Into the Underworld

Follow the production process of The Adding by Ciarán Myers.

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Back to the very beginning - why did we start all this? Company founders Rosanna and Catherine have a chat about the backstage world, what it means to them and why it’s important people know about it.

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Production images from The Adding 

Photo Credit: Madeleine Hunter

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Platina Brown on Filming Into the Underworld

I had a great experience working on the production of The Adding. The backstage process was insightful and it was great to be a part of the film crew that created a 5 part series of short films for BackStage Forward.

Being my first experience working behind the scenes of a theatre production, it was beneficial to have a friendly and knowledgeable team of people to explain the process. I have had an inspirational and rare opportunity to witness the vast volume of work that goes into the build up of a theatre production. Working with Mckenzie Brown Media on this project and capturing these moments of the backstage process has been amazing and I look forward to future to work on other projects with Backstage Forward and the team.

-Platina Brown, Mckenzie Brown Media

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Production photos from The Adding, Wednesday, 23 September. 

Photo Credit: Mckenzie Brown Media

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Ciarán Myers on Writing The Adding

Although our short run of The Adding is over now, speaking as a writer, the project is still far from over. Just as actors need an audience to help them provide energy to an empty space, writers need an audience to finally discover what is really working and what is not. It can be as simple as a line or a word or as complex as story-structure or character … we need a live audience to help us finally learn what falls flat or what surprises us by succeeding.

For example, when “him” finally tells “her” what his password is to the accounts spreadsheet at work, the audience usually rewarded the line with a laugh. For me, the line was intended to be funny, but only funny enough to warm-up the audience for the following jokes. It is a wonderful gift to discover that the audience is on board and engaging closely with the dialogue!

That said, there are one or two little areas of the script that still have room for growth. Fiercely armed with the interpretations of our talented actors and (one could say) scientifically supported by the audience’s living-breathing energy, my work on The Adding continues.

I love theatre because it has a wonderful capacity for process. Theatre only exists in the moments that it shines, beats, and breathes in performance with a live audience. It comes with a magnificent prerogative: the time before, between, and after performance is always a good time to mould and perfect.

I am extremely grateful to our audiences, our funders, and our collaborators on this project and I am certainly satisfied with what I can brag to be a strong production. It is not a flaw in this production that thrusts me into working on it some more – it is its successes!

As I now review old notes and open my word processor, let the “backstage” work continue …

-Ciarán Myers, Playwright

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The final film in the series Into the Underworld, created by Backstage Forward with Mckenzie Brown Media. This episode follows the team into dress rehearsal and as they get the performances up and running. Follow director Catherine Fowles through notes, Frances White through calling the show, and the rest of the team as they make the production operate.

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Patrycja Cyan on Filming Into the Underworld

I had a terrific time working with The Adding to create their series of short films. I've always wondered how much work needs to be put into a play - the adding gave me the chance to see just that. I enjoyed capturing moments of success, frustration, leadership and collaboration. What's more everyone was very friendly and accepting of being filmed around the clock. 

-Patrycja Cyan, Mckenzie Brown Media

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Alina Kay on Filming Into the Underworld

Working on The Adding has given me a unique opportunity to get a taste of what is going on behind the scenes of a theatre production. 

The work that Backstage Forward are doing is one of a kind and important, as theatre staff very rarely get the same recognition as actors and (maybe) directors. Through documenting the process of putting on a theatre production, we got a chance to learn about just how much work it takes to put together a play and what process each person on the team goes through. The crew were all nice and easy-going, and I would love to do more projects with the company. Thank you for everything.

-Alina Kay, Mckenzie Brown Media

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Stella Cheung on Designing Lighting for The Adding

I went into tech feeling nervous, as I usually am. We were behind schedule because we took a lot of time getting the lighting rig up and working. 

The first tech session was slow, but after Frances and myself worked out the cues, the second tech session went a lot faster. It was hard for me to gauge what intensities I should be working with as I was also the sound operator, which took part of my time during tech. Luke and myself were also sitting up in the tech box, which does not provide an accurate view of how the space and performers look under the different lighting states. I had to trust my instincts and the feedback from Catherine. It was really useful as she was sitting where the audience would sit, and could tell me specific points where the lighting state needed to be adjusted.

I am glad I took a few risks on my design for this show. The final product looked stark - which was something I planned for, and the greys stood out thanks to the right gel. While I did not get the chance to watch the show from different angles, I did my best with the time constraint and resources that I had.

The workshops were really interesting for me and they went really well. The participants were enthusiastic and had questions aplenty, which was a relief!

I had a great time working with the Backstage Forward team. Thank you for letting me be part of your vision, I can't wait for the next adventure!

-Stella Cheung, Lighting Designer

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Frances White on Stage Managing The Adding

It is strange working on a production with such a short run because it feels like it shouldn’t be over yet, even once you’ve cleared out of the theatre. 

By the end of our final performance on Thursday night it felt as though we had just been through our preview performances and it would be Press Night on Friday, with a few weeks of performances to go. Except, of course, in this case we were finished with the project completely. It took at least a day for that to sink in completely. Now, looking back at what we did, I can say that I am incredibly impressed with what we all managed to pull off in such a short space of time. True, the production and performances were not perfect. True, I know I made mistakes in each performance. But even on long running West End shows there are mistakes and while ours may have been more obvious than theirs, I feel like we made something to be proud of. More importantly, I got the chance to work with some incredible people on this production and I dearly hope to be able to work with all of them again. The sooner, the better!

-Frances White, Stage Manager

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Visit Original Link

Now that we’re through the performances, check out the overture composed by sound designer Tom Rackham. 

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"The Adding deals with ideas of right and wrong, sin and redemption and ultimately forgiveness. It’s a very interesting piece, with strong characterisation and a lot of atmosphere. The production values are high and every physical element is used with great creativity."

Four stars for The Adding from Everything Theatre! 

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Kate Handford on Performing The Adding

The right kind of fear is healthy. It's been a very long time since I did a show where the five minutes before going on stage I've felt like my stomach might jump out of my throat. This was one of those shows. 

There are a million and one reasons and ways to be nervous before you go onstage and each performance of The Adding was very different for me, and the quality of the fear was different too. You don't want to feel panicked or falsely calm. You want the kind of fear that you manage to keep under control, that gives you a very particular kind of energy, focus and presence on stage with your scene partner. So here's to nerves, adrenaline and fear - if you know how to make use of it, it's a brilliant energy to have. 

-Kate Handford, Actor (Her)

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The fourth film in the series Into the Underworld, created by Backstage Forward with Mckenzie Brown Media. This episode features the full creative team as we load in and tech The Adding at The Cockpit. Follow Stella Cheung and Luke Goodlitt as they realise Stella's design, Frances White as she creates "The Book," Tom Rackham and Maddie Hunter as they implement the finishing touches on their respective designs in sound and set, and Clotilde de Verteuil as she makes some needed repairs to the puppet. Welcome to Tech... the most exciting of all days for the team!

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After Tech Thoughts

by Catherine Fowles, Director

I can’t sleep because I have too many thoughts running through my head, but most of all I’m excited... and so so grateful. Indulge me while I gush about my team and tell you about the day.

Tomorrow is a day continuing our tech rehearsal, a dress rehearsal, and then the show itself. It’s another day of long, but rewarding hours. After today, I’m most thankful for Stella and Luke who worked tirelessly to rig the lighting, patch, focus, and begin plotting the show. They are technical wizards, and I don’t know where we would have been today without them. Frances was the rockstar governing it all as the stage manager, and yelling out cues from her spotlight upstage left as our communication system with the tech booth is not yet set up. Her patience and air of calm kept us all on target today. Tom joined us for the first time in the flesh, and it was a total treat for all of us. His music is going to really tie up everything nicely, and I look forward to perfecting its inclusion tomorrow. Maddie was hard at work finishing up some painting of props and doors, and the set is really informing the space and how we use it. It’s brilliant how she’s been able to create the world of The Adding in such an elegant and simple way. Tilly had some repairs with the puppet as she began falling apart limb by limb today! Thankfully, Tilly is a genius at fixes, especially with a puppet who began as an experiment, and the puppet is stronger than ever and ready to greet you tomorrow. Sabina and the film crew were in with us right at 10 AM to film our most critical point as a backstage team. They’ll have an amazing video for you all soon... and I can’t wait to check it out myself. Huge thanks to the cast Kate, David, Jess, and Ciarán for their infinite patience and flexibility today. They are such a joy to work with... oozing with talent and generally being lovely to be around. They made what can be a long and boring day lighthearted and fun while we all waited for our turn to get to work. Last, but certainly not least, I don’t know where I’d be without my partner in crime Rosanna who always keeps her head when mine is about a million different places. A stable and fearless leader for the team, I wouldn’t want to be jumping into this with anybody else. To say that I’m grateful is a gross understatement. A director could not ask for a better team of creatives to take on a journey like this one. So after a long day with another long day ahead... thank you. While we may not be as far along as we would have liked at the end of today, I have every confidence we’ll be exactly where we need to be at 7 PM tomorrow. Let’s do a show!

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Rehearsals Week Two - A Reflection from the Director

by Catherine Fowles - Director

Week two of rehearsals has definitely been one of excitement! We had a few setbacks this week, but nothing catastrophic and nothing we couldn’t solve… which are always the best type of setbacks to have. 

All of them were logistical – the rehearsal process has been moving steadily along, and while we may be a bit behind schedule, we’re right where we need to be in terms of the big things like blocking, transitions, and running the show. I think the actors are a bit worried about their lines, but they are so nearly there that it’s not on my list of worries for the moment.

As you’ll see from other blog posts from the week, we had a flood in the space on Tuesday, but were able to move to another space last minute (with a nice walk on the way as a warm up!) so only lost about an hour of rehearsal. We were double booked at the Collective on Thursday, and faced a similar fate, but as we found out the day before, we were able to make a call with plenty of time to go forward with rehearsals as planned.

Now we’re on to the bits and pieces – solidifying lines and transitions (although both are in good shape for the time we have left), prop placements around the space, costume changes, solidifying some of the fight choreography, learning the original songs composed by #Tom, and just generally putting it all together.

We have a long day of rehearsal tomorrow with a planned day off on Monday for the performers, which I hope to keep that way so they all get a day of proper rest before we head into a very long three days for tech, fixes, and performances. But. If we need it, we’ll use it…although it may just be something quick and painless like a line through or music rehearsal rather than a full run.

We’re in our final hours of rehearsal… and they are detailed and exciting. Stay tuned for the big week ahead to be filled with days of long, but rewarding hours.

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As we gear up for Tech on Tuesday, check out the production meeting notes from Producer Rosanna Lowton - see what each team has left to do before we get in, and follow our schedule on the day.