puppet with a problem

cardboard moses stuck on a table

inside...> dance like nobody’s watching

What is The Table and how is it New and Improved?The first incarnation of The Table began about a year ago, essentially the idea was to do a story about a tabletop puppet who is stuck on a table. Since then it has expanded and developed, so now the show we are bringing to The Old Market is The Table as it was always meant to be.What attracts you to puppetry?I’m endlessly in wonder at its power to engage your imagination. What tends to happen a lot in The Table is that the more we actively remind the audience that Moses is a puppet the more real he seems. Its an interesting paradox.What first inspired The Table?While researching the Bible for another show we noticed there were all sorts of existential paradoxes

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issue #01 | wednesday 02 may 2012 | free | brighton & hove

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“a puppet who knows he’s a puppet and knows that he is stuck on a table, that’s his existential crisis”surrounding the last few days of Moses’ life. One being that he writes the account of his own death, presumably while he’s still alive. That lead us to the idea of an entirely self-aware character. So we created a puppet Moses who knows he’s a puppet and who knows that he is stuck on a table; that’s his existential crisis. It takes three people to bring Moses to life – what’s it like working at such a close level of collaboration?Its very intense and it takes a long time. Nick Barnes and I have worked together for 15 years and Shaun has been with us for nearly a year now. It’s a long process of

If all the world’s a stage, then what would a table on a stage be? To the cantankerous, two foot tall puppet Moses, it’s an existential crisis. The Table has enjoyed sell out runs in Edinburgh and London and now Blind Summit return to Brighton with The Table: New and Improved. We talk to Mark Down, one of the inventive minds behind this one puppet, three man show.

This newspaper is produced and distributed by TOM - The Old Market. View This Online: www.theoldmarket.com/paperTOM - The Old Market, 11a Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS | 01273 201 801

‘s

This newspaper is produced and distributed by TOM - The Old Market. View This Online: www.theoldmarket.com/paper

getting to know each other and a lot of that comes through a shared sense of humour and improvisation.Where do you get your ideas for the puppet design?We got the idea for the body from these stuffed puppets that we were using to practice. We really enjoying working with them and wanted to use one in a show. The head was made by Nick; our master puppet maker. He’s come up with this

20 photographsin 20 seconds... Pictured: A selection of the

photography being presented by just some of the many Miniclick speakers. Clockwise from above: Alina Linnas, Holly Oliver, Kristin Hoell, Heather Shuker.

Brighton’s monthly photography talks, Miniclick, adopts a rapid-fire technique for a one-off special

way of making sculptures out of cardboard. Its really amazing.Anything to say to someone thinking of seeing The Table: New and Improved?It is a comic piece and its partially improvised so it will be slightly different every night. Some nights things go wrong and often those are the best bits There isn’t much adult puppetry around so don’t miss the chance to see some.The Table: New and Improved, 07 May 17:00 & 20:00 / 08 May 20:00. TOM The Old Market, Hove.

Jim Stephenson, curator of the Miniclick series, why did you decide combine Miniclick with the Pecha Kucha format?Pecha Kucha stops people going on too long. Also, if you don’t like one photographer’s work, you’ve only got six minutes to wait for the next one. It keeps things lively.What kind of speakers have you got planned?It’s a really wide variety. We’ve got documentary photographers and art photographers. There’s fifteen of them so there will be something for everyone.Is there any Q+A?Not formally, but everyone will be in the bar afterwards! Hopefully the photographers will stay behind, have a couple of drinks and will be able to answer questions then.So what do you think the appeal of Pecha Kucha is?Its really disciplined and it’s a good exercise in general, even if you’re not doing a talk. Just learning to talk about your work in that amount of time; its interesting.Miniclick. 09 May 19:00. TOM - The Old Market. View photographs from all of the speakers online: blog.clickclickjim.

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interview...

Got something to share? Insider tips? Fascinating find? Let us know: info@theoldmarket.comEditor: Steve Platts | Production: Will Sawney

MATT and SILVIA, What is Naïve Dance Masterclass, and where did it originate?Matt: Naïve Dance Masterclass is a performance (and contrary to the name’s suggestion, there’s no audience participation involved!) I used to see a lot of contemporary dance and music, and spent most of my time around performers. There’s so much ridiculous seriousness, but I found most enjoyment when

of naïve dance; how you dance when you think nobody is looking.How have audiences reacted to Naïve Dance Masterclass in the past?S: They love the character, our utterly pretentious dance guru who ‘graces the audience with his presence’. He’s horrible to watch at first, but as he shares his struggles by telling you everything, you really feel for him. Especially the incredible open-ness of his dancing!M: It’s a very funny show. Very bizzare, but no matter how weird the journey may be, it’s definitely a journey that finishes, and even the most surreal moments fall into place.S: Personally, I’m always pleased when people tell me they feel like going out dancing after the show. Naïve Dance Masterclass is supposed to be a celebration of dance, so it’s great that people go out and do it.You’ll be up for a post-show dance in the bar, then?Both: Most definitely, yes.

Naive Dance Masterclass. 06 May 19:00. TOM - The Old Market, Hove.

dance like nobody’s watching

in converstation with Matt Rudkin and Silvia Mercuraili, creators of Naive Dance Masterclass

Below: Contemporary dance star Matt Rudkin ‘graces the audience with his presence’. Above: A macedonian hula-hoopist.

“It’s a genuine, live demonstration of naïve dance”they were just being silly and messing around. I would find myself laughing lots in shows, not at them but simply because was enjoying myself. I wanted to capture that in Naïve Dance Masterclass, and to demonstrate a truly naïve dance, as if completely unobserved.Silvia: We wondered whether theatre could be taken seriously even when audiences have a really good time watching it, whether performance can be inspired without being full of itself. Hopefully it achieves that!Has Naïve Dance Masterclass been seen anywhere before?S: Matt originally performed the show as a 20-minute cabaret piece. I loved it, so helped create a second half with a part for myself! Since then it’s been performed a few times, but has now been re-developed for Brighton Fringe 2012.What actually happens on stage?M: We hear the story of a contemporary dancer who grows disillusioned with his art-form in the world of contemporary dance, so has a career change and becomes a policeman. Feeling something is missing, he develops a new dance practice inspired by various life experiences; riot duty training, falling in love with an immigrant hula hoopist from Macedonia.S: It’s a genuine, live demonstration

listings...

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03 thursday04 friday

11 friday12 saturday

13 sunday

15 tuesday

05 saturday

06 sunday

07 monday

08 tuesday09 wednesday

10 thursday

18:00 - LATE | tom’s bar open 18:00 - LATE | tom’s bar open

18:00 - LATE | tom’s bar open 13:40 | the book show with mariella frostrup (SKY Arts)

16:40 | the book show with mariella frostrup (SKY Arts)

14:00 - 20:00 | beach party animal | free film screening19:00 | vocal gymnastics choral concert | £8.00 (£6.00)

14:00 - 20:00 | beach party animal | free film screening

14:00 - 20:00 | beach party animal | free film screening

19:00 | naive dance masterclass | £8.50 (£7.00)

17:00 | the table new and improved | £12.00 (£9.00)19:00 | the table new and improved | £12.00 (£9.00)

19:00 | the table new and improved | £12.00 (£9.00)14:00 - 17:00 (every 15min) | department of unreliable memoirs

19:00 | miniclick photography talks | £4.00 (£3.00)

19:00 | laughermarket with Ava Vidal | £1.5020:00 - 23:00 (every 15min) | department of unreliable memoirs

14:30 | james campbell’s comedy 4 kids | 6+ | £7.0019:00 | naive dance masterclass + Q&A | £10:00 (£8.50)

20:00 | nick pynn with kate daisy grant | £8:50 (£7.00)

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