Time Warner Ignite

The Old Vic
The Cut
London
SE1 8NB
www.oldvictheatre.com
Time Warner
Ignite
Year 2 evaluation
Background
The Old Vic is a landmark theatre in London.
It has been the home of great productions
for nearly 200 years, and continues to
attract the very best creative talent.
For us, great theatre is about great plays,
great performances and great nights out
from the moment you step through the
door. As important to us as what goes
on stage is our award winning education,
community and emerging talent
programme, Old Vic New Voices (OVNV)
which aims to support emerging actors,
writers, directors and producers and open
up theatre to new and diverse audiences.
Part of our Talent strand, the OVNV
Club gives actors, writers, directors and
producers, between the ages of 18 and
30, the chance to connect to The Old Vic’s
award-winning programme for emerging
talent. We offer year-round activities
dedicated to supporting our members’
professional growth, including unrivalled
career support and a dynamic programme
of masterclasses and networking events.
In 2006 the OVNV Club formed an
inspiring partnership with Time Warner
with the aim to fund and support a wide
variety of projects over a number of years.
Their support and collaboration has been
crucial not only to the growth of OVNV
but to the professional development of
our Club members.
In 2010 OVNV and Time Warner
developed their most ambitious project
to date, TIME WARNER IGNITE, which
enabled us to give our Club members
the platform to produce and stage over
24 new plays inspired by our season at
The Old Vic. In a further development to
this project OVNV selected six plays that
were then turned into short films, a new
medium for our Club members.
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Time Warner IGNITE
TIME WARNER IGNITE offers a select
group of practitioners the chance to build
creative bonds with their peers, meet the
most daring established practitioners,
showcase their work to a transatlantic
audience and transform their talent for
theatre into a flair for film.
Over the last 18 months there has been a
total of six IGNITE productions with each
one bringing together an ensemble of four
writers, four directors, up to four producers
and around 20 actors. Each ensemble’s
journey began with a workshop delivered
by top industry professionals.
The workshop enabled the participants
to bond and network with each other,
inspiring them to explore new creative
ideas. Old Vic New Voices (OVNV)
facilitated a discussion to establish four
brand new creative teams consisting
of a producer, writer and director. The
actors ‘auditioned’ for each creative team
who selected between three to five cast
members to complete their company.
Following the workshop, each company
was given three weeks to create a
15-minute play inspired by an Old Vic
production and bring it to performance
level. Following intensive technical
rehearsals at the Waterloo East Theatre
and The Old Vic Tunnels, our partner
venues for the project, the brand new
pieces were presented to an audience
of Old Vic friends, mentors and industry
professionals.
After each performance one play was
selected by a judging panel to be turned
into a short film.
‘I feel that TIME WARNER IGNITE has been a very important
project for me and has given me a platform to nurture and
develop my talent and skills as an actor’
Actor
‘I feel hugely supported by The Old Vic and credit OVNV in
particular with helping me connect to writers and directors, to
showcase myself to these people and to allow me to test my
skills within a safer (but not completely safe!) environment
where you can learn so much’
Producer
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‘As a writer there is nothing more valuable than seeing my work
performed. I can only learn so much writing a play and reading
it from the page. Having the opportunity to work with a director
and actors who can contribute their thoughts and ideas to the
play helps me identify the plays strengths and weaknesses’
Writer
Contents
Aims
Films
IGNITE Companies
Impact
Facts & Figures Summary
Recommendations Supported by Time Warner
Director, Old Vic New Voices Steve Winter
OVNV Senior Manager Alexander Ferris
Time Warner IGNITE Project Manager James Quaife
OVNV Officer Roxanne Peak-Payne
Photography Ben Carpenter, Lucy Cullen and Laura Marie Linck
Brochure design Peter Collins
Time Warner Ignite
An original idea by Steve Winter
Theatre productions presented by Old Vic New Voices and hosted in partnership with the
Waterloo East Theatre and The Old Vic Tunnels.
Films presented by Old Vic New Voices in collaboration with RADA and Joanna Coates.
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aims
The programme had four clear aims:
1. To provide a professional opportunity for OVNV Club members to create
and showcase new work
2. To integrate OVNV Club members
3. To collaborate with professionals within the film industry
4. To offer OVNV Club members an experience of creating a short film
1. To provide a professional opportunity for
OVNV Club members to create and showcase
new work
TIME WARNER IGNITE offered Club
members a professional engagement
which gave them the opportunity to
develop their skills and craft, whilst
receiving a professional fee for the work
that they deliver. Having the resources
to pay each Club member a fee for their
time and expertise meant they were able
to fully focus and commit to the project,
extracting themselves out of the pressure
of balancing other work commitments.
Each writer was under commission for
one week to deliver a new play that was
written specifically for our Club actors
and inspired by the current main house
production. Producers and directors
were supported with rehearsal space and
resources from The Old Vic.
‘Without being seen there is little point in writing. Being able
to get work seen is the only way to progress your career’
The nature of commissioning work
and the timescale of TIME WARNER
IGNITE meant that Old Vic New Voices
(OVNV) could create a well structured
and supportive environment for Club
members which in turn would build their
confidence. Most importantly participants
were able to fully invest in their work, and
have the time needed to produce a high
quality showcase that they were proud of.
The reputation of OVNV meant that
industry professionals were keen to attend
the showcase performances. Attendees
included representatives from the
National Theatre, the Young Vic, United
Agents, The Agency, Stage One, Act
Productions, Finborough Theatre, ARG,
Paines Plough, Rogues‘ Gallery Casting,
International Artists, Independent Talent,
Ken McReddie, Conway van Gelder Grant,
Curtis Brown, Donmar Warehouse, Alan
Brodie Associates, High Tide, the Bush,
Amanda Howard Associates, Troika,
RSC, Tavistock Wood, BBC, the Old Red
Lion, Ambassador Theatre Group, Lyric
Hammersmith, Battersea Arts Centre,
Southwark Playhouse and the Globe.
Writer
‘It is often difficult to ‘get seen’ professionally so to have the
opportunity to perform to industry professionals under the
banner of Old Vic New Voices is an invaluable opportunity’
Actor
‘New work is the backbone of the future theatre, film, and TV.
Opportunities like TIME WARNER IGNITE showcase the upand-coming, rather than the already established, where young
actors, writers, directors and producers earn their stripes’
Actor
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2. To integrate OVNV Club members
One of the most important elements of
carving a career in theatre is networking
with industry professionals and
networking with your peers. This is a key
aim of the Old Vic New Voices (OVNV)
Club.
Many creative partnerships between Club
members have formed through projects
run by OVNV. These collaborations have
always been fully supported, however we
noticed that there was little integration
between the different years of the Club.
TIME WARNER IGNITE has given us the
opportunity to provide a platform for
different years to mix together allowing
for a richer and more diverse collaboration
between members.
The project has brought Club members
together who have joined us over the
last three years into one project, enabling
greater networking opportunities with their
peers. Club members were able to bring
knowledge and experiences gained from
their respective years and share this within
the companies. This integration also meant
newer Club members could work with more
experienced peers and stretch their ability
and skill within their chosen profession.
As well as networking with Club members,
participants have also gained the chance
to network with professionals within the
film industry. From the six selected films,
company members were able to work and
collaborate with film directors, camera
DOPs, sound and lighting designers,
editors, art directors and makeup artists.
‘Quite simply I have met some amazing practitioners, and it has
led to more than one job since’
Actor
‘I’ve gained a working knowledge of other emerging theatre
practitioners across all disciplines. It’s also given me producing
credits which have supported my CV and my ability to gain
freelance employment with other organisations’
Producer
‘It has been great to meet a lot of different people, and in
particular to work with writers with completely different styles
and methods of approach. I’ve had to adapt my methods
based on the text I’ve been working with and the way different
actors respond, which has been a good learning curve’
Director
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3. To collaborate with professionals within the film industry
To create the six short films we
collaborated with Edward Hicks, Head
of Film, TV and Radio from The Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and
independent film maker, Joanna Coates.
It was important for OVNV to work and
collaborate with top industry professionals
and to introduce them to our Club
members. Edward Hicks and Joanna
Coates, who both created three films
each, brought an experienced film crew
such as camera crew, sound and lighting
‘The collaboration between RADA’s film department and the
Old Vic New Voices project gave a wonderful and exciting
opportunity for new theatre directors, producers, writers and
actors to see how their work could be adapted for the screen.
The energy and commitment from all those involved was
amazing and allowed three shorts to be shot in only six days!
It was an enormous achievement involving 40 people and all
those involved should feel very proud’
Edward Hicks, Head of Film, TV & Radio, RADA designers, art directors, make-up artists
and film editors, all of whom are working
professionally within the film industry.
Over the last six years OVNV have
provided a wide variety of theatre-based
projects to our Club members but with
the support of Time Warner we have been
able to offer a platform for new work on
film as well as in a theatre environment.
This has enabled us to teach our Club
members new skills and encouraged them
to think about diversifying across media.
‘The highlight was really getting involved in the filming of The
Baron. I’d long considered film production as a career option
and just being on set, on location, has now confirmed that this
is an area I’d love to work in. It was a genuine thrill and the
RADA Film Unit were fantastic’
Producer
‘The highlight was definitely being on location in the country
house in Surrey shooting The Baron with such a brilliant
professional crew, eating together in the glorious sunshine and
wrapping right on time. Oh! And winning on the night!’
Actor
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4. To offer OVNV Club members an experience
of creating a short film
One of the key elements of this project
was to provide the opportunity for young
theatre makers to develop their skills and
knowledge of working within the film
industry. After each IGNITE performance,
a panel selected the play that they felt
was the most dynamic and had the most
potential to be turned into a short film.
The panel included theatre director,
Charlotte Westenra, BAFTA nominated
film director, Tom Harper and award
winning screen actress and writer
Jessica Hynes.
We believe that part of the success of
this project was to give a professional
and high quality experience of creating
a short film to the Club members who
were selected. The partnership with RADA
and Joanna Coates was key to this and
allowed us to be even more ambitious
with filming locations, art directors,
designers and film crew. The films were
guided and led by a professional film
director and crew but the participants
were given total creative control over
their films.
Writers were given the opportunity to
collaborate with a film director on the
development of their stage script into
a shooting script. The directors and
producers worked closely with the film
crew to transform the original stage
production into a short film encouraging
them to consider camera angles, edits and
pacing. Actors were rehearsed on set and
adapted their performance styles from
stage to screen.
Each individual artist in the winning
plays now has a copy of their film which
they can use to showcase their talents
to prospective employers. The films
themselves even have the potential to go
on to have a future life of their own.
‘Working in a different medium is always good and film is
something which I would love to do more of. I feel that I learned
how to scale down a theatre performance to a film performance,
how to hit my mark and also how to take direction’
Actor
‘You learn a lot of techniques, from how to hit your mark, what
part of your body the camera is focusing on, so you learn
your boundaries with each shot. I feel we have all gained new
creative tools for the industry’
Actor
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‘The short will provide me with a tool that I can send people to
showcase my work. I was able to meet other actors/directors
and further my understanding of the difference between what
works on stage and screen’
Writer
TIME WARNER IGNITE 1 WINNER
CUSTARD
Writer Ella Hickson
Director Alice Lacey
Cast Lorna Beckett, Daniel Hanna, Drew Horner, Ruth Middleton,
Brennan Reece
It’s 1942 and Private Golding has turned up at his sister Rose’s house for Christmas
Dinner. Rose is told to cook for five and ask no questions. There’s a mystery lady at
the table that Rose can barely bare to look at. We join them for dessert; the youngest
soldier, B-b-b-b-baby B-B-B-Baker can’t get his words out and Officer Avery’s being a
bully. Rose’s heart bleeds for Baker, the young, stuttering soldier – and when she finds
out that the mystery lady is a whore hired for Baker’s Christmas present, it’s time to
demand some answers.
Rose and Officer Avery go head to head whilst Golding keeps quiet, meanwhile Baker’s
confessing all in the bedroom. Tragedy is going to come with the dawn; and as the
secret is revealed Custard makes cowards of its heroes and heroes of its cowards.
Custard was shot over two days in a studio in central London on Wednesday 28 and
Thursday 29 September 2011. The concept of the film was to not shoot on top of a
detailed set but rather show the detail within the costumes and props that were used
by the actors. This film was a collaboration between RADA and OVNV.
For RADA
Director Edward Hicks
1st Assistant Director Simon Dixon
Camera DOP Andy Brown
Sound Stephen Richardson
Editor Lucinda Carey
Art Department Emily Durtnall
Makeup Artist Jess Kell
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TIME WARNER IGNITE 2 WINNER
THE SPIES IN ROOM 502
Writer Jonathan Brittain
Director Natalie Ibu
Producer Tara Wilkinson
Cast Annemarie Gaillard, Nick Lawson, Joshua McCord, Helen Millar, Alice White
‘Being a spy is not like being James Bond, there’s no sex, there’s no action and there
are no underwater cars!’
Two jaded British spies sit in one hotel room; a naive Russian spy sits in another.
They’ve all come to listen in to room 502. They’re all expecting to hear nothing. They’re
all in for a surprise... A comedy about espionage, fantasy and erectile dysfunction.
Definitely not like James Bond!
The Spies in Room 502 was shot on location in a hotel room over two days in London.
Only one hotel room was used to complete the sequence of multiple rooms needed for
this film. This film was a collaboration between Joanna Coates and OVNV.
For Joanna Coates
Director/Editor Joanna Coates
Camera DOP Mike Marriage
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TIME WARNER IGNITE 3 WINNER
THE CIRCLE GAME
Writer Elinor Cook
Director Oliver Hawes
Producer David Luff
Cast Caroline Bartleet, Sian Breckin, Lekan Lawal, Brennan Reece
Lekan has a niggle.
Caroline has a headache.
Brennan has too many nuts.
Sarah has a disciplinary warning.
Now Lekan has lost the merger.
Caroline has lost her knickers.
Brennan has lost his hamster.
Sarah should probably have lost her job.
Obviously, they’ve all lost their dignity.
Trapped in a vicious (and uncomfortable) circle, they feel the burn and ask themselves
– is it ever really worth playing The Circle Game?
The Circle Game was shot over two days on a number of locations in and around
London on Sunday 2 October and Monday 3 October 2011. The concept of the film
was to shoot all the scenes on the correct locations illustrated within the script. These
were then edited together in quick succession to support the speed and comedy of the
piece. This film was a collaboration between RADA and OVNV.
For RADA
Director Edward Hicks
1st Assistant Director Simon Dixon
Camera DOP Andy Brown
Sound Stephen Richardson
Editor Lucinda Carey
Art Department Emily Durtnall
Makeup Artist Jess Kell
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TIME WARNER IGNITE 4 WINNER
THE BARON
Writer Sarah Solemani
Director Kirsty Patrick Ward
Producer Tom Atkins
Cast Sian Breckin, Max Krupski, Robert Macpherson, Naomi Said, Alinka Wright
In the deepest darkest village of the English countryside, Mrs Benbridge makes a
terrible discovery. She must hide all the evidence before Mr Benbridge comes home
from his mushroom picking. Or that risotto will never get made. The Baron is a darkly
comic short film about marital bliss and dogs.
The Baron was shot on location in Surrey in an actual working farmhouse on Monday
26 September and Tuesday 27 September 2011. The concept was to shoot the film with
as much detail as possible including the location, set dressing, costume and props. The
piece had elements of a period film and it was important to achieve this when filming.
This film was a collaboration between RADA and OVNV.
For RADA
Director Edward Hicks
1st Assistant Director Simon Dixon
Camera DOP Andy Brown
Sound Stephen Richardson
Editor Lucinda Carey
Art Department Emily Durtnall
Makeup Artist Jess Kell
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TIME WARNER IGNITE 5 WINNER
FIFTEEN MINUTES
Writer Lee Sutton
Director Oliver Rose
Producer Sophie Watson
Cast Calum Callaghan, Alexander Pritchett, Michael Quartey
‘People love a comeback story... Kerry Katona, Noel Edmonds, S Club 3!’
Relaxing in his dingy flat, Roger Shelton suddenly finds his life turned upside down by
the arrival of celebrity consultants Sam and Max. The dazzling duo quickly set to work
transforming Roger into A STAR off the back of his accidental YouTube sensation “The
Proposal”. In the video Roger proposes to girlfriend Jessica, who rejects him in front of
a crowded restaurant (and now... the world!). But are his new admirers as charming as
first thought? Or will the next fifteen minutes prove barmier than the Looney Tunes on
Roger’s television?
Fifteen Minutes was shot at the Waterloo East Theatre directly after the live
performance on Friday 2 December 2011. For this short film the concept was to create
a style of documentary filming which naturally blended with the original play that was
performed. This film was a collaboration between Joanna Coates and OVNV.
For Joanna Coates
Director/Editor Joanna Coates
Camera DOP Oli Middleton
Sound Tom Sedgwick
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TIME WARNER IGNITE 6 WINNER
EVERY BIT OF MY LOVE
Writer Steven Hevey
Director Edward Stambollouian
Producers Polly Ingham and David Sloan
Cast Hannah Dodd, Nicola Kill, Michael Lyle, Evan Milton
Private investigator Jack Hammer, the hottest private detective in the universe, is on
the hunt for Twinkle Star, a feisty femme fatale responsible for sexing Luby Lush’s
husband to death. Accompanied by his loyal side kick The Machine, Jack must travel to
the end of a collapsing universe to ensure that not only justice but true love will prevail.
Yet, in reality, Jack is Ian Mead, a fading star of the adult entertainment industry with a
crushing inferiority complex. Eclipsed by rising new star The Machine, Ian waits to start
filming his penultimate movie, The Length of My Love (written by production assistant
George) yet with the arrival of his long-term girlfriend Letitia Fox, Ian must decide for
the first time in his life whether he is ready to love himself. Just exactly what lengths is
Ian prepared to go to prove his love?
Every Bit of My Love was shot at The Old Vic Tunnels directly after the live performance
on Friday 16 December 2011. The film was shot on one location with numerous sets
being created for the locations depicted in the play. The original script was reworked to
portray the real scenes in Jack’s dressing room and the fantasy scenes of the ‘movie’
The Length of My Love. This film was a collaboration between Joanna Coates and
OVNV.
For Joanna Coates
Director/Editor Joanna Coates
Camera DOP Oli Middleton
Sound Dave Mason
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The Ignite
Companies
IGNITE 1
Performed on 3 December 2010 at Waterloo East Theatre
In response to The Old Vic’s Design for Living
CUSTARD
Writer: Ella Hickson, Director: Alice Lacey, Producer: Emma Laugier
Cast: Daniel Hanna, Drew Horner, Joel MacCormack, Ruth Middleton, Leah Whitaker
DEFINED BY DESIGN
Writer: Arinze Kene, Director: Andy Brunskill, Producer: Mark Cartwright
Cast: Abigail Andjel, Jessica Ellis, Paul Joseph, Richard Maxted
BUT OTHERWISE WENT WELL
Writer: Alison Carr, Director: Alexander Summers, Producer: Charlie Payne
Cast: Lorna Beckett, Daisy Brydon, Ben Dilloway, Ian Keir Attard, Deirdre Mullins
SEX TOYS
Writer: Gabriel Bisset-Smith, Director: Laura Keefe, Producer: Tom Atkins
Cast: Okorie Chukwu, Luke Courtier, Joan Iyiola, Sam Marks, Iris Roberts
IGNITE 2
Performed on 28 January 2011 at Waterloo East Theatre
In response to The Old Vic’s A Flea in Her Ear
THE WIND DOESN’T SING
Writer: Corinne Salisbury, Director: Alex Brown, Producer: Dan Baker
Cast: Kezia Burrows, Natalie Duvall, Jake Ferretti, Annemarie Gaillard, Matthew Gammie
HOLLYWOOD
Writer: Kieran Lynn, Director: Jeff James, Producer: Amy Letman
Cast: Vivienne Bell, Roanna Davidson, Emma Fenney, James Joyce, Tom McDonald
COUNTRY FEEDBACK
Writer: Kenneth Emson, Director: Stef O’Driscoll, Producer: Lucy Oliver-Harrison
Cast: Nicholas Banks, Leah Brotherhead, Orlando James, David Mumeni, Brennan
Reece
THE SPIES IN ROOM 502
Writer: Jonathan Brittain, Director: Natalie Ibu, Producer: Tara Wilkinson
Cast: Nick Lawson, Joshua McCord, Helen Millar, Amy Morgan, Alice White
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IGNITE 3
Performed on 15 April 2011 at Waterloo East Theatre
In response to The Old Vic’s Cause Célèbre
All four plays were produced by David Luff
WLTM
Writer: Laura Neal, Director: Alex Brown
Cast: Abigail Andjel, Marsha Henry, Adam Jackson-Smith, Richard Maxted
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Writer: Daran Johnson, Director: David Wright
Cast: Asher Amis, Tom McDonald, Charlie Platt, Sophie Roberts
THE CIRCLE GAME
Writer: Elinor Cook, Director: Olly Hawes
Cast: Caroline Bartleet, Sarah Calver, Lekan Lawal, Brennan Reece
RUBBLE & DUST
Writer: Mwewa Sumbwanyambe, Director: Elizabeth Newman
Cast: James Baldwin, Okorie Chukwu, Theo Morton, Alinka Wright
IGNITE 4
Performed on 7 July 2011 at Waterloo East Theatre
In response to The Old Vic’s Richard III
BUSTED
Writer: Laura Neal, Director: Adam Lenson, Producer: Tom Atkins
Cast: Leah Brotherhead, Calum Callaghan, Michael Lyle, Michael Quartey, Max
Saunders-Singer
AN ARRANGEMENT
Writer: Alex Christofi, Director: Joseph Hancock, Producer: Alex Segal
Cast: Nari Blair-Mangat, Graeme Dalling, Helen Duff, Paul Joseph, Roberta Mann
ASSASSINS
Writer: Steven Hevey, Director: Natasha Nixon, Producer: Lucy Jackson
Cast: Rob Cavazos, Jessica Ellis, Samantha Kissin, Eileen O’Higgins, Joseph Radcliffe
THE BARON
Writer: Sarah Solemani, Director: Kirsty Patrick Ward, Producer: Tom Atkins
Cast: Sian Breckin, Max Krupski, Robert Macpherson, Naomi Said, Alinka Wright
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IGNITE 5
Performed on 2 December 2011 at Waterloo East Theatre
In response to The Old Vic’s The Playboy of the Western World
All four plays were produced by Sophie Watson
FIFTEEN MINUTES
Writer: Lee Sutton, Director: Oliver Rose
Cast: Calum Callaghan, Alexander Pritchett, Michael Quartey
THE THIN LINE IN-BETWEEN
Writer: Shereen Jasmin Phillips, Director: Tom Attenborough
Cast: Natalie Duvall, Eleanor Fanyinka, Daniel Ward
BODY CORPORATE
Writer: Tobias Wright, Director: Tinuke Craig
Cast: Eamon Ali, James Corscadden, Lucy Eaton, Kate Sichel
MY HACKNEY HOUSING DREAM
Writer: Eleanor Lawrence, Director: Kirsty Patrick Ward
Cast: Roanna Davidson, Sammy Kissin, Richard Maxted, Ade O’Brien
IGNITE 6
Performed on 16 December 2011 at The Old Vic Tunnels
In response to The Old Vic’s Noises Off
All four plays were produced by Polly Ingham, Ollie Jordan and David Sloan
EVERY BIT OF MY LOVE
Writer: Steven Hevey, Director: Edward Stambollouian,
Cast: Hannah Dodd, Nicola Kill, Michael Lyle, Evan Milton
FAN FICTION
Writer: Alex Oates, Director: Tara Robinson
Cast: Izaak Cainer, Beth Miller, Benjamin O’Mahony
A SMALL CHRISTMAS ISSUE
Writer: Lucinda Burnett, Director: Eyal Israel
Cast: Keisha Amponsa Banson, Jude Monk McGowan, Carina Reeves
SHUFFLING OFF
Writer: Gregory Skulnick, Director: Hamish MacDougall
Cast: Abigail Andjel, David Ajao, Neusha Milanian, Craig Ritchie
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Impact
TIME WARNER IGNITE has had an incredible impact on our Club members. By
bringing Club members from several years together it has expanded their networking
opportunities and provided some new and exciting partnerships.
Success stories from the project include:
The Circle Game by Elinor Cook was taken to the Latitude Festival with the original cast
and team from TIME WARNER IGNITE 3. The Circle Game is also being developed into
a full-length play.
The Spies in Room 502 by Jonathan Brittain was also taken to the Latitude Festival
with the original cast and team from TIME WARNER IGNITE 2.
Sex Toys by Gabriel Bisset-Smith is currently being developed into a full-length piece in
collaboration with producer Tom Atkins from TIME WARNER IGNITE 1.
Kate Sichel was signed to Jordan Associates after her performance in TIME WARNER
IGNITE 5.
Writer Jonathan Brittain (TIME WARNER IGNITE 2) and producer Lucy Jackson (TIME
WARNER IGNITE 4) took two new plays to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2011. One
of the plays was directed by Natasha Nixon (TIME WARNER IGNITE 4) and the casts
included Helen Duff, Michael Lyle (TIME WARNER IGNITE 4) and Alice White (TIME
WARNER IGNITE 2).
Rubble and Dust by Mwewa Subwanyambe (TIME WARNER IGNITE 3) has been
shortlisted for the 2011 Alfred Fagon Award and the 2011 BBC Alfred Bradley Award.
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FACTS & FIGURES
Over two years, the project has reached:
− 300 emerging artists
− 1,200 audience members
− An estimated 40,000 online members
Over two years, the project has created:
− 1 documentary film to capture the whole project
− 6 showcases
− 6 short films
− 24 original theatrical responses
− 42 hours of intensive workshops with industry professionals
− 450 hours of rehearsals
Over two years, the project has engaged:
− 3 professional film directors
− 8 professional film crew
− 15 producers
− 23 writers
− 23 directors
− 100 actors
Over the two years, the project has formed partnerships with:
− Waterloo East Theatre
− The Old Vic Tunnels
− The Jerwood Space
− RADA
− Joanna Coates
− The Drill Hall
− The National Theatre Studio
140 participants saw an Old Vic production for free.
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SUMMARY
TIME WARNER IGNITE has been a hugely
successful project in the way it has
engaged so many of our Club members
in a professional context. Directly
commissioning members to take part was
a significant change from our previous
projects and enabled participants to give
full focus and commitment to the project.
Linking TIME WARNER IGNITE with
The Old Vic productions allowed Club
members to experience a full-scale
production, and reflect on it creatively
through the workshop and rehearsal
process. Using the productions as
inspiration meant each TIME WARNER
IGNITE piece had a clear focus for
participants and audiences, and provoked
a great range of stimulating material.
A wide variety of industry professionals
have attended our six showcases giving
our Club members further networking
opportunities with many producing
theatres, casting and literary agents.
Having a longer term project has
allowed us to develop more established
relationships with other organisations,
notably Waterloo East Theatre, The
Jerwood Space, The Old Vic Tunnels and
RADA. These relationships have also
allowed us to introduce participants
directly to the organisations, helping
them to develop their own professional
relationships.
Previous Old Vic New Voices projects
have been solely focused on theatre, so
to be able to offer film experience to our
Club members was a great opportunity
and innovation to our usual practice.
Filming the selected plays also enabled
us to forge new connections with film
professionals including Edward Hicks
(RADA) and Joanna Coates. The prospect
of the final screening at Time Warner in
New York created a real buzz with our
Club members, and will act as a flagship
for the kind of ambitious work we want to
continue to develop.
The decision to integrate Club members
from different years has been a great
achievement. Many relationships
developed through this programme have
continued long after the curtain has come
down. Two works commissioned by TIME
WARNER IGNITE have been performed at
Latitude Festival, and a further two are
being developed into full length plays.
In addition, several intergenerational
groups of Club members have taken other
productions to the Edinburgh Festival
and are continuing to work together on a
variety of projects. Clearly, working in this
way creates strong lasting networks and a
creative legacy for TIME WARNER IGNITE.
‘It’s great to be in a working environment with other young and
passionate artists from all aspects of the theatrical world. As an
actor, it’s rare to have the chance to work on a brand new piece
of text and essentially create the role for the first time’
Actor
‘Time Warner IGNITE has been valuable in my career as a
learning experience, and as an exercise in presenting an
enjoyable showcase of new work in a new theatre. It has
allowed me to meet young writers, directors and actors with
whom I hope to work in the future’
Producer
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Recommendations
Areas that could be improved in the future are:
A longer period of time for writers to develop their film scripts
Due to the limited timeframe of selecting which plays would be turned into a
short film, the writers only had a few days and in some cases only an hour to
turn their original play script into a shooting script. The writers should have
more time to work on their script with their director and to also introduce a
professional screenwriter as a mentor to help and assist with this process.
More time spent in rehearsals and on set for the filming
With all the short films that were created there was only a limited amount of
time on set for the actors to work with the director. Although this would often
lead to decisions having to be made quickly it did not allow for much creativity.
If more time was allocated prior to filming it would allow directors and actors to
explore the script further and the different possibilities of filming each scene.
Producers to have more input and contribution to film production
Due to the size of the project and limited time from the live performance to the
filming, the producers were often not able to contribute to the producing of
the films. More time should be spent prior to filming and the producer should
take more responsibility with an active role in the build up to the filming.
The engagement of designers in the creation of the short films
During the live IGNITE performances at Waterloo East Theatre and The Old Vic
Tunnels designers were engaged to work on the plays but were not carried over
to be used in the creation of the short films. Designers should work on both
the play and the film, allowing them to have full ownership over their project
and encouraging consistency across all productions and films.
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