Pete Hartley: sometime dramaturg, perennial scribbler
Joan Littlewood dismissed the traditional view of directing, and said that she hated ‘acting’ by which she means the pretence that can all too often be seen and which cloaks the truth of the character. She claimed her only contribution was to ‘grow’ a show, but by doing so, in the ways that she did, she redefined directing and producing, and rejuvenated acting.
How the opening of a play about the restless dead re-emerged after three decades to spawn the start of a story, and why a six year old boy was wrapped in clingfilm.
A review of the Mikron theatre production at Hesketh Bank, 28th September 2024.
Part two: out of the shadows. Hamlet Prince of Gothic.
Eternal thanks to Keith Johnstone Credit where credit is due, is a maxim that I always included in the final session of all the drama courses that I delivered. I then went on to credit Keith Johnstone. Keith died on 11th March 2023 aged 90. He was born in Devon and worked in education and … Continue reading The man who wrote the book that changed my life has died
This is a memory aid to help students learn about thirty key ideas associated with the French actor and director Antonin Artaud. It can also be used in part, or in full, as a warm-up for drama classes.
An appreciation of Girl from the North Country This is a quality production. It is not, and does not claim to be, a musical. It is a play with music. It is a very good play with very good music and as seen at the Lowry on 21st September 2022, it was very well performed. … Continue reading Bending Bob backwards
Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t HATE it. I didn’t even dislike it. It just didn’t do it for me. Maybe I’m just too much, like, MOCK TUDOR?
It was always a tumbleweed moment. I considered it vital, upon meeting a new drama class, to make the first lesson active and fun. The final fifteen minutes would be allocated for a sit-down discussion. The question was simple enough. “So, what is drama?” Some of the participants were new to drama, others had done it for two years, or five years or in some cases – if they’d been to drama clubs – ten years. The answer was invariably. . . Silence.
An appreciation of Illyria Theatre's production of Peter Pan at Lytham Hall, Lancashire in August 2022.
uneasywords 