A few months on.....

Just a message to see how people are? I know slough are only just breaking up for holidays (ive been off for 3 weeks and i go back monday its been seriously boring) so i hope you all have a nice break. We've been slowly getting busier lol with more drama to do and gatherings/meetings to organise. Some of us met up today to arrange a parrty lol whilst peri chris and julianna worked on an old dvd adding welsh subtitles... ITS ALLL GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD.
So anyone got any ideas for futurew strangers???


[Bounce Back]

Alex

(p.s. we've kidnapped sarah mwahahahaha)

IDEAS

Me and haddy sat down and brainstormed.!! Sensible conversation and everything. We feel strangers should create a cluster of performances where we all create individual performances (ie. monologues, dance, drama, art etc.) and Create their own ideas. Mine and Haddies idea- A Contemporary dance/Physical Theatre representing an arguement with a monologue over the top where each side dance and monologue respond to each other. And possibly using Neon UV paints to create something out of nothing. ( its hard to write down but we know what i mean)

Hope everyone is ok..xxx

THIS BLOG IS STILL ALIVE....HONEST!!!

Hey Strangers round the world,

Just been talking to Alex Griffiths about ideas for keeping the Strangers project going for a bit longer while Sarah Jones is here in Wales - HOORAY!!!! Sorry NZ that we've stolen her a for a little while.

Really good to see that Polly and Laura from the Welsh criw have been blogging while I was in Italy and that there is still life in this blog yet!!!

We all still need to get back together in the 3 countries to watch our films of the performances and have a kind of Strangers Finale Event in Wales - not sure how possible this is in Slough and NZ but where there's a will there's a way! And inventive ideas are always welcome here...! So get blogging everybody!!!!!

Alex tells me that some Wales Strangers have been discussing where we go from here and the idea is evolving about some street theatre opportunities to "spread the word of Strangers" so to speak, and more physical/dance ideas for the future. I'm sure that Sarah and I can come up with some exciting workshops and schedule some inventive programmes for you all to get involved in and make sure you have your say about and learn to lead yourselves through as well.

May I also add how proud I am of all the Strangers who were able to attend the Heritage Lottery "Your Square Mile" event on Saturday. The Dynamix Youth Consultation leaders were well impressed with your knowledge and understanding of heritage and how you obviously all gell so well as a group - "Everybody needs good Strangers"!!! I think oneof my favourite bits of the day was taking Barney the Puppet on a tourist guide of Brynaman. He's sooooo cute! As soon as I get the photos off Tashy's phone I'll post a pic on here - or maybe Tashy could do it quicker...? Race you Tash!

Anyway, really really sorry that Strangers had to be postponed to next Tuesday, but something good did come out of it...Alex and Peter attended a community meeting with me and Juliana about getting things going in the village and by the end of the meeting we were all discussing an exciting Lantern Parade of all the different groups with masks and music and lights and fire and circus!!!! Thats my kind of village event if ever I heard of one!!!

Also I just need to add a big congratulations to Peter and Alex for joining up on the Youth Council - YAY! You guys are some of the most motivated and positive young people I know...as well as all the rest of you strangers WORLDWIDE!!!

Right must sleep soon so Ciao for now!! Bella Pasta Bellissimo!!! Yay!!!!

Peri/

HowdyHoThere

Just checking in to see how people are doing with learning there lines and working out how to perform this marvelous construction we call Strangers. lol
Comment.? I know wales have really gone the whole hog this week and worked out the settlers arriving scene. Looking forward to recording our voices tomorrow you'll probably see some on the blog.

Alex

(P.s Check out my new blog for art http://friedrig.blogspot.com/)

Another day...

Alex Haddy tash and peri have just ben shopping in swansea for wonderful delights for our party.! Pink paper and masks! hardcore and now were messing around with peri in the community centre!!! !!
In this blog you get to meet our local superheroes. The Bubble Wrap ninja (Green), The Cling Film ninja (Purple) and Tin Foil ninja (Blue) they are super cool so do not mock!!










Anothers hard day work in Brynaman!

'Stay in school kids and dont do drugs' MACCDYS SUPERHEROES!


Lots of love and kind wishing upon your new year!!!! (haddy says face)

Alex Hadd and Tash!!!

Newest strangers

Hey all mr silla and eva introducing our newest stranger Rudolph the Red nose stranger!!!! say hi all

Off to rehearsals now!!!!!!!

Haddy and Alex

Set Design

Hey all as far as im aware wales have not really talked about set design (cept the week thing we did with alex) or costume. I think maybe as a group we could discuss something? ? Erm yeah so ill throw that open? Have New Zealand or Slough had any ideas?

Do you see what i see was really good btw !!!!!! i would write a review like i have done before but i wouldnt be there for long as it was soo good!!!

Lexx

Like a virgin !?

Hey all so some of the Wales criw have just been to see a play called Like a Virgin in the Ammanford Miners Theatre (where we will be performing!!!). Lets just start but giving them a round of applause!!! It was amazing every last detail have been thought through! from scene changes to the way the actors portray their characters! I was blubbing from the start when the main character sung a song about things 'they' used to do? leading upto an arguement between her parents and they split up! You see her as she grows up and decides with her best friend to create a Madonna Tribute band! She sadly contracts leukemia and eventually dies. This is all showed with great sensitivity and real emotion. The set was cleverly used to show the main characters life, It was her bedroom all pink and girly full of things that meant something to that character (i.e. there were 2 stereos, her clothes scattered around and other bedroomy stuff) Throughout the play the mother gradually tidied away the bedroom into the draws, the bedroom representing the daughter and the stuff in it representing her daughters life and how is slowly emptied and eventually became the hospital bed in which she died. It was set in sheffield so you had the usual loud and bold characters like her friend Maxine who to be honest was rude but found herself towards the end and my favourite character Monkey who didnt say much other than Alriiiiiiiight. They interacted with the audience aswell although i feel it kind of took away from the realistic side of it. The were only 4 actors so they multicharacterised and changed the set. I think it had us all buzzing with emotion and how we could all relate at some point to something in that play and it has given us lots of ideas for set and characterisations and the rest!
Well i have noticed that people have been putting pictures of themselves up so will i !!!! lol Well now its a long wait till next tuesday to see The Producers in Cardiff!
SCRIPTS COME TOMORROW YAY!!

Toodles

Alex

MIMING IN BRYNAMAN FILM

Hello All,

Just thought I'd write a quick post about our filming weekend which starts...TOMORROW!

The film will be about a minute and a half in length and will be about the history of the local area. During the historical facts, you will see mime artists portraying what goes on in the community as someone has misinterpreted "mining" for "miming". Very surreal we know but when we practised our basic mime techniques in a workshop led by Alex - who used to be in a mime troop in England - everyone looked fab and with the practise makeup session, I just know that the results tomorrow will be awesome.

So, if any of the Welsh criw are reading this before Saturday then remember we've got heaps to get through and the film criw aren't familiar with the area so we're all going to need A LOT OF PATIENCE as film shoots always take a long time. Make sure you've got food and money with you and a warm coat for when you're hanging around waiting. I'll txt all this anyway.

Right, miming in Brynaman...can't wait! ;P

Holla Again

Hey lol Just me back from one of our strenous days with peri and john lol i feel this week has been the most productive since strangers started for brynaman in february! We've got the basis for the scripts, set and 3 of the characters that we really like Gwen, Rhydian and Stranger. We've done loads of role play scenes of neighbours gossiping and stuff like that. We recently skyped with new zealand as peri has said, It still feels weird talking to people across the globe but i shall adapt lol Becki (but no alex lol like before), Danielle and sarah briefed us through their play and all that they've been doing We play lots of games like the banana song and Penguin!!! We seem to have a tight group of friends already so its nice to see that we were all strangers before this started but now were all good friends! we even share lunch lol! Its been nice to see and hear from the helpers like Alex, Clare, Roger, Elin, John and Sarah as i feel all the youth can now see a play forming !! Ok now im rattling on.
Hope EVERYONE ALL OVER Slough and New Zealand are well

Lexx

( i would like to point out how many alexs so far we have in our production 3 So it must be a special name)

Alex and Peter's Interviews after watching the Welsh play "Vortigern's Kingdom"