Hugh speaks... Brighton Festival

Posted by Hugh Hughes

The Brighton Festival. Glorious sunshine, sea and art. It’s a cultural paradise. Playing Story of a Rabbit here is a big pleasure.

Audiences are incredibly polite, well-behaved and friendly. Their concentration is outstanding. They are significantly different from the audiences we found in Liverpool and Cambridge. Aled and I have become increasingly interested in audiences and how they differ from place to place and night to night.

Looking back on our performances in Bogota, we were moved by the warmth and generosity of the audience, their openness and involvement was breath-taking. Next week I go to Moscow with Sioned to present Floating. I’m very curious to see how we communicate the story over there.

We are becoming more interested in this relationship between the stage and spectator and beginning to wonder how it might be worth much further investigation. We are asking, “Why do people come into the theatre?”

We are always amazed when we see people walking into the space. It’s as if each night we don’t expect anyone to come and therefore we are surprised to see people come in. It’s the moment they walk in that gets me. As they enter one by one theatre begins.

It’s wonderful.

ps. I'm trying out some new technology that Hoipolloi have helped me buy and here's me being interviewed on the radio!

Greetings from Bogota

Posted by Simon Bedford (Hoipolloi's man in Colombia)

As my first full day in Colombia is coming to an end, I thought I'd pop a quick post here on the blog. Over the past few months we've been updating you mostly on the development of The Doubtful Guest but as we reach the exciting milestone on Thursday of having two shows performed in the same day but on different continents, here's a quick photo introduction to Story of a Rabbit's South American destination...

These shots were taken from a mountain that overlooks the Bogota and the view is spectacular.





Once Hugh and Aled arrive, I'll be reporting on their adventures in the city. In the meantime, I have to manage the get-in (despite never have done this before) and also face the Colombian press. So I'm sure they'll be an interesting story or two to tell tomorrow.

Until next time!

And We're Off...

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

Last night The Doubtful Guest opened in Watford Palace Theatre! After such a long wait and months and months of intense work the show lived up to all expectations. The stunning lights, the gorgeous music and the amazing set were finally all put together and the story took off, the actors delivering a show that was darker, funnier and smoother than it has ever been before!

Everyone was really happy with the result, but the hard work is far from over for Hoipolloi. This week is going to be one of the busiest that we have ever had, even busier than a week in Edinburgh!

As The Doubtful Guest continues it’s tour in Watford, with press nights, photo-shoots, final run-throughs and generally people running round like headless chickens, the other half of the company are preparing to jet off round the world!

Early next week, Hugh Hughes, his best mate Aled and Simon Bedford (Hoipolloi’s Marketing & Touring Manager and regular contributor to this blog) are flying out to Bogata, Columbia. There they’ll be performing Story of a Rabbit at the XI Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro.

So, will it be a week of mayhem or a week of magic…? All the latest news from both Watford and Bogota will be appearing next week!