Rehearsing in the Studio
It has been a pleasure having ‘The Future is Unwritten‘ in our Hayloft Studio rehearsing for their upcoming show, ‘PLANET LOL’. Speaking to Lisa, the show’s producer, she said that it was “such a rare treat to have the whole studio to yourself and to be trusted with that. So its made the process a really joyful one for the team.”
Mentioning the studios rustic repurposed style, she notes that its “lovely” how “the aesthetic of Copperdollar Studios seems to match the aesthetic of our show. Its about a planet on the verge of exploding and how to stop that. Our set is made from recycled wood and our costumes are up-cycled from charity shops and our stage floor has been donated by a vinyl shop and it matches well the up-cycled style of the studio. So it looks really pretty in there.” This theme carries all the way to the performance on at the ONCA Barge which is also a wooden interior structure. These spaces reflect the world within the play.
Whilst rehearsing in the studio, the cast also filmed some elements there too. Lisa says that it was “nice to be a part of the creative community of the groups who have rehearsed” at our Kemptown studio.
The Process
The casts’ process in the studio has entailed a desk reading and discussion of the play, building a dark area to film some bits and then the set was delivered for them to work with. At the same time the props and costumes were gathered, as well as the floor cloth coming in, the PA, lights and projector set up and run throughs commence on Wednesday and Thursday. It proves to be a very interesting show with so many creative elements. Lisa says on “Friday afternoon we move to ONCA and it goes off on tour the following week. It’s touring to Sheffield, two spaces in Leeds.”
The show is a “brand-new sci-fi myth that’s a billion years old and could never happen…yet.” It explores issues such as the climate crisis whilst “serving up comedy, science, fiction and a double helping of fear.” It rings true that “PLANET LOL is a fast-paced female-led sci-fi about facing up to reality and rewriting your endings.” We can’t wait to see it!
‘The Future is Unwritten’
PLANET LOL will be the eighth nationally touring production by award-winning company the future is unwritten, who have been making and touring sell-out new writing around the UK for the past 9 years.
These have included Fringe-First winning Meeting Joe Strummer which toured to more than 40 UK venues; Thirteen, a Brighton Festival commission set in a black cab driving round the city at night; a sell-out adaptation of Fever Pitch (UK tour), and football docu-drama Brighton ‘Til I Die, presented at Brighton’s Theatre Royal to celebrate the opening of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club’s new stadium.
‘The Future is Unwritten’ is a theatre company powered by punk values of honesty, integrity, inclusion and the spirit of Do It Yourself invention; exploring issues of popular culture, politics, spirituality, responsibility, injustice and respect. Its current work is focused on creating theatre that helps make change happen, using high quality work to inspire and engage audiences new to theatre.
Looking for a rehearsal space?
Thank you Lisa, we can’t wait to see how the show goes. If you’re a theatre group be sure to contact us to hire out our studio for your next project. On our website you can see our availability and rates card.
