Media Release National Theatre of Scotland and Aberdeen City Council present
Download 30.53 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Tickets on sale for an epic outdoor theatre event telling the story of Aberdeen Torry-born Joyce Falconer and Aberdeen panto favourite Alan McHugh join the cast
- Produced in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts, ACT Aberdeen, Citymoves Dance Agency, Sound Festival, SHMU and University of Aberdeen Music.
- Granite
- Granite Director Simon Sharkey says
- The Lord Provost of Aberdeen George Adam says
- Derek Henderson, Deloitte’s Senior Partner in Aberdeen, says
- Granite actor Joyce Falconer says
- GRANITE ARTISTS’ BIOGRAPHIES Joyce Falconer – Actor
- Simon Sharkey – Director
- Peter Arnott – Dramaturg
- Becky Minto – Set and Costume Designer
- Philip Pinsky – Sound Designer
- Brigid McCarthy – Movement Director
- Phil McCormack – Associate Designer
- NOTES TO EDITORS The National Theatre of Scotland
- Arts Business Scotland
- Balmoral Group Holdings Ltd
- Station House Media Unit (shmu)
- Aberdeen Performing Arts
 
Media Release National Theatre of Scotland and Aberdeen City Council present GRANITE Tickets on sale for an epic outdoor theatre event telling the story of Aberdeen Torry-born Joyce Falconer and Aberdeen panto favourite Alan McHugh join the cast Headline sponsor: Deloitte Supported by Aberdeen Inspired, Arts & Business Scotland, Balmoral Group, Mackie’s of Scotland and Creative Scotland Produced in association with Aberdeen Performing Arts, ACT Aberdeen, Citymoves Dance Agency, Sound Festival, SHMU and University of Aberdeen Music. Tickets are now on sale for an epic theatrical production that marks the finale of Granite, the large-scale arts project launched by the National Theatre of Scotland and Aberdeen City Council in September 2015. Three performances will take place on a large, custom-built set within the quadrangle of Marischal College, one of Aberdeen’s most iconic buildings, from Thursday 31 March to Saturday 2 April 2016 at 7.30pm. Devised and written with the people of Aberdeen, Granite tells the story of the city from 1863 to 2016 in just over an hour, transporting audiences from 19th Century Aberdeen across oceans, continents and centuries. The production follows some of the men and women who made the city famous, those who left Aberdeen to find their fortunes and those arriving now to seek theirs. The action will take place in a wide range of settings: from the granite quarries of Kemnay and Rubislaw to the fishing boats and oil platforms of the North Sea; from a night out on Union Street to an ocean voyage on an Atlantic schooner; from the snowfields of Tsarist Ukraine to the football field in Gothenburg that hosted Aberdeen Football Club’s legendary victory in the 1983 UEFA Cup final. Audience members will be seated around a 20 metre long stage, to experience a production that features a live orchestra and choir, aerial performance, dance, video projection and a large cast comprising both professional actors – including Torry-born Joyce Falconer and HMT panto favourite Alan McHugh - and performers from local community arts groups, including Aberdeen Performing Arts, ACT Aberdeen, Citymoves Dance Agency, the University of Aberdeen, Delisto Afroreggae Dancers and the Slovo School of Aberdeen. Since September 2015, the National Theatre of Scotland has engaged with thousands of people in Aberdeen, exploring the city’s past, present and future. Stories of famous people, unsung heroes, great events, triumphs and disasters have been collected. Across the city, in workplaces, shopping malls, libraries, on the streets, and online, Aberdonians have been asked what the city means to them and how they envision the city developing for future generations. Some of these responses and ideas were presented in a series of performances and installations that took place across Aberdeen city centre in November and December 2015: an immersive radiophonic soundwalk took audience members on a guided tour of some iconic Aberdeen spaces and places, as a specially composed soundscape of choral music, poetry and electronica played through their headphones; famous figures from Aberdeen’s past and the inheritors of Aberdeen’s future were celebrated in a weekend of street theatre performances; in the weekend before Christmas, 60 windows across the bustling city centre shone into life with video portraits of everyday Aberdonians; last-minute shoppers enjoyed pop-up performances from a specially-assembled dance group, who blended traditional Scottish and Russian folk dance to an uplifting soundtrack; online, at graniteaberdeen.com, people submitted written and voice responses to a series of questions about their connection to the city. Running parallel to these activities, a collective of writers from Aberdeen’s flourishing writing scene have been working under the guidance of acclaimed playwright and writer Peter Arnott, to create, collect and adapt stories and scenes that will provide the inspiration for the theatrical finale. Granite_Director_Simon_Sharkey_says'>Granite'>Granite is directed by National Theatre of Scotland Associate Director Simon Sharkey, returning to direct a show in Aberdeen for the first time since the award-winning Extreme in 2011. Joining him is a team of world-class theatre artists, including: dramaturg Peter Arnott (Janis Joplin: Full Tilt and The Cone Gatherers for HMT Aberdeen); set and costume designer Becky Minto (Opening/Closing Ceremonies, Glasgow 2104 Commonwealth Games Associate Designer); lighting designer Colin Grenfell (Black Watch); Sound Designer Philip Pinsky (The Guid Sisters, The Driver’s Seat) video artist Graeme Roger (Culloden Battlefield Artist in Residence); movement director Brigid McCarthy (Dundee Rep Dance Company); associate director Phil McCormack (Jump, Extreme). Granite Director Simon Sharkey says: “After two years of planning and six months of engagement, this piece of theatre, shaped with the people of Aberdeen, becomes delightfully imminent as tickets go on sale. The real challenge of telling this city’s story begins now. The excitement is tangible: I have an amazing cast made up of some of the Aberdeen community alongside some of our finest actors. The dates are set, and the prospect of the audiences coming through those doors at Marischal College to experience the story of their city is exhilarating. I can’t wait.” The Lord Provost of Aberdeen George Adam says: “This is an ambitious project both in scale and in artistic content, and it really does showcase the city’s immense talent across the creative spectrum. We’re lucky to live in a city with such a rich heritage, which is home to such a diversity of people. Our city is alive with arts and culture and Granite is a great example of public, private and third sector organisations working together with both professional and amateur artists to produce something really special.” Derek Henderson, Deloitte’s Senior Partner in Aberdeen, says: “It’s hard to believe we’re now coming up to the culmination of Granite – a unique and inspiring initiative that we’re very proud to sponsor. The finale will be a fitting tribute to Aberdeen’s rich history, culture and creativity; just some of the many reasons for supporting this project and for continuing to invest in the city during what are, for many, challenging times.” Granite actor Joyce Falconer says: “I look forward to performing in Granite and putting on a show celebrating our heritage. We Aberdonians are not always very good at celebrating ourselves, but the city and its people have outstanding stories and culture to share. I love working on ensemble pieces and will enjoy working with all the groups already involved in Granite.” National Theatre of Scotland Press contacts: Adam McDougall, Press and Marketing Officer: adam.mcdougall@nationaltheatrescotland.com Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9231 M: +44 (0)7738 153157
Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9016 M: +44 (0)7930 308018 GRANITE ARTISTS’ BIOGRAPHIES Joyce Falconer – Actor In her youth Joyce performed regularly in Torry Academy productions and at Aberdeen Arts Centre. Her pocket money was earned selling pies at Pittodrie in the glory years. She graduated from RSAMD in 1991, where she was awarded the Duncan Macrae Memorial prize for Scots Verse. Since then, she has become a familiar face on Scottish stage and screen, working and touring in many genres of theatre. Her first one-woman show was Scunnered the Seagull. She is known to TV soap fans as Roisin, whom she played for the first five years of Scottish soap opera, River City. Joyce played Jean Guthrie in APA’s first production, Sunset Song, and made her maiden flight as Fairy Godmother in His Majesty’s Theatre’s Centenary Panto. She has been involved with several co-productions for A Play, A Pie and A Pint season at The Lemon Tree, including her own musical The Tale O’ Fanny Cha Cha. Alan McHugh – Actor Since graduating from RSAMD in 1991, Alan has worked and toured with the country’s leading theatre companies including National Theatre Of Scotland, The Citizens Theatre, Traverse Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Tron Theatre, The Arches, Wildcat, Borderline, Perth Theatre, Dundee Rep, Aberdeen Performing Arts, A Play A Pie And A Pint, and 7:84. Alan appeared in the National Theatre of Scotland production of Tutti Frutti. For the last 12 years, Alan has written and played the dame in the annual pantomime at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen. Previous credits with Aberdeen Performing Arts include Sunset Song, The Silver Darlings and One In A Million. Other recent credits include The Garden (Sound Festival) and Rachel’s Cousins (BBC Radio 4). Alan will appear in the sold out run of Limmy Live at The Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow. Television credits include Taggart and Take the High Road (STV), double BAFTA Award-winning Limmy’s Show, Rab C Nesbitt, Still Game, Dear Green Place (Comedy Unit), Single Father, Sea Of Souls and River City (BBC). Simon Sharkey – Director Simon is Associate Director of National Theatre of Scotland and an inaugural member of the Company’s senior management team. He leads the Learn department and previous work for the Company includes large-scale site-specific productions, including The Tin Forest, Jump and Extreme. He has worked across the world and facilitates international cultural exchanges for the National Theatre of Scotland. Most recently he has been travelling throughout Scotland and internationally, developing a wide range of projects for communities. Peter Arnott – Dramaturg Peter was born in Glasgow in 1962. He began his career at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in May 1985 with White Rose. That same month his play The Boxer Benny Lynch opened in Glasgow Arts Centre. He is the writer of some 40 professionally produced stage plays. He has written songs and screenplays and television and radio scripts, though his main focus has remained live performance, including large and small scale community projects. He has worked extensively with other writers on their work through the Playwrights' Studio Scotland and the Citizens Theatre. His first novel, Moon Country, was published by Vagabond Voices in 2015.
Becky is as a set and costume designer who has designed a wide range of productions for mainhouse and touring theatre, aerial and dance performances, and site-specific and large scale outdoor events. She was Associate Designer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for Glasgow 2104 Commonwealth Games. Her designs for the National Theatre of Scotland’s multi-location, Shetland-based production Ignition and Iron-Oxide’s site-specific production of White Gold were selected to be part of the exhibition Make Believe/ UK Design for Performance at the Prague Quadrennial 2015 and The V&A museum, London.
Philip Pinsky is a composer and sound designer. For five years he was Associate Artist at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, working on more than 25 productions. He has also provided scores for the Edinburgh International Festival, Chichester Festival Theatre, Traverse Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Dundee Rep, TNM (Montreal), Grid Iron, Stellar Quines, Sky Arts, MTV, Granada and BBC TV and Radio. Previous work with the National Theatre of Scotland includes The Driver's Seat, The Guid Sisters, Roam and Transform Fife: You tell us what was, we tell you what is. Winner of the Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland 2005 and of a Sony Music Award for Extraneous Noises Off for BBC Radio 3. Brigid McCarthy – Movement Director Brigid worked as an independent freelance dancer for many years with a variety of different choreographers, moving on to choreographing site-specific work with Dawn Hartley. A pause in performing gave an opportunity to concentrate on teaching which has included being a Scottish pioneering advocate for Pilates, Gyrotonic and Scaravelli yoga. More recently Brigid has been part of creative team/performed in several big scale theatre productions/outdoor shows including Land of Giants in Belfast (2012 Cultural Olympics), White Gold in Greenock (Iron Oxide) and the Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony in Glasgow. Ongoing & developing collaborations include working with Rob Heaslip Dance, visual artist Su Grierson and Cuerda Producciones in Argentina. Phil McCormack – Associate Designer Working across new writing, classics, and devised work, Phil works predominantly between London and Scotland. Previous credits for National Theatre of Scotland include Jump (Co-Director with Simon Sharkey), An Appointment With The Wicker Man (Staff Director) and Men Should Weep, The Wheel and Nothing To See Here (Assistant Director). Most recent work includes After All This and Paved With Gold for Ovalhouse, and Freak Show for The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Other credits include Assistant Director for The Silence of the Sea, Director/Facilitator for The Tomorrow Project (Donmar Warehouse) and Resident Director for Great Expectations (West End). LISTINGS INFORMATION Performances at: Marischal College Quadrangle Broad Street, Aberdeen AB10 1AB Thu 31 Mar, Fri 1, Sat 2 Apr: 7.30pm Tickets £10 / £5 concessions inclusive of booking fee (check with Box Office for concessions info) Available by phone on 01224 641122 and online at aberdeenperformingarts.com And in person at The Music Hall, Union Street and His Majesty’s Theatre, Rosemount Viaduct Seating is unreserved Performance lasts approximately 70mins without interval This is an outdoor performance – please dress warmly for the Aberdeen weather Performance is wheelchair accessible – please advise Box Office when booking For full details of accessible performances, please contact Box Office Age guideline: recommended 7+ Toilets on site Hot and cold drinks available Nearest parking Bon Accord and St Nicholas Shopping Centre NOTES TO EDITORS
In total, over £7 million has been invested in culture through NAS with Scottish Government investment exceeding £3 million since the grant scheme began in 2006.
 Directory: content -> mediaassets content -> Additional File 26 content -> Guide to completing the collection using the Omnibus system content -> Management and Marketing content -> Sigaccess annual Report content -> Study Guide For Students Only Dress Rehearsal January 29, 2014 7: 00 pm jubilee Auditorium content -> Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World Section One content -> Extended range forecast of atlantic seasonal hurricane activity and landfall strike probability for 2013 mediaassets -> Trailblazer events mediaassets -> Black Watch – press and marketing pack Contents mediaassets -> Citizens Theatre, Glasgow: Wed 23 – Sat 26 March Macphail Theatre, Ullapool Download 30.53 Kb. Share with your friends:
|