RESULTS ARE IN

Ok, I don't have overactive sweat glands or anything - but I have been figuratively sweating it out over the last few days waiting to get our reviews in!

Thanks to XS Entertainment who came along and also to Poise On Arrows blog author Bri Lee for attending and both writing such fabulous pieces on the project :)

Both have given us both such praise and also constructive criticism which we will definitely take back to the drawing board for our future planning (should we bring the project back again :) ).

Some of our favourite quotes are:

(Poise On Arrows)

If I needed just a handful of words to (a) describe this show, and (b) give you something to hook you in to reading the rest of this review, then I would probably use the following:

'vulgar' 'funny' 'alarming' 'dark' 'young' and 'chalk'. 

I think The Alleyway Project could be the pin-up-girl for the Anywhere Festival, really. These kids embodied what it's all about - the interplay between location and content. 

I really like swearing, and there was a lot of foul language....my favourite thing about it was that it was so brutally accurate. I think you should be sad you missed it. 

Image by Lynette Letic

(XS Entertainment - by Michelle Bull)

Overall, The Alleyway Project is a lot to chew on. The themes...are shockingly real and hard to swallow in an intimate setting. This...is also a huge strength of the show and one that I hope audiences do not shy away from. 

The actors are to be commended for rising to this challenge, as are the writers and director for their courageous choices.

Thanks a bunch Bri and Michelle for your great reviews :) We couldn't be prouder of our team, our show but most importantly the festival that is Anywhere Theatre Festival for giving us this opportunity! 

ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT - don't miss the rest of this pop-up festival!

xo The Alley Cats

Meow! (Image by Lynette Letic)

King of the Creeps

:) I'm on CLOUD FREAKIN NINE!

We received all the photos from our wonderful Alleyway Project photographer Lynette Letic. This means not only did we get a heap of photos of our show, but also a veritable feast of audience faces and smiles :)

There are too many to share on this blog, so instead you can check out audience pics here (make sure you get tag happy!) and show pics here incase you missed it/want to relive the gorgeous and grotesque moments.

A couple choice images of ya'll are below :)

 

WAHOO you guys are seriously drop-dead gorgeous!

xo The Alley Cats

O is for OPENING NIGHT

What a seriously great evening last night :) Our designer Jenny did such a wonderful job decking out the alleyway (a mixture of cosy meets back alleu bar meets charming lights and romance). Not to mention our cast and crew killed it like fresh-chicken for dinner

We were lucky to have such great audiences too! And honestly can't wait for this evening :)

Our last show of the season will, I guarantee, go off like Katy Perry's cream-spurting lady-parts in California Girls :) Doors open 630 - be warm and comfortable, have a drink one us and come to enjoy the show!

 

xo The Alley Cats

: : END \\

That's it folks. Our extended season has sold out!

We are so excited to see you all on Monday and Tuesday night :) !!!

To those who missed out on tickets (or forgot to buy them...it's ok, it's a busy time of year) don't sit at home staring at the idiot box! Make sure you take those spare dollar$ and catch some other Anywhere Theatre shows

See you NEXT WEEK creepy crawlers

xo The Alley Cats

Little Creatures <(. _ .)>

We've had a few questions about what KIND of drinks will be available when our audience members stream through the gates of Winn Lane, pick up your ticket and demand alcohol.

WELLL here's a clue:



Ok, so we don't have pint sized beer, but we DO have some Little Creatures, courtesy of our sponsors..... Little Creatures (oh my gosh their website is so fun!).

Little Creatures and us alley cats thought it was only fitting we have a true-blue Aussie made beer (it's from Freeo in WA) repping as part of the show :)

OH we've also got some lovely wine (I use that term quite loosely...)

Just a heads up, our third show is half sold already :) we're so flattered!  Don't miss out on tickets yo.
AND BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE SHOWS PREMIERING TONIGHT!!!!!
(some are free so check out the newsletter if you haven't checked it already)

xo The Alley Cats

Alley Cats Are GO

THIRD SHOW CONFIRMED!

:) Rumours are true - we've opened up one more show for you Valley crawlers who missed out on the first round of tickets.

When?

Monday, 14 May - 9pm

in Winn Lane, of course.

Bookings via here

We really hope to see you there (and we hope you don't mind the...smell!)

xo The (super excited) Alley Cats

MXXXX'ing out!

The wonderful crew at MX Brisbane and their great photographer Jeff Camden spent some time with us in Winn Lane, among the bins and graffiti'd up staircase :)

AAANNNDDD here are the results...

Eloise Maree, Kat Henry and Michael Johnson in today's MX

 Wowee we have an attractive bunch'o peeps ;)

xo The Alley Cats

Greasing the wheel

Wowee! Time has flown!

NOT ONLY have we been lost in a world full of rehearsals, but we've just received word that our shows have sold out (YIKES)

BUT don't fret just yet... a little birdie has told me there might be at least one more show left in it for us alley cats (rumour yet to be confirmed!)

Until then a little digital teasing to get you in the mood for whats to come this coming Monday and Tuesday:

Vodka Cranberry Soda (By Dan Evans) - Caitlin Dooley and Lucy Whyte get physical

Can't wait to see you in Winn Lane ;) be sure to get there early! We've got more planned then just your standard theatre show

xo The Alley Cats

All about UUUUUUU

Hey yo! Anywhere Theatre Festival is in the Sunday Mail (U) - AND so are we!

This photo is courtesy of John Saunders of Drama Queensland :D

 

Our tuesday show is booking up fast (and it's our very last one!)

You can buy them at the door...that is, if there are any left.

Book here to avoid missing out on a free drink and some Winn Lane magic.

xo The Alley Cats

ON TRIAL

It's true - we're looking for a reviewer!

If you're between 18-25 years old, love theatre/journalism/performance/Winn Lane/Brisbane culture shoot us an email (marketer.cradleproductions@gmail.com)  with something you've written
OR
send us a link on FB or twitter to something you've written.

Entries close MONDAY 7 MAY.

Perks include a free ticket + drink + our uttmost respect (plus a little fame as we'll be sharing your review around!) :)

Hear from you soon...

xo The Alley Cats

Winn LaTe

If you're NOT lame like I am (booo uni and obligations!!) you should definitely visit Winn Lane this Thursday for WINN LATE - a sweet and sexy market night happening every first thursday of the month in (you guessed it) Winn Lane

Pick up some sweet finds because I can't :(

xo The Alley Cats

Eenie meanie minie....

Wowee! Can't believe Anywhere Theatre Festival is only 2 weeks away!!

Had a closer look at the program today... to be honest it's a mega hard choice. So instead, I made a short list (and we encourage you to do the very same)

Here are some of our pics :) we've heard glowing things about them all and not one is the same as another. We've even summed up our short list in a few simple words for you:




Julian Running - Puppetry, music, the sea, imagination and Our Place.
Tickets $10-12

This is Kansas City - by Sandra Carluccio

This is Kansa City - Technology, city wide, augmented reality, limited capacity (6 pax)
Tickets $10

Happy Days (are here again) - SeeD Productions

Happy Days (Are Here Again) - site specific, casual violence, gangland, movement.
Tickets $12-14

Haven - Fixate Productions

Haven - Terror, seduction, melancholy tune, Rabbit Hole Cafe basement.
Tickets $12-17

Gremlins: Gravity is only the beginning 

Gremlins: Gravity is Only The Beginning - budget airline, gremlins, circus, comedy, Reverse Garbage
Tickets $12-14

Phew. it was tough making that list. Hopefully we've made your choices a tad easier :)

ALSO don't forget to book tickets to see The Alleyway Project (alleyways, playwrights, notorious tales, Winn Lane)

xo The Alley Cats

GUEST BLOG: Part Two - By Eloise Maree

SO last time you read Part One of our playwright and producer Eloise Maree's tale. 


Well, to help with mid semester and monday procrastination, here's Part Two!

Part Two:


Then, just as a blink of an eye [which is unquestionably short] they found themselves grown up, middle-aged, as husbands and wives with jobs and children and they had forgotten they silly days of misspent youth. They had, after all, found their happiness. Their spirit was calmed and their lives were bound. They’d forgotten the sticky mornings of waking with strangers and quietly being sick in the toilet and spending hours preparing themselves for such glories.


In one way, they’d grown uptight... in another, they were free of the self-ridicule that becomes such meaningless chunder. Sometimes they were confused about how they ended up in such a place and had to remind themselves that it is what they wanted so long ago [but why?...their mind would drift]. And at times, persevering times they were, they would re-call their former glories. Alcohol would numb their minds and their bodies and once more they would be young- oh so young! With loud voices that over-pronounced their delicate feelings and dancing limbs that knocked and swayed. They would once more forbear the strip of clubs with wild young things, shacking their manes together on the floor and bellowing out forgotten favourites [that had since become vintage treasures]. For beyond the haze of booze, there was a pride which swelled through these nights. A pride which one may only find in those who refuse to face a reality. A glistening refusal of norms - the very norms that clutched and constricted their being; one that felt as if it lifted them beyond everything.


In fact, such nights were purely numbing them from the problems they faced. They were a band-aid over intangible grazes the not-quite grown-ups had refused to notice. But yet they drank, so they sang and how it drove their dance! Shackles of responsibility were not felled, but they were loosened and shaken. Sex, mania and booze were sucked into the soft spaces of their lungs. And such is the glory of that dark strip of colourful clubs.

Do Doing DONE!

Competition is OVER!

That was quick and easy :)

Congratulations Belind Locke. We'll be seeing you in May @ Winn Lane :)

Don't forget to book your tickets - seats are limited and we've only got two grit-infused performances!

REDRAW

Ok Brisbane, we realise you're a bit self conscious about your stories. Fair enough! We didn't get any submissions from you for our competition! *wah wah wah waaaaah*

BUT we have a problem - we've STILL got that double pass!
We weren't lying when we said we had to get rid of it.

SO instead, here's the deal - first person to send us a picture they've taken themself of an alleyway in Brisbane (via twitter, FB or our blog) will receive the double pass.

TODAY ONLY.

Looking forward to seeing some of Brisbanes narrow street ways :)

Luck.

xo The Alley Cats

Where the wild things are

You may or may not have already seen our sexy little something-something of a video.

Maybe I'm biased, but I found myself watching our teaser ad over and over!

A note to the cluey, this video gives clues as to what the shows are about :) take a guess at the four sets of people you'll encounter this May.

Here are some handy hints to help you out:

An Alleyway in Two Parts - Max Mellor
Michael Johnson
Dinny Dinsdale

Vodka Cranberry & Soda - Dan Evans
Caitlin Dooley
Athalia Foo



[untitled] - Daniel Maloney
Dan Eady
Genevive Butler

Bottom of the Glass - Eloise Maree
Benji Jackson

Don't forget to book your tickets! More info? Check it here

 

A HUGE thanks to all involved in our sunday afternoon video creating:

Eloise Maree, Claire Jarvis (director, cameraman AND editor in chief), Wendy Ma, Michael Johnson, Lachlan Richards, Jack Loel, Sarah Lawrence, Genevieve Butler, Dinny Dinsdale, Caitlin Moriarty and Ishrak :)

 

Drip Drape Drop

Poster and postcard drops are happening this week :D

keep your eyes peeled banana style for these beauties round the city

1.56

Oh my gosh! I woke up to the best present this morning!!

Our amazing production manager Claire Jarvis (who is a whizz at almost everything!) finished editing our sexy sly little video last night. We haven't launched it yet, but golly I've watched it several times already.

Took some screenies for you all ;)

 

HUGE thank you to everyone who helped: MJ, Gen, Dinny, Eloise, Claire, Wendy, Sarah, Caitlin, Lachlan, Jack, Ish and Bridie.

Stay tuned!

Xo The Alley Cats

STELLLAAAA!

It's heating up for us alleycats now! Rehearsals are just around the corner, and our fabulous director Kat Henry will be working tirelessly to bring our four scripts to life.

We're going to be spending a lot of time with Kat, and we thought you'd like to know who we're spending all of our time with :)

MEET KAT (meow!):

My name is Kat and I have a production company called Stella Electrika.  Stella lets me do anything I want as an artist so it's sometimes difficult for people to pin it down and say that it's this or that.  It's pretty contemporary like that - in the truest sense of the word: I do what I feel like doing NOW, and, of course, NOW is changing all the time.  At various "nows" in the past Stella has produced multi-media, multi-disciplinary performances, like The New Dead: Medea Material at La Boite in 2010, made a music video and a short film, collaborated with artists to create an outdoor, live, interactive photographic installation, and very recently Stella was the producing parent of a piece in Adelaide called Deliverance where 3 performers (including Kat) stepped into a 5x6 metre outdoor space with nothing - no provisions, no shelter, no clothes - and stayed in that space with out leaching for 240 hours.  That's 10 days in which they issued an invitation to their audience to bring them what they thought they'd need to survive.  It was such a thrilling success and the people of Adelaide became super engaged with their plight, indeed bringing them what they needed to survive, plus a whole lot more.  Read more about it on the Deliverance blog here. 

Deliverance

In June this year Brisbane audiences will have the chance to see Stella's long-awaited new production based on the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice.  More details very soon, but this has been in development for a couple of years, from being short-listed for the Queensland Premier's Drama Award in the first year that multiple-disciplinary works were sought, to its development at Hot House's Month in the Country initiative last year, and now finally on the Brisbane stage. 

I'm super excited to be working on the Alleyway Project.  It seems a good fit for what I feel like doing right NOW, which is hanging out in a Brisbane Alleyway (one that I know very well) and working with actors and writers to create a really neat night of theatre.  See you there.

The Alleyway Collective

Right now I don't live anywhere. I'm trying this thing which I first trotted out in December, 4 months ago now, and which I'm taking day by day, and that is to not live anywhere. I didn't really realise it was happening at first but I had the opportunity to do a residency in the country and my lease was coming to an end so I bundled all my things into storage and set off in my car. Its gets confusing for Australia Post, my Dad, and sometimes my employers, but for me it's a great fit for now. In the past 4 months I have hung out in Albury-Wodonga, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide. By the time I got to Melbourne I had left even my car behind, releasing me further from being grounded anywhere, and once I got to Adelaide I stepped naked and sans any material belongings at all, or even any attachment to habits, routines and expectations, into a rectangle of grass for 10 days, and felt lighter than I ever had. So now I'm going where the work is: Alleyway next month, Opera Queensland just gone, Queensland Theatre Company coming up, a creative development in Sydney and Melbourne very soon... asking myself what it is to live lightly.

Thanks Kat :) we can't wait to do the dirty with you and strip these scripts BARE.

xo The Alley Cats

3Ps and Proud

Us crazy cats have had an insane few days - poster, promo and production!

First our teaser video shoot today (wowee!) AND we've just received all our posters and postcards for the show.

Keep an eye out around town for these beauties, not to mention our posters!!!

WEEE.

Next up?? COMPETITION TIME and having a look at the finalists.