Metta likes...Belarus Free Theatre

Through our dear friend, and patron of Metta, Laura Wade we've recently been introduced to the Belarus Free Theatre, or BFT. Having been on some of their marches/protests it was really lovely to put names to faces. And having now got to know them quite well it's lovely to put personalities to the names. The work that the BFT does is astonishing on so many levels - the art they make is beautiful and powerful, the workshops they lead inspiring and totally transformative for the participants, and everything they do is some form of protest against Lukashenko's regime - the last dictatorship in Europe. On top of this they are forced - as a theatre company in exile from their own country - to work from Britain on the tiniest of shoe-string budgets. Last year they had a smash hit in Edinburgh with their Fringe First award-winning show A Reply to Kathy Acker which will run at the Young Vic for a month in June next year, and before that they're doing an adaptation in Belorussian of King Lear at the Globe for their Globe to Globe Festival.

Metta likes...Mothers

Today is Mother's Day so in honour of the three wonderful women without whom Metta wouldn't exist - namely Ruthie Alexander-Morgan (Poppy's mum), Jo Reynolds (Will's mum) and Bridget Doole (Heather's mum) - we want to celebrate, appreciate and dedicate this to mothers everywhere. But our mums in particular have been instrumental in the development of Metta - without their endless love & support we wouldn't be where we are today, so thank you. And we love you.

I hosted a debate at the Young Vic last week on women working in theatre which began to explore gender issues - and what exactly those issues were - so inevitably the question of balancing motherhood and career-hood came up.

Metta likes... Stories

12 Dancing Princesses, V&A Museum 2010

We seem to have somewhat fallen off the blogging wagon over the festive season, so lets get back on track with the weekly 'Metta Likes...'  and this week stories. This is what we're all about (at Metta), telling stories in new ways, telling new stories, retelling old stories, telling the same stories through different media (Sexing The Cherry being a great example of that which has spawned two other shows - 12 Dancing Princesses & Points of Light and hasn't actually seen the stage-light of day...yet). Stories, stories and more stories.

Why are we so into stories?

Finding the form

For the last 4 years I've been adapting Jeanette Winterson's beautiful and magical (I won't call it magical realism because I know she doesn't like that tag) novel Sexing The Cherry for the stage. Which makes it sound like a long and arduous task - artistically speaking it was actually one of the easiest or should I say most pleasurable/fluid things I've done. The hard part is getting it on. Several 'important' theatre people have read it now and they all say the same thing - it's very beautiful but it's not a play. And it's not, but neither am I prepared to make it one and sacrifice/compromise the mode of presentation - which is story-telling - by converting it into action and dialogue.