Witchfairy

I am developing a new children’s book adaptation. Witchfairy is a beautiful book about a reluctant fairy called Rosemary who runs away to try out being a witch. It is a bold, quirky and affirming story about growing up and finding your place in the world. Published in the UK by Bristol-based Book Island, it is written by Brigitte Minne and illustrated by Carll Cneut.

Rosemary thought fairies were really dull.

And the worst thing was that she was a fairy herself

Related image

I was delighted to be awarded an MGC Futures Bursary to do an initial R&D week in mid January 2019 in Bristol to gain feedback and generate industry support. I was supposed to be doing a further R&D at the Tobacco Factory this summer but this has obviously been postponed due to Covid!

Performers

Madeline Shann

Samantha Sutherland

Corinne Walker

Writer

Hannah Morley

Composer

Emily Barker

Image result for witchfairy

Audience feedback

“The whole concept worked really well”

“The music was incredibly beautiful”

“I felt like I had jumped into the book”

“a fab story with such relevant themes”

“really powerful story and message”

“it will be a funny and uplifting show”

“it has already achieved an “other worldly” quality which is pretty special”

“this will be an important piece of theatre for young audiences”

If you’d like any more information, or would like to be involved in the future full-length production, please get in touch!

Posted in Current

Islander

Islander, a devised a capella musical for two actresses, toured Scotland in September 2018.

This August it played at the Paines Plough Roundabout at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of Made in Scotland and subsequently transferred to Southwark Playhouse. Reviews and production shots to follow soon!

Image result for islander review

Photo credits: Jassy Earl

First workshopped at Comar on the beautiful Isle of Mull in March 2017, we were thrilled to receive Creative Scotland funding to make the full show. The piece tells the story of an Islander girl in a time of conflict, and explores identity – personal, island, and national. Suitable for 7+.

The show has gone very well at Edinburgh and we’re hoping to give it a future life so do get in touch if you can help!

★★★★★ Musical Theatre Review

★★★★★ British Theatre

★★★★★ Primary Times

★★★★★ UK Theatre Web

★★★★★ Broadway Baby

★★★★★ Miro

★★★★★ Amy Stutz

★★★★ Guardian

★★★★ The Stage

★★★★ Fest Mag

★★★★ The Skinny

★★★★ Whatsonstage

★★★★Browadway World

★★★★ The List

★★★★ Reviewshub

★★★★ Deadline news

Creative Team

Composer/lyricist Finn Anderson

Writer Stewart Melton

Producer Helen Milne

Assistant Director 2018 Kate Stevens

Company Stage Manager 2018 Claire Litton

LX Designer 2019 Simon Wilkinson

SM and Operator 2019 Laura Hawkins

Cast

Kirsty Findlay and Bethany Tennick

Posted in Current

Bob

In March 2017 I spent a week at the RSC doing R&D on a new show idea called BOB. It will be a 50 minute piece exploring bereavement and loss for children. It has now been picked up by Bristol-based performer and producer Tessa Bide , and we aim for it to tour nationally in 2019/2020.

Two friends meet Bob, a blob of light, and their world becomes brighter with him inside of it. With him they play games, make adventures and explore. But one day Bob fades away and the two are left to come to terms with his unexpected disappearance from their lives.

Using ground breaking interactive live projections, light manipulation, movement and sound, Bob will be a 50 minute piece performed by two Japanese movement artists, exploring bereavement and loss in a playful, accessible and truthful way for young people.

Cast

Haruka Kuroda

Dai Tabuchi

Creative Team

Video Designer – Nina Dunn

Lighting Designer – Josh Pharo

Dramaturg – Stewart Melton

Posted in Future

Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing, which I directed for Iris Theatre, took place as a promenade performance in the beautiful gardens of St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden. It ran until 22nd July 2016.

We were nominated for 5 Off West End Awards: Best Director, Best Show for Young People 8+, Best Set Designer, Best Lighting Designer and Best Female (Anne-Marie Piazza)

Photo credit: Hannah Barton

Cast

Darrel Bailey Don Pedro

Jennifer Clement Messenger/Don John/Margaret/Abbess

Graeme Dalling Claudio

Denis Delahunt Leonato/Sexton

Nick Howard-Brown Benedick/Borachio

Emma McDonald Hero/Dogberry

Anne-Marie Piazza Beatrice/Verges

Creative Team all biogs here

Set Designer – Amber Scarlett

Costume Designer – Kinnetia Isidore

Sound Designer – Filipe Gomes

Lighting Designer – Ben Polya

Composer – Candida Caldicot

Stage Manager – Valentini Kalpini

Producer – Tanja Pagnuco

For reviews click here

Posted in Past

Macbeth

In January 2016 I directed a Shakespeare for Schools production of Macbeth at Southwark Playhouse . It was a 60 minute ensemble version for a cast of three, using all original text, which I edited.

More info on the Southwark Playhouse website here.

Production shots (all credited to Stacey Hatfield)

Creative Team

Set and Costume Designer – Max Dorey

Lighting Designer – Sarah Readman

Sound Designer – Jon McLeod

Stage Manager – Ali Graham

Assistant Director – Olive Supple-Still

Cast

Martin Donaghy, Anne-Marie Piazza and Stanton Plummer-Cambridge

Posted in Past

Day of the Living

On the back of These Trees are Made of Blood (Southwark Playhouse, March 2015) I was approached by producer Sarah Weatherall about an exciting project she is developing with her company We Light Up the House. Day of the Living was a performance-in-progress at Drama Centre on the weekend of 31st October 2015.

Here is our Kickstarter video (we made the target, you can watch it just for info!)

We used Day of the Dead imagery, live music, mask and storytelling to explore the story of contemporary Mexico, taking inspiration from the 43 Disappeared students from Ayozitnapa last September. Unfortunately, this horrific incident is only the tip of the iceberg. For further information about how to get involved at the next stages drop me an email: amy@amydraper.co.uk

Creative Team

Producer – Sarah Weatherall

Composer – Darren Clark

Designer – Charlie Cridlan

Writer- Lin Coghlan

Mask consultant – Roddy Maude-Roxby

Cast: Greg Barnett, Anne-Marie Piazza, Eilon Morris, Jimena Larraguivel, Darren Clark.

Posted in Uncategorized

Usagi Yojimbo

I directed the Southwark Playhouse Christmas family show, Usagi Yojimbo.

Image result for southwark playhouse usagi

It ran until 4th January 2015.

17th Century Japan. A world of bandit racoons, feline ninjas and warring animal clans.

A young rabbit leaves home, family and friends behind him in pursuit of one ambition: to become a great samurai warrior. Trained by a maverick old lion sensei – a teacher of the warrior’s code known as Bushido – Usagi learns that the way of the samurai is one of peace and perfection – not just masterful swordsmanship. But as war engulfs the land, he must make a choice that will test his loyalty, honour and dearest friendship.

Reviews here

It also won the Off West Award for Costume Design and was nominated for the same awards for Best Choreography and Best Set Design.

Production shots by Richard Davenport.

Here’s a behind the scenes video!

Creative Team

Writer / Adapter: Stewart Melton

Designer (Set, Costume and Wigs): Ele Slade

Lighting Designer: Josh Pharo

Sound Designer: Max Pappenheim

Video and Projection Designer: Nina Dunn

Fight Director: Ronin Traynor

Composer: Joji Hirota

Stage Manager: Rhian Kennedy

Deputy Stage Manager: Lizzy Gethings

Assistant Director: Stephanie de Whalley

Cast

Amy Ip, Dai Tabuchi, Siu-Hun Li, Jonathan Raggett, Haruka Kuroda and Joji Hirota

Rehearsal photos taken by Bronwen Sharp:

Publicity Material

I took part in a podcast for GOSH Comics http://www.holdfastnetwork.com/process/6/11/2014/episode-6-usagi-yojimbo-onstage

And an interview for The Public Reviews http://www.thepublicreviews.com/interview-10-minutes-with-usagi-yojimbo-director-amy-draper/

Posted in Past

Dusk

In September 2014 I assistant directed on a two week R&D workshop on a new piece of outdoor theatre called Dusk. The director was Olivier Lamford and the producer / writer Catherine Willmore.
Dusk is a theatrical event for a small audience which places the spectator at the heart of their very own fairy story.

Spectators walk one by one deep into a wood at dusk, guided only by a torch, and there they encounter a variety of characters and scenarios that they may – and some that they may not – expect to find.

The experience takes place in three parts – each with a distinct set of character encounters – varying from dark and wild, to colourful and celebratory, but all very definitely uncanny.

Will each person make it home transformed?

We workshopped with three performers (Irene Bradshaw, Norma Cohen and Val Jones) and the fortnight culminated in a work in progress showing in Epping Forest on Friday 12th September.

There are plans for this to become a bigger event next year.

Posted in Uncategorized

Life on the Refrigerator Door

I adapted a really interesting book, Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers, for the stage. Specifically, the wonderful stage at the Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick. It ran from 1st-5th April 2014.

milk
apples
bananas
avocados
onions
potatoes
tomatoes
mushrooms
carrots and rabbit food for Peter
mince
bread
juice – you choose

If you can carry any more, get a chicken and two cans of beans. Don’t worry if you can’t, I can try and pick these up tomorrow.

Love,
Mum

Money on the counter. Don’t forget your key!

So begins the story of the relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter. Inspired by Alice Kuiper’s ‘novel in notes’, this first ever stage adaptation explores the themes of adolescence and family in a simple yet beautiful way. A coming of age story that is mundane, ridiculous and poignant. Welcome (back) to being fourteen.

The piece was shown as part of a double bill with another company, the punk band artists collective The Femmes Fatales, and formed part of the Yard’s NOW 14 Collection. We were Arts Council funded and also had a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.

Creative team:

Designer: Ele Slade

Lighting Designer: Oscar Wyatt

Cast: Cassandra Bond and Angela Clerkin

Stage Manger: Katy Munroe-Farlie

We wrote a blog during rehearsals: http://lifeontherefrigeratordoor.wordpress.com/

The show went really well and some of our great audience feedback can be seen here.

The aim now is to develop the piece a little further and find a venue for a full length run. Get in touch if you’re interested! amy@amydraper.co.uk

All production shots and the promo video credited to Bouken Boy Media:

http://vimeo.com/93883850

Posted in Past

Splinters

Development fortnight

Following on from the weeklong workshop I did at Ovalhouse in July, Co-Artistic Director Rebecca Atkinson-Lord offered me some more space to continue developing the idea in February as part of their FiRST BiTE season.

With a few key differences! Before, we were exploring how to adapt Tony Harrison’s TV play Black Daisies for the Bride for the stage. What we learned during the July week was that we are actually more interested in creating our own new piece of theatre about memory and memory loss. Which is what we did.

We still used orginal live music, singing, movement and naturalistic dialogue – all styles we looked at before – but this time with a different story and a new emphasis.

The new working title is Splinters and we workshopped the idea for ten days. This led up to four public work in progress performances, after which audiences gave us helpful feedback.

Workshop participants included:

Composer/musician: Darren Clark

Designer: Ele Slade

Writer: James Huntrods

Performers: H Plewis, Emma Drysdale, Hugo Bolton, Fiona Watson and Ellie Dickens.

Producing Consultant: Paul Jellis

Video from day 1 of the workshop:

Splinters workshop day 1

It all went really well and we’re now in a position to write the script and go into rehearsals. Now just need to find a venue and begin fundraising! Do get in touch if you’re interested.

All photos from the workshop credited to Kamal Prashar @kampra

Posted in Uncategorized