Tag: Gawkagogo Freakshow

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Tragic Cabinet Freakshow Twin Application Symposium and Waterloo East Busking!

Another 4 months appears to have zipped past.  They do that don’t they?

Well, in April I was being all tragic in a masked version of The Bacchae for Chris Vervain which was filmed for use in schools.  Helloooooooooooo Thebes!

In May I had another private Lois of the Lane gig and then subsequently found myself hanging out at Paul Zenon‘s cabinet of Curiosities at the Brighton Fringe:

I was generally being a helpful sailor and keeping an eye on Paul Garner‘s freakshow artwork:

June saw me freaking out with the Gawkagogo Freakshow again – this time at the Udderbelly on the Southbank as part of the Time Out Live Friday Night Freakshow.  There was pigging and a bit of Siamese Twin action:

(Lots of black wig wearing going on over the past few months!)

Also finally put in an application to the Arts Council in June, for funding to re-develop and re-vamp Super Situation.  ALL TOES ARE CROSSED.  I’ve just been on a fund raising course too, so NOTHING WILL STOP ME…

Moving on to July, last Thursday I was part of Jennifer Farmer’s 10 minute slot during the Brand writers symposium at the Southbank Centre as part of the London Literature Festival.  She presented 4 small sections of piece she is developing entitled ‘thefadingcity’ which will ultimately be a large scale immersive theatre piece.  I was doing random, absurd, interactive improvised stuff with kitchen implements, imaginary toxic ingredients and song.  Love it 🙂

Coming up…

I’m putting on Super Situation and Glitch at the (almost) newly opened Waterloo East Theatre on Brad Street next week.  Here be map.  Also on the bill is ‘Baby Rice Cakes’ by Michele Hallak; performed by Michele and the Director of Super Situation: Jamie Rocha Allan.  (We have the honour of being the first professional shows on there – whoop!)  Important details below:

Thurs 22nd and Fri 23rd of July

7:30pm – Super Situation
9pm – Baby Rice Cakes followed by Glitch

£8 for one time slot, £10 for both

Box Office: 0207 928 0060

Click here for Facebook event.

It’s part of the Best of Festivals season produced by Theatre6 which is warming up the theatre before it officially opens in September.  Looking forward to cracking on with rehearsals next week 🙂

In August I’m going to be disappearing off to the Edinburgh Fringe to do a bit of busking for just over a week.  As yet, I still have to dust off my guitar and come up with the songs, but, seemingly, I like a challenge!

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The March-ing of Time

Erk – another long update hiatus. As ever, stuff’s been going down despite the radio silence.

First up, I had some marvellous new headshots taken at the end of October by Ceri Ashcroft.  They are waiting in the electronic pile of bits to upload to my website when I manage to squeeze a long overdue website updating session in.  Soon I hope!  Soon…  Here is one of ’em for now:

There are more on my Spotlight CV if yer interested.

The beady eyed of you will also notice on said CV that I have an agent!  I’m now represented by Sharon Foster Management 🙂

Over a couple of Sundays in October I also got round to recording my little song with my bruv.  It’s called ‘Really and True’ and it’s been uploaded to the site for a while now so you can listen to it here. ( For those with a more offend-able disposition than my own, there is mild ‘language’ from the start…)  It’s me on guitar, kazoo and vocal and my bro on thigh slapping, faux glockenspiel and faux accordion.  Very pleased with how it’s turned out.  There’ll be a proper link to it added during my next update session and, at some point, there’ll be a video for it too.  Raaaah!

In December, the Gawkagogo Freakshow descended upon The Lowry:

Much freakiness abounded and I got enjoy being part of the inaugural outing of the all new, literally all singing, all dancing Siamese Twin act, as well as the premier of the new Beatnik Piggy act and various other freaky gubbins.  More Freakshow news at some point in the near future…

As for Lois of the Lane, she performed at the Comedy Cabin at the end of October and has had her a private gig so far this year at the RVT, with another private gig booked for elsewhere in May.  On the Super Situation front, plans are still afoot for the next stage of the show.  STILL VERY EXCITED!

Coming up, I’m going to be involved in a film production of The Bacchae in April.  Amongst other things, it’ll be a great chance to learn a good chunk of lines again.  (So much silent performing over the past few years – which I LOVE, but speech based things do also most definitely float the boat.)  Until then though, there must be a veritable cracking on with the stuff that needs to be done.  Let me at ’em…

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What a to-do

Whilst all quiet on the blog front it’s been all go in the real world…

My new show Super Situation was somehow finished in time after me spending most of the year hurtling at breakneck speed towards the ever looming deadline.  We had a great couple of previews at Theatre 503 at the end of July and then off I headed to The Bongo Club for the whole of August for this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Wearing a Super Hero outfit almost every day for a month really ain’t that bad and a great time was had by all.  You can find reviews, photos and the rather wonderful Extraordinary Watch blog here.

I managed to get a great team on board to help me with the show (you knows it) and the plan now is to develop the show further and get ourselves a nice tour booked.  Yum.  Lots of work to be done.

Lois of the Lane also made a number of cabaret outings up at the Fringe this year including Sweet Venue‘s open mic night, the Generation Crunch night at Bedlam Theatre, the MOOnlight Sessions at the Cow Cafe in the Underbelly and last, but certainly not least – the Bongo Club Cabaret.  Then, upon our return, she nipped straight off to do a gig in the teeny tiny Comedy Tent at the Offset Festival, where she ate lots of food and drank some oh-so-delicious free beer.

In Gawkagogo news, preparations are well underway for the next, re-vamped outing of the Gawkagogo Freakshow which will be rearing its beautifully ugly head on the 3rd of December at The Lowry in Manchester.  I’ve got one half of a great new character to get my teeth into and some new Piggy antics to attack.  Can’t wait.

Some photos of three of the characters from the Freakshow, including me as the Pig Faced Girl, are up on Alexandra Jasper‘s website – taken for her collaborative ‘Burlesque Grotesque’ book project.

Finally, after picking up my geetar on Sunday for the first time in ages, I wrote a silly little song which there’ll be a link to once I’ve got round to recording it.  For now though, the to-do list must be tamed and the backlog of my life must be vanquished.  Have at you!

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Alive and Amplified

Been beavering away over here on a new Lois of the Lane act which I’ll be performing at The Red Velvet Curtain Cult‘s ‘(Truth &) Lies’ evening at The Bethnal Green Working Man’s Club next Thursday the 19th of June.  The night’s a mask and dress up affair (dress code: Vagabonds, Butterflies, Carnival Freaks, Alter Egos, Dopplegangers, Victorian swooning ladies, Eccentric Gents, Vintage Belles, N’er do wells, Spies, Dead Poets, Faux Queens, Fake Kings, the Devil himself…) which promises: “productions and destructions, illusions and delusions and the conception of deception with performances, art, happenings, devilish delectables, oddities and conundrums galore.”.  More details here, and here’s the flyer:

After this skewed affair, I’m going to be singing Second Soprano in a piece entitled ‘Steta Speaks: The Opera’, a 6-10min piece for 9 voices – concept and text by Rachel Greaves, score by Gregory Emfietzis – at the Byam Shaw Fine Art Degree Show on Monday the 23rd of June between 6 and 8pm and then Wednesday the 25th of June between 3 and 4pm.

Then (unless anything crops up beforehand) it’ll be off to the Latitude Festival with me as The Pig-Faced Girl in the Gawkagogo Freakshow.  The Freakshow tent’s coming with us, to be pitched in what will become ‘Pandora’s Playground’, and we’ll also be headlining the Cabaret Stage on the Friday.  Lots of happy squealing from me 🙂

The Edinburgh Fringe will be waving its cheeky little hand at all and sundry after this.  I’m hopping up there a couple of times on the 9hr Coach of Joy to peddle Lois of the Lane to the masses.  Hopefully, they won’t know what’s hit ’em.  More on this when I have it…

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Headshots and Hayfever

Yes it’s that time again.

Making it for the Spotlight deadline, almost by the skin of my teeth, I’ve had some glorious new headshots taken by Kirill Kozlov.  I’ve uploaded my favourites to the gallery page.  Sarah Costley has taken some more great pictures of me too and they have also made their way to the gallery.  I took this opportunity to do a bit of code spring cleaning so the whole page should work more smoothly.  Along with this there are some more photos in the Production Shots section.  (So many pictures of me…)

On Wednesday of this week, May the 14th, we have the last Gawkagogo Freakshow in this round of shows, in which I’ll be Pig-Faced Girl-ing and clowning around.  Here’s the latest flyer:

It’s at Vibe Live, above the Vibe Bar on Brick Lane. It’ll be a superbly wrong evening’s entertainment.  (Go on. You know you want to.)

Almost lastly – there’s a podcast on Youtube about the Wooden Swordsman test I was involved in in March.  Here it is:

More information about the project can be found here.

Definitely lastly, and by no means least-ly – I’m going to be starting work on a new show imminently.  I have no idea what it’ll be, but I’m rather excited nonetheless.  Throw some money at me!!  Updates when I have ’em.

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Freaks and Swordsman

Two more dates are lined up for the extended version of the Gawkagogo Freakshow.

Here’s the flyer:

Last month’s show was a freakish success!

Aside from pigging, I’ve had an afternoon puppeteering a Wooden Swordsman during rehearsals for a pilot scene of The Dark Side of the Earth, a fantastic fantasy film.  This is the puppeteering team, and indeed the Swordsman himself, in action:

More soon, undoubtedly.

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I laugh in the face of tonsillitis. Ha!

So, the latest round of Glitch performances went down a storm. Thank you to all of you who made it along and to all who helped out.  Another sell-out!!  I had a great time and managed to get a few photographs taken – a couple of which you can see below.  I look ever so serious…

When I’ve got all of the pictures on my computer I’ll upload ’em properly.  Hopefully there’ll be more dates for Glitch, so watch this space.  Want to start developing a new project too…

I’ve got two Lois of the Lane gigs this week.  The first at Velvet‘s 9th Cabaret and Burlesque meetup at Madame Jojo’s on Thursday the 28th and the second at The Red Velvet Curtain Club‘s Lunacy evening at The Whitechapel Art Gallery on Friday the 29th.  Both should be very different and very entertaining evenings!

Then there’s another happening for the Gawkagogo Freakshow at The Vibe Lounge above the Vibe Bar on Brick Lane on March the 12th.  Here’s the back of the flyer:

So if you missed the Barden’s show, now’s yer chance to see a revamped re-run!

Off to the kitchen now to go douse myself in some more honey and hot water.  I shall be triumphant.

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Ooh, it’s got a bit nippy ain’t it?

Brrr…

Again, lots of stuff since the last post.  The Gawkagogo Freakshow tent went down a storm in the Pleasance Courtyard at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe and subsequently we’ve done a one off, massively extended version of the show, with special guests, at the infamous Barden’s Boudoir…

…which also went down mightily well!

There will inevitably be more Freakshow news soon…

November beckons, and with it comes a series of private screenings of ‘Small Talk‘, the multi-award winning short film I starred in last year.  It’s being screened alongside 2 other short films – ‘The Trousseau’ and ‘Crossed Lines’ which feature friends as the lead in each.  Here are the dates, times and places:

Tuesday November 13th – Riverside Studios, Hammersmith
1:30pm / 2:30pm / 3:30pm – THE TROUSSEAU
1:45pm / 2:45pm / 3:45pm – SMALL TALK
2:00pm / 3:00pm / 4:00pm – CROSSED LINES

Wednesday November 14th – Curzon, Soho
6:00pm – THE TROUSSEAU
6:15pm – SMALL TALK
6:30pm – CROSSED LINES

Thursday November 15th – The Pleasance Theatre, Islington
1:30pm / 2:30pm – THE TROUSSEAU
1:45pm / 2:45pm – SMALL TALK
2:00pm / 3:00pm – CROSSED LINES

and here are the blurbs:

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THE TROUSSEAU – 17min – Starring Maria Thomas
When the young British Ama learns of her mother’s death she decides to return to her birthplace in Ghana.  The women of her clan question her suitability in taking her grandmother’s place in the funeral preparations, but Ama breaks with tradition and proves them wrong, finding a means to express her sorrow.

Nominated for ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Short Film’ at the BFM 8th International Film Festival 2006.

Screened as part of Africa in the Picture season at the Amsterdam Film Festival 2007.
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SMALL TALK – 13min – Starring me
A short Black Comedy.  Madeline is an introverted telephone operator who amuses herself by making prank calls to unsuspecting Londoners passing by the phone box outside her flat.  One day she’s caught off guard when someone she calls decides to make small talk back…

1st Prize for the ‘Best Digital Film’ at the 13th International Short Film Festival in Drama (Greece) 2007.

‘Best Non-Italian Short Film’ at Kaleidoshorts 2007, organised by the Italian Embassy.

‘Best Student Drama’ at the Southern Royal Television Society Awards 2006/2007.

Digital Video Practice Award for ‘Best Student Short’ at the End of the Pier Film Festival 2007.
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CROSSED LINES – 14min – starring Keith Eyles
Do actions really equal consequences or is life just a lottery and can something as random as a number actually change everything?  In just a few hours Jonathan Shepherd’s life is about to change drastically in this dark tale about infidelity, hypocrisy, mixed communication, bad timing and how far someone will go to protect what they have…

Premier screening of this new film, written, directed and produced by Keith Eyles.
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You can find my finely crafted e-flyer for the screenings here. If you’re interested in attending one of them, please let me know. Tickets are limited.

Before November we have ourselves Halloween.  This year I’m going to be working with Gawkagogo on their Voodoo Witchdoctor Automaton installation.  We’ll be at Torture Garden‘s Halloween Ball on the 27th and Opal Nera’s Halloween Ball at T Bar on the 31st.  Come get your diagnosis!

Lastly, but certainly not least, I’ve had several Lois of the Lane gigs and have another coming up at ‘You Little Minx’ at Tiger Tiger in Croydon on the 2nd of November.  I’ve had some wonderful promotional pictures taken of her which I’ll be uploading soon, along with lots of other information, so watch this space.

Off now to go and dig out me thermals…

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Lois of the Lane, Pig in the Mud, Firey Clowning and More!

Good grief, a whole heap of a lot of stuff has happened since I last posted on here.  Wearisome wi-fi woe has been holding me back on the update front, but now I am victorious (haha wireless router – I have tamed you!  Feel my power!) and ready to spill all sorts of beans and the like.

So, first up – Lois of the Lane, my cabaret creation.  She’s a smiley silent comedy girl with a penchant for a bit of ridiculousness.  The blurb so far:

Lois of the Lane – Nerd of few words.  Snazzy dresser.  Sharp mover.  Lover of fine music and fine unexpectedness.  Eater of cheese.  Wearer of eyebrow.  Purveyor of the most delicious bite-sized chunks of silent comedy this side of Vaudeville.  You have been warned!

Each of my acts, otherwise known as ‘Random Acts of Ridiculousness‘ are around 4-5 minutes long and comprise of much stupidity 🙂  I currently have 3, (very nearly 4) ready and raring to go, entitled ‘Opus One’, ‘The Box of 1,000 Dances’ and ‘Showdown’.

My first gig at the opening night of Red Dress‘ Supper Club: ‘You Little Minx’ on the 29th of June was a storming success.  This is me, mid ‘Box of 1,000 Dances’, photographed by Moira Lovell:

My next gigs will be at The Vaudeville Cabaret Club during the last 10 days of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  When I have exact dates, I’ll post ’em.

I’m getting some ‘Lois of the Lane‘ promotional photos done, then there’ll be a whole re-vamp of my website to accommodate my new alter ego.  Lots and lots to do…

Next – The Gawkagogo Freakshow!

We had a fantastic time at the Glastonbury and Latitude festivals.  A constant stream of people, endless queues to get in and a bit of coverage on Channel 4 in the form of Carling’s Festival Postcards.   You can watch our bit in the show here:

Now it’s off to the Pleasance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with us and the micro carny tent.  Information and stuff here.  We’re on from the 18th – 27th of August, playing every 15 minutes from 7pm – 9pm and we are one of the 20 must-see acts at the Edinburgh Fringe.  You definitely must see us then.

While we’re up there, Paul‘s got another exhibition going at the Hula Juice Bar, Grassmarket.  Details here.

Lastly, Gawkagogo joined the Fire Tusk Pain Proof Circus at their spectacular gig at The Roundhouse on the 27th of July, as part of the ‘Circus Front’ season.  I had much fun clowning around as Hooters 🙂  Here be gallery:

 

(Actually, this is lastly – pictures from Glastonbury and Latitude:)

(Image above: courtesy of Sonny Malhotra – Reportage Photography.)


Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud!!

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First gig and Moosic

So, yes!  I’ve got my very first solo Cabaret gig booked 😀  You’ll find me and my new act at Tiger Tiger in Croydon on the 29th of June.  The night’s called ‘You Little Minx’ and the details are here.  It should be a fantastic evening, so dust off your glad rags one and all!  Details of my actual act are yet to be revealed, but they’ll be posted on here before the big day, if I manage to organise meself.  Rest assured that it’ll be stoopid and much fun.

On an entirely different note (cheap link Lois, cheap link) I’ve been doing a bit of singing for a band called ‘I Eat Fog‘.  You can find me doing just that for them – singing, not eating fog – here.  (You need to scroll down and click on the ‘I Eat Fog’ album – there are 2 tracks.)

On the Gawkagogo Freakshow front, all is shaping up verrrry nicely. I’ve barely lifted a finger on it yet.  I think my small part of the hard work is just about to start kicking in…