3felt it was effective, and today Richard has been sweating over the copy – on his 5th draft by the time I left for home.
Bob Frith's VEIL BLOG JUNE 2007
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28.06
As June comes to an end we're just beginning to get back into making for the show, ever mindful of the need not to spend money. Alison is making a puppet crane - the Iraqi laqlaq - that flies over the excavations close to the beginning of the story and works as a motif throughout. I've strengthened - and cut in half - the Assyrian 'attendant gods', that are found in the same excavations. We've also just had the damaged table saw replaced so I can start building the biggest piece of woodwork in the set - the 'steps' that suggest both the desert horizon and the excavations themselves.
Slowly my mind is re-focusing on Veil. It has been odd, and difficult, having to let go, and now it's just as difficult reclaiming it. I guess that I'm worried that the inspiration will fade with the comings and goings forced on us by the financial situation.
15.06
Katrina left on Monday and today Ana and Ricardo flew back to Portugal. Without the students the workshop is quiet. The puppet festival was a lovely weekend, just about selling out and kindly weather too. But now we have to build up the momentum again and go back to making masks for Veil. The winged bull is half papered, and needs finishing soon before the clay model cracks in the warm weather.
Weston (Alison’s partner) found a battered old cart (see below) in an old Baptist Chapel, something the caretaker used to transport odds and ends around the building. We’ve swapped it for a brand new wheelbarrow, and have taken ownership - the cart will now be the starting point for the Iraqi khayal al-zill show that opens Veil. It will be a shadow show, told in a rough style, and the size of the cart dictates that I use two screens, two carts, to tell the story of warring kings. An ancient theme that's only too topical.
05.06
Yesterday we met (David, Richard, Helen, Iain and myself) to redraw the finances for Veil. This is in order to make a new approach to the Arts Council for touring support, but this time breaking the bid into three sections - research and development (already submitted); the rehearsal period and Spring tour 2008; and an Autumn 08 tour.
As things are being prepared for the Puppet Festival there's little progress on the show itself, but papering the winged bull started today. This just had to be started, as the warm weather is beginning to dry the clay out. It's going to be a big job.
READ AN INTERVIEW WITH BOB FRITH ABOUT VEIL HERE.
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CONTACT BOB FRITH bob@horseandbamboo.org
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
BOB FRITH: The Artistic Director of Horse + Bamboo Theatre, and writer and director of Veil. Started developing the project in December 2005, inspired by Jacques Brel's 'Regarde Bien Petit'.
KATHERINA RADEVA: The designer for Veil, which is her first commission from H+B. She is Bulgarian, based in London was shortlisted for the Linbury Design award in 2006 and devises and creates her own performance pieces.
LOZ KAYE: Musical Director, a long-term collaborator with H+B. based in Aarhus, Denmark. A specialist in writing music for theatre, and responsible for the music in most of H+B's recent touring productions.
ALISON DUDDLE: Maker and Associate Director, has worked with H+B for 7 years and will share the directing, mask and puppet-making with BOB FRITH.
ERIK KNUDSEN: A film maker from a Ghanaian/Danish background, responsible for creating the video footage and sections of Veil, with teaching commitments in Havana, Ghana - and Salford.
FALIHA KADHIM: An Iraqi painter who left Baghdad in 1992, now living in Lancashire. Advising on the Iraqi storyline and detail for Veil.
DAVID EDMUNDS: The Producer - of David Edmunds Projects - helping everyone by selling Veil to theatres throughout the UK, and supporting the artistic team.
RICHARD HALL: Executive Producer at H+B, responsible for marketing Veil and managing the tour.
HELEN JACKSON: the CEO from May 2007. GEORGE HARRIS wrote the initial grant application but left in January. ROSE CUTHBERSTON then worked as Acting CEO and did the first rewrite of the application.
FARHA PATEL, SADIA MAHMOOD, GHAZALA AHMED, TANZEELA JAVED: Advisory group with reference to islamic custom and belief.
HALIMA CASSELL, PARMINDER KAUR, GAZ KADHIM: Storyline advisors.
VEIL - THE BACKGROUND
HORSE + BAMBOO THEATRE is a touring company. Veil has been developed by H+B's Artistic Director to tour in Autumn 2007 and in 2008. Although H+B are already funded by the Arts Council, the company will also need a National Touring Grant to undertake this tour.
The story of Veil is rich and epic. It deals with the lives of two young women, caught up in the long and violent relationship between Europe and the Middle East. The 'veil' is not only the abaya of Iraqi womens dress, but also describes the lies and secrets of this history - as well as the physical screens and cloths of the staging.
