Work continues to bring the Heart up to the state where it can open fully to the public, but in the meantime, those of you who missed our Enliven event recently, need not worry. We’re holding another taster event on Saturday 26th November, from 2 to 4pm.
This is a Coorie-In as winter approaches, where you’ll be able to take part in all sorts of craft activities and visit different parts of the site – the Anchor Building, The Creel Building and the Victoria Building. Different activities will be taking place in each.
Some of our recently trained volunteers will be ready to welcome you to a reminiscence session in the Atrium; The History of Education Centre will invite you to visit the transformed classroom on the first floor which will be the new home of the Victorian Schoolroom; The Men of Leith’s Shed will welcome you to their workshop in the Creel Building and tell you about their new Repair Shop, while the Anchor Building and the old gym hall will host numerous physical activities and craft sessions.
Do come along and see what’s on offer. There will even be food tastings!
Don’t miss it.
Can you help?
If you’ve visited the blog page on the website, you will have seen that there are various questions being posed of you. If you haven’t visited, check it out.
We’re searching for the families of two men who taught at VPS during the First World War. Please do have a look and see if you can help.
The latest blog also features an intriguing find in the Victoria Building. Do you recognise it? It is burned into the floor on the first floor.
Those of you who have volunteered to help out at the Heart are being invited to a chat with our Volunteer Coordinator, Bryan, a tour of the site with our Manager, Roger, and maybe even a sandwich or a coffee and cake, on Saturday 19th November, from 11 till 2.
Please register to volunteer via the volunteering page on the website and let us now what activities you would be interested in helping with.
We would like to know by Tuesday 22nd if you will attend the event so that we can get the catering right.
Finally, we are pleased to welcome the Edinburgh-based youth theatre group Lyra to present our very first public performance in the Heart.
This will be Snowstorm, a charming winter’s tale for children aged 5-8. It will take place on Monday 21st November at 6pm.
Tickets are free but are strictly limited and must be booked in advance.
Email admin@heartofnewhavencommunity.co.uk with Snowstorm in the title, to enquire about availability, and pass the word along to those who might not otherwise have heard about it.
An art debate between the characters Herviss and Pelviss descends into a dispute. While competing for the top, they engage in a fight between ‘old’ and ‘new’, ‘classic’ and ‘contemporary’. The result is a surprise for one of them.
Herviss Family investigates ways of relating to each other onstage, levels of awareness in the development of a character and the possibilities of building the artistic act through contemporary dance and performance techniques. The result is a creation that applies various artistic tools through a strong interdisciplinary lens.
Meet the Herviss Family and journey to their world. While competing for top place, Herviss and Pelviss take different viewpoints and stances.
An exploration of life’s concepts through physical theatre, contemporary dance, comedy and performance art.
Both entertaining and educational, comedic and informative, part visual spectacle and part academic lecture, this unique theatrical discourse investigates interpersonal relations and character representation.
Understand the Herviss perspective and discover the Herviss universe. Who will you agree with?
Art EveryWhere is an independent artistic association, created in 2007 by director/choreographer Dorin Eugen Ionescu.
Since then the company have produced more than 30 shows for different venues and spaces, including dance, music, theatre and more. Its main objectives are to promote the interdisciplinary nature of the arts and improve accessibility.
The company achieves their goals by hosting workshops and classes for both professionals and non-professionals, thereby giving opportunities for individual’s artistic development.
Dorin Eugen Ionescu wrote and choreographed Herviss Family and also portrays the character Herviss. Dorin graduated from the Performing Arts Faculty at the Spiru Haret University in 2007.
He has performed in shows including A Stroll in the Air by Georgiana Bobocel and 1+1=1 by Cristina Lilienfeld. In 2013, he was awarded the DanceWeb Scholarship in the 30th edition of ImPlusTanz. In 2016 he won the British Council Award for his Shakespeare 400 show.
The character Pelviss is played by Valentin Nelepcu.
It’s not over yet: hidden gems galore, more new musicals, and juicy comedies are hitting theSpaceUK stages for one last rip-roaring week of shows
Week 3 is here: bringing you one last knockout selection of shows. Dramatic dance double bills, surreal murder-themed comedy shows, and getting stuck in elevators: it’s all go as we plunge into a fantastic final week at the Fringe.
Here’s a just a sample of the new shows gracing theSpaceUK from 22nd – 27th:
Cheaper than a night at Balmoral! Hotel Elsinore (theSpace on the Mile, 22-27)
Denmark. 2am. A hotel room. Three weary travellers, an unexpected will, and a production of Hamlet to rehearse before morning. Tragedy and humour blend in this new play by award-winning performer Susanna Hamnett, with Joshua and Lily MacGregor.
Can you teach an old dog new tricks? The New Rock’n’Roll (theSpace @ Niddry St, 22-27)
A washed-up stand-up comedian tries to reclaim his mojo but fails miserably at the hands of his younger, more popular support act who he sets out to sabotage.
Sweet, sweet music The Aca-prentice: Sales Pitch (theSpaceTriplex, 22-27) Lord Alan Sugar tests the nerves and voices of the hungriest hopefuls in the a cappella world as they compete to be his aca-prentice. Watch our candidates tackle tasks to test their ability through chart-topping songs!
Talent that’ll hit you hard SMACK & Spektakel (theSpaceTriplex, 21-24)
SMACK & Spektakel offers an adventurous double bill of dance, refreshing the commentary on the empowered female body, while questioning the relationship between performance and identity.
Breaking a murderer… The Rodney Buzzard Tapes: Evidence of an Honourable Man (theSpace on the Mile, 23-27) A surreal sketch show that tells the story of Britain’s least-successful serial killer, Rodney Buzzard. A satire of murder documentaries that will probe the hidden depths of the criminal underworld.
Theatre this good is a crime In Her Defence (theSpace on North Bridge, 22-27) 1947. A man is dead. His wife has killed him. As a court hears the evidence leading up to the murder, you’ll witness the disintegration of the couple’s marriage revealing the real, surprising truth.
Get stuck right in to new drama Going Down (theSpace on North Bridge, 22-27) Four students stuck in an elevator, with nothing to do except talk to each other. An exploration of how easily we allow our mental heath to stagnate.
It’s wild how good our musicals are Boom Town (theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, 22-27)
Set in wild-west Arizona, Beau has come of age and must prove herself to her father. Can she save her town by taking on the outlaw? A new musical that puts a bluegrass twist on contemporary musical theatre.
Something to really celebrate birthday girl (theSpace on the Mile, 22-27)
This is a play about birthdays. It’s also about growing up, the future and the inevitability of ageing – a prospect that the birthday girl is finding increasingly unnerving.
War again. It’s 1066, William fights Harry! How do mothers, queens, wives and daughters cope? Gather their skirts and soldier on. Telling stories in plays and songs; working, travelling, gazing at Halley’s Comet in awe.
You don’t know them yet, but you will soon… Women You Know (theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 22-27) The morning after a drunken rendezvous with an old boyfriend, a woman and her friend discuss autonomy, identity and bad sex. A frank new comedy about the hypocrisies of modern womanhood.
In her most intimate musical performance, cellist Jablonska explores how identities are made, unmade and remade on a personal and musical journey from Poland to Scotland, as part of MadeInScotlandShowcase.com.
A show you could see over and over… Water Fruit Loops (theSpace @ Niddry St., 22-27) Richard, a student, finds himself stuck in a time loop after hooking up with his ex. Rather than utilise the period for self-reflection, Richard jumps at the opportunity to keep hooking up with his ex.
About theSpaceUK
Established in 1995, theSpaceUK hosts the largest and most diverse programme at the fringe. Companies, both professional & amateur, are given an affordable, supportive and professional platform to showcase their work.
About the venue
theSpaceUK operates 19 venues across 7 sites including: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, theSpace @ SymposiumHall, theSpace on North Bridge, theSpace on the Mile, theSpaceTriplex, the Space @ Venue45.
China or the UK? Where should I go? What happens after I graduate? The things you ignore during the day will often creep into your dreams.
Gripping reflections on the subconscious intermingle in this showcase of the ideologies and anxieties of a Chinese international student.
Overseas students consider these things every few seconds: the anxieties of uni life, and the dilemma of the ominous life after graduation.
Is this real life? explores cultural stereotypes, freedom, an antitheist encountering gods and Chinese allegory in an entrancing and thought-provoking play.
Chinese students Hongye Chen and GuoZhao Sun, drama students at the University of Exeter, are Microcosm. The pair of theatre-makers, and dreamers, are excited to bring their first show to the Fringe.
“This show was just utter genius and much the best thing this reviewer
has seen at the Fringe this year. It’s a 5 stars for this show and here’s
hoping they come back soon!.” Brighton and Hove News
“”The strength and skills of these gents is astounding.”.” Perth Happenings
“impressive feats of athletic and acrobatic madness.” GlamAdelaide
Think acrobatics and what springs to mind? If it’s nude Western themed circus you’re on the same wavelength as Australian Acrobats!And even if it’s not, we recommend you check out this absolute belter of a show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Railed is a spectacular Western themed circus, combining the trademark physical talents, intricate figures, finely chiselled bodies and comic capers of the creators of the smash hits Elixir and Circus’Cision.
Bare-chested circus meets bare-knuckle bar fights. Railed is a racy, heart-stopping adult show of breath-taking acrobatics and mad-cap storytelling, featuring a rogues’ gallery of the most wanted bad-asses this side of Dodge City.
The Head First gunslingers are planning to paint the town red, to head audiences off at the pass, ransack their hearts, ambush their nights and leave them begging for mercy.
Directed by Debra Batton and John Walton, Railed features a variety of talents including all-round acrobat and teeterboard expert, Anthony Saltalmacchia; the powerful yet standoffish vagrant showing off immense feats of balance and impressive physique, Callan Harris; Jordan Twartz, world class ‘manipulator’, who plays the resident barman keeping the boys liquored up and ready for action; and Liam Dummer, who brings technicality and artistry to Head First Acrobats, all whilst playing the Railed town hero.
Details
Venue: Assembly George Square Gardens – Spiegeltent Palais Du Variete EH8 9JU
Time: 18:35
Dates: 3 – 28 August. Previews 3 – 4 August. No show on Mondays 8,15,27 August.
Bookings: assemblyfestival.com, 0131 623 3030 or Assembly box offices at Assembly Hall and Assembly Roxy, Assembly George Square, Assembly Checkpoint and Assembly Rooms
PreHysterical
The tale of three Neanderthals – hilarious new family show at Edinburgh Fringe
Head First Acrobats – PreHysterical at Edinburgh Fringe
“PreHysterical appeals to anyone with a funny bone.” FringeFeed
“hilarious and spectacular.” 1/2 GlamAdelaide
“Full of fun, amazing circus tricks.” 1/2 Kids in Adelaide
Circus is for everyone. And as well as entertaining, it can be educational. That is what Head First Acrobats believe, and why they have are bringing PreHysterical to Edinburgh Fringe 2022.
PreHysterical is a hilarious circus show for children and parents of all ages, following three foolish Neanderthals as they struggle to survive the savage natural world. Avoiding predators, navigating harsh environments, and learning to work together are all explored with marvelous circus skills and achingly funny slapstick. The show quite literally rocks as it tells the tale of three people navigating life in prehistoric times.
They may not know how to make fire (or bathe), but these Neanderthals really know how to put on a show that’s hilarious and spectacular in equal measure. Join Thomas, Chelsea and Alex. – three bumbling Neanderthals – as they fumble crossing rivers, finding food and making fire, all whilst executing fantastic circus tricks. The physical humour is perfectly executed – to the great amusement of kids and parents alike, and the ridiculously impressive acrobatics are so slick, you can expeect gasps and wows from the audience.
Aerial stunts and floor acrobatics make for truly incredible circus; this, combined with tongue-in-cheek humour and the silliest of stories means that PreHysterical is for everyone.
Winner of best children’s performance weekly Award at the 2020 Perth Fringe Festival, and the best children’s performance weekly at the Adelaide Fringe in 2020 and 2022.
Bookings: assemblyfestival.com, 0131 623 3030 or Assembly box offices at Assembly Hall and Assembly Roxy, Assembly George Square, Assembly Checkpoint and Assembly Rooms
Artist bio
Head First Acrobats are a multi-award-winning entertainment company. Based in Melbourne, they are regulars on the international touring circuit, and specialise in acrobatic entertainment for festivals, theatres, corporate and street events.
Head First Acrobats have a talent for developing shows that are the talk of the town, filling theatres to the rafters with thrilled audiences.
Their big-hitter is the international sensation, Elixir, which was the smash hit of 2018 and won the Best Circus and Physical Theatre Award at Adelaide Fringe, along with a slew of sold-out shows all over the world.
Their new flagship show, Railed debuted at Perth FRINGE WORLD in 2019, and is a riotous high-energy comedy Western that takes no prisoners, sets the bar on fire, and hightails out of town leaving a trail of broken hearts in its wake.
Last night (16 August), marked the halfway point of this year’s The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Performers from across the globe are bringing the Castle Esplanade to life with sensational music, dance, costume, and spectacle and thrilling audiences – come rain or shine!
Running until 27 August, the year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a celebration of expression, giving a stage to performers and acts from around the globe to share their voice.
REMT, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Voices draws inspiration from people across the globe who, despite physical separation, continue to connect and share their voices creatively through spoken word, song, music, and dance – languages common to all.
There are still some tickets remaining and they can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or by phone on 0131 225 1188.
Granhøj Dans has announced some changes to its schedule of shows as part of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. An Eve And An Adam will now run at Dance Base until August 21 at the new time of 20.30.
This timeslot was formerly where the production of This is Not Swan Lake had run but this show has finished its run early and was taken down from August 10, due to travel problems with one of the artists.
Members of the public who have tickets for This is Not Swan Lakewill be contacted by the box office and offered a full refund or tickets for an alternative show.
STONE – FACE – BOOK
This solo performance with award-winning dancer Mikolaj Karczewski is a personal portrait made in collaboration with the obstruction master Palle Granhøj. Drawing on his father’s background as a miner, Mikolaj uses whimsical choreography to breathe life into the stones, finding music in them and from that music, dance arises. Stone – Face – Book is produced in close collaboration with PlatformaFestival in Klaipeda.
“An outstanding stage fantasy with the incredible high-flying acrobatic dancer MikolajKarczewskialone on stage among the collection of gray stones of memories.” Danstidningen
A beautiful, profoundly naked performance presented as nature intended. This is a performance celebrating the pure, authentic, original beauty of nudity – as a contrast to the versions given to us by social media. Increasingly we see uncovered bodies readily exposed all over social media. All kinds of pornography are easily available and widely consumed. Modesty no longer exists when it comes to the naked body in virtual culture, yet young people feel shamed by natural nudity. In this provocative show, Palle Granhøj asks: ‘what has happened to our relationship to our natural nudity?’
An intense and high energy experience featuring 8 musicians and 9 dancers, on stage live at the beautiful Dance Base
Boléro was written in 1928 as ballet music and the work is one of Ravel’s last and most famous. PalleGranhøj has transferred the music’s intensifying signature to a deconstructed version – and finally in its full length. The intensity of the melody and dancers increases throughout BOLERO – EXTENDED, giving it a powerful, uplifting, trance-like quality in a unique and iconic performance with nine dancers and eight cellists live onstage.
★★★★★ “A captivating performance that leaves the audience euphoric” Cphculture
“a dizzying experience” Danstidningen
Age suitability 12+
Dance Base Studio One
Aug 23-25 19:00 (1h) £16.00 (£14.00/£10.00) Aug 26-28 19:00 (1h) £18.00 (£16.00/£10.00)
The Granhøj works are part of the #DANISH showcase at Edinburgh Fringe 2022 presented by The Danish Arts Foundation and produced by WILDTOPIA. The showcase is supported by The Embassy of Denmark in the UK.
You will never cross the street in the same way again!
DON GNU digs into the tediousness of everyday routines in search of poetry and humour in a performance with muscular physicality and edgy stunt tricks.
One ordinary day, four ordinary men take a walk through a city. They readily follow unwritten and strict rules of good behaviour and norms of social etiquette until one of them suddenly decides to rebel …
With trademark DON GNU “everyday stunts” and raw physicality, WALK-MAN is a performance in which the ground is literally swept away from under the feet of four men walking. In a world where rules, norms and routines no longer apply, a pedestrian is not simply a person crossing the street and common understanding of “good behaviour” falls apart. You will never cross the street in the same way again!
WALK-MAN is the first performance of a trilogy about the extraordinary experiences of ordinary life.
DON GNU guarantees physical action theatre and dance combined in a playful and poetic man-power universe!
The company was founded in 2010 by the two choreographers Jannik Elkær and Kristoffer Louis Andrup Pedersen, who also constitute the artistic duo at the helm of DON GNU. Today the company is one of the most touring companies in Denmark.
In addition to extensive tour activities in Denmark, DON GNU has also toured in all the Nordic Countries, South Korea, Canada, big parts of Europe and Cuba.
