Month: October 2010

Make, Participate, Engage, Consume, Support The Arts #supporttheartsuk

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Four things for Friday night:

1. In five days time, George Osborne will announce the results of his spending review.

2. That means this weekend you need to take whatever you actions you can.

3. Meanwhile, at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry City are taking on Spurs in the 1987 FA Cup final. Again. There’s only 2 performances of We Love You City remaining, with about 30 tickets left for the matinee tomorrow and only 10 for the evening performance, so if you want one, you’d better book one. 10pm tomorrow night, the fat lady will be singing her heart out…

4. Talking Birds will be spending November in Unit 4 experimenting with sound, tech, accessibility and a former giant teapot. You can see whatever we end up producing on 26th & 27th November. Follow Project Glimpsed’s progress here and via @birdmail.

 

How to take part in tonight’s Post-Show Twit-Chat. #WLYC

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WE LOVE YOU CITY – POST-SHOW DISCUSSION VIA TWITTER TONIGHT!

For Twitter users:

If you have a comment or question about tonight’s show, please tweet it to the creative team @birdmail afterwards and include the #WLYC hashtag. We’ll be online to answer questions marked #WLYC for an hour after the show (ie 10-11pm). You may get an answer from JV (Designer, Janet Vaughan), NW (Writer, Nick Walker) or DN (Composer, Derek Nisbet).

Alternatively, for non-Twitter users:

Let us know your responses to WE LOVE YOU CITY as a comment here on the blog or by e-mail to facupmemories[at]gmail.com or leave us a message on 0845 2255 918 (24hrs, local rate).

What happens if you try and do a post-show discussion on Twitter? Will anyone come? #WLYC #theatre #twitter (Pls RT)

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We’re not massive fans of post-show discussions per se. Sometimes they can feel just a little too exposing, but it is (almost!) always useful to get the direct feedback, through questions from the audience, about what works or doesn’t, how clear stuff is, what’s puzzling people and what they’ve enjoyed. But – aha – we thought, how about if you do your post-show discussion via Twitter?* And people who have already seen the show can ask questions from home as well as those (with the appropriate phones) who are still in the theatre? And if the writer, say, happens to be abroad, he can also join in via the magic of the internet…

So this may be a genius idea or it may be a total flop BUT if you have seen We Love You City at the Belgrade and have a question you’ve been mulling over but have no-one to ask, please tweet it to us @birdmail between now and friday night. And if you’re seeing the show this week or especially on Friday 8th, we’ll be online to attempt to answer questions with the #WLYC hashtag for an hour after the show (ie 10-11pm).

Please re-tweet, tell your friends etc etc

We’ll let you know how it goes…fingers crossed.

 

*We’ve been trying to find someone who’s done this before – nearest we’ve found is @halfmoontheatre who did a PSD by text and @pilot_theatre have done it via online chat and Skype. If you’ve previously done a Twitter PSD and have some top tips, we’d love to hear them.

Pitch-Perfection: a review of We Love You City @belgradetheatre #WLYC

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Thoughts on ‘We Love You City’ from Talking Birds
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry – Until 16th October

I was probably sitting in A&E, waiting for some curious object to be
removed from my nose, or ear, when Coventry FC was winning the FA cup
in 1987. At 4, I had very little understanding of football, and still
do really – so it’s safe to say that Talking Birds were going to have
to work pretty hard to win me over with their most recent instalment
‘We Love You City’.

Produced for the Belgrade Theatre, We Love You City is set against the
real-time length of a football match; splicing carefully choreographed
action sequences with a series of inter-relational stories played out
by a cast 11 strong (you know why).

As the audience are taken through a parallel journey between
depictions of crucial cup final moments, and tales of Coventry’s
people in the lead up to the history making end, We Love You City
presents itself as honest, from the heart, and with a gritty
dedication which should not be underestimated from the start.

The real-life inspired stories that writer Nick Walker has created
will be familiar to all who lived in 1980’s Coventry; racial and
economic tension, loss, resulting friendship and family frustrations,
the connections are accentuated carefully and effectively build
momentum throughout the ‘game’ via wonderful sensory subtleties and a
understated score from Derek Nisbet which stimulates chants from the
bottom of the most unsuspecting stomach.

The 11 cast members present feats of physical excellence which become
steadily more impressive as the show climaxes, creating an electric
match-like atmosphere and tension where tension is due. Some fleeting
quieter moments during the show provide a necessary point for
reflection on the recession hit Coventry setting and accentuate the
excitement and energy displayed by the actors at every stage. With
back up from a streamlined and effective set design by Janet Vaughan,
clambered all over and holding fast throughout, the show is
continually delivered with pitch-perfection, leaving a feeling that we
might approach any of the cast in the street with a strong pat on the
back and a ‘well done lads’.

If I was sat in A&E on 16th May 1987, I now have a new memory of that
event. One where I am surrounded by some of the people who lent their
memories to this show, on the edge of seats and biting nails, and the
characters that made Coventry FC winning the world cup a continued
source of inspiration for Coventry its people and its arts.

Having followed Talking Birds since moving to Coventry in 2007, I find
this show consistent to their style; simple ideas, crafted and
executed perfectly. And, if your idea of perfection is Coventry FC
winning the FA cup, I recommend a trip to We Love You City before
October 16th.

Laura Elliott

Some lovely comments from the #WLYC audiences – add yours?! #pusb

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Graham Hudspeth said…

Went to see the play yesterday with my daughter, who wasn’t even born when City won the cup! She was moved to tears by your performance. Me being a ruffy-tuffy Cov fan of 40+ years or so, only had a lump in my throat (for the whole afternoon!!!) I went to the final, & was telling my daughter that it was all a blur to me, until, on the way back home along the M1, I saw banners hanging off the bridges from Luton, & all the way back home – congratulating Cov for their win! Lo and behold! within 2 mins of the play starting, the same thing was mentioned – I was choking back the tears. Thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon of memories!!

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And via twitter:

@robmacca: #WLYC was excellent. First time my brother had ever seen a play (he’s in his 40’s!). The cast did a top job, loved every minute.

@captainPMH: First time in many years I’ve been proud to be a Coventry fan. And from #Coventry. We ♥ You City @BelgradeTheatre, absolutely excellent.

@essjayarr: We love You City was excellent!! Makes me VERY proud to be a #skyblues fan! PUSB!!! #wlyc

@lucy_dwyer: Walking on air after the press night for #WLYC at @belgradetheatre! Spoke to John Sillett after, he loved it too! So proud, great show 🙂

@jess_ra: Loved We Love You City@belgradetheatre. Was sat about 3 ft from John Sillett! #lovecov #wlyc #Coventry

@discoverbrevity: #weloveyoucity was outstanding – a truly remarkable experience. Go and see it. I urge you.#belgrade

@discoverbrevity: I have never had such an exhilarating and moving experience in the theatre! I can only imagine the feeling on match day evening!

@rayclenshaw: We Love You City was FANTASTIC! Feel so proud. Really terrific show. And I sat just behind John Sillett who seemed to really enjoy it #WLYC

@horaland: Reliving may 16th 1987 at the Belgrade in Coventry.#wlyc #pusb

 

**** We’re going to try doing a post-show discussion via twitter on Friday: If you have any Q’s 4 our #WLYC post-show twit-chat you can tweet them between now + 8th Oct. Tweet @birdmail and inc #WLYC hashtag. Pls RT ****