Thursday 14 June 2012

Social Media Call - Macbeth



I was very fortunate enough to attend the social media call for the National Theatre of Scotland's most recent show Macbeth.


For those of you who are unfamiliar with social media calls,  it's basically a chance for bloggers and tweeters etc to come along and preview some scenes from the show. There are photo and video opportunities and some time for cast interviews. 


I arrived at the theatre just on time - and no more - after a minor train incident (why does Glasgow have a Pollockshaws East and a Pollockshields East- that's not at all confusing) and met with Eve from the NTS and the other people there for the call. We got to chat for a bit which was great, I always love meeting people with the same passions as me and listening to the projects they're involved with.


First on the agenda was a run through of two scenes from the show, we were encouraged to film, take pictures and update our twitters the entire way through. For this part of the day we were joined by the big bad press. This was a little intimidating, comparing their massive cameras to my tiny iphone, but after the first scene I was over that and ended up ducking and diving through tripods to get my shots.


Here are a few teaser shots of the set:





After the scene run-through we were given the opportunity to speak with some of the creative minds behind Macbeth, including the set designer and the star of the show himself Alan Cumming. Everyone we spoke with provided an in-depth insight into how the production came to be with so much pride and enthusiasm.

I am lucky enough to be seeing the show tomorrow with the other NTS Champions, so a full review with my thoughts on the show along with some interview footage and snaps will be up in the next few days. 


I think social media calls are a fabulous idea and if you can, I would try and get involved with the next one. It's a unique experience that leaves you feeling totally inspired. 






Book tickets by calling the box office - 0845 330 3501

Monday 4 June 2012

Lift The Musical - The Album



'LIFT is about people and connections. The connections we have without knowing about them, the connections we lose sight of and the connections we don't mean to have.' - source

Every so often a musical comes along and you just can't seem to shift that 'wanting to know more' feeling. For me this musical is Lift, having followed Lift's progress since 2008, where I saw song snippets at the Edinburgh Fringe. I was incredibly excited to find out that the album was being released- and it did not disappoint!

Written by Craig Adams and Ian Watson, Lift tells the story of Eight complete strangers who get in to the lift at Covent Garden tube station, and if only they would stop and notice they would see that they are all connected, and that connection could be life altering.

This twelve track album is full of raw emotion and unadulterated honesty. The lyrics are the most accurate representation of modern day relationships and there will be at least one line in each song that  you are able to relate to. This album expresses the feelings and emotions that people spend lifetimes trying to repress.

My personal favourites from the soundtrack are 'Lost in Translations', 'She Meets Him/ One Minute in a Lift' and 'It's Been a Year'. For the full track list and to hear a short clip of each song click here . In the mean time i'll leave you with the amazing vocals of Jennifer Tierney -

* Full review of Lift can be found here