Semper Belfast: Heat two!

First of all, congratulations to Brian Charity and Joeseph Greenwood, whose two pieces Cheep Laughs and Francis Drake won last weeks Semper Belfast.  Well done to everyone involved in those performances, and to everyone else.  The competition was very close, and in the end only two votes seperated 2nd and 3rd

But now, to the future!  It’s that time of the week again.  Semper Belfast Heat two hots up!  Below is the flyer for the night as well as times that different groups need to be there.  If you are watching though, all you need to do it turn up at 8pm and enjoy some rehearsed readings of some brand new work!

• Where? The SPACE in the Queens Student Union.  Ask at the front desk if you get confused.
• When? Performers: 6pm
• Writers: 7pm (or earlier if you wish to have an input on rehearsals)
• Everyone else : The event starts at 8pm
• Why? Semper Theatre is organising this event in Belfast to give new writers the chance to see there work performed, and give actors the chance to work with people they might not usually meet.

It promises to be another great night and I look forwards to seeing you there!  Please email phurst01@qub.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Semper Belfast tonight!

Tonights the night people!

The first Semper Belfast kicks off tonight, with 6 original pieces by Northern Irish based writers being performed by locally based performers!  If you haven’t already plan an hour to come along and support local writers!

At the end of the night you’ll be asked to vote on your favourite two pieces, and those will then go forwards to a grand final after the Christmas break, with the eventual winner getting a huge prize – a full production funded by the Queen’s Quarter Weekend people!

It starts at 8pm at the Space, Queens Student’s Unioin and admission is FREE!

And have your searched Facebook for Semper Belfast?  I would – and say hello!  Click here for this week or here for heat two!

Phil

Semper Belfast Flyer!

Hello all,

Below is the Semper Belfast flyer for the first run this November.  Please stick this everywhere and anywhere to get as many people to come to the event as possible.

It’s a free event, so there’s really no excuse.

Phil

Semper Belfast details!

Hello all!

Below is the line up for the first Semper Belfast night, which will occur on the 12th November at 8pm.  The venue will be the Space in the Queen’s Student Union.

There is a fantastic mix of styles and genres – from scripts to short stories to poetry.  It’s going to be a brilliant night!

The full line up is as follows.

• Nick Drake – Joeseph Greenwood
• Love Hurts – Celia McSweeny
• Canvassing – Margeret Irish
• The Waiting Room – Brian Charity
• Lo – Jason Conlon

Remember the entire event is free!  No money to enter, and no money to watch.  There will also be a piece of paper on your seat so you can vote for your two favourite pieces.  The two with the most votes will go forwards to a final event where the Best of Semper Belfast will battle it out to win the audience’s affection and a prize of a produced show by the lovely Queens Quarter Weekends people!

So come along on the 12th of November to see some of the brightest actors in Belfast perform some of the newest and most energetic stuff around.

So a round up.

What? – Semper Belfast, a new writing event.

Where? – The Space, Queens University Students Union

When? – The first night is the 12th November 2010, with two more nights weekly.

How much? – FREE!  You don’t get cheaper than that.

 

That’s all for now,

Bye!

Phil

 

 

Dates for Semper Belfast – And a rumour…

Hello all,

Just to confirm that the dates for the first round of Semper Belfast are as follows:

• 12th November
• 19th November
• 26th November

The more alert of you will have noticed that these are all Friday nights!  As the events are only going to be an hour or so long, it’d be a great way to start your weekend.

Remember, the nights are free to enter and you will be supporting not only local writers, but also performers.  So come along!

It’s not too late to submit anything either!  There is no deadline for submissions, but it is operated on a first come first serve basis.  Even if you just have a rough idea of something you want to put forwards let me know by e-mailing phurst01@qub.ac.uk and I can pencil you in!  Remember to check that your work is ok for submission by looking at www.sempertheatre.com/semper-belfast

And the rumour?  Well I was back in Sutton Coldfield on Friday.  But I fear I can’t say more than that in case I jinx something that might or might not happen.

(again)

Phil

Semper Belfast page up!

Hello!

Just a quick one to point out that the Semper Belfast page is up.  If you’re after information about the Semper Belfast events then please check it out.

You can either use the link above or just click here.

I’m good to you like that.

Phil

Semper Belfast – It’s going down

Have had a lovely meeting today with Paula from Queens Quarter Weekends, a brilliant organisation which is trying to reinvigorate the University (Queens) area (Quarter) at the end of the week (weekends).  The group have agreed to back me and therefore it’s time for another Semper event!  This one will follow simular tracks to the earlier one at the Station pub (click on the link above to have a look) but with a few subtle differences…

The main one is increasing the element of competition.  There will now be three heats before Christmas and a final sometime in the new year.  It’s really exciting, and I hope to have some submission deadlines and final dates for you soon, but for now I suppose I better sum up what’s going on…

• Writers are encouraged to submit either a play/poetry or prose.  The pieces should be no longer than ten minutes.  They should be suitable for performing in a small space with no lighting changes and a maximum of three actors.
• Actors are given the scripts one week before the date of the show.
• Individuals are also invited to read their own work if they want.
• The pieces are then performed script in hand (no one is expected to remember lines in a week)
• The audience will vote for the two best pieces which will go on to the final show after Christmas.
• All the performances will be recorded and posted on youtube for prosperity.
• After the final the winning play/poem/prose will be financed for a full production by the lovely QQW guys and girls.

Best of all the events will be free to watch and enter! That’s right.  We’re fighting the credit crunch one day at a time, and one event at a time.

That’s about it for now.  If you want to get involved please e-mail me at phurst01@qub.ac.uk.

If you are twittered, I’d recommend me @phil_hurst or the group @sempertheatre.

Want to see what’s gone on before?  www.youtube.com/sempergroup

For more information about Queens Quarter Weekends (especially if you’ve got an event you want to promote, hit them up at http://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/queensquarterweekends and if you want more information aabout Semper Belfast why not hit subscribe to the right and enter your e-mail address?  Then whenever I update this little site you’ll get a wacking great e-mail with all the details.

Semper Theatre at the Camden Fringe

Hello all,

This is it.  Some of you may be wondering quite what I’ve been doing in stead of Semper Station.  Well, here it is.  I’ve written and produced a lovely (and quite rude) play called Even Greedy Bankers Deserve Freedom.  All sorts of information is below, even if you can’t get to London please spread the word and help form Semper Theatre.

As well as Semper stuff you’ll find information about our good friends Rogueplay theatre, who are also there trying to ever so slowly show London that there is talent in Birmingham!

Even Greedy Bankers Deserve Freedom

Just what do greedy bankers deserve?  That’s the question on everybody’s lips at the moment as Semper Theatre brings Even Greedy Bankers Deserve Freedom to the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town.  Watch as Harvey Brian Oliver Simons tries his best to stay in a mental institution, all the time battling against his doctor, his sister and his roommate!

From the 6th – 10th August 2010 at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town.

You can find more information on Greedy Bankers on…

The web: www.evengreedybankers.org

Facebook (fan page) http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Even-Greedy-Bankers-Deserve-Freedom/117372324942848?ref=sgm
Facebook (event) http://tinyurl.com/34hkooe

Twitter @sempertheatre

Rogueplay Theatre -

Rogueplay have been a fantastic help to Semper over the last few months, so if you don’t fancy EGBDF (or want to see 2 plays, or have little ones) then go and see ‘Not just a suitcase’ at the Roundhouse Studio!  The event on facebook is…

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events#!/event.php?eid=138367899520826

Thats all guys, hope to see you there and good luck in the future!  Hopefully Semper Station will return in some form over the next few months, so I’ll keep you in touch!

Phil

Semper Presents: Even Greedy Bankers Deserve Freedom

Hello.

I’m (Phil) currently in the process of rehearsing my new play, Even Greedy Bankers Deserve Freedom.  What’s that I hear you cry?  Well read below and click on the various links to find out!

Even Greedy Bankers Deserve Freedom is a musical that’s not a musical, if that makes sense.  The play takes place with a live band on stage, who are expertly putting together all sorts of background music and scene links to ensure the play rockets along at a fair pace!

The play itself features Harvey Brian Oliver Simons, played by Phil Leonard, a once powerful banker who has resorted to desperate measures in order to escape persecution from an angry public.  He decides to get himself commited.  But once in a mental hospital for ‘interesting cases’ he realises he may have bitten off more than he can chew…

A brilliant ensemble cast including Andy Wells, Phil Legg and Jon Deeming and music by Matt Antrobus and Richard Needham really creates a fantastic atmosphere and a brilliant piece of new theatre.

We’ll be stopping off at the Camden Fringe Festival from the 6th – 10th August.  More specifically the Lion and Unicorn Pub and Theatre will be our home, and the Giant Olive Theatre Company will be our hosts.  The Lion and Unicorn is a lovely little theatre pub just off Kentish Town Road, about ten minutes walk from Camden centre and three minutes from the Kentish Town.

All in all it’s going to be a brilliant few days and an exciting couple of months!  Please head to www.evengreedybankers.org to see videos, pictures and lots more information about the event.

Phil

Semper Station Wonder Winners

If you follow Semper on twitter (and if not, why not?  @sempertheatre) you might already know this but the videos from Semper Station Wonder are now online.  Head to www.youtube.com/sempergroup for the four videos of the night, including the two top rated videos, Travelling by Jane Campion Hoye and Leaf-mould by Stuart Lee.  I’ve embedded them below and you can also have a look at the Semper Station page.  The dates for the next event aren’t quite finalised yet, but as soon as they are I’ll be e-mailing everyone!  If you aren’t on the mailing list (really?) e-mail semperinfo@googlemail to be added or click the subscription link to the right!

Awesome!

Phil