Months have passed, all of us at the agency have (thankfully) stayed healthy and sought out ways to remain creative and engaged at a time when the theatre-world in the UK feels very much like it’s “gone dark”. As always, we feel that one of the advantages of a co-operative is that we support and encourage each other, including promoting possible creative opportunities throughout this period of uncertainty.
Manchester may be on additional restrictions at the moment, but we’ve all been keeping busy and have seen an increase in screen work within the industry and a correlating rise in self-tapes for many of our client-members. I think our family and partners have a greater awareness of the weird world of self-taping after helping us all film shots of us running, shopping, baking, eating sausages and celebrating a lockdown wedding(!)
So, what else have we all been up to these last couple of months:
Mary Gerardine Hooton has worked on various projects during lockdown including ‘Sonnet-A-Day’ (Melbourne Shakespeare Co.) and ‘Pride and Prejudice - #AustenReadathon’ (Sun and Moon Theatre), both available online.
Mary was one of the original cast members to return and record for ‘Mouth – (Reflux)’ by award winning Magpie Man Theatre, available here https://youtu.be/Qx0M7gn9XXE
Lisa O’Hanlon also got involved with ‘Sonnet-A-Day’ with Melbourne Shakespeare Co, and has developed some additional showreel material filming a Covid-19 aware, outdoor scene with Manchester Actors Platform. The filming day coincided with a traditional Manchester downpour but they used it to their benefit to create a scene sheltering from the elements. You can watch it in full here, and we can’t wait to see Lisa put it together with her other screen-work.
Katherine Lunney had her international tour of Othello with TNT Theatre cancelled back in March 2020, obviously due to the lockdowns and pandemic across the globe. So, it’s excellent news that the tour is being revived for a month of touring outdoor venues across Europe.
Katherine will be appearing as Emilia and Bianca in Othello in castle grounds across Europe (covid-permitting) from the end of August 2020.
Charlotte Ashton been working doing some online presenting work over lockdown for some clients. She’s also filmed a scene for a director/cameraman looking to set up a showreel company and wanting some scene examples. You can always find examples of Charlotte’s beautiful singing on her YouTube channel and Instagram, which she has been keeping updated throughout the pandemic.
Julie Root, co-founder of Root & Branch Productions has had her Northern tour dates of work by American writer Cody Daigle-Orians, cancelled.
However she has been busy working on various creative projects during lockdown. Amongst others, she has been developing her writing and filming skills with SRM, a community theatre company based in Huddersfield; filming a monologue for Popelei (an award winning arts organisation based in Bristol) as part of their Women In Lockdown project and contributing to Sonnet-A-Day (Melbourne Shakespeare Co.)
That's just a snapshot of a few of our members, and we're so proud of the creativity and resilience being shown at this unknowable time, as well as the community and support present within our co-operative community.