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The late great Peter O’Toole, riding a camel with the best of them.

Having travelled the length of the country, visiting not one but two National Theatres and seeing a great production of Emil and the Detectives,  I’m just about ready for a real adventure. Living out of a bag and a fleet of sleeper buses – I feel 2014 has begun the way it intends to continue. It will be a year of travel and, if the Scots are to be believed, a year of “Homecoming”… Well I hope so anyway.
On the 7th I began an epic trip up to Aberdeen via NTS in a brief stop off in Glasgow. (Many thanks to Gillian Gourlay for her invite and a cup of tea, so freshly arrived off the Megabus.) The purpose of this journey was to meet with World Film productions for an intensive session going over the script for their new film, Utopia. I was drafted in as script supervisor and continuity to review the dialogue, which had been translated in and out of Iranian Farsi a number of times.

http://www.utopia-movie.com/

The other part of my mission to Aberdeen was to finish organising visa documents and photos for a number of filming locations. As part of the project, I am hoping to visit some very-exciting places, some that few people from the UK are lucky enough to visit. There certainly won’t be a guide book. So, part of my New-year’s resolution this year is to keep a travel journal. I aim to write as frequently as possible with news and updates from my adventures. Seems as good a reason as any to fire up the old dot-blogspot! To find out where I’m heading – be sure to watch this space. Happy New year!

Walter Kress’s Autobiography From the Holocaust to the Highlands.Cover designed by Christine Molden.

On Wednesday 27th of November, I met Walter Kress. In a café opposite the Cockfosters tube station the 83 year old Walter greeted me in a thick Scots accent from his adopted home-town of Aberdeen. In spite of having moved to North London in the early fifties, as I was reminded, he was a spiritual Scot, with heart decidedly still in the highlands. However this was not Walter’s most drastic relocation. At the age of eight, he left Nazi occupied Vienna for Britain.

Much to my disbelief, Walter was born an Austrian and a Jew. His parents fled with him in 1936 escaping a fate shared by many of his relatives; as described in his autobiography, From the Holocaust to the HIghtlands. It makes for a very interesting read, but how is it Walter’s story comes to appear on this blog? While still working on INFERNO, I was handed a couple of Walter’s books and a pile of correspondence between Walter and the Tivoli. Along with this pile of materials, the theatre manager asked me the question as to whether there was a possibility of making it into a play. A question best asked to Walter.

While at this stage there are a lot of possibilities and not too many specifics, there will no doubt be more posts relating to Holocaust to the Highlands. The meeting’s outcome was very positive and I left with a number more books and a new project.

As if I needed further reasons to revisit Aberdeen, it looks like I will be back in the Tivoli after all.

INFERNO opens in the Tivoli Theatre

We did it! On Sunday night the curtain went down on the last performance of a short but, never the less, historical production. Following a gauntlet of problems involved in operating a theatre which had not opened its doors in 50 years, INFERNO left a mark in the venue’s history.

The play was well attended by an audience that braved the temperature of our Arctic auditorium. A first performance and a Halloween weekend, it was an honour to bring life back into the building.  We must thank those that attended and those that made the event possible.

The cast, Sophie and myself, minutes before the curtain raised on the Sunday.

From handing out posters, to running auditions and building the set, Thank you for all your help:

CENTRE STAGE; ALEX WHITESIDE; DOUGIE MORGON;ANDREW TENNANT; ROSEMOUNT CC ; CLAIRE HAMILTON; OLD TORRY CC; LESLEY-ANNE; DAVID;  FAYE; SEVENTEEN, BELMONT STREET; MAGGIE CRUIKSHANK; ABERDEEN ARTS CENTRE; SCOTTISH OPERA WARDROBE; MIRIAM McSHARRY; ELLIE WAGSTAFF; JAMES COLLINS; TIVOLI THEATRE COMPANY; ALEX WOEHLING; NATHAN YOUNG; LILY PATTERSON.

KICKSTARTER

On top of this list we must also thank the backers of our Kickstarter campaign who together raised a total of £2088 to put towards INFERNO at the Tivoli Theatre.

Tivoli Green room

Andrew Bywater
Right Here Productions
Elisabeth Thorson
David Wardrop
Robert Baker
Emma Rochford
James Maxwell
Paul Mitchell
Francisca Stangel
John Burns
Stephen O’Sullivan
Andrew Morrison
Kenneth Watt
Douglas Auld
Bruce Roscoe
Caroline Lewis
Nuala Bywater
Rhona Mitchell

Tivoli in action!

Dr Christopher Bywater
Martin John Porter
John Creamer
Jacqui Winchester
Jim Steel
Lucy Thompson
Tony McGettigan
Thomas Creamer
Ursula Scholz
Fergus McGonigal
Dmitry Voronov
Sue Walker
Danilo Salvatore Carlucci
Jane O’Sullivan
Patricia Creamer
John Edgar
Luke Johnson
Patsy Spicer
Nigel Collis
Andi Watson

And so INFERNO’s brief run has come to an end. However, be sure to continue to check our website and blog for the latest news about possible future projects. We will be sure to keep you up to date about anything that comes about of this improbable but enjoyable production.

With much love and best regards,

Tom.

“Will these hands ‘ere be clean?”

Assembled in the dressing room.

WE MADE IT!

In the past 48 hours we have received the fantastic news that our Kickstarter fund had come in under the allotted time and over the asked amount. It is the end of a funds drive which has found almost 38 backers from across the globe in under a month. 

To help persuade our public we spent some time making a video and a full profile to fully showcase our aims, talented cast and ambitions. It was great fun to do, despite some initial awkwardness and camera shyness, and we even managed to persuade STV news to come and film us do it! We began our KICKSTARTER campaign on the 19th September and were amazed to see the interest and support for the project grow steadily. From pledges from America from generous strangers with faith in us, to pledges made more locally, we were touched and delighted to see our total rise as our deadline got closer.

On the 18th October our target of £2000 was taken to the even greater height of £2088 by the kindness of the Kickstarter community, friends, family and generous supporters from all over the world. We could not have been more thrilled to reach our goal and we hope that the consequences of this financial boost will be evident in the show that you will see this evening. It would not have been possible without the kind pledges of those both known and unknown to us, and so, without further ado, several massive THANK YOU!’S are in order!

“Something Wicked this Way Comes!”

With 2 weeks left until Strindberg appears on the Tivoli stage, a ghostly likeness is appearing around Old Aberdeen… 

+ INFERNO Kickstarter campaign Begins it’s final week  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tbywater/inferno-in-the-tivoli-theatre

Poster Pillar on Upper Kirkgate.

What’s that at the bottom of your glass? 1000 INFERO beermats!

Lastly, our Kickstarter Campaign is entering its last week and with 82% of our £2000 from 29 backers, we have never been so close. As the bid for pledges closes this Friday at one minute to midnight, we are entering final home straight. With £349 required to bring INFERNO and the Tivoli to life, we are looking for any and all assistance that can be spared. It is your chance to bag some Strindberg-esque memorabilia and even to secure your name in our programme before it goes off to print on Friday. Hopefully!
If you haven’t yet done so do go and have a look at our campaign page. We have a nice video with a 60 second synopsis of the play to wet your theatrical taste-buds.

Many thanks! Campaign-counter embedded below to keep an eye on our progress:

Rosemount CCA website: http://www.rosemountcca.org.uk/

Box Office Stocks our Tickets!
http://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/events/inferno

We’ll be along to check your stubs and usher you in, for the first time in nearly five decades. Please take a seat (or two). It’s showtime!

Strindberg, upon announcing INFERNO opening in the Tivoli, Aberdeen.

Special “K”

Our Kickstarter is gathering momentum and gaining support at a third of the goal already reached. If you have anything going spare after having bought your ticket, do check out our campaign page to see the range of exciting incentives we have in exchange for pledges.  

We have had a fantastic response! At the moment we are a whopping £505 pounds pledged from 12 backers. That is a quarter of our goal in place but the cut off date is fast approaching. Thank you to all those who have already pledged. It’s really enjoyable campaign and one that is gathering momentum.

We have a number of exciting announcements to make shortly regarding publicity and ticketing. Until then have a look at our video. It includes a 60 second synopsis, for those still unsure as to what it’s all about.

Take care and be sure to share!

This week in INFERNO  STV spot and a beagle’s reaction to Strindberg 

Memorable INFERNO related incident of the week:

Looking to do some extra work finishing act III, we relocated to the Torry Battery. Partially for the scenic views, partially to avoid over-running and competing with the knitting club for use of the community centre, but mostly to allow Hoffman – a castmember’s pet beagle – to stretch his legs.

It was Hoffman’s first introduction to Strindberg and an educational experience for all. It was one that resulted in the dog chewing a number of scripts and a Strindberg mask. However, this wasn’t necessarily a statement by the puppy or a reflection on the quality of work. As it turned out Hoffman was just experiencing some teething problems.

Hoffman, Theatre Critic.

Hoffman is introduced to Strindberg

The INFERNO Cast, Centre Stage at the Tivoli.

Photocall in the Tivoli

Yesterday, the 17th of September, the cast of INFERNO met up in the Tivoli Theatre to get some photos of the old auditorium and make a promotional video for the new Kickstarter campaign. Many thanks to Mike Silva for turning up to do some fantastic camera work for the INFERNO. The results of which will soon be appearing here! It was a great opportunity to tread the boards and get a feeling for things to come in October.

Mike is also currently producing a short film, Remains of Time,  based in Aberdeen. for more info and a sneak peek take a look at his website: http://www.remainsoftime.com

Here are a selection of the pictures from yesterday, to wet appetites. It’s shaping up to be a quite a show.
  

STV interview for the 6 O’clock news.

Mike Sivla captures some Strindberg look-a-likes.

A familiar face…

Eliot Hardy, Libbie Beint and Austyn Robb, getting into character.

Filling the space.

INFERNO is looking for funds. If you have the time check out our Kickstarter project and have a look at some of the incentives on offer. From books to beer mats, seats to Strindberg-masks, there are a number of rewards on offer, to thank those donating and taking part!
   

Our Project comes to Kickstarter.com

( http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tbywater/inferno-in-the-tivoli-theatre)

Exciting news. Hot on the heels of the last post: we now have our Kickstarter campaign up and running. We are looking for supporters and donations. In order to source support and funding we have turned to the Kickstarter community. To put on an original play to a professional standard we are looking to find £2000 of crowd funding. This not insubstantial amount will go towards paying for the actors’ hours and period costume. It all adds up. However, In order to entice contributions we have come up with a number of novel incentives and rewards. Including books, beer-mats and the likeness of August Strindberg himself. 

Looking to raise funds and awareness: we have a cast, we have a great venue, and we have three performance dates set in stone. Now its up to you to clothe our naked ambition! (Some costume for the actors wouldn’t hurt either. These Victorian variety theatres aren’t renowned for their warmth!)

So to check it out, make a pledge and take part in the action, follow this link:
 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tbywater/inferno-in-the-tivoli-theatre