COMING SOON TO CANADA!

“The best theatrical experience I’ve had since New York 2011 and the Book of Mormon”  MAUREEN LIPMAN

 

EXEUNT MAGAZINE ★★★★

“Uncommonly exhilarating”

“Jessica Ruano’s direction focuses so keenly on the physical, that it’s as much a piece of choreography as a text; I believe Sappho, a great proponent of both the direct and the sensual in poetry, would unreservedly approve. No part of the space is not explored, no shape of the body not attempted.”

“Victoria Grove, who is surely some kind of professional enchantress, with the husky voice of a Dench or a Bacall and the poise of a young Vanessa Redgrave. Her characterisation of Sappho is simultaneously haughty and earthy; imagine Penelope Keith’s voice in Felicity Kendal’s body.”

FEMALE ARTS ★★★★

“Sappho… in 9 fragments is written, directed and executed with passion”

THE LADY ★★★★

“Stunningly athletic and entirely sensuous… fluidly directed”

REMOTE GOAT ★★★★

“a spectacular visual and physical piece”

“a gracious dance between an improvised energy and choreographed poignancy”

“Victoria Grove is fantastic, she is magnetic and mysterious, dominating…”

“like a fireworks display that you are glued to and every jet of sparkling light explodes with a wonderful climax”

BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

“What a performer!” … “A bravura display of technique and emotion”

“Remarkable balances and acrobatic gyrations”

“Victoria Grove makes this aerial choreography seem second nature”

UK THEATRE NETWORK

“Don’t miss this unique production!”

“highly sensual and intelligent piece… charged with eroticism”

“inspired direction” “outstanding performance”

A YOUNGER THEATRE

“Both intellectually stimulating and intensely compelling”

GAYDARGIRLS

“Intimidatingly intimate … a totally mesmerising production”

N16 MAGAZINE

“Victoria Grove is magnetic and compelling… A unique production and a chance to catch an impressively talented actress at close quarters.”

HACKNEY HIVE

“brilliantly staged” “utterly riveting performance”

DESTINATION HACKNEY

“bewitching Victoria Grove” … “strong direction by Jessica Ruano”

VENTS REVIEW

“Spellbinding… This dramatic meditation on identity, filtered through a classicists appreciation of the great Sappho, is a triumph for everyone involved.”

MONKEY POET REVIEW

“The show won a standing ovation from me, the fourth in 25 years…yes, it’s that f*cking good!”

~

SAPPHO …in 9 fragments by Jane Montgomery Griffiths. Directed by Jessica Ruano and featuring the Victoria Grove as Sappho/Atthis, this production is designed by Ana Ines Jabares with lighting by Sarah Crocker and sound by Luca Romagnoli. 

Cafeteria Poems

Cafeteria

Girls with wide smiles meet

for jugs of mojitos

their laughter vibrates

 

Martini remains resemble a subtle sip of water

garnish come and gone

trembling above the shake of the table

as the waiters pass

 

There’s a hint of pepper in the salt shaker

 

Earlier today I went to the New York Library

and saw an exhibit on where people have eaten in the city

Where writers wrote and what they ate while writing

A few pages from Jack Kerouac’s manuscript

Maybe he listed the ingredients in the classic burger meal

Or maybe that burger wrote the story – indirectly, of course

 

I’m sitting with my laptop

wondering if I should note where I am right now

As though people might one day read this poem and wonder

 

Then wishing I had a notebook to write by hand

Because no one’s going to put this word document in a museum

After all, you could so easily make copies.

 

Wasting food

That’s two couples so far

who have left half their meals on their plates

and walked off

 

I wonder if the waiters cry when they see that

Not right away, as they’re clearing up the remains

But in the storeroom, later

 

Wondering,

why the salad and potatos always take the hit.

 

999

Before the title of this poem

my word count was 999

 

Not anymore.

 

Tap Water

In North America

I don’t need to ask for tap water

I just ask for water

and they know what I’m talking about

 

So there, England.

 

Dating poets

At lunch today I told my friend

- now a sophisticated New Yorker -

about dating a poet we both know

 

Her reaction was an

ewwwwwwwwww

That lasted about a minute

 

Well, I could say the same thing about –

actually, the dish she ordered looked pretty good.

 

Being stood up

I don’t have an iPhone

Which means people can make excuses for standing me up

 

I couldn’t reach you by email

they say

Even though I had told them by email earlier that day

that I would only be reachable by phone, and here’s my number

 

I don’t have a clever ending for this one.

‘Sappho… in 9 fragments’ by Jane Montgomery Griffiths

‘Quills’ by Doug Wright

Second Skin Theatre

That’s my company! Earlier this year I was Assistant Director to Artistic Director Andy McQuade on Second Skin Theatre’s West End run of ‘La Chunga’ by Mario Vargas Llosa. Now I’m the Creative Producer for a company that I love and admire. Life is very, very good.

AUDITIONS

Second Skin Theatre opens its fifth season with Doug Wright’s Obie-award winning play ‘Quills’, a re-imagining of the Marquis de Sade’s incarceration at Charenton’s insane asylum. Visit our website for full audition details!

FUNDRAISING

Second Skin Theatre is on WeFund! Your contributions will help build a new theatre venue at the White Rabbit Cocktail Club in Stoke Newington and launch our fifth season.

WEBSITES

http://secondskintheatre.com
facebook.com/secondskintheatre
twitter.com/SecondSkinTheat

London – Ottawa – London

Theatre people at SubDevision. Photo credit: Julie Laurin

Following a two-week visit to Ottawa, I feel rejuvenated and inspired. Man, I needed that. I needed to see my childhood home in the spring time. I needed to see my friends busy at work and play. I needed to perform poetry in the park. I needed to attend a theatre carnival and be welcomed by the majority of the people in the room. I needed to climb my favourite tree and bike along the canal and visit the farmers’ market and try contact improv and get drunk with my high school buddies and have lunch on a patio in the market and go salsa dancing and run into people in the street.

Having seen plenty of incredible theatre in London, I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of the work at SubDevision and The Extremely Short Play Festival. And finally we have an Ottawa theatre brochure!

Having experienced bouts of anxiety and depression in recent years, I was relieved to find myself capable of relaxing, enjoying simple pleasures, living in the moment. Spending time with a three year old and his wonderful caregiver (i.e. one of my favourite people in the whole world) can really help with that.

Having suffered through severe heartbreak recently, I was ecstatic to realize that I still have the capacity to fall for someone in less than twenty-four hours. Thank you, Rosemary; you inspire.

Why don’t I just come back? Well, I have many reasons - but one of them is, simply, that I need to be away for a while. Moving across the ocean is the riskiest thing I have ever done, and I question myself  constantly for having left behind everything I know and love. Simply existing here in London is a challenge. Whereas in Ottawa, jobs were offered to me on a silver press kit and friends were never far away, here I have to fight for everything I want. If I don’t want to spend time alone and lonely, I have to make an effort to connect with people, to make plans on my own initiative, to force myself to get out of bed in the morning and be productive. I’m finding this very difficult, but I’m not going to give up yet.

This summer I have a number of activities planned: among some of the more exciting, I’m moving into a new flat that will require minor renovations and decorating; I’m planning a European tour for my company Second Skin Theatre; and I’m planning to get more involved with my Walthamstow neighbourhood – anything from volunteering, to offering workshops, to attending more local events. Running London’s West End might be a more ambitious aim, but I’m the kind of person that likes to immerse myself in a tight-knit community; the goal of ‘making a difference’ is that much more attainable. And, hey, maybe I’ll attempt to take over the big city next year.

’4in1′ Ottawa Park Acoustic Sessions

Not only is there a fabulous new Ottawa arts blogger in town, Matias of ‘Ottawa Showbox’ also gave me a flattering review for my impromptu poetry performance at new series ’4in1′ Ottawa Park Acoustic Sessions, hosted by photographer/music lover Ming Wu. Perfect end to a magical two weeks in Canada’s capital.

4in1

Jessica Ruano gave me a second, more forceful dose of spoken word. She was the designated ‘time killer’ since Del Bel and Lisa Bozikovic had to run for sound check. Wow. Jessica touched on themes I think we all experience at different points in our lives – particularly powerlessness, but also strength to recover from our times of weakness. She kicked ass.