Pete Hartley: sometime dramaturg, perennial scribbler
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.
Why you should not ‘support’ theatre “Theatre is like sex,” so said director Sir Richard Eyre in a TV interview that I used to show to drama students. That statement demonstrated why he was such a good director. In just four words he got the attention of the audience and had them wanting to know … Continue reading New molecules please
The wait will be over when the beginners please.
A prompt to re-start theatre after Covid-19 lockdown.
And it won’t take “no” for answer No matter how good your facemask is it will not protect you against the slyest infection of all: the personality of the mask itself. Wearing any mask changes your mind. There is no doubt. If you do doubt it, it matters not; your mask will still have its … Continue reading YOUR FACE MASK NEEDS YOU
Mr Dionysus always danced out of doors. That was his natural environment. I smiled as I recalled the parties he had thrown. Wild did not come into it. They were out of doors and out of control.
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