Godfather Death - a developing tale...

Godfather Death was very much conceived as a particular style of multiple-playing theatre. The concept was of simple story telling in a folk style. The original two productions of 2004, both featured a cast of three, with one actor playing about eight roles, including both genders and a wide range of ages and accents. The challenge now,is to take a script written with this style of theatre in mind and bring it to the stage successfully, but very differently, when it is performed in a far more conventional style. Our production of 2012 still has some multiple playing, and we have introduced a more complex set with playing across levels and platforms and we have introduced live music, the musicians themselves being drawn into the story as performers too. The challenge as a writer and director was to adapt the play for the 6 actors available to travel to Canada for the Liverpool International Theatre Festival. Our focus is on a kind of Brechtian storytelling this time around, with players gathered in a stage circle around a storyteller who appears, with the magic of children's theatre, at he heart of the circle to enchant the wide- eyed with his/her tale. And it is a tale of enchantment, if we get it right. Things are progressing quite well, though a very hectic schedule at the the are, with two productions in preparation at the moment, make for challenges! Finessing and refining are still required. A meeting over lighting with Nye tomorrow is very important, as lighting will be at the heart of making this simple tale magical and touching. The play is comic fast paced story-telling for the first half, then shifts into something more touching, gentler and wistful as it drifts towards its denouement. A tough week of rehearsals to go. Must get the music tighter and the choreography very polished in its fluidity - if you can polish a fluid! Vic Mills. Writer and Director.