|
bZents go blogging
Welcome to our Blog! We plan to keep you up date with all our children's theatre events / workshops and hope that you will send us lots of pictures and comments. If you have got to our blog you will have probably seen our brand new shiny bZents website which will give you some idea of the wide variety of stuff we can offer.
If you have any comments or photos please send them through via our contacts page.
Wednesday 10th March 2010
Be afraid, be very..........................
The Vikings are coming
Saturday 6th March 2010
Busy, busy................................
Well, I have had a busy week with the kite project at The Grove and it seems to be going pretty well. The biggest problem I've had so far is that there has been no wind! What's the point of making a kite if there's no wind?!
Saturday 27th February 2010
Yorkshire Robin........................
Had a fantastic day at Allerton Primary School in Bradford yesterday. Spent the day doing Robin Hood type things with a lovely bunch of year 3/4 kids. The best bit was the kid who had his Robin Hood hat sellotaped to his head.
Thursday 25th February 2010
Off to a flyer..............................
Started the kite project today at "The Grove". Great day and made loads and loads of kites! This is A Good Thing. Looking forward to round 2 on Monday!
Monday 22nd February 2010
When the north wind doth blow...........
Well, we're off to Banbury with the environmental show this week, but the environment could beat us!!! Loads of snow forecast!
Monday 15th February 2010
What a disappointment.........................
York was, as ever, fabulous. It is lovely to walk around a place and see lots of one-off little shops and not just be hit by the usual array of shop fronts that mean you could be anywhere in the UK.
However............................................................................................................................. Jorvik was DULL. No enthusiasm, very little information and incredibly dry. I have to say that if we do decide to write a show about the Vikings, it will be more informative and much, much more FUN.
Sunday 14th February 2010
On the other hand.........................
After visiting the English Heritage Shop in Carlisle Castle today
and seeing the emphasis of their children's literature, it could be the Romans that get this year's bZ treatment!
Friday 12th February 2010
Great Fun..........................
The kite project that I am about to start at The Grove in Melton looks fun. Not only will I be making loads of kites, but we are aiming to end up with a "Sea in the Sky theme, where we make loads of kites that look like sea creatures and fly them in the sky..... Sea in the Sky!! Funky huh?
Thursday 10th February 2010
A hit................
The purple mailshot is hitting council desks - one enquiry from South Norfolk and one from Yorkshire.
Wednesday 9th February 2010
A sort of day out................
Now as some of you may know we try to create a new project/show each year. We also never throw anything away so we have an enormous props and costume store as well as a vast number of different shows and routines up our sleeves. This year is no different and this year it's going to be ..............................
THE VIKINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our extensive market research (joke, we've heard a couple of whispers) suggests that there is a bit of an opening for primary school viking work, so we thought we'd give it a go and come up with a Robin Hood style show, but about vikings (This is begining to ramble isn't it?) ANYWAY....... We're off to York on Monday to go to the Jorvik Centre for a bit of jolly research. It's jolly research because we are doing research whilst having a bit of a jolly!
On another front, we've had four fire-engine bookings so far this week. In fact we've had a lot of work in this week. Nothing today yet though. Still, the day is yet young!
Sunday 7th February 2010
All of a sudden................
More fire-engine and other stuff in. All of a sudden what looked like a thin wall calendar is filling up.
Friday 5th February 2010
A steady trickle.................
Well, there's been a steady stream of work coming in this week, which is brilliant. The first fire-engine show definitely booked through Tony Yorke, this is good. Hopefully more will be on the way!
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
Another good day....................
Well yesterday was anyway! Several jobs coming in for all kinds of work. One of them was for a Freddie show up near Manchester. We were booked for the same show in the monsoon summer of 2008. It was a lovely show, but he conditions were dreadful. Freddie sank up to his axles when we drove onto the field.
Sunday 31st January 2010
Back to it....................
Busy week coming up for both of us. Back to the grindstone! Start with kite meetings at Grove on Tuesday. Raring to go!
Friday 29th January 2010
Home again................
Well we're back after a great week away, and a fair few job enquiries and bookings through too. Always good news.
Thursday 21st January 2010
A good day again................
It's a good day because we are going on holiday tomorrow!! Whooo-hooo!
Tuesday 19th January 2010
A good day................
Well, The Grove came in with the Kite-making project, which is brilliant. What is even more brilliant is that they've asked me to take a look at another project they are considering, so that is all looking good. Not only that, an enquiry came in for Freddie
for Spring Bank holiday Monday. Keep it coming!
Monday 18th January 2010
One to go..................
And that's where Gayna is now in the lovely town of Stamford.
Well, we're putting in the time on these, and this is probably the most difficult. Anyway, if a couple of them come off it should be pretty good.
Saturday 16th January 2010
One to go...................
Well I had my kite interview at Grove yesterday - all seemed to go pretty well, should know next week. Just Gayna's interview in Stamford on Monday to go. It would be good to get a couple of these under our belt!
Thursday 14th January 2010
One down...................
Well, just had my first interview at Abbey School. Another one of these fantastic Victorian/Edwardian inner city schools. What a brilliant building. I know it won't be particularly eco-friendly but nevertheless such a huge building with high ceilings and so many other attributes that just would not be entertained today. Also, an absolute warren of a place.
Wednesday 13th January 2010
More interviews...................
This time for Gayna over at Stamford. An environmental theme for this one - right up our street. Will probably start with a performance of "What A Waste!"
and take it from there.
Monday 11th January 2010
We've still got the weather...................
Well still managing to earn a bit even though the weather is not making it too easy. On Saturday we started our latest stint at Center Parcs. It was back to where we all started with the free kids' shows and it was a bit of a laugh, and a big improvement on the audience size from the last time we did one of these.
So now it's the big push through to the summer. Work does seem a little harder to come by, although we've had some interesting enquiries, including the commissioning of a new environmental show for Cherwell Council which is pleasing. Also this week I've a couple of interviews for Creative Partners jobs. One of them at Abbey School in Leicester and the other a course making kites at The Grove in Melton.
That's one I would love to do, so I hope I get it. I will let you know of the outcome. It's quite hard going back to being interviewed again. There must be something very deeply psychological there.
Wednesday 6th January 2010
Even more weather...................
It's great! I'm off to try and take a picture of the village from our bedroom window to put on here.
Hey, that worked! Am I getting the hang of this technology lark? Don't hold your breath!
A downside though...CRBs. These things are totally and utterly ridiculous and are just another symptom of nanny-state over-government. It used to be the case that in weather like this, if teachers could not get into their own school they would report in to the nearest open school to them. This was a good thing. It meant that there was a kind of even-ing out process going on and that most schools could stay open. This is no longer the case. CRBs for teachers are site specific and so they cannot go to work in another school and so schools have to close, people have to stay at home to look after the kids, wage packets and companies are disrupted and the economy which, let's face it, is a little fragile suffers. Genius.
Tuesday 6th January 2010
The weather...................
Well I'm English and I'm allowed to talk about it. We are up to our ears in snow!!!!
Friday 1st January 2010
Nearly there...................
Wonderful crisp bright day. A Happy New Year to everyone
Wednesday 30th December
Weather watch...................
Well a couple of ghost walks booked for this evening, but the weather is vile.
When I was driving home from Thoresby yesterday evening the snow was a-falling and by the time I went to bed there was a lovely white covering everywhere. "Great!" I thought, just right for the walks through Sherwood Forest tomorrow night. All turned to rain, no snow, horrible under foot and it's blowing a hooley! Ah well, the best laid plans of mice and men eh?
.............................day 28th December 2009
What day is it?....................
I know it's the 28th, but I couldn't tell you what day it is. Been good so far, Christmas Day was a bit of an oasis in the middle of it all. Had a day off today - small, but very select, ghost walk yesterday evening. A Toastmaster job tomorrow at Thoresby Hall.
Rolling beginning to pick up momentum again.......................
Last bit of a breather before Christmas starts in earnest. Big day at Center Parcs tomorrow, there all day, finishing up on my own doing a couple of late ghost walks. With the light dusting of snow we still have it should be pretty cool out in the snowy forest (in every way
)
I really like the ghost walks and I also really like the Victorian character, Mr Squires, I use for this walk. It's all a bit of a crossover between my entertainment work and my Toastmaster work.
Sunday 20th December 2009
The rolling has slows down for a couple of days...........................
Zizi's Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Big celebrations. It's snowy, it's Christmassy and it's birthday time. No shows for a couple of days, but have had an enquiry from the new publicity mail shot to the National Trust at Croft Castle.
 This is A Good Day.
Saturday 19th December 2009
This rolling along is getting downright dangerous! .............................
The first "Breakfast With Santa" today. Not too bad. Fidget the Fairy was, of course brilliant, but not sure about the outlaw. His accent roamed around Norfolk and then the South west, occasionally breaking into Irish. A gentle introduction today - another 90 people on Thursday. Perhaps a triumph of avarice over reason?
Thursday 17th December 2009
Christmas is rolling along at a breakneck speed .............................
Whoa!!!!! This is a hoot. Robert Mellors School was the venue for "Oh Yes It Is!" on Tuesday and we're off to Thorns School in Kenilworth today.
That'll be the end of the schools' shows for this year and we start the "Breakfast with Santa" malarkey at Center Parcs on Saturday, leading into Mr Squires ghost walks.
Monday 14th December 2009
Christmas is rolling along .............................
Great day at Pinchbeck, and not only that they've booked us for a King Arthur day at the end of next term. That's what we like to hear!
Saturday 11th December 2009
Christmas has started .............................
It was great fun! Everyone, staff and kids alike loved the show, and we seemed to have so much material. I don't know if it's all a part of "as you get older you work smarter", but we just had so much material. Years ago we would get to 45-50 minutes and run out of stuff, now we are having to cut things. I hope it's this and not the fact that now we are older and move more slowly so that we cannot get through routines so quickly!
Monday morning we are up bright and early to go to Pinchbeck School in Spalding. Long drive, early start. Hey ho!
Thursday 10th December 2009
Christmas is starting.............................
First "Oh YesIt Is!" show tomorrow in the big Christmas build up. Long time since we've done an hour's clown show - should be a hoot! We're off to St John's School in Worksop
Tuesday 8th December 2009
Decisions, decisions.............................
Big decision day today. For the past few years at Center Parcs we have worked a "Breakfast With Santa. All jolly good fun, Gayna has been Fidget the Fairy
...and I have been a thoroughly rehabilitated and very loveable Captain Hook, not like this old scoundrel at all...
Anyway, something different this year is required of me, not the others, just me! It looks as though it could be a Sherwood Outlaw. Should be able to do something with that.
Monday 7th December 2009
Weather.............................
Now, I know it's fairly seasonal, but I'm getting fed up with it being so wet. It's chucking it down again now and it's only 18 days to Christmas! Bah! Humbug!
Thursday 3rd December 2009
An old friend surfaces..............................
It was great to hear earlier in the week from an old friend, Stephen Hales. We've done lots of work over the years for Stephen, following him around the country from Leicestershire to Cambridgeshire to Norfolk. well he's now Headteacher of Burnham Market Primary School way over in hilly Norfolkshire and he's booked us for three days next May. Steve is one of those inspirational heads that you always wished you'd had as a kid. It will be great to hook up with him again. We are doing one performance of "Horatio's Last Hurrah!"
Have to really since this is where the great man was born, and then a series of circus workshops leading up to a kid's show at the end. In artistic terms this is a "residency". Impressed huh? All a load of twaddle to me.
Friday 1st December 2009
Back from work!....................................
What a fabulous weekend's work in Ludlow. We just about got away with the weather, it was chilly and damp but nothing like the torrential rain forecast and apparently on Saturday they had something like 14500 people through the gates. We had a ball. We shared the stage (and digs) with our good friends Rob and Ian from "What A Palaver"
Alan Kirkpatrick from "No Strings Puppets" and some superb looking re-enactors from "The Plantagenants "
And all in the fabulous surroundings of Ludlow Castle
Thursday 26th November 2009
Back to work!....................................
Back after a fabulous couple of days in Potsdam with our friends Paul and Ulriche. They have built a Huf Haus which is stunning. Anyway, we're back and off again. This weekend is the Ludlow Festival which is BRILLIANT!
It's at Ludlow Castle which is stunning. Hopefully there is a picture here somewhere.
It is a wonderful festival and is part-organised by our good friend Wyndebagge .
 If you have a chance, be there.
Wednesday 18th November 2009
Bad computer day...................................
Yesterday was a bad computer day. Those of you who are familiar with me and my travails in maintaining our other site, "Class In A Coat", that site for all things in the world of Toastmasters, (there was to be a picture here, but the computer isn't letting me put the chosen picture in grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.), will know that Computers and I don't get along very well.
 It has now!
Yesterday I did a DB of an entry about our new publicity. All singing, all dancing. Loads of pics, witty, informative. Then the computer ate it before I could save it. So you haven't got it. All I can say is that it is the world of great literature's loss. I might try to recreate it today, but I'm still feeling a little piqued.
Right then, the new publicity................... pretty cool. We are having a big paper publicity push this year. As well as the new schools' programme publicity we have just had delivered our events stuff. It's aimed at people like English Heritage and The National Trust as well as sundry castles and stately homes.
It's telling about the stuff we already have, but is also promoting our new project for 2010 which is the "Time Travellers' Mystery Trail". Basically this is a kind of treasure hunt with clues and performances designed so that there is not a set starting time. This means that sites can have something going on all day and we don't have to have kittens if there isn't a big enough audience at any given time. The other thing about it is that we are aiming to make it adaptable for different periods. For instance, medieval:
Tudor:
 Well, they scare me...
Victorian:
 We're hoping she'd be a little bit amused...
and even Roman:
 Work it out.................
|