Lie Detector Truth Detector
By Peter Yates
Directed by Marie Bobin
@ The Edinburgh Fringe
ROMAN EAGLE LODGE Venue 21:
3-18 August 22.00 [1hr 15mins] £8.00 [£5.00]

Featuring Jennifer Taylor, James Flynn, Samuel Collings & Chris Bhantoa
CCTV, Identity Cards, Profiling, Passports and the Big Brother State –
discover the Government’s new Weapons of Mass Distortion.

Directed by Marie Bobin, Lie Detector received acclaim as part of Practicum Theatre’s Breaking News: The Rachel Corrie Ban at Theatre 503 Latchmere and again in the Theatre in the Pound season at the Cockpit Theatre.

Lie Detector, a stylishly quick-witted piece, managed to evoke shades both of Guantanamo Bay and modern corporate culture, and was as funny asit was cutting. -Decca Aitkenhead [The Guardian]

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Lie Detector Truth Detector has been developed from the short play Lie Detector first produced by Practicum Theatre at Theatre 503 in London and subsequently at The Cockpit and Tabard Theatres. The play is a political satire concerned with the continually increasing encroachment by Government on personal liberty in the name of the War on Terror.
The production highlights the erosion of civil liberties through the blinkered, one-dimensional approach to national security that is the hallmark of the present government.

The play consists of four separate but themed pieces:

• Lie Detector
• First Casualty
• Monitor Thirteen
• Truth Detector

Lie Detector
is set in an interrogation room deep in the bowels of the State Security Organisation. A suspect is questioned and his answers are tested by state-of-the-art hi-tech/hi-spec polygraph equipment. The results are surprising, the interrogator is confused.

First Casualty
Set in a war-zone, a former advertising agency has been commandeered by the government as its propaganda machine. There’s a body in the office, the top spin doctor is dead and the ex-admen have a pressing copy deadline. How do they sell the use of battlefield nuclear weapons as the acceptable face of modern anti-terrorist warfare?

Monitor Thirteen
A shopping mall, a CCTV monitor bank and hours of boredom to fill. Two Security Guards dream up their own private nightmare.

Truth Detector
Why did 10,000 people use forged passports last year? Maybe because they didn’t want to die in the process of attempting to get a legitimate one. Think Kafka, think Big Brother, think MI5 on speed: this is no ordinary Nanny State. This is the S&M, security-obsessed Nanny State.

See no Evil by Deborah Espect
Directed by Alison Goldsmith
Maureen loves her husband more than anything. The fairy tale romance, the magic in his eyes… and she will hold onto it with every sinew in her body. Whatever the cost.

Woodland by Alex Viac
Directed by Bronwen Carr
After a chance sighting of a young gypsy woman a young man becomes drawn to her and her lifestyle. But his friends and family can’t understand why.

A Remark You Made by Alan McNaboe
Directed by Emma Blundell
Six months after the “tragedy” of Jake and Hazel Ryland made front page news, a tabloid journalist travels up to Ipswich to interview their father. But Arthur Ryland’s only concern is to protect his family, by keeping the family secret out of the papers.

On joinedupwriters autumn festival, “Joined up new works to stretch the imagination” – Camden New Journal

On Mark Lindow’s ‘Perfection’, joinedupwriters’ first full production: “Lindow’s dialogue is peppered with wry and acute observations” - Time Out

On Mark Brown’s ‘The Box’: “smart writing with a deft comic touch” – The Stage

For more information please contact Mark Lindow on 07752 797832, email joinedupwriters@yahoo.co.uk, visit the web site www.joinedupwriters.com, or www.myspace.com/joinedupwriters.

The joinedupwriters Fringe Festival takes place at the Old Red Lion Theatre, St John Street, Islington, London.

Performance dates and times:
Sunday 17th and 24th June 7.30pm, Monday 18th and 25th June 7.30pm
Tickets £7, £6 (concessions). Book in advance on 020 7837 7816.

After they left fuses contemporary dance with drama and black comedy. With the added dimension of a quirky stage setting and original sound score by award winning composer John Chambers, this new show will have the audience laughing and sympathising with the female anti-hero as they are lulled into the ‘outdoor’ world of a suburban garden.

SILVERSMITH Dance Company is committed to producing innovative and accessible dance theatre through artistic collaborations. Artistic director Lorraine Smith focuses her work upon human themes and narratives of a sardonic yet compassionate nature, merging different movement styles with the theatrical to create thought provoking contemporary work.

9pm, Sunday 8 July / Tickets: £7
Ticket Office 08700 600 100 / www.cptheatre.co.uk

A petition has been lodged to request a reversal of this reduction in arts subsidy. If you feel this is something you would like to speak up about, please do add on your name and forward this info to others who may wish to as well:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/arts-subsidy/

MORE INFO:
Public subsidy of the arts accounts for a minute proportion of national public expenditure. Cutting the arts budget is of little benefit to the exchequer, yet even modest withdrawal of funding has disastrous effects on the breadth of artistic activity available to the public. The recent 35% cut in ‘Grants for the Arts’ has been preceded by years of standstill funding for many organisations across all disciplines. Further far more damaging cuts are predicted. At the same time levels of bureaucratic meddling and obfuscation have never been higher. It is time to stop cutting arts spending, withdraw much of the disabling target-led assessment by which artists are being judged and reinstate artists as a crucial presence in the activities of the Arts Council and the DCMS.

PRACTICUM THEATRE PRESENTS: THE FIRST ANNUAL ONE PAGE PLAY COMPETITION!

DEADLINE 16 MAY, 2007

Practicum Theatre is accepting play submissions for our one page play competition that are a maximum of one page long. These can be in the form of sketches, monologues, dramas, comedies or physical theatre – you name it, we want it. You can break your page into columns to fit in more – whatever you can do to get your play on that page! The only restriction is that it can’t be more than 5 minutes long when it’s performed.

If your play is chosen as one of the finalists, you will be asked to present it on 10th June, 2007 at the Bedford Globe Theatre in Balham, South London. The audience chooses the winners for Best Writing, Best Direction & Best Overall Play.

To enter, please e-mail your script to onepageplay@practicumtheatre.com with a covering letter outlining:

• Contact details
• The name of the show
• The name of the writer/ director (whichever is applicable)
• Running time and number of cast
• Brief synopsis of the show

There is an entry fee of £4/ script payable to Practicum Theatre which can be paid by Paypal below or can be posted to:

Practicum Theatre
PO BOX 57821
London, SE23 3NE

If you perfer, you can also post your scripts and covering letter along with the payment to this address.

FURTHER DETAILS

If your show is chosen as a finalist, you must be able to present it on 10th June, 2007. We are unable to provide rehearsal space prior to the event but there will be technical time alotted in the day with the performance of the work in the evening.

As technical and get-in/out time is limited it is advisable not to be reliant on elaborate staging, sets or effects. There is a limited amount of storage space available at the Bedford and a simple lighting board. There is room for sound effects which will need to be provided on a CD.

No costumes or props can be stored at the venue before or after your performance day. So if you can’t carry it to and from the venue it is not advisable to use it.

PRIZES

Best Overall Play: Dramaturgical work on a full length or one act play towards a London reading through Practicum Theatre & tickets to our upcoming 2007 season.

Best writing: Dramaturgical work on a full length or one act play towards a London reading through Practicum Theatre.

Best Direction: An opportunity to work with the Practicum team to direct a reading of the full length or one act plays developed from the winners of this festival.

All finalists and winners will be listed on our website with full contact details of all participants.

STELLAR QUINES
Presents
 
The Unconquered
BY TORBEN BETTS
 
Marking the fourth collaboration with the Byre Theatre of St Andrews under Artistic Director Stephen Wrentmore, following THE MEMORY OF WATER (2004), THREE THOUSAND TROUBLED THREADS (Edinburgh International Festival 2006) and PERFECT PIE (2006), Stellar Quines are proud to present the world premiere of a  startling and visionary play, commissioned  from one the most striking of the UK’s new theatre writers and devised by a team of inspired theatre artists led by Artistic Director Muriel Romanes.
 
Torben Betts’ work has been compared by The Observer to Pinter, Beckett, Edward Albee and Howard Barker. His work has been produced to acclaim in the UK, Ireland and Switzerland. His first play The Biggleswades recently revived in London, was described by Time Out as “…an explosive, brilliantly daring play…”. Later in 2007, Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough will premiere his newest commission.
 
THE UNCONQUERED is a furious, fast moving tragi-comedy of domestic life, centred around the agony and ecstasy of a teenage girl struggling to understand her world. You are invited into the home of a moderately well-to-do family as they cope with extraordinary reversals of fortune, as revolution breaks out in their normally safe world.

Torben Betts’ trademark story-telling is full of dark humour, belly laughs and provocative ideas. THE UNCONQUERED is high drama, interspersed with the laugh-out-loud quality of classic British sit-com. It is a comic-book world in which the ordinary and everyday is pitted against the huge dominating forces of our contemporary world. How is it possible to understand the world we live in? Do we ever have any control over it? What is to be done?
 
THE UNCONQUERED is designed by world-famous artist Keith MacIntyre. Playing with distortion and disturbance of perspective, he takes on the idea of this disjointed everyday world in his inimitable fashion.
 
Cast: Nigel Barrett,  Jane Guernier, Kevin McMonagle, Pauline Turner
Directors: Muriel Romanes, A C Wilson
Lighting: Jeanine Davies
Sound design: Peter Vilk
 
Arcola Theatre, London   27th Feb – 3rd March

“…a surreal world of heightened poetry and raw emotion.”  The Guardian

1) The UK Government are about to propose restrictions on photography in public places which could make street photography and documentary photography against the law.
There’s a petition on the Downing St website against the Government’s proposals to restrict the use of photography in public areas. Go to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Photography/ and forward, if you are so inclined ….

There are a number of moves promoting the requirement of ‘ID’ cards to allow photographers to operate in a public place.
It is a fundamental right of a UK citizen to use a camera in a public place, indeed there is no right to privacy when in a public place. These moves have developed from paranoia and only promote suspicion towards genuine people following their hobby or profession.

2) You may not be aware that the Government has made the unlicensed provision of even one musician in many venues (including pubs and schools) a potentially criminal offence (some places are exempt, including places of public religious worship, royal palaces and moving vehicles). Max penalty: £20,000 fine and six months in prison.

The live music/licensing e-petition questions this, and now has over 23,000 signatures. It currently stands at no.5 in the list of petitions on the Number 10 website:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/

This is good, especially in just under a month - and there are five more months in which people can sign. But the petition needs to do much better to make an impression on ministers, and to encourage DCMS to implement music-friendly amendments.

The successful candidate(s) will organize/ assist music nights as fundraisers for Practicum Theatre under the banner of Hyperbole. Supported by Practicum, Hyperbole presents a brand new way to be the first to see the hottest newcomers to the scene before they make the big-time.  Currently branded as WITH SPECIAL GUESTS, the music nights offer two gigs a month, a rock night and an alternative/folk night, which showcase the best new bands in each genre. Previous events have been held at The Garage in Islington but can be at other venues.    

Duties will include contacting bands for specific nights, planning & marketing the event, band contracts, liasing with the venue and running the nights.  Depending on interest, there may be the opportunity to organise club nights as well.

This is an opportunity suitable for a candidate who has a keen interest in music, is organised, efficient, diligent and open to learning.   Experience in music promotion would be an advantage.

Applicants should be able to communicate effectively, and an ability to work in a team.

The appropriate candidate(s) will be available to work from home on a per-project basis.  Where travel to and from meetings is required, expenses for travel will be provided.

The placements will commence March 20th.

Please send a CV and covering letter referencing the points outlined above (2 sides of A4 maximum) to info@practicumtheatre.com The deadline is 5pm, Wednesday 7th of March.  Interviews will be held on Sunday, March 11th in central London.

Practicum Theatre, a dynamic, London-based new writing company, are continuing an internship opportunity for those interested in developing a career in Arts Management or a related field.

The successful candidate(s) will report to the General Manager to provide administrative support to all aspects of Practicum’s work.  Duties will include responsibilities within marketing, financial and production operations.

This is an opportunity suitable for a candidate who is organised, efficient, diligent and open to learning.   Experience in Arts Administration would be an advantage.

Applicants should be able to communicate effectively, possess sound computing skills and an ability to work in a team.

The appropriate candidate(s) will be available to work from home on a per-project basis.  Where travel to and from meetings is required expenses for travel will be provided.

This is a rolling internship programme.  The next 2 placements will commence March 20th and June 20th 2007.  Please indicate your preference when applying.

Please send a CV and covering letter referencing the points outlined in the Person spec (2 sides of A4 maximum) to info@practicumtheatre.com The deadline is 5pm, Monday 5th of March.  Interviews will be commencing March 10th.

“Working for Practicum theatre equips you with the experience and necessary skills essential for your career progression in the world of arts. Since starting my internship in December, I have come into contact with many responsibilities that have helped me gain a greater understanding of theatre production.”

~ Practicum Intern, December 2007

Practicum is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

FUNDRAISING SUPPORT INTERNSHIP POSITION AT PRACTICUM THEATRE

Practicum Theatre, a dynamic, London-based new writing company, are establishing an internship opportunity for those interested in developing a career in Arts Management or a related field.

This new Voluntary Internship will give you an opportunity to support the Senior Management and Project staff with fundraising and sponsorship research. You will also support the Senior Management and Project staff with fundraising and sponsorship applications!

Key tasks will involve researching appropriate national, regional, local, arts funders, supporting the Senior Management and Project staff with writing and developing funding applications as appropriate.  Keeping the Practicum staff team updated with any news or changes within arts funding as gathered during research. Researching appropriate national sponsors, supporting the Senior Management and Project staff team in writing sponsorship proposals, and developing ongoing relationships with sponsors. Assisting with the development and delivery of occasional fundraising events
as and when required.

The appropriate candidate(s) will be available to work from home on a per-project basis.  Where travel to and from meetings is required expenses for travel will be provided.

This is a rolling internship programme.  The next 2 placements will commence March 20th and June 20th 2007.  Please indicate your preference when applying.

Please send a CV and covering letter referencing the points outlined in the Person spec (2 sides of A4 maximum) to info@practicumtheatre.com.  The deadline is 5pm, Monday 5th of March.  Interviews will be commencing March 10th.

“Working for Practicum Theatre allows me the opportunity to expand on my Fine Art practice, recontextualise my own work and lets me engage in new aspects of arts management. Although I had no background in Theatre, Practicum allows me the chance to work within fundraising, an area that has given me cross transferable skills invaluable in the process of setting up
my own independent art exhibitions.”

~ Practicum Intern, December 2007

Practicum is an Equal Opportunities Employer.