565+ OPENING NIGHT!

Opening Night tonight and we are a little nervous and VERY EXCITED! After two previews and many tweaks, changes, running order re-arranges, music edits, lighting changes, costume changes, paint touch ups and a few close shaves with a Garage Door...WE ARE READY TO GO!



565+ ways to change a show before it opens..BOOK NOW before you miss a chance to witness 565+ a survival story..told by the person who sat with her fear..and survived!





Book Now www.dublintheatrefestival.com

565+ Viral by the talented Al Early!

Check our our Viral!

565+ Viral by the very talented Al Early!

565 + Who's making it?

Marie and I went to Italy together in May to begin researching for the show. I had asked Marie to keep a record of the shows she had been to which she dictated to me as I can't read her hand writing. The week was a success, we sourced plenty of material discussing the shows Marie had been to and most of her sixty years on earth. We also had a good row (we had to, we're related) and got locked in a cemetary. Which was okay because Italian cemetries are stunningly beautiful, especially at night. We eventually escaped by scaling a wall.

Until about a month ago Marie and I spent most rehearsals alone building on our time in Italy. Now, to our great relief (did i mention we're related?), we have been joined by the rest of the 565+ crew.

Creative Producer Áine Beamish
For a long time I have wanted to work with Áine Beamish and finally I am! As Creative Producer Áine has thrown herself into all aspects of the show and provides invaluable artistic direction to the project. Our trust in Áine has had a significant impact on the process of developing this show. It couldn't happen without her.

Set & Lighting Design Ciarán O' Melia

We are lucky enough to be working with the very in demand Ciarán O'Melia who will be designing our set and lights. Ciarán and I went to college together and share an aesthetic for the stage which is bare but beautiful. At least that is what we are hoping to achieve with 565+. At the moment anyway. Anything can change!


Costume Design Kiki BeamishÁine's sister Kiki Beamish will be designing Marie's costume. Kiki is Head of Wardrobe in The Gate Theatre and has worked on every show there for the past 6 years. She is also working on the Beckett/Pinter/Mamet season as part of the UBDTF this year. Despite how busy she is Kiki has put a lot of her time and energy into the show already and we love having her in the room for her warmth, good humour and glamour!


Stage Management Duncan Molloy

When we found our stage manger Duncan Molloy everything fell into place for us in the rehearsal room. Duncan will share the stage with Marie, operating the show and so it is essential that they get on. And they do! Duncan provides wonderful support to us both and has great insight into the work, which is a big bonus.



Video Viral Alan Early
Out of motives of superstition and admiration I always have to work with Alan Early no matter what. Alan is a graphic designer/film maker and is creating a viral for the show which we will debut on the next blog post.




Photography Lucy Clarke
The images for 565+ come courtesy of Lucy Clarke who nailed exactly what we wanted with no bother, no fuss and lots of style. Thank you Lucy! For a peek at her delicious new website click here!

Sound Design Philip Stewart

One of Marie's favourite shows of all time had an extraordinary score and sound design by Philip Stewart. Philip recently joined us to provide the sound design for the 565+.



Frankly, we can't believe our luck.

Úna McKevitt


Tickets selling fast! To Book click HERE or call 01 677 8899
565+ is supported by Irish Theatre Trust and Project Arts Centre.

565+ Begins

The idea for this show was formed as a response to Generation 2009, an initiative by Project Brand New in association with The Bealtaine Festival, a celebration of creativity in older age. Project Brand New's approach is to celebrate this creativity through the collaboration of older participants with artists from, usually younger, generations.

I had shown my first work as a Director, Victor and Gord, as a work in progress in Project Brand New in January of that year and it struck me that I knew a woman of a certain age who loved the theatre and who, if the opportunity arose, would get more involved; Generation was the perfect opportunity. I invited Marie over to my house and we wrote our application. In the past 4 years we had spent a lot of time together attending plays and discussing theatre and what it meant to both of us. I was particularly struck by how Marie had a compulsion to attend the theatre, her appreciation of it seemed to go beyond that of a regular theatre goer. Marie doesn't just like the theatre, she needs it. This need became the basis of our appliction and continues to inform our process.

Marie and I researched and rehearsed together for three weeks before the incubation week in Project Arts Centre run by PBN. That week PBN matched us with an artist from London, David Berridge, who we had an immediate affinity with. David's initial interest was in the huge collection of programmes Marie had amassed and in presenting these as part of our design; as an artist he has a specific interest in scores and notations and during the week David worked with Marie filling sheet after sheet with her words which we presented on the stage for people to read after the performance. David also bravely agreed on the first day, despite never having performed before, to join Marie in the piece and both made their stage debut that week. We also benefitted greatly from the input and advice of our PBN mentor Dee Roycroft who gently nudged me out of the director's seat and into the performance on the final day of rehearsals.

The response at Generation was really positive and the impetus was there to try and expand upon the concept and build a full show. At the suggestion of Áine Beamish, Producer of Randolf SD The Company and Associate Producer with The Corn Exchange I contacted the Director of The Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival Loughlin Deegan and we began a conversation which resulted in us being programmed this year. Exciting!

Una McKevitt

565+ is supported by Irish Theatre Trust and Project Arts Centre

Box Office opens Wednesday 18th August!

565+
Conceived and directed by Una McKevitt

Venue Project Arts Centre

Date 28 Sep - 3 Oct 6.00pm

www.dublintheatrefestival.com

Bookings 01 673 0606

Coming to Kilkenny!

The great news is we're coming to Kilkenny! Friday 6th to Tuesday 10th August 1pm in Cleere's pub.
You can buy tickets here

We did a quick reci of the town recently and were really impressed with its beauty and energy so we can't wait to see it at festival time.

The Kilkenny Festival really has something for everyone. On the theatre programme, curated by Tom Creed, we recommend you don't miss Susan and Darren by Quarantine. This show inspired Victor and Gord and is a once in lifetime experience. Recently we got a sneaky preview of THEATREclub's revamped 'Group Therapy for One.' It plays in Cleere's pub the week after Victor and Gord. Go See!!

We are really looking forward to taking up residence for five days in Cleere's pub. Come to the show at lunchtime and stay for a pint with the cast afterwards. It's a proper pub, country and cosy. A lot of our Dublin friends are coming down to see the show and  party with us and we can't wait to make new connections in Kilkenny and see as many shows and gigs as possible.

yOURS eXCITEDLY
Victor and Gord
AND JAY

Reviews - An Existential Treat!

We have had an amazing week in the Victor and Gord world. The responses form our audiences have been just fantastic. Tickets are flying out so get yours now in the usual place - www.projectartscentre.ie. We've had technical hitches, near heart attacks and packed houses. We've had reviews and post-show discussions and groups from Galway! The support has been great and will hopefully continue into the coming week. A second week is strange for us as the show has only ever done a few nights before. Everything changes and evolves as it runs and we've had something surprising and something new almost every night. The guys are becoming pros right before our eyes and are really taking to the time we have had to develop and work on the piece. The new additions of video and music have really come together and enhanced the whole piece but as you can read in reviews below, the central focus on the heart is still there and still strong. As the guys over at culch.ie said, we plead with you to see this show!

The show got some great shout outs last week in the press, with a great panel in the Ticket in the Irish Times, the Critic's Guide to going out in the Irish Independent and LeCool Dublin.

We were also featured on dublinartsevents.blogspot.com, who were lovely about the show!

Check out our reviews from the Sunday Independent, the Metro Herald and Culch.ie, all of whom loved the show and the ever charming and entertaining Victor, Gord and Jay!

So come on down to the world of Project Arts Centre, where it's all happening this February, tickets are only €15 and interest in the show is mounting so book early to avoid disappointment!

Up, Running and Stunning

And so we opened last night to the most wonderful reception a show could want. Despite a small technical hitch, Victor, Gord and Jason were absolutely stunning and blew the audience away with their humour and humanity; the ever present lynchpin of the show. 

And the reaction was just overwhelming. The audience were so responsive and really jumped on board for the Victor and Gord journey. Generous applause and laughter filled the Cube and many people stayed to have a drink with the team! Thanks so much to everyone who came.


We also were featured on IMEALL on TG4! The whole first 5 minutes is about the show. Thanks to the brilliant Imeall team who visited us in rehearsal to film. Watch the clip!

Totally Dublin also published their great interview with Director Una McKevitt which you can read here.


Finally I'll leave you with the words of our first review today from CULCH.IE
"I would plead with you to go see this. You will laugh, you may cry, but you’ll definitely enjoy it."










Photos by Senija Topcic at Lollipop Photography

WIN TICKETS!!

We have our first preview tonight so we've decided that now is the time to prove your comment skills in our very first VICTOR AND GORD ticket competition! Win tickets to the show for this FRIDAY 19th FEB at Project Arts Centre.


It's easy - just answer the question below in the comments box and the best/funniest/most inventive/unique/amazing answer wins a pair of tickets to see the show! 


WHAT IS JASON TALKING ABOUT IN THIS VIDEO???

The Talented Alan Early

Yesterday morning I woke up with a rhythm in my head.  I thought it was a song; all I had was the rhythm of the lyrics but couldn’t match it with a melody.  I spoke the words out loud to try and find the tune and then I realised; it was a piece of dialogue from Victor & Gord that had snuck into my dreams.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been engrossed in all things Victor & Gord.  Having designed all the marketing material (posters, flyers, viral) and now helping to create video inserts for the show, it’s little wonder that I’m dreaming about it. 

Una first approached me in August and asked me to create a viral for Victor & Gord Cubed.  Following its success at Absolut Fringe, Una asked me back again but this time as an even more involved member of the V&G family.  Since rehearsals started I’ve been attending as much as I can and, along with Una, working out how best to integrate footage from the past shows into this one.  

The video is more than just a reference point to the previous shows, however.  It’s a chorus, where earlier stories and experiences reflect what Vickey, Aine and Jay have to tell us.  It’s a delicate balance; making sure you don’t have too much video that might distract from the performers but at the same time making sure you have enough to enhance their performances.

Meanwhile, as the days are counting down to the opening, I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished show.   It’s a treat that can’t be missed.

Alan

DESIGN ?

Hi...

I'm Ciaran and I'm a new addition to the Victor & Gord family... I had a one night fling with the V&G machine back in the earliest stage during the Project Brand New incarnation and a minor flirtation when Victor & Gord, Ali & Michael played on a floor designed by me during Queer Notions.  But this time around I'm involved in a more structured way as part of the team.

My role is as designer, which has a very loose definition in terms of a show like Victor & Gord.  Basically what I am doing is helping to shape the where and how Una stages things.

For me as a designer for theatre, I feel it's always important to keep focused on what the show is trying to say, the story that we are trying to tell.  With Victor & Gord this is very important as it is real lives told by real people live on stage, nothing more and nothing less.  In the process we have considered many options but as the days have ticked by and as the show began to take shape again following development, I am again concentrating on the show as simply Victor & Gord and of course Jay too and their stories.  That is where the power of the show in its previous incarnations.

In writing this blog post I thought about stories and reading books when I was younger.  Particularly the stories of Roald Dahl which are so vividly told through the words but I also remember the illustrations by Quentin Blake that accompanied them - picking out various descriptions and I suppose physicalising them.  So in a way, what I suppose I am doing here with V&G, is helping to illustrate the stories.  Now while I am not drawing it out as clearly like the Quentin Blake illustrations, I hope that I can help to focus you, the audience's attention on things and also with the videos from Alan Early we can highlight and help you to visualise and further engage with the guys stories, in a subtle and unobtrusive way.

Come along and see!

A moment with the Director

Rehearsals last week focused on putting all the new material together with material from Septembers show. Jason made the observation that while in September he was often asked to 'elaborate, elaborate' this time everyone's more likely to be directed to leave some detail out of their stories. This is because we have SO MUCH new material, which is funny considering there's half the cast there was in September!

On a personal note it was really great to meet up with Ali, Fergus and Michael last week. Fergus popped into rehearsal and I met Ali and Michael for coffee in Leon. I gave each of them a copy of Septembers show as we're using footage from it in this new show and I wanted to be sure they were happy with that. Although they're not physically present in this new show they are still very much a part of it as we are projecting images and some scenes from September's show onto the backwall of The Cube. We tried it out for the first time yesterday and it looked amazing.

February 8th was the anniversary of Jason's mother's death. In Catherine's honour Jason made us a fantastic dinner after rehearsals in Áine Beamish's city pad and we went for 1/2 price pints in PANTIBAR. Panti gave us a great shout out on her blog last week.

I know things are going to get stressful this week, that's just the nature of it but I'm just going to say for the record, so far so good! Having the support of Project Arts Centre has made all the difference to us. We are being so well looked after by our Producer Lara Hickey and the team we're working with - Alan, Ciaran, Fiona - have really become a part of our Victor and Gord family.

As the show gets closer the nerves creep closer to the surface but so does the excitement!!

We looking forward to you joining us on our new adventure.

Una 

Encounters as Gaeilge...

Imeall were in to us in rehearsal the other night and I believe we showed them what we're made of. There was a veritable army of us, producers, designers, performers, directors...

The guys performed two different pieces we're working on at the moment and Una talked to the camera all about our history and origins. Vickey was ag labhairt as gaeilge with them but I have no idea what she said at all!

You'll all have to tune in on Wednesday 17th February (our opening night!) to catch it.

Coming to the end of week 3 now, none of us can believe how fast the rehearsals are going. Doing tests on projections in the space, programme going to print, invites flying out all over the city and planning runs next week already.

And finally...stay tuned here for details of a very special public appearance of Victor and Gord next week...ooohhh.

Televisually coming at you!

Victor and Gord are being joined by the folks at Imeall tonight as TG4 are taking over rehearsals at Smock Alley Cafe. Chatting to V&G&Jay, to the gaffer Una and filming extracts - the show is set to air on our opening night so mark the date - FEBRUARY 17th!

Check out more info on the show on the TG4 website

...and finally...I wouldn't be a real producer unless I reminded everyone that you can book tickets ALREADY for Victor and Gord at (01) 881 9613 or even easier online at www.projectartscentre.ie...there, duty done!

Lara

Live from the 'Clea

Jay has just cooked up a storm for his co-stars Gord and Victor. We ate cod with wild mushroom and smoked bacon risotto, accompanied by some asparagus, topped with a fennel foam. Fancy or what and all made from scratch. No wonder he's Ireland 1998 Irish salmon chef of the year.

Gord supplied a bottle of red and Victor's dad's press supplied dessert which consisted of an assortment of biscuits and granola. Not too bad for a Friday evening.

We're listening to Fleetwood Macs greatest hits.

have a nice weekend y'all....!

Check out our new Viral!

Tonight we discussed Dresses

Tonight we discussed dresses. Gord wonders why men never know the difference between a skirt and a dress? Gord asks Jay what's the difference between a skirt and a dress. He doesn't know but thinks girls look great in dresses. Gord thinks casual dresses are better than the kind of dresses women wear to weddings. Jay has worn a dress twice. Victor hasn't worn one since her Debs and will never wear one again.

 

It's all really happening - PRINT ARRIVED!

Our beautiful print has arrived in Project all thanks to the brilliant Alan Early. We LOVE IT! Check it out if you get the chance, it'll be all over town from today, feel free to take a flyer, tell your friends, spread the word...here's a sneak preview!

"Life...don't talk to me about life."

VICTOR AND GORD returns to PROJECT ARTS CENTRE
17 - 27 FEB 2010

The ever evolving and expanding world of VICTOR AND GORD is spinning back around this way. Project Arts Centre has taken us on and given us a challenge. Reworked, revamped and recharged, Victor, Gord and Jay are letting us in again and this time it’s longer and stronger.

How has it evolved? How is it different? How is it the same? Well we’ll let you in on all the developments, plans, disasters, jokes and hopes. We know where the show has been, we have an idea where it’s going and there are some big unknowns, big challenges and big friendships to tackle.

For starters, you might like to know, the team here at victorandgord has expanded. Originally conceived by Una McKevitt and the cast - they are now joined by a host of different characters behind the scenes. We have Ciaran O’Melia joining us to design a beautiful space for stories, Fiona Keller to Stage Manage, organise, nag, pester and be the Holy Bringer of Tea, we have the talented and inimitable Mr. Alan Early working on some audio visuals for the show (more on this later!) and we have Producer Lara Hickey (me!) to put out all the fires. And last but certainly not least, as Una is now an Assoicate Artist at Project Arts Centre - we have the endless support of Willie, Niamh, JC, Melanie, Aisling, Annette, Kate, Carmel, Siobhan, other Kate and all the staff there.

So it’s all new to me and all very exciting...stick with us to see how it all goes down. Now one week into rehearsals already (eek!) we are fast approaching the new Victor and Gord and the new world of REAL LIVES TOLD BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THEM.

And as Virginia Woolf said...

“Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends.”

Lara