making Floating for the radio:

"It was superb. The people at the BBC in London are very professional. In fact, I'd say they are fully professional. They really do know their business inside out and back to front. I was in very good hands. Just like when my mother would leave me with my Aunty Glenys when I was a toddler. There was no running away from her safety net.


 The person I was working closely with there was a fine young man called James - I won't use his surname in case he'd prefer I didn't - I'm sure there are lots of Jameses working at the BBC - and he was very very good at his job and was able to help me reconstruct the event using audio only. That is the challenge of radio - to only use audio. 


Luckily, Sioned was able to get childcare for her little Mary and so she was able to join me in the studio and play all the other characters in the story and Cantorian Menai sung and my Aunty Glenys shared her version of events. Altogether, a lot of people threw their hat into the ring, making the whole project a jamboree of a thing. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I am still very thankful to the corporation for making and broadcasting the story."

In celebration of Floating being made for radio we at Hoipolloi, with the Roundhouse in London, are presenting the story on stage on Friday 21 October (with Hugh's show, 360, being performed on Saturday 22 October). We hope you can get along to see it and are able to tell your friends. You can book tickets here.

And of course, don't forget to listen to the broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm on Friday 9 September.

The journey continues...

Posted by Shon Dale-Jones (Artistic Director, Hoipolloi)

Floating on BBC Radio 4

Hoipolloi are excited to announce that Floating has been adapted into a radio play, to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Friday 9 September at 2.15pm.

Floating (and Hugh Hughes) have been on an incredible journey since the very first performance of the show at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast on 12 September 2005.

I remember that day very vividly - it was part of the first tour I ever booked for the company. It was a pleasure to witness how the audience were delightfully confused and excited by the story unfolding in front of them. And that first show last well over 2 hours!

Having started at Hoipolloi at the beginning of 2005, it’s been a real pleasure to share in the successful journey of this show. From its simple beginnings in Belfast, to a rewarding run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2006 (winning a Total Theatre Award) and performances at London’s Barbican Centre, Sydney Opera House and most recently a trip to Canada (visiting Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto).

We really hope you’ll be able to tune in and listen to this new version of the show. And please share the news with your friends and family too.

You’ll also notice some brand new dates in the performance calendar. These include a brief visit to London’s Roundhouse with Floating and 360. These performances are taking place in the Roundhouse’s studio, which has a very limited capacity so if you want to come, I’d advise booking early.

Posted by Simon Bedford (Executive Producer, Hoipolloi)
With thanks to machoismtango for the image

Visiting the Edinburgh Fringe?

You'll have noticed by now that neither Hugh Hughes or Hoipolloi can be found at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In the years that we haven't performed, it often feels like a bit of a mixed blessing - I'm not having to worry about how many people are booked for today's show but also, I feel a little left out, missing that kind of daily adrenaline charge.

Last year I didn't even have a visit to the Fringe but I can't stay away for long and so last weekend I was pounding the cobbled streets looking to be entertained.

I thought I'd share some tips for the best stuff I saw. Oh, and by the way, I'm also heading back to the Fringe from 24 to 28 August so if you have any tips on what to see during that period, I'd love to hear them!

Right, here goes...

The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik (Underbelly, 18.00)

I'm going to start with the best show I saw during my three days because if you get bored of reading this blog post, I don't want you to miss out on a real gem!

The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer - Trailer from Tim Watts on Vimeo.

Delightful, magical, charming, irresistible - lots of adjectives that I'd use to describe this show. It's a beautiful love story mixing animation, puppetry and music and I'd defy you not to fall in love with it. I saw it on Saturday and have been raving about it to anyone I can find (including you now). I've noticed that in the last two days it's been sold out so definitely one to get booked in to in advance.

Shows with a Hoipolloi connection

As I've mentioned, we don't have a show of our own on this year. But if you're craving some form of Hoipolloi-related show, why not try the following...

3rd Ring Out (Pleasance, various times from 18 August)

This hasn't started yet but Steffi, our Associate Director, is performing as part of it once it opens. Taking place inside a container, you're immersed straight into disaster emergency planning and your responses will effect the future. I saw this piece last year at PULSE and it's a really thought-provoking piece on climate change and our ability to deal with a changing world.

To Avoid Precipice Cling To Rock (Bedlam, 16.30 until 13 August only)

You've only got a few days left to catch this one and enjoy a bit of Hoipolloi history. Josie, Shon and Steffi's daughter making her Fringe performance debut! Josie is of course a Fringe veteran in many ways, having grown up spending August flyering for various Hoipolloi productions over the years. But it's great to see her taking to the stage as part of this fantastic ensemble of young female performers.

Show Me The World (Underbelly, 12.00)

This one's connected to me, as I've been mentoring the company for the last few months. Winners of IdeasTap's Edinburgh Award, this is a show written specially for and performed by a really exciting group of talented young performers. Some of the language in the show isn't for the faint-hearted but it really captures those late teenage moments of growing up and moving on. EDIT: they've just got a 4* review from Whatsonstage

Other gems that I enjoyed...

Vertigo (Bedlam, 15.25 until 13 August only)

Another show to catch if you can in the next few days. I really loved the charm and wit of the two performers and towards the end, a delightfully emotional twist caught me by surprise.

Cloud Man (Hill St Theatre, 11.00 until 24 August only)

A really enchanting piece for young audiences about the search for the elusive Cloud Man. Worth catching even if you don't have any children to take, I adored the detailed puppetry in this.

2401 Objects (Pleasance Courtyard, 16.40)

I first saw Analogue's work in 2007, receiving a Fringe First on the same day as Hugh Hughes (for Story of a Rabbit). I've enjoyed following their development over the last few years and I was so excited by this piece. It's fantastically confident and assured, capturing beautiful fragments of a fascinating true story.

Hoipolloi's interns storm Fringe Festivals!

I'm really excited that two ex-Hoipolloi interns are also performing on the Fringe this year -although only one is on in Edinburgh, the other is performing in London as part in Camden Fringe.

You can catch Sara (who worked with us in 2007/08) in Sold at Pleasance Courtyard at 11.10 and David (who worked with us in 2008/09) in Hamster Town at the Camden People's Theatre until 17 Aug.

Right, I think that's all for now. If you see any of these, I hope you enjoy them and looking forward to hearing your tips for what to catch when I return to Edinburgh at the end of August.

Posted by Simon Bedford (Executive Producer, Hoipolloi)

With thanks to the Edinburgh Blog for the photo

Hoipolloi statement on Arts Council funding decision

Hoipolloi has been invited to join Arts Council England’s new national portfolio of organisations with support for our programme of work through to 2015.

We understand that the Arts Council have had to make some very difficult decisions over the past few months. It is not clear today what impact the funding cuts will have on the environment we work within.

We will now concentrate on how best to move forward from here, assessing our plans in the light of this challenging new climate.

Up until this point, Hoipolloi has received a combination of RFO and lottery funding. Our new national portfolio settlement offers the company a much more secure position to build on the successes of the past 17 years and find exciting ways to increase our engagement with audiences in the future.

Over the next few years, Hoipolloi will build on the success of our partnership with Hugh Hughes, work that has a proven capacity to reach and inspire people. We will also continue and improve our use of digital media as a creative tool, looking at ways of furthering the links between our live and digital work.

A Message From Hugh Hughes

Hello! I hope you enjoyed Saint David’s Day yesterday. Or the day of Dewi Sant, as we call him in Wales.

A big part of my shows is about meeting people and making connections with them. If you’ve seen one of my shows, maybe Hugh Hughes in...Floating or Hugh Hughes in...360, you’ll know that I like to get the audience involved a little bit. I like us all to have a nice time together. We are sharing a space together, after all, and we might as well enjoy our time together, in that space, together.

The purpose of this blog post here is for me to invite you to come and share some time and space with me again. Or maybe even for the first time. You never know, it might just put a spring in your step.

If you’ve seen one of my shows before, you might like to know that I’m performing all three of them in March and May this year. So you could come and see one that you haven’t seen yet, perhaps, or remind yourself of one that you have seen. If you enjoyed it and you know someone else who might like it too, why not bring them along and introduce us all to each other?

All of my shows are being performed under the title The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes, which you can find out about on my new website here: www.hughhughes.me/wonderful-world-of-hugh-hughes.

Let me tell you the important bit here though:


15 –19 March at the Drum Theatre in Plymouth (tickets on 01752 267 222 or here)
22 – 26 March at The Junction in Cambridge (tickets on 01223 511 511 here)
17 – 21 May at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds (tickets on 0113 213 7700 or here)

Sometimes people contact me through my website saying ‘Hugh, I really wish I’d brought my sister/brother/friend/mum/dad along to see your show, I think he/she would have really loved it, but we’ve missed our chance now’.

Well, you still have the chance to make sure your sister/brother/friend/mum/dad does see the show!

I’d love to see you in Plymouth, Cambridge or Leeds – so why not come and see me, and bring a friend along!

Best wishes,
Hugh x

Hugh Hughes in Canada with Floating

As you may already know, Hugh Hughes is touring his theatre show, Floating, in Canada at the moment. He was very excited to catch the plane over this weekend, and he’s already been reporting back to us here in the UK with stories of his adventures – more of those at a later date.

If you’ve already discovered Hugh Hughes at a theatre performance in Canada (or anywhere else, for that matter), and just want to find out a bit more about him, then why not have a look at his new website? It’s something he’s been working very hard on, so that you can use it alongside his live theatre performances and find out what he’s up to when he’s not performing Floating.

You can find his site at http://www.hughhughes.me/

Hugh very much hopes you’ll delve deeper in to his Wonderful World and that you and he can become that little bit more connected.

If you haven’t come across a Hugh Hughes theatre show before, and you’re in Canada, then this is the perfect opportunity to discover our charming Welsh friend. Floating will be performed in three different Canadian cities through January and February, in a tour covering British Columbia and Ontario.

Vancouver, BC,
part of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, with the Arts Club Theatre Company
20th January – 5th February
Details here.

Victoria, BC,
at the Intrepid Theatre
10th and 11th February
Details here.

Toronto, Ontario,
at the Harbourfront Centre
15th – 19th February
Details here.

This picture comes from Hugh's flickr stream - there are more photographic snippets of Hugh's life on there.