Catherine Wheels On Tour

Pobby & Dingan

2010-02-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

It's week 4 of rehearsals for our new show Pobby & Dingan. The show opens on Saturday 27th February at the Brunton Theatre, before going on tour across Scotland. Pobby & Dingan was written by Ben Rice, and has been adapted by playwright Rob Evans.

We're very pleased to have Rob with us in rehearsals; his energy is bursting out of the rehearsal room. He and the cast have created their very own P & D Glee club....

All things Australian

Pobby & Dingan is set in Lightning Ridge, a mining town in NSW, Australia. We've lots of Australian connections in this cast. We celebrated Australia Day with Damien Warren-Smith (who plays Rex, the dad), who comes from Oz. He brought Kevin the kangaroo into rehearsals so he would feel a bit more at home. The lovely Ros Sydney (Mum) recently married a Sydney man, Danny Krass, and our Education Facilitator Gini Merange is from Melbourne. Gini and Kenny, our Education Manager, are out on the road doing workshops in schools. Many children across Scotland will soon know the exact location of a small town called Lightning Ridge.

We've had a blast in New York

2009-10-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

Our run of Hansel and Gretel has now come to an end and we have had a fantastic time. We would like to say a huge thank you to all at the New Victory for making us feel so welcome over the last five weeks. We have been left with many happy memories. Here are a few pictures of some of our fun times.....

the company after the last show

finger!

The Audience Speaks

2009-10-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

Gill Robertson, Artistic Director, interviewed some of the audience members after the show and here are some of the fun responses........

it was awesome!

I was scared

don't you wish your bottom was fat like mine

and again....

scary witch faces

a family's favourite bits from the show

Awesome, just awesome

2009-10-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

We have been delighted with the audience's response to Hansel & Gretel, 'awesome' is a favourite word, and here is a snapshot of what the press have said:

the show overflows with fresh, visually stiking ideas.... It feels mysterious, exciting and a little scary, like all the best stories
New York Post

wonderfully original show... impressive sets, costumes and sound designs
Time Out New York, 4 stars

sometimes spooky, sometimes kitschy, always beautifully performed
Theatremania

It's funny, smart, energetic and yes it is scary.... it assumes a refreshing level of intelligence in its young audience
nytheatre.com

Other news from Broadway...

star spotting: John Turturro brought his family to see the show at the weekend, we were star struck

new games: a certain Catherine Wheels company member has had RSI in her arm following a very heavy session of darts

new visitor: booked his ticket on wednesday night, with us in Hansel & Gretel's house watching the show on Friday evening. He has now joined us overseas while shows have been on in New Zealand, Dublin, London, New York (this is the third time), LA and Australia. Is he our biggest fan?

And finally important hellos: to Emma's father, to Simon Donaldson (we were delighted to see him while he was in NYC with Jason & the Argonouts), TJW and Cath's mum and dad

A witch prepares

2009-10-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

We've had a well earned couple of days off and now we're back. Cath Whitefield has to put a lot of work into getting ready for the role of the stepmother/witch in Hansel and Gretel. She has to be a the theatre earlier than the other cast members - an hour and a half before the show starts. The first thing she has to do is get all her hair pinned up to go under the bald cap which is one of the key things that creates the horrific image of the witch.

The bald cap only lasts about three performances, so we have 15 caps to last for the whole run

Once Cath is in make-up, Lydia from wardrobe at the New Victory pins up her hair and helps her on with the bald cap

They make sure that it is in just the right position

And then the cap is glued down to make sure it stays on during the show

The John Byrne Corridor

2009-10-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

We have been fantastically privileged for John Byrne to have generously painted one of the corridors backstage at the New Victory, which is part of the journey that the audience take during Hansel and Gretel. The corridor looks absolutely stunning and the photos below only give a small idea of what it's like. The audience like the work so much that we have to move them on to the next part of the journey as they want to spend too long admiring the artwork. Everyone at Catherine Wheels and the New Victory say a great big thank you to John.

Backstage at Hansel and Gretel

2009-10-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

So, we had our first public performance last night and it went really well. We thought we'd post some backstage photos so you can see a bit of what been going on here at the New Victory on 42nd Street.

Ashley Smith as Gretel and Cath Whitefield as the Stepmother in the girls dressing room

Steve Kettley getting ready to be Dad, and Tommy Mullins (Hansel) in the boys dressing room

Craig Fleming, Emma McKie and Lindsey Knight in the production office

Beginners waiting to go on for a show

Karen Tennent putting some last touches to the set

The view from the forest into the Sweetie House

Joel having a well earned rest between shows

Broadway Opening!

2009-10-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

Hansel and Gretel opened today! The first performance of the run was a great success. We have 32 left to go - show number two is in about three hours!

The first show was a schools' performance. We had three different schools in watching the show and the feedback right after the show was great, the word "awesome" was heard more than once. After the schools' performances we have a question and answer session. Today Gill, the director, Ashley (Gretel) and Steve Kettley (who wrote the music and plays Dad) took part in the "talkback". We had a range of questions from how long does it takes to build the set to how does the witch keep her bald wig on!

Yesterday there was a bit of excitement at the first dress rehearsal. Just as the audience leave the first part of the show to go on the promenade section through the haunted forest, the fire alram went off. We had to evacuate the whole audience and our team to 42nd Street and wait for the fire department to arrive. Luckily it was a false alarm and we could restart the show. As they say, that's what dress rehearsals are for.

So, a successful opening, here's to the next three weeks!

Four days to go!

2009-10-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

It really is the final countdown here at the New Victory in New York. The whole team are now here, the last of teh stage management flew in on Wednesday and the cast and Gill, the director flew in on Thursday night.

It's been a fantastically busy week. The Scottish Festival Forum took place on Tuesday which was hosted at the Duke Theatre by the New Victory team. All the Imaginate team were there and after we saw Andy Manley's My House and Puppet State's The Man Who Planted Trees, there were speeched by Tony Reekie and Alice McGrath from Imaginate. THis was followed by four break out groups and there was much lively discussion and debate. This great day was rounded off by a sneak preview of the Hansel and Gretel set in progress at the New Victory.

Today we have started the technical rehearsals. Also the ushers from the New Victory have all been trained. There will be 12 ushers for each performance and each has their own special responsibility during the show. 22 ushers have been trained today and the first dress rehearsal is on Tuesday, so we'll see how the training has paid off.

New York New York!

2009-10-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Hansel and Gretel production team in New York. We have all recovered from the jet lag and are now in the thick of setting up for the show at the New Victory. We are working on the main stage and auditorium at the moment before moving on to all of the other spaces in the building next week. Karen is just back from chopping down trees in a New Jersey forest for our own forest here in the theatre!The New Victory team have been great to work with and it is all coming together really well. We have even managed to squeeze in some sightseeing too! We are looking forward to the rest of the team arriving next week and our big opening on Broadway!

Karen unpacking props - Liam unloading the truck - Karen trying on hats!

Start spreading the news

2009-09-28T01:22:00.000-07:00

The first half of the creative and technical team are leaving today for New York to get the New Victory ready for the opening of Hansel and Gretel on October 14th. There's a lot to do, the show takes up the whole of the Broadway theatre - the audience go on a journey from the foyer, up into the circle, down under the stage, onto a specially built platform over the stalls and finally on to the stage itself. So our team and the great people at the New Victory are going to be working very hard over the next two weeks to get everything ready. Meanwhile, back in Musselburgh, the company are busy rehearsing the show. Because of the size of the show we have to have two rehearsal spaces - Hansel and Gretel's house is here in the rehearsal room at the Brunton theatre and the witch's house is about ten minutes walk away at Loretto school. Back on Broadway, Andy Manley, creator of My House for Starcatchers, has arrived. Also part of the Scottish festival on Broadway, Andy was one of the co-creators of Catherine Wheels' first ever show, Martha. Andy has worked with us regularly - he directed Snow Baby, which will be performed at Howden Park this Christmas and was the original performer in and co-creator of Kappa, which is currently touring Scottish primary schools. As you can see from the picture, Andy is very excited to be on Broadway!

Rehearsals - Day One

2009-09-24T06:33:00.001-07:00

It's the first day of Hansel and Gretel rehearsals, getting ready for our Broadway opening on October 14th. It's very exciting at the Brunton - all the cast and crew are here - and from the rehearsal room we can hear Steve Kettley on the sax, Cath Whitefield's wicked witch and quite a lot of Bay City Rollers. We're going to be part of the Scottish Festival at the New Victory on 42nd Street in New York, the only theatre on Broadway that is dedicated to the best theatre for children and young people. Our good friend Shona Reppa is also part of the festival with her version of Cinderella. She opened the festival last week and she's getting rave reviews:

http://newyorkkids.timeout.com/articles/theater/78877/cinderella-at-the-duke-on-42nd-street-theater-review

http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=cind8661

Bye bye Sydney!

2008-03-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well thats us on our way home now after our final shows at the Opera House and a great last night out on the town!

For the final show we had a lovely audience and some great comments in our comments book. We also had the privilage of meeting the daughter of the surgeon for the HMS Hurricane who came to see the show.

We are now sitting in an airport in Tokyo en route home to Scotland! Until next time .............................

Luna Park

2008-03-29T02:39:00.000-07:00

Today we ventured across the river to Luna Park at the north side of the Harbour Bridge. Plenty laughing and screaming by all... here's some photos........

We're in Sydney!

2008-03-26T03:36:00.000-07:00

We can't believe that we've been here in Sydney for nearly two weeks already. It's been non stop since we got here but have managed to take a few minutes from our fun packed schedule to give you all an update.

We left Wellington on a high, after a very successful run. It was sad to leave as we had made lots of friends and it was beginning to feel like home. While the set travelled to Sydney we had a few days off to re-charge and see some of the sights.

We arrived in Sydney to beautiful sunshine and amazing accommodation. You can see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge from our rooftop garden (where we have spent numerous nights cooking on the barbecue).

It has been really exciting walking to work every morning through the Botanic Gardens to the Sydney Opera House. Everyone there is so welcoming and the team that we are working with have been great. The show has been really well received by our audiences and we had a fantastic review in one of the weekend newspapers.

Even though there are only a few days left here before we return home to the cold, there is still lots for us to see and do. We will keep you posted!

We are on the move!

2008-03-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Well thats our run at the Soundings Theatre completed. Five schools shows, 3 public shows and 2 standing ovations! Today we have travelled over the Rimutaka mountains to Greytown where we are performing at Kuranui College. We had a great first show and now we are just chilling out and playing some pool before another one this evening.

Gillian,Izzi and Suz had a wonderful evening last night at the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain...a soopa singalong and a nice way to say farewell to Gillian who left for home today!! We shall miss her!!

Our producer Paul and Designer Karen arrive tomorrow so we are looking forward to showing them the sights and having lots more fun!

More Fun!

2008-02-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

While the crew and cast were hard at work in Wellington, I took a couple of days off to travel to the South Island. Had a wonderful time and managed to fit in kayaking, swimming in lagoons, great food and an overnight stay on a boat.

I now think the outdoor life is for me... so think our next show should only tour to sunny beaches across the globe.

Off to pedalo now in Wellington harbour then company heads off for a harbourside seafood meal. Tomorrow we perform our final 2 shows in Wellington and I go to the Governer Generals garden party with my best frock on.

Chur Bro!

Day Off!

2008-02-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

Well our shows at Upper Hutt went really well and we had a great time on Friday night seeing our friends in Black Watch. This was followed by a fun couple of days off. The Girls enjoyed a dip in the harbour and performed some of the lifeboat scenes in the water for the passers by! Then we spent an hour on a four man bicycle! Unfortunately our first rainfall forced us off the road early.

Back to work today at the Soundings Theatre in the Ti Papa museum, Wellington. Our performance this afternoon was sold out to schools groups who travelled from as far as Auckland! It was a great show and we are now chilling out before our next one tomorrow morning.

What a day!

2008-02-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

We have had an amazing day at the Festival. At 6 am this morning the company stood on Wellington Harbour watching the sun come up and being welcomed to the festival by a fantastic Maori ceremony. This included songs, dance and plenty of nose touching; a Maori tradition where you are breathing the same air as the person whose nose you touch. After the Maori ceremony, the artists from all around the world were invited to share a song or dance from their country. Of course this was an opportunity that Catherine Wheels could not miss, so Gill, Izzy and Suz sung the Scottish song Wild Mountain Thyme and happily many people at the ceremony joined in.

After the early rise we travelled to the Expressions Theatre in Upper Hut where we performed our first two shows. The performances were a great success and we had some lovely feedback at the question and answer session after the second show. Tonight we head off to see the other Scots the festival, Blackwatch, and then PARTY!

We love New Zealand!

We're Here!

2008-02-20T21:43:00.000-08:00

Well here we are in Wellington, New Zealand. The sun is splitting the skys and we couldn't have had a warmer reception from the festival team. We have been rehearsing today at our first venue in Lower Hutt (The Soundings Theatre) and its all going really well. Tomorrow shall be a big day for us as we are invited to the opening ceremony at 6am! It will involve a traditional Mauri welcome and our offering will be to sing them a beautiful Scottish song. We then have two shows, a dinner and finally the opening party with the National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch company hosted by the British Council. What a day! You may not hear from us for some time!

Lots of love and Lifeboats from down under x

And they're off!

2008-02-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

The Catherine Wheels Lifeboat company have headed off to Wellington. They should be there quite soon, so check back to find out what they're getting up to at the New Zealand International Arts Festival.

Two weeks to go!

2008-02-07T04:59:00.000-08:00

Only two weeks to go until we open Lifeboat at the New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington. We're all really excited. There's an article in the New Zealand Herald today about the show:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=18&objectid=10491038&pnum=0

All the company will be making posts while they're on tour so keep checking back to hear the latest news.