Friday, 2 March 2012

We're recruiting!

Help wanted sign

Wanted: two amazing folk to join the Hoipolloi team. We're on the lookout for an Administrator and a Digital Associate to help us deliver our creative projects over the next year!

I'm particularly excited that we're able to start recruiting for these new posts. They're going to make a huge difference to my day-to-day working life and, I hope, help me transform how Hoipolloi functions.

You can find the full details about the jobs on the website so I wanted to use this blog as a way of sharing a bit more about what it's actually like working here.

I've been here since 2005, working my way up from Marketing & Touring Officer to become Hoipolloi's Executive Producer last April. When I arrived Hugh Hughes was only just starting to emerge as an Emerging Artist and now he's adored by people right across the world, He's also spread his work beyond theatre into film and radio.

Achieving that has involved hard work from everyone who has, in one form or another, been part of the Hoipolloi team over the past seven years. And there's no let up in our creative ambitions over the next few years either so I can definitely promise that there will be plenty for the new Administrator and Digital Associate to get their teeth into.

So, why do I like working for Hoipolloi?

Firstly, it's because no day here is ever quite the same. That's probably a bit of cliché and I suspect a lot of people who work in the arts will say something similar. But it's definitely true. One day I can be sat in a rehearsal room observing the creative process in action, the next booking flights to destinations across the world or perhaps, more mundanely, selling the company car (as I've been doing today!).

That kind of variety also spreads into the projects we do and the people we work with. We have some great partners within the theatre sector but it's also been a real pleasure to see Hugh working with Radio 4 to produce an afternoon play version of Floating. One of my recent proudest moments is finding out that he'd won Best Scripted Comedy Drama at the BBC Audio Drama Awards.

Finally, working for Hoipolloi is never dull. I like to think we're a relaxed bunch of people, working hard but having plenty of fun too. Perhaps this little video will help prove that...


I hope that this blog might act as an enticement to encourage you to apply for one of these two posts. And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us here in the office on 01223 322748.

Once again, full details here.

We're looking forward to receiving your application!

Simon Bedford
Executive Producer, Hoipolloi

Oh, and thanks to andjohan for the photo

Monday, 30 January 2012

Floating wins an award

Hugh Hughes meets David Tennant 

I'm very proud to announce that Hugh Hughes won Best Scripted Comedy Drama at the BBC Audio Drama Awards last night. It's a real honour, particularly as Floating was both Hugh's first live show and his first work to be broadcast on the radio.

Andrew Davies, who wrote the TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, was one of the judges in Hugh's category and this is what he had to say about Floating:

"Floating was totally original. Generally I hate fantasy, but this was very different, somehow sweetly earnest as well as daft, with sadness at the heart of it. I loved it that it had a cast of two, and I’d never heard of either of them. It used the radio medium with enormous (concealed) sophistication and reminded one of the almost limitless power of radio to create a world."


The award itself was presented by actor Richard Wilson and, as you can see from the photo, Hugh also met David Tennant who was master of ceremonies.

It being radio awards, someone sneakily managed to record some audio of Hugh on stage...

Floating hugh Hughes best scripted comedy #ada Audio Drama Awards 2012 (mp3)

 Simon Bedford (Executive Producer, Hoipolloi)

Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Welcome to 2012

The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes - 001

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

Sunday, 11 December 2011

Exclusive previews in Sydney

The Wonderful World of Hugh Hughes - 003 

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

Monday, 14 November 2011

Story of a Rabbit in Sydney

Hugh Hughes in Story of a Rabbit 10 

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)

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