Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Graduate Director's Cuts: Treats

"Dave returns home to find the locks changed and his girlfriend living with another man. In an attempt to win her back, he begins to insinuate himself into their lives. Under the surface of this witty, urban love triangle is an unsettling examination of the cycles of power and abuse."

That was the story of the theatre show I went yesterday at the Brewery Theatre, right across the road from the Tobacco Factory. It was the press night for "Treats", a dramatic story of the love-triangle between Dave, Ann and Patrick set in a 1974 single room flat in London. A violent tempered Dave refuses to accept that her ex-girlfriend is living with her lover Patrick, demanding an explanation and bullying her and being overly friendly with Patrick. He finally succeeds, making both of them miserable. After watching these three young actors interpret three completely different characters, my mind keeps going round in circles. Why do we, women, always prefer the bad-boy to the nice and gentle man? Why do we like to suffer? I don't have the answer but what I thought it would be a comedy theatre play ended up being a very dramatic situation. After all, I guess they both deserve each other.

It was the second performance of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Graduate Director's Cuts season. It started last week with Laura McLean directing "Little One" by Hannah Moscovitch and last night, it was Christopher Hampton's "Treats", directed by Josey O'Neal. The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is one of the most successful and well-respected conservatoire drama schools in the UK. It attracts the very best talent in students and staff, and it’s courses are recognised nationally and internationally as a benchmark of quality in professional drama training. It has been a centre of excellence for world-class vocational training in the arts and entertainment industry since its launch in 1946. 

Would you like to go see what Bristol's artists offer? It's not too late! Book your ticket for the next performances (ticket's between £7-£12):

• "Woman and Scarecrow" by Marina Carr (directed by Siobhan Cannon-Brownlie and designed by Elina Pieridou). 12-16 May 2015

Woman lies dying of spite, attempting to avoid a confrontation with death, who waits in the wardrobe. Accompanied by Scarecrow, Woman is visited by her heartless husband, and her overbearing auntie. Moving and funny, Woman and Scarecrow is a eulogy for a wasted life, from a woman unprepared for death.

• "The boy on the swing" by Joe Harbot (directed by Laura Jasper and designed by Elizabeth Harper). 19-23 May 2015

"What if, for a small fee, you had the opportunity to meet with God. Believer or non-believer, would you be tempted? Earl Hunt is. Join him on a bizarre and unpredictable journey that challenges personal beliefs in the pursuit of happiness and the desire to believe in something more."

INTERESTING LINKS

TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRE: http://www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/

BRISTOL OLD VIC THEATRE SCHOOL: http://www.oldvic.ac.uk/
"Treats" by Christopher Hampton: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treats

Peter and the Wolf @ Tobacco Factory

I remember the timbre of oboe thanks to Peter and the Wolf. Sergei Prokofiev had the excellent idea to educate children to identify properly instruments such as oboe, clarinet, flute and bassoon by identifying them with the duck, cat, bird and Peter's grandfather in the story. He intended to cultivate the musical tastes in children from the first years of school and yet, it is an excellent piece of music for grown-ups. Now, every time I listen to the sound of the oboe, I see a duck. And every time I listen to the sound of the clarinet, I see a cat... It is that powerful what Prokofiev has done in me.

When I saw that there will be a live performance of storytelling about Peter and the Wolf and other "wild" musical tales, I got very excited. Storyteller Martin Maudsley will be performing a brand-new show that translates the enduring brilliance of Prokofiev's masterpiece into a thrilling interaction between classical music and spoken word storytelling. Even though the instruments will be different to the original ones, I am sure it will be a very beautifully performed imagery show called Little Wolf Gang. Eddy Jay will be playing the accordion, David Adams the bassoon and Fiona Barrow the violin.

Little Wolf Gang will be performed at the Tobacco Factory Theatre from 29th-31st January at 7.30pm (plus the 2.30pm matinee session on Saturday). Tickets are £9 (£7 concessions) and can be bought online on here.  

And if you don't want to go or tickets are sold out, you can always listen to Prokofiev's original version:

MORE INFORMATION

Tobacco Factory Website:
http://www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/detail/peter_and_the_wolf_and_other_wild_musical_tales/

One man and his cow @ The Tobacco Factory

Trevor, a farmer who expects to have a 6-month survival time due to a strange illness, has to decide to whom of his three children will leave his lands, properties and animals. He comes up with the brilliant idea to test his children's behaviour by asking them to look after Judy, his beloved talking cow, for a day and then ask for feedback to the only "impartial" witness: the cow. The children who takes better care of her will be the one getting Trevor's legacy... What can go wrong?

A small platform, some instruments and a few pieces of clothes: that's all these two actors called Living Spit needed to give an absolutely brilliant performance, all in rhyme and song. The Bristol-based couple of actors made everybody laugh, clap and engage non-stop for one hour at the Tobacco Factory this evening with "One man & his cow".

They have been performing "One man & his cow" for the last 3 months and the tour is coming to an end. However, they will be performing again tomorrow, 16th July 2014, upstairs at 8:00. If you have time, go. It is a free performance (although donations are very much appreciated) and I tell you won't regret it! 

If you do, make sure you arrive early as the Theatre Foyer at the Tobacco Factory. It was more of a informal session with a small platform in the corner, a bar and plenty of tables and chair. And when I say plenty, I don't mean thousands! So, make sure you arrive early, pick a good table and grab a drink to make the evening more enjoyable.

ABOUT THE VENUE

I haven't been at the Tobacco Factory before; tonight, it was my first time. I have seen it when I went beer-tasting at the Bristol Beer Factory (read here), but I have never been inside. 

The Tobacco Factory is the last remaining part of the old Wills Tobacco site in Southville. It was saved from demolition by the current mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, who had a visionary thought to convert this building into a multi-use venue. As written on the theatre's wall, the Tobacco Factory "produces and presents excellent art in unique, intimate and visceral spaces."

The building houses Teoh's restaurant, animation and performing arts school, loft-style apartments, a cafe-bar, offices and a theatre.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...
Beer-Tasting at the Bristol Beer Factory:
http://greatlittleplacecalledbristol.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/beer-tasting-at-bristol-beer-factory.html

USEFUL LINKS
Tobacco Factory: http://www.tobaccofactory.com/
"One man & his cow": http://www.thetheatreorchard.org.uk/one-man-and-his-cow.html
Living Spit: http://www.livingspit.co.uk/