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Gallery4allarts - Newsletter - Theatre and Music events

Aug-Sept - Oct - Nov-Dec 2008

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August – September – October 2008

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14 - 27 November 2008, Liverpool

Romanian Connections
The ‘Radu Stanca’ National Theatre of Sibiu Tour in Liverpool

ProFusion International Creative Consultancy brings to Liverpool two extraordinary productions of the prestigious ‘Radu Stanca’ National Theatre of Sibiu, Romania.

“Romanian Connections is a unique moment in which a significant cultural event has travelled from its base in the Romanian city of Sibiu (2007 European Capital of Culture) to enrich the period of celebration in the city of Liverpool (2008 European Capital of Culture).

Images from The Ball and Waiting for Godot.

The events making up Romanian Connections in Liverpool during November 2008 aim at communicating a sense of the depth and richness of Romanian culture, but the season is focused around two distinct and contrasting aspects of Romanian theatre. At one end of the scale is the revival of a famed international classic, Waiting for Godot, featuring two of Romania’s most respected actors, and directed by the internationally acclaimed director Silviu Purcarete. On the other end of the scale is The Ball, a show which sums up a new exploration by younger generations in the theatre, of the country’s recent history; in a fragmentary postmodernist style, a seamless mix of dance and music, humour and tragedy.

The contrast reveals the strength and vigour of a theatrical scene which is already known throughout Europe, as the result of previous forays during the 1990s. In Britain these included the visits of such directors as Andrei Serban, Silviu Purcarete, Mihai Maniutiu, and Tompa Gabor, along with a succession of young playwrights to the Royal Court; the establishment of a theatrical network through colleagues like Richard Demarco CBE and Sir Richard Eyre; programmes, such as the NOROC theatre Exchange during the 1990s, which was run by UNITER – Union of Theatre People in Romania and supported by the British Council; and, of course, important productions like the Hamlet directed by Alexandru Tocilescu, with Ion Carmitru in the title role, at the National Theatre in London.

The current Romanian Connections season, product of a successful partnership between the public and private sectors, brings in theatrical personalities, such as Constantin Chiriac and Silviu Purcarete, who are already well known in Britain, and through whom British audiences can better acquaint themselves with the culture of the country. As it happens this is, also, the first Romanian event of its scale and calibre to be seen in the North West, or indeed, anywhere in Britain outside of London, and it catches a unique moment in which the 2008 Capital of Culture celebrations have opened up new opportunities for cultural co-operation and for constituting new cultural markets.

Over the last two years Romanian film has made a striking impact all over Europe, and we hope that the Romanian Connections tour will open a door to yet another cache of cultural treasures waiting to be discovered.” (Ramona Mitrica & Mike Phillips, ProFusion International Creative Consultancy)

For a taste of Romanian culture, the theatre shows are accompanied by a debate on relevant contemporary issues, a foot-stomping and hip-swinging concert of Eastern European magnitude, and a special Romanian guest at Tate Liverpool (see full programme below).

This unique Romanian cultural venture is the first major exercise in promoting Romania and its culture in North West England, and it comes through the joint efforts of ProFusion International Creative Consultancy, a London-based organiser of events, and The ‘Radu Stanca’ National Theatre of Sibiu, with the backing of the two foremost Romanian non-governmental organisations in the UK: The Ratiu Foundation and The Romanian Cultural Centre in London.

Romanian Connections is financed through Promocult, the Romanian Government’s programme to promote Romanian culture in the European Union. With the generous support of The Embassy of Romania in the UK, The Romanian Cultural Institute in London and The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Romanian Connections are about continuity. Liverpool is European Capital of Culture 2008 – the successor of Sibiu European Capital of Culture 2007. Sibiu is landlocked in the Transylvanian plains and Liverpool is famous for its maritime history, but the two cities are connected by their enduring cosmopolitan and multicultural traditions.

Local communities ensured that in Sibiu – as in Liverpool – culture flourished and attained very high standards; and the most important connection is that theatre, and the arts in general, are the closest one can get to a universal language. So the Romanian soul, pathos and humour, and an idea of what Romania is, can be conveyed to UK audiences directly in “the language of the heart”.

These are the Romanian Connections. Laugh with us, cry with us, in the tradition of “râsu-plânsu” (laughter-crying) that best characterises the Romanian soul. But, most of all, we hope you will become a friend.

For further details contact us: mail@profusion.org.uk. For more information, including images and future press releases, please go to www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/connections

PROGRAMME

TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2008, 7 PM
The Ball
theatre performance directed by Radu Nica
@The Contemporary Urban Centre, 41-51 Greenland Street, Liverpool L1 0BS • See map
Tel. 0151 708 3510. Tickets: £5.00. Click here to buy online from Ticketline.co.uk.
Box office: 0871 424 4444. Buy in person at the Ticketline Box Office, Zavvi, 43 Paradise Street, Liverpool One, Liverpool L1 3EU. A £1.00 booking fee applies to all bookings.
Performance time: 1 hour 45 minutes, with no break. Dance theatre, no dialogue.

THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2008, 7 PM
Waiting for Godot
theatre performance directed by Silviu Purcarete
@The Contemporary Urban Centre, 41-51 Greenland Street, Liverpool L1 0BS • See map
Tel. 0151 708 3510. Tickets: £5.00. Click here to buy online from Ticketline.co.uk. Box office: 0871 424 4444. Buy in person at the Ticketline Box Office, Zavvi, 43 Paradise Street, Liverpool One, Liverpool L1 3EU. A £1.00 booking fee applies to all bookings.
Performance time: 1 hour 50 minutes, with no break. In Romanian with English surtitles.

Connected events:

FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2008, 7 PM
Welcome to the Union – Contemporary Romania in the European Context
Debate on Romanian contemporary issues with Dr Mike Phillips and guests, including
Alex Drace-Francis - lecturer in Modern European History, University of Liverpool
@The Contemporary Urban Centre, 41-51 Greenland Street, Liverpool L1 0BS • See map
Tel. 0151 708 3510. Entry is FREE but booking is essential. Book your seats in advance from mail@profusion.org.uk

MONDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2008, 7 PM
Paprika Balkanicus live in concert!
Paprika Balkanicus bring to Liverpool a tornado of tunes and the best party atmosphere ever.
Hear a preview here.
@The Contemporary Urban Centre, 41-51 Greenland Street, Liverpool L1 0BS • See map
Tel. 0151 708 3510. Tickets: £5.00. Click here to buy online from Ticketline.co.uk. Box office: 0871 424 4444. Buy in person at the Ticketline Box Office, Zavvi, 43 Paradise Street, Liverpool One, Liverpool L1 3EU. A £1.00 booking fee applies to all bookings.
Followed by Opening Party at 8 PM (entry by invitation only).
Details from: mail@profusion.org.uk

THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2008, 7 PM
Artists Adrian Ghenie and Adam Cvijanovic in conversation with Simon Grant,
within Late at Tate
@Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4BB • See map
Tickets: £7.00 (£5.50 concessions) £4.00 concessions. Box office: 0845 600 1354.Details here.

Romanian Connections is under the patronage of Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008. It is the first major exercise in promoting Romania and its culture in North West England, and it comes through the joint efforts of ProFusion International Creative Consultancy, a London-based organiser of events, and The ‘Radu Stanca’ National Theatre of Sibiu, with the backing of the two foremost Romanian non-governmental organisations in the UK: The Ratiu Foundation and The Romanian Cultural Centre in London.

Romanian Connections is financed through Promocult, the Romanian Government’s programme to promote Romanian culture in the European Union. With the generous support of The Embassy of Romania in the UK, The Romanian Cultural Institute in London and The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For further details contact us: mail@profusion.org.uk. For more information, including images and future press releases, please go to www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/connections
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Notes on:

“ The Ball” directed by Radu Nica –
“ Radu Stanca” National Theatre from Sibiu, Romania - Telling the history of a nation without words

The first Romanian theatre in the North-West of Britain, a challenge to Liverpool.

Excellence and coherence were the main words that I had in mind when rethinking and reviewing the Romanian theatre performance I’ve just been privileged to see last evening 18th of November 2008, at the Contemporary Urban centre (CUC), Novas, Liverpool.

An incredible story-telling through contemporary dance and physical theatre and a journey that guided the eye and mind of the audience, through a sequential labyrinth of time and national Romanian history, during present, pre-second world war; Nazi occupation; soviet occupation and Stalinism; 60’s and it’s freedom; communism’s early years; the long dictatorship of Ceausescu regime; the 1989 Revolution and back to present.

Like many Romanians attending this performance, who lived under the Communist regime, through 70’s and 80’s Romania, I felt so touched to view the story without words of ‘The Ball’.
Directed by the young Radu Nica, from Sibiu this show in a post-modernist style, engaged us all on a journey of humanity and transformations through major historical realities; what it means a troubled history through chaos and destruction of human values and aspirations by politics, power and dictatorship, but also how great Romanian humour and theatre can be.

An amazing performance from 12 talented Romanian actors, a breath taking show; an evening to remember and a story to be told: Sibiu - Liverpool 2008, Romanian Connections.

Join us, on Thursday 20th of November 2008 at the CUC, 41-51 Greenland Street, Liverpool, for “Waiting for Godot” (Becket), directed by internationally renowned Silviu Purcãrete, and played by two of Romania’s most respected actors.

“Romanian Connections is financed through Promocult, the Romanian Government’s programme to promote Romanian culture in the European Union. With the generous support of The Embassy of Romania in the UK, The Romanian Cultural Institute in London and The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Romanian Connections are about continuity. Liverpool is European Capital of Culture 2008 – the successor of Sibiu European Capital of Culture 2007. Sibiu is landlocked in the Transylvanian plains and Liverpool is famous for its maritime history, but the two cities are connected by their enduring cosmopolitan and multicultural traditions.

Local communities ensured that in Sibiu – as in Liverpool – culture flourished and attained very high standards; and the most important connection is that theatre, and the arts in general, are the closest one can get to a universal language. So the Romanian soul, pathos and humour, and an idea of what Romania is, can be conveyed to UK audiences directly in “the language of the heart”.
These are the Romanian Connections. Laugh with us, cry with us, in the tradition of “râsu-plânsu” (laughter-crying) that best characterises the Romanian soul. But, most of all, we hope you will become a friend.

For further details contact us: mail@profusion.org.uk. For more information, including images and future press releases, please go to www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/connections” (Excerpt from Romanian Connections, press release)

Organisers: Ramona Mitrica & Mike Phillips, ProFusion International Creative Consultancy.

(Text put together by N. Bartos, 19/11/2008, Gallery4allarts)

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Notes on:

Romanian Connections

“Waiting for Godot”
&
“ Radu Stanca” National Theatre from Sibiu at CUC Liverpool;
Theatre directed by Silviu Purcarete.

On Thursday 20th of November 2008 at the Novas -Contemporary Urban Centre (CUC), I sat next to my new friends, Amandine and Roland, who are both French and English language speakers, and prepared myself for the performance to start. I knew that there would be English subtitles so, I was very happy that it was ‘meant’ for me to have an evening spoken in Romanian, which Amandine, later mentioned that she, found it as a very beautiful language.

My face felt relaxed and my back soft… I was very comfortable when the red velvet curtain was gently pulled back by a young man opening the view to the stage.

Becket’s story unfolded with a delightful performance, over an hour and fifty minutes.

The minimalist and also, I thought, surrealist staging, by S. Purcarete, suited me perfectly well. I found the sound and the light effects very good and generally all details seemed so well found and effectively establishing the two main characters with ingeniously simple and effective solutions. Through symbolism the visual representation was intelligently matching the story-telling.

A continuous flow and metamorphosis of time integrated the two characters as if they were born on the stage out of time and light. I thought, Gogo (Vladimir) and Didi (Estragon), where forever interesting and refreshing through their style of acting. And all the visual and staging details were of a specific importance and relevance: the clothing in general, the hats, Gogo’s briefcase, Didi’s trousers with huge pockets filled with a lot of crumpled newspapers, carrots and a vegetable peeler; the dead suspended tree skeleton, the symbolic ‘moon’ and ‘sunset’, etc.

Both were acting so naturally, it seemed that the characters were real.

Approaching the last Gong of the performance (as the Gong was present all along), I was feeling in between spaces; Romania at one end, Liverpool at the other and, there I was, suspended spiritually between them.

I didn’t know that Becket could be so funny. But, since I remembered that Romanians always have a great sense of humour, even during the most difficult times in history, it was obvious (to me) that, the acting (directed by Silviu Purcarete, who has worked in Romanian and European theatre for more than 20 years) was going to reflect Becket’s waiting for Godot” in its grimness but also, interpreted with the humour, the softness and the soul, that so characterises Romanian theatre and culture.

The brilliant acting of Marian Ralea and Constantin Chiriac, delighted the audience, and for one moment I forgot about Becket; I was there, breathing, in the centre of a surrealist space, created simply from scaffolding (as a ‘stage within a stage’), watching the sunset and moon glow (symbolised by what seemed to appear as ‘diving’ spot lights and a giant electric bulb)…
The silent and persecuted Lucky, was played by young Pali Vecsei and the cruel Pozzo by Cristian Stanca.
The Boy, as messenger of God(ot), was played by the very young Dan Mitrea.
The night’s ‘visions’ sequences, accompanied by live music played by Sena Ducariu, Lacrima Stanescu and Aurel Tancu, reminded me of the Shakespearean scenes from a “Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

Silviu Purcarete’s theatrical work has been seen extensively in the UK in Glasgow, Hammersmith, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Chichester, Bath and London, and this year, Purcarete signed the stage production for Glyndebourne Opera’s production of “Love and other demons” composed by Peter Eotvos.

“Waiting for Godot”, was successfully presented in Liverpool on 20/11/2008 at the Novas, Contemporary Urban Centre (CUC), as part of Romanian Connections, a short tour of Sibiu’s “Radu Stanca” National Theatre in Liverpool, the European Capital of Culture 2008.

The city of Sibiu, as Mr. Constantin Chiriac, Director of ‘Radu Staca’ Theatre mentioned, has a “vibrant multicultural life” where ethnic communities such as Romanian, Hungarian, German, Jewish and Roma are living peacefully. The city has a long history and tradition in theatre, the first purpose built theatre in Sibiu being established in 1788.

Last year, Sibiu was, along with Luxembourg, the European Capital of Culture 2007.

More details about Romanian Connections on: www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/connections
mail@profusion.org.uk

Text by Nicole Bartos, 21 November 2008.

Gallery4allarts
www.gallery4allarts.com

Biography:
Booklet on: “Romanian Connections, Sibiu-Liverpool 2008”

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Sunday 19 October 2008

"Flights of Sound"- concert

@ Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

"A dynamic musical journey blending Western Improvisation & composition with the vibrant rhythms of asian soundscapes...Extending the boundaries of East and West."

Composer Lawrence Ball and Manickam Yogeswaram (Yoga) with Mark Swartzentruber, Therese Bann & friends.

Showtime: 6.00pm

Please, click on images above to view enlarged version.

Tickets: 12.00

Tickets 08716632500 www.southbankcentre.co.uk

http://www.lawrenceball.org PERSONAL WEB SITE
http://www.myspace.com/lawrenceballmusic LB MYSPACE MUSIC SITE
http://www.myspace.com/planettreemusic CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL

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5th-7th September 2008

La Machine: Les Mecaniques Savants
Volunteer Ushers (Benevoles)

in Liverpool

From 5th-7th September 2008, Liverpool will find itself in the midst of an incredible event unlike anything ever seen in the city before. This event, called La Machine, will transform the city using the streets and iconic buildings as stage and set in the telling of a remarkable story.

La Machine is produced by Artichoke, a creative company that puts on extraordinary shows in the streets, public spaces or in the countryside. In 2006 Artichoke mounted the biggest piece of free theatre ever seen in London - Royal de Luxe’s The Sultan’s Elephant, which attracted a million people over four days. La Machine is the brainchild of Francois Delaroziere - the designer genius behind Royal de Luxe’s spectacular shows. Delaroziere has an extraordinary pedigree as a creator of spectacular machines that literally take the breath away in their scale and ambition. The precise details of the event are still a closely guarded secret, but it tells the story of a huge creature which will explore the city, animated by breathtaking special effects and accompanied by live musicians.

Volunteer ushers (known as benevoles) are needed to escort the creature through the streets of Liverpool, protecting both the audience, but also the creature and performers. We are still recruiting benevoles and are looking for local people who would like to get involved in this way. In return for committing your time and energy to this, we guarantee an experience that you will remember forever and the satisfaction of being part of this extraordinary show.

“Working with you, the French company and the other volunteers was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it!” Comment from benevole on The Sultan’s Elephant.

Dates:
Rehearsal day: 30th August
Working days: 5th – 7th September (a number of people also needed on 4th)
It is important to be available for both the rehearsal day and the three days of the show.
Terms:
The job is voluntary but meals (of excellent quality!) will be provided on site alongside the rest of the company and we will contribute to your travel expenses.

Skills required
• Stamina – long days with lots of walking at a slow pace
• Confidence and the ability to remain calm and polite in crowds
• Availability on all of the days
• Reliable and committed
• Over 18 years of age
• Knowledge of French is advantageous as is prior experience of ushering or stewarding
If you are interested in taking part, please fill in the attached form and email it back to Katy Fuller (katy.fuller@artichoke.uk.com) as soon as possible and by Sat 23rd August at latest. If you would like any more information, then email or call Katy on 07771 76 46 56.

Toynbee Studios
28 Commercial Street
London E1 6AB
t 020 7650 7611
m 07771 764656
www.artichoke.uk.com

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