It's Been A While....

It's all been so busy recently that I haven't had a proper chance to post anything on here. I've just finished working on a couple of great projects.

I was back as assistant director with the National Theatre of Scotland's 'In Time O' Strife'. That took me all sorts of interesting places around the country (including a short performance in the parliament at Holyrood, which was just brilliant) and it was fantastic to see the show grow and for it to engage a really wide-spread audience.

The cast of 'In Time O' Strife'. Photo by Andy Ross

I have just finished this year's Shakespeare in Schools project with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. This is now the fifth year that I've taken second year BA actors out to schools for workshops and a reduced version of a play, this year it was the turn of 'Midsummer Night's Dream'. I love this project as it takes me and the RCS students to places we would rarely visit, this time around it was Airdrie and Shettleston (in Glasgow). It's a really rewarding job and allows me to use the skills I have built up working with young people as well as getting stuck into directing some Shakespeare.

RCS students perform 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
My next project is entirely different. I shall be writing, composing and directing 'Eric the Elf's Chaotic Christmas' at Glasgow's Citizens Theatre. This will be a show for wee tiny people, it's really exciting to have the opportunity to create a new piece of theatre from scratch, working on 'Bauble Trouble' as composer last year was a blast so I'm really looking forward to the challenge of making the entire thing myself, with the help of Eric the Elf of course!

The Colourful Poster for 'Eric the Elf's Chaotic Christmas'
I have also been working hard at my theatre company's website as we prepare to rehearse and tour our first major production, 'Love 2.0'. There is plenty on the website about the show and I am currently working on a whole host of educational videos to go alongside it. It's really exciting to think of all the different places that the show will be going to, I really hope that we can engage with our target audience of 16+ and get them excited about theatre. We had great fun doing a photoshoot with Eoin Carey and are delighted with the shots he took.

An image from our promotional material for 'Love 2.0'
And finally, just to keep me sane before I get snowed under by sleigh bells, I decided to write and record a wee song.  Here it is, it's called 'Side by Side'.



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