Ada, Little Toy and me (the driver) are off to the wonderful Smethwick Festival in February! We are so excited that our suitcases are packed already! Smethwick Festival is organised by Black Country Touring – see the video below to find out about its exceptional work with local communities.

This little person has arrived in Edinburgh from London during Storm Eowyn. This means that she is now huddled down in the depot as posties are in their jammies today…

Her name is Ada and she will be performing the lead role in The Seven Ravens – Tragic Carpet’s Suitcase Story for 8+ years (and adults really…) She will meet the team this weekend – The Sun, The Moon and The Northern Star and maybe a Raven or two.

She has been created for us by the wonderful Keith Frederick – https://www.puppetsurgery.com/ – who is a UK Based Independent Puppet Maker & Costumier, and all round terrific person. (Photos by Keith). 

I am beside myself with excitement…

I’m delighted to be delivering Core Skills A: Storytelling this semester for Edinburgh Acting School. With an eclectic background in theatre, puppetry, and visual storytelling, and a passion for sharing the magic of theatre through performance, education and community engagement, I’m excited to share some of this with the new students. My approach to teaching is rooted in collaboration and playful exploration, and in interrogating what we see in the space…  

Each week we’ll focus on a different theme. These themes will include puppetry, mime, ensemble, voice and movement, confidence, storytelling. We’ll explore these themes through a variety of activities, including games, exercises, and scene work. We will be drawing on the work of Michael Chekov, John Wright, Mervyn Millar and Pierre Byland, maybe more! I can’t wait!

I was delighted to help Citadel Arts with their own particular version of the Christmas Carol Tale – McScrooge. My puppet became Tiny Tim who had fallen off his bike on Leith Walk and was wearing a stookie… I watched the opening performance at Assembly Roxy – Dementia Arts Festival and a later one at Seagrove Dementia Daycare Centre which also had a primary 5 class in attendance. Tim came home yesterday but had prompted lots of engagement both with children and the adult audiences. Thank you Citadel Arts for the opportunity!

Every Tuesday morning from 10.30 to 12.30 we all meet up, have tea, play drama, games, improvise scenes or do image based work – all this hosted by the very beautiful Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.

One of the ways in which we reduced the scale of Seven Ravens was to make new tiny needle felted puppets/objects to replace the characters of the Sun and Moon. These were originally played by an actor, me. In the process of finding out what they could look like we tried lots of different eyes – each set and even the orientation having a very different effect!

This place, run by Edinburgh Acting School is to be part of my life every Monday and Tuesday evening this winter. ‘Why so?’ I hear you ask? Well, Monday evenings are Actors Gym, a session where Edinburgh Actors come together to share and practice skills in a safe supportive space facilitated by the inimitable Jen McGregor. On Tuesday evening I deliver classes – Core Skills B: Improvisation – with a great friendly group of adult students… what do we do? We focus on work with the body, relationship with audiences, long and short form impros, working with objects all drawing from various influences: Keith Johnstone, John Wright and Moshe Feldenkrais amongst others…

A bit of mixed feelings – sad to leave Edinburgh Palette’s St Margaret’s House after several years in a studio there, but, very, very excited to clear and attic and create a studio… Huge thank you to Euan Jackson and Peter Searle who helped me to pack up my studio and get it up in the roof space with a lovely white dance floor offcut to frame it nicely.

After all we learnt in making and touring Little Toy we turned out attention to The Seven Ravens… So we are very proud and pleased to have made a touring suitcase show out of Ada’s story.

Little Toy’s first steps into performance thanks so much to Northfield Community Environment Fair, Craigmillar Library and Books for Babies, Cumbernauld Theatre and Craigmillar Fair.

Branwen, a Belgian Shepherd Laekenois, makes sure we all get some R&R during our R&D… Thank you Euan Jackson and Rebecca Kilbey.