Welcome to 2012

A belated Happy New Year from myself, Hugh Hughes and the rest of the Hoipolloi team. We're all really looking forward to the year ahead. It's certainly going to be busy and I hope you'll be able to join us along the way.

Hugh has already started the year with some very good news. His afternoon play version of Floating, created with BBC Radio 4 has been nominated for "Best Scripted Comedy Drama" at the first ever BBC Audio Drama Awards. The ceremony, to be hosted by David Tennant, takes place on 29 January and we'll let you know how he gets on.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us during the autumn. I certainly had lots of fun driving Hugh to a couple of places for performances of 360 and the year ended in style with the run of Story of a Rabbit at Sydney Opera House.

At present, we're in the thick of development for Hugh's brand new project, Stories from an Invisible Town. Here's a quick intro from Hugh...

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

It'll be both an online space and a live work, which will tour the UK in the autumn. We'll be announcing more information as the year progresses but if you're in Cambridge, you can get some sneak previews by joining Hugh for some further work-in-progress performances at The Junction. These take place on 8 March, 20 April and 25 May. More details here.

We look forward to sharing our work with you in the not too distant future and hope you'll be able to join us at some point this year.

Simon Bedford
Executive Producer, Hoipolloi

ps. if you live in or near Cambridge, we think these might be of interest...

NIE: Clown on stage - a master class at The Junction
This Master Class led by NIE’s Artistic Director, Alex Byrne will explore the physical preparation of the body for performance through work on pure and expressive movement and the playfulness of the actors in performance through games and group work. Alex will explore work in red noses as a way to access emotions, material and playfulness.

Saturday 4 February from 11am – 6pm
Suitable for ages 18+
Price: £35 (£25 conc)

To book: please visit www.junction.co.uk/artist/4058

HOTBED 2012: CAMBRIDGE’S NEW WRITING FESTIVAL

26 - 29 January at The Junction

12 new commissions, live literature, film showings, masterclasses, workshops, a One-Page-Play Competition and free foyer events.

Writers at Hotbed: Janice Okoh (Bruntwood Award Winner 2011); Ed Harris (Writers’ Guild Award Winner 2011); Chris O’Connell (Multiple Fringe First Award Winner), plus many more of the UK’s leading and up-and-coming writers.

Guest Production: Hotbed will host world-class production of SILENT by Ireland’s leading new writing company, Fishamble.  The show was the hit of the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and won a plethora of awards, including the prestigious Fringe First Award.

Box office: 01223 511511 or book online: www.junction.co.uk

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 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

My Name Is Sue (and other delights)

I'm sure that some of you will remember our passioned enthusiasm for a wonderful show called My Name Is Sue, which shared our venue in the Pleasance Courtyard at last year's Edinburgh Fringe.

David, our previous intern, even implored you to attend in a sentence written completely in capital letters (which is a very definite statement from someone who has a first in English from Cambridge University).

For those of you who missed it the first time, you'll be delighted to hear that it'll be making a visit to London's Soho Theatre this week.

So, what's the show about?

"Sue is a piano-wielding prophet who has so far kept her thoughts to herself. But now she is ready to let rip. She invites you into her lounge, where she'll sing through life from finishing school to Doomsday. Tales of schoolgirl passion and middle-aged longing, of ancient demons reawakened and of Armageddon sweeping through Cardiff town centre. Or she might just tell you what she had for lunch."

It comes most highly recommended (I've seen it at least 4 times now and still can't get enough) and this is what the papers have to say about it...

"Bizarre but brilliant... hysterically funny and beautifully played" Time Out (4stars)

"Certainly one of the most unusual, remarkable and memorable hours on the fringe" The Stage

It was also a Pick of the Week in this week's Guardian Guide.

Hopefully that's all whetted your appetite and now here's the clincher! If you go on and see the show this week (from Weds 16 to Sat 19 June), tickets are just £10!

The show runs from 16 to 26 June and tickets are available by calling 020 7478 0100 or online by clicking here.

*****

Also, for those of in Cambridge, we'd also like to recommend a visit to 3rd Ring Out.

Set inside shipping containers that become 'mobile command centres' on Parker's Piece, this is a very different sort of theatre. It's 2033 and the world has changed. Nature is taking revenge on industrial humanity and faced with a range of realistic futuristic scenarios, it’s up to you how the story develops.

I saw this intriguing piece on Saturday and it definitely made me think about what our environmental future might hold.

Performances take place on Parker's Piece from 17 to 20 June at 11am, 1.30pm, 4.30pm and 7pm each day and tickets cost £8 (£5 concessions).

Tickets are available from The Junction on 01223 511 511 or book online here.

*****

Enjoy!

Posted by Simon Bedford (Producer, Hoipolloi)

Some recommendations

Yesterday afternoon I found myself with a glass of mulled wine in hand and stood watching the gentle falling of snowflakes through the air. But I wasn't going mad, nor had I drifted into Narnia.

I was in fact at The Junction, here in Cambridge, for the launch of their Christmas offering, appropriately titled, A Merry Little Christmas. It's actually being created by the lovely folk at Gomito, another Cambridge-based company.

They've always been very supportive of our activities here at Hoipolloi and I was delighted to finally make it to one of their other shows before the launch. If you have kids (or even if you don't!) look out for The Night Keeper, which is touring to a few places before mid-November. I thought it was wonderfully enchanting!

Finally, next week's a busy week for interesting and exciting theatre here in Cambridge. Not only will Story of a Rabbit be calling into the Arts Theatre (have you booked your tickets yet?), but Told by An Idiot will be stopping by The Junction with their new show, The Fahrenheit Twins.

Adapted from Michel Faber's original tale, it's an enthralling story of two siblings living with their parents on a remote artic exploration station. Lyn Gardner at the Guardian gave it 4stars so it comes highly recommended.

Finally finally, don't forget we've added an extra Hoipolloi Master Class in as the first sold-out! It'll be at The Junction on Sunday 13 December from 12noon to 7pm. Places cost £35 and are available from 01223 511511 (as indeed are tickets for A Merry Little Christmas and The Fahrenheit Twins).

Selling Out, Adding In

Things are about to get spectacularly busy here at Hoipolloi. Hugh will be commencing his latest Story of a Rabbit UK tour next Monday and there's plenty of other activity to report on too!

We mentioned back in September about our forthcoming Master Class at The Junction, here in Cambridge, on Sat 12 December. This has now officially SOLD OUT! Thank you to everyone who's booked themselves in.

However, don't be too disappointed if you intended to book but didn't get a chance! We're giving you a second chance to come along. We have now added a further master class the following day on Sunday 13 December. This time it runs from 12noon until 7pm and is once again at The Junction.

There was already a waiting list for Saturday places so if you'd like to come along, I'd get yourself booked in for the Sunday pretty quick. Places cost £35 and are available by calling 01223 511 511.

And if you're in Cambridge next week, don't forget that Hugh will be performing his award-winning hit, Story of a Rabbit at Cambridge Arts Theatre on Wednesday & Thursday (4 & 5 Nov). Get your tickets here!

If you can't make it to Cambridge, he's also heading to Eastleigh (2 & 3 Nov), Edinburgh (11 to 14 Nov) and Leicester (18 to 21 Nov). To round the tour off, Hugh will be performing new show, 360, in the Drum Theatre Plymouth from 24 to 28 Nov.

Right, sales pitch over! Although from the outside it's been pretty quiet here at Hoipolloi since our return from Edinburgh, I can promise you we've been extra busy planning an exciting 2010.

I have some exciting news to announce in a couple of weeks (it's currently embargoed so I'm afraid no amount of bribery will make me spill the beans). And then we'll be drip-feeding you further announcements as we head into the new year!

I'm hoping that Hugh will be able to provide some updates on his tour over the next few weeks but in the meantime, here's a quick reminder of Story of a Rabbit...

Genuine or Genu-wine?

Posted by David Ralfe (Marketing & Admin. Assistant, Hoipolloi)

Hugh Hughes premiered brand new material last night in a sold-out show at The Junction in Cambridge. It was the first time Hugh had shared the work he has done on his new solo show with an audience, and he admitted to me just before he went onstage that he was a little bit nervous!

Here's what Hugh said about the show in the programme notes:

"In some ways tonight's performance will be very different from my previous shows. I will be onstage completely alone, with no set, costumes, props, music or multimedia.

But I hope that together we will be able to fill this empty space using our imagination. I believe this will allow me to share my experiences in new ways and to make more intimate connections with audiences than ever before."

I was in the rehearsal room with Hugh a little bit last week. It really was fantastically exciting to see Hugh continuing to experiment with theatrical forms, never content to re-use an old artistic formula, as he seeks new and different ways to communicate with his audiences.

There's a moment in the show when Hugh tells the audience about a game he used to play as a child, and we've found ourselves playing it in the Hoipolloi office today! If someone says something a bit unexpected, you ask, "Are you being genuine or genu-wine?" "Genuine" means they're telling the truth, "Genu-wine" means they're joking. It's a little childish but I think Hugh would approve of that!

All the performances for this week have now completely sold out but we very much hope to take Hugh's solo show out again in the near future.

Keep checking in with this Blog for all the latest updates!

Hugh Hughes solo show: selling fast!

Posted by David Ralfe (Marketing & Admin. Assistant, Hoipolloi)

It's not much more than a week since Hugh Hughes was at The Barbican, performing sneak previews of his new show Invisible Town. As we walked to the pub after the last performance, someone asked, "So what's next Hugh, are you going to have a bit of time off now this is over?"

Ha ha.

Hugh Hughes has at least six projects up in the air at any one time. As soon Hugh finished at The Barbican he went back to work on another brand new show:
The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes.

Invisible Town was a chance for Hugh to work with a larger ensemble than ever before, with six performers and three musicians joining him on stage. His new solo show takes the opposite road, putting Hugh onstage completely alone, sans performers, sans multimedia, sans music, sans everything.

It will allow him to connect with audiences more intimately than ever before, as he tells stories from his past, taking us even deeper into his wonderful, fantastical and imaginative world. I've been in some of the rehearsals and I can promise it will be an incredible show, and a chance to see a slightly different side of Hugh.

The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes will be performed for the very first time at The Junction in Cambridge from 29 to 31 January. But Friday's performance has already sold out! So book for the remaining nights quickly to avoid disappointment, particularly since tickets are a credit-crunch-busting £5 each.

You can book tickets via The Junction's website: just click here.
Or call The Junction's Box Office on 01223 511 511.

We hope to see you there!

All gone...

Posted by Simon Bedford (Marketing & Touring Manager, Hoipolloi)

A huge thank you to everyone who's booked in to see our Invisible Town preview performances at the Barbican. We have now completely filled all available places and I'm afraid that I won't be able to release any further space.

If you haven't managed to get hold of a ticket, you'll still be able to follow what's happening with the project as we'll be providing regular updates from the rehearsal room here on the blog.

I'm also pleased to announce another Hugh Hughes project which will be coming to fruition in January!

The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes is a brand new solo piece from Hugh. He's been working on various ideas for this over the past couple of months (in between working on Invisible Town) and the show will be premiered at The Junction, Cambridge from 29 to 31 January.

The show sees Hugh head off on a comic and compelling adventure into his fantastical world. A marvellous mixture of memories, random recollections and stories all told in his uniquely charming style.

At present, this is the ONLY opportunity to see this piece although the show might make the journey up to Edinburgh next summer.

Performances begin at 8pm and tickets cost just £5. To book yours, please visit The Junction's website by clicking here or call their Box Office on 01223 511511.

We look forward to welcoming you to the show!

Rabbit reviews and radios...

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

It is official - the first UK tour of Story of a Rabbit is well and truly under way!

With a successful opening at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, an exciting run at The Junction in Hoipolloi’s home town of Cambridge and great performances in Liverpool and Brighton, Hugh and Aled are over halfway through.

The show has been receiving very positive reviews and it's been exciting to receive them here at the office as we are able to see the success of the show on paper as well as from the enthusiastic phone calls from Hugh that we get every day.

One of the best reviews is from What’s on Stage which opens with “it takes nerve as well as skill to make a show about death into an entertainment".

The review goes on to explore the subject matter of the show and how people deal with death, something that affects everyone. After all, as the reviewer says:

“The rabbit died, for no particular reason. Rabbits do that. In April 2001, Hugh was woken by a telephone call from his brother. It was to tell him that their father had died suddenly, of a heart attack while winding the church clock. People do that. They have heart attacks, even fathers of families.”

To read the full review of the show click here.

Another great review is by Jakki Phillips from Brighton Argus. Here is a short excerpt:

"Hughes's twinkling optimism gives the show an incredible life force which is reinforced by the badges we are given as we leave. They say "Here one minute...gone the next," and, like the show itself, make you want to grasp life with both hands but most importantly, phone your dad.”

To read the full review click here.

As well as these there is the brilliant Guardian Blog which has recently featured a little discussion about the show and the unusual nature of the audience participation that Hugh encourages. To read the comments click here.

So two fantastic reviews and a mention on the Guardian Blog, what more could we ask for?

How about the radio interviews that Hugh has done that have gone down a treat across the country. We had Aled and Hugh being interviewed by Aled’s old primary teacher and well known actor Dean Sullivan which was hilarious and touching as well as the most recent clip on Classic FM in which Hoipolloi’s very own Simon Bedford (apparently known as "long-length"-because of his amazing height) gets a mention. To listen to the podcast click here.

All in all, we're very pleased!

Story of a Rabbit's having a short breaking from touring at the beginning of next week before it returns to Ipswich on 30 & 31 May. But things don't quieten down yet for Hugh. He's off to Moscow with Sioned for two performances of Floating.

For more information on the both shows and how to book tickets for the rest of the Story of a Rabbit tour visit our website.

Two days of madness...

Posted by Sara Green, (Marketing and Admin Assistant, Hoipolloi.)
With the focus being very much on The Doubtful Guest at the moment, it is sometimes easy to forget that the Story of a Rabbit spring tour is also almost upon us. The last couple of days were a real reminder of this. Being the only time that was relatively free in the Hoipolloi schedule, we headed over to the Junction in Cambridge for two days of Rabbit rehearsals, the first since Edinburgh and the last until Bogota.

As soon as I arrived at the rehearsal room on Monday morning, there were jobs to be done. Unloading all of the set took a long time then we had to set it up, including all of the thoroughly complicated wires and technical equipment, as well as organising cups of tea for all involved. Before we knew it lunch was upon us and we had only just erected the set.

This was a fascinating process in itself. Never having actually been backstage on this show or investigated the set I found it really interesting unpacking all of the intricate little details that make it up. It made me remember items such as the rubber gloves, the action man and even the potato, which I had completely forgotten existed! It was really different to the experience I had at the Doubtful Guest rehearsals. There the props and set were really random, thrown together for experimental purposes and then used to try out new ideas. But for Story of a Rabbit every tiny object was accounted for, down to the box of tea bags and the newspaper and train tickets that are one hundred percent genuine. Everything has its own place and the whole show is really organised. Perhaps this is down to Hugh’s meticulous planning or Aled’s careful preparation, or maybe it is because in Edinburgh you have to be organised, especially when you have a quick turn around!

After indulging Hugh in an absurd conversation about aliens which left me intrigued and, if I’m honest, a little confused, we set about preparing for a run of the show. This involved me and Ricahrd (Couldrey, the production manager) desperately putting cables into sockets and switching things on and off, me trying really hard to open up the flipchart which was being extremely stubborn and one last check to make sure everything was in place. Meanwhile Hugh was sat in the corner, peering at the video recording of himself, trying to remember exactly what he says and at what point.

I left Hugh and Aled to run the show and returned the following morning to weigh and measure the entire set and all the props and record it all onto a spreadsheet. My technical skills have never been admired and so this job took longer than expected, and several times Richard had to explain that pressing “paste” is not the same as inserting cells, the main difference being you don’t delete half of what you spent all morning doing.

However, after many cups of tea and several panics we finished and even managed to pack everything back into the van before five o’clock. I never really appreciated just how much work goes into taking a show to an international venue, and that also not all of what you would call “rehearsal” is actually running the show. Most of these two days were spent familiarising ourselves with this production and doing tasks that needed to be done. It was a great experience and even though now it is back to The Doubtful Guest, it is good to think that we also have another, equally exciting tour ahead of us…