Pebbles Postcards

At the heart of Pebbles on the Beach is the power of the letter or postcard sent and received. Part of the story is about the letters we should have written. That we wanted to write. We needed to write. And the letters that we sent and then regretted. Within the play, the letter is a source of inspiration, of pain, of love and of anger.

We have invited people to send us their letters or postcards - real thoughts or imagined - and here are some we've received to date-

Dear Dad,
I'm writing this to you but you'll never get to read it, the postman doesn't deliver to your address. I'm angry dad, I'm angry at you leaving me, at all the things you missed, and I missed, the birthdays we never celebrated and the Christmas presents never bought. I'm angry that I didn't know, that I never said goodbye properly, that no one told me what was happening or what was going to happen - even though I understand that you can't explain those things to a child I'm still angry no one tried. And sometimes, when I'm alone, I'm sad, so sad, sad for the things that are, and the things that might have been and the things that never will be. And I feel hurt, and lost, like there's a huge hole right in the middle of my soul and no matter what I do to fill it, nothing ever will because time doesn't heal, and anyone who says it does, doesn't know. But most of all I miss you dad, I miss everything that was and everything that should have been, that you missed out on and I missed out on. And I miss your cuddles.
I love you dad. xxx

I'm so sorry I had to say goodbye. So sorry that we can never see each other again. I think of you often. But your face is fading from my consciousness. I stumbled across some photos of you this morning and the memories came flooding back. The memories of what it was like to spend time with you. But now they've faded again. I don't know whether it's denial or self-preservation. All I know is that you are truly gone from my life.
Ines

I don't think you are my brother. 60 years of wondering why he hit you and hated you but not me. I got sweets, which rotted my teeth and you got none, which rotted your mind, so you hit me. I suppose that's what war does.

Dear T,
Who would have thought that something I was treating with derision would put us back in contact again? I'm sorry that I lost my phone, and for all the things I wasn't there for in the time it took to get your number again (which still haven't changed- I think you're stuck in time!).
I'm holding back on saying what is on the tip of my tongue so much recently because I've said it too much and too early in the past, and because just a little bit it scares me to think that I could lose you again. Or that you might say it too. And that this time I wouldn't lose your phone number. Or you.
M x

To my cousin David,
I miss you. We have wept everyday for you since the news came. I wish i had known how sad you were, perhaps then I could have done more to help you. My heart aches with the silence of these burdens we carry alone. I know many of these were carried by you.
My mom dreamt you were greeted by your mother above a sea of yellow. I hope you have found each other and that the next world is filled with joy. You are loved, whatever you thought, you are loved.
Louise

I know you never wanted to hear from me again, but please read this, it's important, or I wouldn't pester you with it, You must know that by now.
You have proved your point. I was indeed an 'emotional void'. I have learnt, and I am not empty now. Thank you. I heard last night that you had moved out of town, and realised that I no longer have to save your feelings by avoiding you. Realising today, just one year after we first met, just what I have denied myself since Spring out of deference to your pain, I have had my Road to Damascus moment. It suddenly felt as if I had your permission, by word of mouth, to come out of hiding. I now understand; that thing that makes me waste time thinking about you is guilt. That thing that kept me away from all 'our' friends was fear. Those are not emotions. That thing that feels like a physical switch setting off bombs behind my eyes, that made me throw up when I put the phone down, that is an emotion. That is pure blind rage at the time I have wasted, assuming that poor, fragile little you had to be protected ever having to question yourself by seeing me again. A whole year which, as you yourself put it, I do not really have to spare. That is my first real emotional experience in years and it is your personal gift, and I thank you. It obviously didn't last, as I now really do not care, and I mean do not care, one way or the other, if our paths cross when you come back in the New Year. Never mind, it's a start. Your call.
Be happy.
Andi.

and this one came all the way from Antigua!

Forget the cry of gulls and the deep sea swell, and the profit & loss.
A current under sea picked his bones in whispers.
Phlebas.

Keep sending us your postcards to ensemble@weaverhughesensemble.co.uk

WHen. and Pebbles on the Beach

WHen.'s current production is the London premiere of Joanna Pinto's Pebbles on the Beach.

Following its run at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where critics said-

'a touching picture of missed opportunity' Fringe Review

'strongly naturalistic performances all round' The Stage

'an exploration of the tidal rhythms of life; of love and longing, of regret and forgiveness, of the beautiful amidst the mundane' Edinburgh Fest Magazine

the production has now transferred to London-

'the difficult, disorienting terrain of emotional trauma is lent enticing dramatic shape in this snapshot...Gabriela Restelli's spare, evocative design...director Timothy Hughes ekes out the caustic urban humour and emotional heart with insightful ease' Time Out

'Pebbles on the Beach is an emotional yet beautiful portrayal of the lasting effects of regret and missed opportunity' The London Word

Pebbles on the Beach runs until 22 November at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Angel - www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk - we hope to see you there.

What the critics have said so far...

Here's a selection of some of the reviews for our three shows up at the Festival Fringe this year:

The Six Wives of Timothy Leary

****
'the real treat of the piece is the quality of the performances by the young actresses.' The Herald

****
'One of the three productions being staged by Weaver Hughes Ensemble, The Six Wives of Timothy Leary is just as the title suggests, played out with an admirable economy of form...audacious....engaging...I can highly recommend it.' Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

The Army of Reason

***1/2
'It makes for powerful theatre, particularly as it is well performed.' The British Theatre Guide

Pebbles on the Beach

'Excellent and simple design by Gabriela Restelli...Strong naturalistic performances all round' The Stage

Tom Corner from St Andrews

Hi,

My name is Tom Corner from St Andrews.

I have just got back from a day at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and one of the many shows I saw was your one on Six Wives of Timothy Leary and must say it was my highlight of the day.

I was excellent, all the story line and the 6 female actresses were very very good, I was sitting at the front and could clearly see the emotions that the actresses were using were first class as if it was real life.

Even though all other shows I saw was good that was just a bit more special and well worth £9.

Keep up the good work and will be definately looking out for your future productions at next years edinburgh fringe festival.

Please if you can pass on my good words to the cast and crew.

yours Tom Corner.

What the heck!!!

Paul Arendt wrote in the Comment section for The Guardian an opinion on Monologues. Below is his original text and then my reponse. Enjoy!!

Edinburgh festival: Spare us the monologue

Less tricky to write than a full-scale drama and cheaper to produce, the one-person how is everywhere this year. But doesn't your heart sink, just a little?

More than half the shows I saw this week were one-person plays or monologue collections. Big deal, you might say: at a festival where larger companies can lose 10 grand or more a month, a solo show makes more financial sense. Transport, food, accommodation, even wages: everything is multiplied by your cast list. Little wonder that so many writers, actors and directors practice the monologue method, with its controllable costs and supreme adaptability to Edinburgh's unforgiving venues. After all, why should stand-ups be the only ones to have it easy?

And yet I can't help feeling that it's a lack of imagination, as much as cash constraints, that provokes this annual glut of theatrical onanism. You could not, for instance, blame budget for the staging of The Six Wives Of Timothy Leary at the Pleasance, where a sextet of clearly talented actors barely address or acknowledge each other for 85 numbing minutes.

With one or two exceptions - Spalding Gray springs to mind - the theatrical monologue show is intrinsically dull. At best, it spoonfeeds an audience that wants to be flattered with subtleties; at worst it simply harangues them. Who hasn't walked into a venue to feel their heart sink, just a little, at the sight of yet another single chair, yet another single spotlight, yet another cast of one? Solo plays can showcase fine, delicate acting, as Bully does at the Gilded Balloon, and inventive staging (try Borderline at the Underbelly for that), but these shows succeed in spite of the form not because of it, and they're not half as much fun to watch as an actual, honest-to-goodness play.

For writers, especially developing or first-time playwrights, the one-person show is understandably less threatening than a full-scale drama. There's little need for the tricky cut-and-thrust of conversation and plenty of space to explain your hero's hopes and fears. But are you sure you wouldn't rather write a novel?

The conventions of traditional stage drama are restrictive, yes, but then they're supposed to be. What's the first thing that every student director learns? Show, don't tell. All drama is about conflict, about argument, whether it's Richard III seducing Anne or Josh crossing swords with Toby. Good stage writing offers multiple points of view engaged in an almighty barney for supremacy, and an argument requires more than one person.

So here's a request for any playwrights who are hard at work plotting next year's smash hit show. Please, ban yourself from the monologue. Go on, give it a go. Scrape together enough cash to hire two actors. Even if the second performer does nothing but listen to the first one, you've created a dynamic that is more interesting than one actor spilling their guts to the audience. Resurrect the fourth wall and build it high - lock your characters inside until they're forced to talk to each other. Spare us the confessionals,
no matter how searching. Spare us the lectures, no matter how eloquent. Just write a goddamned play.

Timothy Hughes wrote

Paul,

I couldn’t disagree with you more. But then I would as I produced THE SIX WIVES OF TIMOTHY LEARY and am one of the Artistic Directors of Weaver Hughes Ensemble, who along with this production, have two others up at the festival this year. For your information both of those other plays are not monologues.

But let us address your comment on monologues or “monologue collections”. You have a very nifty get out clause to your damning statement that monologues lack imagination by the phrase “with one or two exception” which I am assuming excludes such writers as Alan Bennett, Samuel Beckett, Shakespeare, etc. So, you are able to avoid these great theatrical works and not lump them with the rest of playwrights attempts at being “intrinsically dull”.

Of course you include the SIX WIVES in that group. Lets forget for the moment the many, many, many great reviews that have been given to this production (4 stars in The Herald; 4 Stars in Edinburgh Festivals; “Be Impressed” The Independent; “A remarkable Achievement” The Stage; 4 Stars and Critics’ Choice in Time Out, etc.) as with all theatre there will be critics who don’t like a production, the writing, the performances as sometimes its about taste, world view, what is means to them – the list goes on. But let us rather examine this statement of a monologue being dull. Your statement is just immature and quite reckless and demonstrates a lack of understanding of theatre, though I see your name mentioned as producer of the Guardian Musical event so clearly you work within the business. A successful monologue is incredibly hard to achieve as it’s a direct relationship to the audience. The solo actor has to be both their own character and the one they are relating to. It is demanding on an audience. Also, for a playwright, it’s about developing their craft. Is Sarah Kane’s Crave this “dull collection” or an artist desiring
to establish and create new a form and relationship with the audience.

In the end Paul, I am just bored of your statement, and disappointed. It lacks imagination in its writing. You seem not to understand that the all important relationship which is necessary for theatre is the one between the stage and audience, whether the stage is filled with a cast of hundred’s, a single chair or nothing but a woman buried in sand. That is the real tension. So to demand of playwright’s just full-length plays is to ignore the power of the craft, its diversity and beauty. It shows ignorance.

I am not going to even address the issue of finances, but for the record the cast have been paid and provided with travel and accommodation.

Isaac Harper writes his Edinburgh Diary

Day 4 Sunday the 3rd of August

Up early again, we have the independent on Sunday coming to review the show today so papering and flyering on the royal mile is a must again. Before the show I try and work on my physicality as a teenager as it seemed to disappear yesterday. We have 28 in the audience! our highest number so far. Just before we go on we all remind it each other to hit the lines, lift the energy up. It works! From start to finish we are nailing it. Everyone is buzzing afterwards. We here commenting as they leave that they found the show riveting. Maybe this is a result from the work on the royal mile. There is still room for improvement but hopefully this is it. We've got the ball rolling now. Need to buy new trainers, feet cant take much more.

Day 5 Monday the 4th of August

Another decent crowd maybe 15 but we are not as good as yesterday, time is a bit slow as is the energy. David has them in fits of laughter by the end of the show though, two days in a row now, he's getting into it. Great applause during our ovation, even a loud whoop whoop. Of to the royal mile again. Maybe the novelty has worn out but we don't seem to be giving it as much effort as on the previous occasion. Everyone's voices are scratching but we still get a lot of attention and people are approaching us wanting to know more about the play. Things are looking up. Walking with a bizarre limp now.

Day 6 Tuesday the 5th of August

Big crash back down to reality. Only four people in the audience two are reviewers, one is a friend of Mikes. Whilst waiting in the wings we even heard one man telling Steph that we should not bother as he would prefer not to sit and watch by himself, luckily the other 3 arrived. But we were not good. Hard to be when there are only 4 people watching but we should be better than this by now. Energy down, volume down, rhythm down AGAIN!!! It appears the we are not doing enough promotional work. Nothing is clearly organised enough yet. Maybe this is the wake up call we need on that front. Bought myself some nice new trainers. Feet feel orgasmic.

Day 7 Wednesday the 6th of August

Raining. Heavily. All day. Cant wear my new trainers as they are to thin and will just get soaked. Gutted! We got a bad review from the stage last night. Laid into the script and the acting. Everyone is pumped for today.Audience numbers are low again. Casting director amongst them as well as reviewers from the British Theatre Guide and 3Weeks.Out early again to try and get people in but due to rain no one is out on the streets. Emmy has organised Ed fest TV to come and record us before the show, Greg and Mike do monologues for the camera and James has a radio interview with radio Leith. We nail the performance our best yet. Everyone raises their game. Steph says without doubt that was our best. Energy up, volume up everything. We must maintain this now for tomorrow as we have the scotsman coming in as well as an agent from Pat Lovett. Due to the rain we decide against going to the royal mile. Instead as a group we go for lunch and draw out a schedule of serious theatre during the day that we can flyer outside. We split them into four small groups so that every day each of us will know where we have to be and which shows to go to and in which order. Hopefully this will work. Cold wet and important people coming tomorrow. Feet are the least of my concerns.

Isaac Harper writes his Edinburgh Diary

Edinburgh Diary.

Operation: Army of Reason.

Day 1. 31st of July.
First preview no one in the audience. The show goes on, just as well as we still have issues to iron out in the new space. Major problems are the walky talkies picking up other peoples transmitions. Also head nearly gets blown of by the gun firing a blank less than a foot from my ear. After the show we decide that we need to really start getting our pr campaign going to avoid such a poor turnout again. Feet are already swollen.

Day 2 1st of August.
Amy David and James meet at ten to give an internet radio interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyJLnW-jt00). 10 30 we al convene to start papering the public. Its still only friday so the pickings are slim. 12 45 we go on. We have an audience, marvellous! Probably 20 people to begin with,15 by the end. Felt the energy was a bit low in my scene hopefully will improve. Still issues with the walky talkies.

We have a judge coming from amnesty international coming tomorrow so decide that papering tomorrow morning is a good idea.

Feet are very sore!

Day 3 2nd of August.

Four of us get rid of all but 5 of our free tickets. We feel very positive about today's performance. What happened after that, who knows. Possibly only 9 in the audience 4 of which are the wives of Timothy Leary. We are all over the place. The show runs over by 10 minutes. Still no solution to the walkie talkies. Emmy tried pretending she had an earpiece today. It didn't work. Everyone panics. We decide we have to begin our PR offensive straight away and with power. Operation Army of Reason is go! Armed with megaphone, flag, balaclavas, printed t-shirts, whistles, face paint and a priest we set of towards the royal mile, making as much noise as possible. We are scaring the crap out of everyone, its working ITS WORKING! However as we turn into the royal mile we are told that we cant use megaphone, whistles or set up a stand. We ignore the latter. After marching through the crowds we set up a stand and start flyering. Not enough attention. The I decide to set the priest down on his knees, mouth gagged and hands bound with an AOR operative either side, another waving a flag whilst the other two run around shouting and flyering. In an instance cameras are out, photos are being taken, crowds are gathering, interest is growing, I'm sweating. Occasionally the priest wriggles fee and we chase him through the crowds catching him and bringing him back to our spot. An hour and a half later, drained and moist our work is done. Hopefully we have started some momentum. Decide to continue our offensive. Tonight we shall meet and start spray painting our AOR stencils up and down the city.

Feet have blisters, they hurt a lot. I now walk funny.

First Reviews for PEBBLES ON THE BEACH

With three shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I am hoping that we will have lots and lots of reviews, so to really make a mark with this company.

And here are the first two:

EDIN FEST MAG

Life's a beach. Well, sometimes; although it depends on how you feel about beaches. There are times when all is sunny and serene, then the next moment you've got sand in your picnic. Pebbles on the Beach is an exploration of the tidal rhythms of life; of love and longing, of regret and forgiveness, of the beautiful amidst the mundane.

Every day, Leo wakes up and he tells himself, "Today, I'm going to be someone different." But today, he hasn't woken up, and surrounded by the pebbles of Brighton beach, he is being forced to re-live all those days that he never had the courage to seize. With the potential to be a sixty-minute rollercoaster of ecstatic zeniths and unbearably tragic nadirs, writer Joanna Pinto has instead created something much more poignant because of its insightful truth. Leo's memories are not all sunshine and palm trees; with teenage pregnancy, failed relationships, dysfunctional families, and death, this ensemble offer their audience far more than light entertainment. But as some of the key figures of Leo's past intermittently join him on the beach, though these disjointed biographical glimpses are often moving, they are equally peppered with the comic, the petty, and the simple frustrations of life.
Pebbles on the Beach poetically reminds its audience that the small things matter. Each pebble is integral to the making of the beach; the mistakes, the banal, the imperfect, all have a part to play in the beauty of the whole.

Blogspot of Ben Murray-Watson

Joanna Pinto's Pebbles on the Beach begins with our main character, Leo telling us that today he is going to be "someone different". What follows is a surreal and beautiful journey into his past. Michael Armstrong (Leo) gives a gentle and charming portrayal of a man trying to understand where he went wrong. We learn that he left home at 17 years old to the distress of his father (the wonderfully strong Ian Draper) and moved to Brighton. There he embarked upon a life of a womanising accountant. Unhappy with relationships and his job he struggles to understand true intimacy that shows up in the face of roving backpacker, Suzannah (Jenny Rowe). As the story unfolds, a delicate tale of family love and tragic pasts builds itself around the four excellent actors - Annabel Cleare playing Maggie.The characters weave between past and present with wonderful simplicity, allowing the relationships and the poetic text to be the focus of our attention. A low sound track of Brighton beach and sea-gulls entrances us and draws us into Leo's world. Gorgeously lit by Dan Staniforth, the stage basks in an early evening glow that warms us and whispers to us in it's haze.Pebbles on the Beach is not risky drama. It doesn't push boundaries or have anything massive to say about life and love. But like a lover, gently prods you to address questions that at some time or other have haunted us all. Are we happy with our past? How do we choose to remember that which has hurt us? How much power do our memories hold over us and if you put your mind to it, can you just forget?For a lunchtime piece of theatre (14.00) it leaves you satisfied and ready for the afternoon. Lovingly written, well directed with strong acting all round, it is definately worth seeing.

WHen.

AOR

its official

Edinbrugh Festival Fringe

Weaver Hughes Ensemble has opened its 3 shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe yesterday, 31st July 2008. The 31st July was in fact the official birthday…

So.

The Army of Reason by James Hammond
Pleasance Jack Dome (venue 23) at 12.45pm

When an artist speaks out, a zealot assassin is sent to kill him. His public death divides a nation and civil war follows, fostering betrayal and distrust between family and friends. Time to choose a side.

Artistic Associate James Hammond directs his first production for the company - a startling vision of our future - with Mike Aherne, David Alderman, Alistair Brooks, Isaac Harper, Emmy Sainsbury and Greg Wohead.

Pebbles on the Beach by Joanna Pinto
Pleasance Courtyard (venue 33) at 2pm

Leo’s number one rule is to leave someone before they leave you. Ever since finding out as a child that he’d been adopted, he’s been living by this. Now, Leo finds himself sitting on Brighton beach trying to remember how he got there. As if in a dream, those he holds closest appear to him – the girlfriend he’s rejected, his dead adoptive father and the birth mother who gave him up. Leo has questions and wants answers but all he has are the pebbles in his hand. Artistic Director Timothy Hughes directs this poetic journey of self-discovery, with Michael Armstrong, Annabel Cleare, Ian Draper and Jen Rowe.

The Six Wives of Timothy Leary by Philip de Gouveia
Pleasance King Dome (venue 23) at 5pm

Artistic Director Timothy Hughes' Time Out Critics' Choice production transfers to Edinburgh following its run at Riverside Studios, London in June.

Hetty Abbott, Katharine Bennett-Fox, Lisa Came, Charlotte Donachie, Rebecca Keatley and Kirsten Hazel Smith are the six wives.

'...drop by, turn on, stay tuned.'
The Independent

Time Out Critic’s Choice

The Writer of REMEMBERING YOU LIKE SOMETHING I’D FORGOTTEN has put down some thoughts on the process of writing a new play, in particular the face that she came back to the same play one year on with new thoughts….

Louise Buchler
Where does one start when writing a play about memory? This is the challenge I was presented with when Weaver Hughes Ensemble asked me to write this play. First and foremost the topic is vast as memory and re-call are such an integral part of our lives. With a cast of seven, the theme of memory is explored on many levels with characters such as Joseph, who is trying to forget a particularly traumatic event in his life while his mother struggles with Alzheimer’s, then there is Pandora who recalls her father’s heart transplant and his experience of cellular memory. Miles and Josephine root their memories in the land, Grace cannot bear to be forgotten and Ingrid recalls her mother by cutting herself.

The show has been re-written for the Grahamstown National Arts Festival this year and sees the addition of a new character named Walter. At the moment South Africa is dealing with an influx of people fleeing Zimbabwe and most recently horrific xenophobic attacks broke out, first in Johannesburg and then around the country. The most shocking image in the media was one of a Mozambiquan man who had been set alight by a mob and subsequently burnt to death. This image made me think about ties to the land, issues of displacement and how those fleeing Zimbabwe feel about this forced displacement. Hence ‘Walter’ was born, a Zimbabwean man busking in South Africa to make a living. The creation of this character has meant a shift in the nature of the play – one that resonates strongly with current affairs in South Africa as well as exploring the notion of brotherhood. Walter symbolizes the dream of unity – his music and his love for Bob Marley root him to home. He sees the creation of music as a way of remembering a dream, keeping the hope of peace alive. In its inception the cast explored the idea of memory and despite the diversity of the group and their stories the one common wish was to be remembered. Walter echoes this hope through his music and his belief in the greater good.

Writing this play has been a fascinating experience, the theme of memory a powerful tool as it is one we can all identify with. The creation of Walter has provided a vehicle to explore issues surrounding and encompassed by memory and has added a new dimension to the overall nature of the play. The characters in this play are ordinary human beings dealing with issues bigger than themselves, they are not celebrities or politicians their stories are those of average people leading average lives and this for me is what makes them so powerful, so easily identifiable. They may not change the course of history; they probably won’t get a mention in the newspapers or the eight ‘o clock news but there is something profound in their personal experience and their overall resilience in the face of adversity.

National Arts Festival

As the Lady begins to sing for the SIX WIVES

on the 26th June...we will be opening in South Africa with REMEMBERING YOU LIKE SOMETHING I’D FORGOTTEN…

And then heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with three productions in August.

So how has the LEARY LADIES been:

“Impressive”
The Independent

4 STARS
'Philip de Gouveia's excellent first play...stylishly directed by Timothy Hughes'
Whatsonstage.com

4 STARS
'A truly unique, kaleidoscopic, theatrical experience; not to be missed'
remotegoat.co.uk

4 STARS
'...an arresting and impressive piece of theatre'
musicOMH.com

'a cast of young women who act their socks off, make this play one you should certainly turn on, tune in and drop out to.'
London24

So watch out for the LADIES THAT LUNCH in Edinburgh

And so to South Africa. REMEMBERING YOU will be at VICKY’S at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown from the 26th June to 5th July

Last year the play premiered at the festival to critical acclaim. '

A meditation on memory....Faultlessly performed'
Cue, Grahamstown 2007

This year promises to be no different, and what’s more, it that the playwright has developed the piece to bring into focus the current influx into South Africa from refuges fleeing Zimbabwe.

We wait for further news!

part one ends

The SIX WIVES have been playing for 10 days straight. You can't say that we don't make it easy for the company. When you sign a contract with us, you sign. No quarter is given.

Ask anyone about a WHen warm up and a flash of horror and pain will pass across the face while muscles are re-claimed in the thighs. Oh the joy of the same position for 20 minutes straight. A theatre company.. more like boot camp!

But such passing thoughts aside, the WIVES are looking forward to a well earned rest. And some flyering!!!

In the mean time, read this:

Le Cool

Six months following its critically acclaimed debut at Etcetera Theatre in Camden, the Weaver Hughes Ensemble’s The Six Wives of Timothy Leary this month moves to Riverside Studios. Like La Lohan post-rehab, this little number has come out refreshed, reenergised and more than ready to storm Edinburgh this August, where they are set to perform at the Fringe. For those who don’t remember – this 90-minute play examines six women who at one point in their lives fell victim to the enticing advances of American psychologist and LSD lothario Timothy Leary. But victims they were not. No, the women in this tale are glaringly bold and played by a troupe of compelling (and beautiful) young women who have gracefully grown into their respective roles since the play’s last incarnation in Camden. / Chloe McCloskey

How cool is that.

So far with the Wives at Riverside Studios (London)

The Wives has been open now for eight performances, and audience have been drifting through. Not as much as we would have liked but the response has been fantastic.

The production is much deeper and more haunting than last time at the Etcetera Theatre. That is probably due to several reasons. The first is that when mounting a new play you go for simple choices, especially if its unfunded and unpaid. What we mean here is that you look for the direct choices. You look to make the choices quick and be direct. The second reason for a more in-depth piece is that the actors have had a further six months to live with their characters. This has lead to a richer understanding of the words, the meaning, the intentions and their place in the world.

And the notices from the critics have born this out!

The Independent

Drop in, stay tuned, be impressed: finally,
justice to the 'king of acid'

Philip de Gouveia's wittily accomplished first play strives to solve the problem of overabundance and perspective by keeping the central figure offstage. Leary's story is filtered through the six main women who shared his life.

Spanning four decades, the piece catches the women at revealingly angled moments – the shifting contexts differentiated with crisp clarity in Timothy Hughes' assured, expertly acted production.

MusicOMH.com

4 stars

It is an arresting and impressive piece of theatre.

The final scene sees the five surviving wives drinking a subdued toast to Tim as his dead wife appears behind a curtain. It would have been all too easy to have her ‘rise from the dead’ to argue with the others, and it is a credit to the creators that that they opted for a far subtler ending: the light on Marianne going out just a second after it does on
the others.

Remotegoat.co.uk

4 stars

A truly unique, kaleidoscopic, theatrical experience; not to be missed

The Six Wives of Timothy Leary is written with the expertise of an established writer finely tuned with the subtleties of a fresh young mind; brilliant!

So.

It is becoming a very rich and reward experience for all, and which we feel with only grow with the performances, both here and in Edinburgh.

Welcome

Welcome to the WHen. blog.

Here, we hope to further our artistic ambitions, develop our senses and communicate with the wider community.

WHen. has always been about the process. The process of how work is created, how artists work together and how the work interacts with an audience. Over the last few years, the company has been developing a distinct style of work and presence on the theatre scene. One which is based on risk and excitement.

We hope that through continuing to discuss our thoughts on theatre, and the wider community, on different art forms, writing, politics, in fact anything at all, we will enrich our work.

And also have fun along the way.

WHen.