Offstage Cast - This Thing is Finally Happening

An amazing programme of world theatre.

Our Artistic Directors chat about the very varied programme of theatre which is coming to Liverpool from across Europe, North Africa and the Americas, in just a couple of weeks.

As final preparations are made in Liverpool, and theatre troupes from around the world pack their bags, we chat about what is in store for audiences who will attend The Astor Theatre from 13th-16th October.

Find out more at by clicking through to the LITF website

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Hello and welcome to the off stage cast, a podcast all about the Liverpool international Theatre Festival. Each episode, we will deliver an all access pass to what staging and international Theatre Festival is all about. I am your host, Deborah rat all along with Neil Maidman and Vic mills. We are the offstage cast. We're back. We are the offstage cast international Theatre Festival. What year is it even? I'm 2022 We've, we've made it through the rains. The storm, we've cracked the deserts, we've we've kicked COVID in the behind the sorta and we're a go in a few short weeks mail, Vic. Yeah. Well, it's all a bit surreal, really, because we've been waiting for this for so long. And actually, it's just around the corner now. So, you know, God willing, it is all going to happen in a few weeks time. So it's yeah, it's really exciting. It's been a lot of work happening. I mean, I think as someone who's been a participant before, you know, there's a lot of stuff that you have to do in order to get to Nova Scotia. Rick and I have been on a steep learning curve as to what goes on in order to make Nova Scotia happen in Nova Scotia. And I don't have to do anything to get to Nova Scotia because I'm already here. Yeah, we know, we know. Yeah, I'm here, just to let everybody know, I'm here on my Hill and my house in Somerville centre, just outside of Liverpool and Vic and nail are across the pond. Yes, I'm in. I'm in the gorgeous seaside resort of sunny Porthcawl on the coast of South Wales. And we're just coming to the end of our crazy summer season here where we welcome 30 to 40,000 visitors a day. And I welcome them going. So when we're just getting to the point where there are fewer people here, each day, virtually now I've more of the beach and more of the sea to myself, because over this summer, I have become a wild swimmer. And it's very, very nice when I have that beach to myself. Let me tell you, you've actually witness witness me Wales, then. I have indeed. And I think that the wild swimming is something that our, our people that are listening to the podcast can have something with which to engage you during the festival to ask you about your wild swimming. Yeah, yeah. And you kneel, we've got a group of people couldn't wait, we got a group of participants to go whales from it. I tell you what, it'd be cold in the sea in October. I would have thought so but you know, maybe not. Maybe not. Maybe not. Because I can tell you that the last few days. There has been a lot of sea frolicking, we've been in the ocean, the waves have been cobbling us around, like I said, a cup. I feel every every year of my age. You just wake up in the morning, you're like, Oh, my goodness, this records, pictures of this frolicking in the ocean, Deborah, because I haven't seen any. I just want to let you know something Mr. Mill's that sometimes with life, you don't need to take a photograph. Sometimes it's important to be in the moment and experience things without having to document it. You see, you didn't just imagine the whole thing. Positive, I have the bruises and the aches and pains to prove it. And I have I'm still I think picking sand out of my ears from being tossed around. It's beautiful out there. And and I think that that's something that you never know what the water will be like, because there has been years when I think on the 20th of October, I've been in the water. Right? So it's got to be done. Wild swimming, and we can invite all our troops and members of our audience to come along and join us. Yeah. Oh, yeah. So let's just say this. We'll have a Fingers crossed. Take your swim trunks with you if you like good planning might be able to make that happen. So But enough about wild swimming, Vic, we just don't want you to monopolise this whole podcast. We'll back off. It's time for you to hear from our shy retiring. CO artistic director Neil Maidman. Oh, maybe it's your turn. Yeah, talk a word in edgewise or Mel's? I tell you I don't I probably mentioned it. I don't actually live in anywhere near Vic, for obvious reasons. Really. We live At least 40 miles apart. And that's kind of mandated by a court order now, so. So just for everybody's safety read, and that's what I do as part of being an artistic director, I look after people safety as a sort of a day job. So I'm suitably safe from Mr. Mills and I live about 40 miles away in the hills in the industrial heartland of South Wales, or what used to be the industrial heartland. So, so yeah, so we are about 40 miles apart. And all we do seem to see each other and speak to each other. Sometimes on hourly basis. Way too often, we do this last few weeks we have the code or just write the code or Yeah, so you're breaking those sorts of rules. So let's talk about where our festival is, right now. The Liverpool international Theatre Festival 2022. I mean, it's been how many years since we've been four years, four years. Yeah, we're years. And we, we do it with why didn't we do it? Before weeks in a day away? Yeah, for weeks at a day, and what little pesky thing has kept us from putting it's suddenly got in the way, and we don't like to talk about that anymore. So it's something that rhymes with Rand Demick. Yes. That couldn't put it better. Let's just move on, shall we? Let's move on. Let's just move on. Yeah. Why we are Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Okay, so what are our dates? Who wants to take that question? Okay, we are on the 13th 14th of October. Yeah. Through so just the Thursday that week through to the Sunday genes to the 60s 30s, the 60s, through the 30s to the Sunday at the Astor Theatre in lovely Liverpool. Yeah. Yeah. And you know, what that little bit of information is, at the very basic level, all you really need to come to Liverpool at those dates. And come and see some theatre and, and before you before you arrive, you want to get tickets? Yeah. You want to get tickets to each of these shows? And how can folks find out the schedule and that kind of information, the schedule has been worked on by Vicki myself over the last couple of weeks, really, and it's been a, we, we've looked at it in terms of technical and when people are arriving and leaving and all that sort of stuff. So it's, it's juggling a few balls really in the air to make sure that's all done. But I think it's been, it's been published now, via the IETF website. And also by the ASTER website, which we'll put we'll put the links in the, in the bio for this for this episode, as well. So that's great. So all that kind of information about how people can find out those kinds of important details will be right in the show notes. And also, if you just go to the NITF Facebook page, or the Astor Facebook page or the website, it's pretty easy to get around and find out the good information that you need. So you can come to Nova Scotia and see all these plays. Yeah, we are. And you can get, you can get individual tickets for plays, or you can get tickets for a bunch of plays together. You can get a whole festival kind of ticket package, etc. But there are events going on, it'll be once that it kicks off on that Thursday evening, it will be all day Friday, all day, Friday, all day, Saturday and all day Sunday. Just kind of packed with theatre with people talking about theatre, with people reviewing theatre, and in between times, a lot of partying going on, with people from all around the world coming together after having been kept apart for such a long time. So it's going to be an absolute blast. I mean, we've had the joy we've had the joy of meeting a lot of these people who are virtually all of these people online and the gathering excitement amongst the groups who are coming you know, we got to the point where we're getting messages almost every day about you know, what would what can we do about this or have we done that properly? And so there's yeah tremendous excitement building personally, just as people isn't there theatre is wonderful, but it's just kind of meeting theatre people and sharing experiences together and making memories together. So I'm it's been a it's been a challenge, especially this last sort of eight, nine months really, to get all this time together for Victor myself. Because things have kind of changed since we originally got our list of participants together and there's been the To be the few that unfortunately can't come to this festival. But we've got high hopes that we'll build come to a future festival, because we know that they've got through the selection process. So it's through its through their things that they can't control from from things like visas through to some funding issues, but also down to an election in a company in a country. Isn't it record that was stopped. Because there's a national election in the country during that week. And as a result, they're not able to come, which they were distraught about. But I'm sure they were and it's because they're all They're all lawyers in their real life. Yeah. So they need to work. Yeah. So Oh, silly old work. I know. Exactly. Yeah. So it's been, it's been a little bit challenge. But we've, we've managed to, remarkably replace, get some substitutes in at the last minute to help us to come up a fuller festival. And that's been been amazing to experience as well, hasn't it? Because it's it kind of happened. There's a couple of groups, troops of ours, weren't able to arrive, we went back to our original list, and we looked at some other resources as well. And we managed to sort that issue out within four or five days, which we were really pleased about, you know, so it was, yeah, it's gonna be great. We were thoroughly looking forward to it. And we're actually bringing some of our countrymen with us as well. And we reckon we're gonna read this as a group coming from Wales, this shoot was yeah, a different group, a different group? Well, it isn't nothing to do with borewell shooting? Yes, yeah, one of the things is quite, that was really lovely was that when we were selecting companies to come in the first place, there obviously going to be a lot more things that you're impressed with, and you're actually able to, to put into the programme. So you make quite difficult decisions at that point. And naturally, people who don't make it onto that programme, are going to be very disappointed. And one of the groups who were disappointed a terrific Theatre Company from from Mexico visited the festival in the past, and really produce some high quality theatre, we loved the play that they'd sent us, and we'd seen some film of it, they look wonderful, but they're just missed out. And so we thought, Oh, well, you know, I wonder if I mean, this is when we're talking kind of years later, no, going back and watching your hands, people play in a position that they would be able to perform it, etc, things move on. And I contacted a lady from the, from the group in Mexico led for dolci Galavan. And within 30, or 40 minutes, and a message back saying, we'd love to come, I would love to come I'd love to talk to everybody else. But yes, you know, I think we'll we'll come we'll come. And you were just, you know, thinking about people who've got to get funds, they've got to get a piece of theatre that that can get on the road, they've got to get visas, all that kind of thing. But they saw their way through those difficulties, because they were just so excited at the prospect to come in. And they've ticked every box in kind of, I don't know, five or six weeks, that has taken everybody else two years to get ready to do so it's going to be fantastic that they'll be there. And you know, what a lovely thing for them, they'd kind of written it off and thought, Oh, well, it'd be another two years till we'd be able to apply again. And suddenly, they were getting ready to come to Nova Scotia. So yeah, lovely, kind of lovely story for them and for us. So not only are all of these great stories happening to round out our festival and, and make the best of what was happening, you know, with the unfortunate reasons why some people can't make it. You were also talking with our adjudicator Paul Fowler This summer quite a bit, talking about what we can expect from his adjudication style. So how will we talk a little bit about that? Yeah, I mean, we met up with Paul in person for the first time in quite some time. Last week. I love you lunch. And we we did anyway, it was very nice. Yeah, we have a gorgeous lunch in and a reminder, he's been on our podcast in the past. I can't wait to meet him but what? Yeah, you love it? Yeah, yeah, he's a good guy. And yeah, we're gonna we're the for those that are not familiar with the IETF. We're going to have a we have one called Coffee critiques. So the adjudication is going to be in Two parts, I guess. One is at the end of a play, or at the end of an evening, where Paul will give his adjudication in a shortened sort of form at the end of a night, or the end of an afternoon performance, matinee performance, etc. And he does that to a structure which will be explained in the programme or whatever. But it's it is a structure about it, that helps not only give good feedback, but helps others perhaps understand what the play is about. So it's a way of doing that. But on the on the second part of it will be a coffee critique, which will happen at the curling club, the morning after, so the day's plays, where the previous day will be discussed with the casts and with Paul, and with a with an audience, and you're invited to come along to, to have a look at that, as someone who's taken part in them over the years as a director, and as an actor, the great fun, I'm very, very informative. And it gives the audience an opportunity to ask questions, and to say, Well, I didn't really understand why you did this. I don't really understand why you did that. And there's a language issue with that. And they go, Oh, right. Oh, I see. Oh, that makes sense. And there's a conversation goes on about that then and, and it's a wonderfully sort of organic sort of process, that you start a conversation about something that everybody in the room enjoys, which is live theatre, and it doesn't matter, it's in a different language. It's a it's part of the process of understanding. And it's a wonderful, wonderful thing for an international Theatre Festival, because it gives that understanding for the audience as well, and other other troops as well, because they'll have watched it they didn't understand that or wasn't that brilliant, and what they did with X, Y and Zed and understanding and knowledge and it just grows the love of theatre. I think. So. Yeah. The Catholic critique is is a great thing. And I I like the idea as you get a lot of the behind the scenes, kind of tidbits and, and funny stories often from what's been going on to get the play. Yeah, to Nova Scotia. So you hear a lot and as a, as a creative, you learn a lot about individual troops processes, whether it's the players in English, whether it's not in English, it doesn't seem to matter. Okay, Vic, so why don't you remind people about? Why do we even have an adjudicator? What does that mean? Yeah, well, the festivals like going all the way back to the origins of drama, theatre festivals in Greece in 600 BC, were competitions. And people wanted to put on the best play, they wanted to have the best actor, the best chorus, the best dancers, wherever they happen to be. And the plays, whilst what I think all the troops will be enormous ly supportive of one another, an element of the excitement is who's going to win this thing, who is going to carry off an award for the Best Actor, the best director, the best writer, et cetera. And so for that process, we can't as we do in a game of sport, see who scored the most goals. In the end, somebody is going to make some subjective decisions about what's going on, and make some judgments about quality. So that that comes down to a trained adjudicator. So there'll be a professional trained adjudicator there, poor fella. And he will follow a mark scheme. And that Mark scheme will be shared with the audience. So when you buy your programme you're looking at and it'll tell you this 20 marks for this, there's 25 marks for that, etc. And what he's looking at, will be clear to the audience as well. So they can kind of have a look at themselves and think, Well, how would I score this play? What did I see the strengths and weaknesses of it as being he will get up on the stage and reflect very briefly on that after the players immediately been performed this kind of first thoughts, and then given detailed critical analysis of the play the next day at a coffee critique. Vicki did touch on also how our troops are very supportive of each other. And everybody's interested in seeing what everybody else is doing. Because it is also a great deal of it is a developmental festival. We all learn from each other. We all see what other people are doing in different countries, different theatre styles. There's a lot of opportunity for growing your creative toolbox, so to speak. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I think everybody will, you know, will be looking at Theatre from different cultures. have different kind of dramatic traditions, there's a lot of crossover, we always see that we think, as extraordinary at this play is come from, let's see Bangladesh. And it's got so much in common with something that's been produced in Canada. But there are cultural differences. You know, there are we there are different sort of focuses in storytelling. And that's enormously enriching. And I've certainly seen things that previous festivals, then in a kind of developed, you know, that they found their way into my own writing and into Neil's direction, or whatever it happens to be, because you if we're all learning from one another all the time, and we constantly see things and think that's fantastic. You know, I can see all I could use that. So yeah. Isn't it exciting? Is it exciting? How, in in, in your advanced age, Vick that you can even still appreciate new things? Yeah, I know, I know. Yeah, you know, jokes aside, all jokes aside, we're never too old to learn. And you don't have to be, I think it's important to say, you don't have to be a theatre expert, or even a creative or an actor to appreciate the Liverpool international Theatre Festival, you can be an audience member and still take in all of the richness and the fun, and, and the escapism that theatre is meant to be. And you know, that's obvious. That's very true. And back to being a competitor, you know, when we were on the other side of the of the process, as it were, I remember being directing a couple of plays at the festival over the years, and having the coffee critique. And someone in the audience say, well, obviously, you did this, this than this for these reasons. And I thought, No, I didn't. But But then, but on the flip side of that, I actually thought that's a very good point. Yeah. And well, no, that's great, because you've actually taken that, that choice that I made as a director, for instance, you've got something from that, which I didn't plan on. But now you've said that to me, I think, well, actually, I could do some more with that. And be able to use it to criticism, but you sometimes you just get an observation sent in and sent your way. And I've often come away from those those that process. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Well, aren't I clever? Or aren't I stupid? Yeah. Because those sorts of you did you know what I mean? So it's, it's having that sort of that having that process? And oh, yeah. And I think that the troops that are gonna kind of go through that will, hopefully, you know, have that sort of feedback and think, yeah, that's a different take on what we've been doing. Yes. Yeah. That's, that's very enriching as a person. Yes. And as actors, wow, the three of us, we we've all done lays, we've all done pieces of workplace, that each performance is different. Yeah, each performance, you you add things, you take things away, based on the feedback you get based on your understanding of your character, and based on the mood that you are feeling, and you're with your other partners on the stage. So I'm always interested at the coffee critique also, about hearing those kinds of feedback, those kinds of feedback about the choice that the actors make, and why they made that choice. And what was their thought behind that? And it's sometimes they're surprising reasons that have nothing to do with what their character is actually doing at that moment, you know what I mean? Absolutely, yeah. Anything, it's fascinating process and you learn each time you do learn, you take something away from it, every time about theatre, about life, about directing about, it's just a great thing to do to get together, have some coffee and talk to people and listen to people's stories. It is it is a lot of fun. Yeah. And I was gonna say sorry to interrupt you. But I was gonna say that an element that Paul was talking about, reminding us about when we were chatting to him last week was the kind of the critical part of the process where he feels that part of his remit is to improve the performance when it's done again in the future, that, you know, companies were doing something, we'll take it on to other festivals. They'll take it on to other stages, not the last time they're going to perform the play, and that he wants to, if possible, give them indicators about where it could Be better and when it can be stronger. And so I think whilst you would also see it very important to be encouraging. At the same time, you're not saying, oh, everything about this was absolutely magnificent. On many occasions, you're normally saying I love this. And this, I felt as if more work and attention could perhaps be put into the transition from this to this, or, you know, better use could be made of lighting. Because this, you know, this could be much more atmospheric than it actually was at points and those kinds of things that might be sometimes quite hard to hear at the time, but has kind of beneficial longer term, you know, so each play is going to be looked at based on what policies in the moment, not necessarily a judgement on whether it's a good play or not, it's not about that, I guess, is what I'm trying to say in a long pole was pointed out, and we were chatting about the fact that, say, if he was adjudicated in British festival, you would have the scripts in advance. And he would talk to the audience about the play, and the difficulties that the play presents and how the company you have gone about overcoming those difficulties would be part of his remit. But we've asked him not to have any scripts in advance for LA TF, because, of course, some of them would not be in English, so he wouldn't be able to understand them. And everybody has got to be on the same playing field if you like him, they so if you can't read all the scripts, then he can't read any of them. So he liked the idea very much. So he wouldn't see any script. So he would get what the audience would get, which is completely, you know, he would be able to reach synopsis, the same as the audience, but he would get the same experience as any other member of the audience, which is lovely. Wow. Well, it's been great. Getting back to the off stage Karen's podcast. Isn't this fun. Before we wrap up this pot? Can you tease us a little bit with the countries that are going to be visiting us and then next time, we can talk about them in more detail? Well, only so far as I can tell you that there are going to be 10 countries. They're going to represent Central America, North America, Europe, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Oh, and just a little little bit from what from the Indian subcontinent. Yeah. And some from Canada. Don't forget, I come to Canada as part of my North America. And I'm sorry if that's offensive to Canadians, but as a continent, I was talking about North Bank in part now. I just wanted to get that in there. And really, folks, Vic is being very coy. When I can tell you if you go when you go to check out more information about the Liverpool international Theatre Festival on the website, through the Astor platform on Facebook, you will probably get a good list of the actual countries. But if you're such No, I know Yeah, I just want people to do a bit of work. Get out there. Check it out, get on the website. Book your tickets, and welcome back to the offstage cast the Liverpool international theatre fest. See you next time. See you next time. You've been listening to the offstage cast from the Liverpool international Theatre Festival. Remember to subscribe in your favourite podcast app, so you don't miss any future episodes. For more information and to contact us, be sure to visit our website Li tf.ca