Venus at the Mirror By Peter Paul Rubens,
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A Friend of a Friend Productions would like to thank Nik Corrall (consulting designer), Nicole McKeown (production assistant), and Matthew Huggins for the time and effort that they have contributed to making The Installation a success.
Thanks also to The Bell and London South Bank University for providing rehearsal space, Fish Scale Film Co. for filming the production, and Liz Charsley-Jory , curator of Hide Gallery, our gracious host.
50 Middlesex Street, E1 7EX **
Liz Charsley-Jory Paul Debois Laura Moreton-Griffiths Caroline Underwood www.lizcharsley-jory.com www.pauldebois.com www.lauramoretongriffiths.com www.carolineunderwood.com
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seeks out and supports new writers, directors and performers. At the core of our ethos is creating a platform for high calibre, though provoking work from emerging artists. www. a friend of a friend theatre .com t: @FOAF_Theatre fb: /FOAFTheatre info @ a friend of a friend theatre .com Sunday 24 November, 4pm and 8pm Monday 25 November 7pm
Brought to you by Welcome. Thanks for coming. Did you get a glass of wine? Good!
I’m absolutely thrilled to be presenting The Installation in one of London’s youngest and most versatile inde- pendent galleries, the Hide Gallery. The seedlings of The Installation were planted when long-lost friend Sooz invited me to become resident director of the very aptly named A Friend of a Friend Theatre Company. We were to mount a series of short plays in the typical style of most young theatre companies: a small black box fringe theatre. However, the more submissions of shorts we skimmed, the more we realised there was a magical trend occur- ring. Nearly all of our favourite pieces seemed to deal with the subject of ART.
“Maybe I think you’re right. It’s just... something to look at. You said before you didn’t look at the art… But you looked at the people instead.” – Here Comes a Lady
“When, for some unknown and beautifully unexpected reason, you hear a certain chord from your favourite song, or a line from your favourite poem, and you miss home. And you miss all the things you have not given any thought to for what seems like an eternity. Art.”- The Project
From this discovery we quickly felt the most realistic environment for the pieces was naturally a gallery space. The challenge of creating theatre in a somewhat non-theatrical environment excited me. I thought the stark gal- lery lighting, the natural sight-lines the and inability to mask elements with theatricality would force the strength of the writing and of the acting to be the predominant focus of the piece. After all, what else should be the focus of such events? With the lack of theatrical conventions, it is my wish that the beautiful writing by eight of the most exciting, up-and-coming playwrights worldwide is viscerally portrayed with the abundant talent of eleven of the finest actors from across the globe. An epic thank you to the entire company who sparred an hour here, an afternoon there to passionately create the world of The Installation. Liz Jory and the Hide Gallery team who were crazy enough to allow Thespians to infiltrate their mecca of serenity. To the A Friend of a Friend team for working more swiftly and professionally than most West End shows. Finally to the incomparable Susanna Narváez who has been my partner in crime for the past few months. This entire event has been organized through bullet-pointed e-mails, the occasional mara- thon breakfast meeting, and frantic voicemails. It is a testament to her effortless organizational skills that The Installation has indeed been installed.
Thank you, Enjoy!
Patrick Maubert Director of The Installation Resident Director of A Friend of a Friend Productions Production Team:
Susanna Narváez (Artistic Director/Stage Manager) went to King’s College London to read Law and French Legal Practice. Since then Sooz has worked backstage on several West End shows including Spamalot (Palace), The Lord of the Rings Musical, Oliver!, Shrek the Musical (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), The Hurly Burly Show (Garrick), Dirty Dancing (Aldwych). She assisted with the planning and PR of West End Stories at the Jermyn Street Theatre and acted as runner and location manager for special events run by The British Red Cross and by the Mayor of London. Technical credits include: Doctor Faustus (KCL Greenwood), FunBags Comedy (Cavendish Arms), and the monthly burlesque night A Little Bag of Cabaret (Drayton Arms Theatre). Recent Stage Management credits include: the off-West End nominated production of Ondine (White Bear Theatre), Sibling Productions’ Short Cuts 4: Metamorphosis, Short Cuts 5: All Hallows Eve, and the monthly Have A Grandee Monday (Hen and Chickens Theatre); and Moments, a series of short plays by new writers from the BA Creative Writing course at London South Bank University, co-produced by A Friend of a Friend Productions and South Bank Group (Chelsea Theatre).
Patrick Maubert (Resident Director), a native to New Brunswick Canada, began his career as a performer completing his undergrad training in musical theatre performance at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of New York City. As a performer, Maubert has worked internationally in an array of cross-genre platforms. He has since completed his MA in Directing at the Arts Educational Schools. Selected international directing credits include: Heaven Help Me!For Perfect Pitch, Wizard of Ozfor Secombe theatre, Heart&Musicfor Charlotte Street Arts Centre, Oliver! for Polkadot Theatre, Hairspray for Voyager Academy, A Christmas Carol for Playhouse Theatre. Assistant/resident directing credits include: The Road to Qatar at the Edinburgh Fringe, Passport to Pimlico, a site specific musical adaption for SouthWest Fest, Legally Blonde for ArtsEd, The Wonderful World of Dissoica for ArtsEd, Feel Good for Theatre New Brunswick. Patrick recently directed Mark Abbey’s Ice Cream for Camden’s Theatre Breaks Festival and was Assistant Director/movement on Aria Entertainment's Blood wedding. His next project will be the European premier of The Domino Heart with First Sight at the Finborough Theatre.
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Nik Corrall (consulting designer) graduated with a Graphic Design degree from Camberwell College of Arts. After working as an animator and shop window display designer, he found himself drawn to design for theatre. Nik's background in Graphics brings a different approach and process to designing for the stage. His belief is that design is at its most successful and exciting when it draws from non traditional sources and mixed disciplines. Together with his role as designer for Saltpeter production company, Nik a recurring visiting lecturer at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) and has previously been invited to guest design/teach at Birmingham School of Acting and Weekend Art College. He has also acted as assistant designer for James Perkins and Simon Daw at Theatre503 and Stewart Charlesworth of Morphic Grafitti.
Nicole McKeown (production assistant) is currently studying BA (Hons) Arts and Festival Management at London South Bank University. Originally from Northern Ireland, Nicole has been involved in theatre for 10 years specialising in singing, acting and dancing. She has been stage manager and choreographer for various theatre companies in Belfast, most recently for Kandu Theatre company in their production of The 39 Steps. Since coming to London Nicole has been ASM for A Friend of a Friend’s production of Moments. She is excited to be a part of this event and is looking forward to her next project in London. Maria Rodriguez Reina Professional musician (cellist), originally from Zaragoza, Spain. In 2006 Maria got an MA in English Studies and a BMus (cello). She moved to London in Jan 2008. She has got relevant experience mainly in orchestras, chamber music groups, bands, musical theatre productions and recordings.
www.mariacello.com
Mathew Foster Since leaving drama school in 2012, Mathew has appeared in 55 Days at Hampstead Theatre, worked with Shakespeare's Globe on their Read Not Dead productions at the Globe itself and on location, starred in Sitting With Thistle at the Lion and Unicorn theatre and appeared in Lazarus Theatre's productions Dido: Queen of Carthage and Lear at Greenwich Theatre. Mathew features in Mark Gatiss' BBC drama The Tractate Middoth this Christmas. [email protected] @MathewTweet
Patrick Keeler Originally from Canada, Patrick recently finished an MA at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and is excited about his recent move to London. Previous credits include William Dean in “The Dock” (BBC Radio 4), Jiminy Cricket in “Pinnochio#10” (AgenC-1), Testor in “It’s a Greek Thing”, Rev. Dodgson in “Alice”, and Bottom in “Midsummer Night on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (all Basement Theatre). Theatre credits while training include Faulkland in “The Rivals”, Man in “Lungs”, DeFlores in “The Changeling”, Telegin in “Uncle Vanya”, and Orlando in “As You Like It”.
Rosie Fletcher Rosie graduated this summer from Arts Educational School London. Roles include: "Baby" Rose Owen in Babes In Arms and Gaelen/Dance Captain in Legally Blonde. Rosie was also fortunate to be a soloist on BBC Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night. Since graduating Rosie worked with Patrick on Passport to Pimlico and is about to start rehearsals for a musical that will tour the UK in the new year.
Rosie Ladkin Rosie trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSAMD). Credits whilst training include "Into The Woods" and "Tommy", and she originated the role of Claude in Douglas Maxwell and Richard Taylor's new musical "Watertight". Performance credits also include "The Improvised Musical", "Musicville", the title role in "Reni and The Brownshirts" with BBC Radio 4, Hot Mikado (Landor Theatre) and 'Rali : The Woman Who Speaks The Future' in Noisemaker Productions’ (Winner of the 2013 S&S award) "Freak Show". Rosie recently featured on the charity Christmas EP "A Very West End Christmas" featuring 50 well known performers from London's West End (www.averywestendchristmas.com). www.rosieladkin.com @rosieladkin Ruthie Luff Ruthie is a Canadian actress and singer, represented by Olivia Bell Management. She received her Masters in Musical Theatre Performance, with Distinction, from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly known as the RSAMD) and has had the pleasure of performing in London at the Landor Theatre in Hot Mikado and at Sadler's Wells in Flahooley. She often spends her summers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where she collaborated and stared in the original, multi-award winning musical Wasted Love, and also played leading first lady, Hillary Clinton in Clinton The Musical. She also had the honour of playing Dot/Marie in the Scottish premiere of Sunday In The Park With George. www.ruthieluff.com [email protected]
Verity Quade Verity is an experienced West End performer whose main body of work lies in musical theatre. Roles have included Mother Superior "Sister Act", Lead Vocalist "Strictly Gershwin", Ensemble/1st cover Shawntel "Jerry Springer, the Opera", Ensemble "The Sound of Music", Ida "Honk!", Narrator "Awaking Beauty". Verity was recently privileged to perform in the National Theatre's 50th Anniversary Gala. She is a sought after musical director and singing teacher at both college and professional level, and was runner up in the BBC Radio 2 Voice of Musical Theatre 2005. @verityquade The Exhibition In The Exhibition, the audience witnesses a brief, shocking exhibition between the "subject" and the "object" in art
Written by Judah Skoff Judah is an American writer who won the National Playwriting Competition, the New Jersey Playwrights Contest, two New Jersey Governor's Awards in the arts, among others. His plays have been produced in New York and at theatres and festivals around the United States. He graduated from Brown University. The Exhibition is his first play produced in London, and it will be produced in New York this January as part of the Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Winter One-Act Festival.
Exhibitionist: Jack Joseph Jessica: Rosie Fletcher
What Would Andrew Lincoln Do? Tom, 27, works in finance. Straight acting. Into rugby, cinema trips and tae kwon do. WLTM: tall, handsome easy going guy for new adventures. LTR only. Piper, 25, works in the arts. WLTM: creative types for fun and spontaneous trips. Enjoys theatre, baking and figure skating. Frightened of tuna but we can talk about that another time. Will consider STR but looking for marriage. And fast. Tom, meet Piper. Dating just got interesting.
Written by James Robert-Moore Training; The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York. James wrote the scripts and appeared as an acting coach for online children's talent show The Call Back for iMedia. His first full play, 'It's Been Nice Knowing You' had a rehearsed reading at the Jermyn Street Theatre in February 2013.
www.jamesrobertmoore.co.uk [email protected]
Tom: Patrick Keeler Piper: James Robert-Moore
Two Out of Five Edwin Hominy-Smythe, a frustrated and melodramatic young man, composes a testy online review of a popular bar that he has just visited. He relates his experience braving the loud music and the crowds in hopes of finding true love, and waxes poetic about his romantic fantasies and ancient heartbreaks. Will the ghost of relationships past derail his wooing of an unfriendly hipster? The answer is in the stars.
Written by Jonas Oppenheim Jonas is a playwright and director whose work has appeared in New York at PS122, Ontological/Hysteric, EST, and La MaMa; in Los Angeles at Sacred Fools, Theatre of NOTE, the Freud Theater, Miles Playhouse, Highways, and Luckman Arts Complex; and in backyards, basements, parks, and parking lots across America. He is the recipient of the 2003 Peterson Emerging Playwright Award, the John Golden Playwriting Prize, and multiple LA Weekly theater awards. His new comedy The Mother Ship will premiere at Sacred Fools Theater in 2014.
Edwin: James Lawrence Featuring Rosie Fletcher and Miles Yekinni And music by Maria Reina Rodiguez TRUTH OR SEDUCTION? A man and a woman meet for the first time at an art gallery in front of an Old Master. The play explores the nature of their attraction to the painting and how this mirrors the nature of their attraction to each other.
Written by Mark Abbey BA (hons) English Language and Literature. Ice Cream staged for three nights at Tiny Dog Productions’ Theatre Breaks Festival, London. August 2013. When it’s Gone it’s Gone shortlisted by Little Pieces of Gold for “Transitions.” August 2013.
Richard: Matthew Foster Imogen: Rosie Ladkin
Here Comes a Lady A cultivated young woman and a museum guard clash over the merits of a painting.
Written by Jeffrey Baker Jeffrey Baker lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. His plays have been produced at The Ontological-Hysteric Incubator (NY), The Francis Ford Coppola One Act Festival (LA) and the UCLA New Play Festival (LA). He is the recipient of a 2012 Florence Theil Herrscher Award in Theater Arts and the 2013 George Burns and Gracie Allen Fellowship in Comedy. His feature-length screenplay DR. ACKER’S ENGLISH ELIXIR is a finalist for the 2013 Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards. Jeffrey extends a special thanks to Marianne Murphy for her continuous support.
Guard (Jules): Miles Yekinni Hilary: Verity Quade
Seventeen Thousand Five Hundred and Then Some February's too busy mourning itself to mourn anybody else...' A man with a memory stands opposite a blank canvas. She paints herself across it with Da Vinci-like dexterity to the point he just can't ignore her anymore.
Written by John Hamilton May John is an award-winning playwright originally from North Yorkshire. His work has been seen in venues across England, Scotland, in the United States and his 2013 Edinburgh Fesitval Fringe sell-out show, Love in the Past Participle is currently being prepared for performance in Spain. John is currently working on projects for the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the Bolton Octagon and was recently longlisted for the Verity Bargate Award. He is a Soho and Tricycle Young Writer.
Guard (Jules): Miles Yekinni This is the Beginning of Everything
This is the Beginning of Everything examines art and truth in acting.
Written by Anna Forsyth Anna has written and directed two four-star shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. She has just completed her MA in Scriptwriting at Goldsmiths and has won two screenwriting awards in the United States, as well as a BBC award for radio drama and the LOST Theatre Festival. Anna’s work has been performed in London, Manchester, and Buxton.
Ben: Mathew Foster Gillian: Ruthie Luff
The Project
A professor has a Project for his students; how far are they willing to go to be an Artist?
Written by James Paul Avery James began as an actor, and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before turning his hand to writing. He has had his short plays performed in venues across London, and is currently working on a full length play to be completed in 2014.
Professor: Canavan Connolly
Cast (alphabetical order)
Canavan Connolly Canavan trained at Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, enjoying the chance to play Benedick and Avocatore whilst there. Since then there have been a variety of roles, including Tarzan and Frankenstein's Creature, while the last couple of years have included a great deal of immersive theatre and the curious parts therein. Some of the most rewarding work has included a number of collaborations on new pieces by the writer Robin Johnson, including the chance to play both Dr John Watson and Lady Bracknell. Canavan is currently appearing in Bussy D'Ambois at St Giles in the Fields with the Owle Schreme Rep Company.
Jack Joseph Jack trained at The Italia Conti Academy, where he was nominated by the school for The Laurence Olivier bursary. Past credits include: 'Oberon' in a Midsummer Night's Dream, 'Brick' in Cat on A Hot Tin Roof and 'Lally' in Vernon God Little at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 'The Installation' marks his London debut, and Jack feels very privileged to be working on such an exciting project.
James Lawrence James recently graduated from Arts Ed. He has just appeared as John Kelly in 'The London Job', a new site- specific piece exploring the Jack the Ripper killings. He has also worked as sound designer for 'Pause' at the Camden Fringe and 'Two Sisters' at the Southwark Playhouse. He is also a public speaking coach for the Four Acre Trust and is currently a guest tutor in drama at Imperial College London.
James Robert-Moore James, author of ‘What Would Andrew Lincoln Do?’, trained at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York. Theatre includes The Road To Qatar at the Edinburgh Fringe, Mirrorball at Latitude Festival. Rehearsed readings; Breakfast With Tiffany, and Sincerely, Mr Toad for Sell-A-Door. He will next be appearing in the UK premiere of Meet Me In St. Louis at the Landor this Christmas.
[email protected] Featuring Miles Yekinni
Trained: Central School of speech and Drama
Theatre Credits: Blood Wedding [The Courtyard Theatre]; The bridge [Chelsea Theatre]; A Midsummer Night’s Dream [Royal Lyceum Theatre]; The Legend of Captain Crows Teeth [Unicorn Theatre]; Under a Foreign sky [Theatre Centre]; School for Scandal [Barbican]; The Front Line [The Globe Theatre].
Television, Film and Radio: Say Nothing [Independent film]; Julius Caesar [The Co- operative], Lyle and the Voice, Darius [Short films]; Get the Spark [Internet].
For further information, please visit www.keddiescott.com @Miles_y
Featuring Miles Yekinni
Trained: Central School of speech and Drama
Theatre Credits: Blood Wedding [The Courtyard Theatre]; The bridge [Chelsea Theatre]; A Midsummer Night’s Dream [Royal Lyceum Theatre]; The Legend of Captain Crows Teeth [Unicorn Theatre]; Under a Foreign sky [Theatre Centre]; School for Scandal [Barbican]; The Front Line [The Globe Theatre].
Television, Film and Radio: Say Nothing [Independent film]; Julius Caesar [The Co- operative], Lyle and the Voice, Darius [Short films]; Get the Spark [Internet].
For further information, please visit www.keddiescott.com @Miles_y