PaperZooTheatreCompany

PaperZooTheatreCompany

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Blue Remembered Hills - Previews

Friday 24th and Saturday 25th of June 2011 saw the first two performances on our summer/autumn tour of Dennis Potter's celebrated play 'Blue Remembered Hills'. The shows took place in a new venue for the company, and one that I hope we can return to soon. Chris Lord is a Halifax based photographer with an eye not only for a great image but also for an opportunity to use his studio for other creative enterprises.


The small space was transformed into an intimate theatrical venue that perfectly suited the style of the production. Chris worked tirelessly to organise, promote and support the production that, I am pleased to say, sold out on both nights. The audiences all commented on the imaginative use of the space and the atmosphere, and The Halifax Courier described the production as "Elegant, simple and interesting" leading to "a fantastic night's entertainment"



Next stop on the tour will be a complete contrast as Paper Zoo return to the grounds of Bradford Cathedral for an open air performance. A small section of the grounds at the west end (how appropriate, darling!) of the Cathedral will be our stage but whereas the contained conditions of the studio created the claustrophobia of the barn, here we will be able to exploit the space to run and play in the woodland scenes.

Several years ago, the company first approached the Dean and Chapter of Bradford Cathedral with an idea for a production of Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' that used the grounds for the first half of the play and then moved inside for the second half. This production received very good reviews and proved to be a successful collaboration; so much so that now other companies have joined in on the act and produced plays there since.

For the Zoo, finding interesting and unusual venues to play has always been something to aim for, and we are very grateful that visionary people such as Chris Lord are open to ideas of what is possible. We are also indebted to Symon Culpan, our lighting designer and technician, and Shack who designed and created the soundscapes for the productions. Their efforts enhance our work and create unique theatrical events.

Chris' website can be found here

No comments:

Post a Comment