Theatre Centenary

Nigel Peevers shared this recently:

The Lyceum Theatre in Crewe was 100 years old this year and for their centenary they had a specially commissioned light show projected on the front of the building...in one of life's weird little coincidences I'd already been telephoned and asked if they could use some images from my toy theatre book in the show.

1st Annual Online-Only Toy Theatre Festival?

An excellent example of computer-animated toy theatre is Nigel Peever's production of The Corsican Brothers
Recently on the Toy Theatre Yahoo Group, a member mentioned the following idea:

What does everyone think about holding an online TT festival?

It could include performances via YouTube or Vimeo, or even web cam if anyone would fancy trying something live.

We could post images, scripts, proposals etc

There are several sites where one can hold online conferences, for presentations, abstracts and papers.

It might be easier than a physical event to start with?

Any takers?

I think it's a marvelous idea.  An idea whose time has not only come, but is long overdue.

Overall  response so far has been modest but enthusiastic. There was some concern about it being 'only' an online festival, with recorded performance versus live performance (albeit by video, not in-person).  However, as it was further discussed in the online group - and the original poster suggested - why not both?

Another aspect of a virtual festival beside the the recorded vs live, is that there could be virtual (animated - handmade or computer) versus 'real' or physical performances.

It goes without saying that variety is the spice of life, yet tradition is something to preserve.  That said, both traditional theatres and/or plays would be presented, but innovative, avant-garde, or experimental theatre-of-the-small should be encouraged, also.

What say you, Dear Readers?  Anyone interested in taking part?  It's early days, but the world toy theatre community would love to hear from you if you'd like to participate in any capacity - design, performance, 'backstage', technical, etc.  If you don't know who to contact, let me know and I'll put you in touch...

The Battle of Waterloo Toy Theatre CGI

From Nigel Peever comes this news:

Since completing the fully animated toy theatre production of The Corsican Brothers last year I've been trying to animate The Battle of Waterloo, The Corsican Brothers is usually available to buy on ebay and you can find a few clips here in my videos as a taster to the full 37 minute version.

The Battle of Waterloo will follow the original script again and is currently up to about 22 minutes in length, so still a long way to go! Each day of rendering produces just a few seconds of video.

I've found a site that offers a great deal of royalty free music, so this is almost a test to see if I get nobbled by youtube for using this music after all :-)

Corsican Brothers DVD Reviews

During the recent Thanksgiving holidays in the States, I received the Corsican Brothers DVD in the post. I have finally found the time to view it, and I must say, it was a thrill for this toy theatre novice! It was one of the first toy theatre productions she has ever seen in full, and although nontraditional in presentation (not 'live', etc.), it was a real treat for me.

What are others saying about this particular production? Read on!

...just received my copy of the DVD and although I was concerned about it playing here in Texas, it did, and I might add beautifully. One should also note that this is the full toy theatre script not the cut down version put out by Pollock's in 1974. The extras are great. All together a great job Nigel and well worth the wait.

...If there is anyone in the group who has not seen Nigel Peever's DVD of The Corsican Brothers, run to eBay and buy your copy. I just bought a second one for a Xmas gift. It is that good! A must. Kudos to Nigel and to Peter Baldwin for the excellent intro.

...The Corsican Brothers DVD arrived yesterday. I have watched it tonight and must congratulate you on a very professional production. Walter Elias Disney would have been proud to put his name to such an exciting production. I cannot believe you have only sold eleven copies of this unique DVD; actually you have now sold twelve copies as I have just purchased my second copy. This DVD deserves to reach a much wider audience, not just Toy Theatre enthusiasts.

Corsian Brothers DVD is Released!

The Corsican Brothers DVD is now out and available on EBay! Rejoice all toy theatre fans (especially those of us who have never seen a live performance and are starved for any kind of recording of one...well, this isn't exactly 'live', but it's the next best thing in my humble opinion.)

Nigel Peevers is the genius behind this production. Nigel is one talented fellow, who is an actor among other talents. Where he finds the time to do all this, I'll never know, but we are the beneficiaries of his toil. Bless you, Nigel...

Corsican Brother's Update

So, you might ask, what's the latest on the Corsican Brothers production by Nigel Peever? Well wonder no more - here's a brief update from Nigel himself, via the Toy Theatre list:

I had a very pleasant afternoon with Peter Baldwin at his home yesterday recording the introduction for The Corsican Brothers, He's also very kindly recorded the judge's voice which is easy to replace in the film. Peter has also let me take photographs of the original stage productions poster to include and other goodies, like photocopying the ghost melody music etc so a cracking day.

He went on to explain he's been very busy professionally (he is an actor) so he's had to wedge in his labor of love when time permits. He has many fans (including myself) avidly awaiting the final results!

Toy Theatre Evolution

Change. It's a good thing.

At least that's my personal opinion. It makes life interesting, challenges us.

Toy theatre is currently undergoing a huge revival as well as evolution. One such recent example (albeit only one among many) was Sandow Birk's animated film adaption of Dante's Inferno.

Another is the currently-in-production of the classic The Corsican Brothers. The man behind it all is Nigel Peever, who among his many talents includes being an actor. How he finds the time for all this is beyond me, but we can be thankful he does, because I can tell it will be an amazing piece of entertainment when complete. I'm excited already just from seeing his trailer.

I'll definitely keep readers appraised. Stay tuned...

Corsican Brothers Poster

This is the poster for the soon-to-be-released toy theatre production (on video) of the classic Corsican Brothers.

Produced by Nigel Peever, who is a veritable one-man production company using 21st century computer technology for an 18th century medium. But hey, I'm all for it. Anything that can spread the word about how amazing toy theatre can be (in its myriad of styles, this being just one) is a good thing in my book!

Trailer: The Corsican Brothers

An amazing trailer for a production of The Corsican Brothers, by Nigel Peever.

Nigel had this to say about making it...

For the last three months or more my two poor computers have been rendering night and day and I'm finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With twenty-seven and a half minutes "in the can" so far, most of the voices and sound effects all ready to go, and all manner of test edits made while I'm waiting for the darn thing to render, The Corsican Brothers- The Movie is almost complete, so I've knocked together a little trailer at youtube do please drop by and have a look and let me know what ya think.

It's a very 21st century toy theatre production but I've tried to be as faithful as was possible but also taking advantage of the fact that I don't have to use metal slides so the characters can roam freely around the stage (I managed to resist the temptation to make Boissec actually swing his axe) The camera too can be quite mobile.

Bravo!

Toy Theatre Collection Published

From toy theatre collector Nigel Peever comes this news about his exciting new book...

My book has just arrived in the post, all the way from America. I'm really pleased with it, nearly 420 toy theatre sheets all in one neat book.

You can find it here.

It's a massive bespoke book, produced individually for each purchaser so it's not cheap but I hope you'll agree that by putting so many sheets in one book it certainly works out a lot cheaper than making a book up for each play for example. And probably cheaper than printing the sheets off on your own home printer.

It's good quality paper too, Hi res scans, a very professional book just like any you'd find in a bookstore.

You can preview the first few pages by clicking the book preview bit on the url I've given you...

Juvenile Drama on YouTube

Nigel & Philip over at the Toy Theatre group alerted the members today of toy theatre being featured on YouTube; I'll be keeping an eye out for more, especially since I have never seen a production.

Cleavin: Theatres of War

From an upcoming book* on New Zealand printermaker Barry Cleavin:

Cleavin: Theatres of War (2004).
Printed paper sculptures. Collection of the artist.

Notes: At first glance these works might recall children's pop-up books or the juvenile cut-out toy theatres of Pollocks of London originating in Victorian times and referred to by R.L. Stevenson in 'Memories and Portraits', chapter xiii. A Penny Plain and Twopence Coloured. These inexpensive paper cut-outs reproduced famous and favourite writings and could be coloured in and cut-out by children who could then act out the various stories and dramas.

In Cleavin's cut-out theatres strange dramas are played out. In these pictorial-cum-moral peep shows modern and archaic elements, in various scales, are brought into dramatic collision. Such compositions reject established rules of representation (including perspective) developed since the Renaissance and deliberately employ anachronistic imagery and scale reminiscent of medieval and primitive painters (who varied the size of their figures according to their importance). Cleavin uses such anachronisms to unsettle expectations and raise questions about the actions and relations dramatised. The concept behind them, their composition and titles, indicate that Cleavin considers continual acts of war and aggression unjustifiable and here invites audiences to look to the causes of such persistent patterns.

The 'Theatres of War' (2004), together with work by Nigel Buxton, Ralph Hotere, Marian Maguire, John Pule and John Reynolds, were part of an anti-war exhibition held at Papergraphica in Christchurch. This show, in many respects, repeated the concerns addressed by Cleavin and others in an exhibition titled, 'Artists for Peace' (1984), at The Robert McDougall Art Gallery, Christchurch.



Cleavin: Theatres of War (2004).
Printed paper sculptures. Collection of the artist.

Presented in the language of children's pop-up picture books or Benjamin Pollock's cut-out theatres, the casts of Cleavin's 'Theatres' include skeletal and ecorche figures, soldiers and arms, dinosaurs and popular cartoon figures.[6] These worlds of mixed visual events challenge not only warring powers, but also their analogues, the 'official' media and their versions of the various conflicts so often culpable of lionising war. These 'Theatres' also challenge us, an audience capable of participations of a different kind from those dramatised. Irrespective of the surreal pictorial idiom, these theatres of war images clearly relate to the Disasters of War' series by Callot and Goya, or the 'dumb shows' and stages of cruelty by Hogarth. They ask us if we assent to the events visualised.

* Meditations on a Magpie: the Work of Barry Cleavin, Printmaker, by Dr. Cassandra Fusco, a freelance writer from Christchurch, New Zealand; publisher will be the University of Canterbury's Canterbury Press