This has been a wonderful week;  the kind of week I dreamed about when I dared to imagine living my life in the arts.  Mainly, my days were taken up with auditions for CurvingRoad’s June production, but more on that some other time.  I said I wasn’t talking about me here today, and I’m not, for two reasons.  First, because you’ll hear more than enough about me and my “secret obsession” if you mosey on over to  Novel Spaces tomorrow where I’m the guest writer (don’t worry – I’ll remind you).  But second and more importantly, I have another organization’s work I want to talk about.

Working in  London’s Fringe is a privilege.  Really, the more you get yourself out there the more you discover.  One of the recent theatre companies to develop their own individual approach and to earn more and more praise for it is The Faction *.  This talented group of actors specialize in using innovative physical approaches to reviving classical texts.  Their first production, “Richard III,” filled the stage with 25 actors and no set. Everything was created with their bodies, including the horse.  Next came their critically acclaimed production of “Macbeth,” where the only set and props were 9 planks of wood.  Those planks became walls, tables, ramparts, forests, everything. It was amazing.  And then, for “Twelfth Night”, there was a hollowed-out piano which the actors used as a ship, its legs as swords, climbing all over it to create the landscape.  But always, these devices are used in support of the text, the words taking centre stage.  So I want to plug their next production:
The Tempest, which also happens to be one of my favourites. I’m not sure what tricks they have up their sleeves this time, but it’s bound to be something magical.  The Brockley Jack Theatre is a wonderful venue in South East London.  The Faction has now become an Associate Company there, mainly, I think, because over the past few seasons their productions have played to sold-out audiences.  The community has taken this troupe to heart.  Go if you can.  It really shows what can be done in The Fringe when you have a great deal of talent, huge imaginations and enormous energy.
   And look –  DJ Kirkby gave me this award:

How wonderful.  I’ll pass it along to some other Beautiful Bloggers tomorrow when I remind you to learn more than you’d ever want to know about my secret obsession.  But for now, I’m running out to catch some sunshine while we have it.

* discerning readers may be able to figure out why I know so much about them 🙂