Some very important announcements before we're off to Edinburgh!

Right, so this will be the last post before we’re off to Edinburgh. We have some amazing announcements for you guys –

First of all, our trailer made The Guardian’s website (yaay!) We submitted out trailer to them and it was chosen as one of the ones that were lucky enough to be featured on their website. So, The Guardian seems to like us…no biggie… Visit their page here –

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/interactive/2012/aug/03/edinburgh-festival-readers-videos?fb=native

Also, big announcement number 2 – tomorrow between 4pm and 7pm four of our cast (Nick McAndrew, Dom Gwyther, Lawrence Dixon and James Paine) will be on Radio 1 with Greg James for Feet Up Friday. They’ll be competing against another team for some extra air time, so you need to vote for them if you want to hear some more from our boys. Tune in to Radio 1 tomorrow between 4pm and 7pm to hear some shameless King Lear plugging – and remember to vote for the Lear boys!

Now, you’ve seen all of our cast and crew profiles, but I thought it was time I give you a quick introduction to our amazing directors who have made all of this possible –

Piers Horner (Director)

This is Piers' first year directing in the Fringe after being one of those actor types for the majority of his Act One career. In his time he’s played a range of characters, including Block in ‘The Trial’, Gratiano in ‘Merchant of Venice’ and Deio in the first English adaptation of Meic Povey’s ‘Diwydd y Byd'. He’s definitely the Daddy of the play at the grand old age of 28 (although he turns 29 at the Fringe). Piers has worked on a number of films as well as on radio, and has also written for stage. AND he’s a Doctor of Astrophysics! He’s been busy boy.

 

Madison Fowler (Director)

Madison has always been convinced that she would survive in the event of an apocalypse. King Lear finally gave her the opportunity to study and portray the fascinating psychology of such an event, its references to nature, madness, and mysterious eclipses being the perfect catalyst for such a setting.
This will be her fourth year in Edinburgh, having performed and enthusiastically visited as a member of Act One. King Lear 2012 also represents the very last production she will be involved in after 5 years as a member of the biggest and brightest independent drama societies in the UK. During this time she has acted in various parts, both lead and ensemble, and was moved to be awarded Best Actress in 2009. She is also a big fan of backstage work (having met her co-director Piers when she was crewing for the first time in 2008), and in the admin of the society, acting as both Publicity Officer and President in her time.

So, I need to get up in the morning to catch a train then a bus to Edinburgh, as it's a bit of a treck from Cardiff. I guess all that's left to say is SEE YOU IN EDINBURGH!! :)

Pictures courtesy of Ségolène Scheuer

Getting to know you (Part 2)

Yesterday we introduced you to some of the Cast and Crew of King Lear so you can get to know them a little bit better before you come and see them up in Edinburgh. Today we bring you Part 2 of the profiles -

  

Katrina Grier as Oswald

This is Katrina's first time performing at the edinburgh fringe, an opportunity which she is incredibly grateful for. It is her first year in Act One and during this year she has performed in multiple roles including Mistress Overdone in 'Measure for Measure' and an eccentric german count in a stage adaptation of 'The Great Race'. Theatre has always been a big part of Katrina's life and apart from straight theatre she has also appeared in many musical theatre roles including Polly in the 'Threepenny Opera' and Toad in 'The Wind Of The Willows'. As well as others working with theatre company MJUK. Katrina would like to say thank you to the Directors for allowing her to play such an unusual character, her favourite direction being "Give us more tongue".

  Flora Woodruff as France

This is Flora's first year in Act One. Having acted as the old woman and messenger in King Lear's January production, she has stepped up to play a female France at the Fringe. Flora has acted in a variety of different roles before joining Act One, varying from a sheep to Aladdin to Lady Macbeth.

Dom Gwyther as Gloucester

After roles in as Jack Off in 'Alice in Pantoland', Ralph in 'Our Country's Good' and Soldier number 2 in 'Salome' Dom returns to Shakespeare as Gloucester having first 'caught the bug' as the title role in a school production of 'Richard III'. This will be Dom's last performance with Act One and he is incredibly proud to be amongst such a talented group of actors and crew here in Edinburgh and to have the opportunity to take on such a challenging role at the world's biggest arts festival.

  

James Paine as Lear Jr/Gentleman Cambridge

James has ran around shouting on stages for many years. From King Louie in 'The Jungle Book' to Willy Wonka in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' he enjoyed being a big fish in a small pond before university. The past two years being part of Act One, James has made a name for himself by repeatedly appearing on stage wearing really not very much. After feeling used for his body by various directors he took the plunge into 'King Lear'. Lear represents his first foray into Shakespeare, as well as his first attempt at playing a character with measurable levels of testosterone.

 

Caitlin Forbes as Doctor/Messenger

This is Caitlin's first foray into the world of Shakespeare after her most recent Act One portrayals as the moving and critically acclaimed Pussyrator in 'King Arthur and the Lads of the Round Table' and Cloth Mother in 'Touch Comfort'. Caitlin devoted her teenage years to musicals and singing by dressing up in a green catsuit in 'Honk' with Cheryl Baker (of Bucks Fizz fame), playing Queequeg in 'Moby Dick the Musical', Jafar in 'Aladdin' and singing arias in St. Paul's cathedral (amongst others) on the sly. She truly believes these notable roles have set her up for the role she was born to play.

Emily Barnden as Kent 

This is Emily's first year in Act One, having played an abused child in 'Staging a Coup' and is going to be Production Manager for next year's production of 'Harrowdown Hill', a devised piece about David Kelly's involvement in the Iraq war.

Ellie Hepworth as The Fool

This year was Ellie's first year in Act One, appearing as an old woman in 'Sunrise', and of course, as The Fool in 'King Lear'.









Not forgetting our awsome crew -

 

Amy Davies (Tech)

Amy has been involved in a number of productions with Act One; from being a stage hand on 'The Importance of being Ernest', acting in 'The Crucible' to directing a main production. This is Amy's first time doing lighting so she has everything crossed for no disasters! Amy has previously been involved with 2 Edinburgh productions but none quite as big as 'Lear'!"

Sian Llewellyn (Tech)

Sian has been involved in technical theatre for nearly six years, starting out backstage with college productions and slowly progressing through stage management, lighting and sound. Sian assisted on productions of Hairspray, Rent, Les Miserable and We Will Rock You, amongst many others during her time at Neath Port Talbot College. This is Sian's second year in Act One,during which time she has done lighting, sound and some production management, for productions of The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Monstrous Regiment and now King Lear. Sian is currently studying Physics and Music and hopes to pursue a career in technical theatre.

                   

Katie Dowling (Publicity & Props)

 

Katie has been acting and singing since a young age, mainly in the Welsh National Eisteddfod. She also played various chorus roles during 6^th form, and played the role of Inès in No Exit (Huis Clos) by Jean-Paul Sartre as part of her Drama A-Levels. Katie played the role of Curan in the January production of King Lear, but is now fulfilling the role of Publicity Officer and helping out with props for the Edinburgh production of the play.

Pictures courtesy of Ségolène Scheuer

Getting to know you...

So, with our stint up in Edinburgh drawing ever nearer, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce everyone to our lovely cast and crew. Since there are quite a few of us, I’ll be doing 2 posts of cast and crew profiles. Some of our cast have been involved in quite a variety of productions in the past, playing some…interesting *ahem* characters. Enjoy –

 

  James Davies as King Lear

This is James' second year performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, and his second year as a member of Act One. Previous roles have included: Givola in 'The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui' (directed by Greg Davies), Holmes in 'Sherlock Holmes and the Saucermen from Mars' (directed by Rob Thomas and Aleks Ford) and Samuel Meredith in the film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald story 'The Four Fists' (directed by Raneem Al Daoud and Elliot Albarran). September will see him begin his masters in acting at the Arts Educational School in London. He is very happy to be the first James in the cast.

 Laura Williams as Cordelia

Laura is ridiculously excited to be taking this play up to Edinburgh (yes, she is very excitable).
This is Laura's second year in Act One, having previously played the role of Tituba in their production of The Crucible, along with several other events and radio dramas. She also played the title role in Annie as a child. Yes, she wore a wig. Playing Cordelia has allowed Laura to show everyone her more serious side, and she was very pleased when a member of the audience after King Lear’s initial run in Cardiff commented that Laura seemed like a very serious girl – her acting skills were obviously better than she thought.

 

 Ségolène Scheuer as Goneril

Ségolène started acting at the age of 6 as Pérette in a creation by Karin Catala in a theatre in the Parisian suburbs. By age 11, she joined Les Enfants de La Comédie, a troupe and school of acting in Sèvres and starred in many shows and musicals such as ‘Chanteclerc’ by Edmond Rostand, Charles Dickens’s ‘Christmas Caroll’, ‘Voyage Extraordinaire’, an adaptation of Jules Verne’s ‘Two Years Vacation’, and even Perrault’s famous ‘Little Thumbling’. Piers Horner and Madison Fowler’s ‘King Lear’ marks Ségolène’s return to the stage after a six years absence, during which the French actress tried out new arts such as singing and loud reading.
“Goneril has been part of my life for almost a year now. And, despite her evil personality, I’ve learned to admire and respect her: she is a true Shakespearean villain. I hope you’ll enjoy the performance. Que le spectacle commence!”

 

  

Felicity Box as Regan

Felicity is glad to be returning to her roots by playing a good old baddie, having made her stage debut at the age of 6 playing the wicked stepmother in ‘Sleeping Beauty’. She is also glad to be playing a human character once again having been cast as a lion (The Wizard of Oz), a hen (Animal Farm) and various other animal parts. Her most recent roles include Inspecter Bertozzo in ‘Accidental Death of Anarchist’ and Ysabell in Terry Pratchett’s ‘Mort’. This is Felicity’s first year in Act One and she would like to thank all of the casts and crews for a fantastic year!

 

Nick McAndrew as Edgar

King Lear is Nick's stage debut as a reinvented 'serious actor' after playing the White Queen in ‘Alice in Panto Land’ and Merlin in ‘King Arthur and The Lads of The Round Table’, with roles before University including the artistically revered Daddy Bear (off of goldilocks) in the Fallibroome High School production of ‘Happily Ever After’. I hope you love the show as much as I've loved making it, and don't worry, I don't understand most of the words either.

Lawrence Dixon as Edmund

Throughout his teenage years Lawrence was involved in numerous productions as a member of his local youth theatre group Shed, who are also performing at this year’s Fringe. This is Lawrence’s second appearance at the Fringe having previously played Captain Cat in Shed’s 2008 production of ‘Under Milk Wood’. Soon after he was The Young Knight in Cirencester’s Sundial Theatre production of ‘The Canterbury Tales’. In his first year of Act One, aside from being Edmund, Lawrence has played the lead in original play ‘Sunrise’ and appeared in indie gangster film ‘Blanc’. He is the creator of Xpress Radio’s series ‘The Bullingdon Boys’, and has been commissioned to direct a main production for Act One; a new devised piece about the lead up to the Iraq war entitled ‘Harrowdown Hill’ and arriving in Cardiff for March 2013.

 

James Sidwell as Cornwall

James been previously spotted on various act one stages in the roles of Mr Darcy, a highly disturbed, prepubescent Texan (and his late father), and a love struck, existentially challenged puppet. This, combined with his abiding passion for dance and/or ninja things, was apparently the ideal experiential skill set for playing a Shakespearean sexual sadist. No, he doesn't understand it either. He is feeling type cast and would like to see his agent- sorry, his therapist. PS: he is topless by dramatic necessity, not choice. But yes. Yes, they are real.

 

Adam Feltham as Albany

Adam started acting at the age of 11 when cast as Michael in a school production of ‘Peter Pan’. Following this he proceeded to play roles in ‘Bugsy Malone’ (Dandy Dan), ‘Annie’ (Drake), ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Oberon) and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as the title character. He also joined the Nuffield Youth Theatre playing chorus roles, as well as Lennox in ‘Macbeth’ and the Prime Minister in ‘Gargling with Jelly’. After joining Act One, Adam has appeared in ‘Cinderotica’ as the Big Bad Wolf and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ as Colonel Fitzwilliam. He has also voiced the character Doctor John Watson in two radio series based on a spoof of Sherlock Holmes as well as playing significant roles in two independent films for GEA productions.

Now, it’s not only the cast that make a play, we musn’t forget our lovely crew too, so here’s a look at some of them –

Mica Jones (Make-up)

Mica has worked on a Columbia University Production of 'Lulu' directed by Osheen Jones, doing the hair and make-up. She worked on 'Sunrise' written and directed by Ben Atterbury, where she focused on ageing the actors. She has also gained make-up experience from working on school productions and photo shoots for friends and family.
Mica is now going into her final year at Cardiff University studying Politics and Sociology.

 Charlotte Smith (Props)

Charlotte has probably done a little bit of everything in the theatre now! She never really got into the crew side of theatre before she came to University in Cardiff. But just by chance she applied to join the crew of last year’s pantomime 'King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table' in costume and makeup, and she loved it. So when the opportunity to crew for Lear came up, Charlotte couldn't resist a chance to crew again...and in Edinburgh!
“But do excuse me if I meet you and I don't shake your hand, because I'll probably be covered in golden syrup and cochineal!”

Pictures courtesy of Ségolène Scheuer