In this episode of the Offstage Cast, Deborah takes (the newly arrived in Canada) Neil on a tour of the Astor Theatre and the Curling Club (The Theatre Festival Hub) and they chat with Jean Robinson-Dexter about all things LITF ahead of the upcoming festival. Vic was at home and joins the pair to discuss their excitement to finally have the troupes arriving next week!
More information and to book tickets can be found by clicking HERE
In this episode of the Offstage Cast, Deborah takes (the newly arrived in Canada) Neil on a tour of the Astor Theatre and the Curling Club (The Theatre Festival Hub) and they chat with Jean Robinson-Dexter about all things LITF ahead of the upcoming festival. Vic was at home and joins the pair to discuss their excitement to finally have the troupes arriving next week!
More information and to book tickets can be found by clicking HERE
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. You've been listening Hello, friends stage back stage cast. The rest of the difference. Remember to subscribe in your favourite podcast app recording so you don't miss any future sitting here with me at my kitchen table. For more information and to contact us be sure to visit our website. Li t f dot c. Hi, Vic.
Unknown:Hi. Good to see you both it's quite it's quite strange. It's over three little separate boxes. It's a box with YouTube in it a little box with me in it. Yeah, around still in a wet Wales today. But I gather it's a little wet for you in Nova Scotia today to
Neil Maidman:marry it is yes is
Deborah Raddall:very wet. And so we took the opportunity Neil and I to do a little work inside different places that are
Neil Maidman:good Qi tea. Yeah. key to the success of Li TF. Namely the the curling club, which will be the festival. Yeah. Bass centre of it all.
Unknown:Yeah, you had quarters
Neil Maidman:and lots of things. In terms of it's where people go to register. So when you get dropped off from the, from the airport, you go in, or your registration sorts of things, and you meet up with your hosts?
Deborah Raddall:Well, I will I will add on to that. Because sometimes you won't register right from the airport, because it depends on what time you arrive. Yeah. So if you're late arrival, you might have a time to register your troop at another date. But that will all be communicated to everybody in advance and when you arrive so so all that good information will get passed on to people, but you will eventually end up in the curling club to register. We will also have our coffee critiques there will be eating there will be partying there. It all
Neil Maidman:happens there. And it's a great little space, I think don't lots and lots of work, which you will hear in the little clip that we do.
Deborah Raddall:Yeah, so Lorna, let's we talk to Lauren and McPherson who is one of the wonderful volunteers of the Liverpool curling club. And she very graciously met us this morning to have a little look around and have a chat. So why don't we play that for you back?
Unknown:Sounds good. Sounds good.
Deborah Raddall:We're in the curling club and I'm sitting here with Lorna McPherson. Hi, Lorna.
Unknown:Good morning, Deborah.
Deborah Raddall:Thank you so much for letting us in here. Neil and I Neil's out taking pictures which we do not have to be in.
Unknown:Excellent. on this rainy morning. Yeah, with rain hair and, and wet collars.
Deborah Raddall:Exactly. So why don't you tell us a little bit about what your function is at the curling club. Like why why are you letting us in here?
Unknown:Well, this is just a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase some of the great work that we've been doing to modernise and revitalise the curling club, it the goal that we have is to be a welcoming, inclusive, community hub and a venue nice all of our region to use and feel comfortable coming in. And so we're super excited to be part of Li TF.
Deborah Raddall:Yes, that's great. And for our Liverpool international Theatre Festival, the curling club is going to be like, well, it is going to be like the living room, the dining room, the party room. That's correct. Home Base. It's going to be all of those things for our delegates, isn't it it
Unknown:is and the location that it's next to the Astor theatre just makes it the perfect spot for people to go back and forth and and talk about the wonderful plays and events that are going on at the Astor.
Deborah Raddall:Yes, so much great stuff. Now I know our hospitality committee is doing a lot with regards to getting people fed and making meals but what's our curling club doing something really special that the good at
Unknown:the curling club was asked and we were happy to provide spaghetti supper. Saturday night.
Deborah Raddall:Ooh, yummy. So what's what's on that menu other than spaghetti?
Unknown:Well, it's pretty much spaghetti. It is spaghetti rolls and desserts. Fantastic.
Deborah Raddall:And desserts are all to be announced.
Unknown:I bet they will be announced. We'll keep those for surprise.
Deborah Raddall:But Lorna, I really agree shake you letting us in. And I think it's fair to say that all of these new freshening up, Reno's making the doors more accessible and having a ramp, it's going to definitely make things easier for the community to use. And we're really happy to have the opportunity to be in here, but it's gonna look very different than the pictures we take today, isn't it?
Unknown:Well, it is we've we've been busy the last two weeks, we really wanted the interior painted. And, and that has happened to you. We had great workers that did that for us. And Monday, Li t f takes over this spot. They have full, full use, and they can move things around. And we will be guests to Li t f,
Deborah Raddall:which is great. Well, that's that's super exciting. And, and I know that we're really happy to have you, the curling club and all of its members as really the host of our hosts. So you've opened up your house to us, and we really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you, Deborah.
Unknown:And best of luck to everybody. I know it's going to be a fabulous week. There's huge excitement in the town. And people have waited a long time for Ella TF to resume. Yes, ma'am.
Neil Maidman:So it's great to hear from from Lauren Lovely to meet her this morning.
Unknown:She's She's sweetheart.
Neil Maidman:She really is and I was really impressed. As someone who's been to the curling club on a number of occasions, we've had rehearsals there we've done various sorts of things, various parties there as well over the years, they've really invested a load of money and time and then volunteers are really hard and they to make that the whole building is has been freshened up. So it was it was great to see that and very, very positive. And as you said it's gonna be handed over on Monday to the LA TF team and
Unknown:hospitality team.
Neil Maidman:It was interesting to see that she she classes herself as a guest in that building now. I guess developed IETF Yeah, so that was cool. And the spaghetti dinner and the spaghetti dinner that they're going to be providing
Unknown:at dinner that's got to go down well, isn't it? Yeah, from in the world. forgetty Sounds good to me.
Neil Maidman:We must point out though, is not just spaghetti bean bean. It's not everyday, everyday spaghetti. The the LA TF team, the hospitality team are working hard to prepare all that sort of various different meals and whatever for the troops and whatever. So that's that's going to be good. On the other days. Except
Unknown:food's always good.
Neil Maidman:Now my tears artists, it is it is indeed going to be great. So what we did then, wreck was we didn't cross the road. I mean, you notice you notice little trip? intimately? Because you were we went out of the we ran we ran the raindrops through the raindrops. Yeah. Through the biblical rain across the across BoRam Street and down into the Astor theatre. And it was, as you'll hear in the in the clip, it was it was lovely to be back there. And it was I felt quite emotional read and I'm sure you will as well, when you arrive next week to be back there because it's it's been a long time and it's been it's been a difficult time for us all.
Deborah Raddall:Yeah, it really has. So I hope that when you listen to this, you'll get the same sense of maybe like an old radio show you can hear us clomping around almost as if it was sound effects. touring
Neil Maidman:around, it was actually the stairs pricking, as opposed to you and me creaking that was necessary. I thought it was you know, that wasn't me. So, yeah, so it's all good. So should we finished it? Yeah, play that clip. Okay, go for it. Neil. Hello.
Unknown:How does it feel to be back in the Astor after all these years? Yeah.
Neil Maidman:It's lovely. It's it's a space that I've been fortunate enough to perform on to direct bass. Yeah.
Unknown:Yeah. And there's a certain there's a certain smell isn't there's a certain
Neil Maidman:smell, which is not an unpleasant smell. No, no, it's, there's a certain feel to this as you walk down the centre aisle here. It's yeah, it feels quite emotionally to be back here. After all this time. It does.
Deborah Raddall:Let's walk down towards the stage. Yeah. Because there's a play coming up peter pan that's being done I think later in November, and they're in their rehearsal process. Some of their stuff is here on the stage. Let's go up. Shall we go
Neil Maidman:up? Yeah, he's quite steep steps you
Deborah Raddall:can hear Are the sound changing a bit? Now we're on the stage proper.
Neil Maidman:Yeah, I'm to describe it you the stage is a is a, what we call a thrust stage. So you don't have that much in the way of wings and a proper sort of curtain drop in the front.
Deborah Raddall:We have the old fashioned Juliet's on the side, too. Yeah, you can see the beautiful red seats.
Neil Maidman:You can that that stretched back and then you have the balcony, which is, I think the best, the best view in the house. Really, there were, a lot of the troops will will sit unless we've sold those tickets unless you've sold those tickets. In which case there'll be in the top bar. But I always love being up there because it's such a brilliant view.
Unknown:Yeah, it's great in here, but we should go downstairs. These are very steep
Neil Maidman:sales. They are. Yeah, either side of the stage.
Unknown:Yes. And it looks it's always fun to be down here when it's not full of costumes.
Neil Maidman:Yes, yeah. There seems to be more room actually. Yeah.
Unknown:And we have like boys and girls sides that you can close by a curtain. Yeah. And toilets down here as well. Yeah. And lots of posters from different things that have been
Neil Maidman:a great music venue as well as being the the home of an IETF
Deborah Raddall:definitely. Well, Bruce Coburn he can see his there and lunch at Allen's and lots of different the stamp Peters had been here. Hey, I was in this
Neil Maidman:play. You've told me. There is you were in that one as well. I
Unknown:was in that one.
Neil Maidman:Tonight? Yeah, yes. Yeah. Well, lots
Unknown:of memories down here.
Neil Maidman:Yeah, I've been I remember being down here for my very first play that we brought to Canada in 2008. And yeah, we were one I remember. Remember that I wasn't in the play. I was directing. The tassel wandering up and down here being very, very nervous about all Yeah, to bring memories of that.
Deborah Raddall:And I know there's going to be a lot of wonderful memories made for 2022 Liverpool international Theatre Festival, which I'm just so excited.
Neil Maidman:Yeah, it's been a long time coming.
Deborah Raddall:So Vic, did it feel like you were almost there with us touring around I
Unknown:have some great memories of myself a lot of his dressing room. Major map. This is typically the first time I was ever there performing. I managed to leave my costume behind. When I returned to Wales. I packed my bags and Wales this costume that somebody else must have got it. I thought I checked with everybody. Nobody had it. So I imagined that one of the old ghosts of the Astor slipped into it and disappeared quietly into the night. I didn't know that that had happened. Actually,
Neil Maidman:when I came back in 2010 Because that was I remember you saying to me, see if my sea legs would have gone out and look for my seat. And I did I went I did I looked I couldn't find it. Very fetching what we call in the UK a tank top didn't it and it was seen of a tank belong to your your your father laws and there was a I think yeah, it was it was a sleeveless sweater and both very fetching it was too but we never saw it again.
Unknown:Nice 1950s vibe to it. If
Deborah Raddall:anybody knows where Vic's suit is, please bring it forward. There'll be no charges laid. Anybody wants to bring this forward? Yeah. But Enough fooling around because we we got to talk to the boss next and that's that's who came into the ask or just as we were finishing up that last clip. In came the boss and came gene. Yeah, Gene Robinson Dexter, who is the chairperson of our festival, and she we had a nice little
Neil Maidman:chat with you. We did have a nice little chat and it was so lovely to see her in person after. I think it's four years as I've seen. There's been three years as I've been to Nova Scotia for four years. I've seen Jean so it was it was lovely. And I gave her a good old fashioned Welsh coach. Yeah. She totally deserved it. She worked very hard as indeed the rest of the team. And she mentioned that in the clip. So
Deborah Raddall:definitely, let's roll that beautiful Jean footage. We will. Jean is here so we have to be professional now. We do. We
Neil Maidman:do. Indeed. Always. Hi Jane. How's it going?
Unknown:Oh, good morning. It's going okay. It's a busy week.
Deborah Raddall:It is a busy week and thank you so much for letting us into We'll play around and get some stuff recorded and get a chance to talk to you right now.
Unknown:We're happy to have you here and happy to have Neil in Canada and wonderful to have you back.
Neil Maidman:Good few days before Vic arrives as well, which is always
Unknown:what can we get up to before Vic gets here?
Neil Maidman:Yeah, not an awful lot of this biblical weather we have at the moment
Deborah Raddall:fact it's very rainy today. And we are sitting here with the big boss. Yeah, we are. So we can make our diva demands.
Neil Maidman:Li ETF herself?
Unknown:Yes. I don't think that that's going to work. I don't think that that's what she wants to be called. No, it's a team effort.
Neil Maidman:And as a team, yeah, yeah.
Unknown:We've got wonderful volunteers that make this all happen. And I just kind of, maybe call it stage manager.
Deborah Raddall:And for everybody listening who has ever done a play understands what it is to be a stage manager and the work they have to do.
Unknown:It's true. Lots of balls in the air over the well. Over the last four years, there's been lots of balls in the air,
Deborah Raddall:and lots of dropped in have been picked up again.
Unknown:Exactly, exactly. But you know what, our team has remained steady since then. And we've added a few folks to be volunteers with us over the course of that time. So let's just made our group strong, which has been great. Yeah,
Deborah Raddall:yeah. I think we're all very excited to be part of this, this festival after so many setbacks, and so many cancellations and and here we are, we're, it's going to happen now.
Unknown:It's gonna happen in just a week's time. It's like waiting, waiting, waiting. And it's like, Oh, my goodness, now we're having.
Neil Maidman:Unfortunately, it'll be gone.
Deborah Raddall:So quickly, and then we'll have that post show letdown.
Neil Maidman:Yeah, that's never good. At whatever show, you do always have that.
Deborah Raddall:The difference with Li tf is everybody goes home, but you've met so many friends and made Yes, you do live in some situations, lifelong connections with people you might never have done. So otherwise, if it wasn't for
Unknown:never true. And you too are a perfect example of that. Yes. Yeah. In terms of meeting however many years ago when
Neil Maidman:2008 2008 2008?
Deborah Raddall:Yeah. Let's not talk about how many years ago, I refuse to admit that it's been more than a decade.
Neil Maidman:Yeah. Yeah. So what what do you think it means? You know, we're not going to mention the big P word with what's happened in the last couple of years. But what do you think it means to the people of Liverpool to have our IETF?
Unknown:Well, I think it's, I think, in some cases, they've been a little hesitant to realise that it is coming back. But I know just this week, as well, really, the last two weeks, there's been much more of a buzz about it. And particularly with our partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and a very different herbarium site that will really engage the community, I mean, we can only get about 350 people in this building in this auditorium. But then to be able to welcome the community to a great big street party. That's very exciting. Oh, and certainly ticket sales have increased, folks are coming in all the time now, that, you know, the confidence is back and the excitement is back
Neil Maidman:to us. And it really is, actually, this is this is happening. It happens every two years or four years on this occasion. But it's we're getting hopefully back to some sort of
Unknown:back to normal. And it's, you know, the move in 2018 to the fall made a significant difference in terms of local people coming to the festival. So we're very hopeful that that's going to be the case again, and we've added some marketing, again, through the the partnership with the chamber, to be able to reach out in a more significant way to both the Valley region, as well as the Halifax market. So we're hopeful that that will pay dividends too. But you know, our love or want is to have local folks here in this theatre in enjoying an international event that, you know, so few of them in the world and and we have one of the best
Deborah Raddall:we definitely do. And what's really exciting is, is to listen to you speak. And you can get a sense of all the hard work that's happening behind the scenes with the marketing and all that business stuff that sometimes you're not always aware of as as an audience participant or even as a delegate. You You don't realise everything that goes on behind the scenes. And I know our volunteers have been working really hard for the last few years. And the each of the teams I'm sure buzz with all the stuff that they have to get done their checklists.
Unknown:Yes, exactly. And so we're actually meeting tonight, and we will be going through every single task and step tonight just to make sure that we have all the i's dotted and the T's He's crossed for each of the teams and also troubleshooting anything that we think is maybe a problem or that we need something that we need to solve really quickly, because there's still there are still tasks to do, you know, in terms of even, you know, when the troops are leaving, and coordinating that are how many meals are we going to need for for them and that kind of thing? Because of kind of the fluctuating situation? Troops. Yes, yes. You know, so those kinds of little little, it's the detail stuff now that we want to make sure that we get right.
Deborah Raddall:Well, like any good host, we all know that there are plans to make, and food to be brought in and meals to plan and because really, we're inviting the world to our home, here in Liverpool, and we want everybody to have a good time and be comfortable. And you said you know, there's another team meeting tonight, which I think this podcast will air after that meeting. But nail you better have your work stuff on tonight, you have to do actual work tonight,
Neil Maidman:I actually am going to be in the room, which I was thinking about this flight over and I'm actually going to be in the room for a meeting that means I've always attended via zoom. And it's gonna be nice that Vic is obviously not here yet. He's gonna be the little man in the box. I'm gonna be the little man in the in the middle in the in the room. So that's gonna be good. Well,
Deborah Raddall:lots happening with the festival lots going on. We're really excited to be sitting in this theatre and being here with you and having Neil here with us. It's it's making it feel real,
Unknown:isn't it just getting more real every day.
Deborah Raddall:So exciting. So we're going to be talking to Jean a lot throughout the festival, I'm sure and you're all going to get a chance to meet her at some point when you're here. So seek her out and say hi, cuz I know she's looking forward to meeting everybody that's coming out to meet everyone. Yeah, me too.
Unknown:We are so happy to welcome you to Liverpool and welcome the world to Liverpool. Oh, lovely to hear from Jean there. Yeah, things are heated up. So busy old is quite a challenging role. I think there's no, there's an awful lot comes down to the gene and she does a marvellous job there. Bless it. And yeah, welcome in the world to lovely Liverpool. No pressure, no pressure, to real science with the excitement, nervousness, what have you with the troops as they try and get everything together at the last minute? I'd have a lovely message today from one troop about they were nervous about what they wanted to bring some presents for hosts hosting families, they will buy this should we buy that? So even wanted to kind of send a message to check that they were on the right kind of track. And was it okay to bring something on?
Neil Maidman:Yeah, that's lovely.
Unknown:That's very kind of them to attention to detail.
Neil Maidman:Nervous, I think, you know, not being presumptuous here, Mr. Mill's, but you know, I feel a little bit nervous as well. But our role and whatever, because it's, I feel nervous
Unknown:for you, Neil. Yeah.
Neil Maidman:Thank you, Deborah. It's a big step up
Unknown:for you, Neil,
Neil Maidman:though, isn't it? You know, it is? Yes. It is a big step up for me. And
Unknown:yeah, it's like, it's like moving from the conference to the premiership for us. It is
Neil Maidman:it is. Yeah, yeah. Thank you for that analogy, ladies
Unknown:and gentlemen. soccer analogy. Yes,
Neil Maidman:I understand. But yeah, I think that previous participants on a number of occasions. I mean, this will be my fifth festival. I've been to that. I've always been a participant, as an actor, as a director, being artistic director, co artistic director with the lovely Mr. Mill's. It is yeah, it's a step change. But one that we've, we feel as if I think whilst we might be a little bit nervous. We've had a long lead time into the role really.
Unknown:I feel like I've been artistic director of La TF for my whole life.
Deborah Raddall:And you have been preparing your life to be to rise to the dizzy heights of rank as the artistic director of the Liverpool international Theatre Festival. I just think I don't think you're nervous. I think it's this excitement, because after all of this time, finally, it is yeah. You know,
Unknown:instead of tripping over the pandemic, again and again, it's been
Neil Maidman:to Welshman in search of a festival really for the last three years. Yeah. Because we were appointed in November 2019. Yes, you were and then something happened in the meantime and it's and it's taken till 2022 to To actually get to Canada, and it's been a while. It has been a while. And
Unknown:that's the main thing. That's not,
Neil Maidman:we aren't. We aren't really there. And you arrive next week with Paul, our adjudicator, our lovely wife, and my lovely wife. Yep. So she's travelling around with with a pair of you. So that's good. That's looking forward to seeing you in the flesh meat.
Unknown:Yeah, yes. Yeah, me too. Yeah, be good to be good to join you.
Deborah Raddall:It's gonna be great. And we'll be able to do some, some recordings, a little bit of work here in there for for this podcast that will be trying to get out as much information as we can during the festival. So we'll see how all that plays out, given our schedule,
Neil Maidman:if you follow the festival on NITF, on on Facebook, and Instagram, etc, then we're gonna be doing various bits of pieces on that over next few days and into the next next week. And during the festival itself. So some Facebook Live. Yep. So Facebook Live. And I think that we're going to welcome the world to Liverpool, but we're going to show the world that isn't here. What we're all about as well.
Unknown:Exactly. And which tool for tick tock, then are we We're not going to be like
Deborah Raddall:I don't know. I want to see you guys learn how to do the floss thing or do one of those that tortilla smacking thing,
Neil Maidman:right? Yeah, we tick tock. We all know, Deborah, that is never going to happen.
Deborah Raddall:I don't know. I say you guys will be busy doing your artistic director stuff. And it'll be me that's going to be running around doing a lot of yeah, I'll be free and my own.
Unknown:We need some material for the Tick Tock generation.
Neil Maidman:I think we do. Well, I'll leave that Vic.
Unknown:You need to write. Okay. Dance. Yeah, I'll just refresh. Yeah, so stay a little tick tock tock competition for people to come up with a gesture fish dance.
Neil Maidman:Okay. Yeah, yeah.
Deborah Raddall:I can't wait. And Vicki will will have to do one of those side by side videos where you will interpret what you just saw.
Unknown:Yeah, yeah. I like the sound of that.
Neil Maidman:Yeah. He's good at interpreting things. Excellent. Okay,
Unknown:so I Safe travels, my friend. We will be
Neil Maidman:back. Yeah, offstage cast in the next few days. And I think our next one, we will be looking at our troops. I'm looking at what they're going to be bringing to us then because these people are preparing to come to us from all over from Africa and from Europe and from United States as well. Yeah. I'm from Canada, Canada, Canada from from Mexico.
Deborah Raddall:Lots of stuff coming in. That's true. We do have probably one for sure more offstage cast, that we are going to be separated
Neil Maidman:and the rest may well then be on social media. Yes. Okay. Steph, good. Looking forward to
Unknown:see you guys.
Deborah Raddall:Thank you all for listening again to the offstage cast. And please subscribe and tell your friends and share the podcast and all that fun stuff and make sure that those that are listening locally, are calling up the Astor theatre to book tickets to the Liverpool international Theatre Festival. 2022 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 t f.ca.