Supported by Nel Tour Pack 2015
Contents 02 Contents 03 The Play 04 The Press 05 The Company 06 The Team 07 Tech Specs 08 Workshops Contact www.scratchworkstheatre.co.uk Photography Matt Austin Design Anna Thairs 2015 Scratchworks Theatre Company Unless otherwise stated 02
The play is a love song to imagination, creating something from nothing with a child-like sense of exploration. Plymouth Herald Nel was developed as part of a two week residency at The Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter, with support from the Clore Duffield Foundation. In April 2015, the work gained further support from Arts Council England. The cast trained with a professional foley artist to give life to intricate, fascinating world of foley and sound onstage. Meet Nel: a foley artist. Don t know what that is? Don t worry, not many do. She makes sound effects for films. In her world a tyre-screech is a hot water-bottle and an epic fight scene is composed of frozen cabbages and snapping celery. But for the first time in her life, she finds herself completely alone. Her cat s died and she accidentally poisoned her fish. She needs a friend. But she is afraid. In a world of continuous self-comparison she feels inadequate and finding a friend in today s world is more than a little stressful. Especially for someone who spends her day recording sounds with vegetables in a box. She needs help, and maybe a change of shoes. An intriguing combination of folk-tale, on-stage foley artistry and physical theatre, Scratchworks latest production will delight audiences with their perfectly crafted mix of live music and movement, while examining issues surrounding identity, friendship and what it means to be an introvert. Scratchworks has a unique style of performance that combines youthful energy, invention and ingenuity together with great story telling that holds and entertains audiences. Dianiel Bianchi, Le Navet Bete Venues The Play 03
Scratchworks Nel is a joyous, heart-warming piece of theatre see it! Dan Baker, Producer, Barbican Plymouth A hugely inventive and skilful show. Multi Story Theatre Company All four Scratchworks members show a great sense of comic timing and their performance is tight throughout telling Nel s story in a stylised theatre performance not to be missed. Plymouth Herald The versatility of the performers is both wonderful to watch as they flit from character to character, as well as impressive. The on-stage Foley artistry is a perfect match for a company that love to use theatrical tricks, from puppetry to their quirky and brilliant physicality. Exeter Express and Echo Audience Response Wonderful and absorbing show. Nel is funny and imaginative. Press 04 Mesmerising music and visuals, endearing story and such a tight performance!
An enchanting performance They are on track to become one of the South West s flagship Theatre companies. Chloe Wipple, Framework Producer The Bike Shed Theatre About Scratchworks Scratchworks is a physical ensemble of four women who create playful, accessible theatre from scratch. Their work collides modern issues with traditional storytelling techniques. After a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe, where they received the NSDF Fringe Award: Overall Body of Creative Work, 2013 Scratchworks returned to Exeter to develop A Fool s Proof. The piece was developed with support from The Bike Shed Theatre where the company received mentoring from Lecoqtrained Rhum and Clay Theatre Company. Members of the company have also worked with the likes of The Wardrobe Ensemble and Exeter s award-winning clowning company, Le Navet Bete. Scratchworks work is recognised and supported by The Bike Shed Theatre Framework Programme and The Exeter Phoenix Emerging Artists Programme. 05
The Team Scratchworks are a highly talented ensemble with a keen sense of theatricality and a level of commitment which definitely makes them a company to keep an eye on. David Lockwood The Bike Shed Theatre Artistic Director Alice Higginson Alice is a performer, choreographer, director and writer living in London. As well as working as Co-Artistic Director of Scratchworks Theatre Company, Alice has continued to perform and make work whilst living in London. Her theatre credits include Blok/Eko (2011), The Summit (2013), Doubt (2015) and Waiting for Godot (2012). Sian Keen Sian has been working as Co-Artistic Director of Scratchworks Theatre Company since it began in January 2013. She has worked as a performer, director and writer with both Scratchworks and Running Dog Theatre Company since living in Exeter. Her theatre credits include Beachyhead (2012), Blok/Eko (2011), Le Navet Bete s The Great Fete (2013), and To Alexander (2014). Hanora Kamen Hanora is an actor, director and writer living and working in Exeter. She has worked as Co-artistic Director of Scratchworks Theatre Company, producing devised work since 2013. Hanora is also a published photographer and has written original music for the company s productions Nel (2015) and A Fool s Proof (2013-14), and Sleep When You Die (2013). Her theatre credits include The Pillowman (2012), Blok/Eko (2011), The Wardrobe Ensemble s Edgar and The Land of Lost (2013-14) and Le Navet Bete sthe Great Fete (2013). Laura Doble Laura has worked as Co-Artistic Director of Scratchworks Theatre Company from the very beginning, directing Fox for their Edinburgh 2013 run. Her theatre credits include Waiting for Godot (2012), The Day We Played Brazil (2014), Le Navet Bete s The Great Fete (2014), and Sleep When you Die (2012). 06
07 Technical Specs Touring Company 4 x Performer 1 x Technical Stage Manager Space & Venue End on Raked seating Min. 6m X 5m stage space Get in/out Get in min. (with pre-rig): 5 hours Get out: 1 hour Technician required (for get in, tech etc). Where possible, prerigged preferable. Set & Props Storage space at venue necessary. LX Ideal Programmable lighting desk Cold & warm wash 5 x fresnel 4 x source four profiles 1 x Floor cans/parcans or 2 x profiles on booms side stage Minimum Programmable lighting desk Cold & warm wash 2 x fresnel 1 x profile 1 x floorcan/ 2 x side booms stands FOH Performance time: 70 mins with no interval. SFX Programmable mixing desk (near lighting desk, 3 xlr inputs, phantom power, and variable EQ) 3 onstage xlr feeds to desk
Workshops & Education Props, Clowns and Sounds A Workshop Scratchworks run workshops in parallel with their performances of Nel in theatres, schools and universities. As a company they thrive on developing imaginative work with others, sharing their playful methods and providing dynamic theatrical training. Scratchworks offers a fun and flexible workshop programme tailored to suit a range of ages and abilities, that allow everyone to have a go. The workshops enhance the participants involvement with the play and its themes as well as engaging them. Really loved working with SFX materials to create mini scenarios. They provided a wide variety of techniques to help with the devising process and there was a good rapport between us all! Mrs S. Wright, Exmouth College Activities Include Ready to go: a full physical and vocal warm up Hot Potato: Quick-fire improvisation game The Act of Play: essential devising toolkit Non-verbal nonsense: Exercises looking at the effectiveness of music and sound when coupled with mime Is that your face or mine?: Creating characters inspired by Lecoq teachings Objects and imagination: Prop manipulation and puppetry Live and kicking: creating sound effects on stage using professional foley artistry training We are also able to include a seminar about creating a theatre company and what we have learnt along the way. Prices vary depending on group size and requirements. Contact scratchworkstheatre@gmail.com for all workshop enquiries. Nel is available for touring in Spring 2016. For more information, or to discuss a booking, please contact Charlie Parker: Tel: 01392 434 169 Email: charlie@bikeshedtheatre.co.uk We d love to hear from you and begin discussing how Scratchworks and your venue can work together now and in the future. scratchworkstheatre@gmail.com www.scratchworkstheatre.co.uk 08
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