Edinburgh Does: Theatre Uncut

Nov 13 2013 | By More

New dates, shows added to short play event

(Theatre) Uncut Cake at last year's Central Hall event. Photo © Urban Fox

(Theatre) Uncut Cake at Central Hall in 2012. Photo © Urban Fox

By Thom Dibdin

Cake and pizza take pride of place as three new productions and dates are added to the Theatre Uncut events taking place in Edinburgh this month.

Urban Fox, which is already taking part in the Edinburgh Unites: Theatre Uncut event this Friday 15 at Summerhall, has added an afternoon event with five of the plays next Wednesday, 20th.

North Edinburgh Theatre project will be holding rehearsed readings of two of the plays on the evening of Friday 22nd. And the following Thursday, 28th, Quirky Pond will be presenting a fully staged performance of one the plays – with pizza also on the menu.

Theatre Uncut is an annual theatre event, initiated by artistic directors Emma Callander and Hannah Price, to get performances thinking, talking and taking action. A selection of brand new short plays, premiered at the fringe, are made available for anyone to perform anywhere for a limited period.

This year’s plays are responses to two separate topics. Firstly the provocation: Do we all get more right wing in hard times?; and further set of pieces on the subject of Scottish independence.

Urban Fox, the young Edinburgh company which had a fringe hit with Globophobia, will be taking over the Central Hall shop front in Tollcross, on Wednesday 20th, with a free, drop-in event running from 4-7pm.

Offering “Cake, drinks and chat”, the show will focus on the theme WE HAVE A VOTE!. The afternoon will be curated and directed by Amy Gilmartin and Jo Rush, with audiences having the opportunity to take part over the day via twitter.

Rush says: “Throughout the event our audience will be asked to participate in a variety of votes from the petty to the profound. We aim to spark debate, look at all sides of an argument, and most of all to practice our ability to make decisions and cast a vote.”

The plays will be Rob Drummond’s Party Piece, Kieran Hurley’s Amanda, AJ Toudevin’s The 12:57 and Lewis Hetherington’s The White Lightning and the Black Stag. The cast is expected to include  Clare Ross, Joseph Brown and Andrew Rothney, although this has not yet been finalised.

The audience vote for which ending is performed

Also included in the afternoon will be a piece of devised theatre inspired by the Theatre Uncut RECIPE created by Rachel Chavkin of American company the TEAM. This will, uniquely, feature two alternate endings with the live audience getting to vote for which ending is performed.

Rush adds: “To follow the creation process for our RECIPE piece as it is made on the morning of the event and to send us your suggestions, simply tweet using #wehaveavote. We’ll be tweeting about it from the Urban Fox account (@UrbanFoxTheatre). We’ll ask questions people can engage with or they can just offer suggestions and we will be live tweeting throughout the event itself.”

The North Edinburgh Theatre Project, NETp, which operates out of North Edinburgh Arts, will be using the final part of their weekly Friday rehearsal period to perform rehearsed readings two of the pieces. These will be The 12.57 by AJ Toudevin and Rob Drummond’s Party Pieces. It will take place on Friday 22 at 7.30pm.

The following week new company Quirky Pond will be staging a full performance of Kieran Hurley’s Amanda at the Kilderkin pub, 67 Canongate, at the bottom of the Royal Mile. Quirky Pond is Yvonne Paterson, Nick Cheales and Anne Kane Howie, who have got Andy Corelli in to direct.

Corelli, whose own company Siege Perilous is taking a hiatus at present, told Æ: “I really like the structure and form of the play, and the narrative and great to be involved in a Kieran Hurley play and of course Theatre Uncut.”

Amanda was written in response to the Do we all get more right wing in hard times? provocation and runs approximately 20 minutes. Entry to the production will be £8 – although this includes a pint and pizza with the play – with all profits (as with all Theatre Uncut performances) going to Amnesty.

Details of Theatre Uncut at www.theatreuncut.com

Full Edinburgh Theatre Uncut 2013 Listings

Friday 15 Nov
Edinburgh Unites: Theatre Uncut (Previewed on Æ here)
Summerhall, 1 Summerhall EH9 1PL
7.30-10.30pm with:
Amanda by Kieran Hurley, performed by Active Inquiry
The Wing by Clara Brennan, performed by edgeeradica
True or False by Davey Anderson, performed by The Lost City
Capitalism is Crisis by Tim Price, performed by Urban Fox Theatre
The 12:57 by AJ Toudevin, performed by Bedlam
RECIPE by Rachel Chavkin, performed by Bedlam
Facebook details: www.facebook.com
Summerhall Booking: www.summerhall.co.uk

Wednesday 20 November
Urban Fox: Theatre Uncut
The shop front, Central Hall, 2 West Tollcross, Edinburgh EH3 9BP
Free (donations for Amnesty and running costs)
4-7pm with cake, chat and performances at:
4.30pm: Party Pieces by Rob Drummond
4pm: Amanda by Kieran Hurley
5.25pm: RECIPE devised by company from Rachel Chavkin
5.45pm: The 12:57 by AJ Toudevin
6.15pm: The White Lightning and the Black Stag by Lewis Hetherington
Facebook details: www.facebook.com

Friday 22 November
NETp: Theatre Uncut
North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, EH4 4TZ
7.30pm: The 12.57 by AJ Toudevin; Party Pieces by Rob Drummond
Details from the NEA website: www.northedinburgharts.co.uk

Thursday 28 November
Quirky Pond: Theatre Uncut
Kilderkin, 67 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8BT
8pm: Amanda by Kieran Hurley
Tickets: £8 (Includes entry, a pizza and a drink (pint or standard glass of wine or tea/coffee).
Facebook details: www.facebook.com

*If you are organising an Edinburgh Theatre Uncut event not listed here, please use the contact form to notify Æ for listings.

ENDS

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