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Tag Archives: improvisation
Jan 4, 2019 · 12:02 pm
My Comedy Taste. Part 4: There was a Scots woman, a Jew and a dead writer
Here is the final part of my conversation with comedy festival judge and linguist Louisette Stodel which took place in London's Soho Theatre Bar one afternoon back in 2017.
I think Louisette was impressed by and appreciative of the insights I shared with her…
JOHN: Janey Godley is interesting… You know the story of her NOT being nominated for the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe?
LOUISETTE: No. Tell me.
JOHN: The Perrier Award judges individually went to see her show and it was not until they sat down together to discuss possible nominees that they realised they had all seen her perform totally different shows because she was making it up every night. Stories from her life. Very very funny. But different hour-long shows every night.
There was a big discussion about whether she was eligible for the Award. Some people were keen to nominate her but the rules were that you were nominated for performing 'a show' and what she was doing was not the same, single show every night. She was, it could be and was argued, simply chatting to the audience.
She was making up a different hour-long show every night for maybe 28 nights on the trot. Utterly brilliant and much more impressive than doing the same show every night. But, because it was NOT the same basic show every night, eventually, it was decided she was ineligible and she was not nominated for the Perrier.
LOUISETTE: That's exactly what you were talking about earlier, in a sense.
Janey Godley in Glasgow at Children In Need Rocks Scotland
JOHN: Yes. And, as far as I know, to this day, years later, Janey has never scripted a Fringe comedy show in her life. You get roughly the same show each year now – a different show every year – but she plays it by ear.
I remember once in London walking up Dean Street with her to the Soho Theatre for a supposed 'preview' of her upcoming Edinburgh Fringe show and she told me not only did she not know exactly which stories would be in the show; she did not know what her opening line would be.
She maybe had twelve or fifteen or eighteen basic unscripted stories and could fit maybe five or six into an hour-long show, but there was no script and no pre-decided running order. And the show was brilliantly funny. Now THAT is talent. THAT I admire.
LOUISETTE: How does she end her shows on time?
JOHN: Well, I know one year she did have one climactic prepared story and it lasted exactly nine minutes. It wasn't scripted, but it was structured tightly. So she had the sound technician at the back of the audience flash a torch exactly ten minutes from the end of her scheduled time and, whatever she was saying at that point, she would get seamlessly into the start of the final story and, every night, she would finish to within about 30 seconds of her scheduled end-time – every night. Brilliant.
LOUISETTE: So what excites you is seeing unique shows.
JOHN: Well yes. I like Lewis Schaffer shows, of course. The ultimate in unpredictable rollercoaster shows.
LOUISETTE: You prefer the uneven acts.
JOHN: Yes. Well, sort of. Janey's shows are not uneven – they are uniformly funny and smooth, but they are not tightly pre-planned. She's just a great, great storyteller.
LOUISETTE: Slick?
JOHN: Smooth. She has great audience control. But, in general – Janey is an exception – I prefer rollercoaster acts. And maybe, for that reason, I prefer newer acts.
LOUISETTE: Lewis Schaffer is not a new act.
JOHN: OK. I prefer newer acts OR wildly unpredictable acts.
LOUISETTE: And Lewis Schaffer is dependably unpredictable.
"He doesn't fit the mould. But he could… become a TV success" (Photograph by Garry Platt)
JOHN: To say the least. Sometimes he will, from nowhere, just go off on a complete tangent and come up with wonderful original stuff.
I like seeing unexpected, brilliant stuff coming from nowhere.
Lewis Schaffer is never going to get success as a TV comic. Not as a stand-up. He doesn't fit the mould. But he could, like and unlike Johnny Vegas, become a TV success through personality.
In his case, I think he would be a good presenter of documentaries because he has all these bizarre angles. He has a Wikipedia mind: he knows a little about a lot.
LOUISETTE: He's also very funny on his Facebook page. But what is it about Lewis Schaffer specifically on stage? OK, he's unpredictable; he's up-and-down; he has great ideas…
JOHN: If you see him once, you might think it's a shambles but, if you see him five times in a row, you get addicted.
LOUISETTE: The first time I saw him, his show was brilliant.
JOHN: Is this the My girlfriend had a penis show?
LOUISETTE: Yes.
JOHN: Now that WAS a show!
LOUISETTE: Friends of mine who recommended him told me: "See this guy. You never know what's going to happen…"
LOUISETTE: …and it wasn't like that.
JOHN: Not that show. It actually had a structure. I nearly fell off my seat with shock because it was a 'real' structured show.
Certainly, with Lewis Schaffer, you see the real person. You can't bloody avoid it. With him, the attraction is the unpredictability and the flashes of genuine left-field insight. He's the definitive rollercoaster.
LOUISETTE: …which excites you because you don't know what's going to happen?
JOHN: Yes.
Not relevant: L'Ange du Foyer ou le Triomphe du Surréalisme by Max Ernst, 1937;
LOUISETTE: You like amazing stuff coming from nowhere. I had been going to ask you if it is the writing, the performance or the delivery that gets you excited, but it's actually none of those things.
JOHN: Well, 'writing' is maybe not the right word. It can be. But it's something coming from the laterally-thinking recesses of the brain.
LOUISETTE: So with someone like Ross Noble, where you know it's going to be a little bit unpredictable but you also know that he's probably going to make it all come good, does that make it less interesting because it's less dangerous?
JOHN: No. You can make something become good through talent.
LOUISETTE: So it's the creation 'in the moment'. You like seeing things happen 'in the moment;'.
JOHN: Probably, yes. I like to be surprised by where something goes. It's like a good twist in a film.
LOUISETTE: The unexpected. We are back to that. Tales of the Unexpected.
JOHN: Yes. The unexpected. Someone said the other day that I look like Roald Dahl. I don't think this is a compliment. Do I look like Roald Dahl?
I sign some random books for a few of my appreciative blog readers in Amsterdam, in October 1988.
(Photograph by Rob Bogaerts / Anefo)
Filed under Comedy, Uncategorized
Tagged as comedy, Edinburgh Comedy Award, edinburgh fringe, improvisation, janey godley, John Fleming, Johnny Vegas, lewis schaffer, Louisette Stodel, Perrier Award, Ross Noble
My Comedy Taste. Part 1: Improvisation good and bad but not Michael McIntyre
The late Malcolm Hardee Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe
I started and used to run the annual Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe. They started in 2005. They were due to (and did) end in August 2017.
To coincide with their end, I thought I might post a blog about my taste in comedy. What is the point in having a blog if you can't be self-indulgent?
So, in June 2017, I persuaded my chum, oft-times comedy judge and linguistic expert Louisette Stodel to 'interview' me in London's Soho Theatre Bar for that planned blog. But then I never got round to transcribing the interview and actually writing it. Unpardonable lethargy may have had something to do with it too.
Time passed, as time does, and I was going to run the interview/blog to coincide with the start of the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe. But again I never got round to transcribing the interview and writing that blog. Again, unpardonable lethargy may have had something to do with it.
But, with performers now preparing to start to book venues and think about getting round to writing or at least pretending to start to write shows for the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, I miraculously got round to transcribing the interview at the weekend and here is Part 1 of that June 2017 chat.
LOUISETTE: When did you first go to the Fringe?
JOHN: Well, I started going to the Edinburgh Film Festival in the mid-1970s when I was reviewing movies for magazines and, around the mid-1980s, I switched to the Edinburgh Fringe, which is around the time comedy started taking over from naff university theatre groups. I was looking for acts to appear on TV shows.
LOUISETTE: How long have you been blogging about comedy?
JOHN: It has never really been a 100% comedy blog. I started it in 2010 to plug a movie I had foolishly put money into and it became daily around April 2011 to plug comedy-related stuff I was helping to stage at the Edinburgh Fringe that August and I stopped doing it daily at the end of December 2016.
But it has never really been a comedy blog. I tend not to write reviews of comedy. They tend to be previews in advance of the actual performance of a show. In a sense, I don't care so much about what the show is like but about how it got created by this particular person. It's about interesting people doing interesting things, usually creative and/or in some way quirky. It's always about people, rarely about things. People, people, people. And I do like a quirky anecdote.
LOUISETTE: What is it about quirkiness you like?
JOHN: The TV programme stuff I used to do was usually related to quirkiness. I would be finding ordinary people who did bizarre things… a man rollerskating wearing a bright yellow plastic sou'wester while simultaneously playing the harmonica and spoons, with a seagull on his shoulder. Ah! Mr Wickers, a Tiswas Talented Teacher!
LOUISETTE: You like eccentricity.
Surprise! Surprise! – A show and a clue to what I really like
JOHN: Admire it, for sure. But I remember having a conversation with another researcher on Surprise! Surprise! at LWT and we both agreed, if you want to find a real eccentric, you do not go for extroverts. You do NOT want the person who makes all his mates laugh in the pub. They are just superficial.
What you want is an introvert with eccentricity within. The extrovert just likes the sound of their own voice and just wants attention. The eccentric introvert has got odd quirkiness in depth within them.
Comedians are odd because you would think they would have to be wild extroverts, getting up on stage wanting applause, but loads are deep-down shy and terrified inside. Maybe it's the dichotomy that makes them. I like people who think differently.
People often contact me and say: "Come and see my show for your blog." And I may do but it's not the show – not the end result – that attracts me. I don't really do reviews. I am interested in interviewing the person about why or how they did the show or what they feel like when they are performing it. I'm interested in the psychology of creative people not the end result itself, as such.
In a sense, I am not bothered whether the show is good or not good provided it is interesting. I would much rather watch an interesting failure than a dull success. You can very often learn more from what doesn't work than from what works.
LOUISETTE: So what is 'interesting'?
JOHN: Lateral thinking is interesting. Instead of going from A-B, you go from A to T to L to B or maybe you never get to B.
LOUISETTE: So you like the unexpected.
JOHN: I think Michael McIntyre is absolutely brilliant. 120% brilliant. But I would not pay to see his one of his shows, because I know what I am going to get. I can go see him in Manchester and the next day in Swansea and the next day in Plymouth and it will be the same show. Perfect. A work of art. Superb. But the same perfect thing.
LOUISETTE: So you are talking about wanting unpredictability?
JOHN: Yes. And people flying, going off at tangents, trying things out which even they didn't know they were going to do.
LOUISETTE: How do you know they didn't know?
Boothby Graffoe – always the unexpected
JOHN: I think you can tell… Boothby Graffoe had a very very good 20 or 30 minute act he would do in clubs. (His 60-minute shows were good too.) Fine. It was all very good. Audiences loved it. But, in a way, he was better with a bad audience. The good audience would listen to his very well put-together material. But, if he got hecklers or distractions, he would fly off on wild flights of fantasy, even funnier than the prepared show, almost soar round the room then eventually get seamlessly back to the prepared show. Brilliant.
There was another act, now established, whom I won't name. When he was starting off, maybe 50% of his stuff was OK, 45% was not very good and 5% was absolute genius. I would go watch him for that 5% genius. And I would still rather go see a show like that which is 5% genius than a solid mainstream show that is 100% perfect entertainment.
If someone creates something truly original in front of your eyes, it is like magic.
LOUISETTE: Michael McIntyre get laughs from saying unexpected things.
JOHN: If I see Michael McIntyre, I do not know what is going to happen, but it is pre-ordained what is going to happen. It is slick in the best way. If people are on TV and 'famous', I am not that interested because they have reached a level of professional capability. I prefer to see reasonably new acts or lower middle-rung acts. And people untarnished by TV.
If you see someone who is REALLY starting off, they are crap, because they can't adjust their act to the specific audience. When performers reach a certain level of experience, they can cope with any type of audience and that is interesting to see how they can turn an audience but, if they are TV 'stars' they may well automatically have easy audiences because the audience has come to see "that bloke" or "that girl off the telly" and they are expecting to have a good time.
If it's Fred NoName, the audience have no expectations.
I prefer to see Fred NoName with a rollercoaster of an act and I am interested in seeing the structure of an act. I am interested in the mechanics of it.
LOUISETTE: And you like the element of danger? It could all go wrong, all go pear-shaped?
JOHN: Yes. On the other hand (LAUGHS) most improvisation is shit because the performers are often not very good.
LOUISETTE: Don't you have to be very skilled to improvise?
"Most improvisation is shit: the performers are not very good."
JOHN: In my erstwhile youth, I used to go every week to Pentameters club at The Freemasons Arms pub in Hampstead and watch the Theatre Machine improvisation show supervised by Keith Johnstone.
Very good. Very interesting.
But, for some reason, I don't like most improvisation today.
Partly that's because, a lot of the time, you can see it's NOT fully improvised. You can see the…
LOUISETTE: …formats?
JOHN: Templates. Yeah. Certain routines they can just adjust. Give me the name of an animal… Give me a performance style… It sounds like they are widening possibilities, but they are narrowing them so they can be slotted into pre-existing storylines and routines they can adjust.
Also, a lot of improvisation groups seem to comprise actors trying to be comedians… I have an allergy to actors trying to be comedians. They're just attempting and usually failing to be comedic until a 'real' job comes along.
LOUISETTE: Surely an actor can be funny in character, though.
JOHN: Often I think: What I am watching here is like a showreel of their theatre school training. It's like an audition show. They go through 20 characters just to show their breadth of ability – to impress themselves as much as the audience. But the audience has not come there to appreciate their versatility. The audience wants to be entertained not to be impressed. The audience wants to enjoy their material, not give the act marks out of ten for technique.
… CONTINUED HERE …
Filed under Comedy, Entertainment, improvisation
Tagged as actors, blog, Boothby Graffoe, comedy, edinburgh fringe, improvisation, ITV, John Fleming, Keith Johnstone, lateral thinking, Louisette Stodel, LWT, Malcolm Hardee Awards, Michael McIntyre, Surprise Surprise, Theatre Machine, Tiswas
Don't Think Twice – When scripting a movie, a story is not the same as a plot.
Five days; two movie previews; two bizarre starts.
Last week, before a movie preview, comic Richard Gadd persuaded me he was half-Finnish and starred in the film. Neither was true.
Last night in London, I went to a preview of the movie Don't Think Twice. I had not actually been invited. I was a last-minute stand-in as someone's +1.
I arrived well before they did, explained to the PR people who I was and who I was with. We got right through to the point where my name badge had been written out, put in its plastic sheath and handed to me when I – for no real reason – asked: "This IS for the Don't Think Twice preview, isn't it?
It was not.
It was for a New Statesman talk on Brexit and Trump.
I was tempted to go to that because I actually HAD been invited to that event and had not been invited to the film preview.
But I took the movie title to heart and went to the Don't Think Twice preview.
It was what used to be called a 'talker' screening and is now apparently called an 'influencer' screening. In this case, an audience of comics and comedy industry people.
Afterwards, one comedian told me they loved it. Another told me they thought it was awful. Yet another told me that, as long as they remained within the confines of the building, they would say it was very good.
As I wasn't officially invited to this screening, I feel I can actually be honest about my thoughts.
The story is about a New York improvisational comedy group – they are middling fish in a small pond – all of whom see their next career step as being invited to be one of the regular performers in the TV show Weekend Live (a not-really disguised fictionalisation of Saturday Night Live). The publicity says the movie "tells a nuanced story of friendship, aspiration and the pain and promise of change". And therein lies the problem.
Well acted, well-directed, well-intended, but only an OK script
Mike Birbiglia is the director/co-star (it is an ensemble piece). He is a comedy performer as are most of the cast. It is shot in a successfully easy-going style. But it falls prey to the problem of a movie created by actors about and for actors.
Actors are interested in building atmosphere, character and relationships.
Which is good.
But that ain't plot.
The movie tells a story – Which, if any of them will get on the TV show? There is a sub-plot about their live theatre closing and the father of one of the performers is dying. And there is the thought: Will success spoil existing relationships?
But those are stories, not a movie-movie plot.
Clichés are clichés because they tend to be right.
The cliché plot structure is:
You start with a major unresolved problem. That is the 'hook'.
The body of the film involves the unravelling of the problem.
The problem is resolved at the end of the film.
Along the way, the hook is refreshed and additional subsidiary temporary hooks are inserted and resolved while the main plot continues.
A subsidiary 'rule' in a movie-movie is breadth of scale and that, ideally, the entire set-up of the movie, the main characters and the hook are established in the first 2-4 minutes. (The best example I have ever seen of this is the original Die Hard movie in which everything is set-up, including an important back-story, under the opening titles.)
Don't Think Twice starts with sequences which establish the main characters and the general setting but the main hook (the not-quite-strong-enough Saturday Night Live Will-they?/Won't-they? plot) is brought in far too late.
The film is high on atmosphere and fine on characters. Good.
It has a story.
But not a gripping plot structure.
There is nothing particularly wrong with it as a piece of entertainment. It will probably feel better watched on a TV or computer screen at home rather than in a cinema because it is not a movie-movie. It is a TV movie or (in olden days) a straight-to-DVD movie.
It got some laughs of recognition from the rather industry audience I saw it with. But, at its heart, it is a movie created by performers, about performers and for performers. Average punters Dave and Sue in Essex or Ohio, in South London or East LA have no real reason to be gripped.
'Story' is not the same as 'plot'.
But – Hey! – What do I know? I did not like the multi-5-star-reviewed Finnish film The Other Side of Hope and liked Guy Ritchie's $175 million mega audience disaster King Arthur.
Don't Think Twice was shown in the US last year. It opened on one screen in New York City and grossed $92,835 in its opening weekend, the highest per-screen gross of 2016. Rotten Tomatoes currently gives the film an approval rating of 99% based on 111 reviews.
Filed under Comedy, Movies, Writing
Tagged as acting, comedy, Don't Think Twice, improvisation, Mike Birbiglia, movies, plot, Rotten Tomatoes, Saturday Night Live, script, writing
Sep 27, 2016 · 3:19 pm
Zuma Puma is on her way to Mexico via Canada: "Clown is nothing like improv!"
Zuma via Skype, going to Mexico via Canada
Canadian performer Zuma Puma aka Nelly Scott is leaving Britain next Thursday. She has left her London flat and was with family up in the Midlands when I talked to her via Skype.
"Why are you going back to Canada?" I asked.
"To get to Mexico."
"Why via Canada?"
"Because it was £100 cheaper and I can visit my family in Toronto. I might even teach a clown intensive at my mum's university – Brock University. She teaches playwriting and directing there. I am going to Mexico on a one-way ticket."
"Why Mexico?" I asked. "It's full of Mexicans."
"Exactly," said Nelly. "I love the Mexicans. I have wanted to go there for a very long time."
"Why? Are they lacking clowns in Mexico?"
"Yes. I'm going to work with my friend and his company La Bouffant Sociale. He was my clown partner in the Cirque du Soleil School in Montreal. I studied there for a year – L'École de Clown et Comédie."
"You are going to Mexico City?"
"We are just meeting there and then we're going to a salty beach where we have a 15-day artist residency, building a show out of beach garbage. So that'll be exciting. Then there is a tour in Mexico."
"But before you go, you're busy in London," I prompted.
"Yes. This Thursday, we're doing One Man, Two Ghosts at Unscene 199 Festival at New River Studios in Manor House."
"Which is…?"
"You saw it in Edinburgh and said you liked it."
"I did, but for those who didn't see it…"
"It's a clown farce: basically Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit as told by three complete idiots. A two-layered story of what's happening in the play and with the players beneath the play."
"And then," I said, "your last Lost Cabaret show in Stockwell on Friday."
Annie Bashford and Nathan Lang at last month's Edinburgh Fringe
"Well, it's not the last. I'm handing it over to Nathan Lang and Annie Bashford who will be continuing it monthly."
"Until you come back from the Americas?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I don't know if I will come back to London. I might come back to Bristol. I feel I'm pretty much done in London."
"You've been invited back to do a full run of One Man, Two Ghosts at next year's Edinburgh Fringe at the New Town Theatre."
"Yes. I will be back maybe in June or July next year to take One Man, Two Ghosts to the next stage."
"And this coming weekend you are also doing your Clown Life Intensive workshops…"
"Yes. At The Pleasance Theatre in London on Saturday and Sunday."
"What is Clown Life Intensive?" I asked.
"It's a merging between the world of clown and personal development. So it's clowning but not just for performers – it's for anyone who's interested in building their confidence and personal development, discovering their humour and looking at tools to play and understand themselves a bit more. So it's a deep development process. You look at yourself and it's an amplification of who you are.
"There are bits of themselves that most people don't want to admit – they're OCD or forgetful or a bit slow. Everyone's got an issue. It is taking that issue and amplifying it, owning it and saying Yeah, this is a part of me. For instance, in One Man, Two Ghosts, I play a bit of a star diva and it's all about me and how good the show is and a perfectionist and that IS me – that's who I am. It's just amplified to the next extent where everyone can laugh about it because it's something and someone they all recognise.
"Clown is honest and it's real. It's liberating for audiences but also for the performers and my objective with the workshop is not for everyone to leave saying: I am now a clown! I am interested in people who are interested in personal development and understanding self and owning themself as a person and understanding how they connect with audiences and relate to people in life.
"Clown has been the most healing and incredible tool for personal development in my life. And there are loads of tools and techniques that have a real parallel between life and performance that I want to teach.
"It's not like a weekend of intense guru-type development. I'm not there to be a therapist. But there are loads of tools and techniques and exercises that can teach someone a lot about themself and which are loads of fun. It's basically a weekend of insane amounts of laughter and play, which is good for anybody… with the added bonus of being challenging at times. It is rewarding for anybody."
"You did the Gaulier course in Paris, didn't you?" I asked.
"Why would these people not go to Gaulier instead?"
Sacha Baron Cohen – The hardest thing he has done? (Photograph by Michael Bulcik)
"To go to Gauilier, you have to be the most committed performer in the world. Gaulier is the hardest school anyone's ever gone to. Sacha Baron Cohen said it was the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. You have to really want to be a performer to go to Gaulier."
"Why is it hard?" I asked.
"Because he is so challenging. He does not accept anything that is not your most brilliant. You are shit until you find magic and how rare is it to find magic? When you have the whole audience in your hand, that happens once in a while and he teaches you to recognise when that happens and how to make that happen as much as possible. You are not hungry enough as a performer until you want every performance to be at that level. That's what he teaches."
"That's it, then," I said. "You happy with all that?"
"As long as you don't say again that Clown is just like improv. Last time you said that, I had to write this whole post about No! It's nothing like improv! It is so far from improv."
Clown is not like improv.
There. I have said it.
Filed under Comedy, Performance
Tagged as Annie Bashford, Blithe Spirit, Cirque du Soleil, Clown Life Intensive, clowning, edinburgh fringe, Gaulier, improvisation, Lost Cabaret, Mexico, Nathan Lang, Nelly Scott, One Man, Philippe Gaulier, Sacha Baron Cohen, Two Ghosts, Zuma Puma
Dec 5, 2014 · 5:06 pm
The young improvisers who ended up in a scripted West End comedy success
The Duchess Theatre with a back-to-front sign
"I'm not sure it can get much better than this," Charlie Russell told me yesterday. "We're all very early on in our careers and to perform in a show where we have artistic input… AND it's in the West End… AND it's your best mates… That is good. I'm enjoying it while I've got it."
The Play That Goes Wrong opened at The Duchess Theatre this September and has now had its run extended until at least next September.
Yesterday I chatted to two of its cast members – Charlie Russell and Dave Hearn.
The play began just before Christmas 2012 as a one-act hour-long show at the Old Red Lion in Islington. Last year, it transferred to Trafalgar Studios in Whitehall and played the Edinburgh Fringe, still as a one-act show.
Dave Hearn and Charlie Russell at Duchess Theatre yesterday
"Then," Charlie told me, "when Kenny Wax and Mark Bentley got involved as producers, they wanted to take it on tour, so it needed a second act and an interval."
The bizarre thing, to my mind, when I saw it last week, was that the second act is even better than the first.
"Who," I asked, "thought up the title?"
"I did," said Dave.
"It is brilliant," I said.
"It was originally called The Murder Before Christmas," explained Charlie, "because it was a Christmas show at the Old Red Lion. After that, it was going to be called Murder at Haversham Manor."
The Play That Goes Wrong – It does what it says on the label
"But The Play That Went Wrong," I said, "is utterly brilliant because from the title alone you know the set-up, you know the entire plot and you know it's a comedy without even being told it's a comedy. It's up there with the movie title Snakes On a Plane. The title tells you everything you need to know. You know it's farce, it's slapstick, it's comedy and it'll be fast-moving – all the stuff that you deliver."
"This Christmas," said Dave. "We will have been doing it for two years."
"My fear," said Charlie, "is that I might not be able to do real 'serious' acting any more. What happens if people give me texts I'm not allowed to change?"
"You've also now started doing a monthly show here," I said. "Lights! Camera! Improvise! which has played at the last five Edinburgh Fringes."
A boost for the performers and also for improv in general?
"Yes," said Charlie. "We did the first one here on Monday and then it's going to be the first Monday of every month."
"Did you," I asked, "decide to do that because it gives you a bit of freedom away from the scripted restrictions of The Play That Goes Wrong?"
"We had lots of reasons," explained Charlie. "It's really nice to be able to improvise once a month, as well as doing the same show every day. But also our company – Mischief Theatre – is bigger than just this group of people doing The Play That Goes Wrong and they're all involved in Lights! Camera! Improvise! – It's a boost for them and also a boost for improv in general; getting it on the bigger stage."
"It's always tough to sell improv," agreed Dave. "How people perceive improv is often quite damaging. So giving it a West End platform and using the success of this show to springboard it is good. But, if I'm being honest, it's really more for us because we enjoy it and it genuinely is completely different every performance. We will do it once a month and you do feel a sense of freedom – that you can just let loose."
"Improv," added Charlie, "was an element of how we created The Play That Goes Wrong, so it does connect to Lights! Camera! Improvise!"
All the cast of The Play That Goes Wrong studied, at various times, at LAMDA.
"You must be the crème de la crème of LAMDA," I said.
"Probably the opposite," said Charlie. "The reason we did The Play That Goes Wrong was because we were not working. We were the ones who were not successful, so we put on our own show."
"And then ironically," I said, "you are the ones who end up with a West End success… Are Americans happy to come and see farce?"
Americans love stupid English people
"They love," said Dave, "the very quintessentially English nature of it. I think they love English people looking stupid."
"And Fawlty Towers is big over there," Charlie pointed out.
"But why a farce?" I asked. "Surely farces are way out of date?"
"The play kind of developed," said Dave. "We never really thought of it as a farce to start with; we just thought it was a clown show: the idea of a bunch of clowns trying to put on a show and it goes wrong."
"Literally clowns?" I asked.
"Not circus clowns," said Dave.
"So like Lecoq?" I asked.
"Well," Charlie replied, "the teacher who inspired a lot of us at LAMDA and ended up directing the show – Mark Bell – he went to Lecoq."
"Basically," I said, "you are all improvisers. "But can you improvise during this show? It's very finely timed."
"Well," said Dave, "one time a table got knocked over by accident and liquid went everywhere, so some of us just slipped on it several times to make a point of that having happened… And, if one audience is really, really going for a particular joke, we can add in more 'business' or move on quickly if an audience don't go for that joke in another show. If you're not on your toes and somebody else is, you might get left behind, so everyone has to be constantly on the front foot."
"I heard," I said, "that the bin which shoots flames genuinely went wrong one night."
"Yes," said Dave, "it nearly set fire to one of our understudies. He was covering the part of the actor who is playing the dead man and he accidentally kicked the bucket – literally – and a massive flame shot up. The problem is that, when stuff actually goes wrong, it can be quite difficult because everything is so specifically timed.
"So, when that fire went off, it meant we didn't have the fire effect when we actually needed it later in the play. We had to improvise around that, which was a lot of fun but it messed with the structure of the play."
"Sometimes things can go wrong because they go right…"
"If someone forgets a line, we can get around it," said Charlie, "but sometimes things can go wrong because they go right. If something does not fall when it is meant to, that is not good, because it interferes with the way of doing the gag and getting the laugh."
"Doesn't it, as improvisers," I asked, "get boring doing the same things daily?"
"It's very personal to each audience," said Charlie. "Even if nothing were to change from one show to the other, it can't possibly be the same because it's comedy and the audience is the variable."
Dave added: "You get the immediate feedback from the audience. Each show is totally different. Sometimes you get quiet audiences, sometimes loud, sometimes people heckle."
"Heckle?" I asked, surprised.
"Sometimes," explained Dave, "they shout out: It's under the chaise! You know that bit."
"There's one point," said Charlie, "where two characters want to kiss and there's a line No-one wants to see that – and one night a little boy's sweet, high-pitched voice in the audience shouted out: Yes we do!"
"The physical slapstick and the set is amazing," I said. "Extraordinary. Was the set added just for the West End production?"
"We toured with it," said Charlie.
"Surely not with the collapsing floor?" I asked. "It has three positions."
"Four including its upright position," said Charlie.
"So could you develop the concept of the show?" I asked. "You could do The TV Play That Goes Wrong."
Dave and Charlie in a trailer for The Play That Goes Wrong
"We've been talking to TV people about it," said Charlie, "but one problem is how you could maintain the level of danger."
"You would have to transmit it live," I said.
"But even then," said Charlie, "would it translate on the screen? For a live audience it works well but, if it is performed live but viewed through a screen, it might not be the same."
"It can't really be made into a film," I said, "because it relies totally on being a live performance."
"The idea I would like to do on film," said Charlie, "would be something about this group of characters we have created. They have so much back story that the audience don't see. I'd like to see a fly-on-the-wall of their relationships."
"Front and back stage like Noises Off?" I said. "Though I have never seen Noises Off."
"I've not seen it either," said Charlie. "None of us have seen it, though everyone always compares us to it."
"So," I asked, "as The Play That Goes Wrong is commercially successful, is there going to be a second?"
It's not just a murder can go wrong, so can a children's classic
"There already is," said Dave. "Peter Pan Goes Wrong. We did it last year at the Pleasance Theatre in London and, as of last week, it's just finished its first opening of tour in Guildford. Then it's going to Manchester this month and then it's touring until July next year."
"Are they all LAMDA people in the cast again?" I asked.
"Quite a few," said Dave.
"Not exclusively, though," said Charlie. "There are some Mischief Theatre members in it, but not exclusively."
Meanwhile the list of celebrities coming backstage after The Play That Goes Wrong is growing – an eclectic mix including Joanna Lumley, Dara Ó Briain, Angus Deayton, Joe Pasquale and JJ Abrams, the film director behind the reboots of Star Trek and Star Wars.
The night I was there, Paul Merton was in the audience.
There is a trailer for The Play That Goes Wrong on YouTube.
Filed under Comedy, Theatre
Tagged as Charlie Russell, comedy, Dave Hearn, farce, improvisation, Kenny Wax, LAMDA, Lecoq, Lights Camera Improvise, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Play That Goes Wrong, theatre, West End
Why comedy writers and performers are different and clowns are not clowns?
James Hamilton – Soho Theatre bar yesterday
So yesterday afternoon I went to the Soho Theatre bar to talk to Nelly Scott aka Zuma Puma about her weekly – always unique – Friday night Lost Cabaret shows in London.
I arrived early and found multiple Malcolm Hardee Comedy Award nominee James Hamilton sitting at a table, writing his sketch group Casual Violence's next show for the Edinburgh Fringe in August.
"How much have you written?" I asked.
"10%," he said glumly.
"I was going to do a solo show this year," he told me, "but I got talked into doing a Casual Violence one. Do you remember the Siamese Twin hit-men from Choose Death? I am giving them a full story. They work together as assassins until one of them decides he would rather be a baker instead. They fall out and decide to go their separate ways."
Casual Violence: new 2014 Edinburgh show
"The Siamese Twins?" I asked.
"Yes," said James. "It's about the brotherly dynamic."
Then Nelly arrived.
James and Nelly had never met before, but it transpired they had both been on Dr Brown/Phil Burgers' clown workshops.
Clown workshops seem to be trendy for performers at the moment but, as far as I can see, have nothing to do with clowns as any normal person would recognise the word. They are actually improvisation workshops under a 'sexier' title.
Interestingly but perhaps not surprisingly, James (a writer who performs) found the workshops more difficult than Nelly (a performer who can write).
"The people who could be themselves or a version of themselves on stage," said James, "were the people who did best in the workshop and I wish to god I could do it. I loved the workshop and got so much out of it but I also really struggled. It was so difficult."
"It is really difficult," agreed Nelly. But those people had probably been to loads of these workshops and practised a lot of dropping it and 'being with themselves'. Or hadn't been to anything at all."
"Yes," said James, "a lot of people who did best in that workshop had never done any performing of any kind."
"The people who find it hardest, I think," said Nelly, "are people like actors or stand-up comedians. With actors, there's always this mask: that they never want to show themselves. With comedians, they've always got to have a punchline. Stand-up is very wordy; it's always about what they're saying, not what they're doing. Whereas, in clowning, it's not what you say, it's how you say it and how you do it. It's all about How not What."
Nelly Scott aka Zuma Puma with James Hamilton yesterday
"It's a very performance-driven thing," said James, "whereas I tend to approach stuff from a very writery point of view. Writing is very introverted and thinking about ideas and not letting go. All the clowning stuff is very counter to that. Not in a bad way. But it's the opposite of what you're taught as a writer.
"I remember at the workshop," James continued, "being told off because I had an idea before going on stage. So what I did for the rest of the workshop was every time I had an idea ahead of going on stage I would immediately dismiss it because I knew if I went ahead with that idea he would pull me up on it. He wanted people to go on stage with nothing and then find something."
"Well," said Nelly, "it's OK for you to come on stage with an idea, but you have to be ready to drop it in a split second if the audience hate it. People who come on stage with an idea can be more in love with their idea than they are with the audience. It's not necessarily that he wants people to come onto the stage with nothing, because some people literally don't have anything and it's boring. You need to have something. What's your impulse? What are you thinking? But, if it doesn't work, you just throw it out the window. You do whatever it takes to make the audience love you."
"I think, when I do more solo things," said James, "it will be more of an even balance but the way it works at the moment is I'm the sole writer for a group of people, so I need to bring stuff in. It doesn't need to be perfectly finished. We play with it and develop it. But it does come from a very scripted starting point."
"When I go on stage," said Nelly. "I always have an idea of something. I'll have a character and a costume or I'll come up with a game and go on stage and play with that."
"The fact people can do that is amazing," said James. "It just terrifies me. Though in an appealing way. It makes me want to do it."
"It doesn't matter if you flop at some point," said Nelly, "provided you bring the audience eventually to this place of magic and then they forget about the bit that flopped."
James had told me earlier that he had been "talked into" doing a Casual Violence show at this year's Edinburgh Fringe and, in a sense, the same thing had happened with Nelly and Lost Cabaret.
Zuma Puma (centre bottom) + her collective
"I wasn't going to go to the Fringe this year," she told us. "I thought: I need a break. I'm going to be in Spain for the month lying naked on the beach or hitchhiking to Morocco and singing on the top of mountains until five in the morning. But then (regular performer) Dan Lees applied for a spot for Lost Cabaret at the Fringe and told me about it after we had been accepted."
"So," said James, "you will have to defer your month of naked hitchhiking to the top of mountains at five in the morning."
"I'll still do that," said Nelly. "Maybe before I go to the Fringe."
"You told me," I said, "that you've been going for lots of castings recently."
"Lots of auditions for short films," said Nelly, "which I'm finding interesting, because a lot of writers are shit."
"Are you cast as Girl 1 or Girl 2?" asked James.
"I'm usually cast as a femme fatale killer," Nelly replied, "which is fun. I'm OK with that. But how many scripts are just so degrading to women?"
"Women are either in films to have sex or to be killed," I said.
"There is a website called Casting Call Woe," said James, "which has genuine casting calls which are horrendously sexist and awful."
Currently on the site are these four descriptions of projected movies:
The actress would need an 'Easy Access Skirt' with leggings underneath so that the skirt could be lifted up and it would look convincingly like she was 'being taken from behind. Consent to have fake vomit thrown on her.
Please send a pic of your tongue so I can approve of your tongue length.
The egg shoots from her vagina and directly into the doctor's mouth.
Bikinis will get this movie attention. Great acting will get it respect.
"I got a script for a short film," said Nelly. "Somehow they had got funding for it. I don't know how. They were looking for an actress who could play seductive but bad and I thought Oh, I can play femme fatale no problem. But then I read the script and there is a scene where a female crime investigator is talking to me – I'm this girl who is covered in blood and freaking out – and she starts putting her hand up the girl's skirt and fingering her. There was no conversation before the investigator starts randomly fingering the girl. And, in the next scene, her face is in the girl's vagina – there's a shot of the investigator's head between this girl's legs. What the fuck has this got to do with the investigation? And then she kills the girl. It drives me nuts. I will have to start writing."
There is a Lost Cabaret showreel on YouTube.
and also a trailer for Casual Violence's comedy.
Filed under Comedy, Performance, Theatre
Tagged as Casting Call Woe, Casual Violence, clown, comedy, Dr Brown, edinburgh fringe, improvisation, James Hamilton, Lost Cabaret, Malcolm Hardee Award, Nelly Scott, performance, Phil Purgers, sexism, theatre, workshop, writing, Zuma Puma
How Chicago's Second City bred a new Overlooked Edinburgh Fringe show
Lizzy celebrating in Soho pre-Brighton this week
I first saw Lizzy Mace as half of comedy duo Mace & Burton – the other being this blog's regular Juliette Burton.
"Juliette's up in the air right now," Lizzy told me when we met in Soho this week.
"Juliette is always up in the air," I suggested.
"Physically in the air," said Lizzy. "On her way back from Australia."
Lizzy was just about to leave for the Brighton Fringe. She is previewing her new soon-to-be Edinburgh Fringe show Overlooked: A Roll Call of The Small there tonight, tomorrow and Monday. She came up with the idea for the show's title and theme when she was at The Second City in Chicago last summer.
"I was there for six weeks," she told me. "I did a 4-week intensive improvisation and sketch comedy course where we did improv for 3 hours every morning and then sketch comedy for 3 hours every afternoon. Then, for my final week, I did a solo performance class which was 10.00am-5.00pm every day, just working on solo stuff. At the end of the week, we had a showcase where we had to pitch an idea for a solo show – we didn't have to do the show, just the 5-minute pitch of an idea – and the idea I came up with just lodged in my brain and I kept working on it and decided I would go ahead and do it in Edinburgh this year."
"You went to drama school," I said. "Why did you have to go to Second City?"
"Because drama school was about acting," explained Lizzy. "Second City focussed on improvisation and sketch comedy writing. Different skills. Slightly different focus. Also, it's important to keep your skills topped-up."
"Why did you go to Second City in Chicago," I asked, "and not that Gaulier bloke in Paris who seems to be terribly trendy at the moment?"
A Brighton poster for Lizzy's comedy show
"I think he's mostly physical comedy – clowning," said Lizzy, "and what I really wanted to work on last year was my writing because I was more confident as a performer than I was as a writer and I wanted to do more character stuff but didn't feel confident in writing it for myself. Second City felt like the best place to go for sketch and improv.
"Also, I read in your blog in 2012 that Luisa Omielan had been there a couple of years ago. Until I read that, I hadn't realised you could do summer courses there. Then, when Juliette and I had a chat with you last April, you mentioned in your blog that I was going over to do Second City but I hadn't actually booked it at that point; I had been humming and hahhing. Your blog appeared and Juliette told me: Well, you have to do it now because it's in John's blog!"
"You mean, "I said, "my increasingly prestigious blog."
"Increasingly prestigious and influential," laughed Lizzy. "Then, when I was back from Chicago, you blogged about seeing the Red Bastard show in Bethnal Green and you mentioned me among a group of what you called 'potentially not-far-from-breakthrough acts' and I thought Well, I'd better get on with it, then. I'd better write my show. Did you realise you had such an influence on my life, John?"
"I am increasingly prestigious and influential," I said. "So what's Overlooked about?"
"Characters who all feel overlooked."
"Catherine Tate?" I suggested.
"Well, it's me, not her," said Lizzy, "though people have, in the past, likened my performance style to Catherine Tate's."
"I'm notoriously allergic to most character comedy," I told her.
"I think I don't like character comedy when it's too close to being believable people," I explained, "because I spent a lot of my TV career finding eccentrics and one-off originals, so I always think Why am I watching this fake, acted eccentric when I could be watching the real thing? But I do like cartoon character acts like Charlie Chuck and Frank Sanazi because they're so over-the-top that they are not fake versions of possibly real people. Are you cartoony or fake-real in Overlooked?"
Is this a character close to the real Lizzy Mace?
"I think I have a bit of a range," said Lizzy. "There's one who is pretty close to myself. She's a stage manager and she bookends the show. She's possibly the closest one to me. She's basically all the negative thoughts I might have about myself. So she just bitches about the performer the whole way through and talks about how terrible the show is and how, if it was her, she would have done it differently. But, then, I've also got one sketch where I play three different fruits…"
"Fruits?" I asked.
"Fruits," said Lizzy. "The overlooked fruits. Little felt fruit things on sticks with silly voices. They get into an argument over who is the most overlooked. I think there's a range from the realistic to the closer-to-the-bone and over-the-top cartoony characters."
"All human life is there," I suggested.
"All overlooked human life," said Lizzy. "In the solo performance week in Chicago, we were doing a lot of solo improvisation and – at the end of the week when we had to pitch an idea – we had to look back at all our week of characters and try to see what the unifying theme was. I noticed that all my characters just felt secondary in their own lives. They felt like supporting characters in their own story and felt undervalued."
"So you know what my next question has to be…" I said.
"I clearly," said Lizzy, "have a lot of…"
"Issues?" I suggested.
"Material I can mine from my own…" started Lizzy, then she said: "I've always enjoyed acting, as in being someone other than myself. That's why I'm excited about doing a character show."
"Have you done straight stand-up?" I asked.
"I did Logan Murray's Stand Up And Deliver course two years ago," Lizzy replied. "He was very good at helping people discover their unique voice and bring it out. I just never got into the whole open-mic circuit – it wasn't quite me. But, in January, I teamed up with Logan to devise Overlooked. He's been my director. I've written it all myself, but he helped me to bring out what I had to bring out."
"You're also doing a second show at the Edinburgh Fringe, aren't you?" I asked.
"That also came out of Chicago. Everything I'm doing this year has come out of that trip to Chicago."
"And the second show spawned by Second City is…?"
The Cleek's new international troupe (with Lizzy bottom left)
"It's an international sketch and improv troupe called The Cleek, made up of people that I met on the course last summer. It's quite ambitious – people from the UK, America and Australia. We'll be writing it remotely, arrive in Edinburgh, probably have one day to rehearse and then we'll be up-and-running at the Fringe."
"Are Mace and Burton dead?" I asked.
"We're not doing any live stuff," replied Lizzy, "because we're both pretty busy on our own projects, but we're still working on some YouTube stuff. We've recorded some audio of us having silly conversations and we're working with an animator. Fingers crossed there will be videos on YouTube sometime this year. And the movie screenplay of our Rom Com Con show is still in the works. Plus I'm working on the Powerpoint for Juliette's next Fringe show Look At Me – and on the flyers and posters." (Lizzy is a freelance graphic designer.)
"So whither then?" I asked. "A TV show? If you do a one hour solo stage show, you normally can't transfer it to TV because there are no one hour slots for that sort of thing, but TV can pick up a sketch show or a character show. Is that your idea?"
"Well," said Lizzy, "I've always loved acting and I'd love to be in a sitcom, but just being represented by an agent and waiting for those roles to come in doesn't work, so that's why I started writing my own stuff."
"Are you represented by an agent?" I asked.
"I was until yesterday," Lizzy told me. "I belonged to a co-operative agency but it's on rocky ground at the moment, so I've left and I'm now representing myself… I am, as they say, available for representation."
"You just need to get mentioned in an increasingly prestigious and influential blog," I said. "But where can you find one of those?"
Filed under Chicago, Comedy, Theatre
Tagged as Catherine Tate, character, Ediburgh Fringe, improvisation, Juliette Burton, Lizzy Mace, Logan Murray, Luisa Omielan, Overlooked, Red Bastard, Rom Com Con, Second City, sketch, The Cleek


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text:
Which Country Is Bahamas Belong To
The Bahamas is a Caribbean country that has its own unique identity. This small island nation located in the Atlantic Ocean near the Florida coast offers a lot of advantages for both leisure and business travelers alike. It is a safe, beautiful, and culturally rich place with an amazing climate. It has the third-largest population among the Commonwealth of Nations and is the largest island between Florida and Cuba. The Bahamian flag features two stacked horizontal bands of white (top) and blue (bottom).
Which country is the Bahamas belong to
Is the Bahamas a developed country?
How is it to live in the Bahamas for a foreigner?
How does Jamaica differ from Bahamas?
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
The flag was designed by an amateur designer, who later became the first Prime Minister of The Bahamas , Sir Alexander Bustamante. Having served in various island locales prior to his stint on Abaco in 1772, he introduced a colorful yellow field with stars and stripes at the end of one which remained true to his sense of aesthetics for more than two centuries. This symbolized liberty within colonies that had yet been conquered from England's rule on the mainland during past conflicts. He also began using this pattern as early as January 1873 after Congress resolved its final session before adjournment – all while still fighting for The Bahamas' independence from Britain.
They also used yellow during the Gulf of Mexico Conflict between America and Spain as a symbol to represent their resistance against oppression, at this time purchasing arms through secret commissions to provide aid in putting down revolt on other Spanish-controlled islands in different parts of the world. These actions were then later punished by Sir Alexander's passing after his appointment… Flags details : Dimension – 621px x 461px.
The national emblem shows lion with sword standing amid palm leaves while holding an olive branch (representing peace) and three arrows (symbolizing prosperity). It is not designated into any particular official flag, but it is widely seen in Bahamian government agency logos and other legal documents as represents the association of sovereignty with God.
The national anthem was also drafted by Sir Alexander on his journey to Abaco (and after additional details like lyrics were determined). Called "Shenandoah" (a fusion of Mohawk for 'valor' and English for 'mountain'), singers have performed a shortened version since its original creation prior to 1909 poem called " Paradise Lost." It is celebrated both during the country's holidays – Independence Day from Britain when freedom was declared in 1974 – as well as over the island of New Providence on July 26 to celebrate Black History Month.
Patriotic Organizations: Following conviction with strong rhetoric regarding freedom and dictatorship, Sir Alexander formed a veteran's association after returning from The Bahamas that was dissolved only years later by new governance. This resurrected organization became one of the most powerful unaligned resistance movements against oppressive government both prior to independence (1962) and during this time period until the present day for its fight for equal rights within The Bahamas outside British rule, due to still being under it following 1963.
Economy: 1995-1997, 7.3% deregulation; per capita income in 2009 is US $15,100 USD
The tourism and development industry contributes directly to about 18% of GDP (38K jobs). The list of other industries includes transportation each others repair/maintenance as well as a two diverse fishing fleet; but key activities also include textile manufacturing, shipbuilding agricultural products fresh produce rum distilling with banana compote being the prime export due south towards Cuba Bahamas Flag Congrats all below link Bahamian Achievements Report more than six million visitors and the top 30 countries of origin.
The islands have the lowest unemployment in The Americas, but their fiscal situation has worsened by $10 million to date of 2006 and was forecasted for there is on island. Supporting nationals elsewhere with about 1% smaller than expectations spent visit annually since 2001 (annual index) used as the Bahamas will be shared if insurance at US$14 billion USD provided basic shelter net use a household income average level range then utilized electricity within a great deal so fewer gasoline taxes or consumer spending products quite conservatively adjusted adjuster due to incomes paid immigrants such compared per capita received tax breakouts.
The Bahamas has been labeled "the second-worst place to live on the planet" in 2009 by Bloomberg magazine, behind Pakistan and ahead of North Korea. Among the alleged reasons for this are low socio-economic standards and rampant crime – but Forbes reports that the Bahamian government should be applauded more than they have ever before.
The Bahamas displays low poverty, with children living in their Caprivi communities enjoying the same amenities as other local kids.
With excellent education and health care, coupled with a high national standard of living (GDP per ct), the economy is rapidly recovering after several years of economic hit-and-miss: banks are thriving; manufacturing booms; opportunities exist in every facet including new codes to simplify availability management via e-commerce on popular internet portals like Amazon, eBay & AliExpress; plus enormous expectation may be expressed towards what impact offshore wind power can have in these islands.
The numerous government Cabinet can be a crucial element of the overall administration's ability to directly affect economic development and people employed. The Cabinet consists of senior management representatives alongside two advisers appointed by their PMO including one from business, one from the trade union, an economist/statistician & co-ordinating resource person in addition to:
The power belongs at this level particularly since its members are responsible for deciding how budgeted funds should be spent across departments. Decision making is made using several methods among which include public consultations during days or weeks' duration; being informed as well because everything else
It's possible to watch Caribbean Pearl, Catamaran Cruising Magazine, and the Bahamas Marine News which post new articles on a regular basis. You can purchase Yachts directly from Key West or Miami through places like Royal Direct (USA), Hills End Boats (Bahamas) Boat Buoy(UK).
The Bahamas is a paradise for tourists and expatriates. It is the best place to live for a foreigner. The country has beautiful beaches, clear water, a tropical climate, unique culture, and great entertainment. The country is well-known for its financial institutions, banks, as well as its friendly people. In addition to that, it is a great place to start a business or to invest money.
The Bahamas is a paradise for expatriates. Many foreigners have chosen to live in the country and make their home there, sometimes just for lengthy vacations or work assignments.
The Bahamas is a paradise for vacation and work. There are no taxes, but you pay duty fees which are collected by the Customs Department at customs checkpoints along with other items that tourists or visitors bring into the country.
The Daily News (Bahamas) is completely international, so Bahamian expatriates that have a computer with an internet connection and an email account at home can stay on top of what is happening in their homeland anywhere around the world. They not only get local information but also many other countries' news as well, mostly related to job opportunities and business.
The Bahamas is a great country for expatriates who love the lifestyle of living and working in another culture. The cost of living, education, health care, etc., can be very affordable when compared with other countries at this time. There are many things about life that will make one want to spend their whole lives abroad trying out new experiences from work to play through friends and family back home..if you don't mind leaving Ocean Drive on every kind of day!
The Bahamas is a sovereign island country in the Atlantic Ocean, located about 1,500 miles east of Miami, Florida. The Bahamas consists of more than 700 islands, with over 400 inhabited islands. It has a total land area of approximately 400 square miles and an estimated population of around 430,000 people as of 2017. The capital city is Nassau on New Providence Island.
Does Jamaica Differ From Bahamas?
The Bahamas is a nation, whereas the word "Jamaica" describes both an island and the surrounding land. The capital city of Jamaica is Kingston on the northern end of its namesake island, in contrast to Nassau which faces New Providence Island across Lyford Cay.
Who Is The Leader Of The Country?
The Queen Elizabeth II.
Is The Bahamian Currency Called, "The Bahamian Dollar?"
No. The official currencies is either the US dollar or British pound sterling in equal proportions, along with other foreign currencies in circulation having their own names and exchange rates.
What Are The Top Popular Areas To Live In Bahamas?
Nassau, New Providence/Paradise Island, Freeport and Cat Cay.
How Long Can You Stay In A Visa-free Entry Of Country?
It varies with each individual's status. There is no limit for US citizens with proof of return or onward travel privileges required within 6 months on arrival date and no requirement for reentry at any point thereafter. For those who live outside Guyana or Trinidad only, there is also a 3 month maximum stay allowed as temporary residents.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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You are here: Information > Product Catch all > Barlow
Barlow
Type:Village
Commonside
S18 7SJ
Tel01246 345777/8
A friendly village in beautiful walking country.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the village was owned by Richard D'Abitot, whose family changed their name to De Barley in the 1200s. The village became known as Barley and this spelling can be found up to the 17th Century. Robert Barley was Bess of Hardwick's first husband, when Bess was only 15 years old. Robert died in 1532, less than a year after the marriage, and is buried in St Lawrence's Church in Barlow. The following year, James Barley sold the village to the Earls of Shrewsbury and it came into Bess of Hardwick's possession when she married her fourth and last husband, George Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury.
Today, Barlow is known for its well dressings which are unusual not only for their size but also for the way they are dressed. Villages out in the Peak District use flower petals to dress their wells but, in Barlow, they use whole flower heads. It's said that the village has been dressing wells this way since Elizabethan times.
Barlow is much loved by anglers because of the Barlow Fishery where both trout and coarse fishing is available. If you've always wanted to fish but never had the chance, book a lesson with their professional tutors. They say that the training lake is so well stocked that learners can start catching fish from the word go!
Visit Barlow in August for the Carnival Parade, well dressings and flower festival in St Lawrence's Church, which dates back to 1150.
Picnic site
From North/SouthLeave M1 at junction 29 and take A617 to Chesterfield (approx 4 miles). At traffic light controlled roundabout select middle lane and take 3rd exit. At next roundabout select right lane and take 2nd exit. Keep in right hand lane and go straight on through traffic lights and round Crooked Spire Church. Select right hand lane. At traffic lights go straight on. Keep to right hand lane as approach large roundabout with car park in middle. Follow signs to Sheffield round the roundabout. At mini roundabout take 1st exit (B6051, Newbold Road). Follow road (going straight on at all mini roundabouts) to traffic lights. Select right lane and go straight on. Follow road for approx 2½ miles to Barlow.
From East Take A617 to Chesterfield then follow route from North/South.
From West Follow A619 to Chesterfield. At traffic light controlled roundabout (Matalan) select middle lane and take 2nd exit, turning left onto Rutland Road. Select right hand lane and turn right at traffic lights. Follow road straight on through traffic lights. At roundabout select left lane and take 2nd exit passing multi-storey car park. At mini roundabout take 1st exit (B6051, Newbold Road), then follow route from North/South.
Barley Mews Cottages
Three charming, luxury, dog friendly barn conversation cottages in a quiet cul-de-sac on…
Carpenters Lodge
Carpenters Lodge is in the village of Marsh Lane on the edge of the Peak District…
Cruck Barn Cottage, DronfieldLocated above the pretty village of Barlow, five miles west of Chesterfield, "Cruck Barn Cottage" has been lovingly renovated and offers cosy and luxurious accommodation for couples.
Tickled Trout at Barlow, DronfieldOne of the best places to eat in Derbyshire, the Tickled Trout prides itself on serving great pub food alongside innovative specials using the highest quality artisan ingredients available from local suppliers who we know and trust.
Barlow Country Club, DronfieldOn the edge of the Derbyshire Peak District and quite close to the South Yorkshire border, Barlow Trout and Coarse Fishery is set in 50 acres of beautiful scenery, offering anglers a choice of fly fishing or coarse angling in separate lakes
Saturday, 20th August 2022 - Saturday, 20th August 2022
Barlow CarnivalBarlow Carnival is a week packed full of fun and entertainment for all the family. The highlight of the week is Carnival Day with a parade, Carnival Queen, floats, bands and fancy dress through the village.


Generation GenericAs the world shrinks and every place starts to look more and more like everyplace, it is heartening to see how many new ideas are coming from a generation that was raised in Shopping Malls and on Starbucks. Maybe the disappearance of the Mom and Pop Shop has shaped the creative urges of Generation Generic (Gen Gen?). Judging by the numbers of requests we get on a daily basis, I'm pretty much convinced of the deep longing for something that's been lost, both by artists and by patrons.
I couldn't agree less. Little boxes have taken on new proportions in every sense. Much as I admire the impressive slivers of glass and other fanciful new architecture, my heart gravitates to brownstone and brick, the little boxes of a lost era. I ache for grass, trees, wooden floors and brick chimneys. I want to live with the kinds of precious things that feel beautiful. I am certain that characterlessness does not provide the best context for living. That is simply an excuse to create soulless art, a reflection of a soulless culture. Perhaps characterlessness makes us want to create that which makes us feel. I'm holding on to the hope that there are still soul-seeking neighbors who feel as I do… we need to provide spaces that nurture us.
Could it be that the more things stay the same, the more they change?
Posted on July 3, 2010 by Cell Theatre and filed under Un-Blog Me! and tagged nancy manocherian un-blog me!.


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2019 Peach Jam preview from a UK perspective
Like always, UK will have numerous targets playing in the final EYBL event of the year.
By Jason Marcum and BigBlueDrew Jul 10, 2019, 4:49pm EDT
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Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Arguably the top high school basketball event of the year is set to take place this week in North Augusta, South Carolina.
The 2019 Peach Jam will be held July 10-14 and will mark the final stop of the Nike EYBL circuit. The top AAU teams from around America will make their way to South Carolina to try to win the title and get some exposure while they're at it.
This last stop on the EYBL circuit will also be a live period, allowing coaches to have more interaction with the recruits than other times during the summer. There is sure to be a packed house of eager coaches in the audience each and every day until a champion is crowned on Sunday.
Per usual, the field is once again loaded with Kentucky recruits. So, let's take a look at Kentucky's top targets going into the event, starting with the EYBL 2019 MVP — Cade Cunningham.
Cade Cunningham - Texas Titans
It seems like a forgone conclusion that Cunningham will head to the Oklahoma State Cowboys after his brother was hired on the coaching staff. But according to Cunningham himself, his recruitment is still "wide open." I seriously doubt that, but the Peach Jam will provide an opportunity for other coaches to provide their pitch.
Sharife Cooper - AOT Running Rebels
Cooper is another elite point guard and someone that could really fit in well at Kentucky. After earning USA Today Player of the Year awards last season, he picked up where he left off last summer by making the First-Team All-EYBL. The Auburn Tigers are a strong contender for Cooper, so events like the Peach Jam are important for UK to make their presence felt. With Kentucky focusing a lot of time and energy on players like Daishen Nix, it's very possible that Cooper makes his pledge to the Tigers very soon.
N'Faly Dante - Mokan Elite
The precarious case of N'Faly Dante continues on for another day. The 6-foot-11 big man is still polishing his game, but has been a force on the Nike EYBL circuit where he also earned First-Team honors. Most people believe he is down to the Oregon Ducks and Kentucky Wildcats, and he left Lexington a few weeks ago without committing. So, fans will have to wait another day(s) to see exactly where Dante is on when and where to play his college basketball. Mokan Elite will play in Pool-C against Cooper's team, and it would shock me not to see some UK presence during those opening-round pool play games.
Paolo Banchero - Seattle Rotary Style
Banchero is one of the few players in the class of 2021 to hold a scholarship offer from UK. He earned Second-Team All-EYBL honors this summer and is emerging as an elite prospect at his position.Bancheor hails from Seattle, Washington, so beating out the hometown Huskies will be a tall task for this elite west coast recruit.
Brandon Boston - AOT Running Rebels
BJ Boston is clearly a priority for the Cats, who appear to be battling it out with the Duke Blue Devils. He's also teaming up with Sharife Cooper, and the two have talked about playing at UK. A backcourt of Cooper and Boston is something else. The AOT Running Rebels will be a tough out in this year's Peach Jam.
Jonathan Kuminga - NY Renaissance
Another 2021 prospect to hold an offer from UK is the extremely talented Jonathan Kuminga. At 6-foot-9 he has been described as the best two-way player on the EYBL circuit. This is a name you should remember for the future as Kuminga has elite athleticism. His brother plays at Texas Tech, so the Red Raiders likely have the early lead in this recruitment.
Isaiah Todd - Nightrydas Elite
The top-ranked player in North Carolina was once a reclass candidate for Kentucky's 2019 class, but he opted to remain in 2020. 247 Sports' No. 3 power forward in the nation and the No. 20 player overall, Todd also has offers from North Carolina, Villanova, Virginia and Memphis. He'll be teaming up with fellow 2020 UK recruit Scottie Barnes with Nightrydas Elite, though it seems UK isn't much of a threat to land Barnes at this stage.
Cliff Omoruyi - New York Renaissance
One of the first big men to score an offer from UK in the 2020 was Clifford Omoruyi. Part of that may have been due to the fact that Omoruyi could reclassify into 2019 if he wanted, but it seems UK is more interested in him as 2020 recruit, which is where he's staying for now. Omoruyi is a long, athletic big man who should become a great rim protector in college, but his offensive game is very raw at this stage.
Terrence Clarke - Expressions Elite
One of the best 2021 has to offer, Terrence Clarke is also a strong UK target who was one of the first in his class to get a scholarship offer from Coach Cal. The No. 3 overall recruit has also been mentioned as a reclass candidate, and UK has several crystal ball predictions.
The Peach Jam is one of the most recognized events in all of college basketball recruiting. Besides the names mentioned above, there will certainly be some players who make a name for themselves at the event.
Cam'Ron Fletcher - Brad Beal Elite
The most recent 2020 recruit to score a UK offer is Cam'ron Fletcher, who has been rising up the rankings this year. He's now No. 37 overall at 247 Sports and has offers from North Carolina, Kansas, Michigan State and Oregon among others. The athletic wing has previously said he wants to decide before his senior season. With many UK targets planning to announce in the spring, Fletcher may be the Cats' best bet at a commitment before next season.
Other names to watch: Jaemyn Brakefield, Mady Sissoko, Hunter Dickinson, Lance Ware, Jamal Mashburn Jr, Jaden Hardy, Moussa Diabaté, Zion Harmon.
Go here for more info on all of the recruits playing in the 2019 Peach Jam.
Is UK in the lead for N'Faly Dante?


Brantford-based crime writer Catherine Astolfo has won another Arthur Ellis Award for excellence in Canadian crime writing.
It's Astolfo's second award, once again in the short story category.
This time it's for The Outlier.
She collected her award at a gala presentation in Toronto.
"It was really thrilling," Astolfo said in an interview.
She won for the first time in 2012 for her short story, What Kelly Did.
The Arthur Ellis Award is a wooden statue of a condemned man ready for execution. The Arthur Ellis handle come from the pseudonym taken by Canada's last hangman.
Best first crime novel went to Full Curl by Dave Butler. It's the latest in his Jenny Willson series about a tough warden in Banff National Park.
Best crime novel was won by Peter Robinson for Sleeping in the Ground. Robinson grew up in the United Kingdom, and now divides his time between Toronto and Richmond, Yorkshire. Sleeping in the Ground is the twenty-fourth book in the bestselling Inspector Banks series.
Toronto Star columnist Linwood Barclay, now an internationally bestselling author of adult crime novels, won for his young adult book, Chase – Get Ready to Run.
Astolfo's The Outlier is about an older man who lives in Newfoundland, but he's not a native of the island, which is why he is called an outlier, Astolfo explained.
"He catches a person breaking into an old man's home. He tackles the burglar and ties him up. The police department is not open till the morning. So he, shall we say, entertains the burglar. As the hours go by, different secrets begin to emerge."
A retired elementary school principal, Astolfo moved to Brantford with her husband in 2014. She is the author of the Emily Taylor Mystery Series about an amateur sleuth who is also an elementary school principal.
She wrote Sweet Karoline, about a Brantford-area woman searching for her roots after the mysterious death of her best friend. She penned Up Chit Creek, a "cosy" tongue-in-cheek novella about older people mysteriously getting killed off in a retirement residence.
And she has written numerous short stories in magazines and anthologies.
After twice winning an Arthur Ellis Award in the short story category, Astolfo said she wonders if that is her niche in the crime writing genre.
"They might be what I do best," she said.
"I certainly enjoy writing them."


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Home Social News "Stop making drama" Pahang regent apologises to activist for being late and...
"Stop making drama" Pahang regent apologises to activist for being late and requested the police to leave her alone
Last week, the Head of Pahang Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Noor Jehan Abu Bakar, suddenly found herself caught in a drama after she tweeted about the VVIPs who were 2 hours late in the tree planting event she was at.
Her tweet claimed that the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal and other high-ranking officers were 2 hours late for the Buffer Zone Ecosystem Restoration Programme that was held in Pantai Chenor, Kemaman, Terengganu.
Noor Jehan said the event was supposed to start at 8 am and she had to travel all the way from Kuantan to attend it. However, the VVIPs arrived at 10.18 am, which was about 2 hours after the scheduled time.
However, Noor Jehan did not expect that her tweet will spark outrage among netizens with some accusing her of attempting to defaming the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal, the event's organisers Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) as well as the Kuantan City Council.
Following that, it is said that some parties had lodged police reports against her and she was finally summoned by the police for investigation over the post she made on 18 July.
In a follow up thread, Noor Jehan explained that at the police station, she was asked a total of 9 questions, 7 of which were of the tweet itself.
"They did not confiscate my phone, alhamdulillah. They also treated me courteously. They thanked me for coming in to be questioned. I thanked them also for making it fast," she said.
They did not confiscate my phone, alhamdulillah.
They also treated me courteously
I was accompanied by my lawyer, Hon Kai Peng.
— 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈 (@KucingKuncitara) July 25, 2022
"I hope the people who reported me…. may you be increased in stupidity a thousandfold more. You just wasted the taxpayers money just to please your 'masters'."
She then asked why she was brought in by the police for something small but they have yet to take action against Najib even though hundreds of reports were made against him.
"A few reports against me and I was called up. What about the 100s of reports from all across the country against Najib that has not seen any progress? A makcik making soaps at home is more of a threat than a humungous kleptocrat," she added.
Meanwhile, Noor Jehan's post has managed to capture the attention of the Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal himself and he had since apologised to Noor Jehan and explained that he was recovering from a high fever.
In addition, he also told the police to not stir up further drama over the incident.
"I have just found out about this. I have asked the police to leave her alone, please don't create drama," he wrote.
"My personal message to Noor Jehan Abu Bakar: My sincere apologies for being late to the event. I was not feeling well that morning and had to take a few precautions for everyone's safety. I really appreciate your time and concern. Thank you," he added.
What do you think about this? Share your thoughts!
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Hi! I'm Emily, and in less than three weeks I will be on my first international flight headed for Thailand. I am both excited and nervous for the trip. I'm starting to think about packing, how long the flight will be, and how I will manage to not lose my new passport (with its unflattering and awkward picture).
My Senior Project to Thailand is full of firsts for me. It will be my first time out of the country (besides to Niagara Falls in third grade…), and this also will be my first time completing 50 hours of service in one week. Thailand will be the longest trip (in terms of days) I have ever been on, and my longest time spent on an airplane. I'm excited to fully immerse myself in a new culture and meet new people, try new food, and see Bangkok and Chiang Mai, along with the Elephant Nature Park. I am even excited that I will be in Japan for a few hours between flights.
Thailand will be my first time overseas, and I am ready for the experience. I know it will be unlike anything I have ever encountered. Most people take their first trip out of the country to Europe or even an island in the Caribbean, so going to Thailand is definitely exciting. I am nervous about the food because I have never tried Thai food, and should probably be doing that within the next few weeks. The weather will be GREAT. Getting away from all of the snow and 30 degree weather in February will be relieving. The elephant and service part of the trip is where most of the group's time will be spent . I am not familiar with elephants, but I did ride one at the Philadelphia Zoo in first grade. I am excited to work with the elephants, and completing 50 hours of service will be rewarding.
I am really looking forward to Thailand and counting down the days. I'm going overseas for the first time, spending 2 weeks with my friends, and hanging out with elephants…what's not to love?
Here is a link to the park where we will be working!


An aspiring musician has won a place at a prestigious music school after getting top marks in his GCSEs.
Joshua Madine, 16, of Kilmartin Avenue, Norbury, has been offered a scholarship to study music at St Paul's School in Barnes. He scored nine A* grades, five A grades and one B grade as a pupil at the Bishop Thomas Grant School in Streatham Hill.
He said: "I am completely overwhelmed. I am glad that all my hard work has paid off. I studied almost every day for three months.
"I was a bit nervous but I think if you put the hard work in, you get the grades you deserve."
Joshua will receive free instrumental lessons when he enrols at St. Paul's in September. Recent alumni include Winston Marshall from Mumford & Sons, and Charlie Fink from Noah and the Whale.
The talented schoolboy, who plays piano and clarinet, is a member of Norbury based choir Libera. The successful choral group have recorded film soundtracks, provided backing vocals for the likes of Cliff Richard and have performed all over the world, including singing for President George Bush. Despite his success, he said he will be sad to leave his current school.
He said: "I am going to miss it. It has been a great school. I have met loads of lovely people. The teachers have been great. But I am still going to be tied to the school because my sister goes here."
Headteacher Louis Desa congratulated Joshua on his success.
He said: "His achievements are richly deserved. He is involved in a lot of things outside of school as well, but he is quite a modest person.
"We are sad to lose him but he has obtained a scholarship to one of the top schools in the country and we have no doubt he will be highly successful as his new school."
In total, 69 per cent of students at Bishop Thomas Grant School achieved five A* to C GCSE grades including English and Maths, making the school the second most improved in Lambeth. Mr Desa thanked teachers, support staff, parents and the school governors for helping to achieve the results.


The ThinkPad Yoga S1 delivers flexibility for business. It adapts to any space or situation with a 360-degree rotatable display that offers four different usage modes - Laptop, Tablet, Tent and Stand. Powerful Intel Core processor lets you sail through your business tasks, while the 12.5" multi-point touchscreen offers intuitive way to interact with Windows. And boasting legendary ThinkPad reliability and a range of business and security features, the Thinkpad Yoga S1 is the ultimate multimode business Ultrabook.
Starting at a mere 3.5 lbs. and just 0.75" thick, the ThinkPad Yoga is ultraportable — it's perfect for doers on the go.
Select models include a digitizer pen to maximize productivity on your ThinkPad Yoga. In all four modes, the digitizer pen provides a natural, fluid, writing experience and lets you take notes, sign documents, annotate PDFs, and more.
Interact with your ThinkPad Yoga by using simple, intuitive gestures directly on the 12.5" HD 10-point multitouch display. Its advanced multitouch technology provides a superior touch experience, greater responsiveness, and faster response times.
Stay productive by picking up where you left off in an instant. The ThinkPad Yoga wakes from sleep mode in less than 2 seconds and from hibernation in less than 7 seconds.


Exporting services for all agricultural produce: flowers, vegetables, herbs and spices, non-citrus as well as citrus fruit.
Flexible flights tailored to meet the grower's needs.
Land arrangements in Holland enabling efficient distribution of produce to several destinations at minimum cost.
Guidance and accompaniment in transition to private exporting.
Establishing contact between grower and buyer.
Transport logistics for private growers and finding creative, efficient and profit maximizing marketing solutions for a variety of produce for Central and Eastern Europe.


Rebecca became a part of the Coombs Veterinary Hospital family at the beginning of April 2015 after moving to Canada from England the year prior.
Having previously worked as an Emergency Dispatcher, Rebecca decided to make a career change to the Veterinary field. The part of her job that she most enjoys is caring for pets as they recover from surgery and giving them lots of love and attention.


Torino have officially bought up half of Nicola Bellomo from Bari for a reported €1.4m.
The 22-year-old midfielder had been in a co-ownership deal between Bari and Chievo, but now Toro are in the partnership with the Verona side.
Bellomo had been linked with the likes of Juventus, Inter, Napoli, Milan and Roma.
Torino announced the news on their official website this evening.
A native of Bari, Bellomo grew up in the Bari youth academy and played for the club throughout his career, save for the 2010-11 season on loan at Barletta.


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Home » Music » Circling back around, Wagons return with Songs from the Aftermath
Circling back around, Wagons return with Songs from the Aftermath
08/08/2019 Comments Off on Circling back around, Wagons return with Songs from the Aftermath
In October 2018, after four years on hiatus, the Melbourne band Wagons reunited for what was billed as a "one-off" show in their home town, at Americana music festival Out on the Weekend.
One-off? But surely with the band's 20th anniversary coming up in 2019, this rowdy crew of outlaw country music mischief-makers couldn't stop there? Of course not.
Henry Wagons returns with his band's seventh album and a national tour. Credit:Wilk
In February 2019 came the anniversary shows in Sydney and Melbourne. And then came the announcement, to whoops from both audiences, that after five years, a new Wagons album was on its way.
Today, Songs from the Aftermath, Wagons' seventh full-length album, is released, their first since 2014's Acid Rain & Sugar Cane.
It was a break from the band that helped the band to not break up, says Henry Wagons, the artist formerly known as Henry Krips, who legally adopted his band's name as his own surname, cementing the band's place in his life in perpetuity.
It's a perfect time to tap into everyone's creative expression at the moment.
"We're still together, we still like each other, we still like making music with each other," says Wagons. "We didn't have a break because we hated each other; you know, it was more the 'egomaniacal frontman goes solo' adventure."
Well, not really, though he has kept busy. Given Wagons' propensity for evangelical fist-raising performance, and love of stringing together long, carefully crafted sentences, there were always going to be other fish for him to fry – or barbecue, as was also the case – while the band was off the road.
In 2014, Wagons hosted Keepers of the Flame, a Channel 10 show devoted to barbecued food. The following year, he began presenting Tower of Song, a weekly radio show on Double J dedicated to the art of songwriting. Then in 2016, he released his first full-length solo album, After What I Did Last Night … through ABC Music, ticking a Nashville recording session off his bucket list in the process.
However, it is Tower of Song, which Wagons has now presented for more than four years, that seems to have had the greatest impact on the band he started with high school friends back in 1999.
The show focuses on the art of songwriting. With Wagons having to explain what it is he likes about other people's work on a weekly basis, it forced him to look more deeply at his own.
Wagons' seventh album Songs from the Aftermath. Credit:
"I think being saturated in other people's art has definitely widened my horizons, and made me realise I've been writing the same five songs for the past 20 years, or some kind of variation," he says. "You know, I've got the minor key one, I've got the country banger, I've got the stomping barn dance, I've got the spooky TV theme, I've got the cult song. Being forced to articulate what I like about people's songs has been like shock therapy to me, like, MY GOD, it's sort of rewired my brain.
"And for better or worse, I have as a result reached out to some of those friends and songwriters who I admire, to write with and collaborate with over the past few years and that has sort of created new synaptic links in the old horse barn of my brain. So, this album is not only the re-formation of my band and some of my oldest collaborators, but it's also me at my most collaborative."
Wagons estimates he has written about half of Songs from the Aftermath with his band, most of whom have been in Wagons for the whole ride so far – Si "The Philanthropist" Francis, Mark "Tuckerbag" Dawson, Matthew "Softmoods" Hassett, Richard Blaze and John Guscott.
Wagons (from left) are Si Francis, Richard Blaze, John Guscott, Henry Wagons, Matthew Hassett and Mark Dawson. Credit:
"Everyone's in a good place, but also a lot more emotionally complicated place, of a different kind," says Wagons, who is one of several members to have embraced parenthood in recent years. Parenthood has, in turn, given Wagons and his bandmates pause to contemplate more recent world events since their last album.
"It's a perfect time to tap into everyone's creative expression at the moment," he says. "Because when you're a dad, when you're in a crazy job, when you've bought a house in the hills where the trees are falling on your roof every 30 seconds – in the case of my rhythm section – I feel Si on drums has had every single wave of pestilence come through his house that he's had to deal with, and at the same time hold up a child or two and a completely gorgeous dog while wading through the bog.
"So it's no surprise I wrote the song Cockroach with Si. That was an overarching theme of this record. How do we exist in this dystopia?"
As evidenced by that song title, Songs from the Aftermath is certainly Wagons at their darkest, but also most expansive, as they slip the grasp of their more country leanings. Hell, there's even disco beats on there.
"We've got a Eurovision song on there! Burn With Me – it's got a dash of '70s Demis Roussos about it, which is a guilty pleasure of mine," enthuses Wagons. "I'm half-thinking, if there's enough weight of popular opinion, of entering it in Eurovision next year."
Other collaborators included Alex Gow (Oh Mercy) and the enigmatic Shags Chamberlain. Once a tambourine shaker with Melbourne band the Smallgoods, Chamberlain now lives and works as a producer and musician in Los Angeles after being convinced to relocate there by American musician Ariel Pink.
"When I pulled up at his house in Highland Park in LA I said 'hey I'm here' and he says 'I'm in the shower, I'll be out in a minute. See you on the porch'," says Wagons. "So I sat on his porch and he came out in a robe, and before saying hello, proceeded to take me on a guided tour of all of his succulents.
"We then had avocado tostadas at his favourite restaurant, hung out and at a certain point in the day I thought 'we're not going to write a song today, we're just catching up', and I said to him 'Shags, do you actually want to write something today, or are we just hanging out?' and he said 'I have allocated two hours for creativity' and in those two hours we came up with the song Keep On Coming Back, which turned out to be the first single off the record. It was a funny day."
While there is a darkness to the record – the closing track, Is This the End? opens with Wagons mournfully singing "I'm giving up on not giving in/I'm throwing the towel in" – the album's title offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that we will actually be around in the "aftermath" to write songs, and not designated to history's dust.
"Well that's it! Exactly. Thank you, Jo, I'm really glad that came across," says Wagons brightly. "That's exactly the overarching theme we wanted when we were writing for this record. We all know everything's f—ed – for better or worse, you sometimes lose hope. Most of the time, thankfully, I'm trying to find the positives and trying to navigate through it."
Songs from the Aftermath is out now through Caroline/Spunk.
Wagons play at the Croxton in Melbourne on September 6 and the Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney on September 13. For tickets and more information, go to wagonsmusic.com
Friday, September 6: Croxton Bandroom, Thornbury, Victoria
Saturday, September 7: Waratah Hotel, Hobart, Tasmania
Friday, September 13: The Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney, New South Wales
Saturday, September 14: The Milk Factory – Brisbane, Queensland (acoustic)
Friday, September 27: Crown & Anchor, Adelaide, South Australia
Saturday, September 28: Mojo's, Fremantle, West Australia
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Winner of the 2013 Sundance U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award, Fruitvale Station is a heartbreaking film that tells the true story of the last day of Oscar Grant (played by Michael B. Jordon), an man shot and killed by police at Fruitvale Station on January 1, 2009. This film marks the feature film debut of Ryan Coogler and believe me, this is not the last you'll hear from him. It is his direction of Fruitvale Station that makes the film what it is.
Fruitvale Station opens with a real cell phone video of Oscar Grant's shooting and the film ends shortly after. The portion in between shows what happened on Grant's last day on Earth and is basically a set-up for the climactic scene which lasts about 20 minutes. At first, I was unimpressed by the build-up section. There is nothing really special about it, save for the fantastic acting (more on that later). However, once Grant, his girlfriend, and friends are on the BART train and the announcer says that the next stop is Fruitvale Station, my stomach dropped because I knew what was about to happen. All of what had come before was there to connect the audience emotionally to the film and help us to know the characters. The climactic scene of Fruitvale Station is what makes it the film that it is. Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordon create this sequence with such passion and forceful power that it is hard not to be desvastated. Coogler gradually cranks up the tension before the devastating fatal gunshot. The fact that he shows the audience that Grant will be dead by the end of the film makes it even more anxiety-inducing watching this scene. Knowing the ending sometimes makes films more tense because you are waiting for the horrifying conclusion to come. Watching the shooting scene in this film was one of the most powerful and saddest scenes I've ever seen. The entire theater, myself included, was outraged and shocked (some people reacted loudly to it). To watch this man be shot unjustly was really emotional. While Coogler's style isn't subtle, it does not need to be with material such as this.
Michael B. Jordon's performance as Oscar was brilliant and will surely be remembered around awards season. He creates a three-dimensional portrait of a flawed, yet inherently good, man with charm and ease. He is the other reason why the climax has the impact it has. Jordan's face is very expressive and because Coogler focuses on it during the Fruitvale Station scene, it becomes even more powerful. Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer (The Help) is Oscar's mother and delivers a strong performance. Melonie Diaz plays Oscar's girlfriend. I hope to see her in more films, as her performance is heartbreaking, especially when she has to carry much of the film's conclusion.
Overall, Fruitvale Station is an exceptional film that stands out because of its brilliant direction and commanding lead performance. While not as good as last year's Sundance-winner Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station packs a punch like few others. I was wrecked by the end of this movie. People will likely respond very well to this movie and should go see it, as this is a really important story to tell.