Word of Warning... While programming puts me in a perpetual state of season confusion... always thinking a season ahead, the weather seems to be putting the kibosh on any sense of where we are in the year - but yes - welcome to British Summertime and to a whole new season of stuff to see and do! Expect an awful lot of plugs for Word of Warning programme - not just because I'm partisan, but because we are absurdly busy from here til June. A couple of things to keep you busy tonight (Fri 5 April): LEAP's Pub Culture at the Lord Ashton pub in Lancaster and Studio Salford's Embryo at the King's Arms, Salford. Next week is a bit eclectic: for something a bit on the circus side, there's Upswing's What Happens in the Winter at the Lowry on Mon 8 April; on the storytelling side: Tales of Whatever at the Castle Manchester; on the poetry side: Chanje Kunda's Amsterdam (wip) both on Wed 10 April; on the theatre side: Fuel/Will Adamsdale's The Victorian in the Wall at the Royal Exchange Studio Fri 12 + Sat 13 April. And on the fantastically bonkers dance side, there's Levantes Dance Theatre's Two Peas Without a Pod at Theatre in the Mill, Bradford on Fri 12 April. For all round live art eclecticism under one roof, there's of course Word of Warning's own 'Poolside Emergency on Sat 13 April at the Bluecoat, Liverpool. Emergency's scouse sibling, it offers a FREE day-long splash of some 25 pieces all over the building. Looking to the following week, and keeping to the eclectic theme, look out for West Yorkshire Playhouse's Transform Festival (16-27 April); and our very own Turn 2013 at Contact (19+20 April)... that's another 15 pieces - this time dance in all its manifestations... I did say we were busy! I'm off and try and unpick which event is which, before I start expecting live artists to perform grand jetés (ouch!) or dancers to imbibe noxious liquids (eww!). best Tamsin Next up on Word of Warning: Sat 13 Apr, 12noon-5pm, the Bluecoat, Liverpool (FREE)
'POOLSIDE EMERGENCY 2013 Fri 19 + Sat 20 April, 7.30pm, Contact
TURN 2013 Fri 26 Apr, 7.30pm. Z-arts | Double Bill
You Look Like Ants | Delicious Monster
Stuart Silver | Tam Hinton
Thu 28 Mar, 7.30pm. Kraak
PANOPOLIS Volkov Commanders
Journey to the centre of the Moon: A live silent film Sat 13 Apr, 12noon-5pm, the Bluecoat, Liverpool (FREE)
'POOLSIDE EMERGENCY 2013 Fri 19 + Sat 20 April, 7.30pm, Contact.
TURN 2013
THE BEGINNING | DEBUT Michael Pinchbeck | The Debutants Easter bonus:
Thu 28 Mar, 7.30pm. Kraak
PANOPOLIS Volkov Commanders
Journey to the centre of the Moon: A live silent film Sat 13 Apr, 12noon-5pm, the Bluecoat, Liverpool (FREE)
'POOLSIDE EMERGENCY 2013 nb...look out for PART 2 of the Word of Warning Spring Programme, coming very soon!
Word of Warning...Just gearing up for tonight's mega-double bill at Z-arts (7.30pm) - Plane Performance & Pigeon Theatre - first get-in done, second one just getting underway...
Contact's Flying Solo Festival continues with Sat 9 March, Sophie Willan's An Audience Without You and Brian Lobel's Purge. and over in Liverpool, there's still MDI: Capital Nights (EU dance triple bill) tonight at the Capstone Theatre, Liverpool Hope University.The week ahead sees lots of dance including 2faced Dance Company's Out of His Skin on Mon 11 March at Rose Theatre, Edgehill; Russell Maliphant's The Rodin Project on Tues 12 March at the Lowry; and in Liverpool The Kosh's Cafe Chaos at the Unity on Wed 13 + Thu 14 and Fighting Fit Productions' June Brides at the Capstone on Fri 15.In Manchester, Tales of Whatever continues at the Castle on Wed 13th and of course, theres's the Word of Warning our own co-promotion of Michael Pinchbeck's double bill of The Beginning with Debut at the Lowry on Fri 15th.Over in Leeds, Matthew Bellwood + Alison Andrews's The Story is Not Set in Stone is at the Carriageworks Thu 14 - Sat 16 March and Idle Motion's Borges and I is at Slung Low's Hub on Fri 15th (also at the Unity, Liverpool on Thu 14th)Cheshire has a wave of sited activity with Chester Performs' Rogues Galleries opening on Thu 14 March (continuing til 24th) and Axis Arts Centre's offsite presentations of J.Fergus Evans's My Heart Is Hitchhiking Down Peachtree Street on Sat 16 + Sun 17 March. The following week sees beginning of the lead-up to Easter, but before the break hits there's still FutureEverything2013 and in particular NVA's Speed of Light at Salford Quays and Emma Decent's Beyond Dreams of Aberystwyth at The Lowry.Anyway, I'm now off to plot interval treats for Plane Performance & Pigeon Theatre ... think Russian themed maybe, to prepare your palates for the redolent second half... Hoping to see lots of you later!bestTamsin Next up on Word of Warning: Fri 8 Mar, 7.30pm. Z-arts | Double BillTHREE SISTERS | THE SMELL OF ENVY Plane Performance | Pigeon Theatre Fri 15 Mar, 8pm. The Lowry | Double Bill
THE BEGINNING | DEBUT Michael Pinchbeck | The Debutants Just announced Easter bonus:
Thu 28 Mar, 7.30pm. Kraak
PANOPOLIS Volkov Commanders
Journey to the centre of the Moon: A live silent filmSat 13 Apr, 12noon-5pm, the Bluecoat, Liverpool (FREE)
'POOLSIDE EMERGENCY 2013 nb...look out for PART 2 of the Word of Warning Spring Programme, coming very soon!
THREE SISTERS | THE SMELL OF ENVY Plane Performance | Pigeon Theatre Fri 15 Mar, 8pm. The Lowry | Double Bill
THE BEGINNING | DEBUT Michael Pinchbeck | The Debutants Sat 13 Apr, 12noon-5pm, the Bluecoat, Liverpool (FREE)
'POOLSIDE EMERGENCY 2013 nb...look out for PART 2 of the Word of Warning Spring Programme, coming very soon!
Following my frantic dash to IBT'13 in Bristol (four truly extraordinary days) I'm back ensconced in Manchester and on the look-out for stuff to do. Still to come this weekend is
Fevered Sleep's Above Me The Wide Blue Sky at Live at LICA (Fri 22 + Sat 23 Feb) and Contact's telepresence dance exchange: Outta Place's The Dance Dialogue on Sat 23. For those who didn't see it as part of Word of Warning in the Autumn, Ollie Smith's 27 is also at the Carriageworks, Leeds on Fri 22.The coming week in Manchester + Salford sees ur:performance's Purple Packed Night on Wed 27 Feb at Islington Mill and Small Things' The Resonance of Seclusion Thur 28 Feb at the Lowry.If you fancy venturing further afield, there's an absolute plethora of work - with something to see every single day. Dance is a big feature, with Process Product, Jasmine Vardimon, Company Chameleon, Candoco and Dance Cuts:
All week Process Product: A Festival of International Improvised Dance is at Axis, Crewe; and Commonwealth: Our Glass House is c/o Theatre in the Mill, Bradford.
On Mon 25 Feb Jasmine Vardimon' Freedom is at the LBT, Huddersfield;
On Tue 26 Feb LaJohnJoseph's Boy in a Dress is at Unity, Liverpool (also at Contact 5/6 March);
On Wed 27 Feb Michael Pinchbeck's The Beginning is at Live at LICA (also coming to The Lowry 15 Mar)
On Thu 28 Feb Company Chameleon's Pictures We Make is at the Rose Theatre, Edgehill.
On Fri 1 March Pigeon Theatre's Smell of Envy is at Stage@Leeds (also at Z-arts on Fri 8 March); Emma Decent's Beyond Dreams of Aberystwyth is at Theatre in the Mill, Bradford (also Sat 2 March) and Candoco's Turning 20 is at Live at LICA, heralding the start of their weekend-long Dance Cuts Showcase 2013.Looking further ahead to the w/c 4 March, Contact's Flying Solo Festival runs all week - including LaJohnJoseph's Boy in A Dress, Kristina Wong's Going Green The Wrong Way, Sophie Willan's An Audience Without You and Brian Lobel's Purge
Dance continues with LEAP'13 in Liverpool kicking in with a double bill of Lucy Suggate + Taciturn Dance and MDI: Capital Nights (EU dance triple bill)
Also at Axis, Crewe is juice and MaJiKer' Flesh and Bone and at Carriageworks Leeds Greg Wohead's I Like The Way You Wear Your Hair. Naturally, the highlight of the week is the next Word of Warning double bill at Z-arts on Fri 8 March with Plane Performance & Pigeon Theatre, offering a chance to see two of Manchester's finest in just one evening - so hoping to see you there!bestTamsin Next up on Word of Warning: Fri 8 Mar, 7.30pm. Z-arts | Double Bill
THREE SISTERS | THE SMELL OF ENVY Plane Performance | Pigeon Theatre Fri 15 Mar, 8pm. The Lowry | Double Bill
THE BEGINNING | DEBUT Michael Pinchbeck | The Debutants Standing reminders:
www.facebook.com/warnmcr @warnmcr
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
For more musings on the extraordinary and the random check out doodlebug's weekly friday morning nugget at 8.30am on All FM radio... doodlebug mixcloud archive.
For all things independent film check Kino events
Word of Warning...
After a frenetic Haphazard weekend (I've never seen so many small (and big) people hula-hooping, ping-ponging and getting terrified by Minotaurs) - Word of Warning has moved on to Hetain Patel's Be Like Water at Contact, tonight Fri 15 Feb (sold-out check for last minute returns).
Elsewhere Embryo is at Studio Salford tonight, Fri 15 Feb and The Gramophones End to End is at UCLAN, Preston also tonight, Fri 15 Feb; imitatingthedog's The Zero Hourcontinues at West Yorkshire Playhouse til Sat 16 Feb and Daniel Bye's The Price of Everything at the Unity Liverpool, tomorrow, Sat 16 FebYou can draw a bit of breath next week, though Pigeon Theatre's The Smell of Envy is at Axis, Crewe on Thu 21 Feb (also coming to Z-arts March 8) and Fevered Sleep's Above Me The Wide Blue Sky is at Live at LICA (Fri 22 + Sat 23 Feb) and for those into dance and technology, a telepresence dance exchange at Contact with Outta Place's The Dance Dialogue on Sat 23.The following week (25 Feb - 3 Mar), however, sees a frenetic wave of activity if you fancy getting out and about with ur:performance's Purple Packed Night at Islington Mill and Small Things' The Resonance of Seclusion at the Lowry. Further afield: Jasmine Vardimon' Freedom is at the LBT, Huddersfield; Process Product: A Festival of International Improvised Dance at Axis, Crewe; Commonwealth: Our Glass House is c/o Theatre in the Mill, Bradford; LaJohn Joseph's Boy in a Dress at Unity, Liverpool; Company Chameleon's Pictures We Make at the Rose Theatre, Edgehill and Michael Pinchbeck's The Beginning at Live at LICA (also coming to The Lowry 15 Mar).As a final word - those of you looking to make and show some work - a quick reminder that the closing deadline for 'Poolside Emergency is 5pm tonight.
bestTamsin
Next up on Word of Warning:
Fri 15 Feb, 7.30pm. Contact
BE LIKE WATER Hetain Patel
Fri 8 Mar, 7.30pm. Z-arts | Double Bill
THREE SISTERS | THE SMELL OF ENVY Plane Performance | Pigeon Theatre
Fri 15 Mar, 8pm. The Lowry | Double Bill
THE BEGINNING | DEBUT Michael Pinchbeck | The Debutants
Word of Warning...
I'm writing from the topsy turvy world of Haphazard - briefing our badger, snow-leopard,tiger and wolf hosts; receiving large hula-hooped shaped parcels; awaiting a bulk delivery of ping pong balls and holding my breath to see what the Crystal-Maze-meets-It's-a-Knockout-style gameshow will land on us (literally!). It must be nearly Haphazard time (Sat 9 Feb 12-4pm FREE). Featuring Volkov Commanders, Ultra Violets, Lydia Hirst (Eggs Collective), whatsthebigmistry, Katherina Radeva, Anna Madonald, Robert Foster, Lani Irving, Rachael Nutter and Angel Club (north), drop in anytime between 12+4pm - the day promises to be as big a surprise for me as for the audience! Elsewhere Queer Contact continues with Mother's Ruin's Who's Got The Max Factor? (tonight Fri 9 Feb); and The Polari Mission (I think sold-out) and Bourgeois and Maurice on Sat 9 Feb. Our friends at Blank Media Collective also have their Winter Warmer Fundraiser on Sat 9 Feb - so pop along ifHaphazard leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy! The coming week remains busy - even Sunday 10th isn't quiet as Maelstrom Dance are previewing their new work as part of And So Begins The Snow at Antwerp Mansions and Company Chameleon's The Pictures We Make premiers at The Lowry on Thu 14 Feb and Tales of Whatever is on at The Castle, on Wed 13 Feb and Embryo at Studio Salford on Fri 15 Feb. Word of Warning's breakneck run of three shows in three weeks concludes with our first collaboration of the season with Contact: Hetain Patel's Be Like Water on Thu 14 (just 2 tickets left!) and Fri 15 Feb (tickets available). Further afield imitatingthedog's 6 Degrees Below The Horizon is at Axis, Crewe on Tue 12 Feb (also coming to Contact in May) and The Zero Hour at West Yorkshire Playhouse Thu 14-Sat 16 Feb; The Gramophones End to End is at UCLAN, Preston on Fri 15 Feb and Daniel Bye's The Price of Everything at the Unity Liverpool on Sat 16 Feb Possibly mercifully, things quiet down the following week, though you can still catch Pigeon Theatre's The Smell of Envy at Axis, Crewe (also coming to Z-arts in March) and Fevered Sleep's Above Me The Wide Blue Sky at Live at LICA and for those into dance and technology, a telepresence dance exchange at Contact with Outta Place's The Dance Dialogue. I'm now off to wrangle the animals, tend to the CO2 garden and re-fuel the tiny cars - hoping to see lots of you at Haphazard! best Tamsin Next up on Word of Warning: Sat 9 Feb, 12noon-4pm. Z-arts FREE
HAPHAZARD For the curious of all ages. Thu 14 + Fri 15 Feb, 7.30pm. Contact
BE LIKE WATER Hetain Patel Fri 8 Mar, 7.30pm. Z-arts | Double Bill
THREE SISTERS | THE SMELL OF ENVY Plane Performance | Pigeon Theatre
Word of Warning...
So Word of Warning's Spring Performance Collection is well and truly up and running with the lovely Lowri Evans's The Secret Life of You and Me at the Lowry Studio. Very nice to be sold out for our first night, there may still be a tiny handful of tickets available for tonight (Fri 1 Feb, 8pm). Next week sees Queer Contact taking over - with The House of Contact on Tue 6; Art with Heart's The Secret Diaries of a Teenage Queer (only matinee tickets remaining); Mother's Ruin's Who's Got The Max Factor?; and The Polari Mission and Bourgeois and Maurice on Sat 9 Feb. Of course, for us, Saturday 9 Feb is dominated by our own (free) Haphazard from 12-4 at Z-arts (but if you plan well there's time to come along AND do Queer Contact!). Haphazard artists include Volkov Commanders, Ultra Violets, Lydia Hirst (Eggs Collective), whatsthebigmistry, Katherina Radeva and more. Ten mesmerically madcap and insanely interactive adventures all over the building - it's live art for everyone, children and adults alike. Drop-in at any time between 12 and 4; rounding off with an informal discussion on making work for inter-generational audiences at 4pm. Further afield the LBT, Huddersfield has imitating the dog's 6 Degrees Below the Horizon (Tue 6 + Wed 7 Feb). Live at LICA has Two from A Smith on Wed 7 and Unity, Liverpool has Clout Theatre's How A Man Crumbled on Thu 8 Feb. The following week is even busier - including our (Word of Warning's) first collaboration of the season with Contact with Hetain Patel's Be Like Water on Thu 14 (4 tickets JUST released, book fast!) and Fri 15 Feb (tickets available). The Royal Exchange has the I'm Spilling My Heart Out festival, The Gramophones End to End is at UCLAN, Daniel Bye is at the Unity, imitating the dog continue their two show world domination plan and the premiere of Company Chameleon's The Pictures We Make is at The Lowry. I, meanwhile, will be heading for Bristol to IBT13 - the In Between Time Festival. Having thoroughly freaked myself with how much there is to do, I'm off to plan bucket dancing, ping pong ball dropping, leaf blowing, hula-hooping and a minotaur maze... a thoroughly Haphazard way to spend the day! best Tamsin Next up on Word of Warning:TONIGHT: Fri 1 Feb, 8pm. The Lowry
THE SECRET LIFE OF YOU AND ME Lowri Evans Sat 9 Feb, 12noon-4pm. Z-arts FREE
HAPHAZARD For the curious of all ages. Thu 14 + Fri 15 Feb, 7.30pm. Contact
BE LIKE WATER Hetain Patel
Word of Warning...
Finally we seemed to have reached the point where we can't pretend it's xmas any more and it's time to get back to (show)business as usual... Of course, the event of next week is the beginning of our own, Word of Warning season with Lowri Evans's The Secret Life of You and Me at the Lowry Studio on Thu 31 Jan and Fri 1 Feb. But for those hungry for something to do on a Friday afternoon you could also try Abas Eljanabi's Game Over - a free work in progress at Contact. This Sunday, 27th, Jordan Mackenzie will be bringing his Perfect Gift to Liverpool City Centre, thenLive at LICA kicks off its season on Mon 28th with Burrows & Fargion's Counting to One Hundred and One Flute Note and, on Wed 30 + Thu 31 Imitating the Dog's The Zero Hour . Axis Arts Centre, Crewe gets going on Thu 31 with Michael Pinchbeck's The Beginning (also coming to WoW/the Lowry in March) and over at Edgehill University, on Tue 29 the Rose Theatre has Clout Theatre's How A Man Crumbled. Looking ahead to the following week, Queer Contact takes over all week, and Live at LICA, LBT Huddersfield and Unity, Liverpool are all worth checking out. From a partisan point of view, of course, the big event is our own (free) Haphazard at Z-arts on Sat 9 Feb - we'll be revealing more programme details later today but it promises to be a no-holds-barred live art takeover of the building! best Tamsin Next up on Word of Warning:
Thu 31 Jan + Fri 1 Feb, 8pm. The Lowry
THE SECRET LIFE OF YOU AND ME Lowri Evans Sat 9 Feb, 12noon-4pm. Z-arts
HAPHAZARD For the curious of all ages. Thu 14 + Fri 15 Feb, 7.30pm. Contact
BE LIKE WATER Hetain Patel