It's all over! For now...

That's it! The Life After has finished it's run in the Bristol Old Vic Studio with a resounding success. With over 50 young company members taking part in the August 'Scratch' performance, we are now looking forward to the February 2013 show with over double that cast!

We look forward to seeing you all again for the Theatre Royal debut of the new Life After!

Music

The string section practice in the Z Shed garden

Musicians in the sun

The music in the show is coming along really nicely. There are lots of talented musicians who both act and play their instrument throughout the piece. They've managed to catch some rays in the last few days by practicing in the garden!

Rehearsal photos by Kitty Wheeler Shaw

DEATH

With a show in which Death appears so regularly, we have been working hard to develop different ways of representing him (or it). More recently, the cast have been working a lot with Director Joseph Wallace using puppetry and mask techniques in order to create this imposing and other-worldly figure. We don't want to give too much away but here's a taster.

Rehearsal photos by Kitty Wheeler Shaw

Now I Lay Me Down

The musical styles in The Life After are as varied as the theatrical approach. There is a great deal or choral ensemble singing, some great instrumental work as well as a few full-blown musical numbers. Here, Musical Director Lizzy Westcott and Assistant Kathleen Fitzpatrick Milton work with the cast on the music for the show.

To be sure, Father!

The action in The Life After takes place, for the most part, in a village in Red River Valley. There are all sorts of characters that inhabit the village from the Butcher to the Baker to the birds and the bees. The boy has his mother, the Mayor has his aide, and every good Priest needs some faithful companions. We are excited to welcome a trio of Irish nuns to the village.

Say hello to Sister Shona, Eileen and Gael!

Rehearsal photos by Kitty Wheeler Shaw

Z-SHED

This month we have started rehearsing in Z-Shed at the Albion Docks. There may be a draft but it's great having the extra space with such a large cast!

Director Miranda Cromwell works with cast to create a lake through movement

Director Joseph Wallace talks performer Toby Yapp through the
intricacies of riding a chair bike

Rehearsal photos by Kitty Wheeler Shaw

Mayor Crimble: In Focus

Every year the Mayor of the Red River Valley attends multiple official events, and his trusted aide/bodyguard/photographer is always there to capture the moment on film. Here are some of his snaps from the recent opening of the village gardens...

The Mayor and his wife Daphne (with new-born child)

The Mayor and the Vicar. Do those smiles look genuine to you?

The Mayor with the Wise Women (Left-Right: Dorothy, Edna, Mildred)

The Mayor and his (overbearing) Aide

Black & White photography courtesy of Felix Pilgrim at Vanessa's Garden.

The Story of the Life After

Writer Adam Peck has been working with us as dramaturg on the project. He's been in and out of rehearsals watching what we make and helping us form the story of the show. Working closely with Assistant Writers Steph Kempson and Alex Davey as well as Directors Miranda Cromwell and Joseph Wallace Adam put together a draft script for the cast to begin working from. Here are some photos from  the read-through.

The 50-ish strong Life After cast read through the script at Bristol Old Vic

Assistant Writers Steph Kempson and Alex Davey, Directors Miranda Cromwell and Joseph Wallace and Assistant Directors Gabrielle Shepard and Alistair Debling

Rehearsal photos by Kitty Wheeler Shaw

Vanessa's Garden

One rainy day in June, the Life After cast and crew took a trip to a magical garden.....

On Saturday 16th June we took a coach far and wide to the land of Vanessa's garden. We took with us some presents of work we have devised so far and some of the scenes, songs and stories to the guests. Whether they were expecting...

everlasting love....

...goats...

...or old ladies who hold the secrets of life...

...we provided it all! The day was fantastic (apart from the weather!) and we had lots of fun showing people what we've been making in the room. Thanks to Vanessa for hosting the event and letting us play in her garden, the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club for their continued support (and lunch!) and Geoff Dunlop for the photographs. We hope everyone who came enjoyed themselves!

All photographs by Geoff Dunlop at Kailash Multimedia

Paint Day!

 The cast get messy on paint day creating the landscape in which the story will take place... We played with bodies in the space, puppets and toys, painted landscapes and the act of painting to create new stories and characters as well as developing old ones.

The Lady of the Lake?

The house where the boy lives with his mother...

We loved these multi-coloured mountains!

Character Development

We have been exploring how makeshift costume and face paint can affect character.

The cast devise a scene based on an encounter with the Old Man of the Forest. 

They could be grannies, they could be the three fates, they could be the village weird sisters: all we know is they like to knit!

Theatre Club Donation

The Bristol Old Vic Theatre club kindly donated £1000 to the budget of the Life After which has made it possible to pay the assistants on the project. We're really grateful for their support and Norma Watson and Pauline Peck, the Theatre Club's Young Company liaison came to watch rehearsals at the end of the half term intensive week.

Bristol Old Vic Young Company accept a generous cheque from the Theatre Club
From left: Ernie Peck, Peter Leoppard, Joseph Wallace, Alistair Debling, Miranda Cromwell, Lara Simpson, Norma Watson, Pauline Peck

Half Term Warm Up

The cast create a forest. In an exploration of the elements, we grew from tiny seedlings into old oak trees, that have seen sun and snow.

The Wall of Research and Inspiration

As rehearsals go on our wall is getting more and more full of images, text and notes made and brought in by cast and crew

Finding the story of the Lake

    Bodies under fabric create a moving lake, capable of hugs and storms...

LITTLE YELLOW ROSES

A little taste of what's to come...

WELCOME!

Hello and welcome to the Life After blog! Over the coming months we will be updating this page each week with our rehearsal notes, photos and videos, as well as loads of writing, drawings, ideas and recordings created by the cast. We are very excited to see what will emerge and hope you are too - so get sharing, commenting, liking and remember you can send in any words, songs, images, or whatever to the.life.after[a]hotmail.co.uk. See you soon!

Gabby and Alistair