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I’m usually a bit blue when a job finishes, especially one like the Tempest. I loved that job. I loved the company, the role and the experiences it had bombarded me with. It’s always sad when a tightly bound company has to disperse back into the real world. This time, there was no time for [...]

Doubt Week*** Apparently it has only been a week since my last blog. Apparently it is Christmas at the weekend. I say ‘apparently’ as my concept of time has become somewhat distorted with the intensity of the Rep Season. Last week it was decided by ensemble member Tom Radford (Sebastian/Mortimer/Reveller) that the company were at [...]

As The Faction Theatre company draw to the end of their second week of full time rehearsals for their inaugural London Repertory Season at the New Diorama Theatre, Assistant Director Rachel Valentine-Smith shares her thoughts at the past week and just how important the actors Imagination really is… We are approaching the end of week two and, as [...]

2011 Peter Brook Empty Space Award winning company The Faction are bringing REP back to the heart of central London with their ambitious 8 week season at The New Diorama Theatre. Assistant Director Rachel Valentine-Smith will be sharing her weekly thoughts with The Public Reviews as the company tackle the delights of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, [...]

I balance on the rigging above the stage watching Ferdinand carrying logs. It’s impossible to ignore the surroundings. A group of Palestinian children crouch around me, hanging from the railings and poking at my costume. A mother leans out of her window, calling across the stage in Arabic for her son to come home. Stray [...]

In what can sometimes feel like a male-dominated art form, it’s time to take a moment to celebrate some of the contributions women have made and continue to make to this country’s theatre. From strong female characters to acclaimed actresses to innovative writers and directors, today’s top picks all look at some of the best [...]

Week two- What’s behind closed doors? This week we’ve seen what group spirit can achieve: The destructive group spirit of some trainer-pillaging wannabe Vikings and the spirit of the wonderful “Wombles”, who came together to clear up their fellow citizen’s mess. We’ve seen the broom go from an everyday domestic tool to a heart-warming symbol [...]

I arrived in Edinburgh on the 3rd August having rehearsed my show over and over in the mirror, on the 4th I presented it to an audience of four people. The average Edinburgh Fringe audience is supposedly three people – I was already winning. The first performance was what I would describe as ‘beautifully messy’…I [...]