Preparing King Lear for Edinburgh Fringe

Trained astrophysicist Piers Horner is now dealing with stars of a very different kind, those of Act One, as he prepares their production of King Lear for Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I pulled him away from his busy schedule to discuss what it takes to get a production to Edinburgh and how this King Lear has changed since its Cardiff première. 

Act One's dystopian take on King Lear made its début to critical acclaim at the Cardiff YMCA in February (read my original review here). Now, thanks to funding from the Students Union, it's off to a much more exciting venue at the Edinburgh Fringe, but not without a few changes. In case you missed it earlier this year, this is a King Lear for a modern audience, set in the aftermath of nuclear war, as rival gangs vie for power. What impressed me most about the original production was that it was thoroughly gripping, modern, and relevant, while retaining Shakespearian language. Key to the show's success is the incredible set design by Horner - graffiti-covered, dark and menacing - and music by Nick Cotton, a haunting blend of classical and contemporary, which both compliment the sense of foreboding and accentuated violence of the piece. As the stage in Edinburgh will be thrust instead of proscenium, dark corners and extremely graphic fight scenes will be more of a challenge, but one that Act One certainly won't shy away from!

A more arduous task will be cutting King Lear down to just an hour and 15 minutes - the time allotted by the venue. The February version felt succinct at about two hours, especially given how much happens in Shakespeare's original Lear. Many hours of rewrites by Horner and co-director Madison Fowler have been needed to make the play coherent with so much cut out, but the end result is a pacey Lear sure to attract new audiences, perhaps otherwise put off by the imposing length of the original play. 

Lear (James Davies) gets angry

As any student knows, May and June is probably the worst time to have any other commitments, what with final essays, exams and then preparing to move out for the summer. It's certainly not ideal for putting together a play for Edinburgh. Act One, however, are an industrious bunch and won't let a little thing like getting a degree get in the way of preparing to take Edinburgh by storm. They have been beavering away on their futuristic King Lear, culminating in a week long 'Lear Camp'. From practising projection in the park to make-up sessions, every aspect of Lear must be worked out before the cast go their separate ways for the summer. Characterisation has always been of utmost importance for the cast and creators of this production, and the focus of intense work during Lear Camp. For Horner, it is imperative that the characters suit both the actors and the dystopian setting. In the original production, the Cornwall just wasn't quite right, so he has now metamorphosed from a thug to a sharp, sexual sadist. Within the context of the production, I'm sure this will make for a much more engaging character. Sadly Oliver Ferriman, who was so impressive as Edgar, has prior commitments preventing him from going to Edinburgh. Edgar has therefore been reworked to suit Nick McAndrew who takes Ferriman's place - instead of an intensely physical, feral Edgar, McAndrew will bring out the vulnerable side of the character.

Emily Barden gets made up

When they get to Edinburgh, the will have just one day to get set up in the theatre before performing to the demanding Fringe crowd. It's not just any theatre that King Lear is going in to either, but the Monkey House, part of the prestigious Zoo. It's a location any Edinburgh Fringe play would dream of. I'm a complete novice when it comes to how Fringe works, so Piers explained to me that there is no central booking system, rather you contact each venue individually and hope for the best. Having asked for a 60-seat venue for their five-day run, Act One were instead offered a 90-seater, a clear indication that Zoo believe King Lear can draw a crowd. Back in February, it was already a bold and exciting piece. Now with all the extra work of Lear Camp and the added spark of being in Edinburgh, I'm sure it will be a real treat for any festival-goer.

Cambridge (James Paine) and Gloucester (Dom Gwyther) get gory

King Lear is showing from 12-18 August at 12:15 in Monkey House, Zoo (full details and tickets at here). Act One are also bringing two other productions to Edinburgh:
Wuthering Heights, 13-18, 21:05, the Space on the Mile (tickets), and The Institute, 13-19, 12:45, The Fiddler's Elbow (tickets).


Photos courtesy of Ségolène Scheuer who plays Goneril.

Happy 1st Birthday RWCMD!

One year ago today, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama first opened its doors. Since then, the breathtaking new building has revolutionised the way the College operates, seen 60,000 tickets sold, won four prestigious RIBA awards and even impressed Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. All of these achievements culminate tonight in a spectacular celebration of the RWCMD's first birthday.

My imaginary birthday cake for the RWCMD

Tonight's event showcased the incredible wealth of talent at the RWCMD. Regular readers will know I'm no stranger to the college, but I've only ever seen the drama, musical theatre and opera students perform. This birthday extravaganza gave me a chance to enjoy the exceptional talents of the music students too, in a performance that celebrated the diversity offered by the college. Starting with a pre-show performance of Unruly Women by the opera students (arias from the bad girls of opera), the evening blended percussion, brass, students from the conservatoire, musical theatre and drama. Musical highlights of the evening were Tianhong Yong on piano (who moved her fingers so quickly I could barely keep up with her!) and William Percy on cello. As for drama, Rebecca Newman and Dafydd Llys Thomas' monologues got everyone laughing from the start (you can watch them here, as well as the other students' monologues). A real treat was Alexander Griffin-Griffiths and Isabella Marshall's dark and compelling excerpt from Richard III which felt wholly professional. Finally, interspersed throughout the evening were excerpts from Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood. This must be a very special piece for the students, as they first performed it this time last year, as the new building was unveiled. They were only second years then and now they are about to graduate and prove to the world what skilled actors they have become. The comedy of the piece really suited the students, who regaled us with a variety of funny accents and facial expressions - perfect for this joyous celebration!

After the performance came champagne, cake, singing of Happy Birthday and speeches. Of course the students and staff were thanked for their dedication, as well as David & Philippa Seligman, without whom tonight wouldn't have been possible. Having only moved to Cardiff when the building was already in action I had no idea just how much the new facilities had revitalised the College, allowing the students to finally all study together on the same campus and rehearse and perform in industry standard locations. The building has also allowed the creation of the MA Musical Theatre, which is going from strength to strength (their next performance is Closer Than Ever, 3-7 July)

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In his speech, Welsh Minister for Education and Skills Leighton Andrews admitted he had only been to the RWCMD three times, and was seeing the students perform for the first time tonight. All I can say is that he has missed out. Tonight's event once again proved that the Royal Welsh College is brimming with talent, and will continue to get bigger and better in its second year.