Tuesday, November 18, 2008
2nd time round!
This tour is causing severe sleep deprivation, points like that are keeping me awake at night......
*Keira*
Blackout on the road (2)
Achieving our full potential at Govan High
Then arriving back at the Citz
Friday, May 16, 2008
The blog lady lands
Having arrived yesterday morning and spent an afternoon getting aquainted with Midtown, I watch the show at 59E59 last night. It was great to see it again and to see the venue the cast have been telling us about. I never tire of watching it. Andy was convinced I'd fallen asleep but I think he must have glanced at me during a contact lens malfunction (mine, not his)! Being awake for that long was playing havoc with my eyes.
A great energised show seemed even more in-yer-face in the intimate space at the theatre. I loved watching New Yorkers respond to it. Especially when they cover their faces or gasp. For me that's now half the fun of seeing the show...watching the audience.
I bumped into Emma from the Traverse in the theatre bar, about to head in and catch their show Damascus. Very strange indeed to see such familiar faces so far away. The Stellar Quines crew were also in the building for The Unconquered.
I managed to keep my eyes open til an astonishing 2am (which is actually 7am at home) as we went to a great Cabaret night in Chelsea. After a good night's sleep, I'm meeting Nal and Andy shortly before heading back to Manhattan to check out the Met with Keith this afternoon. Fingers crossed it stays dry for the rest of the weekend.
So, this is it, if you happen to be in New York this weekend, this is your last chance to check out Yellow Moon stateside. The UK tour starts in earnest on 23 May when they head to DG One in Castle Douglas. More info and all other tour dates are here.
...at last, "I'm in a story"!
Hx
Monday, May 12, 2008
One week and counting...

The whole 'Brits Off Broadway' season has got a really good buzz about it now as well. David Greig's other show 'Damascus' opened this week and Stellar Quines 'The Unconquered' has been going great guns too so the theatre is busy with audience and actors and the ever cheery staff. It would be nice just to hang on for a bit and soak up the New York and 59E59 atmosphere for longer but Britain beckons and I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing how the rest of the tour goes. But this really has been an experience we will never forget. Even just last night the staff partied with us in the bar with their resident Saturday Latin DJ (very good he is too!) to celebrate the birthday of Neal from Stellar Quines (and man these cats can dance!). Kenny (the house manager) nipped out and got him a cup cake and candle, they are so darned sweet here! Of all the things in New York I think I'll miss the staff of the theatre most of all. They are cracking! A home from home really.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Time Out, New York Review
“The excellent first offering in this year’s Brits Off Broadway festival is David Greig’s Yellow Moon, a tart clever verse drama that doles out tragedy with his usual thrift.”
“In a tidy 90 minutes…Yellow Moon tucks a grand romantic tradition into a wry, modern packet.”
“The enforced intimacy makes Moon a deliciously sad campfire story: The play may dabble in despair, but it offers enough warmth and music for many retellings.”
HxFriday, May 02, 2008
I may not come home

As Keith said, the theatre is great. It's situated a couple of blocks from the south east end of Central Park (which I heard was modelled on Kelvingrove Park but I don't know if that's true).
So, an hour's walk through the beautiful park from our apartments on the north west side and we are at work. It's such a buzz to work in a building where the staff are so welcoming and helpful and all comment how much they like their jobs. It's like a big family atmosphere which is a compliment really to Peter and Elizabeth - the big high heid yins. They are truly enthusiastic and passionate about theatre and supporting the talent that New York and further afield has to offer. The enthusiasm is infectious! And the audiences have been great, Peter was saying he has been well impressed by initial turn out. We expected to play to maybe 20/30 people tops (including lots of invited freebees) but the first week was averaging 50/60 (without freebees) every night and the theatre only seats 70 odd! It's been great seeing the American reaction to the show and affirming that the subject matter and characters David has written really are recognizable and universal. We had a hint of that at the Edinburgh Festival but it's nice to have it reaffirmed. It's been mostly over-21 audiences so far but we did have 2 schools from the Bronx in and that was brilliant. It was great to see how the reaction of american kids wasn't too different from their scottish countertparts. Lee's 'rapping' went down very well! We were saying the other night it would have been brilliant if we could have taken it into new york schools like we did and will be doing again in Scotland. It's hard to beat the buzz you get with this show when its done on home territory.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
"Now at last we're in a story"
"So here we are, a week and a half into our
So after a good night's sleep we met Guy in the afternoon for a line run in the park in Bryant Square, where we sat by the lawn in cast iron chairs, surrounded by tall trees, themselves dwarfed by the tall buildings around them, and with a clear view of the Chrysler building glistening in the late afternoon sun. By this point we were feeling well and truly happy to be in
Work started in earnest the next day in the theatre, where we met our very capable and friendly stage manager/sound operator, Ray, who was being trained up by Andrew Coulton in operating the sound for the show. Rehearsals went very smoothly - over the next day and a half, the show felt in good shape. So we felt confident about the first performance on Wednesday, but wondered, what would an American audience make of it? In the event, we needn't have worried. The first night went very well, with a good house and a really warm reception from the audience. They completely "got it". It really felt good to be presenting the audience with a world which might be unfamiliar to them (Inverkeithing and the
So we've had a great week so far. Everyone at 59E59 Theaters is incredibly welcoming, especially Peter Tear, the executive producer, who has been warm, enthusiastic and supportive throughout. It's lovely to be working in the kind of place where the focus is on creating the kind of relaxed and supportive environment in which good work can get done.
And we're all loving exploring the city. It's great to walk out of the theatre and find yourself in Midtown Manhattan, surrounded by tall buildings, and in a warm breeze. I've been overwhelmed by how much variety there is here, so much to see and do - going running in Central Park (always full of runners, rollerbladers, cyclists, dog walkers), the East Village (a bit like Camden only more glamorous and exotic), Williamsburg, ramshackle and kind of industrial, but very appealing with its scruffy clapboard houses - and so on and so on.
Anyway, I'm heading out now to catch some sun before getting my head into gear for doing the show later on.
Wish you were here!
Keith"
...so do we! HxStart spreading the news...
“a breathless drama from the Scottish playwright David Greig that kicks off the fifth Brits Off Broadway Festival at the 59E59 Theaters with a fierce little bang”.
“This drama of young lives gone haywire is related in a headlong rush that is almost whispered in your ear and never lets up.”
“directed with finesse by Guy Hollands”
“The intensity of performers quietly excavating the souls of their characters is all that is necessary to hold the attention.”
NYTHEATRE.COM said:“Greig's script is sharp and full of action, its conclusion at once surprising and inevitable.”
“The cast excels in the challenges set by their masterful playwright and director.”
“a bold ensemble…a memorable night of theatre.”
Hx
Monday, April 21, 2008
Brian Way Award 2008
L-R: Natalie Wilson (Director of Theatre Centre), Tim Crouch (judge), Roy Williams (judge), David Greig (Winner) and Fin Kennedy (Runner-Up).This is an award for playwrights who write for young people. It is funded and administered by Theatre Centre. Well done David!
Our cast should by now all be in New York. We'll get more news from them, once they've caught their breath. The first show of the current tour is on at 59E59 Theaters this Wednesday!!
Hx
Thursday, April 17, 2008
What's all the fuss about?
Click on Yellow Moon (above) to find out where we're touring.
Hx
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
New York tickets about to go on sale!
We're all insanely excited. News just in - members of the public will be able to book tickets online from the Brits Off Broadway website from Monday 14 April 2008.
The cast, who have performed the show over 100 times had a re-rehearsal last week and will get some time in the space before opening to the public. If you've never seen Yellow Moon and/or never been to New York, why not take advantage of the exchange rate and join us in the Big Apple!Hx
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A great end to a great year...
Three Scottish companies will make the Atlantic crossing. Alongside Yellow Moon, the festival will showcase David Greig’s other 2007 Edinburgh Festival hit, Damascus by Traverse, and Stellar Quines' The Unconquered by Torben Betts.Look out for booking details and UK tour dates, coming soon.
Hx
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Homecoming
I had hoped to make it through to watch it here, but was totally gutted to miss it. Too many meetings and not enough transport!
I can't wait to hear how it went. The play should have a much greater significance for the audience here. The writer David Greig, who lives nearby, was also in attendance and available for an exclusive Q&A afterwards...what a coup!
I also can't wait to hear if Andy's accent will hold up to local scrutiny. One of my favourite stories from the tour preparation was this...
“I’m thinking of going into business as a pimp. I don’t think there is a pimp in Inverkeithing at the moment.”
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Beth's blog...Crossroads, Judy Finnegan's neck and Blair Witch
The schools in the north east have been brilliant. It's a funny thing when you walk into a school you can generally tell within 5 mins what the school is going to be like by the atmosphere. Things like if the staff are friendly and happy the pupils generally are and all the schools up here have been like that. Every one has had a really happy atmosphere and felt like a nice place to be, I'm moving up here, the quality of life and general jollity is awesome!
The people carrier has become a disturbing blend of paranoia and Judy Finnegan's neck. Helen (TAG administrator) taught us a game which involves the instruction 'do not think of Judy Finnegan's neck' (you're seeing it now eh!). Now I have nothing against Judy Finnegan or her pretty neck but really, enough already! Every hour or so a plaintive cry comes from yet another company member as Judy invades their brain, it's not healthy.
And the paranoia? Because dark things are afoot amongst the company! The 2nd midnight walk we took turned very blair witch (I obviously tempted fate). We were merrily jaunting through the wood taking pictures of dodgy Keith and his beard lurking behind trees when we came to a crossing over a ditch and discovered a sign. Next to carefully placed piles of fir cones and sticks a note was pierced on a stick saying "enter at you own risk and you will die". Andy immediately wanted to go home though he claims it wasn't out of fear (aye right!) and I immediately thought we must have annoyed the neighbours the night before (because sound doesn't half travel in the dark) so they were trying to scare us into shutting up. Me and Nal thought it was really funny though and as everyone was talking about it we decided it must have been one of us because who else would know we had been having the blair witch experience the night before. The main suspects are Keith and Andy coz they went for a run before dinner and had plenty of planting opportunity and Liam because he just would! But 3 days later no one has fessed up. Sensibly, and obviously, we are just utter egotists and it wasn't aimed at us at all but was a game amongst some local kids which we happened to stumble on, but this doesn't seem to wash with anyone else ‘cept me and Nal. Whatever it was it's genius coz we have been utterly paranoid since and every time one of us is away the other 4 seem to convince themselves it was them. It's all in good humour but everyone is totally suspicious there is a mole in the van! Either that or Helen drove all the way up and did it! With the help of Judy Finnegan I bet!
Still feel like we're on holiday. We had a lovely scenic drive to Inverness today to have our day off which included watching Andy disappear into the heathery wilderness to take pictures and yell which was rather amusing. Also had a wicked jaunt down a beautiful sandy beach on Friday. Yep, definitely going to retire up here.
Next week is Fife including Inverkeithing where the play starts and my old school in St. Andrews - that'll be weird!
Right, missing Eastenders so better go. Roll on Fife!
Beth
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Beth's Blog...scrabble, charity shops and stars
Now we are in the north east of Scotland and it feels like we're on holiday! Liam (the boss... apparently hehe) has found us a wicked cottage in the middle of nowhere and it is stunning. We have been cooking and relaxing and playing scrabble, Honestly it was more interesting than it sounds coz Keith and Andy were in serious win mode. Andy came whizzing up from the rear with a finish of 66 points and stole the game by one point from me and Liam, genius...ok maybe you had to be there.
We were in Banchory today and finally found a wireless connection, much to Andy's delight, hence the blog. The schools up here have been great and the charity shops are fab. I just picked up 3 mint condition 70s casserole dishes in green and white. I'm a rubbish cook so they will probably never get used but, oh, they are a thing of beauty!
Tonight we are planning another after dark wander in the woods, we went last night but only had one torch between 5 of us so it was all a bit blair witch, especially when you have a dodgy bearded actor with a hoodie lurking behind trees and a technical manager who likes to disappear and jump out on you when you least expect it. It was like something out of the play, very atmospheric. Tonight we are prepared, we have 3 torches courtesy of Asda for the prime price of 58p, no expense spared. They'll probably die on us within a minute.
Ok it's still on the holiday theme, rather than we are actually up here working, but the nights up here are amazing. Outside the cottage there is just a blanket of stars and we have seen a shed load of shooting stars so yep, lots of wishes for work disappearing into the cosmos i imagine. Even a debatable couple of satellites though the likelihood is they were just very far away planes.
I should probably stop now coz we are off to make some tea and quite frankly I sound like an advert for the Aberdeen tourist board but hey, this is the life that's all I can say.
Beth
