Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Theatre Company presents Caucasian Chalk Circle

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Theatre Company presents...

THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE Written by Bertolt Brecht in a version by Frank McGuinness Directed by Kirstie Davis Fri 18 - Sat 19 Jun 2021 Warning: This play contains scenes containing violent intent, imagery of hangings and language which some audience members might find offensive.

Birmingham City University

Cast

About Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Formerly known as Birmingham School of Acting, we are now part of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. With roots as a drama school going back to 1936, we retain the professional outlook and commitment to contemporary training that has seen our acting courses consistently rated amongst the best in the UK. We also train the associated disciplines of Stage Management and Applied Performance,

which provides the perfect learning environment to launch your career as a performance industry professional.

For more information on Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and its courses, come to an Open Day or visit www.bcu.ac.uk/bsa/ opendays.

To find out what’s on, visit www.bcu.ac.uk/ concerts.

Director’s Note I have directed The Caucasian Chalk Circle several times in my career and each time I do, I discover new resonances. I am amazed by its ability to continually surprise me with its relevance. The play begins after a catastrophic event (WW2) with two factions fighting over a piece of land. They want to move on from all the death and they are fierce in what they think constitutes as home. The play within a play allows them to explore this issue as well as giving us the universal themes of love, loyalty

and justice. I love directing plays by Brecht because he forces you to be actor-centric and the actors themselves are allowed to be playful and explorative. It has been so fantastic being back in a rehearsal room with a play that insists on the actors breathing, singing and playing together- the absolute essence of all live theatre.

The Caucasian Chalk Circle is licensed by Concord Theatricals.

Kirstie Davis Kirstie has worked at many theatres around the country including the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith and Salisbury Playhouse.

For six years she was the Associate Director and then Acting Artistic Director of Watford Palace Theatre where she directed acclaimed productions of Top Girls, The Daughter-in-Law and The Beauty Queen of Leenane.

She was CEO and Artistic Director of Forest Forge from 2009 to 2016 where she commissioned and directed over 20 new plays, which included: Free Folk by Gary Owen, the first adaptations of The Wolves of Willoughby

Chase and Stardust by Russ Tunney and Woman of Flowers by Kaite O’Reilly.

Recent projects include: Kiss me Quickstep

by Amanda Whittington at Queens Theatre, Hornchurch, New Wolsey, Ipswich and Theatr Clwyd, Daddy long Legs by Paul Gordon and John Caird at The Barn Theatre and Ladies That Bus by Joyce Branagh which went on a North West tour. She is about to direct The Wolves of Willoughby Chase at the Minack Theatre.

She is a Connections Director for the National Theatre.

Auguste Voulton Wounded Soldier (Prologue) Soldier Kato (Prologue) Soldier (Scene 1) Beggar (Scene 1) First Doctor (Scene 1) Simon (Scene 1&5) Architect (Scene 1) Nanny (Scene 1) Corporal (Scene 2) Monk (Scene 3) Singer (Scene 4) Second Soldier (Scene 4) Second Farmer (Scene 4) Ciara Lane Peasant Woman (Prologue) Natella Abashvili (Scene 1 & 5) Soldier (Scene 1) Fat Woman (Scene 1) Peasant Woman (Scene 2) Mother (Scene 3) Soldier (Scene 3) Shauva (Scene 4) Singer (Scene 4&5) Cormac Gleeson Old man left (Prologue) Governor (Scene 1) Soldier (Scene 2) Stableman (Scene 3) Jessup (Scene 3) Soldier (Scene 3) Peasant (scene 4) First Soldier (Scene 4) Third Farmer (Scene 4) Singer (Scene 4) Second Lawyer (Scene 4) Soldier (Scene 5)

Jennifer Barron Tractor Woman (Prologue) Adjutant (Scene 1) Cook (Scene 1&5) Singer (Scene 2 &3) Merchant Woman (Scene 2) Aniko (Scene 3) Woman (Scene 3) Michael (Puppet) (Scene 3) Nephew (Scene 4) Old Peasant Woman (Scene 4) Old Woman (Scene 5) Leo Jarvis Old man right (Prologue) Soldier (Scene 1) Beggar (Scene 1) Young Woman (Scene 1) Fat Prince (Scene 1&4) Singer (Scene 3&5) Lavrenti (Scene 3) Man (Scene 3) Peasant (Scene 3) Soldier (Scene 3) Refugee/ Grand Duke (Scene 4) First Farmer (Scene 4) First Lawyer (Scene 4&5) Other Soldier (Scene 5) Old Man (Scene 5) Lucia Martinez Peasant Woman (Prologue) Beggar (Scene 1) Rider (Scene 1&5) Grusha Vachnadze (Scene 1,2,3&5) Third Soldier (Scene 4) Irakli (Scene 4) Ollie Cox Expert (Prologue) Singer (Prologue, Scene 1,3&5) Second doctor (Scene 1) Soldier (Scene 1) Third Woman (Scene 1) Merchant (Scene 2) Peasant (Scene 2) Musician (Scene 3) Azdak (Scene 4&5)

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Production Department Production Manager

Jacqui Findlay

Scenic Designer Robert Dicks

Lighting Designer Pete Watts Sound Designer Liz Purnell Musical Director/Composers

Alexander Collett-Sinfield, Meiling Zhong

Head of Wardrobe Jacki Cottom Head of Props Daniel Raven

Production Technician Jonathan Pearce Staff Stage Manager

Helen Gibbs

Stage Manager Sean Connolly***

Deputy Stage Manager Alice Chapman** Assistant Stage Managers Camera Isaac Hooper*, Darcy O’Grady* Stage Erica Talbott-Morgan* LX Georgia Sherratt* SND Joshua Howes* Vision Mixer

Ruth Porter***

Production Assistants

Claire D’Angelo, Melissa Peet

Wardrobe Assistants

Julie Poutney, Sunita Nar

Scenic Assistant

Richard Constable

Tech Assistant Dermot Finnegan, Georgia Thornton**, Oliver Boot**, Amy Regan**

Carpenters

Matt Willets and Steve Willets of The Woodshop Joinery Ltd Voice Support

Ellie Forrest

* 1st Year Stage Management Students **2nd Year Stage Management Students ***3rd Year Stage Management Students