Fri 26th Sept: A Tale from the Bedsit + 3 Mile Radius @ Richmix

Hello and happy friday! So, I alluded to this a bit previously, but I'm now very pleased and excited to announce that on Friday 26th September at Richmix I'll be performing a newly staged version of A Tale From The Bedsit in a double bill alongside good friend and fellow word artist Talia Randall in her newly re-developed show 3 Mile Radius. This is all in preparation for us hopefully embarking on a national tour in 2015, you can get tickets for the whole evening for £10  HERE which includes an after party in the bar with good tunes, booze and maybe me and Talia jumping on the mic, have a butchers at all the info below, there's some links and that and hopefully we'll see you there, yea? sweet!

A Tale from the Bedsit + 3 Mile Radius + After Party! A double bill of two spoken word theatre shows featuring teenage MC lyrics, awkward kisses and old skool Drum and Bass raves. Plus an after party, and all for £10! Both shows have been re-developed to prepare for a national tour next year - 'A Tale from the Bedsit' has been restructured to suit bigger audiences and '3 Mile Radius' has added live visuals from international VJ collective Eyes on the Wall, direction from Rachel Blackman and set design from India Banks. Talia and I would love it if you could join us on September 26th at the Rich Mix. Book you tickets in advance here: http://www.richmix.org.uk/whats-on/event/double-bill-paul-crees-a-tale-from-the-bedsit-copy/

'A Tale from the Bedsit' Written and Performed by Paul Cree, directed by Stef O’Driscoll. Come in, kick back, take your shoes off, or keep them on, have a cuppa and make yourself comfy. Let’s go back to an era of eight carrot jewellery, high fades, Nike tn’s and drum & bass where it is important to remember, that when the chips are down, it’s the little things that count. This is an intimate and autobiographical coming of age tale by spoken word artist and writer Paul Cree, set in his bedsit amongst the books, tape packs and comics of his youth. Leaving the mundane monotony of his hometown for the bright lights of Brighton, a new job and his first love the world seems bigger somehow. A witty and honest tale that reminds us of our own journeys, mistakes and joys. A Roundhouse production, ‘A Tale from the Bedsit’ was first presented at the Roundhouse as part of ‘The Last Word Festival’ followed by a run at The Battersea Arts Centre "The kind of art you get lost in time in" – Poejazzi www.paulcreewrites.com @PaulCree  '3 Mile Radius' Written and performed by Talia Randall with Elian Gray, Jamie Payne featuring Eyes on the Wall. Directed by Rachel Blackman “My people learnt to fear what we don’t know, so we never left the postcode” '3 Mile Radius' is a journey through chicken shops, nightclubs and schoolrooms. Fusing spoken word, music and live visuals this is one girl’s realisation that her adolescent blunders lasted longer than she imagined. Launched at the Roundhouse in 2012, Talia Randall’s debut show from comes to the Rich Mix for a second time after a sell out performance last year. '3 Mile Radius' is also available as an EP via independent record label Emerging Species. "Talia walks the tightrope between nostalgia and what matters now like someone with an equal respect for craft and a need to play. And someone who is f***ing brilliant at walking tightropes" – Polarbear “Talia’s voice is strong and distinctive and her verses have many moments of wit, humour and humanity” – Poejazzi www.taliarandall.com @taliarandall

A Tale From The Bedsit @ Battersea Arts Centre

Greetings, on this fine glorious today.

On Monday the 21st Match I'm going into to Battersea Arts Centre to begin the second run of A Tale From The Bedsit. I've been spending the last few weeks re-familiarising myself with the text again, though December wasn't that long ago, it's surprising how much I had forgotten! I'm on course though and looking forward to getting into a new space with Stef O' Driscol (director) and Phil Davies (Sound designer) and India Banks (set designer) we're doing it for a good sized crowd this time, should be a lot fun!

You can book tickets HERE

..also here's an extract from the show I recorded for Soundcloud

A TALE FROM THE BEDSIT

Paul Cree 17 - 21 Mar 9pm Running Time: 45min Price: £12, £9 concs Recommended for ages 14+ Come in, kick back, take your shoes off, or keep them on, have a cuppa and make yourselves comfy. This intimate and autobiographical coming-of-age tale by spoken word artist and writer Paul Cree set in his bedsit amongst the books, tapes and comics of his youth. Leaving the mundane monotony of his hometown for the bright lights of Brighton, a new job and his first love the world seems bigger somehow. A witty & honest tale that reminds us of our own journeys, mistakes and joys. A Roundhouse Production Written and Performed by Paul Cree Directed by Stef O’Driscoll DOUBLE BILL See A Tale from the Bedsit with John Berkavitch's Shame at 7:30pm (17-19 Mar only) for £20 (£15 concs). This offer will be applied automatically to your baske

The Bedsit Is HERE!

...Technically it never went away, but I did, I moved away, into a flat and then about 8 years later I've made a show about living in that Bedsit and you can come and see that show, next month, at the Roundhouse, look, here's is a LINK where you can purchase a ticket! (can you tell I'm excited??!..and nervous!)

Approximately 2 years ago I'd written the first segment of the show, which I sent via some muggy audio clip to my mate and don of dons Talia Randal, later that summer I attended a workshop session at the Roundhouse where you could pitch an idea for a show, after speaking with Roundhouse legend Sylvia Harrison, she then put the wheels in motion and set up a meeting for me with another Roundhouse legend Lucy Aitkinson, who's been producing the show ever since. This time last year I was finishing the second part of the show and starting the third. (It was originally a trilogy of stories) I then joined forces with the mighty Stef O' Driscol  in January and almost a year later, several scratches, feedback sessions, meetings and god knows how many versions and script amendments later, here we are with one big hour long show, A Tale From The Bedsit. Completing what has now become a wicked little team, there is a banging sound design by Phil Davies, an amazing set design by India Banks and Lucy Mcgowan, and another Roundhouse legend Liz Counsell!

It's a site specific thing, all the shows (bar the final one on the Sunday which will be in the studio theater for a bigger audiance) will take place in the Camden Lock Hotel over the road. It will be small groups in with me, nice and intimate, just like it was back in the real bedsit!

Yep, that's me

The show forms part of a 2 week long festival the Roundhouse have curated called The Last Word and as far as I know, is the first spoken word festival, of sorts, in London and features work form the likes of Kate Tempest, John Berkavitch, Poejazzi, Talia Randal, Sean Mahoney, Katie Bonna, Lemm Sissay, Roundhouse Poetry Collective and MORE!
This is what it states on the website:

THE LAST WORD

"A Festival of Spoken Word, Storytelling and Live Performance

16 Nov - 1 Dec

London’s first ever spoken word festival, The Last Word is two weeks of words, live performances and storytelling.

The UK’s leading spoken word performers alongside an new generation of artists bring an unmissable line up of shows, installations, take-away poetry, opportunities to get involved with master classes and panel discussions."

Here's the You Tube trailer which I got my mug on outside a record shop in Soho (I wanted Blackmarket Records but the noise coming of it was too loud..) All of us in the video were asked to read a poem written especially by Jess Green...

 

If you're interested, I've put a link up where you can see a few other blogs I've put up over the last few months about the show, just click on the right where it says A Tale From The Bedsit. 

Then, COME AND SEE IT! It runs from Nov 26th to Dec 1st.

Hope to see you there!

Paul

Festivals:Tents, a bedsit, nice people and booze

Greetings.

It's been a busy few weeks, again. I'm beginning to understand the saying 'feast and the famine.' So, whilst there is a swirl in the water, I'm going to attempt to surf, paddle and struggle until the swirl dies down and I'm back sipping tea and staring out of the window again... 

Latitude and Camp Bestival

 

As part of the 90's BPM show with Poejazzi myself, Joshua Ideuhen, Bridget Minamore, Chimene Sulleyman, Rosie Knight and James Massiah performed 90's influenced pieces at both Latitude and Camp Bestival. Here's a peice that the nice people at Latitude got me to perform called The Colour Orange

 

A Tale From The Bedsit

 

 Last week I finished the final development phase for my first solo show A Tale From The Bedsit. As part of the process, we had a room in the Camden Lock Hotel opposite the Roundhouse for a week. I stayed there for 2 nights and we did 2 sharings in there, which went well, it was very intimate and quite relaistic in comparison to the bedsit I originally lived in back in Brighton. Then on the Thursday, as a test, we moved the set (amazingly designed by India Banks and Lucy M) into the studio theater at Roundhouse and invited 40 people into the space with me and I performed the show and it was probably the best one so far! The nest stage for the show, is a preview on the 23rd August at Hoxton Hall then a 3day performance at Bestival with the full show debuting in November at Roundhouse. Exciting times...