Hi all,
Since our last blog we have been down to Reading at the brilliantly run South St. The team reported that George Band an original member of the 1953 expedition came to see the show and loved it. I cant say how chuffed i am at this, but shame though i missed meeting him but heh i get to share the news with you.
all the best
mark
Friday, 19 March 2010
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
From the Top of the World team on the road...
Hello,
We’re about a third of the way through the tour now, and we're having a very exciting time on the road. There have been some beautiful venues, for both breath-taking scenery - such as Theatre by the Lake in Keswick - to really warm, inviting and intimate venues such as The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre in Havant and Pocklington Arts Centre near York. We’ve also managed to find some fine eating-holes to satisfy Eugene’s huge appetite (for such a small person). A special mention to J’s Café nr Portsmouth for the “Gutbuster Brekkie” it really did what it said on the tin!
We’ve met a real diverse mix of theatregoers including your hardened theatre regulars and first time viewers. To all of these people, we would like to give a huge personal thanks to you all, for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and support Spike Theatre!
The response has been fantastic, with comments such as:
“A fun packed night”
“I wasn’t expecting what I saw and was thoroughly entertained”
“Creative, Innovative, Quirky, and thoroughly enjoyable evening, we hope to see you again”
At one point we even had the weather of the real mountaineers as the heavens opened and dumped a heavy flurry of snow on us as we travelled from Darlington to Kendal! We were told that the road had been closed by the “Snow Gates” and were quite excited to hear that people's worlds can be turned upside down by snow gates…. However this didn’t stop us. We set about digging the van out of the snow and found an exciting route over the hills, where we paused to carry on our behind-the-scenes filming of the tour and to sing our show song ‘Top of the World” with a backdrop of snow capped hills and covered fields. A truly Hillary and Tenzing-inspired resilience to reach our destination in Kendal!
Our three night run on home turf at Unity Theatre, Liverpool allowed us to settle for a few nights at home as usually we pull up, get in, perform, say good bye, pack up and hit the road to another beautiful Travelodge somewhere up the country. We managed to sell out two of the three shows and the audiences were amazing! Excellent reviews from both the Echo and the Daily Post have given us a real boost on the road. We genuinely haven’t stopped laughing since the three of us met up for the first time in rehearsals. And now joined by Jon - our super technician - we try and transpose our relationship of commitment, humour, fun and comradeship on to the stage to create a performance that includes all of the audience.
On Tuesday we head out again, down to St Albans and beyond, check out our schedule to see when we’re at a venue near you! It would be great to see you there.
All the best,
Tomo, Eugene, Jamie and Jon
Top of the World Tour Dates
MARCH
10th
The Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans
8pm
01727 844 222
www.stalbans.gov.uk/mat
11th
Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
7:30pm
01329 223 100
www.ashcroft.org.uk
12th
Wadham School, Crewkerne, Somerset (Take Art Rural Touring)
6pm
01460 270 123
www.takeart.org
13th
Kilve Village Hall, Somerset (Take Art Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01278 741 157
www.takeart.org
14th
Churchinford Village Hall, Somerset (Take Art Rural Touring)
5pm
01823 601 422
www.takeart.org
16th & 17th
South Street, Reading
8pm
0118 960 6060
www.readingarts.com
18th
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
7:30pm
01902 321 321
www.arenatheatre.info
19th
Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead
8pm
01442 228 091
www.oldtownhall.co.uk
20th
Rolvenden Village Hall, Kent (Applause Rural Touring)
8pm
07874 214 916
www.applause.org.uk
23rd
Appleby Village Hall, Cumbria (Highlights Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01768 352 210
www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
24th
Block Theatre, Driffield School, Yorkshire (Artery Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01377 253 631 x 272
E: ecollinson@driffield.e-riding.sch.uk
25th
Dent Village Hall, Cumbria (Highlights Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01539 625 022
www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
26th
Village Hall, North Newbald, Yorkshire (Artery Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01430 827 679
27th
Whalton Village Hall, Morpeth (Highlights Rural Touring)
7pm
01670 775 386
www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
28th
Shire Hall, Howden, Yorkshire
7:30pm
01430 431 535
www.howden-live.com
APRIL
1st
Forest Arts Centre, Walsall (Black Country Touring)
7:30pm
0845 111 2900
www.whatsonwalsall.co.uk
4th
The Lowry, Salford
7:45pm
0843 208 6010
www.thelowry.com
8th
E M Forster Theatre, Tonbridge School, Kent
7:30pm
01732 304 241
E: boxoffice@tonbridge-school.org
9th
Kings Lynn Arts Centre
7:30pm
01553 764 864
www.kingslynnarts.co.uk
We’re about a third of the way through the tour now, and we're having a very exciting time on the road. There have been some beautiful venues, for both breath-taking scenery - such as Theatre by the Lake in Keswick - to really warm, inviting and intimate venues such as The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre in Havant and Pocklington Arts Centre near York. We’ve also managed to find some fine eating-holes to satisfy Eugene’s huge appetite (for such a small person). A special mention to J’s Café nr Portsmouth for the “Gutbuster Brekkie” it really did what it said on the tin!
We’ve met a real diverse mix of theatregoers including your hardened theatre regulars and first time viewers. To all of these people, we would like to give a huge personal thanks to you all, for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and support Spike Theatre!
The response has been fantastic, with comments such as:
“A fun packed night”
“I wasn’t expecting what I saw and was thoroughly entertained”
“Creative, Innovative, Quirky, and thoroughly enjoyable evening, we hope to see you again”
At one point we even had the weather of the real mountaineers as the heavens opened and dumped a heavy flurry of snow on us as we travelled from Darlington to Kendal! We were told that the road had been closed by the “Snow Gates” and were quite excited to hear that people's worlds can be turned upside down by snow gates…. However this didn’t stop us. We set about digging the van out of the snow and found an exciting route over the hills, where we paused to carry on our behind-the-scenes filming of the tour and to sing our show song ‘Top of the World” with a backdrop of snow capped hills and covered fields. A truly Hillary and Tenzing-inspired resilience to reach our destination in Kendal!
Our three night run on home turf at Unity Theatre, Liverpool allowed us to settle for a few nights at home as usually we pull up, get in, perform, say good bye, pack up and hit the road to another beautiful Travelodge somewhere up the country. We managed to sell out two of the three shows and the audiences were amazing! Excellent reviews from both the Echo and the Daily Post have given us a real boost on the road. We genuinely haven’t stopped laughing since the three of us met up for the first time in rehearsals. And now joined by Jon - our super technician - we try and transpose our relationship of commitment, humour, fun and comradeship on to the stage to create a performance that includes all of the audience.
On Tuesday we head out again, down to St Albans and beyond, check out our schedule to see when we’re at a venue near you! It would be great to see you there.
All the best,
Tomo, Eugene, Jamie and Jon
Top of the World Tour Dates
MARCH
10th
The Maltings Arts Theatre, St Albans
8pm
01727 844 222
www.stalbans.gov.uk/mat
11th
Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
7:30pm
01329 223 100
www.ashcroft.org.uk
12th
Wadham School, Crewkerne, Somerset (Take Art Rural Touring)
6pm
01460 270 123
www.takeart.org
13th
Kilve Village Hall, Somerset (Take Art Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01278 741 157
www.takeart.org
14th
Churchinford Village Hall, Somerset (Take Art Rural Touring)
5pm
01823 601 422
www.takeart.org
16th & 17th
South Street, Reading
8pm
0118 960 6060
www.readingarts.com
18th
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
7:30pm
01902 321 321
www.arenatheatre.info
19th
Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead
8pm
01442 228 091
www.oldtownhall.co.uk
20th
Rolvenden Village Hall, Kent (Applause Rural Touring)
8pm
07874 214 916
www.applause.org.uk
23rd
Appleby Village Hall, Cumbria (Highlights Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01768 352 210
www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
24th
Block Theatre, Driffield School, Yorkshire (Artery Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01377 253 631 x 272
E: ecollinson@driffield.e-riding.sch.uk
25th
Dent Village Hall, Cumbria (Highlights Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01539 625 022
www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
26th
Village Hall, North Newbald, Yorkshire (Artery Rural Touring)
7:30pm
01430 827 679
27th
Whalton Village Hall, Morpeth (Highlights Rural Touring)
7pm
01670 775 386
www.highlightsnorth.co.uk
28th
Shire Hall, Howden, Yorkshire
7:30pm
01430 431 535
www.howden-live.com
APRIL
1st
Forest Arts Centre, Walsall (Black Country Touring)
7:30pm
0845 111 2900
www.whatsonwalsall.co.uk
4th
The Lowry, Salford
7:45pm
0843 208 6010
www.thelowry.com
8th
E M Forster Theatre, Tonbridge School, Kent
7:30pm
01732 304 241
E: boxoffice@tonbridge-school.org
9th
Kings Lynn Arts Centre
7:30pm
01553 764 864
www.kingslynnarts.co.uk
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Top of the world and other news
Hi,
Since our last post we have been very busy, up and down the country and receiving positive plaudits from critic's, venues and audiences alike. Spike are currently planning for the rest of the year and into 2011, we have some great ideas which we will share with you soon.
all the best
mark
Since our last post we have been very busy, up and down the country and receiving positive plaudits from critic's, venues and audiences alike. Spike are currently planning for the rest of the year and into 2011, we have some great ideas which we will share with you soon.
all the best
mark
Monday, 1 March 2010
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Top of the world on tour
Hi
Since our last post we have been travelling the length and breadth of the country. We have had really great feedback from venues and audience alike, (Havant, Darlington, Kendal, Liverpool) along the way we have had illness, tiredness and had to dig the van out of the snow, so all in all an eventful week.
The show has really got into it's stride and the guys are doing a great job, my particular highlight was watching how the audience in Kendal were so comfortable at being involved in the show (one guy mid-show explained in detail how to read closed circuit oxygen apparatus) it was truly a moment of brilliance as it was so unexpected but completely right at the same time. We have managed to get audiences to sing, laugh, and play along with us which is more than we could ask for. Whilst making the show we wanted everyone to feel part of the Everest team and from the reaction we have succeeded which makes us all very happy.
Anyway next week i am sure there will be more adventures a plenty.
all the best
mark
Since our last post we have been travelling the length and breadth of the country. We have had really great feedback from venues and audience alike, (Havant, Darlington, Kendal, Liverpool) along the way we have had illness, tiredness and had to dig the van out of the snow, so all in all an eventful week.
The show has really got into it's stride and the guys are doing a great job, my particular highlight was watching how the audience in Kendal were so comfortable at being involved in the show (one guy mid-show explained in detail how to read closed circuit oxygen apparatus) it was truly a moment of brilliance as it was so unexpected but completely right at the same time. We have managed to get audiences to sing, laugh, and play along with us which is more than we could ask for. Whilst making the show we wanted everyone to feel part of the Everest team and from the reaction we have succeeded which makes us all very happy.
Anyway next week i am sure there will be more adventures a plenty.
all the best
mark
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Top of the world opens and now on tour
Hi,
Since the last post Top of the world has opened strongly in Bury, we have had some great feedback from the venues and audience alike, getting to this point though has been really hard going. On Monday starting our tech the lighting board (very expensive) decided to die on us which messed our whole day up and we were then playing catch up till our opening night, to put it mildly my nerves were on edge. To add into the mix one of actors in Hoof! rang to say they were ill the night before our show in Keswick. This meant that on the Tuesday i had to drive to Bury to do the get in and then drive up to Keswick to perform in Hoof! and then be in Bury next day without having tech ed or dressed the show a nightmare to say the least!
The tech team and i had plotted the show in advance so on Wednesday it was head's down and get it done. The show opened brilliantly and there was a fantastic buzz in the venue and this is testament to the great the team who were worked there sock's off.
The team left on tour on Friday, and i went to the Everyman to work with the Hoof! team for Friday and Saturday's show so as you can see a busy week all round. Hoof! shows were some of the best we have ever done a real shame it is the last ever in Liverpool but 6 years is a long time and it is time to make something new.
Anyway i am enjoying having some time off (Sunday at least) before back to it, one of the actors will be posting tour updates so stay tuned for weekly updates.
all the best
Mark
Since the last post Top of the world has opened strongly in Bury, we have had some great feedback from the venues and audience alike, getting to this point though has been really hard going. On Monday starting our tech the lighting board (very expensive) decided to die on us which messed our whole day up and we were then playing catch up till our opening night, to put it mildly my nerves were on edge. To add into the mix one of actors in Hoof! rang to say they were ill the night before our show in Keswick. This meant that on the Tuesday i had to drive to Bury to do the get in and then drive up to Keswick to perform in Hoof! and then be in Bury next day without having tech ed or dressed the show a nightmare to say the least!
The tech team and i had plotted the show in advance so on Wednesday it was head's down and get it done. The show opened brilliantly and there was a fantastic buzz in the venue and this is testament to the great the team who were worked there sock's off.
The team left on tour on Friday, and i went to the Everyman to work with the Hoof! team for Friday and Saturday's show so as you can see a busy week all round. Hoof! shows were some of the best we have ever done a real shame it is the last ever in Liverpool but 6 years is a long time and it is time to make something new.
Anyway i am enjoying having some time off (Sunday at least) before back to it, one of the actors will be posting tour updates so stay tuned for weekly updates.
all the best
Mark
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